The fourth year of Emperor Wuzong's reign in the Great Tang Dynasty.
The court was in turmoil. Treacherous officials abused their power and ran rampant, while loyal ministers were either framed and ruined, or chose to retire to their hometowns and seek seclusion in the wild mountains to avoid witnessing the oppression of the populace and the misery of the common people.
From the Qilian Mountains on the northwestern border, a small stream wound its way down to a small town about fifty miles from the foot of the mountains, where it merged with a great river flowing downstream.
This stream originated from a mountain valley deep within the Qilian range.
The mouth of the valley was extremely narrow and treacherous, looking as though a bolt of lightning had split the mountain into a deep chasm. Yet, the further one ventured inside, the wider it became, shaping itself like a gourd until it eventually expanded to a width of five miles.
Aside from the valley mouth, which served as the sole entrance and exit, the surrounding terrain consisted of sheer cliffs as smooth as mirrors, which even monkeys and apes could not scale.
From the outside, it appeared to be a dead valley, but in truth, the interior was a prosperous and bustling settlement.
A straight stone-paved road led from the valley mouth, flanked on both sides by fields of barley swaying gently in the wind.
Here and there, farmers could be seen bending over in the fields. Since the crops were not yet ripe, they were likely weeding and fertilizing.
To find such a peaceful life hidden away in a wild mountain valley was truly a blessing akin to paradise in these chaotic times.
The stone-paved road led to a manor without surrounding walls, resembling a small hamlet. In front of the manor lay a plum blossom forest, followed by a garden filled with rare flowers and exotic herbs. To the left was a row of livestock pens, and to the right was a vast, bottomless lake. Behind the manor lay an orchard.
The scenery inside the valley was truly spectacular, no less than a mythical Peach Blossom Spring. The person who created this sanctuary must have been an elegant and transcendent soul to have arranged such a landscape.
As the sun dipped behind the mountains, wisps of blue cooking smoke drifted up from the manor, adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
By the lakeside, a group of young children were playing. A few zhang away, a young boy leaned against the trunk of a plum tree, holding a copy of the *Thousand Character Classic* in his hands. He was reading intently, paying no attention to his playmates.
This boy was about eleven years old, with a fair, chubby face and bright, sparkling eyes that made him look incredibly endearing.
Just by watching his absorbed reading, one could tell that the child had a highly promising future ahead of him.
Suddenly, a panicked cry rang out from the playing children:
“Brother Tianlong! Come here quickly!”
Hearing his name, the reading boy looked up to see a young girl of about seven or eight rushing toward him. She stumbled as she ran, her face filled with sheer terror.
Tianlong asked calmly:
“What’s the matter?”
The girl scrambled to her feet and pointed toward the lake, gasping for breath:
“Brother Tianlong! Come look, quickly... There’s a monster in the lake...”
By then, two or three other children were also fleeing in panic from the lakeside toward the plum forest.
Tianlong stood up and said:
“Xiuxiu! Don’t be afraid! What kind of monster is it?”
The girl replied:
“I don’t know! Xiaohu told me to ask you. He said you read a lot of books, so you would surely know...”
Tianlong asked anxiously:
“Where is Xiaohu?”
“He’s still there watching the monster. Hurry, go there!”
Tianlong said quickly:
“Alright! I’ll go take a look!”
With that, he dashed toward the lake.
He had only taken a few steps when he saw Xiaohu running frantically up the slope. The boy's face was deathly pale, drained of all color, and something—seemingly a snake—was chasing close behind him.
Tianlong rushed forward and indeed saw a python as thick as an adult's calf slithering in hot pursuit of Xiaohu.
Seeing his younger brother in grave danger, Tianlong forgot all fear. Grabbing a fallen branch, he lunged forward to block the monstrous python.
The python immediately shifted its target and lunged at Thien Long.
How could an eleven-year-old child possibly resist such a massive python?
