Chapter 1023 The Secrets of Yunmeng [Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month!]
Late at night, in a secluded valley on an isolated island, in front of a solitary grave.
A quiet, aloof young Taoist nun was following a taciturn young man, preparing to descend into the tomb.
A white sturgeon emitting a faint white glow circled around the two people and the lonely grave. Its eerie white light shone on the two people. If someone traveling at night and unaware of the situation were to pass by and witness this "strange" scene, they would probably be scared half to death.
Huang Xuan pondered Ouyang Rong's words for a moment, her little face showing a thoughtful expression.
Taking advantage of Xiao Xuan's quietness, Ouyang Rong took out the Peach Blossom Spring Map from the bamboo tube, hung it on his waist where it was easy to hold, and then took out some tools that he had prepared in advance, preparing to enter the tomb.
He blew on the tinderbox, lit the torch in Huang Xuan's hand, and took it from her.
"The fire will carry me, I'll go first, Xiaoxuan, you follow behind me, don't stray too far."
Ouyang Rong gave Huang Xuan a few words of advice.
"good."
Huang Xuan responded and turned to look at Miao Si and Da Bai.
Miao Si rode on Da Bai's back, circling around the two of them, her eyes also fixed on Huang Xuan. The two of them stared at each other, one big and one small.
The fairy waved her little hand, encouraging her:
"Don't worry, there shouldn't be anything dirty inside. We've been there twice. But there's a dark doorway at the very back that we haven't explored yet, so we don't know what's inside. Xiao Rongzi is probably looking for you tonight because of that..."
Ouyang Rong interrupted the little ink spirit's rambling:
"Alright, let's go in first. Once we're inside the tomb passage, I'll talk to Xiaoxuan."
"Um."
Huang Xuan glanced at her beloved brother Tanlang, but didn't ask any further questions, and followed closely behind him.
Ouyang Rong glanced back at Miao Si and Bai Shu, who were still standing there. The female immortal waved her hand impatiently, somewhat displeased, and said:
"What are you standing there staring at this fairy for? Hurry up and go in! How am I supposed to get in if you don't go in?"
So, you were waiting for Xiaoxuan and me to go first, huh? You were just reassuring them that there was no danger inside, but you ended up hiding at the very back... Ouyang Rong's lips twitched, somewhat speechless.
Huang Xuan also noticed this and looked back at the self-righteous Miao Si.
Feeling the different gazes directed at them, Little Ink Spirit felt a little embarrassed. Her face flushed red, and she pouted, saying:
"This fairy is just a little afraid of the dark. In Xiao Rongzi's words, it's something like claustrophobia. It's not that I'm afraid. It's not like I've never been here before, right, Da Bai!"
She patted her "good friend" on the seat with her little hand.
The white sturgeon, seemingly bewildered, spun around in place.
If it had a good memory, it would probably roll its eyes right now and complain to Huang Xuan about how the little ink spirit had slipped away and sent it to scout ahead.
Unfortunately, Big White not only has a bad memory but also can't speak, so he can only be a punching bag, being bullied by Little Ink Spirit.
Ouyang Rong, too lazy to discuss his brilliant ideas, held up his torch and led the way down into the tomb.
Huang Xuan followed closely behind, followed by Miao Si and Da Bai.
Huang Xuan possessed a pair of innocent and bright eyes that could see through most illusions and find the essence of things.
At that moment, she also noticed that there was no corpse inside the coffin, only an empty tomb. She asked:
"Is this a cenotaph?"
"Um."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly. The group had already entered the dark tomb passage. Without the moonlight to illuminate their way, the narrow passage was only illuminated by the torch in Ouyang Rong's hand and the hazy glow emitted by Da Bai. After their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they were able to see their surroundings clearly.
It was Huang Xuan's first time here, and she looked around with some curiosity, quite interested in the strange tomb in this remote, desolate island.
As Ouyang Rong walked forward holding the torch, he spoke.
"I suspect that the person buried here died further inside, and the cenotaph outside is just symbolic."
Why was this cenotaph erected?
"It could be a sense of ritual, or it could be to fool the outside world."
After a pause, Ouyang Rong pointed ahead and said:
“When Miaosi and I went in last time, we accidentally discovered a large bronze door. After we opened it, Miaosi said that there was the aura of a dead person inside. It should be right, it is very likely that it is the owner of this tomb.”
"However, once we entered, we found a completely different world inside. There were no bodies of the tomb owner or other dead people, but rather some strange ancient murals telling stories from bygone eras. Xiaoxuan will be able to see them when she goes in later..."
"Besides that, I also discovered a strange, pitch-black doorway embedded in the mural. It's easy to miss if you don't look closely. This strange black door is truly sinister. Inside, it's a bottomless abyss, and the size of the space is unknown. There are also strange dripping sounds inside. Moreover, each time I go in, the direction seems to be different because the direction of the dripping sounds changes... In any case, this door is definitely not simple."
