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

The spirit beast nodded in satisfaction: "You have all passed the first test. But the road ahead is still long, and I hope you can persevere."

As the spirit beast finished speaking, a bright light shone again from the cave ahead, as if guiding them in the right direction.

Following the newly illuminated light, Ying Zheng and his entourage continued their journey, the space deep within the cave becoming increasingly spacious. They realized they were in a vast underground labyrinth, with new passages and stone chambers appearing every so often.

“This place is indeed like a maze,” Li Si remarked. He looked around, trying to find a pattern. “We must be careful not to lose our way.”

Xu Fu observed the carvings on the stone chamber walls with great interest and discovered that these carvings seemed to record anecdotes of ancient cultivators. "Look here," he pointed to a relief, "this cultivator seems to be guiding a spirit beast; this must be an important cultivation method."

Just as everyone was engrossed in their exploration, a loud voice suddenly echoed through the maze: "Welcome to the Spirit Mountain Maze, brave cultivators."

Everyone immediately looked around alertly, trying to find the source of the sound. At this moment, a figure stepped out from the shadows. The newcomer was tall and handsome, dressed in a blue robe and carrying a long sword.

"My name is Yang Ling." The man in blue smiled and bowed. "It is truly fate that we meet here after so many days."

Ying Zheng sized up Yang Ling, sensing the powerful aura emanating from him, and inwardly admired him. He returned the greeting, saying, "So it's Brother Yang, a pleasure to meet you. We have also come here to cultivate, hoping to gain the recognition of Mount Ling."

"Oh? It seems we share the same goal," Yang Ling said with a smile. "This maze is intricate and fraught with danger. Would you all like to travel together and explore this place together?"

“That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask,” Ziya replied, recognizing Yang Ling as a trustworthy companion.

So the group joined Yang Ling on their journey, exploring the maze together. They encountered all sorts of strange traps and magical beasts, but with their wisdom and courage, they repeatedly escaped danger.

During a confrontation with a ferocious spirit beast, Yang Ling displayed astonishing strength. He drew his longsword from his back, and with a flash of sword light, he repelled the spirit beast.

"What exquisite swordsmanship!" Li Si exclaimed. "Brother Yang is truly a hidden master."

"You flatter me," Yang Ling said modestly with a smile. "This maze is fraught with danger, and we must be extremely careful."

Led by Yang Ling, the group gradually ventured deeper into the core area of ​​the maze. They discovered that the stone chambers here were becoming increasingly exquisite and intricate, as if concealing even deeper mysteries.

Xu Fu discovered an ancient book in a stone chamber, which recorded the cultivation methods and historical legends of Mount Ling. He excitedly showed it to everyone: "Look! This book records the origin of Mount Ling and the cultivation methods, which will greatly benefit our cultivation!"

The crowd gathered around to examine the texts, and Ying Zheng exclaimed, "Truly, Heaven is helping us. With these texts, our cultivation will surely advance to a higher level."

Led by Yang Ling, the group slowly walked deeper into the stone chamber. The light and shadow on the stone walls cast eerie patterns, as if ancient mythical beasts were watching their every move from the shadows.

"Please look, everyone." Yang Ling suddenly stopped and pointed to a stone gate in front of him. A huge phoenix with outstretched wings was carved on the gate, and his eyes showed a hint of awe. "This is the legendary Phoenix Gate, which can only be opened by cultivators who have received the true teachings of Mount Ling."

Ying Zheng approached the stone gate, gently stroking the exquisite carvings. The phoenix wings were lifelike, seemingly ready to take flight at any moment. "This gate is so mysterious; there must be something fishy about it." He turned to Yang Ling, his gaze resolute. "Brother Yang, how should we open this gate?" Yang Ling smiled slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "We need phoenix blood as the key."

Li Si frowned upon hearing this: "Phoenix blood? That wouldn't be..."

“No need to worry.” Yang Ling interrupted him, pointing to a small stone chamber to the side. “The clues to the Phoenix Blood are stored there, but first we must unravel the mystery of its guardian.”

The group then entered the small stone chamber, which was filled with complex arrays and mechanisms. Xu Fu studied them for a moment, then pointed to the rune array on the ground: "This is an ancient spirit array, which needs to be activated in sequence."

Ziya bent down to examine each rune closely, and said softly, "I have seen similar formations in ancient texts. Please allow me to give it a try." He lightly touched the runes with his fingertips, and streaks of azure light immediately burst forth from them, causing the entire stone chamber to tremble slightly.

"Such powerful energy!" Li Si exclaimed, his gaze following the changes in the runes, as if trying to glean more secrets from them.

Just as everyone was focused on the rune array, a faint sound suddenly came from a corner of the stone chamber. Yang Ling reacted quickly, drawing his sword and pointing it at the source of the sound: "Be careful, there may be a spirit beast lurking."

As expected, a stone beast slowly emerged from the shadows, its body composed of countless stones, its eyes glowing red. Ying Zheng gripped his weapon tightly and whispered, "Everyone, be careful, this stone beast is no ordinary creature."

The stone beast roared and charged forward. Yang Ling swayed and swiftly stood in front of Ying Zheng, his longsword flashing and cutting through the air as he forcefully intercepted the stone beast's attack.

"This is the trial of Mount Ling!" Yang Ling turned to the crowd and said, "We must work together."

Then Ziya and Xu Fu joined the battle. The former used his exquisite water control technique, while the latter drew talismans from his sleeve and chanted incantations. Each talisman transformed into golden light and shot towards the stone beast. Li Si was not to be outdone. He swung his longsword, and the sword light intertwined with the golden glow of the talismans, finally driving the stone beast away.

After the battle, everyone caught their breath. Yang Ling took the lead and stepped forward with firm steps: "We must be even more careful on the road ahead."

They continued their exploration deeper, each turn and passage filled with unknown dangers, yet also with hidden opportunities. In a secluded stone chamber, they discovered rows of ancient texts, recording the secret cultivation methods of Mount Ling and legends passed down through the ages.

Xu Fu picked up an ancient book and flipped through it, his eyes revealing surprise: "These are actually long-lost Heavenly-level techniques!" He couldn't wait to show them to everyone.

The group sat around the stone chamber, studying the Heavenly-level techniques through these ancient texts and feeling the immense spiritual power flowing within them. Each person attempted to absorb and comprehend the teachings, gradually sensing a significant improvement in their own cultivation.

“This sacred mountain is truly a place where dragons and tigers dwell,” Li Si exclaimed. He looked up at the stone chamber above, where murals depicted soaring dragons, their eyes seemingly watching over every cultivator who came here.

“That’s true.” Yang Ling nodded in agreement. He looked at each of his companions, his eyes shining with trust and determination. “Only the truly brave can find their own path in the Spirit Mountain.”

Spiritual energy flowed quietly within the stone chamber, nourishing everyone's hearts like a gentle rain. Each person was exceptionally focused, as if they had merged with the ancient texts and the aura of the sacred mountain.

"Look here." Xu Fu suddenly broke the silence, his finger lightly tapping a passage on the page, his eyes gleaming with the light of discovering a treasure. "This mentions the 'Soul Fusion Technique,' which is said to allow a cultivator's soul to merge with that of a spirit beast, greatly increasing their power." (End of Chapter)