Chapter 540: Treasure Hunt at Tian Shi Cave

"Is this Lord Erlang?"

Looking at the stone statue, Wang Tianzuo wore a face full of doubt.

"Maybe it was just some ignorant folk's doing back then."

Sha Lifei gave a casual reply, then signaled Lu San with his eyes.

This matter is too grave—it involves the River God Great Lord, celestial deities descended to earth, and Lord Erlang; the karmic threads are complex.

Wang Tianzuo is a reliable friend, but he's still from the Huangling Sect; to be safe, we can't speak freely.

Thinking of this, Sha Lifei glanced around and changed the subject: "Search carefully—look for any clues."

The daylight was now bright; half the roof of the ruined hall had collapsed, letting sunlight pour in, revealing everything inside clearly.

It looked like an ordinary temple.

The temple gate was weathered, its vermilion paint flaking off; the inner halls were collapsed, beams and pillars tilted, murals faded and cracked, colors washed out, webs thickly draped.

But there were also clear abnormalities, visible at a glance.

Inside the broken, ancient stone incense burner, dozens of colored sticks were jammed in—red and yellow—with burn marks at their tips.

These were high-grade incense, indicating someone had worshipped here regularly, yet the abandoned temple and shattered altar were left unattended—strange indeed.

"It must be Brother Lu…"

Wang Tianzuo looked at the toppled statue, his eyes filled with confusion: "If the statue isn't even repaired, who would come here to worship?"

"Not to worship a god."

Lu San pondered, stepped forward, and lifted a broken board—revealing a small stone stele.

Bai Cheng, Zhou Yuanhai, Qin Dongzhu…

Dozens of names were carved densely, all obscure, unknown even in the Jianghu.

Only the last line revealed their identity:

Brothers of Meishan, guarding the True Lord's death here!

At this line, all exchanged glances.

Sha Lifei shook his head with a grunt: "It seems the Meishan Brothers organization was destroyed long ago—only Brother Lu remains as the last survivor."

Saying this, he rolled his eyes and turned to whisper: "Lu San, ask this old Huang—does he know what happened back then?"

Lu San understood, spoke with the old weasel, then his eyes flickered with disappointment: "They obey Brother Lu, but they usually just watch out for each other—they know nothing about this place."

"Oh."

Sha Lifei scratched his head and fell silent.

Both men had already guessed: the Meishan Brothers were ambushed, yet they spoke of guarding the True Lord—likely tied to Lord Erlang's reincarnation.

Only they had the strongest motive to do it.

Just like the Wushan Celestial Bureau back then, who resorted to heresy to bring the Wushan Goddess back to earth.

The difference: one failed, the other succeeded.

Wang Tianzuo wasn't a fool—he heard their words and knew something was being hidden, but he didn't press further, instead said gravely: "It seems Brother Lu's murder is connected to the Meishan Brothers."

"Too bad we don't know what they're scheming for…"

With all these questions lingering, they continued searching.

Unfortunately, this Guankou temple had long been in ruins; apart from that stele, they found no other unusual objects.

With nothing more to find, they returned to Guankou County.

Since something had happened before, to prevent further incidents, Sha Lifei and the others moved out of the inn and stayed with Shunyuan Escort Agency.

If another attack came, they could watch each other's backs.

After a full day's work, night fell, and a cold moon climbed onto the branches.

Sha Lifei ate a quick meal, then went to Lu San's room, gave a single glance—and Lu San immediately activated the Ruyi Treasure Pearl.

A chill spread through the air; their words could not be overheard.

"I think I know what they're looking for."

Sha Lifei sneered: "Their target is the Dragon Palace Water Mansion. Li Yan once said the Dragon Palace Water Mansion is unique—you must hold an artifact that originated from within to enter it through dreams."

"Lord Erlang has long suppressed the River God Great Lord—the Meishan Brothers must have that artifact. They're searching for it!"

"I thought so too."

Lu San nodded, frowning: "It's understandable that the Wuxiang Young Master's group is interested in the Dragon Palace Water Mansion—but the Shu Royal Mansion has countless rare treasures; why did they suddenly get involved?"

"Obviously, there's something inside the Shu Prince wants!"

Sha Lifei's eyes lit up.

"Could it be… the Elixir of Immortality?"

After further discussion, they gradually reached an answer.

Many things seemed foggy only because of insufficient intelligence; along this journey, they'd encountered many events and pieced together the motives of all sides.

For them to guess this much was hardly surprising.

"Don't get involved in this for now."

Lu San thought for a moment, then shook his head: "If the Elixir of Immortality truly exists, the Shu Prince won't have sent only these people."

"Our immediate priority is still to find Lord Erlang's reincarnation."

"True."

Sha Lifei nodded, frowning: "But we've questioned everyone in Guan County—no one's seen him."

"Where the hell is this guy hiding?"

…………

Qingcheng Mountain, Chaoyang Cave.