Ouyang Rong sighed softly, turned around, and said to Huang Xuan in a sincere tone:
"After much deliberation, I decided not to force my way in. Instead, I thought I'd bring you here, Xiaoxuan, so that your Innocent Eyes can take a look and see what secrets lie inside. Logically speaking, the Innocent Eyes can see through most illusions, and this black door should be no exception... So, I'll need to ask Xiaoxuan for help later. Thank you for your hard work."
Huang Xuan listened with great interest, her little face very serious, and then she waved her hand:
"It's not hard work. I'd be happy if I could help my brother Tanlang."
"Okay... watch your step. There are some loose stones in this passageway that could trip you up. It's probably because it's been neglected for years."
"Uh-huh."
Huang Xuan nodded obediently.
A clever idea to claim credit:
"Xiao Rongzi originally wanted to force his way in, but luckily I stopped him and made him come to find you, Xiao Xuan. How about that? I'm still more cautious and composed. As the saying goes, 'A clever person in the house is a treasure.'"
Ouyang Rong: ...
Huang Xuan was stunned and confused, so she could only offer a compliment.
On the path to the tomb, the solitary young Taoist nun looked around, thought for a moment, and finally asked the question that had been on her mind:
"Brother Tanlang, how did you find this place?"
Ouyang Rong initially wanted to say that he only wanted to dig up Cui Hao's grave to retrieve his original calligraphy, but that explanation sounded strange, so he had to say it more tactfully:
“I received a legacy from an ancient person, who guided me here. The tomb owner here, Lu Changgeng, was an old friend of that ancient person.”
"I see."
Huang Xuan then said:
"Brother Tanlang is truly blessed."
"Let's go in first. We're not sure if this place is a blessed land or a dangerous place. I suspect that strange black door might be a trap. After all, someone must have died inside. I don't know if it was Lu Changgeng."
He paused, then fell silent. He didn't tell Huang Xuan that the way the bronze gate was opened was through the direct bloodline of the Lu family of Fanyang.
Because, if we follow this logic, the chances of finding a blessed land and treasures behind the bronze gate should be much higher.
"arrive."
After walking a short distance, Ouyang Rong suddenly stopped.
Huang Xuan looked at the "obstacle" in front of her with some curiosity.
Once Miao Si determined that there was no danger ahead, he gently patted the white sturgeon's tail, and with a flick of its tail, it swam past Ouyang Rong and Huang Xuan, easily "swimming" forward.
Like an old acquaintance returning to the same spot, the white sturgeon seemed somewhat "jubilant."
A hazy, shimmering white light fell upon the bronze gate in front of them, creating an ethereal, dreamlike scene.
Miao Si stood with her hands behind her back, looking rather imposing, her eyes slightly turned to the side as she glanced at the aloof young Taoist nun who had just arrived.
He seemed quite interested in his good friend Xiaoxuan's reaction.
This kind of perverse pleasure is similar to taking a close friend to a secret place, where she herself has already been shocked and amazed, and now she really wants to see the same expression on her friend's face.
Huang Xuan's reaction was exactly as she had expected.
The young woman tilted her head back, her mouth slightly open, seemingly lost in thought.
She saw an enormous bronze gate blocking her way.
The bronze material is slightly different from common bronze. It has very little patina, but instead has many blood-like spots, densely packed and irregular, like blood splattered on bronze...
Meanwhile, on the bronze gate, there were also strange Kui Xing talismans and dark characters covering the entire gate, which made people dizzy after looking at them for a while...
Even though she had heard Ouyang Rong mention this sect briefly before, Huang Xuan was still somewhat amazed to see it in person.
Many things cannot be fully described in words, just like the feelings between people.
Huang Xuan murmured:
"Is this the bronze door? No wonder Brother Tanlang is so convinced that there is something extraordinary inside and wants to go in and explore... There must be something unusual about this place."
Ouyang Rong corrected:
"This is not simple bronze. Strictly speaking, the material of this door is blood bronze."
Huang Xuan asked curiously, "Blood Bronze?"
Clearly, she was unaware of this item, and even within the Sanqing Daoist sect, it's estimated that very few people knew about it.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:
"Blood Bronze is a sect treasure of Yunmeng Sword Marsh. Its origin is unknown, but it is certain that it comes from Yunmeng Sword Marsh. The successive female rulers of the Female Ruler Palace have mastered the use of Blood Bronze to perfection..."
"However, the Blood Bronze is not completely kept secret by them. Over the past thousand years, legendary figures have occasionally 'stolen' the Blood Bronze from Yunmeng Sword Marsh, using its properties to achieve their own purposes. I know of three such figures... One of them, whom the female immortal also knows, is Tao Yuanming, a famous scholar from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, who is also the legendary swordsman of the Dingjian [Hanshi]."