Within moments, the python had wrapped itself around Thien Long, but he desperately grabbed its neck with both hands, pushing it away to prevent it from biting him.
The python's body coiled several times around Thien Long, leaving only about three feet of its neck protruding. Deprived of its leverage and held tightly by the throat, the snake was momentarily helpless. However, with its immense constricting power, it wouldn't be long before the boy's bones were crushed to pieces.
Tieu Ho cried out:
"Brother Thien Long! Don't let go of its neck! I'll help you!"
But Thien Long was constricted so tightly that he could no longer stand. He collapsed to the ground, his hands still desperately squeezing the python's neck, refusing to let go.
Boy and beast wrestled for a moment before rolling over the edge of the cliff, falling straight down!
The cliff here was extremely steep, dropping seventy to eighty feet down to the water's edge. Below lay jagged, treacherous rocks; how could a child possibly survive such a fall?
By the time Tieu Ho found a wooden stick and ran back, his older brother and the python had already plunged into the lake!
In a panic, he screamed:
"Brother Thien Long! Are you okay?"
But there was no reply. Looking down, he could see nothing but darkness below.
Dusk had already fallen. Tieu Ho ran frantically toward home, but after only a hundred yards, he saw a group of people rushing out with torches. Leading them was a middle-aged man in his early forties.
Tieu Ho threw himself forward, sobbing as he spoke:
"Father! Brother Long..."
The middle-aged man asked urgently:
"What happened to Long?"
Tieu Ho pointed toward the cliff and stammered:
"Brother Long... he was dragged into the lake by a giant python!"
The middle-aged man's face paled. He rushed to the edge, preparing to jump, but someone grabbed him and warned:
"Don't jump! You'll be dashed to pieces! Quick, take the path around the slope to get down!"
The rocky shore of the lake was treacherous and difficult to navigate. By the time the group made their way down to where Thien Long had fallen, night had completely fallen. They swept their torches across a wide area but found nothing; the surface of the lake was dead silent.
Three or four men dove into the lake to search, but after an hour of fruitless diving, they were forced to return to the shore.
A woman in her early thirties, soaking wet and with disheveled hair, collapsed onto the rocky shore, sobbing hysterically:
"My Long'er... what a tragic death you have suffered!"
The middle-aged man went over to help her up, offering words of comfort:
"My wife, do not weep so. It was his fate."
The woman shrieked:
"No! I don't believe our Long'er is dead! I must find him!"
With that, she broke free of his grasp and lunged toward the lake.
The middle-aged man held her back, saying:
"My wife! It has already been two hours. There is no hope left!"
"If that is so, then let me go down and join him!"
Tu Tu clutched at her robes, weeping:
"Mother, don't leave me! Let me go with Brother Thien Long!"
Tieu Ho also wailed in grief:
"Brother Long! You died a terrible death to save me! What is the point of me living?"
Two of the men held Tieu Ho and Tu Tu back, while the middle-aged man supported his wife as they left the scene, their steps heavy as they returned to the manor. Whether the python was dead or alive remained unknown, but from that day on, children were strictly forbidden from coming anywhere near this area.
In the days that followed, the villagers searched tirelessly, but Thien Long's body was nowhere to be found. Even after three days, his corpse did not float to the surface.
His parents had no choice but to set up a memorial tablet for him, mourning him as a lost soul whose body would never be recovered.
* * * * *
Yet, Thien Long was not dead.
Because the python coiled around him had acted as a cushion during the fall, its spine had snapped upon impact, leaving him completely unharmed.
Though the beast had lost its strength, its coils remained locked around Thien Long as both boy and serpent sank into the depths of the lake.
Tian Long was an excellent swimmer. Although the python wrapped around him like a rope, its grip was no longer as tight as before. Clasping the python's neck tightly with both hands, he kicked hard against the lake bed to surface, took a breath of true qi, and then submerged again. In this manner, he managed to avoid drowning, but the current swept him further and further away.
