Chapter 002: The Five Elements Jade Mountain, Twin Dragons Holding the Hilt
The radiance emitted by this spirit pearl resembled a curtain that obscured the walls of the stone cave, while the wildly dancing green light runes surged and swirled, unable to penetrate through that luminous veil
In the entire realm of cultivation, there is no one who does not know this place: it is precisely the Ruolu Prison, specifically used by the Nine Great Heavenly Gates to confine the giants of the demonic path
This jade tablet resembles a talisman, but it is bare without any talismanic head or tail. This object merely serves as a credential for entering and exiting the Ru prison, and is by no means a talisman. In the realm of cultivation, talismans are rare, and they are exceedingly precious; even the lowest-grade ninth-tier talisman is not something a person like Wu Luo could possess.
This Copper Sparrow Terrace, imposing and majestic, commands the four corners, even the mountains stretching for thousands of miles become its backdrop. It seems that this structure is inherently destined to overlook the world and reign over the Five Great Mountains
Cui Can endured patiently, step by step, until the sun had set, finally standing beneath the gates of Ruolu Prison. Up close, Ruolu Prison appeared even more terrifying; the towering walls rose high into the sky, seemingly without end. The ethereal light on the giant stones, upon closer inspection, revealed that some of the beams were as thick as a human arm. With Wu Luo's physique, even a casual brush against them would spell disaster.
Ancient bloodlines, descendants of divine beasts
Wu Luo carefully recalled that memory, nodding to himself in silence. There was no turning back; even if he could open this portal, he would surely be killed by Rong Tian, who was waiting outside. ... Moving forward ... . ... There was still a glimmer of hope.
Rong Tian was taken aback, realizing that he was ensnared by the demonic sound, his power significantly diminished. He never expected to regress to such a state where even the ability to retrieve objects from a distance, a feat achievable by martial arts masters, had become somewhat difficult. The overwhelming demonic sound was merely a byproduct, indicating just how terrifying the entity below was.
Once the jade tablet was detached, the two jade dragons immediately let out a furious roar, shaking the very heavens and earth. The divine dragon extended its head, opened its mouth, and grasped the jade beam, lifting it with great force
Snap!
During this period, Wu Luo's memories were slowly merging with Cui Can's, gradually becoming one and indistinguishable from each other. Cui Can finally understood that the treatment he received today was still favorable for Wu Luo.
In his previous life, Cui Can was incessantly clamored by countless righteous individuals to be thrown into the Ruolu Prison. He never anticipated that after seizing a new body and being reborn, he would end up in such a place. Moreover, the former owner of this body was also a person from Ruolu Prison, though not a criminal.
The surrounding jade-colored mist gradually dissipated, revealing the true forms behind two enormous dragon heads. Two divine dragons were coiled around the base of the fiery red jade mountain, raising their massive heads in unison, each holding a jade beam. The rear part of the jade beam was connected to a jade pillar, which was slanted into the magnificent jade mountain.
To the north of the emerald-green, vibrant peaks lies a vast expanse of mountains stretching for tens of thousands of miles. Amidst this, one can only see clouds and mist swirling, with divine light flowing like a river, encircling a magnificent structure that towers several thousand zhang above the surrounding mountains
The young man said nothing, quickly getting up and using both hands and feet to climb towards the opposite peak. However, his body seemed somewhat stiff, and he stumbled repeatedly, falling several times over the distance of several dozen zhang.
Regarding Ruolu Prison, there have always been many mysterious legends. For instance, the place before us is called "Li Ren Yuan," and the long stone steps that led down here are known as "Pan Hun Suo." Behind this portal lies the greatest secret of Ruolu Prison.
Boom
After running wildly for a moment, Cui Can was drenched in sweat and in unbearable agony. The drought demon had seized Cui Can's original soul, dragging him to run all night. Following that, it repaired the damaged body of Wu Luo, completely exhausting the last trace of spiritual energy. At this moment, the energy settled in his brow, motionless and without any means of leverage.
The stone steps were astonishingly long. Wu and * Tu * looked ahead, only to see an expanse of impenetrable darkness, as if a mysterious force was secretly governing the surroundings, with visibility not extending beyond ten paces. When he turned to look back, he was immediately startled: the stone steps were suspended above an endless void, resembling a line, unsupported and seemingly on the verge of breaking off at any moment. At the end of that "line," there was an enormous Taiji pattern, with two yin-yang fish slowly rotating like an old donkey turning a millstone, intermittently flashing with strange yellow spiritual light. He turned back again and was startled once more: the stone steps were suspended above an endless void, resembling a line, unsupported and seemingly on the verge of breaking off at any moment. At the end of that "line," there was an enormous Taiji pattern, with two yin-yang fish slowly rotating like an old donkey turning a millstone, intermittently flashing with strange yellow spiritual light.
