Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 85 Three Peaks Lock Yin, Six Rivers Gather Darkness

Zhou Li sat on the wooden sedan chair and floated for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the second mural could be vaguely seen.

The painting depicts several imposing and powerful ancestors, some stepping with mysterious steps and forming hand seals to draw upon the spiritual energy of the five elements in the universe; others wielding magical treasures that emit countless rays of light to restrain the rampant torrent of yin energy.

This mural, painted with bold strokes, recreates that earth-shattering event from ten thousand years ago.

The ancestors of the Changtian Sect used their astonishing power to gather the Yin energy from thousands of miles away, separating the Yin energy from the mortal world, stabilizing the Yin energy, and making it shine in the sky.

This was not the work of a single family or clan, but the result of the entire nation working together as one to resist the will of Heaven. How could such a magnificent feat not inspire awe and wonder?

After traveling a few more miles, the third mural came into view.

This is the last and also the most magnificent painting.

The scene appears to be viewed from above, with three towering peaks arranged in a triangular formation, each guarding one side, using heaven and earth as a tripod to seal away evil spirits within.

Looking further, at the area surrounded by the three peaks, six surging underground rivers are outlined, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, converging here.

This is the landscape of Youming Pass, where "three peaks lock the Yin and six rivers gather the Yin," gathering the Yin spirits from thousands of miles away, which is manifest here.

In the center of the scene, a man with an air of otherworldly wisdom is solemnly handing a token engraved with the pattern of three peaks and six rivers to an old man kneeling on one knee.

Behind the old man were many more young people bowing their heads, all with solemn expressions and in perfect order, the whole scene filled with a sense of mission.

These three murals tell the ancient origin of the Netherworld Pass. The ancestors were powerful beings who changed the world and condensed the Yin energy. Then, the Situ clan was ordered to guard it for generations to prevent the Yin energy from leaking out and causing chaos among the people.

Bathed in the soft glow of the dark moss, this passageway resembles a magnificent epic corridor, where Zhou Li walks, each step bearing the weight of countless years.

He couldn't help but ask, "Patriarch Situ, I apologize for my intrusion, but I wonder which ancestor created these murals that record past events, and how they could be so lifelike?"

"It wasn't the work of one person." Situ Wentian raised his hand and gestured towards the murals. "Several ancestors of my Situ clan who were the first to migrate here and personally participated in the great feat of establishing the vein, together with several array masters skilled in image-capturing techniques, worked together to create these murals."

Seeing that Zhou Li was very interested, Situ Wentian briefly described how his ancestors had carved this picture on the rock wall at that time.

Finally, he added, "The murals here are all man-made, but the Yin-Yang scroll has existed since ancient times. Its exquisite construction suggests that if it were not naturally formed, it must have been left behind by immortals."

Before Zhou Li could ask any more questions, the long passageway came to an end, and the view ahead suddenly opened up to reveal a natural underground cave.

The cave's dome hangs high, with countless clusters of dark blue crystals dangling down, emitting faint light that barely illuminates the dark pool in the center of the cave.

The water was as black as ink, calm and still. Zhou Li stood at the edge of the pool, and just one glance at the bottom made his mind tremble. He even felt an urge to jump into the pool. If it weren't for the fact that his Dao Seed was newly formed and his sea of ​​consciousness was stable, he would probably have been pulled into that endless abyss.

Situ Wentian's voice echoed in the empty cave: "This pool is called 'Sinking Boat Pool'."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yangyang let out a soft exclamation, looked at Zhou Li with a strange expression, and hesitated before saying, "Chen...Chen Zhou? Senior Brother Zhou, this name..."

Upon hearing that the deep pool shared the same name as himself, Zhou Li smiled inwardly: "This name is... quite elegant."

Yangyang chuckled and said coquettishly, "Where is the elegance? It's so unlucky. 'Chen Zhou, Chen Zhou,' isn't that cursing you to sink into oblivion here?"

Upon hearing this, Situ Qian raised a thick eyebrow: "Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Situ Qian already knew this name, but he hadn't thought about it deeply before. Now that his daughter had pointed it out, he couldn't help but feel a bit unlucky.

"Ahem, kid, what Yangyang said is blunt, but it's not without reason. In my opinion, we might as well give this pool a new name." He looked at Zhou Li, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Situ. Why worry about a name?" Zhou Li said with a relaxed expression and a light smile. "All things in heaven and earth have names and forms, but they are all illusions. If one feels fear because of a name, wouldn't that be a lowly thing to do?"

He strolled forward, approaching the dark pool, and calmly said, "A boat, by its very nature, does not shy away from depth or choose between favorable or unfavorable conditions; it crosses when it carries passengers. This pool is named Sunken Boat, which, in my humble opinion, is quite fitting."

"If it is truly destined to be with me, then I ask it to be the sunken boat of my Zhou rituals, to use the sinking as a crossing point and the rituals as a boat. Isn't this another kind of spiritual practice?"

Zhou Li's response was neither humble nor arrogant, but full of wisdom and magnanimity, which immediately dissipated most of the oppressive atmosphere.

Situ Wentian, who had been standing quietly listening, now showed a very appreciative smile: "Young friend Zhou's insight on using etiquette as a boat is truly wonderful."

He clapped his hands and sighed softly: "Not bound by fame, not confused by appearances, it seems that it was indeed the right thing for me to bring you here to study the Yin-Yang Manual. This pool has been silent for thousands of years, perhaps truly waiting for someone who uses propriety as a boat to cross it without sinking."

Situ Yangyang glanced at Zhou Liying with her beautiful eyes, clapped her hands and said, "You're right, I was mistaken. After hearing what Grandpa said, I feel that this is actually a treasure trove prepared for Senior Brother Zhou!"

As Situ Wentian slightly turned his head to signal, three figures quietly appeared, none other than the three elders of the Situ family stationed here.

They were all dressed in long black robes, with aged faces and an aura that was obscure, yet they were subtly connected to the dark pool in the cave.

After the three elders appeared, they did not say much. They tacitly moved to three different locations in the Sunken Boat Pool, sat cross-legged, formed mudras with their hands, and began chanting incantations.

As the chanting grew more urgent, the three elders unleashed tremendous magical power, and three beams of light shot out from their hands, piercing straight into the heart of the pool!

The once lifeless Sunken Boat Pool now seemed to boil, emitting bursts of sobbing sounds.

The three beams of light converged in the center of the pool, forming a slowly rotating vortex of magical power. As the vortex grew faster and faster, it gradually generated a tremendous suction force, which began to forcibly draw the pool water out.

The dark pool of water seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand. As the water churned and swirled rapidly, the water level at the center of the whirlpool continued to drop.

Including Yang Yang, the other young elites of the Situ family who came with them were also seeing such a sight for the first time. They all stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock.

As the water level continued to drop, five zhang, ten zhang, a hundred zhang... gradually, the outline of the bottom of the pool began to appear.

As the last gust of water was pushed away by the huge whirlpool, the entire bottom of the Sunken Boat Pool was completely exposed to everyone's eyes!

At that moment, everyone's breath caught in their throat.

In the center of the smooth, mirror-like bottom of the pool, a naturally formed stone tablet stands quietly.

It appears to blend seamlessly with the mirror-like surface of the pool, yet it stands apart, while the surrounding water walls continue their surging flow, unable to penetrate within a hundred feet of this stone tablet.

This Yin-Yang Scroll was actually hidden at the bottom of the Sunken Boat Pool.