The Grand Dao Seal and the True Dragon Sculptures

Under the influence of the Tianyan true qi, the seemingly solid flagstones were excavated as easily as tofu, quickly forming a dark, cavernous hole roughly ten chi in diameter. As Su Hanxing dug deeper, a peculiar fluctuation slowly seeped out, further solidifying Chi Qiu’s suspicions.

Before long, his true qi encountered something hard. A crisp metallic clang echoed, and Su Hanxing immediately turned to look at Chi Qiu.

Chi Qiu understood. She closed her eyes and lightly tapped her finger; several indigo flowers materialized on the flagstones, slowly extending downward into the hole.

“It’s a box made of Platiniron,” Chi Qiu quickly discerned, using the flowers to clearly see the object. “It also bears a Grand Dao seal.” The Dao aura she had sensed earlier originated precisely from this seal on the iron box.

Upon hearing her words, Su Hanxing pushed off lightly and leaped into the hole he had just excavated. Moments later, he sprang out holding a black iron box and returned to Chi Qiu’s side.

“Is this it?” Su Hanxing had no understanding of the Dao, so he simply handed the iron box to Chi Qiu to examine.

“This is indeed it,” Chi Qiu confirmed. She took the iron box, weighing it in her hands as she scrutinized it. The more she observed, the graver her expression became. After a moment, she looked up at Su Hanxing. “This seal, since its inception, has likely never been opened. It will take considerable effort to break it.”

“No rush, Little Chi, we can take our time,” Su Hanxing replied. He wasn’t worried; rather, he was pleased. A seal that had never been opened meant the wondrous treasure inside had likely never been touched. Through this treasure, they might gain insight into the secrets of the Qingyuan Sect’s fate.

“The person who laid this Grand Dao seal on the iron box must possess strength far superior to mine and an incredibly profound understanding of the Dao,” Chi Qiu speculated, holding the box before her eyes. “Unless I’m mistaken, it must have been the Sect Master of the Qingyuan Sect.”

“Someone whose strength surpasses yours by several levels would undoubtedly be a Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator,” Su Hanxing nodded in agreement with her deduction. “And a Dharma Manifestation Realm cultivator with such a deep understanding of the Grand Dao could only be Lu Qingyun.”

Chi Qiu lowered her gaze once more, meticulously examining the iron box. In her perception, several distinct Grand Dao traces were interwoven and entangled upon its surface. To unlock the box, one would first need to comprehend a significant portion of the various Dao principles inscribed upon it, allowing for its gradual, layered unsealing.

Rather than a mere seal, the inscription on this iron box appears more like a trial, Chi Qiu concluded. If one can comprehend the Grand Dao within, the box will open. It seems the owner of this cave dwelling never managed to open it, even upon their departure.

“How is it, Little Chi? How long will it take to break the seal?” Su Hanxing eagerly asked.

“At least several hours, perhaps two or three days at most. I cannot be certain,” Chi Qiu replied, shaking her head.

“Two or three days at most? That’s acceptable,” Su Hanxing nodded.

“Then I shall begin breaking the seal now.” Chi Qiu stopped observing the box and casually found a corner, sat cross-legged on the ground, and closed her eyes to begin dismantling the seal.

Seeing Chi Qiu begin her work, Su Hanxing knew he couldn’t assist, but he didn’t wish to remain idle. He retrieved array-formation materials from his storage artifact and channeled his true qi to plant array flags. Soon, a small concealment array enveloped her.

With these preparations complete, Su Hanxing surveyed his surroundings. He resumed pacing through the cave dwelling, searching areas they hadn’t explored before.

Six hours later, Chi Qiu slowly opened her eyes. Before her, the various Dao auras on the iron box had faded, leaving the entire box appearing utterly mundane, devoid of any spiritual essence.

She stood up, only to find herself surrounded by a vast expanse of white, as if enveloped by a dense fog. The scene was vastly different from what she had seen before closing her eyes. Chi Qiu did not panic. She swept her divine sense and quickly detected a familiar true qi fluctuation nearby.

Drawing upon her comprehension of the Grand Dao of heaven and earth, Chi Qiu extended her hand. Light-colored true qi surged outward, effortlessly toppling the array flags before her. As the white mist dissipated, the interior of the cave dwelling reappeared.

“Hanxing!”

Chi Qiu knew the array was Su Hanxing’s doing, but after breaking it, she couldn’t see him. A strange feeling settled in her heart, and she immediately called out to him.

“I’m here, Little Chi, up here!”

Although her voice wasn’t loud, Su Hanxing heard her clearly. The moment she broke through the array, he had sensed her actions via the array flags.

Chi Qiu followed the sound with her gaze. Though she didn’t see him, she spotted a winding flight of bluestone steps ascending toward a small room on the cave dwelling’s uppermost level. She lightly tapped her feet, instantly reaching the uppermost level in just a few strides.

“Hanxing, what are you doing up here?” Passing through the open wooden door, she found him squatting in the room, scanning his surroundings.

“I was bored, so I searched the entire cave dwelling, inside and out.” Seeing her enter, Su Hanxing immediately stood up and smiled.

“Did you find anything unusual?” Chi Qiu scanned the small room but found nothing out of the ordinary.

“I didn’t find any rare treasures; the cave dwelling’s owner must have taken them all,” Su Hanxing replied, shaking his head. “However, I did discover something rather interesting.”

“Oh? What is it?” Chi Qiu tilted her head, asking curiously.

“This cave dwelling’s owner must have been extremely fond of, or perhaps revered…” Su Hanxing retrieved several items from his storage space and handed them to her. “I found these within the cave dwelling. These wood and stone carvings are just a small portion; there are many more piled up elsewhere.”

Chi Qiu took the items and looked down at them. These were fist-sized sculptures, some made of wood, others of stone. Their forms varied, yet they shared one common trait: they were all sculptures of True Dragons.

Among them, Chi Qiu noticed a very familiar figure. “Yinglong, too?”

“Yinglong is a member of the True Dragons, and a renowned existence even among them. Given the owner’s fondness for True Dragons, it’s natural they wouldn’t omit him,” Su Hanxing said with a smile.

“That’s true…” Chi Qiu nodded, then quickly lost interest in the sculptures. “Hanxing, now that you’re awake, have you unsealed the iron box?”

“The seal was indeed incredibly profound, but it wasn’t beyond me. I’ve already broken it.” Chi Qiu nodded. She picked up the iron box, placed one hand on each end, and with a slight exertion of force, split the box into two halves.

Whoosh!

Instantly, a fierce gust of wind appeared out of nowhere. An ancient and complex aura emanated from the iron box, only to vanish just as quickly.

“What is this?”

Unaffected by the ancient aura, Chi Qiu tilted the iron box. A small, yellowish-white stone, less than an inch long, tumbled out and landed in her palm.