Another bright day; sunlight pierced the heavens, filtering through dense forest to scatter golden specks across the cliff face.

Li Yan had risen early, finished his martial practice, returned to his room, sipped tea, and read the scripture in his hands.

It was the Fengdu Method passed down by Juachenzi.

Li Yan had already cultivated this path, and with the old Daoist's careful guidance, he now understood it thoroughly.

What remained was refining it during tower construction.

About half an hour later, Lingyunzi returned, bringing him and Wang Daoxuan toward Tian Shi Cave.

"All of Qingcheng Mountain's spiritual treasures are hidden there."

Lingyunzi explained as they walked: "When Zhang Tianshi first entered Sichuan, he taught here; later generations repaired and expanded the halls, and the incense never ceased."

"If you want to buy talismans, incense, or ritual tools, this is a good place—there are treasures with centuries of offerings—but if you want heavenly or earthly treasures, your best chance is after the New Year, when the vaults open."

"No time to wait."

Hearing this, Li Yan felt a pang of regret.

At his level, tower construction couldn't be done without heavenly or earthly treasures—the deeper his Dao, the less he could cut corners.

After the New Year, the vaults would surely yield fine items, but after leaving the mountain, he must go to Chengdu—to protect that Commandery Prince and plan how to help the Dragon Girl gather incense.

Li Yan had a premonition: this journey would bring fierce battles.

The enemies they now faced were growing ever stronger.

Lu San had just reached the Third Tower; Wang Daoxuan hadn't even reached its peak—he'd need at least until next year.

Only by advancing his own Dao could Li Yan bear the burden.

Lingyunzi nodded slightly; he didn't know why Li Yan was in such a hurry, but he didn't pry—it would only cause discomfort.

After a moment's thought, he whispered: "Li Shaoxia, no need to rush—Qingcheng Mountain's spiritual fortune has lasted millennia; it naturally holds many treasures."

"The brothers at Tian Shi Cave are mostly from the Zhengyi Sect—I'll speak with them; they'll likely bring out their best items."

"Thank you very much."

Li Yan bowed quickly in gratitude.

He'd learned many secrets while below the mountain.

This struggle for the Qingcheng Sect leadership involved three factions.

The Cheng family, the Zhengyi lineage, and the Quanzhen lineage.

The Cheng family had voluntarily stepped back—Chen Confucius likely agreed to some terms, and with the arrival of sects from all over Shenzhou after the New Year, the Zhengyi lineage relented. For Lingyunzi to speak up, he'd need to repay favors.

The three descended the mountain path, passing through beautiful scenery—sometimes walking forest trails, sometimes crossing waterfalls and stone bridges.

"That's the Throw-Brush Gorge."

"Legend says it was formed when Zhang Tianshi cast his brush to subdue demons while inscribing talismans…"

Lingyunzi walked while explaining to the two.

The "Throw-Brush Gorge" was a deep ravine; soon after leaving it, a grand palace complex appeared before them, hidden among towering trees, sunlight glinting off its golden rooftops, bells echoing in the air.

"Tian Shi Cave is the largest on Qingcheng Mountain."

Lingyunzi pointed ahead: "To the right is the Three Sovereigns Hall; to the left is the Tian Shi Hall. If you come from below, you must first pass the White Tiger Hall…"

There were far more Daoists here.

Some swept snow, others passed carrying scriptures and incense; farther in the forest, Daoists sparred and trained with swords, snow spraying, blade glimmers flashing.

A few days ago, Li Yan and the others had seen very few people.

!

Only here did they feel the true aura of a sacred mountain of the orthodox faith.

Before even approaching, the thick scent of incense washed over them; Li Yan could even sense the incense mingling with Qingcheng Mountain's gangsha qi, swirling above like countless colossal deities gazing down.

"Brother Lingyunzi."

Just as he reached the outer gate of the temple, a young Daoist strode forward and bowed respectfully: "My master instructed me to wait here for you all—he has already arranged everything; feel free to choose what you need."

"This is Daoist Bai Yu."

"Greetings, Daoist."

"Greetings, Li Shaoxia. I've long heard of you."

Lingyunzi introduced the group to one another.

Li Yan could clearly sense that although this man was warm, unlike Lingyunzi, his courtesy was merely formal.

"Inside each hall are ritual instruments enshrined with incense offerings…"

"Most are available, but there are distinctions—for instance, the finest talisman paper is kept in the Three Sovereigns Hall, while rarer ritual instruments are stored in the Temple of the Yellow Emperor…"

Daoist Bai Yu gave a general overview, then, at Wang Daoxuan's request, led them to the Three Sovereigns Hall, where they purchased several high-grade talisman papers and other disposable ritual instruments from various halls.

With their current cultivation and wealth, they had no hesitation in buying the best.

Seeing this, Daoist Bai Yu's face broke into a smile.

