As soon as Lin Youfa saw Li Yundong agree, he burst into laughter, pulled out a small vial from his trousers pocket, tipped out a pinch of golden powder, and dusted it onto his wound. The injury quickly sealed itself shut, and then he pulled the golden needles from his scalp.

In a short while, Lin Youfa’s bones cracked audibly, and he shrank back down into a withered old man.

Li Yundong watched with great curiosity, unable to fully grasp the principles behind Lin Youfa’s mystical art.

As if sensing his thoughts, Lin Youfa smiled and said, "What, very curious? It’s nothing much. Our Divine Fist Sect is an external school among cultivation sects. Most of our skills are focused on hand-to-hand combat. We start off quite formidable, but we severely lack staying power the further we advance. When we meet cultivators who wield potent magical artifacts, we are usually doomed to lose. If you want to know how this skill is cultivated, I can tell you."

Seeing the flicker in Lin Youfa’s eyes as he spoke, Li Yundong knew the old man’s intentions were impure; he was almost certainly trying to trade his low-grade cultivation method for Li Yundong’s superior one.

Li Yundong thought to himself: Does he take me for a fool? Why would I trade my high-grade asset for his low-grade rubbish?

Lin Youfa glanced at Li Yundong, sensing his thoughts, and remarked, "True Master Li, every stride has its shorter measure and every inch has its longer. It's not certain that your skills are the absolute best. Though my skills may not match yours, my method of cultivation may not be entirely without merit. In the path of cultivation, it is always best to be inclusive of all rivers."

Although Li Yundong felt there was some truth to his words, he had no desire to engage in that exchange, merely stating coolly, "I truly have no other methods. Believe it or not, that is the truth."

Lin Youfa naturally didn't believe him. He harbored secret resentment but showed none of it on his face, instead beginning to lament as they walked, "Alas, ever since our Divine Fist Sect was founded at the turn of the last century, things have never gone smoothly. No matter who looks at us, we are dismissed. The established orthodox sects look down on us, viewing us as heretical charlatans."

Listening to him, Li Yundong suddenly recalled something and asked, "Right, didn't you say you served under the Great Immortal of Wong Tai Sin in Kowloon, Hong Kong? How did you become part of the Divine Fist Sect?"

Lin Youfa let out a long sigh. "Don't even mention it. If not for that, how could I, an outsider, gain a foothold in Kowloon? You must understand, Hong Kong is the territory of the Great Immortal Cult. If I didn't join their ranks and pay homage to Wong Tai Sin, how could I ever establish myself and maintain the Divine Fist Sect?"

Li Yundong understood the situation immediately but chose not to pursue the topic. He remembered how Lin Youfa had killed five men without batting an eye—the man was clearly ruthless to the extreme, someone who had surely committed such acts many times before. Li Yundong remained highly vigilant, resolving to speak as little as possible. Throughout their journey, he carefully memorized the path taken and their surroundings, wary of any sudden change and always keeping his countermeasures ready.

Lin Youfa seemed oblivious to Li Yundong’s caution, continuing his monologue. "Sigh, when my master passed the mantle of the Divine Fist Sect to me, it had already withered to the point where I couldn't even find a few decent disciples. The only one who showed potential was easily defeated by you."

Lin Youfa shook his head, his white hair bobbing. "Fate plays cruel tricks; what one hopes for often turns out differently! I dream of revitalizing our Divine Fist School, but in the end, it all comes to naught. I thought my own cultivation was decent, but encountering a few young disciples from the orthodox sects left me utterly helpless!"

Lin Youfa sighed deeply and fell into a profound silence, ceasing his talk. He led the way ahead silently. After another half hour of walking, he suddenly announced, "We’re here."

Li Yundong paused in surprise and looked around.

They were surrounded by dense jungle on a mountainside, about fifty meters above the base. All around them were wild shrubs and tall trees; there was nothing out of the ordinary to see.

"Where is the entrance?" Li Yundong asked.

Lin Youfa chuckled, walked into a thicket, pushed aside the dense outer layer of grass, and said, "Look!"

Li Yundong stepped closer and saw it: a heavy stone door hidden behind the foliage. Its color blended perfectly with the surrounding brush, making it extremely difficult to spot even when the grass was parted.

"How did you find this?" Li Yundong asked, astonished.

Lin Youfa’s face lit up with pride. "Heh-heh. After you shattered my forearm with that palm strike, I returned home to recuperate. While healing, I heard chatter that the Six Great Sects were planning to besiege the Fox Zen Gate. That sparked an idea in me, so I gathered information early and came around Tianlong Mountain to scout the situation."

"Those damned Six Great Sects treated the Fox Zen Gate like a piece of meat already claimed. They practically sealed the entire mountain. Ordinary people wouldn't notice, and they could move in and out freely, but once a cultivator entered their surveillance zone, escape was impossible. So, I had no choice but to wander the back mountains where the surveillance was relatively lax."

As he spoke, Lin Youfa approached the stone door, gave it a hard shove, and with a loud rumble, the door swung open. He turned and beckoned to Li Yundong, "Come in."

Li Yundong, emboldened by his high skill, took a deep breath and followed him inside.

Once inside, Li Yundong found himself in a narrow corridor, one person high and three wide. The passage bore clear signs of artificial excavation, clearly dug out by hand. There were extinguished oil lamps mounted on the walls, their reservoirs still full of grease, indicating frequent upkeep.

