# Chapter 948: Lushan Underground Palace
"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing. These nine words should always be recited secretly, and nothing can harm you. The essential path is not complicated—this is what it means."
This passage is recorded in the *Baopuzi*, written by Ge Hong, a leader of Eastern Jin Daoism. He mentioned the Nine Secrets within, but did not explain their true meaning, only telling the world that silently reciting them could ward off evil and eliminate harm.
In the present age, if one mentions the Nine Secrets, most people no longer know of them, believing they were transmitted from the East. Few realize that they originated in China, and that the Eastern Esoteric tradition made errors when transcribing them, mistakenly writing them as: Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian.
Tracing back to the source, the Nine Secrets can be found in the ancient Chinese text *Baopuzi*, yet many people treat the mistakenly copied nine characters as true incantations—a fact that leaves one somewhat speechless.
During this period, Ye Fan had visited many cultural relic halls not open to the public, reading numerous rare editions in an attempt to find the cultivation secrets of the *Baopuzi*. But he was disappointed—everything he saw was the version that had circulated among mortals.
From the records in the *Baopuzi*, it could be seen that the Nine Secrets had existed since ancient times and were not created by Ge Hong. Unfortunately, he did not explain them in detail, and their true meaning remained unknown.
Anyone familiar with ancient cultivators knew well that the origins of these nine characters were too great. Their true meaning had been understood by few throughout history. Ge Hong could not have revealed them in the *Baopuzi*.
The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, as a Great Sage who could overlook the entire ancient star, was still alive during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He ultimately engaged in a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering battle with Ge Hong, after which he vanished.
Although these people were descendants of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, they did not know the outcome of that battle. There were only two guesses: one, that their ancestor had been sealed; the other, that he had gone beyond this star.
Ge Hong could be called a heaven-defying genius in the history of Daoism. The world honored him as Little Immortal Elder. Throughout the ages, how many people could be associated with the character "Immortal"? This was enough to demonstrate his brilliance.
His family had deep scholarly roots, and his works were abundant. His grand-uncle was a famous Daoist cultivator named Ge Xuan, who led Ge Hong onto the path of cultivation, allowing him to shine brilliantly in Daoism.
Ge Hong spent his later years in seclusion on Mount Luofu. Many later generations searched for him but found nothing. His stunning Qi Refining Technique was never passed down to the world.
Ye Fan did not trouble the Dragon Sparrow clan. He asked many questions, learned many secrets, and then departed. He traveled along the earth vein's path, entering Lushan.
In his view, the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow's branch lineage dwelling in Jiujiang was merely drawing a strand of dragon qi from that Purple Dragon Vein. The true Lushan must have an even more terrifying clan.
However, as soon as he arrived, he frowned. This Purple Dragon had already dried up, with little purple qi seeping out. Within decades or a century, it would become a dead dragon.
If the world continued like this, sooner or later, Earth would become a place where cultivation was impossible, a withered star where no one could practice.
Many people knew Lushan from Li Bai's timeless poem. Silver waterfalls cascaded down, truly like the Milky Way pouring from the nine heavens—a magnificent sight.
Ye Fan remained silent. He felt a sense of desolation. Nothing lasts forever. The spiritual energy here was nearly exhausted, unsustainable.
In this place, he did not encounter any clan. Instead, he sensed some ancient formations. He sank into the ground, wanting to see what lay beneath.
As soon as he descended, he was startled. He saw an ancient cave, winding downward to unknown depths. A chilling killing intent seeped out—ordinary cultivators would surely be unable to withstand it.
Although Little Pine was innocent and simple, having cultivated to the Dao Palace Secret Realm, he was restless and uneasy here. His crystalline purple fur stood on end, bristling with anxiety.
Ye Fan formed a light barrier, shielding Little Pine within, and walked step by step downward, wanting to see what formations ancient cultivators had laid here.
The cave was very deep, leading straight into a vast underground palace. At the end, there were countless branching paths and ancient caves. Ordinary people who came down would lose their way before going far.
Moreover, the chilling killing intent grew stronger. He guessed that even cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm could not withstand it. Staying here long would surely harm their bodies.
"The fact that no ancient remnant clan cultivates in seclusion on Lushan is likely related to this. This is clearly a place of extinction. Over time, it can dissolve one's cultivation and strip away one's power. For ordinary people, however, it is harmless."
Ye Fan went several more li deeper. The underground palace became even more vast. A deathly stillness reigned. The earth was dry and hard, the rocks mottled. It had likely been untouched for countless years.
Finally, he reached the depths of the underground palace—the heart of Lushan. Here, flames blazed, and a heavy deathly aura hung in the air. Ahead stood a massive altar, bound by iron chains.
At this place, the killing intent materialized, ringing like swords clashing. Even Sect Leader-rank figures could not withstand it or approach. Moreover, scorching flames surged forward—they were actually fire essence. Touching them would reduce one to ashes. If not for the Bodhi Seed on his person, even Ye Fan, with his Sacred Body, could not stay here long.
Little Pine clutched Ye Fan's clothes, nervous and tense, his big eyes darting around with a fearful expression.
Ye Fan did not stop. He took a few more steps forward and finally saw what was on the altar at the end of the underground palace. His expression changed instantly.
Iron chains of unknown material gleamed with cold, dark light. Even this fire essence could not melt them. They bound a person to a blood-colored altar. A sense of age rushed forth, as if it had existed for tens of thousands of years.