Selling ritual instruments was a major source of income for the orthodox Daoist sects; he hadn't expected such a wealthy patron to appear during this freezing, snowbound season.

In a short time, they had spent five thousand taels of silver.

Though it stung, purchasing the same quality items after leaving Mount Qingcheng would likely cost even more.

After touring all the halls, Daoist Bai Yu led them to a secluded palace pavilion.

The place was heavily guarded: Daoists patrolled along the path, and a grand fengshui array had been set up for defense.

Before they even drew near, Li Yan's spiritual powers were suppressed.

The pavilion before them was small—merely a single-story building—with windows and doors tightly shut, its walls inlaid entirely with copper plates; even the main gate was forged from ancient bronze, now slightly green with age.

"This is the Master's Secret Library."

Daoist Bai Yu smiled: "Inside are precious celestial treasures and ritual instruments. It is normally closed—even I rarely enter."

"Only because Li Shaoxia is a distinguished guest has my master granted permission."

With that, he pulled a token from his sleeve; after verification, the heavy bronze gate groaned open.

Not only that, two Daoists followed behind, swords in hand.

The first floor was clearly meant for receiving guests; the staircase to the second floor was sealed by a thick bronze door.

Li Yan looked around silently.

The furnishings here were simple.

In the center stood a large rosewood table with several chairs; around it stood row upon row of antique shelves, each holding boxes of various sizes.

Since his spiritual powers were suppressed, he could sense nothing.

Daoist Bai Yu brought forth a book and smiled: "May I ask, Li Shaoxia, what type of celestial treasure are you seeking?"

Li Yan frowned slightly. "To be honest, I'm not sure myself. Could you give me some guidance?"

"Of course."

Daoist Bai Yu smiled: "Celestial treasures are naturally formed, imbued with the essence of gangsha. By material nature, they fall into five categories: metal, wood, water, fire, earth…"

"That's not what I meant."

Li Yan interrupted quickly: "I want to know what fine items are here—may I select them myself?"

Daoist Bai Yu chuckled: "Certainly."

He walked to one of the antique shelves and said: "These are all wooden treasures. I hear you specialize in thunder arts—there's a third-transformation Thunder-Struck Wood here; it should suit you."

"And here, this is Spirit Spring Gold—vibrant with life force. If used in constructing a pavilion, it nourishes the spirit and doubles your results…"

Li Yan turned to look at Lingyunzi.

Though rare, these items held no appeal for him.

Even the Cloud-Thunder Divine Drum used only first-transformation Thunder-Struck Wood—what use was a third-transformation one for construction?

Lingyunzi immediately understood. He stepped forward, pulled Daoist Bai Yu outside the hall, and whispered urgently.

With spiritual powers suppressed, Li Yan could not hear, but he saw Daoist Bai Yu's face twist in difficulty, even annoyance.

But Lingyunzi clearly commanded great respect; after a few more words, Daoist Bai Yu gave a slight nod and quickly departed.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan dared not press further; they stood patiently in the hall under the watch of the two sword-bearing Daoists.

After another incense stick's time, Daoist Bai Yu returned. He nodded to Lingyunzi, then entered, smiling broadly: "Li Shaoxia, you are truly exceptional—these items are clearly beneath your notice. Please follow me upstairs."

With that, he pulled a token from his sleeve, showed it to the guarding Daoists, and opened the second-floor bronze door.

Upon ascending, the layout remained the same.

But the boxes holding celestial treasures were far more refined—many bound with red cords and sealed with yellow talismans.

"This is Black Xuan Copper, discovered in an ancient battlefield, where the malevolent qi gathered so intensely that it stirred the ghosts of the dead to roam…"

"This box holds a ritual sword, naturally formed—a superior vessel. When unsealed, it once haunted travelers, striking without warning…"

This time, his attitude had noticeably improved.

Though the boxes could not be opened, he carefully detailed the origin of each item.

"Mount Qingcheng truly has deep roots."

Li Yan complimented, yet felt a quiet disappointment.

These celestial treasures were not inferior—they simply did not match his cultivation method. The key to using celestial treasures in pavilion construction was harmony with one's inner art.

CRASH!

As they examined the items, an antique shelf far off suddenly collapsed.

"That thing is acting up again!"

The guarding Daoists behind them sighed in exasperation.

Li Yan turned toward the sound—and his heart leapt inexplicably.

There, on the fallen shelf, a wooden box lay overturned, revealing a large stone, riddled with holes, smooth and finely carved into a dense lattice of palaces.

"What is this?"

Li Yan's heart pounded wildly; he asked urgently.

"This thing…?"

Daoist Bai Yu flipped through his book, checked, and frowned. "Strange—it's not listed here."

"It was just discovered."

The guarding Daoist spoke up: "It came from a Han Dynasty tomb beneath Mount Qingcheng. Its origin is unknown, but we know its name."

"It is called White Jade Capital!"

(End of Chapter)