prynovel Chapter 107 Mountain Valley Cave Star Advancement
Chapter 107 Mountain Valley Cave Star Advancement
The cave was opened, and the five people entered one after another.
The interior of the cave was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Dozens of luminous pearls, some as big as a fist and others as small as a pigeon egg, were embedded in the ceiling, arranged in some kind of array, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. The floor was paved with whole slabs of green jade, each polished as smooth as a mirror, with seamless joints, leaving no gaps.
In the very center was a stone cushion, made of neither gold nor jade, its entire surface a deep, inky black, with faint starlight shimmering on its surface. In front of the cushion was a stone table, made of the same material as the cushion, on which lay three yellowed ancient books and a jade box.
The stone walls on both sides were covered with martial arts diagrams and array patterns, densely packed, stretching from the ground to the ceiling. Each diagram was clear and well-preserved, as if it had been carved just yesterday. The martial arts diagram on the left was a sword technique never seen before, with a vast and magnificent sword style; the array patterns on the right were so complex that they were dazzling, and even Su Muyue couldn't help but gasp when she saw them.
In the corner sits an abandoned alchemy furnace, its body riddled with cracks, yet still revealing its former exquisite craftsmanship—the furnace body is engraved with flame patterns and herbal illustrations, while the lid features a relief of dragons and phoenixes symbolizing good fortune. Scattered beside the furnace are some black residues, waste materials left over from failed alchemy attempts, which have not completely weathered away even after a thousand years.
"It's the middle volume of the 'Origin of Stars'!"
Lin Chen picked up the top ancient book. The moment his fingers touched the cover, the Star Martial Core in his dantian trembled violently, as if two magnets had drawn together. He turned the pages; the handwriting was vigorous and powerful, each stroke carrying the aura of the Martial Emperor's own handwriting from a thousand years ago. The book detailed all the methods for breaking through from the Meridian Opening Realm to the罡气 (罡气 is a type of internal energy cultivation technique), as well as how to condense the power of stars into罡气, and how to use罡气 to propel higher-level sword techniques.
He had been cultivating the first volume of the technique inherited from the first Martial Emperor's mark, which only allowed him to reach the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm, after which there was no way to advance further. Now that he had obtained the second volume, he finally had a method to break through to the Transformation Realm.
Chu Fan picked up the second ancient book, its cover bearing the three ancient seal characters "Explanation of the Twelve Formations." He opened the first page, and his hand began to tremble. Not from fear, but from excitement. He quickly flipped through several pages, his breathing becoming rapid, his eyes wide, the pupils behind his glasses reflecting dense array diagrams.
"This is...this is the formation insights of the first Martial Emperor's Guard Chief!" His voice trembled. "It records many lost ancient formations, including the complete methods to break the Hunyuan Formation, the Zhou Tian Xing Chen Formation, and the Twelve Capital Heavenly Fiend Formation...it's more than ten times more advanced than the family formations I learned before!"
Su Ling'er picked up the third book, which was titled "An Introduction to Alchemy" on the cover. She flipped through a few pages and jumped up excitedly, her ponytail swinging in the air in an arc.
"This is wonderful! It contains many ancient elixir formulas!" She read aloud as she flipped through the pages, "Rejuvenation Pill, Barrier-Breaking Pill, Bone-Healing Pill... and even formulas to suppress evil poisons!" She suddenly stopped, carefully examined a few lines, and her eyes brightened even more, "There are formulas here specifically for blood poisoning! Although they can't cure it completely, they can greatly alleviate Sister Muyue's symptoms!"
Leng Feng didn't touch the ancient book on the table. He walked to the stone wall and looked up at the set of sword techniques carved on it—"The Formation-Breaking Sword Technique".
The swordsmanship was fierce and domineering, each move simple and clear, without fancy variations or complicated routines—just slashing, hacking, chopping, and sweeping. Yet, within these most basic movements lay an extreme sense of power. Where the blade passed, array patterns shattered, defensive shields collapsed, and all the enemy's tricks were as worthless as paper in the face of absolute destructive force.
A hint of emotion flickered across Leng Feng's stern face. He unconsciously stretched out his finger and traced the knife marks on the stone wall.
This sword technique is identical to the lethal sword techniques he learned from the military—simple, deadly, and swift. However, it surpasses the military's techniques in that it is specifically designed to counter various defensive formations; the sword's force can penetrate the gaps in the formation's patterns, dismantling it from within. It perfectly complements his fighting style.
Lin Chen opened the jade box on the stone table.
The jade box was pure white, warm and smooth like jade—no, it was made of jade itself, and of the finest mutton-fat jade. The lid and body fit together perfectly, as if carved from a single piece of jade. The moment the lid was opened, a cool medicinal fragrance wafted out, not an overpowering scent, but a faint, refreshing aroma, like mountain spring water, like morning dew.
Inside was a completely transparent pill.
The pill was round, about the size of a fingernail, and so transparent that it was almost invisible; only when light passed through it could a faint outline be seen. Inside the pill, silvery-white specks of light flowed, like a miniature galaxy.
"Spirit Gathering Pill," Su Muyue said softly. "A fourth-grade pill that can help martial artists in the Meridian Opening Realm quickly open their meridians and break through their realm. A pill of this grade would be worth at least a million spirit stones at an auction, and it would be priceless."
Beside the elixir lay a yellowed parchment, folded to the size of a palm, its edges worn and frayed. Lin Chen carefully unfolded it; the handwriting inside was vigorous and powerful, each stroke as if carved into stone with a knife, still clearly legible even after a thousand years.
"I am the seventh guard under the Martial Emperor, entrusted by him to guard this secret realm for over a thousand years. If a destined person obtains my inheritance, I hope they will carry on my legacy, protect the Martial Emperor's Mausoleum, and safeguard the peace of humanity. Remember, be wary of the traitors of the Qin clan. The Qin clan once received great favors from the Martial Emperor, yet they secretly colluded with the evil race, attempting to overthrow humanity and seize the ancient inheritance within the Martial Emperor's Mausoleum. A thousand years ago, the Martial Emperor sealed the evil race with his life, and the Qin clan is the greatest internal threat. If you encounter a descendant of the Qin clan, do not show mercy."
Su Muyue's face turned pale instantly.
"Traitors of the Qin family?" She stared at the words on the parchment, her voice trembling. "Could it be that Qin Cang and the others... the Qin family betrayed humanity a thousand years ago! This isn't just a matter of one generation; it's a sin passed down through the entire family!"
No wonder Qin Cang, as the vice-principal of Xingwu University, held a high position and wielded great power, yet he had been secretly colluding with the evil race. No wonder he targeted Lin Chen, who possessed the core of Xingwu, at every turn, trying every means to seize the inheritance. No wonder he was so enthusiastic about the archaeological excavation of the Martial Emperor's Mausoleum—he wasn't interested in history, but rather wanted to find a way to open the mausoleum and complete the "cause" that his ancestors had failed to finish a thousand years ago.
"This matter must be reported to the Martial Arts Alliance as soon as possible." Lin Chen carefully folded the parchment and put it into his pocket, treating it with the solemnity of someone storing a priceless treasure. This was no ordinary will; it was irrefutable evidence from a thousand years ago, crucial evidence that could solidify the Qin family's charge of treason.