Shocking Secrets of the Celestial Realm

Despite her physical pain, Jasmine and Lin Qing cautiously continued their journey deeper into the ruins. The exhaustion from defeating the guardian beast hadn't completely dissipated, but their thirst for the truth kept them from pausing for even a moment. The dim light flickered on the ancient stone walls, as if whispering tales of the vicissitudes of time.

"Lin Qing, look at this wall." Jasmine suddenly stopped, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Before them, a huge mural slowly came into view. This mural was so high that its top was nowhere in sight, and so wide that its end was unknown, as if it had grown directly from the stone wall of this ruin.

Lin Qing took a few steps closer and carefully examined the mural. The three systems of the human body depicted in the mural—the meridian and blood system, the microscopic energy system, and the consciousness and spirit system—were outlined with strange lines, intertwined yet independent. These lines were sometimes bright, sometimes dim, as if pulsating according to some mysterious rhythm.

"Could the changes in these lines be related to the flow of energy?" Lin Qing murmured to himself. Jasmine nodded slightly, her gaze drawn to the many mysterious symbols beside the mural. These symbols varied in shape; some resembled birds, some beasts, and others seemed to be some kind of ancient script, exuding a mysterious aura.

Suddenly, Jasmine's gaze fixed on a set of symbols, and her heart pounded. "Lin Qing, look, isn't this the Big Dipper?" Following Jasmine's finger, Lin Qing saw several symbols shimmering with a faint light, arranged exactly like the Big Dipper. Even more astonishingly, from these Big Dipper symbols extended several faint lines, intertwining with the lines of the human body's meridians.

"This... could this be hinting at the correspondence between the Big Dipper and the meridians in the human body?" Lin Qing's voice was filled with shock. They all knew that in the world of cultivators, there were countless connections between celestial bodies and the human body, but such a direct demonstration still left them incredibly stunned.

Just as the two were immersed in the mystery of the mural, a sinister laugh suddenly came from the depths of the ruins. "Haha, I didn't expect you to actually find this mural. However, this secret is not one you can easily unravel."

Jasmine and Lin Qing's expressions changed drastically. They turned around and saw a group of men in black slowly emerging from the darkness. The leader of the group was none other than the Dark Night Society henchman they had fought before, and he wore a smug smirk on his face.

"How did you get here?" Jasmine asked angrily. The man in black smiled coldly: "We've been following you. The Dark Night Society is determined to obtain the secrets of these ruins. If you obediently tell us the secrets of the murals, we might spare your lives."

Lin Qing stepped forward, shielding Jasmine behind him: "If you want the secret, then take it by your own ability!" With that, he circulated his inner energy, his longsword gleaming coldly. Seeing this, the men in black drew their weapons, surrounding the two.

Just as tensions were running high, Jasmine suddenly noticed that the lines and symbols on the mural began to flicker, the light growing increasingly intense. A thought struck her, and she realized that this might be the key to breaking the deadlock.

"Lin Qing, don't be impulsive! There's something strange about this mural!" Jasmine hurriedly pulled Lin Qing back. Just then, a powerful energy fluctuation emanated from the mural, causing the man in black to stagger backward. The man in black stared at the mural in terror, his eyes filled with fear.

"What...what kind of power is this?" the man in black asked, his voice trembling. Jasmine and Lin Qing were also stunned by this sudden change, but they quickly recovered. Jasmine concentrated, trying to decipher the patterns of energy fluctuations in the mural.

"I think I understand now! The energy in this mural follows a pattern, and we can use it to fight back!" Jasmine exclaimed. Upon hearing this, Lin Qing immediately cooperated with Jasmine, and the two of them mobilized their internal energy according to the rhythm of the energy fluctuations in the mural.

As they moved, the surrounding air seemed to be stirred by an invisible force, forming a huge vortex of energy. The man in black was drawn into the vortex by this force, letting out screams of agony.

"No, this is impossible!" the leader of the men in black cried out in terror. But his voice was quickly drowned out by the roar of the energy vortex. Moments later, the men in black vanished without a trace, as if they had never been there at all.

