He Lan Tianxia

Inside the Spirit Serpent Cave are three stone caves. The middle one leads directly to a stone door. The cave's owner, Lingyi, says he has lived here for thousands of years but has never been able to open the stone door; what lies inside remains a mystery. The two adjacent stone caves each lead to the same level as the stone door, but they are not connected. One leads east to the Yellow River bend, and the other leads west to the plateau.

Murong Junlan wondered what kind of animal a snake was; if they couldn't go there, the place must be as solid as a rock. Standing before the stone door, Murong Junlan touched it with his hand. Before he could even touch it, a loud rumble was heard, and the stone door slowly opened.

"Your Highness, be careful." Lingyi stepped forward and blocked their way.

Murong Junlan reached out to protect Yan'er beside him. Just then, a powerful gust of air rushed in from inside, pushing everyone back a few steps. Yan'er, who had no martial arts skills, bumped directly into Murong Junlan. Murong Junlan caught Yan'er with one arm, but his eyes were fixed on the cave. The cave wasn't pitch black; it was softly lit by lamps.

"Your Highness, may we go in?" Lingyi asked.

"Since the door that has been locked for millennia has opened itself for me, why shouldn't I enter?"

“Your Highness, this place looks like an underground palace.” Yan’er recalled the scenes from the TV show, and this place looked so similar. “If this isn’t an underground palace, it should be a treasure trove or a royal tomb or something like that.”

"Yan'er, the treasure here might just be meant for us." Murong Junlan held Yan'er's hand tightly. "Remember, you can't leave me."

"I'll protect you!" Ling Yi stepped forward to shield them. With a "whoosh," a hidden arrow shot out. Ling Yi drew his sword and deflected it, but then a dense barrage of arrows followed. At first, Ling Yi managed to handle them with ease, but as the density of the arrows increased, he began to struggle. Strangely, Murong Junlan gradually noticed that the arrows were only aimed at Ling Yi, not them. So Murong Junlan suddenly stepped in front of Ling Yi, and strangely enough, the arrows fell to the ground automatically in front of him and Yan'er.

"Lingyi, be careful, the arrows are selective." Murong Junlan pulled Yan'er to stand in front of Lingyi, but the arrows still flew around Lingyi. Murong Junlan then ordered, "Go back."

Lingyi had no choice but to step back through the stone gate, but just as his foot left, the gate slammed shut again with a loud crash. Watching the gate slowly close, Lingyi screamed in terror and tried to brace himself against it to buy the prince time to escape.

"Your Highness, come out quickly!"

In a moment of desperation, Murong Junlan pushed out with both palms, managing to shove Lingyi away; otherwise, Lingyi would have been turned into a meat pie.

"Your Highness, Your Highness—" Lingyi shouted loudly outside the stone gate. He regretted it; he shouldn't have retreated. Even if arrows were shot at him, he should have blocked them. He knew that at the last moment, it was the prince who pushed him out. The prince had saved him last time, and he had saved him again this time. He owed the prince two lives. He went mad. He summoned all the snakes and pushed the stone gate with all his might. He pushed for a whole day, but it was all in vain. The stone gate didn't budge an inch. Lingyi collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Meanwhile, inside the stone gate, the prince and princess found themselves at a loss as the gate slammed shut. They looked around; the cave was rectangular and empty, so much so that they hadn't even noticed where the arrows had come from. The entire cave was carved into the stone walls, the most striking feature being the lifelike rock paintings. The first painting on the left depicted two pure white horses, except for a single stripe of crimson fur running from head to tail.

"Your Highness, Fire Red Hare, your two Fire Red Hare!" Yan'er exclaimed in delight.

"Hmm." The prince's eyes did not leave the mural.

"Eagle. My potatoes are here too." Yan'er looked on happily. "Look, this is the snake that bit me. How come it's here too?"

"Yan'er, don't make a fuss." Murong Junlan took Yan'er's hand and led her through the paintings one by one. Behind the snake was a painting of an emperor and an empress, who looked very much like them and seemed quite affectionate. The next half of the painting showed a sword piercing their bodies, apparently the empress had shielded the emperor from the sword. The poem read: "The phoenix and the luan bird bring good fortune, but the empire is ravaged, leaving only sorrow." Murong Junlan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He instinctively pulled Yan'er into his arms, then looked at himself. Finding no injury, he continued looking through the paintings.

The second scene depicts a village girl washing clothes by the river, a young general leading his horse and asking for directions, and in the distance, an oil-paper umbrella waving on a painted boat on the river. The poem reads: "Meeting you on the road, I do not recognize you; a tragic love affair, a fleeting glimpse on the road."

The third scene depicts a stunningly beautiful woman on a bridge over a green river, her smile captivating all who behold her. A young man chases after her, only to be lost in a fog. Below the bridge, a wooden boat carries a dashing man playing a flute. A poem reads: "Meeting in this life, a beauty's calamity, a wasted encounter."

The fourth scene depicts a stunningly beautiful woman and a dashing young man, each riding a fiery red hare, wielding spears and broadswords in fierce combat. The poem reads: When will this grudge end? Life's trials and tribulations, a poignant tale.

The fifth scene depicts a cold and handsome young general carrying a child on the battlefield, reviewing his troops as they march into battle, with an eagle soaring above his horse. The poem reads: "A man of both fierce power and tender heart, reborn into hardship, what can fate do?"

The sixth scene depicts a lone plume of smoke rising straight from the vast desert sands, where a handsome man chases a woman in red herding sheep. The poem reads: "Yellow sands stretch for a thousand miles, a arduous journey through countless mountains."

