Li Feng looked at the text above, and a bizarre thought could not help welling up in his mind.
Why were the people in this world he had transmigrated into not only identical in appearance to the Han people on Earth, but even the language and writing were Chinese characters and speech?
Could it be that he wasn't actually killed by that truck?
Was his physical body still lying in the ICU ward of some hospital right now?
Was everything here just a fantastical, prolonged dream he was having during a deep coma?
While he pondered these profound questions, Shan Yundi was reading the text on the tomb walls with a thirst that could not be quenched.
On the four stone walls, one side was inscribed with the cultivation mental art of the former Changsheng Sect, the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity*.
The other three sides recorded more than a dozen mystical arts and spells.
Almost all of them were sword techniques and divine abilities that the Changsheng Sect had long since lost.
There were the Sword Control Art, the Firmament God-Slaying Art, the Nine Palaces Ten Swords Style, the Eight Lightning Guides, the Cloud-Tracing Serpent Shadow Step, and so on.
Shan Yundi didn't care much for these sword techniques, mystical arts, movement methods, body techniques, fist techniques, and palm techniques inherited from the former Changsheng Sect. What truly obsessed her was the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity*. This was a cultivation mental art—the key for cultivators to elevate their realm.
Once cultivation reached above the Mahayana Realm, these so-called sword techniques, mystical arts, footwork, body techniques, boxing, and palm techniques were of little practical use.
As the former leader of the top ten immortal sects in the Mortal World, the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity* passed down within the Changsheng Sect was the highest-grade cultivation mental art in the Mortal World. It was peerless and profound, containing the eternal Dao of the universe, and cultivating it to its absolute peak could allow one to contend for longevity.
Unlike the cultivation mental arts of some rogue cultivators or minor sects, which could at most reach the Dao Integration Realm or the Mahayana Realm.
The mental art practiced by the disciples of the Yunhai Sect was called the *Sea of Clouds Art*. Although it was also quite powerful, it fell far short compared to the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity*.
It was precisely because the mental art practiced by Yunhai Sect disciples was not strong or profound enough.
That the Yunhai Sect could only lord over the Tianyu Mountain range; throughout the entire Jiulong Mainland, the strength of the Yunhai Sect was not considered formidable.
Just as Shan Yundi had committed the full several thousand words of the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity* firmly to memory, Li Feng suddenly let out a miserable howl.
Shan Yundi turned her head to look, only to see Li Feng clutching his arm and shrieking wildly.
Thinking they had encountered danger, Shan Yundi immediately asked, "Young Master Li, what is wrong?"
It had to be said that Shan Yundi's impression of Li Feng had changed somewhat.
Had it been anyone else, they would have likely killed her with a single sword strike long ago to monopolize all the cultivation manuals and scriptures in this place.
Before killing her, they might even have had their way with her body.
Yet after carrying her to the stone wall, Li Feng hadn't bothered her at all, leaving her be while he busied himself hacking away at the stone wall.
Such a person was extremely rare in the world of cultivation.
Li Feng grimaced and said, "N—nothing... I just pinched my arm a moment ago, it's fine... It hurts so much, I'm not in the ICU!"
Shan Yundi was left with a head full of question marks.
She always felt that this fellow Li Feng was shrouded in mysteries from head to toe.
Not only did he know bizarre stories she had never heard of, like Meng Po and the Bridge of Helplessness, but sometimes the things he said were beyond her understanding, and certain actions of his were even more eccentric.
Take right now, for instance—Shan Yundi didn't understand what an ICU was, nor could she comprehend why this guy would suddenly self-harm.
Seeing that they hadn't encountered danger, she set her mind at ease.
She said, "Young Master Li, what is inscribed on these four stone walls are all former classics and mystical arts of your Changsheng Sect, most of which have already been lost. Today, I, Yundi, have obtained this stroke of fortune to behold the secret cultivation arts of the Changsheng Sect. It is truly my greatest fortune in three lifetimes. Young Master Li, please rest assured; I shall only look at the mental art portion, and I will not view or study the other mystical techniques and marvelous methods of the Changsheng Sect. If I can escape this great disaster from this place, I will also keep my lips sealed. I will absolutely not tell others, nor will I ever let your Changsheng Sect's mental art leak outside."