On the two enormous prison gates, each thirty zhang high, are carved two fierce bi'an, with claws like knives and glaring eyes.
As for the threat posed by Wu Luo, Rong Tian does not take it to heart at all. Wu Luo, this fool, is incapable of cultivation and is destined to achieve nothing in this lifetime. Even if he is alive, he is merely subject to Rong Tian's whims, easily crushed or molded. Moreover, it is impossible for Wu Luo to come out of this alive this time.
Under the illumination of countless green light runes, Wu Luo slowly walked through a narrow passage. When a cave entrance appeared ahead, the green light runes that had originally surrounded Wu Luo seemed to have found their mother, and with a whistle, they all surged into the cave entrance.
Fool!
However, within a city, the city walls, houses, streets, trees, and various miscellaneous facilities are piled together, making them appear far less vast than this almost completely open space before us
When had Cui Can ever been in such a predicament in his previous life? He immediately felt the urge to curse. However, upon reflecting on Wu Luo's dazed appearance, Cui Can understood that Wu Luo was simply incapable of cultivating.
The five Jade Mountains correspond to the five elemental forces, and their arrangement, though seemingly insignificant, holds great wisdom. It subtly aligns with the principles of the five elements, facilitating a continuous cycle of life.
As Wu Luo fell into the portal, a thunderous sound echoed behind him as it closed completely. At first, there was only darkness before he soon saw floating runes emitting a faint green light in the air. These runes resembled fireflies in the dark, illuminating the entire space
The dark and towering platform is constructed from massive stones approximately one zhang in length, with each stone adorned by delicate spiritual lights swirling like serpents.
Wuluo was not impulsive; he slowly entered the cave, which emitted a dense green light.
Indeed, Cui Can intends to return to Ruolu Prison. He is not mad; rather, he believes that, for the time being, Ruolu Prison is the most inconspicuous place. Even if someone were to think that the Southern Wilderness Emperor, Cui Can, could seize a new life, no one would ever suspect that Cui Can is hiding in Ruolu Prison.
The jade beam drove down the jade pillar, opening a small portal atop the jade mountain
Rong Tianmeng bit his tongue tip, exerting all his strength to stimulate the remaining spiritual essence within him. The two jade tokens shook violently, clanging together, and finally, with a whoosh, they flew back.
Wu Luo pondered to himself: If the Lu Prison is indeed filled with many peculiarities, it has long been said that this prison was not built by the righteous path, but is rather a mysterious and unfathomable ancient relic, which was merely appropriated by the righteous path, thus becoming a prison. It seems the rumors are not unfounded; it is likely that even the people of the righteous path have not fully comprehended all the secrets of this relic.
The clouds and divine light are even more exaggeratedly connected directly to the great sun in the sky, with a fiery glow resembling red flames rolling forth from the sun, nourishing the clouds and divine light, which immediately swell several times, creating a terrifying spectacle
This time, the endless demonic sounds emanating from that portal made Wu Luo recall a portion of his memories
The sound of "ka ka ka" echoed three times, and the ground beneath Wu Luo and Rong Tian silently sank down. Wu Luo observed that the surroundings were all made of warm, smooth white jade, a material that was no less than the jade essence used by cultivators as a source of spiritual power
Wu Luo suddenly remembered something related to - the map - the book, and finally understood what was suppressed beneath the Jade Mountain. However, it was already too late. Rong Tian forcefully stuffed a pocket into his bosom and kicked him into that portal.
Outside the jade cliff lies a wondrous void, shrouded in a thick mist of jade color, resembling rice wine.
The essence of cultivation lies in experience, insight, and understanding. The same manual can be interpreted differently by different individuals, and this is the most significant reason for the disparities in cultivation.
Cui Can absorbed the remaining memories of the deceased Wu Luo and discovered that Wu Luo was actually from Ruolu Prison. He was immediately awakened and rushed over without hesitation, only to find that it was indeed Ruolu Prison. Cui Can felt as if the heavens were playing a huge joke on him, and even with the demeanor of the Southern Wilderness Emperor, he couldn't help but curse.
Wu Luo has already understood, and his heart is filled with astonishment: above are seventy-two ancient bloodline beasts being suppressed, and here there are the five prisons also suppressing. With such a grand formation, it is likely that even immortals who have disappeared for tens of thousands of years could be subdued. What exactly lies beneath this?
