Chapter Eleven: The Cave

"This mechanical eagle is quite entertaining," Shi Qi remarked, watching Liao Hongda’s figure fade into the distance.

"The wonders of the Mohist mechanisms are far from exhausted," came a voice from behind. Bai Qiu and Wang Feng approached, riding the wind.

Wang Feng praised, "Brother Shi, your resourcefulness is remarkable. Even Liao Hongda, who ranks first among young masters, couldn't best you. It seems the ranking is about to be shaken by an extraordinary newcomer."

Bai Qiu added, "He's full of tricks, but I must admit, sometimes those tricks come in handy."

Shi Qi replied, "I only benefited from Daoist arts. The Body Refining technique, being ranked second among the ten extraordinary arts, is truly formidable. It's hard to defeat him at the same level, and I suspect as his cultivation improves, this weakness will gradually diminish."

Bai Qiu slung an arm around Shi Qi’s neck, chuckling, "Let me tell you—"

"Boom!"

Before Bai Qiu could finish, a thunderous explosion echoed from the valley behind them.

The three turned to look. In the mist-shrouded valley, faint red light began to emerge.

Wang Feng said, "The rare treasure is about to reveal itself."

Wang Feng had come for the treasure, as had Liao Hongda; their rivalry had led to Wang Feng’s defeat.

Bai Qiu exclaimed, "Let's go and see!"

Without another word, the trio soared toward the valley. Passing through the fog, they arrived at a steep cliff, where a cave emitted a faint red glow.

Wang Feng said, "It should be here."

Shi Qi urged, "Let's go up and take a look."

They leaped to the cave entrance, activating their Heavenly Eyes to peer inside. Even with this vision, it remained pitch-black, with only occasional flashes of red.

Bai Qiu observed, "That explosion must have blown open this cave entrance."

Wang Feng suggested, "We'll understand once we go inside."

The three ventured in, moving slowly at first. The cave walls were uneven—Shi Qi guessed these were marks left by the explosion.

They went deeper until the space widened, prompting them to halt and observe their surroundings.

The area was vast, the walls smooth and polished, clearly not naturally formed.

Wang Feng pointed, "Look—what’s that?"

Shi Qi and Bai Qiu followed his finger, discovering lifelike statues of Buddhas carved into the walls.

None of them understood Buddhist doctrine, so they could not identify the figures depicted.

After pondering, Bai Qiu pulled out a compass from his Universe Bag, examined it, and muttered, "That shouldn’t be right."

Shi Qi asked, "Xiao Bai, did you notice something?"

Bai Qiu explained, "I noticed outside that the winds gather and water pools here without movement—excellent feng shui, ideal for cultivators to build their sanctuaries. Hmm? Isn’t Xiao Bai a dog’s name?"

---

Wang Feng inquired, "Junior Brother Bai, does that mean this is the residence of a Buddhist master?"

Bai Qiu replied, "It seems so, but I’ve never heard of a high monk building a sanctuary. Buddhist masters possess great cultivation, but their doctrine emphasizes inner cultivation. Except for travel or special circumstances, they stay within temple gates, living simply. Why would one build a residence for enjoyment in a valley?"

Shi Qi pointed ahead, "Xiao Bai, let’s press forward and see."

Bai Qiu glanced forward. Shi Qi indicated a massive stone door, flanked by two carved Buddhas, their hands forming seals, eyes wide with anger.

They approached the door. Wang Feng stepped up, summoned his true energy, and pushed hard.

The door did not budge.

Wang Feng exclaimed, "So heavy!"

Bai Qiu joined him. Wang Feng took the left, Bai Qiu the right; they exchanged a glance, shouted, and pushed together.

Still, the door remained motionless.

Bai Qiu was astounded, "How can this be!"

Even if it weighed a thousand pounds, their combined strength should easily move it. Yet the door was utterly unresponsive.

Shi Qi speculated, "Is it possible…"

Wang Feng wondered, "Could there be a restriction, or does it require a special artifact to open?"

Bai Qiu agreed, "Possible. Residences often have restrictions to prevent intruders."

Shi Qi repeated, "Is it possible…"

Bai Qiu continued, "But none of us know Buddhist magic. Breaking this restriction is a challenge."

Shi Qi persisted, "Is it possible…"

Wang Feng suggested, "Junior Brother Bai, maybe we should search for mechanisms or a spot for an artifact."

Bai Qiu nodded, "Exactly. Shi Qi, check over there… Wait, where’s Shi Qi?"

Shi Qi strode to the door, grasped it with both hands, and pulled back hard.

Creak…

The stone door slowly opened.

Bai Qiu and Wang Feng stared wide-eyed at Shi Qi.

Shi Qi shrugged, "I was trying to say… what if it opens outward?"

Both Bai Qiu and Wang Feng raised their thumbs, "Impressive!"

They entered, finding another empty platform.

Shi Qi looked up, noticing more Buddha statues carved into the walls.

Wang Feng remarked, "This place looks… oddly familiar."

Bai Qiu pointed, "Look!"

They saw another stone door at the end, flanked by two more Buddhas, hands forming seals, eyes wide with anger.

Wang Feng wondered, "Are these two chambers identical?"

---

Shi Qi mused, "Perhaps this is the same room as before."

Bai Qiu pondered, "Could it be a formation?"

Shi Qi glanced back; the door they’d entered was as it should be.

Shi Qi said, "Let’s test it."

He strode forward and pulled open the door.

"You two wait here. I’ll scout ahead."

Shi Qi passed through and saw two familiar figures.

"Hey!" he called.

Bai Qiu and Wang Feng, focused on the stone door ahead, startled and turned.

Wang Feng asked, "How did you come out from behind?"

Bai Qiu concluded, "We must be caught in a loop formation."

Shi Qi added, "And I noticed something: after we entered, the red light vanished. That means, upon entering, we probably stepped into the formation. I checked—the passage we took in has disappeared."

Bai Qiu said, "Every formation has a core. Destroy it, and the formation falls apart. Let’s search together."

They searched the area, finally fixing their gaze on the statues above.

Shi Qi declared, "The only suspicious thing is these statues."

They activated their Heavenly Eyes, scrutinizing the differences among the statues.

The statues above were composed of various Buddha figures in different mudras—some with palms pressed together, some with middle fingers joined, some pointing skyward, others forming seals.

Wang Feng wondered, "Could the formation’s core be hidden among these varied figures?"

Bai Qiu hesitated, "Possible, but something about these statues feels off."

Wang Feng asked, "Off?"

Bai Qiu explained, "As if something is missing."

Shi Qi, deep in thought, suddenly shouted, "The eyes!"

"Exactly!" Bai Qiu exclaimed, enlightened.

Though lifelike in their carving, the statues lacked a certain spirit—their eyes were hollow, with no pupils, leaving them expressionless.

Shi Qi said, "We sense something missing because we’ve seen statues with carved pupils. Where was it? Right there!"

He turned and pointed to the two furious-eyed Buddhas flanking the stone door.

At that moment, the two statues no longer stared ahead, but fixed their gaze directly upon Shi Qi and his companions...