Whether it was the firelight's reflection or the person's natural hair color, their hair was like red weeds, tangled and messy. Their body had almost no flesh left—only withered bones.
Ye Fan's eyes flashed with sharp light. He stood motionless, observing. What a powerful figure this must have been, trapped here. Even this killing intent alone prevented Sect Leaders from approaching.
Unfortunately, after endless ages, this person could not possibly still be alive. The fire essence had burned them to skin and bones. Upon closer inspection, their torso, limbs, and head had all been severed.
It seemed that their enemy, fearing they might revive, had chained them here, subjecting them to thousands of years of torment, binding them to the altar to use fire essence to extinguish their spirit.
Ye Fan did not approach further. It was not worth it for a dead person. He noticed that the altar was inscribed with a killing formation, likely at the Saint level. There was no need to take risks.
"Eh!"
Suddenly, Ye Fan was greatly startled. When he hovered in the air and looked down from above, he saw a stone carving on the altar—clearly visible.
"This is..."
He opened his Heavenly Eye and saw that it resembled a corner of a terrain map. The mountains and rivers were complex, pointing to some unknown location. What shocked him most was that this stone carving had been made about a hundred years ago, incomparable to the ancient age of the iron chains and altar.
Ye Fan examined it carefully, growing more astonished. It had been left by the person whose torso, limbs, and head had been separated—carved forcibly by their right arm, which was bound by the iron chains.
"Who exactly is this person? They were trapped here at least since ancient times, living until about a hundred years ago..."
Ye Fan was certain that they were now completely dead, without a trace of life force. They had likely carved this stone map to fulfill their final wish, then died.
"Back then, when they were chained here, could it be that someone was trying to force them to reveal this secret?"
He carefully memorized the stone map but did not stay long. This was a deadly place laid down in ancient times, and there might be unknown dangers. After a moment, he returned to the surface and departed.
Ye Fan was in Jiujiang, within Jiangxi Province. He did not rush back. He wanted to visit another place in the province—Mount Longhu.
Mount Longhu was the ancestral court of the Orthodox Unity Daoist sect, holding a position of bridging past and future in Daoist history, with tremendous influence.
However, at this moment, Ye Fan's phone rang, interrupting his plans. He had to return to B City.
Xu Qiong looked uneasy and asked for his help. Yang Xiao was about to go south again, to re-enter Baling Mountain to investigate that Warring States tomb.
"Just tell him not to go, isn't that enough?"
"I already told him, but this bookworm is usually dull and unresponsive. Once he makes up his mind, even nine oxen can't pull him back. He said he doesn't need to go deep underground—he'll just wait outside to examine those cultural relics."
Ye Fan nodded upon hearing this and told her to rest assured. He would accompany this archaeological team south to Jiangling County.
It was said that recently, many supernatural incidents had occurred around that ancient tomb, causing panic among the locals. Higher authorities had given strict orders for them to thoroughly investigate this time, even using military assistance for excavation. There would be enough personnel.
Baling Mountain consisted of eight mountain ridges, with the posture of a group of dragons leaping. In ancient times, it was called Dragon Mountain. It contained many royal tombs, and it was said that one could attain Corpse Liberation Immortality here.
As soon as Ye Fan arrived, he sensed something unusual. Eight dragons coexisted, appearing as if they would soar into the sky, pulling the tombs into the nine heavens. The ancients had chosen this place for burial tombs—there was indeed great significance.
Baling Mountain was majestic and deep. Pine trees rustled, mist and clouds were verdant, and the mountain's momentum was extraordinary. Though not tall, it had the aura of ascending dragons.
Ye Fan observed carefully and found that this tomb was very strange. The terrain resembled a Daoist sleeping soundly, about to transform into an immortal. The eight dragons served as guides, pulling him into the momentum of ascending to immortality.
The tomb had already been excavated, with large amounts of earth and stone removed, forming a small mountain in the distance. The surrounding area was lush, covered with ancient towering trees.
As Yang Xiao had said, there were enough personnel, all with modern tools. Truck after truck of earth was being hauled away. This ancient tomb had caused a very negative impact locally and needed to be resolved quickly.
Aside from some excavators and archaeological experts, military forces had indeed been deployed. They stood guard with loaded weapons, waiting for the tomb to be fully opened.
"Something's wrong! Just like last time, someone died inexplicably again," someone said fearfully.
The tomb entrance was pitch black, leading straight underground like an abyss, bottomless. A stretcher was sent down, and soon several blackened corpses were brought up.
Seeing this, Ye Fan sighed. He had arrived too late to prevent or save them.
People had discovered a pair of enormous stone doors underground, but they could not open them. Several people had died. Finally, the military went down.
"Boom!"
A loud explosion rang out as the underground stone doors were blasted open with explosives. An extremely cold aura surged upward, causing everyone to involuntarily retreat.
Ye Fan secretly acted, using his power to block that aura. Strange sounds came from underground. All the archaeological personnel withdrew, feeling a sense of dread.
Before long, celestial music sounded, seemingly coming from the underworld, leaving people baffled. At this moment, an old Daoist and several others took advantage of the chaos to descend underground, entering the tomb.
"A Warring States tomb, related to ancient Qi Refining cultivators..." Ye Fan flashed inside and saw a blasted-open stone door, inscribed with the words "Longevity Immortal Mansion" in pre-Qin seal script.