Yang Yi’s entire body trembled upon hearing the name ‘Zhou Yi.’ He was certainly no stranger to this Zhou Yi; he had seen the name before in ancient texts tucked away in the corner of his grandfather’s collection since childhood.

Zhou Yi was a sorcerer, and also a fortune teller. In ancient times, he was famously known as the Divine Calculator of the Eight Trigrams. He was extremely passionate about metaphysics and the like, making him an utterly legendary figure in antiquity. But why would this old man bring him up now? Thinking this, he frowned, staring intently at the elder, clearly hoping to glean more information from him.

“It seems you are well aware of Zhou Yi, such a historical figure. The Mysterious Gate Eight Trigrams Formation is essentially the ‘Myriad Manifestations’ within divine calculation. Since my era, countless people have entered this place, but very few have ever managed to leave…”

The old man slowly unraveled the doubts within Yang Yi’s mind. In truth, the so-called Death Cave was merely a Mysterious Gate Eight Trigrams Formation, its alternate name being Myriad Manifestations. Here, everyone who entered lost all perception—yes, they could not hear, could not speak, could not feel, moved silently, and wouldn't even know if they were bleeding. The human body possesses six senses: hearing, sight, touch, kinesthesia, smell, and spirit perception.

Once one steps into this Myriad Manifestations, regardless of whether you are a master martial artist, a top special forces operative, or even from China’s most mysterious organization, the Dragon Group—here, you will lose every single sensation, becoming more incapacitated than the disabled. Furthermore, within this place, you can learn martial arts that others might not grasp in a lifetime, or even ten lifetimes—martial arts long lost to the world.

But nothing in the world is that easy. There is always a price for reward. Thus, what comes next is the utterly brutal Heart Demon. Yes, every single person, whether modern or ancient, as long as you are human, will face a Heart Demon. The Heart Demon will drive you to practice these so-called ultimate martial arts, but it will also drive you to madness and death. This is the cruelest aspect of the Death Cave, because in this absolute darkness, the ultimate martial arts techniques manifest as shadowy figures. If you wish to learn them, you must first defeat the figure before the inheritance can be bestowed; otherwise, there is no discussion.

However, it doesn't end there, because this doesn't fully represent the Myriad Manifestations. If you select one martial arts codex to practice, the Death Cave will automatically arrange another one for you. This means you must practice two simultaneously, enduring attacks from two phantom figures at once. And that’s not all. The most critical element is the Heart Demon. If your inner resolve is not stable enough, the phantom figures manifested by the demon will gradually increase. Thus, mastering them is incredibly difficult, perhaps even a trial crueler than death itself. Consequently, very few people ever manage to leave this place safely.

Yang Yi knew clearly that the six shadowy figures he faced during his last entry were conjured by his own Heart Demon, figures emerging from three different codices. He had suffered immensely back then. Just when he thought he was about to perish, he still managed to stand up and fight those figures continuously for over a month, every single moment.

“This is the so-called Death Cave!” The old man, speaking with ease, had revealed the entire history and origin of the Death Cave.

Yang Yi took a deep breath, trying to quell the urge of disbelief that surged within him. After all, what era did Zhou Yi live in? For him to set up some damn Mysterious Gate Eight Trigrams Formation in this wretched place?

The elder glanced at Yang Yi, understanding that he needed time to process. After all, he was a person spanning eras compared to Yang Yi—no, to be precise, he was already a ghost.

“Now you believe, don’t you?”

“I don’t know!” Yang Yi stated bluntly.

Hearing Yang Yi’s words, the unscrupulous old man, Mu Qingfeng, genuinely felt an urge to bang his head against a wall. Still, one couldn't blame Yang Yi; people speak human words, ghosts speak ghostly words. Without absolute certainty, who would believe such bizarre things?

“Heh, very well then!” The elder chuckled, paused for a moment, and then continued, “As for your first question, I actually began paying attention to you the moment you and your brother entered together.”

“Paying attention to me?” Yang Yi frowned. This old fellow indeed had a favor to ask of him, which explained why he’d gone to such lengths to say that if Yang Yi ever faced danger, he should return here to find him, and so on…

The elder seemed to read Yang Yi’s thoughts, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his slightly ethereal face, before he continued, “Actually, it is just as you suspect. I have a request of you, which is why I settled my voice within your mind!”

“Settled?” Yang Yi grew even more confused, asking, “What does ‘settled’ mean?”

