Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

From the first gap in the upper left corner to the last gap in the lower right corner, the circles of these missing parts perfectly outline the shape of a Pangu axe!

"I see!" Li Xiu smiled slightly. It seems that this restriction will soon be broken by me!

"Li Duotian, put your axe on the table according to the diagram," Li Xiu said.

"Yes, Master." Li Duotian enlarged his Pangu Axe to a suitable size and carefully aligned it with the wall of forbidden totems, following the diagram on the ground.

Li Xiu's eyes were fixed on the wall of restrictions. Clearly, the step Li Duotian was taking now would be crucial.

If he succeeds, it will allow him to rise to great heights; if he fails, Li Xiu really doesn't know how to overcome this first hurdle!

Li Duotian aimed the sharp corner of the axe handle at the missing claw of the five-clawed golden dragon in the upper left corner, and the tip of the axe was precisely poked into the left eye of the sphinx.

Both of them stared at the wall with great tension, their breathing becoming unusually clear!

This time, Li Xiu guessed correctly!

As soon as the Pangu Axe was aimed directly at the wall of restrictions, the entire wall began to light up!

The totems on the wall seemed to come alive and surged toward the Pangu Axe.

The five-clawed golden dragon, missing a claw, coiled around the end of the axe handle. Its outstretched claw perfectly matched the sharp corner of the axe handle. After the dragon was carved on the Pangu Axe, it became lifelike!

Moreover, other totems also poured into this Pangu Axe, making the axe increasingly magnificent.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Xiu didn't know what to say.

"This...this cave is probably a treasure trove!"

"Even an axe can evolve; we've really struck gold this time."

Only Li Duotian remained calm. Although he could sense his master's joy at the moment, he still couldn't quite understand human emotions.

The Pangu Axe grew brighter and brighter, while the barrier wall, as the totem patterns on it disappeared, also began to fade gradually.

The last totem, the eyeball of the Sphinx, is transformed into the sphere at the very center of the axe's tip, as if this Pangu axe suddenly had eyes, which is very imposing!

Chapter 1285 The Secret of the Cave Passage

After the last totem disappeared, the barrier wall became so transparent that it could no longer hold.

The next moment, like the sound of shattering glass, the barrier collapsed completely and disappeared.

Hearing the sound of the wall breaking, Li Xiu finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, upgrading the axe was good, but the most important thing was to break the restriction and enter the cave.

"Now that we've passed the first hurdle, let's see what this axe looks like now," Li Xiu thought to himself.

"Li Duotian, take a look and see how this Pangu Axe differs from the previous one."

Upon hearing Li Xiu's instructions, Li Duotian walked towards the Pangu Axe floating in mid-air.

As if it were connected to Li Duotian's will, the Pangu Axe flew directly into Li Duotian's hand.

Seeing this, Li Xiu exclaimed in admiration, "This axe is truly amazing! It moves as if it were an extension of my arm, obeying my every command!"

When the axe landed in Li Duotian's hand, he felt a special sense of familiarity, as if the Pangu Axe was no longer just a powerful weapon, but a part of his own body.

Li Duotian couldn't help but gently wave his hand, and the totem on the Pangu Axe seemed to come alive the next moment!

The axe's handle seemed to possess the power of a fierce dragon, and the entire axe shimmered with a captivating and eerie light. Its power was truly earth-shattering!

Seeing this, Li Xiu clicked his tongue and said, "Goodness, I'm drooling over that axe."

Upon hearing Li Xiu's words, Li Duotian immediately retrieved the Pangu Axe, handed it to Li Xiu, and said...

"This Pangu Axe is a gift to the master."

Seeing Li Duotian's expression, Li Xiu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Since it's your opportunity, you can take it."

Satisfied with his gains from the first trial, Li Xiu prepared to venture deeper into the cave to explore whether there were any more priceless treasures waiting for him.

Just as Li Xiu was about to enter the cave, the silent system woke up again, and its cold voice rang in Li Xiu's mind.

"Break the restriction 100% and obtain the evolution and upgrade of Pangu Axe, exceeding the mission target."

"The original reward of 10,000 merit points has been doubled. Congratulations, Master, on obtaining 20,000 merit points."

Hearing the system's voice in his mind, Li Xiu cursed inwardly. "This system, why didn't you tell me sooner? I have so many brains."

Growing increasingly angry, Li Xiu questioned the Holy Buddha System, saying, "Your system, did you already know how to break this thing?"