He is quick, but Wu Luo has been completely disoriented, not knowing what has happened to Rong Tian today
On the opposite side of the peak, there is a massive cliff, with a large rock protruding from the top like an eagle's beak, fiercely confronting the mountain in a posture of combat
A sky full of dancing green light
A tall and robust jailer, dressed in ancient armor of black and red, strode over and, upon reaching Wu Luo, seized him by the neck and lifted him up, casually tucking him under his arm. Wu Luo had no power to resist; his body had not undergone any training, making him no match for the fierce jailer who had already reached the "Nine Palaces" realm.
Wu Luo looked at the beast's head and found it somewhat familiar. After glancing a few more times, he was somewhat astonished: Isn't this two dragon heads?
In the center of three massive stone pillars, an emaciated old man sat cross-legged, at ease and with great interest, observing the newly arrived Wu Luo.
He ran swiftly, as if there were something urgent at hand. With a single stride, he leaped half a zhang off the ground, covering a distance of over ten zhang in one step. His legs crossed each other as he quickly traversed the stone path behind the prison gate, which stretched for several hundred zhang.
Beneath that oddly shaped talismanic spirit pearl, there stood three massive stone pillars, each thick enough for two people to embrace. The pillars rose to a height of three zhang, their surfaces engraved with mysterious and unfathomable patterns. Streams of spiritual light seemed to move like living beings along those patterns, and with each complete cycle, the spiritual light would increase by one portion.
When he finally exerted all his strength to climb to the top of the mountain and looked to the north, he couldn't help but curse: "This is a damn Ruo Lu prison!"
He clapped his hands and strode towards the Rolu Prison.
The seventy-two stone seals bear the extraordinary beasts, which are the remnants of the immensely powerful ancient divine beast clan, leaving behind their bloodline in the world. Each of these creatures possesses strength comparable to that of great powers, and the three blood marks on the foreheads of these stone beasts represent a very rare sealing spell. Among these seventy-two stone seals, each one actually seals the essence, wisdom, and primordial soul of a unique beast
Rong Tian was completely unaware of what these stone seals represented, whereas Wu Luo was different; his insight was many times more profound than that of Rong Tian. What astonished him were precisely these seventy-two massive stone seals
However, this Wuluo had not cultivated at all; it was merely a mortal body. After running under the sun for a while, it naturally became somewhat unwell
Hanzi lacks the wisdom to cultivate, and in the Ruolu prison, Wuluo is the lowest existence, anyone can come and step on him at will. If it were not for certain reasons, he would have died countless times already.
The memory of Wu Luo, although he absorbed most of it, still felt somewhat unrefined. Moreover, Wu Luo was inherently a muddled character. It took Cui Can a while to recall that the prison guard he had taken hostage was named Rong Tian, who was one of the heads of the prison guards and held a certain position in the Ruo Lu prison. However, Rong Tian was rather unscrupulous in his dealings, acted recklessly, and was a bully to the weak while fearing the strong. He particularly enjoyed making fun of Wu Luo, and the nickname "fool" was also given to him by Rong Tian.
What is the most important aspect of cultivation? It is not about talent or innate qualities—while those are certainly important, they are not the most crucial. The most important factor is wisdom.
The building is a square high platform that is large at the bottom and small at the top. The most striking feature is a colossal bronze bird statue standing majestically atop the platform; surrounding the bronze bird are massive, ancient stone columns.
Those magical sounds vanished without a trace
Even though Wu Luo was a dignified Emperor of the Southern Wilderness in his previous life, he was still filled with astonishment at this moment: What exactly is being suppressed down there?
At the four corners outside the high platform, at a distance of several hundred zhang, there are four nine-story pagodas floating in the void, each with eight sides and a door on each side. From the seventy-two tower doors of the nine-story pagodas, strange talismans are constantly shooting out, coming and going, flying up and down, as dense as a torrential rain
Rong Tian's feet moved swiftly in a crisscross manner. Although he was anxious, he did not dare to soar as he would on the ground. This piqued Wu Luo's curiosity; what kind of place was this that even someone as reckless as Rong Tian had to be so cautious?
He was in a daze, not even knowing how he ended up in the Ruolu Prison. After Cui Can's reincarnation, the useful information he could obtain was indeed pitifully scarce. However, the wisdom of the Southern Wilderness Emperor was far beyond that of ordinary people. Even with such meager information, it could be inferred that although Wulu held a low status, being able to remain in a place like Ruolu Prison must indicate a certain background.
However, at this moment, after calming down, Cui Can felt a stir in his heart. After pondering for a moment, he burst into hearty laughter: "A great opportunity has presented itself, how can it be wasted!" He pointed to the sky and declared: "Heavenly Lord, I, Cui Can, accept this generous gift!"