Shan Yundi still felt uneasy, so she immediately made her stance clear, indicating that she alone would secretly cultivate the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity* and would neither hand this mental art over to her sect nor reveal the secrets of this place to others.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng waved his hand and said, "Since you and I were able to arrive here at the same time, it means you are also a person destined for this. Feel free to look at the true cultivation classics inscribed on these four stone walls. Of course, what is recorded here are the cultivation classics of the Changsheng Sect. I ask that Fairy Shan keep her promise and not pass them on to outsiders."
Shan Yundi was once again stunned.
She hadn't expected Li Feng to be so magnanimous.
Since Li Feng didn't mind her cultivating the mystical arts and spells on the other stone walls, she naturally stood on no ceremony and turned her gaze to the text on the remaining stone walls.
At that moment, Li Feng also cast his gaze upon the stone wall.
The *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity* was also called the *Longevity Art* by the disciples of the Changsheng Sect, and he was relatively familiar with it. However, the cultivation incantations for the *Longevity Art* in the original owner's memories were far fewer than those on the rock face before him; especially the latter half, which was almost entirely missing.
It was precisely because of this that the Changsheng Sect had gone from bad to worse over the past eight hundred years, making it difficult to revive.
Li Feng knew this was the key to his future dominance in this fantasy world. He immediately decided to memorize the text on the stone wall one by one so he could slowly cultivate it later.
Alas, there were a total of two to three tens of thousands of words scattered across the four rock faces, and the language of these classics was extremely twisting and difficult to read.
Even tens of thousands of words in vernacular Chinese were hard to memorize word for word, let alone these profound texts.
Just as Li Feng's head was spinning, he suddenly unlocked a hidden skill belonging to this body.
A photographic memory.
That's right, cultivators who had reached the Primordial Spirit Realm possessed astonishing memories, almost reaching the point of a photographic memory.
Li Feng only read the *Longevity Art* through once, and the several thousand tortuous words were already seven or eight parts remembered.
He read it through a second time, and committed the rest to memory.
Discovering this skill, Li Feng almost jumped for joy.
If he'd had this kind of memory back in the day, he wouldn't have been a mediocre student who only scored three hundred and fifty-seven points on the college entrance examination.
***
Although his memory was ten times more formidable than in his past life, there were simply too many classic texts. Li Feng spent a full five or six shifts—roughly ten or twelve hours—from start to finish, recording all nearly thirty thousand words across the four stone walls.
To be safe, he read every single classic text from beginning to end more than four times, ensuring every single character was firmly committed to memory before he finally stopped.
After swallowing that oversized Golden Core from the Patriarch, Li Feng had achieved a certain level of grain-abstinence.
But Shan Yundi hadn't eaten anything.
Although her cultivation was much higher than Li Feng's and she could normally abstain from grain for ten days or half a month.
Right now, however, she was heavily injured and her cultivation was severely damaged.
This pampered young miss of the Yunhai Sect was accustomed to having everything handed to her on a silver platter. Her storage pouch did not contain any grain-abstinence pills, nor did she have any food—only a few jars of aged brew.
When thirsty, she would take a few sips of wine, but drinking alcohol alone didn't stave off hunger.
When Li Feng noticed her, this young lady was already leaning against the front of the stone platform, with a jar of wine beside her.
Li Feng walked over and found that Shan Yundi's cheeks were flushed, and a scent of alcohol emanated from her body.
Li Feng frowned.
Shan Yundi spoke up, saying, "Young Master Li, will we... will we die here?"
Li Feng looked at the breathtaking and touching little beauty, shook his head gently, and said, "No, we won't. Since my sect's Patriarch left behind the Golden Core and the True Dharma here, he must have left a way out as well. Don't worry, I will definitely lead you out safely."
