One hand lifted the brick, allowing a closer inspection, while the other extended a finger, with a shimmering green glow at the tip. Instantly, a layer of pale, misty luminescence rippled outward in waves. Han Li smiled and nodded. According to Feng Zhen, this piece of jade brick was no ordinary item—it was a kind of storage artifact similar to a storage bag. However, it required a specific set of incantations to activate; otherwise, if opened forcibly with sheer strength, the contents within would instantly turn to ash. Han Li had naturally received the incantation from Feng Zhen just before his death. Immediately, a low chant emerged from his mouth, and as he opened his mouth, a beam of glowing, rune-etched green light shot out and struck the brick, enveloping it. Then, with one hand, he quickly tapped each of the four corners of the brick with his fingertips, producing a soft "thud." A circular opening appeared on the surface of the brick, dark and smooth. Han Li did not immediately reach in, but instead tapped the base of the green brick. At once, the glow shimmered, and two objects emerged spontaneously from the opening. One was a jade scroll several inches in size, the other a neatly stacked set of documents resembling orderly ledgers. With a single hand motion, he easily grasped both items. After gathering the green brick, Han Li paid no attention to the stack of documents and instead focused his awareness on the jade scroll. Not long afterward, his expression grew strange, and his face darkened. "Is it that the address of Feng Family's secret cavern is missing?" asked the Great Derivation Sovereign, noticing Han Li's demeanor. "No. The address is indeed there, and it's clearly marked," Han Li exhaled, withdrawing his awareness from the scroll and speaking slowly, though his brows remained furrowed. "Then why does he seem so troubled? Could it be that the site of the secret cavern still poses some danger?" "Indeed, this man is no ordinary ancient being—he has lived nearly ten thousand years. With only a brief thought, he immediately grasped several key truths." "Perhaps we'll encounter some difficulties," Han Li sighed, his expression tinged with resignation. "The Feng family's secret cavern is built deep within the Snow Peak Mountains." "How did the Feng family choose that location? Didn't they know that the mountains are known for their peculiarities—frequent disappearances of cultivators?" the Daxian Divine Sovereign expressed some surprise. "Who knows? Maybe the founding ancestor who selected the site simply believed that the more perilous the location, the safer it would be." Han Li shrugged, offering only this speculative explanation. "Since the Feng family has continuously used this cavern, it must be relatively safe. Then, why should we be overly concerned?" the Daxian Divine Sovereign remarked calmly. "Indeed, we hope so! We now have the map—how could we abandon our journey simply because of this unknown risk? If all goes well, we should locate the cavern within one day." Han Li chuckled self-consciously and said so. Then he folded the jade scroll and, at the same time, picked up the bundle of documents, flipping them over slightly, and murmured, "Hm! These are proof documents for Feng family's assets and land deeds in the secular world! There are quite a few of them—enough to make the family wealthy and prosperous." Han Li looked utterly surprised. "This isn't surprising at all. The great Jin families and the celestial southern immortal clans differ in one key aspect: they regard engagement with the secular world as ordinary, and do not see it as a source of shame to associate with wealthy and noble families. Indeed, there are often independent cultivators who actively seek to join such families. Although the Jin realm is vast, its secular commoners are far denser than those in the southern realm, occupying most of the land. As a result, many medicinal herbs and spiritual stones are not scattered in remote, uninhabited areas but are instead directly controlled by the imperial court. In contrast, the southern realm has far fewer commoners, with much of its land still wild and undeveloped. Thus, southern cultivators naturally have little need to interact with the common people. "The Great Yǎn Sovereign seems to have some understanding of this matter, and thus pointed it out to Han Li. "So, if the secular royal authority of the Great Jin controls so many immortals' resources, would other sects allow this?" Han Li remained doubtful. "Heh, what else could they do? The Great Jin isn't like Tiannan, which has many states; rather, it has always been ruled by a powerful central government throughout history. Even if the immortals are exceptionally capable, they can't openly harm the common people without consequence. Otherwise, the secular world would react, and other sects would surely seize the opportunity to make complaints. Today's Great Jin court is actually the result of compromise among several major powers in the immortal realm. As far as I remember, these powerful factions have agreed that no sect shall openly exert pressure on the secular court, compelling it to act. In fact, to ensure the prestige of the secular government, they've even specifically permitted the officialdom to directly recruit independent practitioners, and the imperial family can cultivate a certain number of court-based immortals." "Of course, under the watchful eyes of the great sects, the ranks and numbers of these cultivators won't allow them to grow overly ambitious." "In private, the various powers are actively working to secure more cultivation resources and manpower from the mortal world. They are cultivating strong relationships with royal families and high-ranking officials in the court. Particularly the provincial governors and other regional magnates—almost every one of them has the backing of one or more major sects. To avoid being caught off guard by other powers, these arrangements are typically carried out through the involvement of their affiliated noble