25: Chapter 25 Exploring the Rat's Path and the Gate to the Secret Realm

Following the vague guidance in the memory fragments of the Gold-Biting Rat, the four-member Lin Family hunting team, under the constant suggestion of Lin Cangchen that "the Spiritual Qi seems more active here," gradually deviated from their regular route and delved deep into a more rugged and desolate mountain region.

The trees here grew increasingly tall and vigorous, their gnarled roots protruding from the ground like strange pythons, covered in thick moss and unmelted remnants of snow. The air seemed to have stagnated, with only the occasional spots of light leaking through the canopy gaps, dancing on the ground covered with withered branches and fallen leaves.

"Cangchen, are you sure it's this way?" Lin Lingyun asked, swinging his blade to hack away the tough vines blocking their path, unable to help himself from confirming once again. "This place is a wasteland; apart from rocks and old trees, what looks like there's any treasure?"

Lin Lingyu was also panting slightly; her movement technique was more focused on agility, making it somewhat strenuous for her in an environment that required brute force to clear the way. "Brother Yan, have we gone too deep? If we go any further, we might enter the territory of a first-rank middle-grade Yao Beast."

The team leader, Lin Lingyan, had a calm expression, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding environment like a hawk, especially the steep mountain walls. Although he did not fully trust Lin Cangchen's "Spiritual Qi sensing," his intuition, cultivated from years of hunting, told him that this area was indeed unusually "quiet."

"We will explore a bit further. If we find nothing, we will retreat immediately." Lin Lingyan made his decision, at the same time gripping his hunting fork tighter.

Lin Cangchen's heart was beating faster now than when they were traveling. He was fully focused on comparing the memory fragments in his mind with the actual scene before him.

"Steep mountain wall... Yes, this kind of almost vertical rock wall... Vines, it needs a lot of vines..."

His gaze locked onto a massive rock wall not far ahead, covered in withered yellow and dark green vines. That rock wall looked no different from the surroundings, but in the memory perspective of the Gold-Biting Rat, something seemed to be hidden here.

"Uncle Yan! Uncle Yun! Look over there!" Lin Cangchen suppressed his excitement and pointed at the rock wall. "Behind those vines, it seems... something is not right?"

The others looked in the direction he pointed.

Lin Lingyun squinted for a long time: "Nothing wrong, right? Isn't it just a few more vines?"

Lin Lingyan, however, frowned slightly. He signaled everyone to stop, stepped forward cautiously, and used the end of his hunting fork to gently push aside the layers of vines.

At first, there was nothing unusual, but as the surface vines were pushed aside, what was revealed behind was not a solid rock wall, but a narrow gap almost completely sealed off by more vines and a moss-covered boulder that happened to be stuck at the entrance!

The gap was very hidden; the junction between the boulder and the rock wall was almost filled with vines and moss. If one hadn't deliberately pushed them aside to check, it would have been impossible to discover.

"There's a cave entrance!" Lin Lingyun whispered, instantly perking up.

Lin Lingyan's eyes narrowed, and he made a defensive gesture. He carefully sensed the inside of the gap, and after a moment, said in a low voice: "There is no sign of living creatures inside, but... there is a feeling of decay and obscurity."

He signaled for Lin Lingyun and Lin Lingyu to keep watch on the left and right, while he and Lin Cangchen attempted to push the boulder. The boulder looked massive, but perhaps because of the long passage of time, its Foundation had already loosened. Under their combined force (mainly Lin Lingyan's), accompanied by a teeth-gritting grinding sound, it was slowly pushed aside, revealing a gap wide enough for one person to squeeze through.

A cool breeze carrying the smell of earth and a faint musty odor surged out from the cave.

The four of them exchanged a look, seeing the surprise and vigilance in each other's eyes.

"I'll go in first." Lin Lingyan took the lead, squeezing through sideways. Lin Lingyun followed closely, then Lin Cangchen, with Lin Lingyu bringing up the rear.

It was pitch black inside the cave, but for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators, seeing was not a difficult task. The passage was narrow and winding, extending downwards for about ten zhang before the view suddenly opened up!

This was a natural cave that was not too large, having been artificially trimmed, about the size of an ordinary Family's main hall. There was a gap in the cave ceiling that let in weak daylight, illuminating the scene inside.

The furnishings in the cave were extremely simple, even crude. A stone bed, a stone stool, and nothing else, completely empty. And the most striking thing was a skeleton sitting cross-legged on the stone bed!

The clothing on the skeleton had long since turned to dust, but the skeleton remained in a complete meditative posture, glowing with a dim, jade-like luster, faintly exuding a heart-palpitating pressure.

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator!" Lin Lingyan's voice was dry, carrying immense gravity. Only the remains of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could endure the passage of time without decaying and still retain such pressure.

Everyone felt a shiver in their hearts and subconsciously held their breath. The place where a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had sat to pass away!

Lin Cangchen's heart was pounding wildly, his gaze sweeping rapidly around the skeleton. He saw two ancient-looking Jade Slips resting quietly on the stone bed in front of the skeleton.

"Jade Slips!" Lin Lingyun's eyes lit up, and he was about to step forward.

