The Path to Another World

The two stared in disbelief out the window, utterly awestruck. They hadn't noticed anything at night, but in the daytime, it seemed like a fantastical epic was unfolding: nine colossal dragons formed from white mist tumbled and rolled, their scales, whiskers, and claws incredibly lifelike, as if they were playing together. The two were stunned. Dragons were the most sacred totem in Chinese culture, ancient myths where such divine beasts only existed. They never imagined they would witness such magnificence here today. Although they were composed of mist, their overwhelming and magnificent aura filled them with a deep sense of respect and pride, for they were descendants of the dragon.

The entire village was situated in a basin valley. Eight white, misty dragons rose from eight mountains of roughly the same height surrounding the village. The mountain at the very center of the village, located at the site of the ancient tomb, was the tallest. The dragon atop its head was even more imposing, its white surface tinged with gold, exuding a regal air, seemingly receiving the homage of the other eight dragons. It was more like a giant tower than a mountain, resembling a massive pyramid, its peak soaring into the clouds. What frustrated Ye Fan was that such a high mountain should be visible from a great distance, yet from the outside, it was only shrouded in mist. Even satellites hadn't captured it in all these years, demonstrating the extraordinary power of the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation and the village's ancestors. "Luckily, I had a map last time, otherwise I probably would have racked my brains trying to find my way in," Tian Jun said, staring blankly at the awe-inspiring scene.

"It's amazing that such a burial method actually exists. It's truly a miracle, something no human could possibly do. I've only ever heard of it mentioned in books, I never imagined it actually existed. This village holds so many secrets, I'm getting more and more interested. This trip has definitely been worthwhile." Ye Fan stared at the eight white mist dragons with a look of utter fascination.

"What kind of feng shui layout is this? Is it very powerful?" Tian Jun asked, looking at the infatuated Ye Fan.

"This is the legendary Nine Dragons Guarding the Palace, forcibly extracting the spiritual energy within a hundred miles for its own use. It's extremely domineering. Only members of the royal family can be buried in this configuration, otherwise their descendants will be slaves for generations, unable to rise up. In ancient times, apart from fallen gods or the true Son of Heaven, even members of the royal family were not qualified," Ye Fan murmured as he answered Tian Jun.

At this moment, Old Li also woke up. He glanced casually at the strange sight outside, showing no excitement whatsoever. Clearly, he had grown accustomed to everything before him. To him, this scene was less captivating than a mediocre, third-rate magician's trick: "Little Fan, you recognize all of this. Weren't these skills supposed to be lost? It seems only you have the potential to break this curse. Let's go, I'll take you to the ancestral hall to see that manuscript left by our ancestors. Perhaps you can find some clues."

The two followed Elder Li up the winding path. The ancestral hall was perched on the mountainside of the central mountain, shrouded in mist and clouds all day long, like a fairyland. Strange rocks dotted the path, some carved with patterns, but unfortunately, due to history, they were now blurred and indistinguishable. The ancestral hall itself was very simple, devoid of any gold or silver decorations, containing only a tall Buddha statue and a bookshelf with a few ancient books. Perhaps due to the stonemason's less-than-perfect skills, the statue looked quite rough, its features indistinct; they could only barely make out that it was a woman. Although her features were unclear, the sorrowful and compassionate aura on her face made the two pause, exchanging a glance. This feeling was too familiar; it was exactly the same as in their dreams. Could this place be connected to the goddess from their dreams? Ye Fan couldn't help but think of what his grandfather had told him about the ancient gods establishing a teleportation system to leave Earth. Could it be...? As if sensing Ye Fan's thoughts, the pendant on Tian Jun's chest also trembled slightly... The two looked at the suddenly agitated pendant, exchanged a glance, their faces filled with disbelief. A cold sweat dripped down their backs, as if a hidden hand was orchestrating everything. From Ye Fan buying the jade pendant, to Tian Jun discovering clues to the ancient tomb, to the two of them teaming up to venture into the tomb, was all of this a coincidence or was there an inside story? It was all too terrifying.

Grandpa Li, who hadn't held out much hope, suddenly changed his expression when he saw the two of them suddenly freeze. He snatched the pendants and ancient books from their hands and began comparing them by himself. After a moment, he suddenly knelt down on the ground, laughed loudly, and tears streamed down his face. The two of them were a little confused. Had this old man gone mad? Why was he laughing and crying at the same time? Ignoring the two men, Grandpa Li respectfully placed the pendant on the prayer mat in front of him and kowtowed three times. Then, like a madman, he ran to a large brass bell at the door and began pounding it frantically, shouting until his voice was hoarse with excitement: "Everyone, immediately put down what you're holding and quickly assemble in front of the ancestral hall! The jade has returned! We're about to be liberated! Assemble quickly..." As if by some kind of magic, Grandpa Li's voice echoed throughout the village like thunder. Hearing his call, everyone dropped their bowls and their farm tools swarmed towards the center of the village like locusts, not a single person lagging behind. Grandpa Li still stood there, staring blankly at the pendant. His ancestors had spent countless efforts without finding a single clue, yet he had never dared to imagine that the pendant would suddenly appear before his eyes. Did this mean that even Heaven could no longer bear to see them suffer this prison-like existence? Looking at the two people who had brought all this, Grandpa Li felt an urge to kiss them, because this news was more important to them than anything else. He couldn't help but hug them and promised, "If it weren't for you this time, our village would probably still be living here, not knowing when we could leave. To express our gratitude, just say whatever you can give us. Although we don't have anything of value here."

"How about we go take a look at the ancient tombs down there?" Tian Jun pointed awkwardly to the ground below. "Oh, this, this is the village's ancestral graves. I can't make the decision on my own. Let's wait for the village elders to arrive before we decide."

Hearing that Grandpa Li didn't immediately reject his suggestion, he almost jumped up. He didn't want to steal secretly and leave a bad impression on the villagers.

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