33: Chapter 33 The Art of Tranquility

A musty, damp scent rushed toward him, mixed with the smell of the dust of ages; it was the scent of history, and also the scent of treasure.

Hu Tian's mouth curled slightly, revealing a trace of a confident smile, though his eyes were filled with extreme vigilance.

He put away his flashlight and gripped the engineer shovel tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, his gaze piercing as he looked inside the stone gate.

Behind the stone gate was a narrow, thirty-meter-long passage. The walls on both sides were densely packed with holes of varying sizes, like countless prying eyes.

The smallest were only the size of a fist, while the largest were as thick as a bowl, the pitch-black muzzles exuding a chilling murderous intent.

The floor of the passage was paved with bluestone slabs, and faint signs of wear could be seen between the gaps. Clearly, over the long years, these mechanisms had been triggered many times, swallowing the lives of many intruders.

Hu Tian had just taken half a step forward when a sharp alarm sounded suddenly in his mind, stinging his eardrums.

"Warning! Repeating crossbow mechanism detected, triggering the 'Scenery Gate' death trap! Retreat immediately!"

The system's cold voice rang out urgently.

Before the voice had even finished, the subtle but deadly sound of mechanisms came from the holes on both sides of the walls; it was the sound of the Grim Reaper pulling the trigger.

Hu Tian's heart jolted. His reaction was lightning-fast; he dodged sideways and rolled swiftly to the side, pressing himself against the edge of the stone gate, his movements fluid and natural.

"Swish, swish, swish—" Dozens of iron crossbow bolts shot out from the holes, carrying shrill whistling sounds as they pierced the air, slamming hard into the opposite wall with a harsh clanging sound, sending sparks flying.

The tails of the arrows were still vibrating slightly, and the tips glinted with a ghostly green cold light. Clearly, they were coated in potent poison; one touch meant death.

Cold sweat broke out on Hu Tian's forehead, his heart pounding uncontrollably, and his back was drenched in a layer of cold sweat.

If it hadn't been for the system's timely warning, he would likely have been struck by the arrows by now, becoming just another pile of bones in this passage.

"The Scenery Gate belongs to Fire and governs slaughter and warfare. This mechanism layout specifically uses the momentum of the Scenery Gate to form a death trap; those who force their way through will have a ten-in-ten chance of death."

Hu Tian muttered to himself in a low voice, his mind rapidly deducing a way to break it, his eyes becoming increasingly calm.

The system prompted again: "It is recommended to follow the 'Escape Gate' route. Among the Eight Gates, the Escape Gate is the most suitable for concealment and evasion, allowing you to avoid most mechanism trigger points."

Hu Tian took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. His gaze swept rapidly across the passage, and he soon discovered the mystery within.

At intervals along both sides of the passage were stone pillars. They appeared to be just structural supports, but in reality, they were deliberately left as cover and were the key to survival.

The arrangement of the bluestone slabs on the floor secretly corresponded to the directional changes of the Escape Gate in the Qi Men Dun Jia, requiring every step to be taken with caution.

He bent down, keeping his body extremely low, almost crawling along the ground, and began to move rapidly along the Escape Gate route, weaving through like a ghost.

The first step landed on the Kan position, representing the due north direction; the stone slab beneath his feet was stable.

The second step turned to the Gen position, the northeast, his body changing position nimbly.

The third step was the Zhen position, due east, his footsteps light and silent.

Every step landed precisely on the specific location of the bluestone slabs; those positions were the safe nodes of the Escape Gate in the evolution of space and time. A deviation of even half a fraction would mean total destruction.

"Swish—" Another round of crossbow bolts shot out. Hu Tian happened to be hiding behind a stone pillar, a dangerously close call.

The arrows flew past the edge of the stone pillar, leaving a shrill whistling sound in the air, startling him into a cold sweat; even his hair was lifted by the force of the wind.

He did not pause for even a moment. Taking advantage of the gap while the mechanism reloaded, he continued to dash forward, not daring to delay for an instant.

The Xun position, southeast; the Li position, due south; the Kun position, southwest.

The mechanisms within the passage constantly changed their firing angles as he moved, pouring out a massive volume of crossbow bolts, weaving a net of death.