"Careful!" Lin Lingyan pulled him back. "The place where a Foundation Establishment Cultivator passed away might not be without traps."

He carefully probed with his Spiritual Qi repeatedly, and after confirming that there were no remaining Formations or Restrictions, he signaled for Lin Lingyun to retrieve the two Jade Slips.

Lin Lingyun rubbed his hands in excitement, stepped forward to pick up the two Jade Slips, checked them carefully, and pressed one of them against his forehead.

A moment later, a look of wild joy appeared on his face: "A Cultivation Technique! It's the follow-up Cultivation Technique for the Thick Earth Art! It can be cultivated all the way to the Foundation Establishment Stage! And it's the Complete Manual!"

The Thick Earth Art was the earth-type Cultivation Technique inherited by the Lin Family, but the Family's collection could only be cultivated up to Qi Refining Perfection. This Jade Slip directly completed the shortcoming of the Lin Family's earth-type Cultivation Technique!

"That's great!" Even the steady Lin Lingyan couldn't help but smile. This was definitely one of the legacies the Family needed most!

Lin Lingyun handed the other Jade Slip to Lin Lingyan: "Brother Yan, take a look at this."

Lin Lingyan took it, his Spiritual Qi sinking in. A moment later, his expression became somewhat complex, and he handed the Jade Slip to the curious Lin Cangchen and Lin Lingyu: "You should all take a look."

Lin Cangchen took the Jade Slip, and his Spiritual Qi probed inside.

The content inside the Jade Slip was not a Cultivation Technique, but a personal account left by a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who called himself "Daoist Xuan Chen." In his later years, he traveled to this place and unexpectedly discovered that deep within this cave, there was a mysterious stone door that could not be opened. He spent decades, tried every possible method, and even used a few of his trump card Magical Artifacts, but could not shake the stone door in the slightest. In the end, his Lifespan exhausted, he had to sit here and pass away, leaving behind the Jade Slip to record this matter, hoping that a fated person in later generations could solve the mystery of the stone door.

"A stone door?" Lin Cangchen's heart stirred, and his gaze immediately turned to the depths of the cave. Sure enough, behind the skeleton, at the end of the cave, there was a smooth, mirror-like stone wall with a texture completely different from the surrounding rocks, embedded there seamlessly. If one didn't observe it specifically, it almost blended into the cave wall.

Was this the mysterious stone door mentioned by Daoist Xuan Chen?

The group walked to the stone door. The stone door was simple and unadorned; it felt cold and hard to the touch. Indeed, no Formation fluctuations could be felt, but it was also impregnable. Lin Lingyan tried to channel his Spiritual Qi to push it, but the stone door did not budge.

"Even a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn't open it, so we have even less of a chance." Lin Lingyun was somewhat discouraged.

Lin Cangchen, however, stared at the center of the stone door, where there was an inconspicuous, palm-sized square groove. The shape and size of this groove... why did it look more and more familiar?

He suddenly remembered something and immediately rummaged through his Storage Pouch to find that "junk" Jade Slip he had bought for five Spirit Stones at a market stall, which was covered in mud and had never been able to be opened.

He picked up the Jade Slip and carefully brought it to the square groove on the stone door.

Size, shape... a perfect match!

"Cangchen, what are you doing?" Lin Lingyun watched his actions curiously.

Lin Cangchen didn't answer. He took a deep breath and gently pressed the ancient-looking Jade Slip in his hand into that square groove.

Seamless fit!

The moment the Jade Slip was embedded into the groove, a sudden change occurred!

The originally plain stone door suddenly lit up with a soft yet brilliant white light! Countless dense and complex, never-before-seen runes flowed and flashed on the door surface, emitting strong spatial fluctuations!

The Jade Slip that served as the "key" also seemed to be activated, emitting the same light, reflecting and enhancing the stone door.

The entire cave was illuminated by this sudden light. Lin Lingyan, Lin Lingyun, and Lin Lingyu were stunned by this sudden change and subconsciously took a step back.

Only Lin Cangchen stood before the light-flowing stone door, feeling the spatial power surging towards him, as if it were about to suck him in. His heart was almost jumping out of his chest.

This was not an ordinary stone door at all!

This was a... portal?!

The secret that Daoist Xuan Chen had exhausted his life trying to open had actually been solved by himself with a piece of "junk" bought for five Spirit Stones?

The white light grew more and more intense, and the spatial fluctuations became more and more violent. The light in the center of the stone door began to rotate, forming a miniature vortex.

Lin Cangchen looked at the light-flowing vortex, then looked at the "key" Jade Slip still emitting a halo in his hand, and a thought uncontrollably popped up:

What would be behind the door? That place which even a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn't stop thinking about, calling it a "Secret Realm"?

"This... this is..." Lin Lingyun opened his mouth wide, pointing at the stone door, unable to say a complete sentence for a long time.

Lin Lingyan's expression was unprecedentedly solemn; he felt a strange aura coming from the vortex that was completely different from their world.

The light reached its peak, illuminating the stone door and Lin Cangchen standing in front of it, making them look somewhat blurry.

The adventure seemed to have just begun. And this time, what they were facing might be a completely unknown world.