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

"Deep within Kunlun lies an ancient altar forgotten by time, holding the key to Kunlun's mysteries. But to find it requires even greater wisdom and courage." The dragon god's voice faded into the distance, his figure disappearing into the underwater radiance.

As the Dragon God departed, the group regrouped, their eyes sparkling with anticipation and determination for the future.

"It seems our journey is about to enter a new phase." Ying Zheng took a deep breath, his voice filled with determination. "We must find that ancient altar and unravel the mysteries of Kunlun."

“But Kunlun is so vast, finding an altar forgotten by time will probably not be easy,” Li Si said with a hint of worry.

Xu Fu gently lifted the mirror frame, pondered for a moment, and said, "Perhaps we can try to decipher the runes in the Kunlun Mirror. We've always used it in times of crisis; if we can delve deeper, we might discover new clues."

“Xu Fu is absolutely right,” Yang Ling nodded in agreement. “The Kunlun Mirror has been our protector and guide since we first came together. We should indeed try to understand it more deeply.”

So, in the quiet forest, the group sat together and placed the Kunlun Mirror in the center. The mirror emitted a faint glow, and the surrounding air seemed to become sacred and solemn.

Xu Fu spearheaded the research on the Kunlun Mirror. "Look here, these runes are quite similar to some chapters I've seen in ancient books," he said, pointing to a series of complex runes on the edge of the mirror.

Ziya stared at the mirror, then suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him: "Don't you all feel that the arrangement of these runes seems to indicate a certain direction?"

Upon closer inspection, everyone indeed discovered a hidden pattern within the runes. "This might be a clue to the altar!" Yang Ling exclaimed excitedly.

In this way, the group determined their general direction using the runes on the Kunlun Mirror. After packing their belongings, they resumed their journey.

After several days of trekking, they arrived at a valley shrouded in thick fog. "Is this the direction the runes indicated?" Ying Zheng asked, gazing at the unfathomable valley ahead with a hint of doubt.

"According to the records, this should be the place." Xu Fu checked the books in his hand and confirmed that it was correct.

Just as everyone was wondering about the path ahead, the thick fog suddenly dissipated, as if driven away by a mysterious force. An ancient and solemn stone staircase unfolded before them, each slab etched with the marks of time. This was not merely a passageway, but a time tunnel, a secret path deliberately left behind by ancient deities. It lay silently, as if telling tales of a thousand years past, inviting them to continue their journey and explore the unknown mysteries. Stepping onto the stone steps, each step conveyed the profound weight of history, each step was a dialogue with the ancients, each step was filled with awe and anticipation for the unknown.

As you ascend the stone steps, the valley's scenery gradually becomes more bizarre. Ancient trees reach for the sky, yet each one is twisted and gnarled, resembling the tentacles of a demon. Faint, eerie murmurs can be heard, sending chills down your spine.

"Why is the atmosphere here so strange?" Li Si gripped his sword tightly, looking around warily.

"This is part of the trial, or perhaps a mechanism to protect the altar." Ziya tightened his grip on the bowstring, preparing to deal with any sudden crisis.

As they cautiously made their way forward, the ancient trees around them suddenly came to life, their twisted branches transforming into countless tentacles that attacked them.

"Watch out!" Ying Zheng shouted, swinging his sword to cut off the oncoming branch.

The group was immediately plunged into a fierce battle. These ancient trees seemed to be alive, launching attacks from all directions. In the heat of the battle, Xu Fu suddenly discovered that the roots of all the ancient trees were connected to huge, ancient totems.

"Look at that totem! It might be the key to controlling these ancient trees!" Xu Fu warned loudly.

Upon hearing the news, everyone immediately changed their strategy and focused their attack on the ancient totem. After a fierce battle, the totem was finally destroyed, and the ancient tree ceased its attack, returning to its normal tree appearance.

"This is just the first test, isn't it?" Yang Ling said, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

The group nodded, knowing the journey ahead was still long. After a short rest, they continued up the stone steps until they reached a wide open plateau. In the center of the plateau stood a massive stone altar, its sides inscribed with complex runes—the very object of their long search. "This is the ancient altar!" Xu Fu exclaimed excitedly.

The crowd stepped forward to examine the altar more closely. There was a circular groove in the center of the altar, which seemed to be the place where something was placed.

"The Kunlun Mirror!" Ying Zheng suddenly realized, "The shape of the groove fits the Kunlun Mirror remarkably well; perhaps we should place the precious mirror within it."

With everyone's agreement, Ying Zheng carefully placed the Kunlun Mirror into the groove. Instantly, the altar burst forth with dazzling light, and the surrounding air vibrated, as if it had triggered some ancient power.

As the light gradually gathered, the mysterious spatial passage slowly unfolded, seemingly connecting to an unknown world at the other end.

"Where does this passage lead?" Yang Ling asked curiously.

"No matter where it leads, we must explore it," Ying Zheng said firmly. "This may be the key to unlocking the mysteries of Kunlun."

After discussion, the group decided to enter the passage together to explore its secrets. They clung to each other, stepped into the mysterious spatial passage, and vanished into the radiance.

Beyond the passage lies a bizarre and fantastical world, dotted with floating islands and strangely shaped clouds drifting across the sky. It is a place shrouded in mystery and unknown, seemingly a space entirely different from reality.

"Is this the hidden world of Kunlun's mysteries?" Ziya looked around and exclaimed.

They explored this strange world, encountering various mysterious creatures and rare treasures along the way, each place hiding unknown secrets and legends.

Just as they were engrossed in exploring this mysterious world, a powerful energy fluctuation suddenly came from afar, attracting their attention.

"What is that?" Li Si looked warily toward the source of the power fluctuation.

The group followed closely behind, arriving before the enormous vortex. A brilliant light emanated from the center of the vortex, and a mysterious object could be vaguely seen within the radiance.

“That might be the key to the secrets of Kunlun!” Xu Fu’s eyes gleamed.

Just as they were about to approach the vortex, a sudden burst of intense light enveloped them, and their figures gradually blurred in the light before disappearing from this mysterious world.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back on the platform where the altar was located. The Kunlun Mirror lay quietly on the altar, emitting a soft glow.

"What exactly is going on?" Yang Ling asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps we have uncovered a corner of the mysteries of Kunlun," Ying Zheng said after a moment of contemplation. "But clearly, this is only the beginning; the mysteries of Kunlun are far more complex and profound than we imagine."

Beside the altar, the crowd sat on the ground, circling the Kunlun Mirror, still immersed in the afterglow of their mysterious journey. Ying Zheng gently picked up the Kunlun Mirror; the light flowing across its surface seemed even more gentle and profound than before.

"It seems that the Kunlun Mirror is not just a mirror, but more like a door to an unknown world," Ying Zheng pondered.

"Indeed, that mysterious world is full of unheard-of creatures and landscapes, those floating islands, those strange clouds," Xu Fu added excitedly. (End of Chapter)