families. Gradually, thus, the immortal noble families have accumulated substantial assets in the mortal world, a situation now well-established in the Dai Jin realm. However, these assets are carefully preserved here—most likely because they involve land deeds directly tied to cultivation resources. Such deeds are indeed crucial to the very survival of a noble family." The Great Sage of Daxian recounted all he knew. Han Li listened intently, his expression growing increasingly astonished, as he stroked his chin. "Given how vital these documents are, why have they been placed here?" Could it be that the master of the Feng family sensed something before the incident and deliberately left a contingency plan! Han Li could only speculate thus. "Possibly. However, this has nothing to do with us, so we need not dwell on the oddities. Let's hurry and find the Feng family's hidden caverns—see if there's any Buddhist cultivation technique inside that can dispel the maleficent qi on your body!" The Great Derivation Sovereign said with indifference. "You're absolutely right!" Han Li smiled, and casually placed the bundle of documents in a jade box, sealing it away. Once he had clarified his direction, he ascended into the sky, riding his artifact, and swiftly headed toward the Snow Peak Mountain Range. … At this moment, in a subterranean tomb deep within the Snow Peak Mountain Range, two figures enveloped in green mist were kneeling before three stone sarcophagi, motionless. Suddenly, two streaks of green light burst forth from the central sarcophagus and swiftly entered the heads of the two figures. "Go! Kill that person and recover the treasures," a man's stern voice resonated from within the sarcophagus. Two figures moved without hesitation, their forms instantly transforming into two streaks of green light. After a swift spiral within the chamber, they shot out and vanished. "Done. I've transferred the image of the man who stole the Jading Mantle into my avatar. Plus, the Jading Mantle should still carry a faint trace of the Prince's presence for some time. As long as that man doesn't immediately depart from Guanning Prefecture, he'll be unable to escape." "Thank you... thank you, Father!" came a few stammering, joyful voices from another stone sarcophagus nearby. "Hmph! This time, I'll forgive you. But next time—don't act without consulting me!" the man in the central sarcophagus murmured. "Yes... yes. Next time... we'll certainly do better!" The stammering voice seemed to carry a touch of apprehension. There was no further sound from the central stone sarcophagus, yet after a quiet interval, suddenly a loud crash rang out—the lid of the sarcophagus flew several dozen feet away, and a slender, crowned figure rose abruptly from within. "Your Majesty, what is this?" a sweet, surprised female voice came from another stone sarcophagus. "The time has nearly come. Today is precisely the day when the earth's vital阴energy surges. I will be away for a while, and my cultivation will not suffer greatly. It is the perfect moment to lend a hand to General Ge, to settle the troublesome figures from the other two noble families. After I depart, you are to unlock all the seals within the tomb and ensure no outsiders enter." The man's eyes were red, his expression composed. "Yes, Your Majesty! Please take care of yourself," the woman hesitated, adding with concern. "Rest assured, my lady. I shall return to the tomb within at most two days and one night. After that, I shall not leave it easily." The man nodded, then suddenly lifted his leg, his body flickering strangely as he flashed past and emerged outside the stone sarcophagus. Shifting slightly, his form grew hazy, and then gradually dissolved into a swirling gray mist, vanishing completely—without any clear indication of how he had left the tomb. Soon after, a deep sigh echoed softly within the quiet chamber from the woman. Seeing that the waterfall and the surrounding scenery matched the descriptions in the jade scroll almost perfectly, Han Li finally let go of the tension that had been holding him since the beginning. He glanced upward at the celestial river cascading from the sky, then floated in midair with his artifact. With a swift gesture of the Qi technique "Avoiding Water," he raised his hands, and two beams of green light flashed, vanishing into the waterfall. A deep rumble echoed through the river, and a circular opening, about one zhang in diameter, appeared on its surface. Without hesitation, Han Li urged his artifact, and instantly vanished through the hole. The opening then closed, and the waterfall returned to its original state. Han Li was unaware that, at the very moment he passed through the hole, two figures with a greenish hue, located some thousand li away from the waterfall, suddenly lost their target and began circling in place, hesitating and rotating. Filled with rage, the two figures extended dark fangs from their mouths, occasionally roaring like fierce, predatory beasts. Yet neither of the two figures expected that, several miles behind them, two more concealed guests—uninvited and observing them silently—were quietly conversing, their eyes fixed on their backs. (Second update! On National Day, forget-me-not wishes you a joyful holiday, good health, and all the best in everything!) Recommend your friend to check out Bingyuan's new book, "The Book of Cosmic Time." A mysterious, inexplicable purple meteor shower claimed both of Lin Yidong's parents, leaving him with an unawakened power of time and space. A celestial tome, appearing beside him through his intuitive connection to this power, transformed the life of the otherwise ordinary boy. A mysterious extraterrestrial crystal, along with the extraordinary armor that came with it, will grant humanity a wealth of astonishing, unpredictable superpowers. With the Book of Cosmic Time as his guide, empowered by the incredible ability to traverse into another extraordinary realm of time and space, the boy steadily ascends to the pinnacle of the realm of the Supreme.