I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

As night deepened, the Zhongnan Mountains were shrouded in silence. Li Bai sat in meditation in his room, slowly recovering his depleted true energy. The sound of the pine trees outside the window gradually subsided, with only the occasional hooting of a night owl in the distance. He opened his eyes and took out the jade talisman of the Xiling Divine Kingdom from his robes. The talisman felt slightly warm in his palm, as if responding to the ripples at the bottom of the well in Xuandu Temple. He put the talisman away and unfolded the map of Chang'an's geomantic veins, marked with countless points. His gaze fell on the location of Leyou Plain, which was still blank. Tonight, this blank would be filled. He blew out the oil lamp, pushed open the door, and his figure blended into the thick night, silently heading west towards Chang'an.

***

The morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor of the side room.

Li Bai sat at the table, a map of the earth's veins spread out before him. After a night of travel, he didn't head directly to Leyouyuan, but instead detoured to explore the vicinity of the former site of Xuandu Temple. Although it was only an external observation, the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the well were clearer than expected.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Duan Qiniang came in carrying a tray with two bowls of millet porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and several steamed buns on it. She placed the tray on the table and sat down opposite Li Bai.

"Didn't you sleep last night?" she asked.

"I went to the vicinity of Xuandu Temple," Li Bai said. "There is definitely something wrong with that well."

Duan Qiniang scooped up a spoonful of porridge and gently blew on it: "Xuandu Temple... I've inquired about it."

Li Bai raised his head.

"Xuandu Temple was one of the most popular Taoist temples in the previous dynasty—that is, the Sui Dynasty," Duan Qiniang said slowly. "It is said to have a very deep connection with Louguan Taoism. You know Louguan Taoism, right? It was a Taoist sect that had a great influence during the Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang Dynasties. Centered on Louguantai in Zhongnan Mountain, it revered Laozi and emphasized quiet cultivation and talismans."

Li Bai nodded. He had read some Taoist history in modern times and had heard of Louguan Taoism.

"At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and Xuandu Temple also suffered," Duan Qiniang continued. "There are different accounts of what exactly happened. Some say that the Taoist priests in the temple participated in a rebellion and were wiped out by the court; others say that evil spirits haunted the temple and many people died; still others say that there was a problem with the geomantic veins and the temple's location was inauspicious. In short, at the beginning of this dynasty, Xuandu Temple was completely abandoned."

"What happens after it's abandoned?"

"No one dares to approach," Duan Qiniang said in a low voice. "Rumor has it that there are often strange noises at night, like someone crying, or like the sound of chains dragging on the ground. The local people say that it is the vengeful spirit of a Taoist priest who died unjustly in the previous dynasty. Over time, it has become a well-known ominous place in Chang'an, and even the night watchmen avoid it on patrol."

Li Bai seemed to be deep in thought.

The work of a vengeful spirit? He didn't believe it.

But the claim that "there's a problem with the earth's veins" caught his attention. If Xuandu Temple truly had deep ties with Louguan Taoism, then the temple likely had a tradition of setting up formations and communicating with the earth's veins. Furthermore, the spiritual energy emanating from that well was pure and ancient, resonating with the jade talisman of the Xiling Divine Kingdom…

"Where's the well?" Li Bai asked. "Is there a well in the Xuandu Temple?"

Duan Qiniang was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"I sensed it last night."

"There is indeed a well," Duan Qiniang recalled the information she had gathered. "It's right behind the Sanqing Hall. It's said that the incident that happened in the temple back then was related to that well. Later, the imperial court sent people to seal the well, covering it with a stone slab and affixing talismans. For so many years, no one has dared to touch it."

Li Bai tapped lightly on the earth vein map with his fingers.

The resonance between Xuandu Temple, Louguan Taoism, the earth's veins, the ancient well, and the jade talisman of the Xiling Divine Kingdom...

These clues, like scattered beads, are vaguely strung together to form a line.

"I'm going in tonight to take a look," Li Bai said.

Duan Qiniang's expression changed: "It's too dangerous! There..."

"It's precisely because it's dangerous that we must go," Li Bai interrupted her. "The spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from that well are related to the Xiling Divine Kingdom. If, as you say, Xuandu Temple and Louguan Taoism have a deep connection, then this place is very likely a geological ley line node left from ancient times, or even... an entrance to some secret realm."