Shan Yundi suddenly smiled.
Cold by nature, she was truly stunning when she smiled.
She said, "I believe you... Come... drink..."
Li Feng did not refuse. He sat down beside Shan Yundi, picked up the wine jar, and took a few large gulps.
This was the first time Li Feng had consumed alcohol since coming to this world; unlike the fiery liquor of his past life, the alcohol content of the wine in this world was not very high.
Especially since Shan Yundi was a woman and not suited for strong liquor, the wine she carried with her was called Mianrou, meaning "soft and mellow."
As the name suggested, the wine was fragrant, mellow, and smooth.
Just as Li Feng was lamenting in his heart that the wine of this world lacked the high proof of Earth's spirits, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.
Glancing sideways, he saw that Shan Yundi, having become intoxicated, had fallen asleep against his arm.
The sleeping Shan Yundi looked precisely like a sleeping beauty from a fairy tale, instantly arousing one's pity.
Perhaps experiencing a bad dream, her hand clutched at Li Feng's clothing as if feeling deeply insecure.
In the past, with a beauty in his arms, Li Feng would certainly have engaged in some unspeakable, unseemly antics.
Yet at this moment, Shan Yundi looked like a startled little fawn, leaving Li Feng incapable of generating even a shred of evil intent; what remained was only a man's innate protective instinct toward a woman.
Unexpectedly, Shan Yundi pushed her luck.
Originally just leaning against Li Feng's shoulder, her head slowly slid down into his embrace.
Li Feng raised both hands in surrender and said, "Everyone saw this, it has nothing to do with me! You crawled into my arms yourself! I am certainly not taking advantage of you while you're vulnerable!"
In response, Shan Yundi shifted her head, finding the most comfortable position possible.
Li Feng offered a bitter smile.
"If I had such great romantic luck in my past life, how wonderful that would be..."
Shan Yundi slept for a full two hours before slowly waking up.
Opening her eyes, she discovered that she was actually draped across Li Feng's embrace.
Shan Yundi's pretty face stiffened as she slowly turned her head to look upward.
She saw Li Feng with his eyes tightly closed, though whether he was cultivating or asleep, she could not tell.
Shan Yundi let out a gentle sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness he was asleep, otherwise it would be utterly mortifying!"
Her heart pounding like a startled deer, Shan Yundi slowly rose, terrified of disturbing Li Feng.
For over twenty years, this was the first time in her life that she experienced the shy flutter of a heartbeat.
Once she broke free from Li Feng's embrace and sat upright, Li Feng finally opened his eyes.
In truth, throughout those two hours, Li Feng hadn't closed his eyes for even a single second; he had been gazing closely at the sleeping beauty in his arms the entire time.
Of course, it was merely the gaze one might bestow upon a work of art, without any improper actions.
This was something that made him regret it so much later that he wanted to slap himself across the face a few times.
It wasn't until just moments ago, when he saw Shan Yundi's eyelashes flutter gently and realized she was about to wake up.
That this rascal guiltily closed his eyes in a hurry.
Feigning composure, Shan Yundi said, "Young Master Li, you're awake."
Li Feng, acting as if possessed by a veteran actor, stood up, stretched his limbs, and said, "Fairy Shan, this wine has a serious kick! We only had a few sips and you passed right out!"
Seeing that Li Feng showed nothing out of the ordinary, the stone in Shan Yundi's heart settled softly back into place.
She had genuinely been worried that Li Feng might have committed some indescribable acts while she was asleep.
Seeing that Shan Yundi remained silent, Li Feng continued, "Fairy Shan, you should sit in meditation and cultivate to recover your strength. I'll search for a way out. If we still can't find an exit, we really are going to starve to death down here."
Shan Yundi nodded gently.
Forming a hand seal, she entered a state of cultivation.
Sitting in meditation not only alleviated hunger to a certain extent but also effectively treated injuries.
As for Li Feng, he picked up a candle and carefully searched for any hidden mechanisms in the area.
