Immortal Road.

Chapter 685: Archaeologist, entrusted with an important task

In the southwest of Shanxi Province, in a mountainous rock forest.

The geology here is loose, with soft soil slopes all over. When a gust of wind blows, black sand flies all over the sky.

But there are dozens of miles of stone forests standing there. After withstanding thousands of years of wind and rain, the surface is extremely smooth without any trace of bumps.

Lin Shan originally suspected that this place might be similar to the Dian Cang Stone Forest he encountered in the Luosong Mountains of the Great Song Dynasty. Later, he discovered that it was just made of ordinary material and nothing special.

The spiritual energy here is thin, the environment is harsh, animals are extinct, and the vegetation is sparse.

Kojizi took him to the depths, where a huge rock stood like a green blade.

"open!"

He pointed a finger and a stream of light flew into the boulder and disappeared.

"Boom, boom, boom~"

The huge stone door opened, and a dim and hot light shone through it. The two walked in.

After entering, an old-fashioned atmosphere hits you in the face.

The main hall is not big, only about 50 to 60 meters in radius, and is furnished with an octagonal table, armchairs, and rows of bookshelves, which are filled with yellowed and moldy books.

There are spiral stone steps against the wall, leading directly to the second, third and fourth floors, and each floor has a variety of antiques on display.

Fire stones are inlaid at the corners, illuminating the entire cave.

"Why do you use flint instead of glowstone and luminous stone?"

Lin Shan couldn't help but complain, there are so many antiques, what if they all get burned in a fire?
Unexpectedly, Ke Jizi closed his eyes at this moment, with a quiet and solemn expression and a look of reminiscence.

"You don't understand. When I was young, my family was poor. In order to study, I went to work as a handyman in the home of a wealthy family in town. Because I was diligent and clever, I was chosen to be a book boy. I was only allowed to enter the library and read for half an hour every evening after dinner."

"He is the only scholar in the town. He comes from a family of scholars, which has been passed down for three generations. His library is as high as a four-story building, just like it is now."

"At that time, there was an oil lamp every other step along the wall of the library. Walking on the spiral staircase there was the moment I looked forward to most every day."

"It was also because of that rare opportunity that I read a lot of books, enriched my knowledge, and finally became well-educated and famous in the village. I accompanied two generations of the family to study hard for forty years, and step by step became a great man."

After listening to his inspirational story, Lin Shan suddenly became interested in his past.

"What has it become?"

Ke Jizi closed his eyes and then said something to him.

“I became one of the few teachers in the town.”

".That's all?"

"What do you think!"

Lin Shan asked in disbelief:
"You studied for forty years and became a teacher when you were already middle-aged. Then how did you cultivate to the late stage of Jindan?"

Ke Jiezi looked melancholy. He opened his eyes, looked at the dim lights around him, and told the story slowly.

"Later, the family fell into poverty, and the relatives in the court were framed by traitors. As a result, the family property was confiscated and the huge family collapsed overnight, and the ancestral home was not spared."

"The prefecture specially sent people to search and confiscate the house. The old man set himself on fire, and his wives, concubines and servants fled for their lives. When I rushed over from the private school, the fire had already spread throughout the mansion."

"The library was on fire at the time. In order to save the ancient books in it, I rushed in against the fire and finally found a golden page in the ashes. That golden page..."

"It is a treasure map of cultivation!"

Ke Jizi lamented that he had wasted half his life in the library and had read almost all the books but had not found any clues. However, a fire unexpectedly led him to embark on a treasure hunt.

From then on, he entered the world of cultivation.

While other casual cultivators were trying every possible means to squeeze their way to the sects, the immortal cities, and the markets, he was the only one traveling in the mortal world.

Relying on the identity of an immortal cultivator, he visited landlords and powerful people, borrowed ancient books, bought antiques, and began a low-key archaeological journey.

His cultivation became stronger and stronger as he kept searching for treasures, step by step, he reached the ninth level of Qi training, the foundation building stage, the golden elixir stage, and finally the late golden elixir stage.
Lin Shan felt like it was science fiction and couldn't believe it!
"You are just a casual cultivator, and you dug up the same late Jindan stage as me through archaeological excavations???"

Ke Jizi felt very uncomfortable after hearing this and asked him back, "Aren't you also a casual cultivator?"

"Can I be like you?"

Lin Shan had gained so many adventures, received so much help from noble people, and experienced so many dangers along the way, before he got to where he is today!

But others could reach the late stage of the Golden Core of a casual cultivator just like him simply by digging for treasures, which made him feel very uncomfortable. He even suspected in his heart that this guy, who had been doing archaeology for a long time, might have really dug up some incredible treasures?
In an instant, various speculations such as golden fingers, old grandfather, magical treasure, and soul emerged in his mind.