Duan Qiniang opened her mouth, but ultimately did not try to dissuade her.

She knew that once Li Bai made a decision, no one could stop him.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked.

"Prepare some things for me," Li Bai said. "Tinder, rope, and... cinnabar and talisman paper."

"You want me to draw a talisman?"

"in case."

***

As night fell, Chang'an was shrouded in deep darkness.

Li Bai changed into a dark gray, close-fitting outfit, with the broken Qingming sword at his waist and the jade talisman of the Xiling Divine Kingdom and several newly drawn talismans tucked into his pocket. Duan Qiniang's prepared package contained a fire tumbler, a bundle of hemp rope, a small packet of cinnabar, and some dry rations.

"Be careful," Duan Qiniang said softly as she stood at the entrance of the Taoist temple.

Li Bai nodded, and with a flash, disappeared into the night.

From Zhongnan Mountain to the west of Chang'an City, it was about twenty li. Li Bai did not take the official road, but instead hurried along the mountain path. His Foundation Establishment cultivation made him as light as a swallow, and with each step he could leap more than three zhang (approximately 10 meters). The night wind whistled in his ears, the mountains and forests rushed past behind him, and the moonlight shone on the winding path, casting dappled shadows.

Half an hour later, the outline of Chang'an City came into view.

The city wall was tall and majestic, resembling a sleeping dragon under the moonlight. The city gates were long closed, but this was no problem for Li Bai. He went around to the northwest corner of the city wall, where a section had fallen into disrepair over the years, its bricks loose and its cracks overgrown with weeds.

Li Bai took a deep breath and circulated his true energy to his legs.

"rise!"

He leaped, his toes tapping the city wall several times, his body rising like a hawk. In just a few breaths, he had scaled the three-zhang-high wall. He landed silently, only a few withered leaves swirling in the air as the current lifted them.

The city was completely silent.

The market gates were long closed, and the streets were deserted. Only the distant sound of the watchman's clapper could be heard: "The weather is dry; be careful with fire!"

Li Bai moved close to the shadows along the wall, avoiding the occasional passing patrolling soldiers. His divine sense spread out, covering a radius of ten zhang, and no movement could escape his perception.

The former site of Xuandu Temple is located in Anhuafang, west of the city.

The gates of the ward were tightly shut, but the walls were not high. Li Bai easily vaulted over and landed on the street inside the ward. Anhua Ward was a well-known "deserted ward" in Chang'an City, with few residents and many houses vacant and overgrown with weeds. The night wind blew, and the weeds rustled, like countless people whispering.

Xuandu Temple is located in the northeast corner of the neighborhood.

Following the directions in his memory, Li Bai walked through several deserted streets. Under the moonlight, the outline of a dilapidated Taoist temple gradually became clear.

The wall had mostly collapsed, revealing the dilapidated buildings inside. The plaque above the gate tower was long gone, leaving only two rusted iron nails. Inside the courtyard, weeds grew taller than a person, swaying in the night wind and rustling softly.

A musty smell permeated the air.

It was a mixture of rotting wood, damp soil, and some indescribable musty smell. Li Bai frowned and probed the temple with his divine sense.

There are no signs of life.

There are no ghosts or yin energy.

Only... that familiar fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated from the depths of the temple, even clearer than what I sensed last night.

Li Bai climbed over the broken wall and landed in the courtyard.

Beneath my feet lay broken blue bricks, moss growing in the cracks, making them wet and slippery. Moonlight filtered through the dilapidated roof, casting fragmented shadows across the courtyard. The main hall—presumably the Sanqing Hall—was half-collapsed, with only a few crooked pillars supporting the remaining roof. The statues of the gods inside were long gone, and the offering table lay overturned, broken into pieces.

Li Bai did not linger and walked straight to the backyard.

Passing through a moon gate, the backyard was even more desolate than the front. This place should have been the living quarters of the Taoist priests, but now only ruins remain. Among the weeds, one can vaguely see a few broken water vats and an overturned stone mill.

At the deepest part of the courtyard, a well stands quietly.

The well was covered by a thick bluestone slab, on which were engraved indistinct runes. Moonlight shone on the slab, and the runes gleamed with a faint, almost invisible light. The ground around the well was barren, forming a "dead zone" about three feet in diameter.

Li Bai approached.