After a while, the current suddenly grew extremely swift, dragging him into an undercurrent whirlpool.
Tian Long struggled desperately in the water to survive, but the current grew stronger by the second, sweeping him along as furiously as a waterfall. Had the python not been wrapped around his body, he would have been dashed against the rocks and killed long ago.
Finally, he was slammed hard against a boulder. His vision went dark, and he lost consciousness.
When he woke up, Tian Long found himself lying at the foot of a waterfall that was six or seven zhang high, the rushing water roaring deafeningly.
The python was still wrapped around him, but it was dead.
Recalling what had just happened, he realized that his survival was nothing short of a miracle. The python had been the source of his misfortune, yet it was also thanks to this monstrous serpent that he was still alive. Without its body wrapped around him to cushion the impact, being flung by the waterfall onto this boulder would have surely crushed his bones and shattered his flesh.
He freed himself from the python and stepped away.
His surroundings were dim and gloomy. Tian Long realized he was inside a stone cavern. The water cascading from the lake had dwindled to a small stream winding through large, bizarrely shaped rocks; most of it had likely seeped into the underground rocky bed.
Looking up at the waterfall, it seemed to pour down from a domed ceiling. There was no way up; only birds could fly out of here.
Thus, his path back was cut off. His only hope was to find another exit out of the cavern.
Tian Long stood hesitating for a moment, then followed the stream. But after only three or four zhang, the cavern came to an end, and the water dried up. Where had it gone?
Tian Long stood there frozen in despair.
He had fallen into a dead-end cave with no way out.
Aside from the trickling of water, there was no other sound—not even the chirp of an insect.
Tears welling up, Tian Long cried out in panic:
— Father... Mother!
Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed through the cavern. Terrified, Tian Long looked around, but saw no one. The cavern remained desolate.
He muttered:
— What was that? Could there be a monster?
The sound rang out again, but this time it was softer and lasted longer.
Tian Long listened closely and suddenly understood. He thought to himself:
“So it was just my own voice bouncing off the stone walls and creating an echo... It seems I am trapped in a sealed cave!”
Even so, he still felt deeply afraid.
A mere eleven-year-old boy, having just escaped a great disaster only to fall into a pitch-black, deserted cavern with his way back blocked—how could he not be afraid? How would he survive in the days to come?
Tian Long sat down, buried his face in his hands, and burst into tears. The loud, reverberating echoes only added to the eerie atmosphere.
He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly stopped crying. Realizing that no amount of weeping would help his situation, he summoned his courage, stood up, and began to explore the cavern, groping through the dimly lit rocky crevices.
Feeling much braver now, he squeezed through various nooks and crannies, finally finding a narrow, upward-sloping passage on the left.
Since he was still young and did not know martial arts, navigating the winding, treacherous, and steep passage was extremely difficult, but his courage gave him extra strength.
After walking about half a li, the path ahead suddenly brightened, and the passage became much wider and flatter.
Finally, he reached the cave entrance, stepping out into a mountain valley.
Tian Long was overjoyed, feeling as if he had returned home. Living among the trees, breathing the open air, with flowers and fruits all around, he felt hopeful about finding a way out.
The valley was uneven, with trees and a stream, spanning about three mu. Ancient trees towered into the sky, but it was surrounded entirely by sheer, towering cliffs with no way out. Even the lowest point was thirty or forty zhang high, a height that even monkeys and apes would likely fail to scale.
Nevertheless, this place was bathed in bright sunlight and filled with fruit trees, many of which Tian Long recognized as edible. This was far better than being trapped inside the stone cave.
Furthermore, since this place was open to the sky, there was a chance that people might pass by eventually, allowing him to call for help.
Tian Long thought to himself:
"At least I won't starve to death. At most, in five or seven months, or perhaps a year or two, I am bound to encounter someone."
Reassured by this thought, he gathered some fruit to stave off his hunger, went down to the stream to bathe, and then fell fast asleep.