But every time, Hu Tian was able to accurately judge the next safe node, skillfully avoiding them with the help of the stone pillars and indentations in the walls, his movements thrillingly dangerous yet perfectly executed.

The Dui position, due west; the Qian position, northwest.

For the final step, he tapped his toe on the closing node of the Kan position, threw his whole body forward, and rolled smoothly into the safe zone at the end of the passage, his movements flowing in one continuous motion.

Another dense round of crossbow bolts shot from behind, but they all landed where he had just been, the tips of the arrows embedding themselves deep into the bluestone slabs, piercing three-tenths of an inch into the stone—a terrifying sight.

Hu Tian leaned against the wall, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently. His back was already soaked through with cold sweat, and his clothes clung to his body, damp, cold, and bone-chilling.

He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and looked back at that thirty-meter-long death passage.

The walls and floor were densely covered with embedded crossbow bolts, at least a hundred of them, a shocking sight that looked like a forest of steel.

"If I hadn't mastered the Qi Men Dun Jia methods within the Feng Shui Secret Techniques, this passage would have been my burial ground."

Hu Tian sighed inwardly, feeling a lingering fear.

Hu Tian steadied his heaving spirit, gripped his engineer shovel tightly again, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his eyes became firm once more.

He took a deep breath and cast his gaze forward.

At the end of the passage was a magnificent stone chamber, with golden light flickering faintly; that was the true core of the treasure, with infinite temptation.

Hu Tian stood at the exit of the passage, feeling a sudden sense of openness before him, his field of vision instantly widening.

This stone chamber was over a hundred square meters, with a vaulted ceiling five or six meters high; it was imposing and magnificent, like an underground palace.

The surrounding walls were covered with massive murals, which in the dim light exuded a strange solemnity, as if narrating the glories of the past.

As the beam of the flashlight swept across them, the images gradually revealed their true appearance; although the colors had faded, they were still breathtaking.

Soldiers of the Taiping Army in military attire marched in formation, banners waving, warhorses neighing, with a magnificent momentum.

Several soldiers in the ranks carried heavy treasure chests, their expressions solemn; clearly, this was the scene of the treasure being transferred back then, grave and sacred.

The mural techniques were exquisite, the materials used were sophisticated, and the characters' expressions varied and were lifelike, recreating the glory of a century ago, which was breathtaking.

Hu Tian walked closer to examine them involuntarily, but to his horror, he discovered that the eyes of the soldiers in the painting were staring fixedly at him; no matter where he walked, those gazes followed him like a shadow.

That sense of being stared at across a century made his skin crawl and his back turn cold, as if countless eyes were spying on him simultaneously, trying to see right through him.

He suppressed the unease in his heart and was just preparing to bypass the mural to continue exploring when the scene before his eyes changed suddenly, and the world turned upside down.

The stone chamber vanished instantly, replaced by an ancient battlefield filled with smoke and fire, flames reaching the sky, and corpses strewn everywhere.

The sounds of shouting and killing shook the earth, and the strong smell of blood rushed into his nose, making him feel nauseous, as if he were in hell.

Dozens of soldiers dressed in the attire of the Taiping Army surrounded him. The leading elderly general had a face covered in blood, his eyes burning and filled with fanaticism.

He cupped his fists and said loudly: "This hero, seeing that your skills are extraordinary, why not join our Taiping Heavenly Kingdom?"

"Together, we shall overthrow the corrupt Qing court and establish a peaceful and prosperous era. If we are of one heart, we will surely accomplish a great cause and leave our names in history!"

The surrounding soldiers echoed in unison, their voices surging like a tide, their eyes filled with fanaticism and expectation, as if joining would grant him the whole world.

As long as he nodded, he could share in this supreme glory and become a superior being.

Hu Tian felt a wave of dizziness. Those voices had a kind of magic, drilling straight into his heart, stirring up the deep-seated desire for power within him, making his blood boil.

This created a strong sense of belonging, making him want to nod and agree involuntarily, sinking into it.

Just as his lips parted and he was about to agree, the alarm of the treasure-hunting system suddenly rang in his mind like a great bell.

"Warning! 'Obstruction Gate' illusion array detected! This is the Obstruction Gate formation in the Qi Men Eight Trigrams; the Obstruction Gate governs blockage and concealment."

"Those who trigger it will fall into a demonic mental illusion; if they cannot break it, they will be trapped forever, until their spirit collapses and they become insane."

