Jiang Chen knew that every arrangement in the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect must have been meticulously planned.
Starting from the formations on the periphery of Huanbo Mountain, layer by layer, interconnected and interlocking, they were almost flawless. If any single link in this chain had been broken, he never would have reached this place.
That he *had* reached here was indeed due to the convergence of countless factors.
"Under the Patriarch's stone carving at the Patriarch Cliff, spiritual energy was leaking out, yet you did not touch them. This shows you are not a greedy person. Had you been lured by that leaking spiritual energy, thinking treasures were buried beneath, and disregarded the sanctity of this Patriarch's sacred ground to disturb the stone carving... even if the prohibitions above hadn't killed you, once you came down, the Nine Palace Formation would have dragged you into a dead end."
Hearing this, Jiang Chen suddenly understood. He had harbored some vague guesses before, but now, upon hearing these words, he realized just how wise it had been not to touch that Patriarch's stone carving.
For anyone else, seeing such rich spiritual energy, overcoming greed would indeed be difficult. Precisely because Jiang Chen was strong through his lack of desire and harbored reverence, he had not touched the stone carving, thus avoiding disaster.
Jiang Chen couldn't help but admire the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect's design. Each link flowed into the next with truly ingenious craftsmanship.
First, it had sent him to those Hundred Thousand Tombs, delivering a powerful psychological shock.
Then came the stirring words carved on this cliff face, further impacting his mind.
If a person of malicious intent had seen these things, even after viewing the Patriarch's stone carving and seeing potential gain, they certainly would not have shown mercy or restraint.
Conversely, if someone with even a shred of justice had been influenced by the Hundred Thousand Tombs and the words on the cliff, they would likely feel a degree of reverence for the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect. Thus, they would be reluctant to disturb the Sect's sacred ground.
He had to admit, this arrangement not only pierced through human nature but also factored it entirely into the design.
If one was a person of ill intent, it was utterly impossible to gain the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect's recognition.
But if one was a benevolent individual, then, like Jiang Chen, they would be guided into the sole Gate of Life within the Nine Palace Formation.
After that voice fell, the cave dwelling fell silent.
Jiang Chen extended his senses and found that there seemed to be no dangerous prohibitions surrounding the dwelling. Only then did he proceed inward.
From the outside, the cave dwelling seemed small.
But after turning a corner and passing through several corridors, he discovered it was truly a world unto itself. Layer upon layer, it gave the impression of endless expansion.
Jiang Chen walked through the front hall and arrived at a place resembling a library. The pavilion had three stories, filled with various ancient texts.
Yet the rows upon rows of bookshelves were completely dust-free, as if countless ages had left no trace within this dwelling.
Jiang Chen knew this dwelling must have special protective measures.
On a simple desk lay the Four Treasures of the Study. An ancient brush rested beside them, the ink on its tip seemingly still wet.
Next to the brush was a dragon-tail inkstone, still containing ink.
It seemed as though, just moments ago, the owner had been writing here, and had only just stepped out due to some matter.
Jiang Chen stared in disbelief at the undried ink and brush strokes, momentarily dazed.
So many years had passed since the ancient era, yet this ink had not dried. It seemed the owner had indeed invested considerable effort into this dwelling.
Curiosity piqued, Jiang Chen walked to the desk and looked at the scroll upon it.
"Our sect consumes the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, receives the reverence of all beings. When powerful enemies from beyond invade, we must resolve to face death, strike back with full force, and protect our homeland, even unto nine deaths without regret..."
The words on the scroll were few, but each vibrated with passion, conveying an aura of unstoppable momentum.
Jiang Chen guessed that the person who wrote these words had likely been facing a moment of decision, about to depart, and had written them in haste before leaving, likely without even finishing.
He looked around but found no specific clues about these "powerful enemies from beyond."
However, these were ancient affairs. Since the Divine Abyss Continent still existed today in its current state, presumably those outer lands had not conquered it.
Jiang Chen was not the type to worry about the concerns of ancients. What he truly wanted to know was the origin of this Divine Abyss Continent. He wanted to know if it had any connection to his previous life.
This Dan Xiao Ancient Sect came from the ancient era; perhaps it might truly yield some clues.
Jiang Chen sat in the chair and took some scrolls from the desk. These scrolls were evidently the owner's personal journals and notes.
After reading for a while, Jiang Chen felt a secret jolt of surprise.
These notes actually stated that once one entered the core area of the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect, the only way to leave was to master the entirety of the Sect's formation principles.
Because the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect's Mountain-Sealing Grand Formation could only be entered from the outside. To exit from within, one had to control the entire sealing formation.
And this mountain-sealing formation was composed of at least a hundred smaller formations, large and small.
Jiang Chen's mind was utterly bewildered. He clutched the journal, staring blankly into space.
To master the entire formation system of the Dan Xiao Ancient Sect... when would he ever be able to accomplish that?