Lin Youfa pulled out a lighter from his trousers, lit the oil lamps, and continued, "Hard work pays off. One day, I finally spotted a pair of randy lowlifes acting suspiciously in the back hills. I followed them, and that’s how I discovered they were using this cave for their illicit trysts."

Li Yundong frowned. "What about them? Did they not notice you?"

Lin Youfa grinned wickedly. "They did, but they were in the middle of that activity, hardly in a state to fight back. So, I struck first and killed them!"

Although Li Yundong was no soft-hearted saint, hearing Lin Youfa recount such matters as casually as everyday small talk filled him with increased wariness. He said gravely, "You killed them. Aren't you afraid others will notice they’ve gone missing?"

Lin Youfa laughed. "The Fox Zen Gate is facing imminent danger; they are too preoccupied with their own survival to pay attention to such trifles."

Li Yundong followed him about a hundred meters down the corridor until they reached a solid wall. He stopped short. "No way forward?"

Lin Youfa said darkly, "That’s where I turned back last time. However, I realized this is actually a door, just too heavy for me to move alone. I need your help to push this wall open."

Li Yundong finally understood. So that’s why the old man entered the cave only to leave again—he couldn't open the door. But even when possessed, this old man’s movement speed wasn't impressive, yet his strength was astonishing. If he couldn't open it, just how heavy was this door?

Li Yundong reached out and tried to push the door, but it didn't budge an inch. Lin Youfa commented from the side, "It's useless. I used all my strength, and I could only shift it slightly."

Saying this, he channeled his energy and summoned the deity possession again, becoming robust and powerful. He braced one hand on either side of the door and instructed, "Help me try."

Li Yundong placed his hands on the corresponding spots on his side, took a deep breath, let out a mighty roar, and shoved hard. He possessed divine strength already, and combined with Lin Youfa, their force amounted to several thousand catties—enough to move a large, wheel-less truck.

Yet, the door only shuddered slightly, shaking loose a shower of dust that coated both men.

Lin Youfa brushed the dust from his head and cursed in disappointment, "Damn it all! What kind of rotten door is this? It won't budge even with that much force! Are you kidding me!"

Li Yundong also stared up, his face grim. "There must be some mechanism."

Lin Youfa brightened, delighted. "True Master Li, you're right! There might be a mechanism. Let’s search everywhere!"

But after knocking and feeling every surface around them, they found nothing unusual. Lin Youfa cursed loudly, "Blast it! Forget a mechanism, there isn't even a goddamn latch!"

Li Yundong pondered inwardly. Since the Fox Zen Gate dug this passage, it was almost certainly an escape route—a movable door. But if it was movable, why was it sealed so tight? And there were no signs of any mechanisms nearby. Could it only be opened from the inside?

As he thought, he suddenly noticed extremely faint, recessed patterns on the door. His heart stirred. He retrieved an oil lamp from the nearby wall, brought it close, and swept his hand across the stone surface. Dust rained down, revealing shallow grooves etched into the door. Most of the grooves were rectangular, and within these rectangles were carved strange characters.

Lin Youfa leaned in curiously, clicking his tongue in awe. "What are these patterns? Hey, so much dust, who knows how long it’s been since anyone touched this, how long this door hasn't been opened. Heh-heh, the Fox Zen Gate once had its glory days. Founded by Pan Shi Hu Lao during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang—that was a major event in the cultivation world! Too bad the sect leader, Tianji Xuanhu, acted so tyrannically, ruining the entire reputation of the Fox Zen Gate, forcing them into hiding and making them rats scurrying from the orthodox sects. Tsk, tsk… what a pity! In the late Tang Dynasty, during the chaotic period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the cultivation world was engulfed in flames. The Fox Zen Gate fished in troubled waters, and Tianji Xuanhu reigned supreme—that was a glorious time! I never thought it would end up so dilapidated today!"

As he spoke, he kept wiping away the thick dust covering the stone door, revealing the entire pattern etched upon it.

Hearing Lin Youfa recount the history of the Fox Zen Gate, Li Yundong asked, "You know a lot about them?"

Lin Youfa chuckled wickedly. "My master told me when I was very young. I don't know everything, but there is one thing that is certain."

"What is that?" Li Yundong inquired.

Lin Youfa stated, "That during the most chaotic and dark period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Buddhist and Taoist factions fought fiercely and massacred each other—that was instigated by Tianji Xuanhu."

Li Yundong had heard the name Tianji Xuanhu mentioned by Su Chan, Ziyuan, and Ruan Hongling multiple times. Hearing Lin Youfa bring it up now confirmed that this woman, whether righteous or evil, was an extraordinary figure in the cultivation world. Curious, he asked again, "How do you know that?"

Lin Youfa casually replied, "True Master Li, haven't you heard the saying?"

"What saying?" Li Yundong asked.

After sweeping all the dust off the stone door, Lin Youfa stepped back a few paces, scrutinizing the pattern, and muttered, "History is written by the victors! I don't know exactly what happened during that chaotic, darkest time of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, but I know this: the Fox Zen Gate must have been the losers, which is why the sect was smeared everywhere and rapidly declined, until now, when their lair has finally been found, allowing all the great cultivation sects to pick at the scraps."

He finished, then couldn't help but curse again, "These rotten eggs from the Fox Zen Gate! How the hell do you open this door?"

Li Yundong suddenly said in a deep voice, "I know how to open this door!"