bookcurios Chapter 188 Taoist Qimen Dunjia
Chapter 188 Taoist Qimen Dunjia
Zhuge Qing stood at the bow, gazing deeply into the distance, his brow furrowed. He stared at the corpses that had been preserved in the sea for a thousand years, his heart filled with doubts.
"Perhaps the ancients had methods we're unaware of. There must be something strange about these bodies being preserved at sea for thousands of years." Zhuge Qing sighed, his voice deep and powerful. His words drifted on the sea breeze, like a question to this mysterious sea.
Suddenly, ripples appeared on the sea, and then a huge ship slowly emerged.
The ship was as massive as a mountain, and the portion exposed above the sea was already large enough to far surpass the vessel everyone was on. The hull was intricately carved with patterns, seemingly telling an ancient and mysterious story.
"The Azure Dragon!" the queen exclaimed, her eyes flashing with excitement.
She gripped the scepter tightly, as if at that moment, she had found her true faith and purpose. "This is the great ship built by Qin Shi Huang!" the queen's tone was filled with determination and pride, as if she were witnessing that glorious period of history replaying before her eyes.
Li Qiankun looked at the huge ship in front of him and felt confused.
What should we do with such a large ship? He turned to look at the crowd, only to see expressions of surprise and curiosity on their faces. At this moment, Qu Yin suddenly jumped up excitedly, pointing to the palace and pavilion on the Canglong, her voice clear and pleasant: "The Pavilion of Heaven is right there! Let's go over there!"
Qu Yin finished speaking, unsheathed her grappling hook, and without hesitation, charged towards the Canglong. Her figure traced a graceful arc in the sea breeze, like an eagle spreading its wings in flight. Seeing this, Xiao Hong hurriedly followed. While she wasn't as agile as Qu Yin, her courage and determination were no less impressive.
Seeing this, the Queen waved her hand to signal the nine guards to follow. The nine guards were the Queen's most loyal warriors. They were dressed in armor and holding long swords, and they rushed towards the Azure Dragon with great momentum.
The queen herself followed closely behind, with a determined gleam in her eyes, as if she was determined to trample all obstacles under her feet.
Taoist Priest Li watched as everyone took action, feeling somewhat hesitant.
He knew that this giant ship had a remarkable origin and must have hidden great dangers. However, he did not want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, he would be able to witness Qin Shi Huang's giant ship with his own eyes.
After some ideological struggle, Taoist Li finally decided to follow everyone.
He drew his longsword and rushed towards the Azure Dragon, his figure drifting in the sea breeze like a flash of lightning, cutting through this mysterious sea.
However, Zhang Chulan was left where he was. He touched his nose helplessly and muttered to himself, "Why are these people so impulsive? They don't even wait for me..." Just as he was about to catch up, he suddenly felt that his foot seemed to be pulled by something.
Zhang Chulan looked down and saw a pale hand tightly grasping his ankle. The hand was cold and stiff, like a claw stretched out from hell.
Zhang Chulan screamed in fear and shook off the hand. However, when he turned around, he saw a corpse in a white coat slowly standing up and walking towards him.
The corpse's face was as pale as paper, its eyes closed, as if it had lost all life. Yet, its movements were incredibly swift, as if driven by a mysterious force. Zhang Chulan stepped back in fear, his heart aching. How could these corpses move? Were they all still alive?
At that moment, a flash of sword light appeared. Taoist Li stood before Zhang Chulan, sword in hand, the tip of his blade pointed directly at the corpse. With a flash of lightning, the sword instantly split the body in two. Taoist Li's movements were clean and efficient, as if he was already accustomed to this kind of battle.
"These corpses have become zombies. Be careful," said Taoist Li, swinging his sword at another zombie charging towards them. Zhang Chulan finally realized that these corpses had become zombies. He quickly drew his weapon and joined Taoist Li in the battle. After a fierce battle, they finally eliminated all the zombies in the area.
After the battle, Zhang Chulan gasped as he looked at the battlefield. His heart was filled with fear and relief. If Taoist Li hadn't appeared in time, he might have been torn to pieces by those zombies.
"How is this possible?" Wang Ye exclaimed. He stood in the distance, looking at the huge ship, his eyes filled with wonder and confusion. He couldn't imagine how the ancients could have built such a huge ship.
Li Qiankun nodded, his heart equally filled with doubt. This ship was not only massive in scale but also complex in structure. Every detail revealed the ingenuity and extraordinary wisdom of the ancients. He carefully examined the hull, trying to find some clue.
"I feel like this ship has some connection to the image of the immortal ascending to heaven," Li Qiankun suddenly said. His tone was filled with determination and confidence. He trusted his intuition and judgment. After all, as a cultivator, he had experienced countless trials and tribulations. His intuition often guided him in the right direction.
"Oh? Why do you think so?" the Queen asked curiously. Although she was somewhat skeptical of Li Qiankun's speculation, her heart was filled with anticipation. She hoped that Li Qiankun could give a reasonable explanation.
"Look," Li Qiankun said, pointing to the patterns on the hull. "Although these patterns are complex, they are well-organized. They seem to be telling an ancient and mysterious story. And this story is likely related to the ascension of immortals."