The seventh scene depicts the surging Yellow River, where a handsome man struggles to cross in a single boat. On the bank, a woman faces a precipice, pursued by a fierce tiger, terrified and helpless. The poem reads: "At the end of the road, facing calamity, amidst raging waves."

The eighth scene depicts a desolate, snow-covered landscape where a handsome man in a sheepskin coat stares at a pack of wolves. Meanwhile, on a lush, green grassland, a woman leisurely grazes her flock, drinking mare's milk wine. The poem reads: A world of ice and fire, a dreamlike calamity, then awakening.

The ninth scene depicts a sky filled with dark clouds, a torn earth, a volcanic eruption, chaos reigning, and all things restless. A handsome man and an unparalleled woman are separated by a fireball, exploding in a spectacular display. The poem reads: In the primordial chaos, the Nirvana tribulation unfolds; witness the workings of creation.

The tenth scene is on Broken Heart Cliff, where the handsome and aloof young general stands alone, the setting sun casting a desolate, blood-red glow, as he waits for a distant eagle to soar into the distance. The poem reads: All splendor has faded, life and death are but tribulations, return to the origin.

After viewing the ten paintings, Murong Junlan and Yan'er walked around the entire room.

"Your Highness, I think those two people up there look a bit like us," Yan'er said, looking at Murong Junlan's handsome face.

"This is a sacred place for our ancestors, Yan'er, please don't speak carelessly." Murong Junlan took Yan'er's hands and bowed to the surrounding area.

"Ha... This is your Ten Reincarnation Chart." Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out, and then a crack appeared in the middle of the stone wall in front of them. Two stone doors slid open with a rumble, and in the middle, an elder with white hair and a youthful face sat on a throne on a demon cliff.

Murong Junlan quickly led Yan'er forward to pay their respects, "We, Murong Junlan and Yan'er, greet you, senior! We had no intention of disturbing this esteemed place, and we hope you will forgive us."

"Old monk, it's you." Yan'er recognized the elder as the old monk.

"Yan'er, you mustn't be rude." Murong Junlan immediately covered Yan'er's mouth, afraid that she would say something offensive.

"They've arrived, they've finally arrived. I've unconditionally guarded this treasure for you for over ten thousand years, you two must repay me."

"Forgive my boldness, senior, but I hope you can enlighten me," Murong Junlan said sincerely.

"Although the treasure was left behind by you from your previous lives, you still have to go through a tribulation to obtain it," the old man said solemnly.

"Old monk, do you think I wouldn't recognize you just because you're wearing a wig?" Yan'er pushed away Murong Junlan's hand and continued, "You tricked me into coming here, and now you're pretending not to know me. You're a dog."

"Senior, the princess is ignorant, please don't blame her." Murong Junlan said anxiously.

"He blames me? I'm already being nice by not blaming him." Ignoring Murong's attempts to stop her, Yan'er let out the anger that had been building up inside her.

"Girl, don't push your luck. If you anger me, I'll take away your treasure in no time."

"What treasure do I have? Did I travel here empty-handed?" Yan'er thought for a moment and then said, "Even if I had treasure, I wouldn't want it. Just send me back. It's so boring here."

"I say, Prince Murong, whether you can keep your princess depends on your own fate," the old man laughed.

"Thank you for the reminder, senior. I will do my best to provide whatever reward you desire." Murong Junlan bowed to the old man again.

"You said it yourself." The old man stroked his white beard and nodded in satisfaction. "Then I will..." Suddenly, a white light flashed, and the old man dodged backward. There was a muffled thud from the ground. He didn't leave the hole, but the entire treasure room shook.

The old man said discontentedly, "What's with your temper now? Don't say I didn't warn you, with a temper like yours, you'll never find a wife even if you chase for ten thousand years." Suddenly, another flash of light struck. The old man was furious: "Oh dear, I've guarded your treasure for so many years for free, and even found your queen. Instead of thanking me, you take your anger out on me. I'm done!"

"You dare?" A cold voice came from the misty distance, followed by a tall and handsome figure with an air of otherworldly elegance. The newcomer looked exactly like Murong Junlan, except that his brows were etched with a hint of cold arrogance and loneliness.

"See this? This is you and your queen from thousands of years in the future," the old man joked.

The newcomer didn't look at Murong Junlan, only glancing at Yan'er with the corner of his eye. His brow furrowed, and with a flick of his right hand, a flash of light shot towards Murong Junlan. The old man, quick as lightning, pushed out both hands in a split second, forcefully deflecting the attack. However, Murong Junlan still felt a jolt in his chest and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Are you courting death? Do you want to kill yourself?" Before the old man could finish speaking, another beam of white light shot towards Murong Junlan, but without any force. Immediately, the glass lock on Murong Junlan's body trembled, the white light withdrew, and the glass lock instantly dimmed.

"Why are you doing this to yourself? You finally met her, and then you deleted her memory. How many more cycles of reincarnation will you have to go through?" The old man was so angry that he pounded his head and stamped his feet.

"Your Majesty, please have pity on me, instead of yourself. I've been stuck in this dilapidated treasure room for ten thousand years; I'm practically a fossil!" The old man was full of resentment.

"Fate is hard to defy. If you try to help them regain their memories again, you'll be doomed. You'd better watch yourself." The Emperor flicked his sleeve and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What do you mean by 'fate is hard to defy'? It's all up to human effort." The old man said defiantly to the departing figure of the Emperor. With a "snap," another white light struck, the old man dodged, and then the treasure room collapsed with a loud bang.

Murong Junlan held Yan'er's hand tightly, but a force accompanied by a powerful whirlwind rushed towards them, forcibly pulling the two of them in two different directions.

"Yan'er—"

"Your Majesty——"

In an instant, Murong Junlan and Yan'er each fell into the abyss of darkness.