The combat power of the seventy-two powerful beings is still insufficient to completely seal it
The stone cave at the end of the passage is approximately sixty zhang in height and over one hundred zhang in circumference. The green glowing runes are joyfully dancing within the cave, and at the top hangs a peculiar spirit pearl. Countless golden runes, each no larger than an ant, are continuously entering and exiting the spirit pearl, which is about the size of a pigeon egg and can accommodate at least tens of thousands of runes.
Rong Tian swiftly navigated through the prison with Wu Luo, passing through numerous mechanisms and restrictions, and entered the core area of the Ruolu Prison. He plunged into an ancient stone tower, but instead of going upward, he proceeded downward.
Although the memories of the previous life and this life have completely merged, Wu Luo remains in a state of confusion, with both thoughts and memories lacking coherence and being disorganized. There are still many fragments of memories that have not been fully understood
Two jade dragons suddenly came to life, slowly retreating while expelling the jade beams from their mouths
The sky was filled with demonic sounds, overwhelming and difficult to bear. Rong Tiangen had no strength to argue with Wu Luo; he forced himself to hold on as he watched Wu Luo fall into that portal. He immediately gestured with both hands, but the two jade tokens imprinted on the center of the divine dragon's brow merely swayed gently and did not return at all
This mouth directly siphoned the surrounding air, even drawing in a few wisps of the distant jade-colored mist into its belly
In the midst of the mist, five groups of divine light in red, blue, yellow, black, and gold flicker hazily, and five jade mountains, each towering a hundred feet high, appear indistinctly
As the portal closed, the overwhelming demonic sounds gradually faded away, and Rong Tian was already exhausted to the point of collapse, lying on the ground, unable to move for quite some time. He was horrified in his heart: fortunately, he had captured Wu Luo, this scapegoat; otherwise, he would have undoubtedly faced disaster this time!
In the present memory, Cui Can feels a certain familiarity with this pair of lifeless bi'an. During the long and tedious times when Wu Luo was observing others, he often conversed with this pair of sculptures. Only these lifeless figures would not mock Wu Luo, quietly listening to his tales.
Rong Tian captured Wu Luo, disregarding any duties of the guards, and handed him over to two jailers before striding away with Wu Luo.
The dragon, a divine beast, is familiar to everyone; however, with a jade beam held in its mouth and its lower jaw obscured, it appears somewhat different from the dragons that people commonly see, which is why Wu Luo did not recognize it at first
Ignoring the astonished Wu Luo, Rong Tian sat cross-legged, his hands continuously rolling in front of him, forming a series of hand seals. After stacking seventeen hand seals together, a wave of red energy surged down from his face, enveloping his entire body. With his hands forming the incantation, he let out a deep roar, then opened his mouth wide and took a deep breath.
The jade cong is intricately carved with patterns resembling algae, exuding an ancient charm. He slowly inserted the jade cong into a corresponding deep groove in the ground. The jade cong emitted a crisp sound as it gradually sank in.
Compared to the entire Yushan and a pair of divine dragons, that portal was merely a narrow crack. However, as soon as this portal opened, it seemed as if a tremendous roar echoed through the heavens and the earth, with countless notes filling the air, swirling chaotically like a tempest of wind and snow. Countless voices spoke simultaneously in the ears of the two individuals, forcefully cramming various pieces of information into their minds
Rong Tian stood beneath these stone prints, making the stone prints appear immensely large.
Just as I entered the Ruolu Prison, a furious shout came from beside me: "Where the hell did you little brat run off to yesterday? You made me come here personally to guard the door!"
A loud bang echoed, shaking heaven and earth
Cui Can shook his head helplessly and casually took out a jade token from his bosom
Wu Luo was greatly astonished upon seeing the spirit orb: "This is a peculiar talisman that has been lost for nearly ten thousand years, crafted by the ancient immortals!"
Hey! Give it to me!
The stone monument stands six zhang tall, with a base measuring two zhang on each side. At the top, each side is intricately carved with a vividly lifelike mythical beast. Some of these beasts are poised majestically, while others glare fiercely, some display their claws menacingly, and others look down upon the world with disdain. Each exhibits a unique expression and appearance, yet they all share a common feature: three blood streaks are carved in the center of their foreheads
Cui Can pressed the jade tablet against the prison door, and a beam of spiritual light旋转, drawing him inside.
Wu Luo belongs to the lowest level of servants in the Ruolu prison, generally handling various tasks such as guarding the gate, delivering food and water to the inmates, running errands for the guards, washing clothes, and so on
Wu Luo was furious and shouted: "Rong Tian, if I do not die, I will surely avenge today's grudge!"