Upon waking, he wandered aimlessly around the valley and suddenly noticed some faded characters carved onto a moss-covered cliff face.
Where there was writing, there were bound to be traces of humans, which immediately caught his attention.
Tian Long wiped away the moss and read the inscription:
"Qiankun Cave Abode."
Those four characters were carved into the stone, but a single dot among them was a round, protruding button.
Overcome by curiosity, Tian Long pressed the button.
Suddenly, a series of low rumbles echoed, causing Tian Long to jump back in alarm.
When he looked again, he saw a stone chamber open up before him.
It turned out he had just triggered a mechanism that opened a hidden door.
Without stopping to consider whether there was any danger inside, Tian Long immediately stepped in.
The door immediately shut behind him.
Even so, the stone chamber was very bright. Looking closely, he saw that the light came from several large night-glowing pearls embedded in the walls.
Tian Long thought to himself:
"This must be the abode of some wealthy figure or a master of the martial world, as I've heard that these night-glowing pearls are incredibly valuable. Since the door opened automatically, there must be a mechanism to open it from the inside as well. Let's explore first and see if anyone is here!"
The stone chamber was very spacious, naturally formed but modified by human hands to resemble a hall. It contained stone tables and chairs, a stone platform, and a cabinet made of high-quality wood. There was also a stove, cooking utensils, fire-starting tools, and some food, though the food had long since spoiled and gone moldy.
Tian Long thought to himself:
"As long as I have fire, I'll be fine. As for food, there is no shortage outside the cave—there are plenty of fruits, and quite a few nesting birds. My meals are sorted!"
He then opened the cabinet and saw many books divided into two compartments.
Between the two stacks of books lay a yellowed piece of parchment, on which was written:
"He who enters here is destined. Master my martial arts and become the disciple of the Master of the Qiankun Cave!"
Tian Long said to himself:
"Does this mean I will become a member of the jianghu from now on? Up until now, I have only studied literature and not martial arts, but learning martial arts is good too. They say many people seek a master to learn the Dao but fail to find one. Now that I have been blessed with this destiny, why not make the most of it? It's just that this master has probably been dead for a long time, and he likely left these books for me to teach myself."
Tian Long's guess was correct. Hanging on the side of the cabinet was a treasured sword. In the smaller compartment, there were only five volumes of martial arts manuals, including mental cultivation methods, palm techniques, sword techniques, and some other martial arts that he could not yet comprehend at first glance.
The sword and palm techniques had many illustrations, while the mental cultivation methods pointed out numerous acupuncture points on the human body.
The other compartment contained hundreds of books of various genres, such as literary collections, poetry collections, Confucianism, philosophy, history, and natural science.
Tian Long thought to himself:
– “This Qiankun Cave Master must be an erudite scholar, which proves he is also an outstanding martial arts master. Becoming the disciple of such a person is nothing to regret!”
Inside the cabinet, there was also a compartment containing a dozen or so medicine vials wrapped in sheepskin, with notes on how to use them. Among them, a jade vial had an inscription that read:
“My disciple! First, take three of these Zhugong Pills to boost your internal power, and then take one pill every month thereafter. There is enough medicine to last for five years. Combined with your martial arts training, you will achieve supreme martial arts!”
Among the medicines, there was a large bottle labeled “Zhiji Pills,” which could be taken instead of meals; taking just one pill a day would stave off hunger. There were also several bottles of antidotes and several bottles of healing medicine named “Shangqing Pills.”
In addition, in a corner of the stone chamber stood a large jar. Deep from within the wall protruded a small spout about the thickness of a brush pen. Hanging from the tip of the spout was a tiny cup no larger than a thumb. Every hour or so, a single drop of crystal-clear water would drip from the spout, eventually filling the cup and overflowing into the mouth of the jar.
Carved on the jar were the words: “Stone Milk, drink one small cup daily.”