He hadn't wasted time on the four rock faces; they were covered in carved characters, and he had scraped away the moss and vines layer by layer with his blade. If there had been a concealed exit, he would have discovered it long ago.
He searched a circle around the stone platform and the stone monument, but found no trace of any mechanisms.
Thus, he drew the Duannian Divine Sword and walked back up the slope where the two of them had tumbled down.
He quickly arrived at the interior of the tree hollow where they had fallen in the beginning.
Peering into the tree hollow, those green tentacles laced with potent paralytic poison had completely vanished—they must have retreated back into that pool of green viscous liquid.
Li Feng looked up toward the upper reaches of the tree hollow; trying to return the way they came was basically impossible.
With no other choice, Li Feng returned to the burial chamber.
"That makes no sense. Since the Patriarch left behind so many treasures here, he surely must have left a lifeline for the fated person who managed to enter.
Otherwise, it would be useless for whoever came in to acquire these things.
Mm, there has to be a mechanism here..."
This time, Li Feng searched with even greater meticulousness.
When a candle burned down, he would wake the meditating Shan Yundi and have her supply him with more.
Though Qiankun storage pouch of Shan Yundi's held no food, it contained plenty of miscellaneous items.
Take the long-burning fish oil candles alone—there were several dozen of them.
Li Feng lit more than a dozen candles simultaneously, placing them in every corner of the burial chamber.
In an instant, the dim burial chamber lit up as bright as day.
In this well-lit environment, Li Feng did not spare a single spot, turning the entire burial chamber practically upside down, yet he still found nothing.
This round of searching consumed several more hours.
Not only did he feel his body growing increasingly weak, but Shan Yundi was in an even more miserable state, already listless and weak from hunger.
If they waited another day or two at most, Shan Yundi would surely starve to death.
At this moment, Li Feng's mood also grew somewhat irritable.
Tugging at his messy hair, he muttered to himself, "Impossible, impossible. I've checked everywhere, how can there be no mechanism? Did this guy really not leave an escape route for those who came after?"
***
The feeling of irritation was eroding Li Feng's patience bit by bit, pushing him to the verge of a breakdown.
Watching Li Feng's gradually spiraling state, Shan Yundi knew that if things continued this way, he would definitely go mad.
Softly, she said, "Young Master Li, there is no need to fret so. Rest for a moment. If this goes on, you will suffer a deviation in your cultivation."
Li Feng snapped back to his senses instantly.
It felt as though a demon had truly been lurking within his heart just moments ago.
Slowly calming his emotions, he walked over to sit beside Shan Yundi, then picked up the wine jar and tilted his head back to take several wild gulps.
Seeing that Li Feng had suppressed his emotions, Shan Yundi felt slightly more at ease.
She began searching for a topic of conversation to help distract him.
"Young Master Li," she asked, "you acquired the Duannian Divine Sword here, and you also inherited this Patriarch senior's Golden Core, alongside extremely profound mental arts and mystical abilities. It seems the revitalization of the Changsheng Sect is within reach. My congratulations to you."
Having spent considerable time with Shan Yundi, Li Feng had gradually learned that this woman belonged to the type who wouldn't utter a peep even after being beaten with three sticks; she rarely initiated conversation under normal circumstances.
Yet now she was suddenly taking the initiative to congratulate him, clearly wishing to help ease his anxiety.
Li Feng felt deeply grateful for Shan Yundi's kind intentions.
With a wry smile, he said, "Cultivating the Dao cannot be achieved overnight. Even superior cultivation methods require long-term accumulation. The biggest problem currently facing our Changsheng Sect is the three hundred—ah, no, five hundred spirit crystals we owe your Yunhai Sect. Fairy Shan, if we are fortunate enough to leave this place alive, could you lend me five hundred spirit crystals to tide me over? I promise to pay you back later. Of course, if you're worried, I can write you an IOU."
Shan Yundi was momentarily stunned. For as long as she could remember, this was the first time she had ever encountered a man asking her to borrow money.
She smiled and said, "Five hundred spirit crystals... five thousand silver taels. That is nothing much to me; I can give them to you without needing repayment."
