The main hall was extremely spacious, and the corridor was naturally very long as well. Perhaps because the top of the hall was made of glazed glass, it did not appear dark but rather extremely bright. However, the corridor was too long, and one could not see the end at a glance.
Chen Chao held the broken saber and walked a few steps forward, then saw some murals on both sides of the corridor.
The murals on both sides of the corridor depicted different scenes. Some portrayed the daily life of this sect, some depicted pill refinement, some showed cultivation, and some showed cultivators harvesting herbs in a medicinal garden with baskets on their backs.
Other murals depicted a group of cultivators gathered in front of a stone platform. Behind the stone platform was a large tree with luxuriant branches that drooped down onto the platform. Behind the overlapping branches, a man sat cross-legged on the stone platform. That man was dressed in robes, his face was not depicted. But at a glance, one could tell that this man was surely extraordinary.
In front of the stone platform, a group of cultivators stood there, looking at the man on the stone platform, presumably listening to the Great Dao of cultivation.
This was a diagram about imparting Dao.
Chen Chao stood on one side of the corridor, looking at the mural of imparting the Dao, faintly hearing the sound of Great Dao ringing in his ears.
"The way of Heaven is like drawing a bow. Those who stand at a height will lower it, those who are below will raise it, those who have more will lose..."
In a trance, the scene in front of him had already changed somewhat.
It was as if a scroll was slowly unfolding before him. The stone platform also became clear.
That large tree gradually became clear too. Its branches and leaves were lush and swayed continuously in the breeze.
A deep and broad voice suddenly sounded, "We will stop here for today. You may all leave."
As the voice rang out, the cultivators beside Chen Chao all stood up, bowed, and then turned and left.
They passed by Chen Chao, seemingly not seeing him, and left without stopping.
But the man on the stone platform did not leave. The leaves obscured some of his figure, but one could roughly tell that he was a slender man wearing a long robe.
Chen Chao took a few steps forward, wanting to go to the front of the stone platform, to push aside the branches and see the true face of the man.
But after just a few steps, there was a sound from the stone platform, still broad and gentle, "What do you want to see?"
Chen Chao was taken aback, instantly becoming a little distracted. He fell silent for a moment before saying with some puzzlement, "Are you talking to me?"
The man on the stone platform did not answer him. With a gust of wind, the branches were blown aside, revealing that man's true face. It was an extremely ordinary face, so common that it had no distinctive features. It even made Chen Chao unable to remember that face at all. Every time his gaze shifted away, he would not remember the man's appearance.
"It's a magic spell."
The man discerned Chen Chao's confusion and said calmly, "No matter how much you want to remember, you'll never be able to."
Chen Chao also understood this principle. There should be a vast gap in their realms. He did not hesitate and went straight to the point, "What place is this exactly?"
Sitting on the high platform, the man listened to this question and replied calmly, "This place is called the Dao Enlightenment Platform, the place where the Rongshan Sect preaches on Dao."
Chen Chao was taken aback, he had indeed heard the words 'Rongshan Sect.'
Chen Chao said, "Why am I able to see you?"
When the man heard this question, he found it somewhat interesting. A curious emotion appeared on his face, "I don't know either."
Chen Chao thought for a moment, then suddenly exhaled a mouthful of mist. There were even golden traces in it, and asked, "Is it because of this?"
The man looked at the mist, the slight frown that had just appeared on his face completely smoothed out. He sighed softly and said, "It turns out that every action, every sip, every drink, is predestined, destined to be you, so it's you."
Listening to these profound words, Chen Chao was very puzzled. He did not know what the other party was trying to convey. He wanted to speak, but the other person preempted him, "Has the Rongshan Sect been gone for many years?"
Chen Chao shook his head in response to this question. "I don't know." There was no definitive conclusion about when the Rongshan Sect had perished, or how many years had passed since. It was likely not just him, even if someone who knew the most secrets of the current era came here, they would not be able to get an answer too.
No books or records had ever depicted this Rongshan Sect before.
"How did the Rongshan Sect come to an end?"
Chen Chao thought of the cultivators at the entrance of the great hall, remembering that they maintained their cultivation postures until their deaths. The source of this destruction was unclear. But clearly, there was no time for anyone to resist, or even to react.
It was as if a gentle breeze had blown past, and this magnificent sect had been annihilated from the annals of history.
Upon careful consideration, it was a terrifying event. What kind of existence could make this once glorious sect dissipate in an instant?