Tian Long swallowed three of the power-boosting pills, then drank a small cup of the Stone Milk. Instantly, he felt incredibly refreshed and invigorated.
There was a door in the stone chamber leading to an unknown destination. The moment Tian Long opened it, a wave of heat blasted his face like a furnace, causing him to shut the door in a panic.
From that day on, Tian Long began his training.
Time flew by, and three years had passed since Tian Long first arrived in the stone cave.
He was now thirteen or fourteen years old, but thanks to drinking the Stone Milk, taking the elixirs, and diligently practicing martial arts, he had grown as robust as a youth of sixteen or seventeen. His clothes had become tattered and too tight to wear, and since there was no one else in the stone cave, he simply discarded them. With shoulder-length hair, he looked completely wild, yet his face had grown even more handsome, and his eyes shone with an especially brilliant luster.
Thanks to his intelligence, diligent practice, and natural talent for martial arts, combined with the powerful assistance of the divine medicine and Stone Milk, Tian Long had learned a great deal after three years. He knew how to circulate his qi and blood and channel them through the three yang and three yin meridians, and his internal power had progressed immensely.
Furthermore, Tian Long learned a great deal from the hundreds of books left behind by the Qiankun Cave Master. From medical theory, pharmacology, poetry, and literature to history, geography, and divination, there was no subject he did not master.
Another two years passed. Although Tian Long was only fifteen or sixteen years old, he was as tall and well-built as a youth of nineteen or twenty. He grew more handsome by the day, though his hair was disheveled and he wore no clothes.
Because he lived isolated from the world, his personality remained like that of a ten-year-old child, and he had absolutely no concept of gender.
By then, he had achieved sixty to seventy percent mastery of the supreme martial art, the Qiankun Divine Art.
One day, Tian Long left the Qiankun Cave to look for fruit when he suddenly spotted a monkey with fiery golden fur lying beside a snake whose head had been torn off.
He went over to investigate. Seeing that the monkey was still alive, he thought to himself:
– “It has clearly been bitten by a venomous snake. I must save its life. If it's willing to stay here with me, it will make things less lonely.”
At this point, he no longer had any thoughts of returning to the outside world, but was determined to master all the martial arts recorded in the five volumes found in the cave.
Tian Long went back into the cave to fetch two vials of antidote and healing medicine to treat the monkey. He carried it to the stream bank, used a knife to cut open the wound to squeeze out all the venomous blood, washed it clean, applied the medicine, and bandaged it up.
He then pried open the monkey's jaws and fed it an antidote pill.
A moment later, the creature woke up.
Seeing a human, it quickly leaped back, baring its fangs and screeching fiercely.
This was a Jinmao Monkey, a species known for being incredibly strong and fierce; even martial artists would find it difficult to defeat.
Tian Long smiled and said:
"Why treat your savior like that?"
He took out a few ripe red fruits and said:
"Hungry, aren't you? Do you want to eat?"
His friendly attitude immediately calmed the monkey down. Looking down at its bandaged arm, it recalled its fight with the snake and guessed that this person had saved its life. It let out a few soft cries as if to show its gratitude.
Tian Long said:
"Ah! It seems you're quite clever! That's good! Here, eat!"
With that, he held out the fruits.
The monkey hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to take them, unceremoniously stuffing them into its mouth.
Tian Long had lived in solitude for five years. Now, having this monkey as a companion, even though it was just an animal, made him extremely happy.
The monkey quickly took a liking to him. After finishing the ripe fruits, it held out its hand, wanting more.
Tian Long gave it some more.
Waiting until the monkey finished eating, he smiled and asked:
"Do you want to stay here with me?"
He pointed toward the stone cave as he spoke.
The monkey seemed to understand and trotted inside. Tian Long followed it in.
From then on, the monkey stayed with Tian Long, and he named it Jin Ling.
Now, besides practicing his martial arts, Tian Long also taught the monkey some martial arts moves.
A few months later, Jin Ling brought back another monkey.
