The Path to Another World

Looking at the beautiful pendant in his hand, which resembled a work of art brimming with artistic essence, Tian Jun felt dizzy and stunned, his gaze lost in it, unable to pull himself away. Although he had dealt with all kinds of antiques for many years and had handled hundreds or even thousands of works of art, he had never seen anything so breathtaking, something that could captivate one's soul so completely. It had a distinctly Western color scheme, about the size of a baby's fist, and was shaped like a six-pointed star from Western magic. Its surface was covered in complex lines, seemingly chaotic yet possessing a strange regularity. At first glance, it appeared as if someone had haphazardly carved it out of boredom, but upon closer inspection, this was not the case. Each line was of uniform length, connecting end to end, making it impossible to discern the beginning or end, yet it possessed a mysterious charm. The overlapping lines seemed to form countless deep spaces. Concentrating intently, Tian Jun felt dizzy and his face flushed, as if he had just survived a fierce battle. Suddenly, his face paled, and he involuntarily took a step back, a wave of fear washing over him. He had almost lost his mental energy within it; if he hadn't reacted quickly, he might have become an idiot. He was secretly astonished; this thing was truly bizarre. After studying it for so long, he still couldn't figure it out.

Even more stunning was the center of the six-pointed star array, where a teardrop-sized azure gemstone floated silently, deep yet not extravagant, pure yet elegant, emitting a faint glow, like a tear shed by a deity. Even though Tian Jun had seen all kinds of gemstones, agates, and jades, none were as pure and flawless as this one. The faint light shone on Tian Jun, and he felt his mental energy, which he had lost in that boundless space, instantly replenished. He felt as if he had taken Viagra, his spirit invigorated. He was secretly astonished; it seemed he had truly encountered a treasure. He had lost his mental energy in those lines, but in the gemstone's light, his mental energy had been restored and even slightly enhanced. It possessed a strange quality, and this probably couldn't be measured by ordinary antiques; it might truly be priceless.

"Come quick, Ye Fan, I've found something amazing! If I hadn't come this time, this gem would probably have been buried in obscurity." Tian Jun shouted excitedly, holding up the pendant in his hand. After all, Ye Fan was quite authoritative in these strange and unusual matters.

"What good stuff could there be in here? I've appraised everything. The pendant you're holding is something I bought for fifty dollars at a roadside stall when I traveled to Europe last year. I thought it looked quite old-fashioned, with a Western magical vibe, and the design was beautiful. I originally wanted to bring it back to China and rip off those rich people who like cosplay, but unfortunately, I haven't met anyone who appreciates its value yet," Ye Fan replied casually after glancing at it.

“I’m afraid you’ve misjudged this time. I’m telling you, this is a priceless treasure,” Tian Jun asserted firmly.

"The materials are so-so, the workmanship is so-so, and apart from its age and the unidentified gemstone in the middle, there's nothing particularly outstanding about it," Ye Fan casually picked up the pendant, glanced at it, and made his conclusion.

"It's not as simple as you think. Focus on the lines over here, and you'll definitely find something." Tian Jun, having just suffered a setback, deliberately reminded Ye Fan, hoping to see him make a big mistake, and said with a sly smile.

"Really? Just a few lines, nothing to do with the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. Let me see what's going on." Ye Fan was skeptical, focusing his attention on the lines around the pendant. The jumbled lines suddenly seemed to come alive, writhing and forming overlapping spaces that gradually devoured Ye Fan's spiritual energy. In just a few seconds, Ye Fan felt as if he had entered a time tunnel, as if decades had passed, leaving him alone and wandering in a dark space, almost lost. Ye Fan's skill far surpassed Tian Jun's. Ignoring the serious consequences of forcibly severing his spiritual energy—at best internal injury to the nervous system, at worst mental breakdown—he forcibly stopped his spiritual energy, his face flushed red. He was secretly horrified by the pendant's strangeness, and only after looking at the smug Tian Jun beside him did he realize, "You knew about this all along, didn't you!"

Seeing Ye Fan's resentful gaze and flushed face, Tian Jun quickly stopped laughing and replied, "I discovered this by accident. Could it be a weapon or treasure passed down from your ancient Taoist tradition?" "Impossible. Although I don't understand these lines very well, I'm certain there's something wrong with the space. Eastern formations are all derived from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, making them easy to identify," Ye Fan firmly denied Tian Jun's opinion.

"There's something even more miraculous that will surprise you even more. Take a close look at the gem inside the teardrop in the middle, and feel it carefully." Tian Jun continued, letting Ye Fan take a look first.

"You're not going to trick me again, are you!" Having been fooled once, Ye Fan had become smarter and looked at Tian Jun suspiciously.

"You're too vengeful! I was just kidding with you. There's definitely no problem this time. I've tried it, and it not only doesn't do any harm, but it also has great benefits!" Tian Jun swore an oath when he saw his partner doubting him.

"Then I'll trust you one more time!" Ye Fan focused all his attention on the small gemstone once more. Having cultivated Taoist arts with his grandfather since childhood, his spiritual power was naturally far stronger than Tian Jun's. To their surprise, the small jade stone seemed like a bottomless pit. Even after Ye Fan poured in more than half of his powerful spiritual power, there was still no change, as if it were silently mocking their incompetence.

Ye Fan was instantly enraged. He had always been proud of his powerful mental strength since childhood, but today he was met with a cold shoulder. He refused to believe that he couldn't handle a broken stone. His competitive spirit kicked in, and he gritted his teeth and transformed the portion of his mental strength he had reserved into a monstrous wave that crashed into the interior of the jade stone.

The intense mental exertion left Ye Fan feeling extremely exhausted, his head throbbing, and large beads of sweat trickling down his face. Seeing the jade stone still unresponsive, Ye Fan gritted his teeth and persevered. Tian Jun, watching Ye Fan's determination, couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, fearing something might go wrong. Finally, after Ye Fan had poured nearly ninety percent of his mental energy into the jade stone, the previously still stone began to change slightly.

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