The jade talisman of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom in his arms suddenly became intensely hot.

He took out the jade talisman, and a faint blue light appeared on its surface. The brightness of the light fluctuated with the spiritual energy emanating from the bottom of the well, like the rhythm of breathing.

right here.

Li Bai put the jade talisman back into his bosom and placed his hands on the stone slab.

The stone slab was cold and rough to the touch. He circulated his true energy, and his hands glowed with a faint blue light. The power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was enough to shatter stone tablets, but this stone slab…

"open!"

With a low shout, he exerted force with both arms.

The stone slab creaked and groaned, dust falling from its edges. But it only lifted an inch before it could go no further. The invisible barrier at the wellhead reappeared, preventing the slab from being fully opened.

Li Bai withdrew his hand, his brows furrowed.

He had discovered this barrier last night when he sensed it from outside the wall. Now, being closer, he could feel its strength even more—this was no ordinary seal, but a kind of array restriction connected to the earth's veins.

Forcibly breaking it open could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Li Bai stepped back two paces and carefully examined the runes on the stone slab.

The runes were blurred and indistinct, but they could still be roughly identified as Taoist sealing talismans, interspersed with some earth vein patterns. He crouched down and brushed away the dust from the edge of the stone slab with his fingers, revealing clearer engravings underneath.

These marks...

Li Bai's pupils contracted.

He had seen similar patterns on the bronze divine tree of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom!

Although not exactly the same, the ancient and mysterious style, and the design concept of integrating the power of heaven and earth into the runes, are exactly the same.

Could Xuandu Temple really be related to the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom?

Or, to put it another way, the origin of Louguan Taoism can be traced back to the ancient Xiling civilization.

Li Bai stood up and took out cinnabar and talisman paper from his bundle.

He bit his fingertip, dripped a few drops of blood into the cinnabar, and mixed them evenly. Then, using his finger as a brush, he dipped it in the blood-cinnabar mixture and quickly sketched on the talisman paper.

This is not a Taoist talisman.

These are the "ancient patterns" he learned from the murals and bronzes in the secret realm of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom. Although he only learned the basics, they might be useful for breaking through restrictions of the same origin.

Fu Cheng.

Li Bai affixed the talisman to the stone slab, formed hand seals, and infused it with his true energy.

"break!"

The talisman instantly burst into flames, the crimson flames spreading along the runes on the stone slab. The blurry runes became clear in the flames, and then... began to disintegrate.

Click, click-click—

Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the stone slab.

The invisible barrier at the wellhead rippled violently, like ripples on the surface of water. The ripples grew more and more intense, and finally, with a "pop," it shattered and vanished.

The barrier disappeared.

Li Bai reached out again and pressed his hand on the stone slab.

This time, the stone slab rose easily.

The heavy bluestone slab was lifted, revealing the dark well opening below. A cold, damp aura emanated from the bottom of the well, mixed with a faint spiritual energy and a musty smell. The well walls were not made of brick or stone, but were natural stone walls, covered with slippery moss.

Li Bai lit the fire folding stick.

The dim firelight illuminated an area three feet below the well opening. The well wall was not vertical; rather, about ten feet below the opening, it began to slope inward, forming a spiraling stone staircase.

The stone steps were narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. The surface was covered with a thick layer of dust, but traces of footsteps could still be faintly seen—not fresh footprints, but rather those left long ago, now half-hidden by the dust.

Li Bai put the tinder in his mouth, braced himself with both hands on the edge of the well, and jumped down.

He landed, feeling a slippery sensation beneath his feet. The moss on the stone steps was broken, oozing a cool sap. He steadied himself, holding up his tinderbox to light the way ahead.

The stone steps spiral downwards, leading into a deep, mysterious place.

The air was filled with a mixture of musty smells and faint spiritual energy. The musty smell came from the silt and decaying organic matter accumulated at the bottom of the well over the years, while the spiritual energy emanated from even deeper, pure and ancient, perfectly matching the fluctuations of the jade talisman of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom.

Li Bai took a deep breath and slowly descended the stone steps.

The stone steps were steep, and each step had to be taken with care. The light from the tinderbox only illuminated three feet around them; beyond that lay an impenetrable darkness. From the darkness came the sound of dripping water, a slow, rhythmic drip that echoed through the silent well.

The deeper you go, the richer the spiritual energy becomes.

