Sweeping across the heavens, starting with the first emperor of the ancient times.

Along the way, with Jiang Hao's unintentional guidance, the two gained many more resources.

This made Xiao Fan and his companion extremely happy and grateful.

After continuing forward for another half an hour, the three of them appeared in a large area composed of countless strange stone pillars, each hundreds of feet tall, with surfaces as smooth as mirrors.

The stone pillars appear to be arranged haphazardly, yet they subtly contain some mysterious laws. Mist swirls between the pillars, and probing with one's divine sense is like trying to sink a mud ox into the sea.

In the center of the open space, a pale green barrier light, like an inverted bowl, firmly trapped a white figure within it.

It turned out to be Princess Lu Qingxuan of the White Deer Clan.

She sat cross-legged with her back to Xiao Fan and the others, meditating.

Her white clothes were torn in several places, stained with dust and a little dark red, and her originally aloof and refined temperament now revealed obvious weakness and fatigue.

The long sword, its light flowing naturally, lay across his lap, its radiance somewhat dimmed.

She seemed completely absorbed in fighting the restrictions and healing her injuries.

The barrier that trapped her appeared thin, yet it was filled with ancient and resilient Dao patterns, connected to the energy of the surrounding stone pillars, clearly a rather sophisticated trapping formation.

"It's Princess White Deer! She's injured and trapped by the stone pillar!" Zhang Bo said in a low voice, somewhat surprised.

Xiao Fan's expression also hardened. The Lu Qingxuan in front of him looked much weaker than when he had seen her before.

Xiao Fan subconsciously looked at Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao squinted as he surveyed the layout of the stone forest, his fingers making a few subtle calculations hidden in his sleeve. He then looked at Xiao Fan with a mischievous smile and lowered his voice, saying, "Xiao Fan, want to be a hero for once?"

Xiao Fan was taken aback: "Elder Jiang, what do you mean?"

"This maze, though seemingly complex, actually has predetermined paths to life and death, and it subtly aligns with the natural laws of life."

Jiang Hao spoke quickly and clearly in a voice that only the three of them could hear.

"Look at the third stone pillar on the left front, is the base color slightly darker? And the seventh one on the right rear, is there a barely noticeable diagonal line at the top?"

Using this as a starting point, advance two steps to the left, retreat one step to the right, and turn left at every bend. When encountering a fork in the road, choose a path with clear airflow. In this way, you should be able to reach the weakest point in the formation and find the trapped person.

He spoke slowly, but he clearly explained a path to break the formation, even pointing out the illusions that might appear at several key points and how to deal with them.

Xiao Fan was both surprised and impressed, and he kept Jiang Hao's words firmly in mind.

Zhang Bo's eyes lit up: "Mr. Jiang, you even know this?"

Jiang Hao chuckled: "It's all from books, just theory. I don't know if it'll even work. But, Xiao Fan..."

He patted Xiao Fan on the shoulder, his tone teasing, "This is a rare opportunity to be a hero and save the damsel in distress. The girl needs help right now, go ahead."

Xiao Fan touched his head shyly.

Soon, Xiao Fan broke the great formation using the method Jiang Hao had instructed, which amazed Zhang Bo. This old lady Jiang was truly omnipotent.

After rescuing Lu Qingxuan, Lu Qingxuan bowed to Xiao Fan and said, "Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Xiao Fan." Xiao Fan released his hand, a little embarrassed.

He then introduced Jiang Hao and Lu Qingxuan to the two of them.

Lu Qingxuan then looked at Jiang Hao and Zhang Bo and bowed again.

Zhang Bo quickly waved his hand: "No need to thank me, no need to thank me. I just saw injustice and wanted to help!"

Lu Qingxuan's gaze lingered on Jiang Hao for a moment longer.

The old man gave her a strange feeling; despite having no cultivation, he made her feel inexplicably at ease.

She also thanked Jiang Hao sincerely and politely. Jiang Hao responded with a smile, indicating that he had a good impression of Lu Qingxuan.

This little girl is strong-willed and polite.

"We shouldn't stay here any longer; they'll be searching soon," Lu Qingxuan said. "If the three of you don't mind, you can come with us. I know a relatively safe route to the main tomb chamber."

Xiao Fan looked at Jiang Hao, who nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Princess."

It didn't matter to Jiang Hao which way he went; he was just there to watch the show.

The four of them continued their journey together. With the partial map in Lu Qingxuan's possession and Jiang Hao's occasional unintentional tips, they avoided many dangers and acquired a considerable amount of treasures.

Lu Qingxuan became increasingly curious about Jiang Hao.

This old man may seem ordinary, but whenever they encounter difficulties, he always manages to provide crucial information or warn them to avoid traps.

She privately asked Xiao Fan, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, who exactly is this Elder Jiang?"

Xiao Fan shook his head: "We just met by chance on the road. Old Jiang is very knowledgeable and very capable."

Lu Qingxuan seemed to be deep in thought.

Afterwards, the group acquired some more valuable items and happened to arrive at a small stream filled with spiritual energy.

There was an open space by the stream, perfect for a rest, so everyone decided to take a break.

Xiao Fan and Zhang Bo naturally positioned themselves on either side of Jiang Hao and Lu Qingxuan, who was meditating, protecting them in the middle while cautiously observing their surroundings.

Just then, a chubby figure, humming an off-key tune, swayed out from the other side; it was none other than the fat Taoist priest Wu Liang.

He spotted the four people by the stream at a glance, his gaze particularly brightening when it swept over Lu Qingxuan, and then he saw Xiao Fan and Zhang Bo's bulging storage bags.

Their eyes darted around rapidly, almost shining, as they noticed the newly harvested medicinal herbs and materials lying beside them, which hadn't yet been fully stored away.

"Oh my, what a coincidence!" Wu Liang's face instantly broke into an even brighter and more enthusiastic smile than before. He quickly approached and bowed repeatedly to the group.

"I am truly fortunate to have this connection with you all!"

Upon seeing him, Zhang Bo immediately became wary and took a half-step forward.

Xiao Fan frowned slightly and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Lu Qingxuan opened her eyes, saw Wu Liang, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

Wu Liang completely ignored Zhang Bo's vigilance and Xiao Fan's wariness. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes scanning back and forth over the spiritual materials, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"Look, look! Azure Spirit Fruit, Purple-Veined Ginseng, and this quality of Star Sand! You fellow Daoists are truly fortunate."

Wu Liang leaned closer, lowered his voice, and adopted a sincere and open manner:

"However, fellow Daoists, please heed my advice: some of the items in this ancient tomb may look good, but in reality, they carry heavy karmic burdens and deep malevolent energy. In particular, certain treasures with specific attributes cannot be controlled by those who are not destined and virtuous. If handled improperly, they may even bring harm!"

He shook his head, looking distressed: "These treasures, and these spiritual materials, seem to clash somewhat with the auras of these fellow cultivators. Keeping them around for a long time might be detrimental to our cultivation!"

"You can't handle these things, let me, the Daoist, handle them. I'm tough and not afraid of these things."

Zhang Bo couldn't hold back any longer: "Taoist priest, you're at it again. You're a fraud."

Wu Liang wasn't annoyed at being exposed; he just chuckled, his skin incredibly thick.

"Young friend, what are you saying? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I only do this because you all look kind and I can't bear to see you go astray."

Even Lu Qingxuan was speechless. Where did this clown come from?

Zhang Bo and Xiao Fan simply turned their heads away, too lazy to pay any attention.

Jiang Hao watched from the sidelines as Wu Liang continued to perform.