Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

Ying Zheng took a deep breath of fresh air and said to Xu Fu and Pan Gu beside him, "It seems that our new journey has begun. I wonder what kind of adventures and trials we will encounter in this beautiful valley."

Xu Fu tidied his belongings and replied with a smile, "No matter what we encounter, as long as we are of one mind and one heart, we have nothing to fear. This test has made me even more convinced that our friendship and cooperation are our greatest asset."

Pangu brandished his giant axe, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit: "That's right, let's move forward together and embark on a new adventure! I believe that even more exciting stories await us to write."

The three walked side by side along the valley path, embarking on a new journey. Their hearts were filled with hope and anticipation for the future, and they firmly believed that no matter how rugged the road ahead, as long as they walked hand in hand, they could create their own legend.

On the other side of the portal, Qing Lingzi remained standing, her gaze seemingly able to pierce through time and space, glimpsing the future of the three. She smiled gently, silently blessing them, wishing them continued growth and the realization of their dreams on this challenging path. Then, she turned and disappeared into the vast forest.

As the three ventured deeper into the valley, they found the scenery increasingly enchanting, yet also fraught with unknown dangers. Suddenly, a strange sound broke the silence, resembling the cry of some beast, yet carrying an unusual rhythm.

Ying Zheng frowned, signaling everyone to stop, and whispered, "Everyone be careful, there might be something strange here. That sound is quite unusual."

Xu Fu listened intently for a moment and said, "Indeed, this sound seems to contain some kind of pattern, like... a signal?"

Pangu gripped his giant axe tightly, warily surveying his surroundings: "Whatever it may be, we must be prepared to deal with it. Ying Zheng, what do you think we should do?"

Ying Zheng pondered for a moment and replied, "We must not act rashly. It would be best to first find the source of the sound and figure out what made it. Xu Fu, what do you think?"

Xu Fu nodded in agreement: "I agree with Ying Zheng's opinion. We can try to track the sound, but we must be extremely cautious to avoid unnecessary danger."

The three cautiously made their way towards the source of the sound. As they drew closer, the strange noise became increasingly clear. Finally, they came to a small clearing covered with dense bushes. The sound was emanating from there.

Suddenly, a strange creature leaped out of the bushes. It resembled a small monkey, but its entire body was covered in shimmering blue fur. It held a flute-like object in its hand, and it was this object that produced the peculiar sound.

The creatures were slightly alarmed when they saw them, but instead of fleeing immediately, they looked at them with curiosity, their eyes filled with a mix of playfulness and inquiry.

Pangu couldn't help but laugh, "Ha, it seems we've found the little one who can speak. Little friend, are you a resident of this place?"

The creature seemed to understand the words of Pangu, and made a series of sounds with its flute-shaped tool, as if in response.

Xu Fu crouched down and tried to communicate with it: "We are travelers who have come here to explore. Could you tell us if there are any places nearby worth noting?"

The creature seemed to understand Xu Fu's intentions; it leaped in one direction, then looked back at them, as if inviting them to follow.

Ying Zheng looked at Xu Fu and Pan Gu and said, "It seems this little fellow intends to lead us somewhere. Shall we follow and take a look?"

Xu Fu nodded: "I think it's feasible. This creature doesn't seem malicious, and it might help us discover the secrets of this place."

Pangu swung his giant axe: "Let's go! Follow the little guy and see if we can find something interesting."

So the three followed the mysterious creature deeper into the valley. The creature was extremely familiar with the terrain, sometimes weaving through the bushes, sometimes leaping onto rocks, leading the way. Along the way, the three also discovered some strange phenomena in the valley, such as inexplicable plants and small beasts that seemed to exist only in legends. After following for a while, they arrived at the shore of a small lake hidden deep in the valley. The lake water was crystal clear, and in the center of the lake was a small island, on which seemed to have some kind of structure.

Ying Zheng exclaimed, "The scenery here is breathtakingly beautiful. What is that thing standing on that small island? It looks like an altar."

Xu Fu observed it closely for a moment and said, "It does indeed resemble an ancient altar. This place may have been a site for rituals. There may be a special reason why this creature led us here."

Pangu exclaimed excitedly, "Then haven't we discovered a major secret? This altar might contain treasure, or it might be an entrance to an unknown world!"

The mysterious creature then leaped to the shore and began to produce a series of complex melodies with its flute. Soon, a response came from the island in the middle of the lake, and then a bridge of light slowly formed, connecting the shore and the island.

Ying Zheng looked at Xu Fu and Pan Gu and asked, "It seems this creature does indeed want us to land on the island and explore. Are you ready?"

Xu Fu nodded: "I am ready. This mysterious altar may reveal some secrets of the valley."

Pangu gripped his giant axe tightly, filled with anticipation: "Whatever lies on the island, I can't wait to explore it!"

So the three of them carefully stepped onto the bridge of light and headed towards the altar at the heart of the island. As they approached, the carvings and symbols on the altar began to glow, radiating a soft and mysterious light.

Upon arriving at the altar, Ying Zheng said softly, "This place is covered with ancient characters and patterns; it certainly seems to be an important location."

Xu Fu studied the inscriptions closely, and suddenly his eyes lit up. He exclaimed excitedly, "These symbols... I've seen similar things in ancient books. They represent an ancient power, closely related to the stars and nature."

Pangu looked around curiously and suddenly noticed a groove in the center of the altar, which seemed to be a place to put something. He pointed to the groove and asked, "Is something missing here? Perhaps we need to find something to put in it."

Ying Zheng nodded and began discussing the next steps with Xu Fu and Pan Gu. They decided to search everywhere to see if they could find something suitable to place in the altar's recess. At this moment, the mysterious creature leaped before them again, seemingly understanding what they were looking for. The creature played a series of rapid notes on its flute, then jumped onto a rock covered in vines.

Pangu immediately understood, strode forward, and easily cleared the vegetation from the rock with his giant axe. The exposed rock surface was engraved with symbols similar to those on an altar, and in the center was a crystal ball that looked extremely ancient.

Xu Fu exclaimed in surprise, "The patterns on this crystal ball... match the symbols of the altar. I am certain that this is exactly what we need."

Ying Zheng carefully removed the crystal ball and said to the mysterious creature, "Thank you for your help. Without you, we might not have found this important item."

The creature seemed satisfied with Ying Zheng's gratitude; it played another string of cheerful notes on its flute, then leaped back into the bushes and disappeared.

The three returned to the altar, and Ying Zheng placed the crystal ball into the groove. As the crystal ball took its place, the entire altar shone with dazzling light, and a beam of light shot out from the crystal ball, soaring straight into the sky.

As the beam of light rose, the entire island seemed to tremble. Then the beam gradually dissipated, leaving behind a portal shimmering with light.

Xu Fu gazed at the portal, pondering, "Where does this portal lead? Is it the key to even deeper secrets?" (End of Chapter)