The ancient seal script carved onto the stone stele finally revealed whose tomb this was.
King Liu An of Huainan — he was no ordinary man. Not only was he a member of the imperial Han bloodline, but he was also a philosopher and a literary figure of the Western Han dynasty. His commentary "The Transmission of Li Sao" (Li Sao Zhuan) was one of the earliest works to highly praise Qu Yuan and his Li Sao.
Liu An once gathered thousands of scholars and mystics to compile the monumental classic "Honglie", later known as "Huainanzi". This work became a milestone in Chinese intellectual history, covering philosophy, politics, ethics, history, literature, economics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geography, agriculture, waterworks, medicine, and health — and was heavily infused with Daoist thought.
He was also among the world's earliest experimenters with hot air balloon flight and is credited as the inventor of tofu.
"Huainanzi" consists of 21 Inner Chapters, 33 Outer Chapters, and 2 Daoist Discourses — totaling over 200,000 characters. He also authored 82 poems in "Odes of King Huainan", 44 pieces in "Odes of the Ministers", 4 songs in "Songs of Huainan", and 19 scrolls in "Miscellaneous Stars of Huainan" and "Universal Techniques of Huainan".
Above all, he was associated with the famous legend: "When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
However, it was now clear that King Huainan had not truly ascended. Instead, he had faked his death and entered this tomb. Those grand legends were nothing more than illusions crafted to cover his retreat.
According to the inscription on the stele,King Huainan not only survived but secluded himself within the tomb to continue his alchemical research. He even went so far as to harness the tomb's geomantic forces — channeling the energies of heaven and earth — in a bid to refine an Immortal Ascension Pill. A single pill that could grant true immortality.
Nothing else needed to be said: Just one Ascension Pill would represent unimaginable wealth for any cultivator.
Swallow a golden pill, and your fate belongs not to the heavens but to yourself!That was the Immortal Pill.A shortcut to the heavens!
If someone could seize the pill, they might leap to the ranks of true powerhouses — beings of might capable of standing tall across the Eternal Continent.
"Incredible! It's really the tomb of King Huainan!"
"They said he ascended to the heavens, chickens and all, but it turns out he entered his tomb instead!"
"There truly exists an Immortal Ascension Pill, evolved from the formula for an Eternal Life Pill! It must be a peerless treasure! If I could obtain it, wouldn't I ascend in one step too?"
Cultivators were quickly overwhelmed by ecstasy.
No one could resist the desire for immortality.
Even Yi Tianxing found his heart burning with intense longing — and deep curiosity.
If King Huainan had indeed devised a way to forge the Ascension Pill using such a method, it was truly incredible. But the key question now was: had he succeeded? Had he already consumed the pill? Or had the process failed, and what remained was a half-finished treasure?
Also, what about the phenomenon they witnessed earlier — the soaring light that resembled a celestial ascension?Was that linked to the completed pill?Or was there another treasure hidden here?
These thoughts flashed rapidly through Yi Tianxing's mind.
"Unbelievable, King Huainan really pulled it off..." muttered the monk Hua absentmindedly.
"If you swallow the Immortal Pill... could you really ascend to immortality?" said Ye Zhiqiu, his face filled with awe.
The legends of immortal pills had existed since ancient times — but they had always been dismissed as mere myth.Now, a real possibility was laid out before their eyes.The shock was overwhelming.
"Look! There's more writing on the back!"
Someone pointed out the reverse side of the stele.
There, another set of inscriptions was carved — different in style and radiating an eerie, chilling aura.It was clearly not left by the original builder of the stele — it must have been added later by someone else.
The inscription read:
"Nine Dragon Paths: countless bones lie on the road to ascension.Eight Trigram Platform: to advance is to gamble your life.Seven-Star Coffin: the reversal of Yin and Yang, the burial of star officers.Yin-Yang Furnace: to refine the Immortal Pill and forge the path of enlightenment."
Yi Tianxing's eyes glinted with deep thought.
"It seems to describe the perils of the tomb. But it's still hard to decipher fully."
Suddenly, someone exclaimed:
"Look beyond the stele — there are nine floating roads!"
Behind the stone monument, a thick mist parted, revealing nine floating paths — twisting like colossal dragons through the void, each connecting to a distant platform.
The platforms were crowned by magnificent palaces, exuding a solemn and majestic air. Clearly, each road led to a different treasure hall.
"Amazing! These must be the Nine Dragon Paths mentioned on the stele!"
"So many lived here over long periods — surely countless treasures remain!"
"But you can only pick one road... and we don't know what lies at the end of each!"
Some cultivators shook their heads in frustration.
Still, many were eager to try. A clever youth picked up a stone and rolled it onto the first path.
BOOM!!CRACKLE!!!
The moment the stone touched the road, dazzling lightning bolts erupted, instantly vaporizing the stone into dust.The whole road was engulfed in raging thunder.
Gasp!
Many cultivators turned pale, their earlier eagerness replaced by fear.
"It's trapped! The road's covered in lightning!"
"Anyone stepping on it will be struck dead instantly!"
They quickly tested the other roads:
One path spewed raging flames hot enough to burn hair from a distance.
Another unleashed blizzards of freezing ice, freezing stones solid in seconds.
Others had poisonous water, thickets of razor thorns, swarms of blades, crushing gravity fields, deathly winds, or absolute darkness.
Each path was a deathtrap.No road was easy.Each represented a unique and deadly trial.
"So it's true. King Huainan's tomb is no simple place," said Ye Zhiqiu grimly." Which road do we choose? It's a gamble either way."
Yi Tianxing studied the Nine Dragon Paths carefully.
"Among them, the gravity path might be relatively safer. Its pressure likely increases progressively... meaning there could still be a chance to retreat if needed. But if one misjudges it, the crushing force could rupture your internal organs."
There was no absolute "easy" road.Only the question of which danger one was most confident facing.
"My life was saved by you. Whatever path you choose, I'll follow — even if it's a road through blades or fire," said the monk Hua nonchalantly.
Yi Tianxing inhaled deeply and pointed firmly:
"We'll take the Lightning Dragon Path."
The first road.The one shrouded in violent thunder.
Ye Zhiqiu's face darkened.
"Are you sure?!"
Even Hua the monk hesitated.
Humans were instinctively afraid of lightning. It was embedded deep within their primal memories.
Yi Tianxing calmly explained:
"Fear of thunder is instinctual. If we can conquer this fear now, we'll be much better prepared in the future — especially when facing heavenly tribulations. Overcoming the Lightning Dragon Path will sharpen our will."
His decision was made.There would be no turning back.