Chapter 1642: Chapter 1642

The two still hadn’t entered the temple. The giant snakes below dared not rush up, only lingered below, some frantically ramming back and forth. The two snakes whose eyes were blasted by Li Yifei, and half a tooth was chopped, also rammed in. These two snakes were definitely in a state of frenzy, yet still dared not advance even slightly, their massive bodies twisting at the edge of the steps, blood-red eyes staring at the two on the steps.

According to common sense, snakes have very weak vision, but the eyes of these giant snakes revealed a sense of dread that made one’s heart palpitate.

If they had handy weapons, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan could have fought these creatures, but relying on the two machetes temporarily bought from the store wasn’t worth the risk.

Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan stepped into the temple, entering the shadows and immediately felt an incomparable chill, as if they had shifted from summer to winter, goosebumps rising on their skin. It was normal for places without sunlight to be cool, but such cold was abnormal.

The temple seemed not very large, yet it was so dark inside that with their vision, they couldn’t see more than ten meters away, as if enveloped by a black cloth.

Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan stayed very close, slowly exploring inside. There were flashlights in their backpacks, but they had scattered while rescuing Xu Shanshan. Going back for them now was unrealistic, so they could only fumble their way in the dark.

"Be careful." Li Yifei stopped Xu Shanshan as a stone pillar suddenly appeared before them. The pillar had long since toppled, blocking their path. Shanshan was so alarmed that she hadn’t seen it. Without Li Yifei stopping her, she might have crashed into it.

Flashing a grin at Li Yifei, Xu Shanshan whispered, "This temple feels strange. The giant snakes dared not in. There might be something unexpected in here."

"Let’s hope it’s not something more terrifying," Li Yifei replied.

Xu Shanshan rolled her eyes. If it was something more terrifying, hadn’t they just escaped from the snakes only to fall straight into the jaws of another creature?

"I’m hoping there’s Bai Shan in here; that way we can take it back." Fresh chapters posted on NoveI[F]ire.net

Li Yifei grunted in agreement but was about to respond when he heard a drip in the darkness. It seemed like a tiny sound, like a drop of water falling, yet it was very loud, seemingly echoing in their hearts, causing fear to linger.

"Don’t be scared, and don’t move." Li Yifei sensed a breathing sound by his ear, huff... huff... matching a heartbeat. He concentrated to sense it but could not determine the sound’s source, unable even to gauge its proximity.

Glancing at Xu Shanshan, she appeared equally perplexed. She said, "I hear a heartbeat... no, it’s breathing, like an old man on his last legs, breathing heavily. No, it now sounds more like a beast..."

Despite the sound, their steps didn’t stop; instead, they continued slowly onward.

After about four or five minutes, they still couldn’t locate the source of the sound, and the surroundings only grew darker.

After a while, Li Yifei stopped and quietly asked Xu Shanshan beside him, "Shanshan, do you remember how big the temple looked earlier?"

Xu Shanshan frowned slightly and said, "Yes, I remember. Not big, larger than your villa, but it seemed very dilapidated, even partly collapsed."

"I recall the same; it wasn’t large..." Li Yifei pondered, eyebrows suddenly arching, both he and Xu Shanshan realizing something was strange.

"Do you mean... it might be a Formation Method?"

"Yes." Li Yifei nodded.

He confirmed that after entering the temple, they hadn’t descended, and from outside, the temple wasn’t large. Even walking slowly, after four or five minutes, it should not still appear boundless. Given the time, they should have covered two to three hundred meters.

The surroundings remained pitch black, the breathing sound fluctuating between near and far.

They hadn’t considered a Formation Method problem initially, but now, it seemed highly probable.

If it was a Formation Method, continuing would be pointless. Both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan halted, Shanshan instinctively guarded, while Li Yifei closed his eyes, letting his presence out, immersing himself to earnestly unravel the Formation Method.

Unaware of how long had passed, indistinguishable in the darkness, sometime after Xu Shanshan nearly lost her patience with the breathing sound, Li Yifei opened his eyes, a hint of a smile appearing. He started walking with purpose, taking three steps forward, one step back, then two steps forward, half a step back, then turning to the left and taking a few more steps...

Thus, after several turns and steps, Xu Shanshan could no longer see Li Yifei, even though he was right in front of her.

