259: This is a genuine artifact, a true heirloom!

"What is this place?" Meng Ziyi said in surprise.

Ye Bai said, "I don't know. But it looks very unusual here."

Yang Mi said, "The water in that pool is so beautiful."

Ye Bai said, "Don't go near that pool. There's likely danger here."

Yang Mi stuck out her tongue. "Then what should we do now? We can't just go back."

Ye Bai remained silent.

This pool appeared very eerie; he vaguely felt that it seemed to contain great danger.

Ye Bai said, "Wait here for a moment."

Meng Ziyi asked in confusion, "Brother Ye Bai, what are you doing?"

Ye Bai took out his divination compass and said, "I'm fortune-telling."

Meng Ziyi curled her lip. "As if!"

Ye Bai ignored her. He paced back and forth in the cave, calculating the Feng Shui layout in his mind.

He was calculating which areas were dangerous.

Ye Bai walked for a long time before suddenly stopping and pointing to a spot on the right. "Over there."

Yang Mi asked, "Where?"

Ye Bai smiled and didn't explain.

He went over, pushed aside the rock, and found a path. He then led Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi into that Passage.

After walking for about two minutes, they finally reached their destination.

It was a massive ancient palace.

The palace walls were entirely made of white jade, and the whole building was full of Huaxia's classical charm. Various precious calligraphy and paintings hung around the hall, along with all kinds of porcelain and jade.

These items, regardless of the dynasty, were of immense value.

Moreover, all the furnishings here were from the Tang Dynasty.

Meng Ziyi exclaimed, "Wow, Brother Ye Bai, this is so spectacular. These porcelains must be authentic, right?"

Ye Bai nodded. "They should all be real. These things are worth at least millions."

Meng Ziyi excitedly ran to a piece of calligraphy and painting, stroking the scroll titled 'Spring and Autumn' with fondness. "Wow, Brother Ye Bai, look quickly, there's a hole here."

"What is it?" Ye Bai went over to look. It turned out to be a small hidden door. After he opened it, they were suddenly plunged into darkness.

Ye Bai said, "Everyone, take off your lighting tools and put them on the ground."

They did as told, took off their lighting tools, and then stood in a row holding their flashlights.

Ye Bai said, "Everyone, stay safe."

"Okay."

Ye Bai was the first to step through the hidden door, entering another world.

Meng Ziyi was about to step forward when she was pulled back by Yang Mi.

Yang Mi said, "Be careful."

Meng Ziyi withdrew her foot.

"Let's go too," Yang Mi said.

After Ye Bai and the others entered the other world, they were instantly shocked. It was a vast space filled with treasures: gold and silver jewelry, the four treasures of the study, porcelain, calligraphy, and paintings... This space wasn't very large, but the quantity of treasures piled up was definitely enough to rival any collector in the country.

Meng Ziyi shouted in surprise, "Wow, so much money!"

Ye Bai didn't care about these things; his gaze was fixed on the high wall at the end of the space. Because there was a crack in the high wall, and green fluorescent light was leaking from it.

Ye Bai said, "Be careful, there's definitely something strange there."

They cautiously walked toward the crack. When they got close, they saw emerald-green liquid flowing inside, like spring water.

Meng Ziyi asked, "Brother Ye Bai, what is this?"

"I don't know. But it's definitely not simple," Ye Bai said. "Everyone, don't get too close."

Yang Mi suddenly cried out, "Brother Ye Bai, look, there's something over there!"

Everyone quickly looked over and saw a bronze sculpture lying quietly beside the crack.

It was a Buddha Statue, exquisitely carved and lifelike.

The body of this Buddha Statue was relatively short, with a kind face. Its hands were pressed together in prayer, and its eyes were slightly closed, looking as if it were praying.

Ye Bai raised an eyebrow and muttered, "amitabha. This Buddha Statue is a bit sinister."

He suddenly remembered a saying: "Buddhism was originally a symbol of evil."

This sentence was from 'Zhuangzi: Free and Easy Wandering - Buddhist Scripture Chapter'.

It is said that 'Zhuangzi: Free and Easy Wandering - Buddhist Scripture Chapter' described a Passage: 'The Buddha is the great wisdom of man; if one cannot practice it and attain liberation, why bother with self-cultivation?'

In other words, those who practice Buddhism are required to cultivate their minds. If the mind is not successfully cultivated, inner demons will arise. Practicing Buddhist dharma can not only increase longevity but, more importantly, avoid inner demons.

Of course, practicing Buddhist dharma must also follow its laws. If these rules are broken, the practice might turn into a harmful evil art.

The inheritance of Buddhism has never relied on oral tradition but through practice, gradually transforming faith into power, thereby allowing one's strength to reach its peak.

This is a long road, but no one can stop its emergence.

The Buddha once warned all living beings: 'To achieve the right fruit, one needs the three treasures: sarira, the Sutra of Deliverance, and the Bodhi Tree. These three treasures are indispensable. If one cannot gather these three, they cannot be called a Bodhisattva or a Buddha.'

And now, there was an ancient and mysterious temple here. The owner of this temple must also have been a High Monk.

Ye Bai walked toward the Buddha Statue, preparing to study it carefully.

"Wait!" Meng Ziyi hurriedly called out. "I heard from the villagers that ancient Buddhists were very aggressive. You must be careful."

Ye Bai said, "Don't worry." After saying that, he crouched in front of the Buddha Statue and observed it closely. This Buddha Statue looked unremarkable. Aside from a layer of dust on the surface, there was nothing special about it. He reached out and touched the Buddha Statue's cheek.

The moment Ye Bai touched the Buddha Statue's cheek, the statue seemed to snap its eyes open!

But looking again, it seemed like an illusion.

Ye Bai's heart tightened, and he quickly let go. At the same time, the Buddha Statue suddenly burst apart, scattering all over the ground.

A cold wind blew, and the fragments of the Buddha Statue flew up.

"What's going on?"

"Was everything just now an illusion?"

"Brother Ye Bai, what... what is this?"

"I don't know." Ye Bai shook his head, then pondered for a moment. "No, this is definitely not an illusion. There is indeed something strange about this temple!"

At this time, Ye Bai saw that Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi's faces were covered in sweat. Obviously, they also felt this danger. Their eyes also turned toward that pile of messy things.

Suddenly, a wisp of cold air drifted over. It was a bone-chilling cold wind that made several people shudder.

Ye Bai frowned and said, "This temple is indeed very sinister! I don't know which era this thing is from, but it's so eerie. Everyone, be careful."