The man looked at Chen Chao without saying a word. He seemed to be trying to stand up from the stone platform, but after several attempts, he failed to do so. Eventually, his figure began to slowly dissipate, turning into particles of light. Upon closer inspection, it was not particles of light, but rather, grains of sand.
Or perhaps, it could be said that these were the dust of history.
In the vast expanse of history, these particles of dust seemed insignificant.
The stone platform dissipated along with the man, followed by the tree.
The scene before him instantly returned to the passageway. The murals were still there, but they seemed lifeless.
Chen Chao found it hard to believe and lowered his head to look at his hands, only to realize that they were covered in sweat. Both of his hands were in this state.
He originally had many questions he wanted to ask, but in the end, he could not ask a single one. The man was probably not alive, but rather a trace left behind by some means. He was likely an ancient powerhouse who had long since passed away, just like the paper filled with golden light.
Chen Chao snapped back to reality and continued to walk into the passageway without further hesitation.
The murals on the walls were still there. Furthermore, the contents were still different. But this time, none of the murals gave Chen Chao any special feeling. He no longer sensed any special vitality from them; it was as if the walls were adorned with lifeless drawings.
He did not dwell on it either and still continued down the passageway. He naturally knew that the girl was not here, and the coffin he had discovered back then was unlikely to be here either.
He had come here for something else.
The half-broken saber in his hand was already unbelievably sharp. If he could find the other half and have an expert fuse them back together, this saber would be complete. A mere broken saber could rival the flying swords of the Sword Qi Mountain. If this saber was complete, it might even be able to rival those so-called Hundred Year Swords
Apart from the broken saber, Chen Chao also wanted to find other sheets of paper.
The page in his hand was obviously a page from a certain book. Just this one sheet of paper possessed such a terrifying aura. If he could find the entire book, what would it signify?
Putting everything else aside, just studying the secrets recorded on the paper would likely yield great rewards.
Thinking of this, Chen Chao inexplicably felt a surge of excitement.
He was not particularly interested in history, but he was genuinely intrigued by the powerful forces buried in that history.
He continued ahead at an increasing pace. After a while, he realized that the passageway was gradually tilting and narrowing. While it had been spacious before, it was now becoming increasingly narrow, eventually shrinking to just the width of one person.
Despite this, it remained brightly lit without any external light source.
The murals on the walls were suddenly gone.
The final mural was similar to the one he had seen at the hall entrance, it abruptly cut off with some parts missing.
But this should be an ordinary mural with no special significance.
Chen Chao did not linger and continued walking ahead.
…………
The middle-aged daoist riding on the black ox emerged from the boundless sea of flowers and arrived outside the dilapidated medicine field.
After many years, it had finally come here again. The black ox seemed somewhat happy, but its happiness quickly dissipated because the herb garden before its eyes was in desolation. Instead of medicinal herbs all over the ground as it had imagined, the field was overrun with weeds, devoid of any trace of medicinal herbs.
The black ox lowered its head and took a bite of the weeds, chewed for a moment, and then spat them out in frustration. It then said cautiously, "Daoist Master... I really have no idea..."
The middle-aged daoist sat on its back, looking at this scene without being in a hurry to speak. But, there was no trace of disappointment in his eyes. Perhaps he had long anticipated it would be like this.
"Even if an immortal medicine appeared, it would gain sentience and wouldn't stay in one place for too long. So when major sects plant immortal medicine seeds, they would definitely arrange for cultivators to watch over them from the moment they are planted. The instant it matures, they would either trap it in place using an array formation or directly collect it using something."
The middle-aged daoist said slowly. "Let's see if there's any medicinal pit here. If so, at least this trip wouldn't have been in vain."
The black ox was slow on the uptake. Although it had lived for a long time, did not know much either. Upon hearing the middle-aged daoist's words, it hurriedly rushed in and began searching for the so-called medicinal pit.
"Daoist Master, there are four medicinal pits here!"
After a thorough search, it suddenly exclaimed joyfully, "Does this mean that there were once four immortal medicines here?!"
The middle-aged daoist glanced expressionlessly at the four pits on the ground and said indifferently, "Those are your four hoof prints."
"... ..."
"Daoist Master is wise, I'll go take a look again."