Huang Xuan listened silently, keeping her head tilted to the side, her eyes fixed on her brother Tanlang who was patiently telling her the story, seemingly lost in thought.
Ouyang Rong gave a brief account, then paused for a moment and pointed to the blood-red bronze gate in front of him:
"...Tao Yuanming and the other two successively used the blood bronze's ability to conduct the sword energy of the cauldron sword, which is extremely yang and strong, to construct the legendary Peach Blossom Spring Sword Formation. This formation was also passed from the secret treasury of the Yuan family of the Northern Wei Dynasty all the way to the Imperial Observatory of the current dynasty. It was then used by the two kings of the Wei family to secretly build and hide in the Four Great Buddhas and the Heavenly Pivot of Luoyang, in order to curry favor with the current sage."
Ouyang Rong's words were concise and to the point:
"It can be said that the conflict over the Donglin Buddha was all because of the Blood Bronze and the Peach Blossom Sword Formation derived from it... What the Queens of the Queen's Palace wanted to destroy was not the Buddha, but the Peach Blossom Sword Formation that they stole from their sect's Blood Bronze."
Huang Xuan looked surprised, her pupils contracted slightly, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed, as if she was trying to digest Ouyang Rong's words.
Ouyang Rong sighed softly, then pointed to the spiritual white sturgeon that was wandering in front of the blood bronze gate:
"Da Bai is not the mortal body it appears to be. Beneath its skin and flesh lies blood bronze, the same material as this gate... It is a secret masterpiece of the Queen's Palace, used to deal with the Great Buddha of Donglin. The transformation of Da Bai into a dragon that Miao Si just told you about may also be due to the characteristics of blood bronze."
"Currently, it seems that the Queen's Palace has mastered the Blood Bronze to a very high degree. New uses of Blood Bronze, such as the Peach Blossom Sword Formation, are seen by them as taboos that must be destroyed. At least within the Tiannan Jianghu region, no unorthodox formations built around Blood Bronze can exist..."
"Xiao Xuan, this is the fundamental conflict between Yunmeng Sword Marsh and the Great Zhou Dynasty, between the Yuanjun and the Sage. Many people are kept in the dark, and even those who want to resolve it are unaware of the truth. For example, your Senior Brother Zhang from the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain is one such person."
"That's why Lady Zhishuang and the others imprisoned him for so long, ignoring his good advice and attempts to reconcile. It was all because they were on the wrong track from the start. It was like a knotted rope with no beginning or end. Trying to untie it by force would only make it more and more complicated."
Huang Xuan listened and fell silent. Then, she took a deep breath and said:
"Brother, is it because you knew this that during the Battle of Xunyang, you not only prevented the conflict between the two sides but also destroyed the Donglin Buddha that you had personally built, causing it to collapse and sink into the river?"
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then remained silent, whether out of silence or not was unclear.
His expression remained unchanged as he continued:
"Furthermore, I suspect that Yunmeng Sword Marsh's use of Blood Bronze is not simply about transforming the Great White Dragon into a dragon. As everyone knows, Yunmeng Sword Marsh, as one of the few reclusive sects in the world, once possessed cauldrons and cauldron swords, and even still possesses them now, though the exact number is unknown... What I currently know through my channels is that there is one of them in..."
"Since they possess both the mythical cauldron and the origin of this blood bronze, it's impossible that the Queen's Palace didn't discover the blood bronze's ability to transmit the power of the mythical cauldron and sword over the course of thousands of years. It's absolutely impossible."
"Then there's only one possibility: they actually knew all along, and even used it with unparalleled skill... their methods far surpass the so-called Peach Blossom Sword Formation."
Ouyang Rong's eyes narrowed, and his voice gradually softened as he said:
"Back when I was in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, I learned a secret that only the descendants of Emperor Taizong knew in a rudimentary way... In fact, Yunmeng Sword Marsh also secretly controlled a large array throughout the entire Tiannan region."
"When viewed together, the two are not unrelated."
Huang Xuan calmly spoke:
"What Brother Tanlang means is that the reason why Yunmeng Jianze is so vehemently opposed to Donglin Buddha and the Peach Blossom Sword Formation behind it, and reacted so strongly to fight back, even at the cost of going against the Great Zhou Dynasty, is because Peach Blossom Sword Ze stepped on the Queen's Palace's real sore spot... that is, the legendary mysterious formation that covers the south of the sky."
"Because they both involve Blood Bronze, and are of the same origin but different lineages, there is a strong conflict between them? Is this the root cause of the conflict between Yunmeng Sword Marsh and the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
(End of this chapter)
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