The system ignored him, remained silent, and disappeared again.

Seeing his system acting like a scoundrel, Li Xiu was so angry that he kicked a nearby boulder hard.

"Ouch... my foot."

Sitting on the ground, Li Xiu rubbed his feet and thought to himself.

"But it's alright, the reward is worth it."

After a brief rest, Li Xiu and Li Duotian set off again, passing through the restriction and heading towards the real cave to explore.

Once inside the cave, Li Xiu carefully observed what made this ancient cave so different.

However, to Li Xiu's disappointment, this ancient cave dwelling was very different from the cave dwellings he had managed in other worlds before.

All the places I've been to before were exceptionally luxurious; even the passageways were illuminated with luminous pearls and other such items.

Chapter 1286 Luck Favors

The passageway in front of us was truly simple; there was only one passageway and nothing else superfluous.

Seeing this, Li Xiu felt a little helpless. Perhaps he had been too greedy. He had already gained a lot from the first level of restrictions, yet he was still hoping to be favored by luck at this moment.

As Li Xiu's mind wandered, he walked deeper into the cave.

However, after walking for quite a while, Li Xiu looked up again and found himself still in the center of the passage, as if nothing around him had changed.

Li Xiu was also puzzled. Had he been too distracted and not paying close attention to his surroundings?

At first, Li Xiu didn't pay much attention to the strange surroundings, thinking, "This cave must be quite deep. Let's explore a bit more."

So Li Xiu continued to walk headlong into the cave.

However, the more Li Xiu walked, the more he felt something was wrong. Although his position was constantly moving forward, his relative position to the cave never changed!

It seemed as if he and the passageway of the entire cave were on a concentric circle, and he was essentially walking around this wheel, while the walls of the cave were also part of the wheel, always on his sides!

After walking a few more steps and confirming his suspicions, Li Xiu's expression turned grim. He realized he had truly fallen into this bizarre trap.

"What should we do?" Li Xiu muttered to himself as he stood there.

After all, it's no use walking any further now; I've probably already walked around this cave several times already.

Instead of wasting time walking around, it's better to stand there quietly and think carefully about what's wrong with the place.

"After breaking the first barrier, I went straight into the cave. I didn't miss anything along the way, and I even remember the path. It should be correct."

"But when exactly did I fall into this vicious cycle? Or did I unknowingly trigger the switch to this trap?"

Li Xiu kept eliminating possibilities in his mind, only to find that his journey had been perfectly normal.

"What should we do?" Li Xiu looked at Li Duotian standing beside him, as if he was thinking about a solution.

"We came in together..." Thinking of this, Li Xiu had a flash of inspiration and seemed to have a solution!

"Since this cave dwelling can constantly change its position as people move around."

"Then I'll have one of us move and one stay still. Let's see what you're going to do with this cave passage!"

Thinking of this, Li Xiu became excited again and said to Li Duotian beside him.

"Li Duotian, keep walking forward along this passage, stay in touch with me, and pay attention to the changes on both sides of the passage."

"Yes Master."

"Shall we begin now?" Li Duotian asked.

"Go on, I'll stay here and keep watch. Remember to keep in touch and let me know if there are any changes."

Li Duotian and Li Xiu are of one mind and can convey their thoughts without words, which is why Li Xiu dares to let Li Duotian continue to delve deeper.

Just as Li Duotian began to move, the walls of the cave passage began to change again!

Chapter 1287 A Heart of Seven Apertures

"Damn it! You system, you showed up at this time, are you here to laugh at me?"

Seeing that the system had arrived at such a perfect time, Li Xiu cursed viciously.

However, what followed was the "it's actually good" principle. Li Xiu didn't waste any time and immediately focused his mind on the Holy Buddha System, selecting items in the merit shop.

"Warm coat, price: 100 merit points."

"Silk stockings, price: 500 merit points."

...

"Damn it! There wasn't any of this junk before. How come your system is going backwards?"

Looking at the messy things in the bottom-level merit shop, Li Xiu couldn't help but complain.

However, the Holy Buddha System remained silent, maintaining its aloof demeanor as if mocking Li Xiu. "This shop is mine, take it or leave it."

Seeing the system pretending to be mute, Li Xiu was so angry that he had no choice but to look up at it.

"There should be some good stuff on this second floor," Li Xiu thought with anticipation as he looked over.