Episode 4: Breaking Through the Barrier
Nine years have passed, and there are less than ten days left until the ten-year deadline. These days, both the Mirror Flower Sect and the Water Moon Sect have been unusually quiet.
In the Mirror Flower Sect, Duan Tianyi is sitting cross-legged, observing his nose and mind, while his mind is racing rapidly. Over the past ten years, Duan Tianyi has basically read through all the millions of volumes in the Book Sea. With his photographic memory, Master Zhuo can no longer stump him.
Half a year ago, Master Zhuo gave him a rare book from the depths of the Book Sea, titled "The Great Day Spell". The text on the book was extremely special, like little fish scales. Every time Duan Tianyi read the text on it, he felt as if the words were about to break through the paper, but at the critical moment, they returned to their original form. After each reading, Duan Tianyi would sit cross-legged and meditate for several days, gaining some understanding before continuing to read. However, he always felt there was a thin layer of membrane separating him, and he couldn't break through it.
Duan Tianyi slowly opened his eyes, "Perhaps this is the Tao. Everything is in a single thought."
Duan Tianyi did not insist. He put away the "Great Day Spell" and stood up, bowing deeply to Master Zhuo.
"Senior Master Zhuo, thank you for your guidance over the past ten years. I must go out now. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will definitely come back to seek your teachings."
Master Zhuo smiled contentedly, "Young man, you are truly extraordinary. We won't see each other again. I am just a fragment of the spirit that guards the tomb of Lord Yue. This Lord Yue is fortunate to have this successor, and I have accomplished my mission. However, I must remind you that Mirror Flower and Water Moon are full of illusions. Although you have gained great benefits within them, once you leave this Water Moon Cave, everything will revert to its original state. All that you have gained will leave a mark in your mind, and you need to slowly explore it. Goodbye, there are still many dangers ahead, please be careful."
As Master Zhuo's words faded away, his figure gradually blurred, and then a white light flashed, and the entire Book Sea vanished before his eyes. Duan Tianyi's mind exploded, and he had already returned to the previous golden hall. Duan Tianyi sighed, "Mirror Flower and Water Moon are all illusions. Ah, it's better to be in the real world. Let's calculate the time. Mo Feng should probably be coming out soon."
Duan Tianyi sat cross-legged and waited quietly for Yang Mufeng to break out of his confinement. These ten years of hard training not only enhanced his knowledge but also greatly honed his character. Duan Tianyi then entered the state of "No Waves in the Ancient Well".
The old man with a purple face, Song Daolao, said, "Young Master Yang, this might be our last competition. Show your best skills, right?"
At this moment, Song Daolao's clothes were in tatters, looking very disheveled, but the dignity he exuded made him seem imposing and tall. The Yang Mufeng opposite had only a few pieces of torn cloth on his shirt, revealing extremely powerful muscles.
Yang Mufeng smiled slightly, "Then Senior Song, be careful. This is the martial art I have comprehended from the 'Dark Moon Spell' you gave me. Currently, there are only three moves, and they are also my strongest three moves. If you can withstand them, I will automatically concede defeat."
"Haha... Good young man, you are really bold. However, this strength cannot be demonstrated by mere words. Show your skills, I want to see how much you have learned in the past ten years."
The old man Song Daolao shouted, and his body moved strangely, floating towards Yang Mufeng. Behind him, there were three or four faint shadows.
Yang Mufeng was greatly startled. It turned out that this Song Daolao had also concealed his strength. This movement was so fast that he thought he couldn't do it, but he was very confident in his "Dark Moon Three Moves".
At a distance of less than three meters from Yang Mufeng, a very powerful martial art had already been slashed down. Yang Mufeng retreated three or four steps, and then his feet moved, performing the Man Luo martial art, holding a golden big sword tightly with both hands, and shouted,
"Dark Moon Wind Sword"
A black solid blade of sword directly collided with the blade of Song Daolao's slashed sword. The two swords collided, instantly causing sparks to fly, and the colliding force directly created a three-meter-wide deep pit on the ground. The two of them simultaneously stepped back about ten steps to alleviate the powerful force that was being transmitted.
"Haha... The kid really has a way. However, just this is not enough."
Suddenly, Song Lao moved and three identical Song Lao figures appeared. Yang Mufeng could clearly see that the other two were not illusions but real Song Lao figures.
The three Song Lao figures simultaneously stepped forward from three different directions towards Yang Mufeng. Yang Mufeng's mouth curled slightly. When the three of them came close to nearly five meters, they suddenly disappeared in place. The three Song Lao figures' faces changed dramatically. Although they knew that Yang Mufeng had made significant progress in ten years of cultivation, they never expected that it was so terrifying. They valued this young man who had been together with them for ten years even more.
"Shadow Moon Spiral Slash..."
With a loud shout, a powerful blade-like energy appeared on the heads of the three Song Lao figures. The blade-like energy like a storm instantly enveloped the three Song Lao figures. Every bit of the blade-like energy in the storm was extremely brutal. The Song Lao figures could no longer be careless. Although they wouldn't die, they had lived for a thousand years and still needed to care about their dignity. If they didn't give their all, they would inevitably be in a very embarrassing situation.
The Song Lao figures struggled to break out of the blade-like energy storm with all their might. The original three turned back into one. Their clothes were slashed by Yang Mufeng's blade-like energy, with dozens of cuts, looking extremely disheveled. Moreover, the Song Lao's face also looked a little pale, clearly having suffered a lot in the battle just now.