The herb garden was vast, at least not smaller than the sea of flowers at first glance. The former Rongshan Sect was a large sect, and naturally, everything within the sect was of the finest quality, including the herb garden. Even the soil was specially brought back from the depths of the sea overseas by powerhouses specially sent by the Rongshan Sect. The mud that had sunk into the seabed for countless years contained extremely abundant spiritual energy, making it an excellent choice for cultivating medicinal herbs.
Ordinary sects simply did not have this capability; it was the countless powerhouses of the Rongshan Sect that made it possible.
The middle-aged daoist jumped off the back of the ox and walked towards the depths of the herb garden. Due to the lack of maintenance over the years, the weeds that had grown over time had become exceptionally tall.
It would likely be challenging to find the so-called medicinal pits in this herb garden.
After some time, the middle-aged daoist stopped at a particular spot, pushed aside the surrounding weeds, and saw two deep pits. These two pits were not large; about the thickness of an arm. Over time, weeds had grown around the edges. The weeds were not long, but it was enough to conceal the openings.
The middle-aged daoist reached out to pluck the weeds on top, peering into the holes.
"Daoist Master, are these the medicinal pits?"
The black ox which had scooted over at some point asked earnestly. "Daoist Master, with your extensive knowledge and experience, you indeed found them with one glance."
The middle-aged daoist replied, "These are medicinal pits, and there are two of them. This herb garden is pretty good. There should have been two immortal medicines, but it's unclear whether they are still here."
After reaching maturity, immortal medicines would gain sentience and develop their own thoughts. Naturally, they would seek to leave. At this moment, the whereabouts of the two immortal herbs were unknown, but if they were still within the Rongshan Sect's mountain pass gate, it would be the best outcome.
The black ox asked expectantly, "Can Daoist Master find them?"
The middle-aged daoist did not speak, but instead extended his palm. A faint light emerged from his palm, gradually turning into a beam that continued to extend in this location.
Looking at the beam, the middle-aged daoist said calmly, "If they are still here..."
The black ox originally wanted to hear the rest of the words, but the middle-aged daoist abruptly stopped talking halfway, leaving the ox puzzled. "Daoist Master, why did you stop talking?"
The middle-aged daoist did not speak, his expression solemn as he continued to watch the beam lengthen and spread, disappearing beyond his line of sight.
The main hall was extremely spacious, and the corridor was naturally very long as well. Perhaps because the top of the hall was made of glazed glass, it did not appear dark but rather extremely bright. However, the corridor was too long, and one could not see the end at a glance.
Chen Chao held the broken saber and walked a few steps forward, then saw some murals on both sides of the corridor.
The murals on both sides of the corridor depicted different scenes. Some portrayed the daily life of this sect, some depicted pill refinement, some showed cultivation, and some showed cultivators harvesting herbs in a medicinal garden with baskets on their backs.
Other murals depicted a group of cultivators gathered in front of a stone platform. Behind the stone platform was a large tree with luxuriant branches that drooped down onto the platform. Behind the overlapping branches, a man sat cross-legged on the stone platform. That man was dressed in robes, his face was not depicted. But at a glance, one could tell that this man was surely extraordinary.
In front of the stone platform, a group of cultivators stood there, looking at the man on the stone platform, presumably listening to the Great Dao of cultivation.
This was a diagram about imparting Dao.
Chen Chao stood on one side of the corridor, looking at the mural of imparting the Dao, faintly hearing the sound of Great Dao ringing in his ears.
"The way of Heaven is like drawing a bow. Those who stand at a height will lower it, those who are below will raise it, those who have more will lose..."
In a trance, the scene in front of him had already changed somewhat.
It was as if a scroll was slowly unfolding before him. The stone platform also became clear.
That large tree gradually became clear too. Its branches and leaves were lush and swayed continuously in the breeze.
A deep and broad voice suddenly sounded, "We will stop here for today. You may all leave."
As the voice rang out, the cultivators beside Chen Chao all stood up, bowed, and then turned and left.
They passed by Chen Chao, seemingly not seeing him, and left without stopping.
But the man on the stone platform did not leave. The leaves obscured some of his figure, but one could roughly tell that he was a slender man wearing a long robe.
Chen Chao took a few steps forward, wanting to go to the front of the stone platform, to push aside the branches and see the true face of the man.
But after just a few steps, there was a sound from the stone platform, still broad and gentle, "What do you want to see?"
Chen Chao was taken aback, instantly becoming a little distracted. He fell silent for a moment before saying with some puzzlement, "Are you talking to me?"