At the same time, the temperature is also dropping.

The air in the well was icy cold, and exhaled breath instantly turned into white mist. The moss on the stone steps gradually disappeared, replaced by a dark red moss that was wet and slippery to the touch and had a faint fishy smell.

Li Bai walked for about fifteen minutes.

The stone steps finally came to an end.

The view ahead suddenly opened up.

The light from the tinderboxes shone out, but couldn't reach any edge. Li Bai took out two more tinderboxes from his robes and lit them both. The combined light from the three tinderboxes finally managed to illuminate the space.

This is a huge underground cave.

The grotto is about ten zhang high and over thirty zhang wide, with an irregular oval shape. Countless stalactites hang from the ceiling, some like swords hanging upside down, others like curtains draped down. The stone walls are covered with naturally formed patterns, which shimmer with a faint, colorful glow under the firelight.

In the center of the grotto stands an altar.

The altar, cast entirely in bronze, stands approximately two zhang (about 6.6 meters) tall and is divided into three tiers. The lowest tier is a square base, engraved with patterns of mountains and rivers; the middle tier is octagonal, with an animal head cast at each corner, each head holding a ring in its mouth; the uppermost tier is a circular platform, upon which…

Li Bai approached.

The firelight illuminates the details of the altar.

His breathing suddenly stopped.

The style of this altar is five or six parts similar to the bronze sacred tree of the Xiling Divine Kingdom!

Although it is more incomplete—a corner of the altar has collapsed, two of the animal heads are missing, and the surface patterns are worn—the ancient, mysterious artistic style that integrates nature worship with supernatural power remains unchanged.

There were some things scattered around the altar.

Li Bai squatted down and picked up a piece.

It was a jade piece, about the size of a palm, pale blue in color, its surface covered with strange symbols. The strokes of the symbols were curved and swirling, resembling both writing and patterns. He had seen similar symbols on the murals of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom, but these were far more intricate.

He picked up another stone carving.

The stone carving is in the shape of a bird, with a sharp beak and outstretched wings, sculpted with remarkable lifelikeness. Two gemstones, now dulled, are inlaid in the bird's eyes, but the stone itself... Li Bai ran his fingers over it, feeling its smooth texture and sensing a subtle, vibrant energy flowing within it.

This is no ordinary stone.

This is "Spirit Jade," a special type of jade that can store spiritual energy, and it is quite precious in the cultivation world.

Li Bai stood up, holding a fire torch, and walked around the altar.

Scattered around the altar were a dozen or so jade pieces, seven or eight stone carvings, as well as some broken pottery and rusted bronzes. All of these things carried a strong ancient aura, sharing the same origin as the civilization of the Xiling Divine Kingdom.

He walked to the front of the altar.

There was a relatively flat area with a huge pattern carved into the ground.

At the center of the design is a circle, surrounded by eight trigrams, and beyond that is a ring of stars. Further out of the star map is a simplified diagram of mountains and rivers, with several particularly thick, winding lines that run through the entire design.

Li Bai stared at those thick lines.

This...this is a map of the earth's veins!

Although simplified, it is 70% similar to the map of Chang'an's geomantic veins he drew. In particular, the direction of one of the main veins is almost identical.

Could this altar be used to communicate with the earth's veins?

Or rather, it's used to... manipulate the ley lines?

Li Bai's heart raced.

If that's the case, then the value of this altar will be immeasurable. Through it, he might be able to more precisely manipulate the ley lines of Chang'an, creating the "earthquake" he needs, and perhaps even...

He reached out and gently touched the patterns on the surface of the altar.

The bronze was cool to the touch, its patterns intricate and varied. When his fingers touched the patterns, the jade talisman of the Western Mausoleum Divine Kingdom in his bosom heated up again, this time intensely hot.

Li Bai took out the jade talisman.

The azure light emanating from the jade talisman was brighter than ever before, flowing like ripples on water and resonating with the remaining patterns on the altar. Several severely worn patterns on the altar, under the illumination of the jade talisman, faintly revealed a golden halo.

The halo spreads along the patterns, like golden streams flowing across the bronze surface.

The flow eventually converges at the center of the circular platform at the top of the altar.

There is a depression there.

The concave shape...

Li Bai raised the jade talisman and aimed it at the indentation.

The shapes match perfectly.