Chapter 56: Exploration

Li Tongya went and returned, climbing Mount Meichi while carrying a bleating white lamb. By this time, the sky had darkened. The two nodded to each other, and Li Tongya tossed the little lamb into the cave.

"Baa... baa."

After bleating for a while, the lamb began to tremble, attempting to walk back out.

"Go!"

Li Xiangping forcibly turned it around and struck its rump with a tree branch, only then did the lamb bleat loudly and head into the depths.

The group waited for a moment, listening to the lamb's continued bleating, before exchanging glances and cautiously entering the cave.

The tunnel was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and the air was relatively fresh, though somewhat dim. As they stepped deeper, the concentration of spiritual energy began to rise.

Upon entering the cave dwelling, they found an expansive main hall. The surrounding walls were carved from green stone, and night pearls hung from the ceiling, providing a faint glimmer that was just enough to see the surroundings. The air was thick with a comfortable spiritual energy, so wondrous that one felt an urge to stop immediately to practice breathing cultivation.

Several faint golden array patterns were etched into the floor, and at the very center was a small opening from which spiritual energy surged outward. Beside it sat meditation mats, while several green stone shelves stood empty and covered in dust.

Li Xiangping looked around, seeing only a stone table and a few green jade stools, both of which were empty. He couldn't help but say in disappointment

"This cave dwelling is cleaned so thoroughly, it's as if it's been looted."

However, there were three stone doors on the walls. With a gentle nudge from the lamb, one opened. Following their usual routine, Li Tongya let the lamb enter first before he and Li Xiangping tiptoed through the first stone door.

The space inside the door was quite spacious, with night pearls hanging from the ceiling and several stone shelves, which were also empty. The two searched carefully for a long time, finding nothing but dust and a few piles of unrecognizable black ash.

Li Tongya and Li Xiangping exchanged a silent look and had no choice but to move toward the next stone door.

"Since this cave dwelling is so empty, I'm afraid it's not the remains of some senior, but merely an abandoned site."

Li Xiangping nodded and looked toward the open second stone door, saying softly

"True. Even if someone died outside the cave, there should be some leftover belongings inside. Since it's been cleaned so thoroughly, the owner likely prepared to leave long ago and packed their jade slips and medicinal pills into storage bags."

Behind the second stone door were seven or eight stone platforms holding several white jade bottles. The two inspected the bottles one by one; either the medicinal pills inside had lost their spiritual potency, or they were simply empty.

There were still a few piles of black ash on the stone platforms, their original forms long gone. On the central platform sat a hexagonal jade plate engraved with array talismans, now shattered beyond recognition. Pale blue jade fragments were scattered across the floor. Li Xiangping picked up a piece, finding that it was actually slightly warm to the touch.

The two were left in a state of helpless amusement, and Li Tongya and his companion had no choice but to retreat.

"That jade plate looks somewhat similar to the array disk Wan Yuankai mentioned on the road."

Seeing Li Xiangping's puzzled expression, Li Tongya explained

"Both array flags and array disks can be used to set up formations. Unlike array flags, which rely entirely on one's cultivation in the Dao of Arrays and the complexity of the array diagrams, an array disk can only deploy one specific type of formation—whatever diagram is engraved upon it. It is somewhat rigid, but fortunately, it doesn't require extremely high cultivation; one only needs to know how to adjust the input of spiritual energy."

"Once the formation is broken, the array disk immediately shatters into fragments. However, a formation set by array flags can be redeployed as long as the flags remain intact."

"I see. That array disk must have been the guardian formation at the cave entrance. Since we used the Lunar Profound Light to break the formation, the disk naturally shattered into pieces."

Li Xiangping nodded. He and Li Tongya returned to the main hall. He watched as Li Tongya cautiously let the lamb enter the third stone chamber first before they both entered together.

Inside the stone door was a stone bed, its cushion having rotted beyond recognition. A small jade bottle sat at the head of the bed. Li Xiangping gently opened the cap, but nothing came out except for a faint scent of medicinal herbs.

Li Tongya, with his sharp eyes, found a slender green jade bottle and a piece of white cloth of special material covered in small characters on the bed. Only then did the two breathe a sigh of relief. Li Xiangping immediately smiled

"At least we didn't come away empty-handed."

"Not quite."

Li Tongya shook his head and replied

"This cave dwelling alone, along with the gathering formation in the center and that small hole spewing spiritual energy, is already a massive harvest. Given that we didn't fall into any traps or suffer any injuries, obtaining such a boon—a cave dwelling with spiritual energy nearly forty percent higher than the outside world—is something we should be content with."

Li Xiangping nodded and leaned in to look at the white cloth and the slender green jade bottle in Li Tongya's hands.

Li Tongya first spread out the cloth and read it carefully

"Chi Wei bows: That person has arrived at Moon-Watching Lake, and the sect has already dispatched people to intercept them. Please, fellow Daoist, act swiftly. The Blazing Sun Manual you required has been delivered. Once this matter is concluded, I will personally present the Spirit Jade Fire Crystal to your cave dwelling.

"That person is powerful; remain extremely vigilant and do not hold back. If you encounter them unexpectedly, please fly toward my Qingchi Sect and notify us immediately."

After reading this nonsensical passage, the two were left completely in the dark, having gained no useful information. They could only put away the white cloth and look at the slender green jade bottle.

Li Xiangping shook the green jade bottle. Seeing that the body was warm and the inside seemed empty, he carefully unscrewed the stopper, but nothing poured out.

Li Tongya swept his spiritual sense across the bottle and cried out in surprise

"This is a magical tool!"

He then frowned, studying it for a while. After probing the interior with his spiritual sense, he spoke with some uncertainty

"It seems to be a specialized storage tool. It contains a type of spiritual energy as hot as fire."

"No wonder I couldn't pour it out."

Li Xiangping nodded and asked doubtfully

"Could it be that Heaven and Earth spiritual energy used for advancing from Fetal Breathing to Qi Refining?"

"Regardless, we cannot use it right now. Let's store it safely first."

Li Tongya tucked the green jade bottle into his robes. After Li Xiangping and he carefully inspected every corner of the cave dwelling, the two led the lamb out.

Li Yesheng was currently leading the villagers of Jingyang Village to compact the foundation beside the hillside. Not daring to approach the cave entrance, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Li Tongya and Li Xiangping emerge, smiling as he said

"I saw the cave entrance early this morning and even sent someone to Mount Lijing to invite the two brothers, but it seems I came up empty-handed."

Li Xiangping handed the lamb to Li Yesheng, chatted briefly about the arrangements for building the courtyard on the mountain, and then returned to Mount Lijing with Li Tongya.

"That cave dwelling is rich in spiritual energy, surpassing Mount Lijing by quite a margin. We must send people to guard it."

Li Xiangping spoke in low tones to Li Tongya as they walked.

"Indeed."

Li Tongya nodded and said

"Let Li Qiuyang return. Xuan Xuan and I will watch over Mount Meichi together. This child will have a better cultivation environment and will be able to go further in the future."