Overjoyed, Li Feng exclaimed, "No repayment needed? That's fantastic! Fairy Shan, you truly are a living bodhisattva!"
Shan Yundi was left speechless...
"I have never seen such a brazenly shameless person!"
The conversation between the two gradually opened up.
Li Feng asked, "Fairy Shan, you mentioned to me that you took the risk of entering the Cliff of No Return to search for a supreme heavenly treasure that could help you break through your bottleneck. Did you find it?"
Shan Yundi glanced at the stone wall inscribed with the *Ten Dao Chapters of Longevity*.
She shook her head gently and said, "No, but now I no longer need it."
Li Feng was stunned for a moment before realizing that the cultivation classics on the stone wall could help Shan Yundi break through her bottleneck.
He asked, "Fairy Shan, why are you in such a rush to break through? You are so young, and you have plenty of time ahead of you; there's no need to rush for the moment."
Shan Yundi replied, "Three months from now is the Heavenly Mystery Dharma-Battle. If I cannot break through to the Eighth Layer Dao Integration Realm, I won't achieve good results in this tournament, and it might even cause my ranking on the Heavenly Show List to drop. That is something I absolutely cannot accept."
So she was a fiercely competitive, strong-willed beauty.
Li Feng smiled inwardly.
The two of them leaned powerlessly against the stone monument, taking desultory sips of wine while chatting haphazardly about everything under the sun.
Mostly, it was Li Feng doing the talking.
He recounted various bizarre tales and mythological legends from Earth.
To Shan Yundi, these stories were all entirely novel.
The Jade Emperor, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Erlang Shen Yang Jian, Fairy Bixiao who sacrificed herself for love, Li Chungang—whose sword-mastery outshone ten thousand ancient nights despite heaven not giving birth to another like him...
Anyway, he just rambled on, drifting from mythology to web novels, and from literature to science and technology.
As a result, Shan Yundi was left utterly mesmerized, her heart captivated.
The way she looked at Li Feng seemed to carry a hint of strange color.
Li Feng was like a mystery.
Deeply enchanting this peerless fairy who usually remained aloof from the mortal world.
Shan Yundi remarked, "'Heaven did not give birth to Li Chungang, sword-mastery remains as dark as ten thousand ancient nights'—how overbearing. Why have I never heard of this Sword God Li Chungang? His name doesn't seem to exist on the Heavenly Mystery List either."
Li Feng thought to himself, *Of course you've never heard of him, these are memories from my past life...*
With a smile, he said, "Li Chungang... is just an old one-armed man from my hometown."
"Where is your hometown? What is it called?"
"My hometown is very... very far from here... Its name is the Global Village."
"The Global Village?"
Shan Yundi pondered this in her mind, but found not a single clue.
Gently, she said, "If I have the chance, I must go take a look."
Li Feng chuckled inwardly and said, "Alright. If you ever manage to find the road to the Global Village, remember to notify me right away. I'd like to go home and visit, too..."
Shan Yundi asked curiously, "You don't know the way home?"
Li Feng explained, "I've been out for too long, I've long since forgotten!"
Time passed bit by bit.
The very last jar of wine in Shan Yundi's storage pouch was also drained dry.
Counting it up, the two of them had already been in this burial chamber for five or six days.
During this period, Li Feng had searched every single inch of the burial chamber.
He hadn't even spared the mummified corpse seated upon the stone platform, searching not only the Dharma robes worn by the corpse, but even moving the corpse aside and striking the stone platform with a sword hilt to check if the interior beneath it was hollow.
After bustling about for several days, however, he had gained nothing at all.
Li Feng still retained some strength, but Shan Yundi could no longer hold on, having grown frail and feeble from hunger.
At most another day or two, and Shan Yundi would undoubtedly starve to death.
At this moment, Li Feng's mood also grew somewhat restless.
Grasping his disordered hair, he muttered, "It's impossible, impossible. I've searched every single place, how can there still be no mechanism? Did this fellow really not leave an escape route for those who came after?"