Tian Long smiled and asked:
"Well now? Is this your mate? Very well, I agree to let you both live here!"
The new monkey let out a few cries, appearing grateful.
Tian Long named it Jin Li.
From then on, Tian Long's life became much livelier, and his meals improved. Occasionally, the two monkeys would catch weasels or squirrels and bring them back for meat.
One day, while Tian Long was practicing his cultivation, Jin Ling and Jin Li rushed in from outside the valley in a panic, tugging at his clothes to pull him outside.
Surprised, Tian Long asked:
"What's the matter?"
Jin Ling gestured wildly while pulling him, but Tian Long couldn't understand a thing, so he simply let himself be dragged along.
The two monkeys led Tian Long to the base of the opposite cliff, where a person lay motionless on a thick bed of rattan leaves.
The cliff here was about seventy to eighty zhang high. The person must have slipped and fallen from the mountain, and was likely already dead.
Tian Long gestured for the two monkeys to bring the person down so he could check on them.
It was a young woman of about eighteen or nineteen, very beautiful, with a spearhead pierced into her right chest. Although she was still alive, her breathing was extremely weak.
Just seeing another human made Tian Long overjoyed. He immediately scooped her up, carried her into the stone cave, and began treating her.
Tian Long had no concept of gender, viewing women no differently from men. Thus, he pulled out the spearhead and casually removed the young woman's clothes to treat her wound.
Seeing the young woman's bare chest, Tian Long felt both surprised and intrigued, but he did not feel any lust.
A moment later, remembering his task, he focused on inspecting the wound and noticed that the blood flowing from it was purplish-black.
Realizing the spearhead was poisoned, Tian Long pressed his mouth to the wound to suck out the venom, washed it clean, and applied the Shangqing Pill.
After waiting for a long time without the young woman waking up, Tian Long thought anxiously to himself:
"I wonder why it's taking her so long to wake up?"
It was not until two hours later that the young woman finally regained consciousness.
The moment she opened her eyes, she realized she was naked. Looking up to see a naked youth standing right in front of her, she lost her wits entirely. She shrank back into the corner of the platform, covering her chest with both hands, and burst into tears:
"How dare you..."
Tian Long said in surprise:
"What is wrong, miss? I only treated your wounds, I didn't do anything else."
The young woman looked down and saw that her chest was bandaged. Only then did she recall her situation, thinking to herself:
"He must have saved me, but he also took advantage of me and violated me! Otherwise, why is he completely naked?"
At this thought, she cried even harder and said:
"Just kill me!"
Tian Long asked in bewilderment:
"I just saved you, miss. Why are you telling me to kill you?"
The young woman grabbed her robe, from which a piece had been torn to make the bandage, and used it to cover herself. Gritting her teeth, she asked:
"How dare you dishonor me?"
Tian Long asked:
"What does 'dishonor' mean? I only washed your wound, sucked out the venomous blood, applied medicine, and bandaged it!"
He then poured out a pill and said:
"I haven't even given you the antidote yet..."
Ignoring the pill, the young woman stared blankly and asked:
"You... you dared to suck the blood from my chest?"
Tian Long smiled and replied:
"Of course! The arrowhead was poisoned. If I didn't suck the blood out, how could I have cured you?"
"Then you... you didn't dishonor me?"
"What is 'dishonor'? I don't know!"
The young woman's face flushed red:
"It's... it's
"Oh! Why did you fall down here, Sister Feng? Who wounded you with that poison dart?"
Chen Yunfeng replied:
"A few days ago, rumors spread in the martial world that a sacred herb called Zhima had appeared on Mount Jishi, so many masters gathered there to fight for it. I also heard the news and came looking. Unexpectedly, I ran into a great devil named the Poison-Handed Celestial Venerable. Hearing that I was a disciple of the Holy Mother of Mount Tianshan, he attacked without saying a word. Since I was no match for him, I was struck by a poison dart and fell into the abyss. Fortunately, you saved my life, otherwise..."
