Ever since she met Li Feng, being touched and held by him had left her feeling utterly humiliated and enraged.
Li Feng, however, was not one to coddle her. He chuckled, "When we were running for our lives in the forest, I carried you the whole way. There's no one else here, so what are you being shy about? Stop struggling. If you fall and dislocate a bone, I’m not fixing it for you."
Hearing this, Shan Yundi didn't dare struggle anymore. She even reached out and wrapped her arms around Li Feng's neck, terrified that this brat might just drop her on the ground.
Li Feng carried Shan Yundi to the stone platform. In front of them stood a two-meter-tall tombstone, and on the platform sat a person cross-legged. Judging by the appearance, it was a man with long hair and a long beard. His skin was shriveled and his body gaunt; he must have been sitting in meditation until his passing many years ago, his body’s moisture long since evaporated. Strangely, the corpse had not decayed; it looked much fuller than the mummies or desiccated remains Li Feng remembered. The man was wearing what appeared to be a Taoist robe. After all these years, it hadn't been ravaged by time, suggesting it was a magical treasure.
In front of the man sat a three-foot stone box. Seeing the box, Li Feng’s eyes lit up instantly.
"A golden finger! This must be the golden finger gifted to a transmigrator! I knew I was the chosen one! Yes!"
Having arrived in this world without a system daddy, Li Feng had been quite speechless, always wondering if he, as a transmigrator, was really just an ordinary person without even a shred of a cheat code. Seeing the stone box, he couldn't hide his excitement. In novels, this was always how it went: the protagonist falls into a bottomless abyss or enters some mysterious place and obtains peerless weapons and cultivation manuals. The stone box surely contained the secret to turning a loser protagonist into a wealthy, handsome powerhouse!
"The Tao is the essence of longevity arts; the path to immortality is rooted in law."
Just as Li Feng was daydreaming about becoming an overlord of this world, Shan Yundi’s soft chanting reached his ears. Li Feng was stunned. He knew these two lines all too well—weren't they the couplet carved into the valley where the Changsheng Sect was located?
Just as he was about to ask Shan Yundi why she was reciting it, he noticed her eyes were fixed on the stone monument in front of them. The monument wasn't carved with an epitaph or a memorial tablet; it bore those very two lines.
Li Feng, blinded by thoughts of a protagonist's golden finger, hadn't noticed the two-meter-tall monument earlier. Now, he finally looked at it. It was two meters high, one meter wide, and thirty centimeters thick. Though covered in moss and dust, time had failed to erode the characters. On the massive granite slab, the fourteen characters—"The Tao is the essence of longevity arts; the path to immortality is rooted in law"—were clearly visible. Each stroke was powerful and vigorous, like a dancing dragon or snake, with an aura of power that seemed capable of shattering the heavens leaking from between the lines.
Li Feng stood stunned for a long moment, then asked in surprise, "How could these two lines appear here?"
Shan Yundi frowned slightly and said, "You’ve seen these lines before?"
Li Feng nodded. "Seen them? I know them all too well. This is the couplet at the entrance of our Changsheng Sect. They say that when the sect was in its prime, these same lines were carved onto the pillars outside the main hall. Could the person sitting on this platform have some connection to the Changsheng Sect?"
Shan Yundi replied, "It’s possible. In its prime, the Changsheng Sect occupied the entire Tianyu Mountain range with Tianyu Peak as its center, flourishing for over three thousand years. This place is only a little over a hundred miles from Tianyu Peak; perhaps a predecessor from the sect chose this as their final resting place. There is a stone box on the platform—open it and see."
Li Feng carried Shan Yundi and gently sat her down on the edge of the stone platform. Having watched too many movies, he worried about deadly traps, so he drew his broken sword to use it to pry the lid open. Watching his cowardly behavior, Shan Yundi was left bewildered.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"This is an ancient tomb that hasn't been opened in a thousand years," Li Feng replied. "There’s bound to be a killing mechanism inside. That’s how they do it in the shows. Get back, don't get hurt."
"Shows?" Shan Yundi was filled with question marks. She was sitting right next to the box, so she reached out and opened it herself.
Li Feng was shocked and backed away repeatedly, terrified of poison arrows or gas. Alas, these were all his own delusions—his paranoia flaring up. There were no traps at all.
The next moment, Li Feng felt something strange. The broken sword in his hand suddenly began to tremble on its own. A mysterious force from the stone box seemed to be pulling at it. Before he could react, the force intensified, dragging him toward the box. A beam of light erupted from within, enveloping a piece of a blade. It was the exact opposite of the broken sword in his hand—about a foot long, with no handle. They seemed to be two halves of the same whole.
Simultaneously, the broken sword began to emit a soft glow, and the rust on its surface rapidly flaked off. Li Feng could no longer control it, and it flew out of his hand. The two pieces darted through the air, emitting a sharp, piercing sound. Shan Yundi hadn't expected the remnant in the box to react to Li Feng’s sword. She watched the scene in disbelief.