The man on the stone platform did not answer him. With a gust of wind, the branches were blown aside, revealing that man's true face. It was an extremely ordinary face, so common that it had no distinctive features. It even made Chen Chao unable to remember that face at all. Every time his gaze shifted away, he would not remember the man's appearance.
"It's a magic spell."
The man discerned Chen Chao's confusion and said calmly, "No matter how much you want to remember, you'll never be able to."
Chen Chao also understood this principle. There should be a vast gap in their realms. He did not hesitate and went straight to the point, "What place is this exactly?"
Sitting on the high platform, the man listened to this question and replied calmly, "This place is called the Dao Enlightenment Platform, the place where the Rongshan Sect preaches on Dao."
Chen Chao was taken aback, he had indeed heard the words 'Rongshan Sect.'
Chen Chao said, "Why am I able to see you?"
When the man heard this question, he found it somewhat interesting. A curious emotion appeared on his face, "I don't know either."
Chen Chao thought for a moment, then suddenly exhaled a mouthful of mist. There were even golden traces in it, and asked, "Is it because of this?"
The man looked at the mist, the slight frown that had just appeared on his face completely smoothed out. He sighed softly and said, "It turns out that every action, every sip, every drink, is predestined, destined to be you, so it's you."
Listening to these profound words, Chen Chao was very puzzled. He did not know what the other party was trying to convey. He wanted to speak, but the other person preempted him, "Has the Rongshan Sect been gone for many years?"
Chen Chao shook his head in response to this question. "I don't know." There was no definitive conclusion about when the Rongshan Sect had perished, or how many years had passed since. It was likely not just him, even if someone who knew the most secrets of the current era came here, they would not be able to get an answer too.
No books or records had ever depicted this Rongshan Sect before.
"How did the Rongshan Sect come to an end?"
Chen Chao thought of the cultivators at the entrance of the great hall, remembering that they maintained their cultivation postures until their deaths. The source of this destruction was unclear. But clearly, there was no time for anyone to resist, or even to react.
It was as if a gentle breeze had blown past, and this magnificent sect had been annihilated from the annals of history.
Upon careful consideration, it was a terrifying event. What kind of existence could make this once glorious sect dissipate in an instant?
The man looked at Chen Chao without saying a word. He seemed to be trying to stand up from the stone platform, but after several attempts, he failed to do so. Eventually, his figure began to slowly dissipate, turning into particles of light. Upon closer inspection, it was not particles of light, but rather, grains of sand.
Or perhaps, it could be said that these were the dust of history.
In the vast expanse of history, these particles of dust seemed insignificant.
The stone platform dissipated along with the man, followed by the tree.
The scene before him instantly returned to the passageway. The murals were still there, but they seemed lifeless.
Chen Chao found it hard to believe and lowered his head to look at his hands, only to realize that they were covered in sweat. Both of his hands were in this state.
He originally had many questions he wanted to ask, but in the end, he could not ask a single one. The man was probably not alive, but rather a trace left behind by some means. He was likely an ancient powerhouse who had long since passed away, just like the paper filled with golden light.
Chen Chao snapped back to reality and continued to walk into the passageway without further hesitation.
The murals on the walls were still there. Furthermore, the contents were still different. But this time, none of the murals gave Chen Chao any special feeling. He no longer sensed any special vitality from them; it was as if the walls were adorned with lifeless drawings.
He did not dwell on it either and still continued down the passageway. He naturally knew that the girl was not here, and the coffin he had discovered back then was unlikely to be here either.
He had come here for something else.
The half-broken saber in his hand was already unbelievably sharp. If he could find the other half and have an expert fuse them back together, this saber would be complete. A mere broken saber could rival the flying swords of the Sword Qi Mountain. If this saber was complete, it might even be able to rival those so-called Hundred Year Swords
Apart from the broken saber, Chen Chao also wanted to find other sheets of paper.
The page in his hand was obviously a page from a certain book. Just this one sheet of paper possessed such a terrifying aura. If he could find the entire book, what would it signify?
Putting everything else aside, just studying the secrets recorded on the paper would likely yield great rewards.
Thinking of this, Chen Chao inexplicably felt a surge of excitement.
He was not particularly interested in history, but he was genuinely intrigued by the powerful forces buried in that history.