Tian Long smiled and said:
"Everything is fine now! We will practice martial arts together, and once we've mastered them, we'll find a way out of here."
Chen Yunfeng blushed and said:
"First, I must make a loincloth for you, otherwise it would be too embarrassing!"
With that, she tore off a section of her trouser leg and fashioned a temporary loincloth for Tian Long to wear.
From that day on, the two remained in the stone cave to practice martial arts together. Their feelings for each other grew deeper and more affectionate by the day.
Chen Yunfeng had already intended to entrust her life to Tian Long, so she took exceptionally tender care of him.
With Chen Yunfeng by his side, Tian Long matured rapidly, gradually developing his masculinity.
Recalling how he had previously appeared stark naked before her, he felt deeply ashamed.
Another two years passed.
One day, Tian Long showed Chen Yunfeng a martial arts manual and said:
"I have mastered all the other styles, but this is the only manual I still don't understand."
Chen Yunfeng read the cover, which was inscribed with "Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art". Skimming through a few pages, she realized it was a supreme martial art, but it could only be mastered once yin and yang were united.
Her face flushed as she said:
"This martial art... cannot be practiced!"
Tian Long asked in surprise:
"Why is that?"
Chen Yunfeng said embarrassedly:
"Because... because this can only be practiced by those who have started a family."
Tian Long stared blankly at her face for a long time but said nothing.
From then on, while continuing to practice the Qiankun Divine Art, he also taught it to Chen Yunfeng, never again bringing up the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
A few months later, after the two had searched every corner of the valley, even retracing their steps to the water cave where Tian Long had originally drifted ashore, they realized there was no hope of escape. Chen Yunfeng then took the initiative to suggest marriage so they could practice the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
From then on, bound as husband and wife, they practiced the supreme martial art together.
Another year passed.
Heaven indeed did not fail them.
After mastering the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art, the martial arts of both progressed by leaps and bounds, and their eight extraordinary meridians flowed with ease.
Only then did Tian Long suddenly remember the door in the stone chamber, and he discussed it with Chen Yunfeng:
"Yunfeng! Perhaps we can escape through that door. Now that our martial arts have reached this level, we might be able to withstand it. Let's go in and take a look!"
Chen Yunfeng thought for a moment and agreed.
Thanks to consuming a large amount of stalactite nectar, and with his inner power now a hundred times greater than before, Tian Long felt the heat subside significantly.
He told Chen Yunfeng to wait outside while he went in to investigate first.
The further he went inside, the hotter it became, forcing Tian Long to circulate his Qiankun Divine Art to resist it.
After walking about three zhang, the heat became unbearable, and the cave walls ahead glowed a fiery red.
Just as Tian Long was about to turn back, he suddenly noticed some characters carved on a stone pedestal a few paces away.
Channeling all his inner power to resist the heat, he approached the pedestal and saw a small iron box resting on it, with writing on its surface:
"Swallow the Fire Dragon inner elixir, then sit on this stone stool and circulate your energy through the eight extraordinary meridians to resist the heat. Men should take the white pill to practice Qian Yang Gong, and women should take the yellow pill to practice Yin Qi Gong; both will surely achieve great mastery."
Tian Long opened the box and saw two very large medicinal pills inside. Without the slightest hesitation, he swallowed the white pill, sat on the stone stool, and began to channel his energy.
A moment after swallowing the pill, he suddenly felt a burning heat like fire raging inside him. He endured the pain with all his might while desperately channeling his energy.
After circulating his energy through his meridians ten times, Tian Long suddenly felt the heat gradually subside. Soon, he barely needed to focus his mind on channeling his energy, as it began to circulate through his meridians automatically.
Realizing that his cultivation had reached a whole new level, he was overjoyed.
This was the sign that his Ren and Du meridians had been cleared and transformed.