"It is recommended to immediately activate the 'Heart-Calming Technique' to break the confusion with a steady heart and maintain a clear mind!"

Hu Tian gave a violent shiver, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. The confusion in his eyes vanished suddenly, replaced by a trace of shock and clarity.

"That was close! I almost fell for it!"

He gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the chaotic thoughts surging in his heart, closed his eyes, and began to circulate the "Heart-Calming Technique" from the Feng Shui Secret Techniques.

This was the most basic and important mental cultivation method in the secret techniques; it required discarding all external interference, allowing the mind to return to its source, remaining as immovable as a mountain.

The sounds of shouting and persuasion grew louder and louder, roaring right by his ears, attempting to tear apart his will and drag him into the abyss.

Hu Tian ruthlessly bit the tip of his tongue; the intense pain made him instantly sober, and the metallic taste of blood spread in his mouth.

In his mind, he rapidly recited the directional deductions of the Qi Men Eight Trigrams, using them to build a mental defense line to resist the erosion of the illusion.

"Rest Gate northeast, Life Gate due east, Injury Gate southeast..."

"The Obstruction Gate is the gate of blockage, located in the southeast, belongs to Wood, and governs entrapment and stagnation."

"To break the Obstruction Gate, one must use the momentum of the 'Opening Gate'; the Opening Gate is located in the northwest and belongs to Metal."

"Metal overcomes Wood; use Metal energy to break the Wood barrier and shatter this illusory cage!"

As he deduced in his mind, the illusion before his eyes began to fluctuate violently, like a reflection in water being stirred up.

The figures of the soldiers gradually blurred and twisted, and their voices became distant and illusory, no longer possessing the power of bewitchment.

Hu Tian's heart grew increasingly calm, his consciousness sinking into a void, immune to external things.

Only the directional logic of the Qi Men Eight Trigrams flowed clearly in his mind, ceaseless and indestructible.

"Kan one, Kun two, Zhen three... Xun four, Center five... Qian six, Dui seven, Gen eight, Li nine."

The Eight Gate positions constructed an indestructible barrier in his sea of consciousness, completely isolating the illusion.

He did not know how much time had passed—it could have been minutes, or it could have been just a few short seconds; time lost its meaning at this moment.

Hu Tian opened his eyes suddenly, his gaze radiating brilliance, with no trace of confusion left.

The battlefield before his eyes vanished like smoke, and the stone chamber returned to its original appearance, as silent as before.

The murals on the surrounding walls were undergoing a strange change at this moment, as if being erased by an invisible force.

The images gradually faded and peeled away, eventually leaving only shallow traces of lines, revealing the original stone wall.

As the murals faded, a fissure slowly opened on the wall directly in front, the rubbing of stone making a dull sound.

The wall revealed a new passage entrance, deep and silent, as if leading to another world.

Hu Tian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looked back at the faded murals with lingering fear, and let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing a little.

"This trial did not test physical skill, but the state of mind."

He muttered to himself, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"If I had been tempted by the power and glory in the illusion, or shrouded by the fear of the battlefield, I would likely have truly lost myself, trapped and died in this stone chamber, becoming just another pile of bones."

Fortunately, when he was studying the Feng Shui Secret Techniques, he knew the principle that "a steady heart brings peace to the environment," and at the critical moment, he maintained a clear mind, thus escaping a disaster.

Hu Tian took a deep breath, adjusted his state, gripped his engineer shovel again, and walked toward the newly opened passage, his steps firm.

The closer he got to the core, the more dangerous the mechanisms became; the slightest carelessness would mean total destruction.

But he had already broken through the Scenery Gate death trap and the Obstruction Gate illusion array; no matter what he encountered next, he must grit his teeth and endure it, never retreating.

The light in the passage became increasingly dim, and the air was extremely heavy, oppressive enough to make one unable to breathe.

Hu Tian turned on his flashlight, the bright beam shining on the floor ahead, dispelling a patch of darkness.

The floor of the entire passage was pieced together from stone slabs of varying sizes, uneven and irregular.

A poem says: The repeating crossbows are like a forest, the illusion is real; when inner demons retreat, one sees the spirit. Using the Five Elements to seek the path of life, every step is thrilling as one heads toward the treasure.