A crisp snapping sound echoed, made by Li Yifei, and with the sound, there was a sudden brightness before them. The feeling of being shrouded in black mist instantly vanished, restoring light, and only then did they realize they were still at the temple’s entrance, having barely walked three meters inside. It was not as dark as before; on the contrary, they could see most of the surroundings clearly.

Before them lay a fallen stone pillar, carved into the shape of a giant python. In the temple, every few meters stood a stone pillar, upright, also in the form of a giant python, as thick as a barrel, stretching over ten meters, even up to about twenty meters.

The appearance of each stone pillar differed slightly, depicting snakes either standing with eyes closed, glaring with fierce eyes, or dozing off, each one different.

Merely glancing at them gave the illusion that these stone pillars were alive, causing Xu Shanshan to subconsciously step back two paces, adopting a defensive posture.

Li Yifei stared at the stone pillars for a moment, shook his head slightly, and said, "They are dead, but the Formation Method is real. We should still proceed together, not apart."

Earlier, the Formation Method was not overly complex. Li Yifei released his aura, focusing his senses around, and found a way to break it. Yet, such a Formation Method, not too difficult, had trapped them for quite some time.

Looking around again, there were several sets of white bones before them, without exception all human. Each skeleton appeared slightly different, some collapsed on the ground, some half-sitting, and others even standing.

These were all the people trapped to death by the entrance Formation Method, proving the temple’s peculiar nature. Otherwise, in such a hazardous place, so many would not venture in.

"It is very likely that this is the place we are searching for, so we must explore deeper," Li Yifei said, looking at Xu Shanshan.

Xu Shanshan nodded firmly, saying, "Then let’s go in and take a look, together."

"Hmm, let’s exit first and check on those guys outside."

Having just stepped a few paces into the temple, exiting was easy; a few steps backward brought them back out. As soon as they appeared on the temple platform, the massive pythons that had remained began to react violently once again, their enormous bodies entwining and even some thrashing about in rage.

Luckily, they dared not approach, allowing Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan to relax, as their current state and equipment could not handle these behemoths. The temple restraining them was undoubtedly a good thing.

Turning back, Li Yifei reminded Xu Shanshan to be cautious as they re-entered the temple. This time, they encountered no darkness; though the light was still insufficient, they did not lose themselves again.

The entrance Formation Method was cracked, and they stood before a stone tablet with inscriptions, starting with four large characters — "Square Inch Array."

Both Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan recognized the characters as Clerical script, whose origin was in the Han Dynasty. Li Yifei knew more about this aspect: the development of Han Dynasty calligraphy underwent several periods. Initially, it inherited the Qin Dynasty script, primarily using seal script, which later declined, and Clerical script flourished, reaching its peak during the Eastern Han Dynasty; cursive script matured as a style in the Han Dynasty. If this was Clerical script, it might indicate the temple was built before the Common Era.

Below "Square Inch Array" were several lines of smaller characters. After some deciphering, they found it read: "By imperial decree, come here to cultivate ’Shan,’ await its maturity, to extend life for the Yin Empress."

Yin Empress? Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei rapidly recalled their knowledge of history, and soon Li Yifei murmured, "When taking a wife, take Yin Lihua. The Yin Empress mentioned here must be Yin Lihua. Therefore, this emperor is likely Emperor Guangwu, the founder of the Eastern Han Dynasty."

Xu Shanshan nodded in agreement. What delighted them was not the mention of the Yin Empress and Emperor Guangwu, but the reference to cultivating ’Shan’ here, signifying this might indeed be the location of Bai Shan, meaning Master Void’s map was genuine, and it truly existed!

This also shed light on their son’s situation, bringing them great joy.

Continuing their observation, they discovered even finer characters in the inscription: "Now that you have come, if there be no paramount reason, refrain from continuing. The mature ’Shan’ is unpredictable, highly dangerous, cherish thy life."

Both understood the warning, but Li Yifei shook his head, unwilling to turn back. Although the Bai Shan was said to be dangerously unpredictable, possibly very powerful, a single warning could not deter them.

The final line explained Bai Shan’s function: "Shan extends life, proven for thirty years here, yet regrettably unusable by me, and the Yin Empress has long perished, as has the Emperor, leaving this place abandoned."

Bai Shan could extend life; although it was cultivated, it could not be used because Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu and Yin Lihua had long since died.