From outside the cave entrance, Chen Yunfeng's voice echoed inside:
"Husband! What is taking you so long?"
Having completed his cultivation, Tian Long replied:
"Come inside as well!"
Chen Yunfeng did as she was told, channeling her energy and stepping inside. But after only a few steps, she cried out:
"It's too hot! I can't bear it!"
Tian Long encouraged her:
"Don't say anything! Just channel your Qiankun Divine Art to its absolute limit. Just hold on a little longer!"
Although she tried her absolute best, she still could not endure it and had no choice but to turn back.
Three months later, Tian Long said to Chen Yunfeng:
"Master left behind two Fire Dragon inner elixirs, which means our destiny is written in the stars. Try it one more time!"
Chen Yunfeng listened to him, channeled her energy, and stepped into the Fire Dragon Cave. Sure enough, this time she succeeded.
Although practicing Yin Qi Gong was much more arduous for her than it had been for Tian Long, she finally managed to break through her Ren and Du meridians.
Overjoyed, Chen Yunfeng said:
"I succeeded! Thank you, husband!"
Then, she stood up, threw her arms around him, and kissed him passionately.
They checked what was hidden inside the stone stool and found that it contained many chests and boxes of various shapes and sizes. They opened them one by one to inspect the contents.
Both of them stood frozen in sheer astonishment.
Inside the boxes were numerous precious treasures such as gold, jade, and pearls, along with one male robe, five female outfits, a three-and-a-half-foot-long sword with a jade-encrusted hilt beautifully carved with a dragon, and five swords about two and a half feet long in five colors—purple, red, yellow, black, and blue—their hilts also encrusted with jade and lifelike carvings of phoenixes.
In addition, there was a small gold box inlaid with jade, containing a hand-sized white jade medallion engraved with the three characters 'Shenlong Token' and a tiny sword only three inches long that looked like a lovely ornament.
Finally, there was a sheepskin scroll that read:
"The long sword is named Shenlong. The short swords are Zi Feng, Hei Feng, Qing Feng, Hong Feng, and Huang Feng, forged from refined diamond, capable of piercing through anything.
The garments are the Qianxun Robes, impervious to water and fire, impenetrable by blades and swords.
One dragon and five phoenixes are destined by heaven; five phoenixes facing the sun, wandering like immortals."
(A few lines missing)
Tian Long quickly said:
"How could there be so many? I don't need them!"
Chen Yunfeng said thoughtfully:
"That may be so, but destiny is ordained by heaven. Even if you wanted to refuse, you couldn't!"
Tian Long waved his hand and said:
"Let's not discuss this any further. Now that we have the garments and the six treasure swords, we can use them to scale the cliff! Let's go to the stream to wash up and change into these clothes!"
The two of them carried the boxes out of the cave.
A short while later, after bathing, they both put on the Qianxun Robes.
Tian Long looked majestic and awe-inspiring like a heavenly general, while Chen Yunfeng looked no different from a fairy descending to the mortal realm!
They left the clothes chest behind to avoid being weighed down. Except for the four Phoenix Swords, everything else was wrapped in the Tianxun Robe, which Tian Long strapped to his back.
Having finished preparing, Tian Long looked back wistfully at the place where he had lived for nine long years. Letting out a sigh, he went over to kneel before the cabinet and said:
"Master! Please accept your disciple's deepest gratitude for granting me everything I have today!"
With that, he kowtowed three times and stood up. Leading the two monkeys out of the stone cave, he found the lowest part of the cliff, pointed upward, and told them:
"We will climb up first, and you two follow us. Do you understand?"
The two monkeys nodded in understanding.
Each holding two swords, the two began to scale the cliff by driving the blades into the rock face.
Indeed, the Phoenix Swords were incredibly sharp, and wielded by two people possessing profound divine power, a gentle thrust was enough to sink the blades over five inches deep into the solid rock.
About half an hour later, the two humans and two monkeys had successfully scaled the cliff.