Upon hearing this, everyone gathered around. They carefully examined the patterns on the hull, trying to find some clues. However, the patterns were too complex for them to decipher.
"Since we can't decipher these patterns, let's just go aboard and take a look," Li Qiankun suggested. His tone was filled with decisiveness and determination. He believed that only by personally exploring the ship could the true answers be found.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. So, they decided to climb the hull and explore inside. Relying on their cultivation, they carefully clung to the hull, climbing upwards step by step. The hull was smooth and hard, as if made of a special material. After tremendous effort, they finally reached the deck.
Wang Ye frowned and asked in confusion, "What on earth happened here?" Before he finished speaking, a woman in gorgeous clothes appeared in front of everyone like a ghost. She had a graceful figure, a face like the moon, and her eyes sparkled with mysterious light.
"Welcome to the great ship of the First Emperor." The woman's voice was as smooth as silk, as if it had traveled through a thousand years of time, with a majesty and nobility that could not be ignored.
Wang Ye and others looked at her in astonishment, their hearts filled with vigilance and curiosity.
They had only heard of the legend of this giant ship, but they never expected to actually see it with their own eyes.
It is extremely huge, with intricate patterns carved on its hull, which seems to contain some kind of mysterious power.
The woman smiled faintly and continued, "I am the master of this ship and the last person to protect it. This massive ship was built by Qin Shi Huang in his quest for the elixir of immortality. He mobilized craftsmen from across the country, expending countless efforts and resources to finally create this unparalleled vessel."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on the hull. They seemed to be able to imagine that in that distant era, countless craftsmen toiled on this ship, using their wisdom and skills to weave this dream of immortality.
"The ship's construction drew upon the wisdom of various schools of thought," the woman continued. "In particular, the mechanical engineering of the Mohist school has endowed this ship with extraordinary capabilities. It can sail through storms, pierce through thick fog, and even dive to the bottom of the ocean to explore unknown mysteries."
At this point, the woman's eyes flashed with a hint of pride and regret. She was proud that this ship had witnessed the glory and splendor of her family; she was also sad that it ultimately failed to fulfill Qin Shi Huang's dream, and instead, for an unknown reason, sank forever to the bottom of the sea.
"Boys and girls, carrying Qin Shi Huang's hopes, embarked on this great ship, but they never found the elixir of immortality." The woman's voice grew low and mournful. "The ship was lost forever in an unknown disaster. Only now have I been able to bring it to light and tell the world this story."
Hearing this, everyone was filled with inexplicable emotions. They were shocked by Qin Shi Huang's ambition and felt sorry for the innocent boys and girls.
At this moment, Zhuge Qing suddenly pointed to a pattern on a stone tablet and said, "There are actually traces of Taoism here!"
Upon hearing this, everyone gathered around and saw some complex lines and symbols carved into the stone tablet. Zhang Churan looked at these patterns and asked in confusion, "Taoism? Are you talking about these patterns? I don't see anything special about them."
Zhuge Qing smiled slightly and explained, "These patterns are exactly what the Taoist Qimen Dunjia does. Look at these lines and symbols. They aren't carved randomly, but arranged and combined according to certain rules and laws. This represents the Taoist understanding and control of the universe."
After hearing this, Zhang Churan suddenly realized.
Although he was not interested in Taoist studies, he had to admit that these patterns were indeed full of mystery and wonder.
"So, what do these patterns have to do with the Pavilion of Heaven we are looking for?" Wang also raised a key question.
Zhuge Qing pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps these patterns are the key to unlocking the secrets of the Heavenly Pavilion. Taoist Qimen Dunjia is profound and extensive, perhaps we can find clues from it."
Zhang Churan raised his eyebrows when he heard this and said, "Then shouldn't we start with these palaces and pavilions and check them one by one?"
His proposal was approved by everyone. After all, they were now on a huge ship, and there were no better clues besides these palaces and pavilions.
So, everyone decided to split up and began to explore these palaces and pavilions one by one. They shuttled through the intricate corridors and rooms, looking for any clues that might be related to the Pavilion of Heaven.
However, just as they were about to set off, a sudden roar was heard. Everyone looked up in astonishment and saw that the Canglong, which was docked at the shore, suddenly started up and slowly sailed towards the center of the river.
"What's going on? Why did the Canglong suddenly start?" Zhang Churan exclaimed.
Zhuge Qing frowned and said in a deep voice, "It seems we are not alone. This ship is probably more complicated than we imagined."
A sense of unease welled up in everyone's hearts. They were now trapped on the ship, unable to leave. If there was anything wrong with the Canglong, they might be in even greater danger.
"What should we do? Are we going to be trapped here?" a young soldier asked worriedly.
At this moment, the Queen displayed her majesty and power. She raised the scepter in her hand, and a powerful aura instantly spread out.
"Don't panic, everyone. I'm here and we'll be fine." The queen's voice was like a spring breeze, making everyone feel at ease.
Taoist Priest Li stepped forward to reassure everyone, "Since the Azure Dragon possesses such a special function, it must have value. Now that we're here, we must find clues to the Heavenly Pavilion. Don't lose heart."
However, just as they were walking along the corridor, they heard a sudden cry of surprise from the front. Everyone hurried over to take a look, only to see a huge stone door suddenly appear before them.