After all, this person has been doing archaeological work for many years, so it is very likely that he has obtained special and precious items. Perhaps it is a rare treasure that he has obtained throughout his practice!

The murderous intent spreads quietly invisibly
"scare?"

Ke Jizi was right beside him, his senses were very sharp, his legs trembled so much that he almost fell to his knees!
What are you doing?
Lin Shan's face was extremely dim under the light, his eyes flickered, he stared at him and asked solemnly:
"What secrets do you have?"

"No, what secrets can I have?"

"You have been able to reach such a level simply through archaeology, which means you have had a great opportunity!"

"It's not a big opportunity, just a small one."

"you sure?"

Kejizi was a little unsure.

What he was not sure about was what Lin Shan's definition of a major opportunity was.

"Tell me all the opportunities you had during your growth. Don't leave anything out! If I hear something wrong, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Lin Shan's eyes were full of starlight as he kept staring at the luck above his head. At his current level, he believed in his intuition very much and would rather believe it than not.

So he was very tolerant towards the Lord of Xiyin Cave, but very harsh towards Ke Jizi.

There was no other way. Kejizi's spiritual consciousness and magical powers were sealed and have not been released yet. His life was in the hands of others, so he could only answer truthfully.

"When I was fifty-two years old, I got a piece of golden paper, found a lonely grave, dug out a skeleton, and obtained a Qi training method. From then on, I embarked on the path to immortality."

"When I was seventy years old, I hit a reef when I was traveling in a large swamp. My boat capsized and I found ruins. I spent several years diving and salvaging, and obtained a large amount of spiritual stone resources. I gradually reached the late stage of Qi training."

"When I was ninety-eight years old, I exchanged a piece of calligraphy at a certain prince's mansion. I deciphered the secret code between the lines of the poem, and then I found the foundation-building pill left by a senior cultivator, and broke through the foundation-building stage."

"One hundred and thirty-five years old. I came across a village on the way. I found a secret door in the earthen temple and searched the treasure house of a certain extinct sect. I got a lot of cultivation resources."

"At the age of 182, he bought an ancient painting at an exhibition in a certain city, and realized the true meaning of mountains and rivers from it. He went to the real place depicted in the painting, picked up the treasure left by a powerful monk, and broke through the Jindan stage." "At the age of 230, he went to the mountains to pick up the redbud vine, and obtained the method of planting treasures, and then refined it into the treasure of his life, and opened a cave to live in seclusion here."

"Two hundred and sixty-six years old. He secretly built up his power, looted antiques from nearby areas, analyzed a travelogue from ancient books, and obtained a large amount of cultivation resources by following the clues."

"Three hundred and one years old."

As Kejizi tells the story, his adventures from childhood to adulthood are described one by one.

Only then did Lin Shan realize that it was indeed impeccable!
He really took one step at a time and relied on archaeology to reach the late stage of the Golden Elixir. He took the right treasures at each stage and proceeded step by step.

"I still have more than a dozen treasures in my hands. Two of them are a bit difficult, five are just right, and eight are relatively ordinary. I don't have time to go to them for the time being!"

God knows how many this guy has cracked over the years, but there are still so many he hasn't had time to get to!
It made Lin Shan want to follow him to do archaeological research first!
"Your name really shouldn't be Kejizi, it should be Archaeologist."

Kejizi sighed in agreement:
"Unfortunately, when I inherited Zhibao, I also inherited the teachings of a certain master who passed down the teachings from generation to generation, so I can only use the Taoist name left by my master as the orthodox one, otherwise I really want to be called Archaeologist."

Now Lin Shan had no way to force him, but instead became curious about the remaining treasures.

"Even you find it difficult to find a treasure. Could it be that it involves a cave in the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Not really. One is a secret place of heaven and earth, and the other is an alien cemetery. The first one involves the power of nature, and there are many factors involved. I need to understand the rules before taking action. The second one is guarded by an alien tribe. I need to find a way to get in and plan a retreat before I dare to actually put it into practice."

As he said this, Kejizi looked at Linshan with a bit of excitement.

"How about you, Daoist Liansha, take the lead, and let's go to the alien cemetery together with me, Cave Master Xiyin, and Daoist Zhiyu?"

"never mind."

Lin Shan shook his head to show that he was not interested. He had too much to do and had no time to go treasure hunting with him.

Looking at so many antiques in front of me, I just started to explore them one by one.

Ke Jizi explained to him the origin of each item, the background stories and legends behind them, his own insights, and inferences based on past experience, like he knew them all by heart, without missing a single one.