"Young Master Li," she said, "the broken sword in your hand seems to be one with this piece..."
Li Feng had realized this too. Before he could speak, the two pieces slowed down. They seemed to attract one another, gradually merging into a complete divine sword. Three feet seven inches long, deep blue throughout, it radiated a faint, ghostly light. After a moment, the light faded, and with a soft *clack*, it dropped at Li Feng’s feet.
Li Feng picked it up and found the junction between the two pieces flawless. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed this sword had once been in two parts. "How can this be?" he gasped.
Shan Yundi asked, "Young Master Li, how did the other half of your sword come to be hidden here? Do you know its origin?"
Li Feng gave a bitter laugh. "Don't ask me; I have more questions than you right now. I only know this sword is named Duannian, the token of the Changsheng Sect masters. My master passed it to me when he descended the mountain a short while ago. For thousands of years, it has been a broken blade. I have no idea how the other half came to be here, nor why they suddenly fused together. This world is truly terrifying; scientific knowledge is useless here..."
Shan Yundi didn't understand his comment about science, but she murmured, "Duannian?" Her eyes gradually brightened. "Duannian? The third-ranked Duannian Divine Sword on the Tianji Pavilion's Artifact Ranking?"
Li Feng was surprised. "Fairy Shan, you recognize this sword?"
"I've heard of it," she said, "but rumor had it that the sword was destroyed four thousand years ago. I never imagined it would be perfectly restored. It's truly incredible."
Li Feng flicked the sword, performing a few flourishes. He found the internal spiritual energy surging; it was no longer the deathly, dull object it had been. He was overjoyed. "I told you! I am the chosen one! There’s no doubt about it now! It’s confirmed!"
He happily sheathed the Duannian Divine Sword and carefully tied it to his back. Shan Yundi felt no envy; this was clearly the burial ground of some great master of the Changsheng Sect. As a descendant of the sect, it was only fitting that Li Feng should reclaim it. She looked at the opened stone box. "Besides the sword, there is a jade box in here."
Hearing there was more treasure, Li Feng scampered over. "A jade box? Let me see!"
Shan Yundi reached in and brought it out. It was much smaller than the stone one—a four-square, pale yellow box about the size of a human fist, with a precious lid carved with mysterious lines. Shan Yundi could tell at a glance that these lines were a highly sophisticated containment array.
Li Feng snatched the box, beaming. "Such an exquisite box! There must be a priceless treasure inside. Could it be a peerless immortal pill? This is the tomb of a Changsheng Sect predecessor, and I am a disciple of the sect... everything here is mine!" Fearing Shan Yundi might covet the wealth, he immediately declared ownership of everything in the tomb.
He forcefully opened the lid. A puff of air rolled out, and inside lay a golden bead shimmering with a faint, otherworldly light. It was roughly the size of a thumb, like a golden pearl. Li Feng picked it up and studied it closely. "A night-luminating pearl? Are there golden ones?"
As he wondered, Shan Yundi gasped, "This is a Golden Core!"
"A Golden Core? What Golden Core?"
"The Golden Core of a cultivator, of course."
"What? Is a Golden Core really just a kidney stone that you can dig out of a body...?"
***
Li Feng knew a little about the Golden Core. It was the fifth stage of cultivation. Primary-level cultivators stored spiritual energy mainly in their *dantian*. As cultivation progressed, the *dantian* could no longer hold the vast energy. When the energy became too dense, cultivators often chose to compress a portion of it through secret arts into a crystal structure resembling a stone. As a highly purified, compressed crystal, the larger the Golden Core, the more spiritual energy it contained.
A cultivator's Golden Core, much like the monster core of a Beast Demon, was usually quite small. On the night Li Feng arrived in this world, he had inspected his own body and found a tiny grain, barely larger than a rice kernel, floating above his *dantian*.
The Golden Core in his hand was three centimeters in diameter. What kind of cultivation level was required to condense a Golden Core this large? Li Feng channeled a thread of true energy into it and indeed found surging power inside. This wasn't a bomb; it was a micro-atomic bomb! Its value was immeasurable.
Shan Yundi sighed with emotion. "For this Golden Core to be so large, it seems this elder must have reached the peak of cultivation. The Duannian Divine Sword and this must have been left for the successors of the Changsheng Sect. Now that the sword is restored, if you consume this Golden Core in the future, it will greatly advance your cultivation. The revival of the Changsheng Sect is in sight."
She felt a mix of envy and jealousy that Li Feng had gained both a divine weapon and the core of a powerful master. However, she was not an unreasonable person. Although she craved the treasures, they belonged to the Changsheng Sect. Moreover, she was severely wounded and immobile, while Li Feng was hale and hearty. Even if she wanted to snatch them, she lacked the strength.
Li Feng didn't doubt her word about the core boosting his power. He was the chosen one; these treasures were meant for him, the transmigrator.
*Gulp!*
Li Feng tilted his head back, threw the three-centimeter stone into his mouth, and swallowed it dry without water. It got stuck in his throat, and he nearly choked to death. Watching him lean against the stone platform, retching, Shan Yundi was left speechless.