Having dealt with the men in black, Jasmine and Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief. They turned their gaze back to the mural; the light on it had gradually dimmed, but the lines and symbols had become clearer.

“It seems the secrets of this mural go far beyond this,” Lin Qing said. Jasmine nodded slightly, her gaze falling on a corner of the mural she hadn’t noticed before. There, a small pattern appeared to be an ancient formation.

"Lin Qing, look at this," Jasmine said, pointing to the pattern. Lin Qing walked closer and took a look, his expression changing slightly: "This seems to be a sealing formation, but I can't tell what's sealed."

As the two were wondering what was going on, they suddenly felt the ground begin to shake violently. "Oh no, this ruin is going to collapse!" Lin Qing shouted. Jasmine's heart tightened; she knew they had to find a way out as soon as possible, or they would all be buried under the ruins.

Just then, Jasmine suddenly remembered the mysterious runes she had seen at the entrance to the ruins. She realized that these runes might be closely related to the murals and the method to leave the ruins.

"Lin Qing, I think I've thought of a way to leave," Jasmine said. She closed her eyes, concentrating on recalling the arrangement of the runes and the energy fluctuations. After a moment, she opened her eyes, a determined glint in them.

"Follow me!" Jasmine said, running deeper into the ruins. Lin Qing followed her without hesitation. They ran wildly along the passage, the ground shaking more and more violently, and stones kept falling from above.

Finally, they arrived at a massive stone gate. The gate was covered with the same runes as those at the entrance to the ruins. Jasmine stepped forward and touched the runes in the order she remembered.

As she moved, the runes began to flicker, and the stone door swayed slowly, emitting a dull thud. Just as the stone door was about to open, a powerful force emanated from the depths of the ruins, blasting them several feet away.

Jasmine and Lin Qing steadied themselves, and saw a gigantic figure slowly emerge from the darkness. This figure emanated a powerful energy fluctuation that sent chills down their spines.

"What is this thing?" Lin Qing asked in alarm. Jasmine's expression also turned serious: "I don't know, but its power is extremely strong, we must be careful."

The enormous figure drew closer, and Jasmine and Lin Qing finally saw its appearance clearly. It was a giant made of stone, its eyes flashing red, and it held a huge stone axe in its hand.

"Looks like we're in trouble again," Lin Qing said with a wry smile. Jasmine took a deep breath: "Whatever it is, we can't back down." With that, she mobilized her micro-energy, preparing for the upcoming battle.

Just then, a melodious flute tune suddenly drifted from the ruins. The flute music was like a clear spring, flowing through the tense atmosphere and bringing a sense of inexplicable tranquility to Jasmine and Lin Qing.

As the flute music began, the stone giant suddenly paused, and the red light in its eyes dimmed considerably. Jasmine and Lin Qing exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

"What's with this flute music?" Jasmine murmured to herself. Just then, a familiar figure slowly emerged from the depths of the ruins. It was Ye Lan, holding a jade flute in her hand, a mysterious smile on her face.

"Ye Lan, your flute music seems to be working!" Jasmine asked in surprise. Ye Lan smiled slightly: "This flute music has a regulating effect on emotions, mind, and consciousness. The stone giant was attracted by the natural power in the flute music and temporarily lost its will to attack."

"I see. Then let's quickly find a way to leave here," Lin Qing said. The group immediately sprang into action. Jasmine continued to decipher the runes on the stone door, while Lin Qing and Ye Lan vigilantly guarded the side.

With their combined efforts, the stone gate finally opened slowly. A breath of fresh air rushed in, making them feel incredibly refreshed.

The group quickly passed through the stone gate, and just as they were leaving the ruins, Lin Qing struck the mechanism with his palm, followed by a loud rumble. They looked back and saw the stone gate close automatically.

“Let’s go,” Jasmine said firmly, gazing into the distance. Lin Qing and Ye Lan nodded slightly, their figures gradually disappearing into the distant mist.