Lin Shan half listened and half watched, nodding repeatedly.

With the help of the enhanced panel, I found that most of it was indeed similar to what the old guy said. You know what, he is really a talent for archaeology!
It took me half a day to search from the first floor to the fourth floor. This is Ke Jizi's lifelong collection.

Among them, there are seventeen objects with ancient charm, totaling thirty-one points!
"Sure, I underestimated you!"

After Lin Shan touched the last one, he looked at Ke Jizi in surprise, and suddenly felt that he seemed to have gained an extraordinary follower!

In the future, I might as well let him help me collect ancient poetry. What a great ready-made tool!
Ke Jizi didn't know the truth and thought that Lin Shan was really a fellow traveler like him. They both loved antiques to the point of being crazy, and he couldn't help but show complacency and pride on his face.

When it comes to archaeology, we are professionals!
"Since I broke through the Jindan stage, I have established my own power outside. I have basically plundered all the ancient artifacts in the southeast of Shanxi. Now I am gradually infiltrating outside!"

"Okay, keep it up!"

Lin Shan gave him a thumbs up and expressed his full support for his career.

"Don't stop in Jin State, expand your business in Chu State as well!"

"Oh?"

When Ke Jizi heard this, he became excited and couldn't help getting carried away.

"Does Daoist Liansha have any connections in the State of Chu?"

"Of course, I have a good buddy who founded a sect in a sacred mountain in Chu State and is the master of a peak. In recent years, he has been recruiting talents and is in urgent need of talents like you."

"I wonder what level of spiritual vein your friend's sacred mountain has?"

"Chu Xinan, next to you is Jiuyao Peak. Do you know that it was once a branch of Jiuyou Sect? It was knocked down from a high-grade spiritual vein and now has the scale of a mid-grade spiritual vein!"

"I know, I know. Okay, okay."

Ke Jizi was originally reluctant to live under someone else's roof, but when he heard Lin Shan's promise to provide him with the entire sect's power and manpower to help him collect antiques, he instantly became excited!
As long as I can do archaeology, what does it matter if I suffer a little injustice?
Lin Shan nodded secretly in his heart. Anyway, he only wanted the ancient charm of the things this guy collected during archaeological excavations. He was not interested in any messy treasures. The two did not conflict with each other.

After looking here, Kejizi took most of the collection with him and then closed the cave.

Then we set off to our final destination.

Western Shanxi, Zhihu Bay.

"When will Taoist Zhiyu come back? We have paid the deposit and purchased all the materials. Why is he still not setting up the formation?"

"Please calm down, my teacher has a reason for going out. I will inform you when I come back."

"And our family, in order to get him to set up a mountain protection formation, we sent gifts five times, but each time he accepted the gifts but didn't do the work. Did he really think we were being taken advantage of?"

"The teacher's schedule is full recently, and I really don't have time to take it. Why don't you come back in a few months?"

"Don't bother with those empty words. If he doesn't come back, I will just overturn his stall and smash his signboard. I wonder if anyone will come to him to customize a formation in the future!"

A group of victims came to the door, demanding justice.

The formation master apprentices at the door tried their best to explain, but there was no way to convince the other party. They could only anxiously stop them one by one and delay time.

In fact, behind them, Taoist Zhiyu was directing a large group of his disciples to pack up their belongings and prepare to flee.

They are about to leave Jin State, why bother building a mountain protection formation? They will just run away with the construction funds!

I'm going abroad, why don't you come to find me?

If those victims knew about this, they would probably come and tear him to pieces.

Although Lin Shan despised this kind of people who took money and bribed others, he was not from Jin State and had no connection with the Jin State's sects. So he just took the bribe and bribed others to come to Chu State to work for him. This was not bad.

Taoist Zhiyu was about to be unable to stay in Jin State as he had a lot of debts from projects that he could not repay. When he heard that he could escape to Chu State, he immediately agreed.

At this point, the master of Xiyin Cave lost his connection as he had lost the source of the Silver Evil Spring, Ke Jizi moved his position to collect antiques, and Taoist Zhui Yu took the initiative to follow him to escape his debts. Lin Shan temporarily tied them to his own chariot.

Next, after we have packed up here, we can set off.

And in the State of Chu, on the outskirts of Jiuyao Peak.

At this moment, a shocking battle is about to take place and is about to break out!
The two camps were only a hundred miles apart, with flags flying, fog shrouding the area, layers of formations and numerous restrictions, and the monks inside were gathered like the sea, preparing for war.

Chinese military tent.

"Report! The Beixian Fort and the Wild Bear Gang have joined forces and are shouting and urging for a fight once again!"

(End of this chapter)