He continued ahead at an increasing pace. After a while, he realized that the passageway was gradually tilting and narrowing. While it had been spacious before, it was now becoming increasingly narrow, eventually shrinking to just the width of one person.
Despite this, it remained brightly lit without any external light source.
The murals on the walls were suddenly gone.
The final mural was similar to the one he had seen at the hall entrance, it abruptly cut off with some parts missing.
But this should be an ordinary mural with no special significance.
Chen Chao did not linger and continued walking ahead.
…………
The middle-aged daoist riding on the black ox emerged from the boundless sea of flowers and arrived outside the dilapidated medicine field.
After many years, it had finally come here again. The black ox seemed somewhat happy, but its happiness quickly dissipated because the herb garden before its eyes was in desolation. Instead of medicinal herbs all over the ground as it had imagined, the field was overrun with weeds, devoid of any trace of medicinal herbs.
The black ox lowered its head and took a bite of the weeds, chewed for a moment, and then spat them out in frustration. It then said cautiously, "Daoist Master... I really have no idea..."
The middle-aged daoist sat on its back, looking at this scene without being in a hurry to speak. But, there was no trace of disappointment in his eyes. Perhaps he had long anticipated it would be like this.
"Even if an immortal medicine appeared, it would gain sentience and wouldn't stay in one place for too long. So when major sects plant immortal medicine seeds, they would definitely arrange for cultivators to watch over them from the moment they are planted. The instant it matures, they would either trap it in place using an array formation or directly collect it using something."
The middle-aged daoist said slowly. "Let's see if there's any medicinal pit here. If so, at least this trip wouldn't have been in vain."
The black ox was slow on the uptake. Although it had lived for a long time, did not know much either. Upon hearing the middle-aged daoist's words, it hurriedly rushed in and began searching for the so-called medicinal pit.
"Daoist Master, there are four medicinal pits here!"
After a thorough search, it suddenly exclaimed joyfully, "Does this mean that there were once four immortal medicines here?!"
The middle-aged daoist glanced expressionlessly at the four pits on the ground and said indifferently, "Those are your four hoof prints."
"... ..."
"Daoist Master is wise, I'll go take a look again."
The herb garden was vast, at least not smaller than the sea of flowers at first glance. The former Rongshan Sect was a large sect, and naturally, everything within the sect was of the finest quality, including the herb garden. Even the soil was specially brought back from the depths of the sea overseas by powerhouses specially sent by the Rongshan Sect. The mud that had sunk into the seabed for countless years contained extremely abundant spiritual energy, making it an excellent choice for cultivating medicinal herbs.
Ordinary sects simply did not have this capability; it was the countless powerhouses of the Rongshan Sect that made it possible.
The middle-aged daoist jumped off the back of the ox and walked towards the depths of the herb garden. Due to the lack of maintenance over the years, the weeds that had grown over time had become exceptionally tall.
It would likely be challenging to find the so-called medicinal pits in this herb garden.
After some time, the middle-aged daoist stopped at a particular spot, pushed aside the surrounding weeds, and saw two deep pits. These two pits were not large; about the thickness of an arm. Over time, weeds had grown around the edges. The weeds were not long, but it was enough to conceal the openings.
The middle-aged daoist reached out to pluck the weeds on top, peering into the holes.
"Daoist Master, are these the medicinal pits?"
The black ox which had scooted over at some point asked earnestly. "Daoist Master, with your extensive knowledge and experience, you indeed found them with one glance."
The middle-aged daoist replied, "These are medicinal pits, and there are two of them. This herb garden is pretty good. There should have been two immortal medicines, but it's unclear whether they are still here."
After reaching maturity, immortal medicines would gain sentience and develop their own thoughts. Naturally, they would seek to leave. At this moment, the whereabouts of the two immortal herbs were unknown, but if they were still within the Rongshan Sect's mountain pass gate, it would be the best outcome.
The black ox asked expectantly, "Can Daoist Master find them?"
The middle-aged daoist did not speak, but instead extended his palm. A faint light emerged from his palm, gradually turning into a beam that continued to extend in this location.
Looking at the beam, the middle-aged daoist said calmly, "If they are still here..."
The black ox originally wanted to hear the rest of the words, but the middle-aged daoist abruptly stopped talking halfway, leaving the ox puzzled. "Daoist Master, why did you stop talking?"
The middle-aged daoist did not speak, his expression solemn as he continued to watch the beam lengthen and spread, disappearing beyond his line of sight.