"You didn't have to be in such a hurry. This belongs to your sect anyway; I wasn't going to snatch it."
"Gag..."
"Cough, cough... whatever! I've read countless web novels. There's no such thing as morality in the cultivation world. Our sect's main altar at Tianyu Peak has already been occupied by your Yunhai Sect. Who knows if you'd get greedy and kill me for the loot? Better to keep it in my stomach where it's safe..."
About ten seconds after he swallowed the core, Li Feng felt a change. A warm current rose from his stomach, replenishing his strength and banishing his hunger. "Are the Golden Cores of big shots really this powerful?" he wondered, disbelieving.
He had the magical treasure, the elder’s centuries of power... as a protagonist, what was left? Li Feng counted on his fingers. Ah, cultivation techniques. The Changsheng Sect's mental cultivation methods and many powerful abilities had been lost in the great battle eight hundred years ago. Since the mysterious elder had left the sword and the super-sized core, he surely must have left behind the sect's manuals. After all, that’s how it was arranged in novels and shows.
Thinking this, Li Feng grabbed his sword and a candle, and began searching the platform with Shan Yundi. They even searched the corpse, but found nothing.
"This can't be! Did I guess wrong? But without peerless techniques, I won't be able to make it big." Li Feng rubbed his chin, pondering. Then, his gaze shifted to the surrounding stone walls. He jumped off the platform and approached a wall.
Having been undisturbed for thousands of years, the walls were covered in moss, weeds, and clinging vines. Li Feng drew the Duannian Divine Sword and gently scraped away a layer of dust and moss. Looking closely, he indeed saw characters.
"The Tao begets one breath; the breath contains yin and yang; yin and yang harmonize; internal observation returns to hearing... Wow! It’s a real cultivation technique! I really am the chosen one!"
Unable to move well, Shan Yundi, resting on the platform, saw Li Feng jumping and cheering by the wall and felt suspicious. "Young Master Li, what have you found...?"
"Nothing, there’s no cultivation technique on this wall!"
"There’s a cultivation technique on the wall?!"
Li Feng wished he could slap himself. He didn't want Shan Yundi to see this manual; it belonged to the Changsheng Sect, and she was from the Yunhai Sect. How could he let an outsider learn his sect's secrets? But in his excitement, he had let it slip.
Shan Yundi was a cultivation fanatic; she had risked entering the "Wild Goose Never Returns" valley alone just to increase her level. The techniques left by this elder would undoubtedly be top-tier, holding a fatal attraction for her. She endured the pain of her broken bones, trying to get up to look. But after jumping twice, she fell to the ground. Still, she didn't give up, crawling toward the wall.
Watching her painful progress, Li Feng’s heart softened. He felt as if everything was falling into the cliché patterns of a web novel: he was the protagonist, blessed with the protagonist's halo that allowed him to turn dangers into fortune. And this Shan Yundi, by hitching a ride on his halo, was also reaping many benefits.
"Could Shan Yundi be the heroine?" Li Feng rubbed his chin, a playful, wicked smirk forming at the corners of his mouth. When he first saw her in the forest, he had been struck by her beauty. She had the face and the figure. It wouldn't be bad if she were to warm his bed and bear him children. After all, in his past life on Earth, he would never have had any connection with a woman of her level.
Seeing Li Feng approach with a lewd, wicked smile, Shan Yundi felt a sudden sense of dread. *Is this man a lecher, intending to force himself on me?* Her face turned pale. She suddenly thought of another possibility: Li Feng wanted to kill her to keep the secrets here from leaking out. This was not rare in the cultivation world; brothers turned against each other for a single treasure, let alone a vault like this!
"You... don't come any closer!" Shan Yundi backed away. In her severely wounded state, she had almost no power to resist if he decided to kill her.
***
Seeing the flash of fear in Shan Yundi's eyes, Li Feng was startled. He realized in a heartbeat that his lewd daydreaming about holding and cuddling her had made his expression look sinister, leading her to misunderstand.
He smoothed his expression and gave a bitter laugh. "Fairy Shan, what do you take me for? I am the Senior Brother of the Changsheng Sect; I wouldn't do something as low as taking advantage of someone in trouble. You have trouble moving, so I came to carry you over to see the cultivation manual on the wall!"
Shan Yundi looked at him with lingering suspicion. But since Li Feng held the advantage, she could not resist. She prayed that he was truly a man of honor.
Li Feng scooped her up, and Shan Yundi closed her eyes in despair, leaving her fate to the heavens. But when he set her down, she felt no improper behavior from him. Opening her eyes, she saw he had carried her to the wall and was now standing with his back to her, using the divine sword to scrape away the remaining dust and moss.
It took Li Feng two full hours to clear the walls. The chamber was square, with stone-paved floors and granite blocks on all four sides. The predecessor had certainly gone to great lengths to build this, polishing every slab of granite until it was smooth. The four walls were covered in dense, intricate rows of text.
It was all cultivation knowledge.