“Heh, I can’t really explain that. Even if I did, you wouldn’t understand it. You will slowly grasp these things in the future.”

“Wait a minute, are you a human or a ghost?”

“Uh—you could say a ghost!”

“A ghost?”

“Yes!”

“Then how are you here, and how can I see you? Also, what is this favor you need me for? And why does this unscrupulous fellow call you Ancestral Master? What exactly are you people? No, what are you, and what is he? No, rather, what ghost are you, and what man is he?” The more Yang Yi spoke, the more muddled he became. If it weren’t for the cold glint in the unscrupulous old man’s eyes, he would have just called them ghosts outright…

Faced with such an onslaught of questions, the elder felt a moment of disorientation himself and quickly said, “Alright, alright, I will tell you everything, and then you will naturally understand.”

“Then tell me!” Yang Yi was currently like a curious small child, demanding answers.

“I am the sixty-seventh generation Master of the Mysterious Gate. I came to this Death Cave for trials because I needed to enhance my strength for certain reasons. However, I did not possess your exceptional aptitude. By the time I began practicing the martial arts here, my cultivation had already reached the Grandmaster level. But unfortunately, right then, I suffered a Qi Deviation, which is why I ended up in this state!” A touch of desolate sadness reappeared in the elder’s eyes, though this time, it was tinged with a glimmer of hope.

“Qi Deviation?” Yang Yi’s whole body shook. For anyone who practiced martial arts, Qi Deviation was undoubtedly the most fatal blow, no question about it. Once afflicted, it could result in death in severe cases, or losing all martial power and being unable to cultivate further in milder ones. One could imagine how agonizing that must be.

“As for why I became like this, I’m not entirely clear on the specific reasons. But the only certainty is that if I hadn't possessed sixty years of accumulated power beforehand, I might have vanished into thin air. Simply put, I am currently existing here relying solely on my internal energy.”

“Oh, I see now.” Yang Yi finally understood, confirming a thought he’d held in his heart: that in modern society, such things as ghosts and spirits did not exist.

The reason this elder could still appear centuries after his death was entirely due to having reached the Grandmaster level. The strength of a Grandmaster was considered invincible, so his internal energy must have been immensely rich. Furthermore, given Yang Yi’s slight knowledge of medicine, his grandfather had once mentioned that if a Martial Arts Grandmaster died, it wasn't impossible—though the success rate was low—for them to use their internal energy to condense their soul, preventing its dissipation, thus allowing them to maintain this form near their loved ones for a few days.

“Whoosh, whoosh…” Suddenly, a strange sound echoed, and the elder’s face turned ashen—well, it seemed it hadn't been bloody to begin with.

Mu Qingfeng saw this and cried out, “Ancestral Master?”

“Heh, I’m fine. It’s just that I don’t have much time left.” A bitter expression flashed across the elder’s face, and then he turned to Yang Yi, saying, “All your questions are actually quite simple. Now, I will tell you the purpose for which I sought you out.”

“Uh!” Yang Yi was startled and asked, “Go on!”

“I sought you because you possess the Innate Physique; your meridians have been completely open since birth. I wish to pass all my cultivation to you, but you must promise me one thing!” The elder seemed unwilling to waste any more time and stated his goal directly.

“All my cultivation? Pass it to me?” Yang Yi froze, utterly horrified. What in the world was this?

“Yes, I will transfer my sixty years of cultivation to you, but you must promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Accept the position of Master of my Mysterious Gate!”

“Master?” Yang Yi was even more stunned. He glanced at Mu Qingfeng, already knowing the man was unscrupulous, but he never imagined he could be this unscrupulous.

“Stinking brat, you had better accept the Ancestral Master’s inheritance first. I’ll explain it to you later. If we delay any longer, the Ancestral Master will…”

“Damn it, this guy definitely has ulterior motives, trying to offload such a huge benefit onto me,” Yang Yi grumbled inwardly.

But circumstances did not allow him much time for thought. The elder suddenly shuddered, transforming into specks of brilliant purple light, his voice echoing throughout the Death Cave, “My name is Mu Senluo, the sixty-seventh generation Master of the Mysterious Gate. Today, I take you as my chief disciple and grant you my cultivation. I hope you conduct yourself with restraint and reduce slaughter, child. I hope you cherish this well!”

“Wait—wait—my mother! You are forcing this on me! Damn it, you son of a…” Just as Yang Yi uttered these involuntary words, he felt a sharp jolt run through his body, and then his eyelids slowly grew heavy, finally closing…