Li Tongya quickly returned, cradling a bleating white lamb. As darkness enveloped Mount Meiche, the two brothers exchanged nods. Li Tongya then released the lamb toward the cave’s entrance.
“Baaa... baa baa.” The lamb’s bleats echoed faintly as it shakily tried to come out of the cave.
“Go in!” Li Xiangping turned it around and smacked its rear with a branch. The lamb finally ventured deeper into the cave while bleating loudly.
The brothers waited, listening to the lamb’s distant bleats, before cautiously proceeding into the cave themselves.
The tunnel was spacious enough for two to walk side by side. The air was not really stale, but it was rather dim inside. As they proceeded further into the cave, the air turned noticeably denser with spiritual qi.
Upon entering the cave, they were greeted by an expansive hall. Its walls were fashioned from finely cut blue rocks, and the hall was illuminated by the soft glow of night pearls hanging from the rocky ceiling, allowing them to make out the condition of the room.
The air was rich with spiritual qi, creating a thick, comfortable atmosphere. The marvel of it stirred an eagerness for them to immediately pause and meditate.
The cave’s floor was etched with faint golden formation runes, converging toward a small aperture in the center from which spiritual qi gently emanated. Adjacent to this point lay a futon, positioned next to several dusty stone shelves that stood bare.
Li Xiangping’s gaze swept across the room, eventually settling on a stone table accompanied by several green jade stools with nothing on them. This caused a sense of disappointment to wash over him.
“It seems as if this place has been thoroughly cleared out, almost as if it’s been robbed.”
Opposite the hall, three stone doors were set into the wall. With a gentle nudge from the lamb, one of the doors opened. Li Tongya sent the lamb through first, then cautiously entered the first room alongside Li Xiangping.
The interior was spacious, illuminated by night pearls that hung from the ceiling. Stone shelves lined the walls, but were bare except for layers of dust and piles of unrecognizable, decayed ash.
Exchanging a glance, Li Tongya and Li Xiangping wordlessly agreed to proceed to the next stone door.
“This cave is really empty. Maybe its owner had abandoned it,” Li Tongya commented.
Li Xiangping nodded, observing somberly as they approached the second door. “You’re right. Even if that cultivator had died outside this cave, some items ought to remain. The fact that it’s been so carefully cleaned out suggests that the previous owner intentionally planned to leave, likely taking important items like jade slips and pills with them in a storage pouch.”
Beyond the second stone door lay a room with seven or eight stone platforms, each bearing a few white jade bottles. Li Tongya and Li Xiangping meticulously inspected each bottle, finding them either filled with pills that had lost their spiritual qi or entirely empty.
On the stone platform were the remains of several black ash piles, their original form beyond recognition. At its center lay a hexagonal jade plate, intricately engraved with talisman runes. However, it was already shattered with its fragments strewn across the floor. Li Xiangping picked up a piece of the fragment and realized that it was still warm.
Both Li Tongya and Li Xiangping were torn between laughter and frustration as they realized that there was nothing useful inside.
“This looks like the formation plate Wan Yuankai told me about before,” Li Tongya mused.
Upon seeing Li Xiangping’s inquisitive look, he elaborated, “Formation flags and formation plates were used to set up formations. Unlike formation flags which rely on the cultivator’s knowledge of formation and diagrams, formation plates are limited to setting up a single type of formation, predetermined by the engraved formation diagram on it. They’re less versatile but are easy to use and do not require much formation knowledge, as long as one knows how to channel their spiritual qi into it. However, once the formation is broken, the plate disintegrates and is rendered useless. In contrast, as long as formation flags remain intact and undamaged, they can be reused to reset the formation.”
“I see. This formation plate should be the defensive formation of this cave then. Our use of the Supreme Yin Profound Light destroyed the cave’s defensive formation, causing this formation plate to shatter into pieces,” Li Xiangping said with a nod.
They returned to the hall, and Li Tongya cautiously let the lamb enter the third stone room ahead of them.
Inside, they found a decrepit stone bed with a decayed cushion and a small jade bottle at its head. Li Xiangping carefully opened the lid, but there was nothing else inside apart from the faint scent of the pill that was once in it.
However, Li Tongya’s keen eyes discovered a slender jade green bottle and a piece of white cloth filled with small writing on the bed.
This discovery brought them some relief. “At least we’ve found something.” Li Xiangping chuckled.
“That’s not all,” Li Tongya corrected with a shake of his head. “This cave, along with its central formation and that little aperture emitting spiritual qi, are already significant finds. We’ve gotten hold of a cave with nearly forty percent more spiritual qi than the outside world without running into any traps or harm. That itself is reason for contentment.”
Li Xiangping nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to the white cloth and the slender jade bottle in Li Tongya’s hands.
Li Tongya carefully unfolded the cloth and began reading aloud, “Greetings from Chi Wei. The target has reached Moongaze Lake. The cultivators sent by our sect have surrounded the area. Please act swiftly. The requested Flaming Sunrise Technique manual has been dispatched to you. The Spirit Jade and Fire Crystals will be delivered to your cave after resolving this matter. Be wary of the target; they are formidable. Should you encounter them unprepared, retreat toward the Azure Pond Sect and alert us immediately.”
The cryptic nature of the message left them more puzzled than informed. They put away the cloth and turned their attention to the slender green jade bottle.
They shook the bottle, revealing its warmth and apparent emptiness. Li Xiangping carefully removed the lid but indeed, he found nothing inside.
Li Tongya, using his spiritual sense to probe the bottle, exclaimed in surprise, “This is a dharma artifact!”
He knitted his eyebrows. After scrutinizing it for a moment, he commented with uncertainty, “It seems to be a specialized storage vessel containing an intense fire-like spiritual qi.”
“That explains why I can’t pour anything out.” Li Xiangping nodded, then looked somewhat puzzled. “Could it contain the spiritual qi of heaven and earth that is used to break through the Embryonic Breathing Realm?”
“Regardless, it’s of no use to us right now, so we’ll keep it safe first.” Li Tongya stowed the jade bottle away in his chest pocket. After a thorough examination of every nook and cranny in the cave, the two led the lamb out.
Li Yesheng was busy leading the villagers of Jingyang Village in preparing the hillside’s foundation. They steered clear of the cave entrance, but upon seeing Li Tongya and Li Xiangping emerge, Li Yesheng’s face lit up with relief.
“I spotted this cave at dawn and sent someone over to get you two from Mount Lijing. I wasn’t expecting you guys to beat me to it,” he said with a smile.
Handing over the lamb to Li Yesheng, Li Xiangping discussed the logistics for building a courtyard on the hill. After their conversation, he and Li Tongya returned to Mount Lijing.
“The spiritual qi brimming in the cave is superior to Mount Lijing. We should station someone there to keep watch,” Li Xiangping commented in a hushed tone as they walked.
“You’re right.” Li Tongya nodded in agreement and suggested, “Let’s bring Li Qiuyang back. Xuanxuan and I will oversee Mount Meiche. This place will provide a conducive cultivation environment for him and help him reach greater heights in the future.”