The Song Lao smiled contentedly, "Good kid, really has a skill. I never expected that he would have progressed to such an extent in ten years. It seems that my mission has been accomplished. Haha... Nameless, I owe you a debt, and now it's settled."
Yang Mufeng put away the golden knife and said excitedly, "Song Lao, so it seems I passed the test."
The Song Lao looked at Yang Mufeng, as if wanting to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and he eventually let them fall. He sighed softly and smiled, "Alright, alright. Since we met, it's fate. Although it's a divine plan, I'm just a half-human. Let it go. Yang kid, remember everything I'm telling you now."
Yang Mufeng seemed to have realized something too. He nodded.
"This Water Moon Taoist Cave is an illusory realm of mirages and water illusions. Although you have gained many benefits in this illusory realm and your cultivation has advanced significantly, when you return to reality, all the abilities you have gained will be lost. The only things that will remain are your memories and the 'Yin Moon Spell' I gave you. After leaving here, you must practice the 'Yin Moon Spell' diligently. It will definitely be of great benefit to you. When the energy of the black fruit in your body is fully released, you will become a true peak master. One more thing, and this is the most important one, you must remember that this Yuewang Tomb is not that simple. You must be extra cautious on the way ahead. That's all for now. Go, you go."
Yang Mufeng had spent ten years with the old man Song, and they had developed a deep affection. He had always regarded Song as his teacher. Now that he was about to leave, he couldn't help feeling nervous. He bowed deeply to Song. As Song's figure gradually became blurry and dissipated, Yang Mufeng's space around him began to twist. He disappeared in the Water Moon Gate.
"Ti Yi..."
Yang Mufeng saw Duan Tianyi sitting cross-legged in front of the gate. It was as if he had been separated from time. After ten years of not seeing each other, only the two of them who were involved in the incident could understand the deep feelings.
Duan Tianyi was awakened by the sudden shout and jumped up, instinctively pulling Yang Mufeng into his arms. Tears of joy kept streaming in his eyes.
"You this naughty boy, why did you take so long to come out? I thought you... "
Yang Mufeng pushed Duan Tianyi away and scratched his head, "Hehe... Don't act like a weakling. I'm fine, right?"
After being separated for a long time, the two of them reunited and didn't rush to leave immediately. They sat on the ground and recounted their ten years of illusionary life. The dangers were all mentioned, and they felt relieved for the benefits they had gained. When they heard that Song had revealed the secrets before their ten-year acquaintance, Duan Tianyi felt a little sad.
Although they had gained countless benefits in the ten years of the illusionary realm, their true strength had not changed. To deal with the six fierce demons outside, they still had to consider carefully. To survive and leave this Yuewang Tomb, they could only compromise for now.
"Ti Yi, are we leaving like this? It's a pity. If I still had the strength in the illusionary realm, I could have dealt with those six eggs with one strike."
"Hehe, forget it. Don't brag. Now the abilities in our bodies are sealed and cannot be exerted. We have to rely on them to get out of this Yuewang Tomb. They won't easily harm us. After all, they must rely on us to leave this place. Come on, let's leave."
The golden stone door shook violently. The golden light balls surrounding Duan Tianyi and Yang Mufeng disappeared. They immediately withdrew their hands and retreated three or four steps backward. At the same time, the golden stone door opened wide, revealing a golden passage about ten meters wide and four meters high. It stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Tomson and others rushed over, looking at Duan and Yang with surprise. Tomson was familiar with the mysterious Chinese civilization and knew that some ancient burials contained peculiar things that could give people incredible power instantly. Now seeing that the two of them still looked unsteady in their movements, he felt a little relieved.
"Brother Duan, Brother Yang, how did you manage to finish so quickly? Brother Duan, you truly deserve to be an expert."
The two were amazed. The ten years in the Water Moon Taoist Cave indeed passed in the blink of an eye in reality. Duan Tianyi smiled slightly and said nothing. They knew that Tomson still had doubts about them. If it weren't for the fact that the two of them still had value for him, he would have been killed by them long ago.
The group stood in front of the golden stone gate, and no one dared to enter. Since entering this ancient tomb, strange things and monsters had come one after another. The more peaceful the situation was, the more hidden the crisis was.
Tomson smiled and said to Duan Tianyi and Yang Mufeng in front of the gate, "This time, you two will have to help us again."
"Hey... " Yang Mufeng's voice immediately wanted to explode, but Duan Tianyi stopped him.
Duan Tianyi smiled slightly. "Mr. Thomson, thank you for trusting me twice. If I'm not mistaken, the other end of this passage should lead to the final location of the treasure."
The implication of Duan Tianyi's response was that you want us to take the lead, right? If what's ahead is indeed the treasure, then the two of you will get it first. And Duan Tianyi had the means to prevent Thomson and his companions from entering. Thomson and his companions were well aware of this. This strange ancient tomb was full of mysteries, and only Duan Tianyi had the ability to reach the end.
This time, Thomson finally hesitated a little. "OK, Mr. Duan Tianyi, the honorable one, would you like to go in with us?"
"Roosevelt, you go ahead, Romain, you hold the rear, and the others, follow me to protect Mr. Duan and Mr. Yang."
The temperature in the golden passage was extremely low, estimated to be around minus ten degrees Celsius. From the ground to the ceiling of the passage, all the walls and floors were golden mirrors. Every meter or so, on the ground and walls above and below, there would be a black gem the size of an egg, emitting faint black light. As soon as everyone entered the passage, they felt an inexplicable strangeness. It seemed that countless pairs of eyes were staring at them. With the experience from the previous times, everyone was extra cautious.