Wuluo was taken aback; the space beneath the stone steps was unexpectedly vast. In his previous life, he had traveled the world, and he feared that even a small city with a population of several tens of thousands would not have an area as considerable as this
The water is clear and the mountains are enchanting, enveloped in a vibrant greenery. The contiguous cedars adorn the peaks like a massive emerald, appearing tender and appealing in the light of the rising sun
After Rong Tian set down Wu Luo, he took out two diamond-shaped jade tokens from his bosom and pressed them onto the foreheads of the two jade dragons
Before Wu Luo had the chance to be surprised, Rong Tian had already pulled him down, landing lightly beneath a red jade mountain directly ahead. The clouds and mist seemed to behave like living creatures, parting in avoidance upon the arrival of someone. As the mist cleared, a grotesquely large head suddenly emerged, its eyeball as large as Wu Luo himself, rolling and glaring directly at him. Fortunately, having endured countless storms in his previous life, Wu Luo was not frightened enough to sit down in shock.
The spiritual symbols of the treasure pagoda and the spiritual light of the giant stones constantly penetrate into the clouds and holy light outside. With each exchange, those spiritual symbols and lights grow stronger.
Wu Luo felt as if he were in a jade well, descending for ten zhang, until a glimmering portal appeared beside him, and the ground beneath his feet perfectly aligned with the bottom of the portal, sealing it tightly.
... ...
Rong Tian casually tossed Wu Luo aside and carefully took out a delicate wooden box from his bosom. He opened it and retrieved a triangular jade cong from within.
Rong Tian suddenly let out a loud shout, and his body instantly felt as heavy as ten thousand pounds, pressing down on the heavy jade beam, which began to emit a series of creaking sounds, and finally, it slowly descended.
A soft sound echoed, and a circle of radiant light illuminated the area where Rong Tian and Wu Luo had landed, with the halo gradually brightening layer by layer outward
The reason it is described as almost empty is that within this vast space, there stand a total of seventy-two enormous green stone seals.
Wu Luo is currently unable to fly high to observe, but just by taking a glance from below, he can roughly deduce that these seventy-two terrifying stone seals form an incredibly mysterious sealing array, seemingly suppressing something.
On a morning of a day, the birds leave their nests, the beasts emerge from their dens, and insects begin to chirp. The mountains are filled with a vibrant atmosphere. Suddenly, the young man opens his eyes; his calm exterior belies a pair of astonished eyes.
With one arm of Rong Tian effortlessly and flexibly supporting him, it still took a full meal's time before they reached the end
Wu Luo fell to his death yesterday while greedily pursuing a rare medicinal herb, losing his footing from the Eagle Beak Cliff. Cui Can was also unfortunate; the "Drought Demon Blood Burning" had his soul wandering aimlessly, yet he could not find a suitable body. As time was running out, he realized that once the sun rose, his last chance would be lost. Just then, he spotted this body. With no options left, he plunged into it.
Rong Tian strode into the entrance, and the corridor behind the door was similarly constructed of white jade arches. The jade walls emitted a soft glow, illuminating the passage. After walking several dozen zhang, the view suddenly opened up again, revealing a space that transformed mysteriously. Wu Luo now found himself on a steep jade cliff.
Even so, Wu Luo was greatly startled and took a step back. Only then did he see clearly that he and Rong Tian were standing on an enormous circular jade beam, one end of which was held in the mouth of a gigantic beast head. Turning around, he noticed that the other end of the jade beam was also held by a similar beast head, which meant that this jade beam was precisely clamped between two massive jaws
Drawing this conclusion, Wu Luo was even more astonished, for there were a total of seventy-two ancient bloodline beasts, whose overwhelming aura should have been sensed from a thousand miles away. However, Wu Luo was now standing beneath this enormous stone seal and felt nothing at all. This indicated that all the power of these seventy-two ancient bloodline beasts was being used to seal whatever lay beneath, leaving no strength to spare.
Beneath the Eagle Beak Cliff, a faint mist swirls around a young man seated cross-legged in a coarse cloth robe. He appears unremarkable in appearance, of average build, and bears no distinction from the typical sons of rural families.
In the previous life, the Southern Wilderness Emperor Cui Can, and in this life, the celestial prison servant Wu Luo, raised his head under the wing of Rong Tian, only to see Rong Tian swiftly leading him down a stone staircase.
At the end, there remains an unpredictable darkness. Rong Tian reached down to feel around his feet and soon found something, pulling out a piece of chalcedony from his bosom and inserting it in.