Chapter 177: Open Sesame

Mei Qing, Bi Zhen, Zhang Shisan, and Hou Shen stood quietly in the vast expanse of Qianjin’s forge, gazing around at the remnants of the fierce battle that had once taken place there between Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, Bi Zhen, and the numerous zombies that had inhabited the area.

Though the severed limbs and remains had long been burned to ashes by the heavenly fire conjured by the three, the craters, trenches, and scorched marks on the ground remained clearly visible, bearing testimony to the intensity of the battle that had once raged here.

Bi Zhen whispered softly, “At that time, when your master saw you being taken away, that Laughing Maitreya was still here. The two masters, enraged, acted in unison and quickly subdued that fellow. Just as they were preparing to break the formation in a hurry to rescue you, those disgusting creatures suddenly emerged from somewhere unknown. Master Taoist hurled a few fireballs, and the entire area was instantly engulfed in flames. Though the zombies were all burned to death, several key figures managed to escape in the chaos.”

“Oh? Who escaped exactly, and what kind of people were they?” Mei Qing asked curiously.

Bi Zhen shook her head. “We didn’t see them ourselves. It was the Laughing Maitreya who told us later. According to him, there were still two or three main figures left here, along with a few underlings. Though he couldn’t be certain who they all were, he had seen two of them—a master and apprentice pair, reportedly from the Ghost Eye Sect, who were in charge of the Hundred Ghost Hall.”

Pausing briefly, Bi Zhen continued, “The Hundred Ghost Hall is where all those zombies were kept. They were people captured by the Fragrant Sect, transformed into puppets, and then made to mine here.”

Mei Qing nodded thoughtfully, unable to resist raising his gaze once more toward the massive black stone engraved with the three large characters “Qianjin Ye.” Who could have imagined that the so-called “Qianjin Ye” they had been desperately seeking was actually these three characters? And who could have guessed that behind this Qianjin Ye lay so many secrets?

Meanwhile, Zhang Shisan paid no heed to these thoughts. He sat alone on one side, cross-legged, happily drinking from his gourd and pulling out several small fish from his robe to eat with a delighted expression. Hou Shen stood silently behind him, wiping his twin daggers without uttering a word.

Mei Qing approached and sat down beside them. Looking up for a while, he suddenly remarked, “Hou Shen’s two blades seem different from before.”

Hou Shen nodded. “Master Zhang refined them for me again. According to the immortal, anyone below the Yuan Ying stage who is struck by them will likely collapse on the spot.”

“Oh?” Mei Qing asked, puzzled. “What kind of forging technique is so powerful?”

Hou Shen twirled the blades in his hands and shook his head. “I’m not sure either. Why don’t you take a look?” He gently handed one over.

Mei Qing took the blade and examined it, feeling a sense of strangeness. He had seen these blades before—brimming with a fierce and ominous aura, clearly weapons of great malevolence. Yet now they appeared ordinary, exuding only a faintly sinister presence.

After a few moments of scrutiny, Mei Qing let out a soft exclamation. “This seems… similar to the aura of that nightmare spirit. Could it be…”

“You can’t hide anything from you, kid,” Zhang Shisan grinned. “Back then, when that skeleton was smashed by that stone wine ghost, I thought it was a shame to waste the remains. The leftover fragments were still decent, so I repurposed them for this kid. The nightmare spirit isn’t something from ordinary cultivation techniques. This kid’s skills also don’t belong to the conventional cultivation world. If you could apply some concealment formations to that flashy thing of yours, it would be a real nightmare for any cultivator below the Qi Condensation stage.”

Mei Qing’s eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly. Zhang Shisan’s words aligned perfectly with his own previous thoughts. If Hou Shen’s aura could indeed be masked, combined with his unique abilities, skills, and these deadly daggers, he would become an invaluable asset.

Hou Shen’s eyes gleamed with excitement. In recent days, accompanying Mei Qing had broadened his horizons far beyond his previous understanding. In the martial world, though he couldn’t claim to be the absolute top-tier, he had at least been among the elite. Yet in the cultivation world, even an ordinary cultivator could likely overwhelm him with a single spell.

Especially after this latest conflict Mei Qing and the others had faced, Hou Shen, though he arrived too late to witness it firsthand, could imagine the intensity from the aftermath and the accounts he had heard. In such battles, his abilities would likely be of little use. Ever since pledging his loyalty to Mei Qing, he had hoped for the chance to prove his worth. Yet now, compared to Zhang Shisan, or even the girl Bi Zhen, he felt far behind.

Thus, upon hearing Zhang Shisan and Mei Qing discussing plans for enhancing his abilities, Hou Shen couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement and anticipation. Seeing Mei Qing’s interest, his heart swelled with eagerness.

After asking Hou Shen a few brief questions about his martial techniques and watching him demonstrate a few moves, Mei Qing nodded thoughtfully, already forming a plan in his mind for future implementation.

“Is it almost noon? Will the method you mentioned work?” Bi Zhen, unable to stay idle for long, approached Zhang Shisan with a hint of boredom.

“This girl!” Zhang Shisan frowned. “When have I ever spoken recklessly? Besides, it was that foolish kid Mei Qing who first suggested the method. If you doubt its effectiveness, why not ask him?”

“Mei Qing isn’t foolish!” Bi Zhen laughed. “Anyway, you said that at noon the gate will open by itself, and all I need to do is recite the incantation.”

“Incantation?” Zhang Shisan blinked. “What incantation? I don’t remember hearing about that!”

Bi Zhen smiled brightly. “It’s something Mei Qing taught me. When the time comes, I just say: ‘Sesame, sesame, open up! As commanded, so it shall be!’ And the door will open!”

Mei Qing, hearing Bi Zhen recite the incantation, nearly burst into laughter. The method they were using to open the Jiashi Gate had been inspired by Zhang Liusan’s earlier technique of breaking formations by setting up counter-formations. Seven talisman arrays were placed at the key points outside, channeling the power of solar fire to dismantle the barrier.

The greatest advantage of this method was that, once fully prepared, the group would hardly need to expend any effort, and it was safe and reliable, with little chance of error. However, once the appointed hour passed and the sun shifted westward, the gate would lose its support and close again. Therefore, they had to enter the formation quickly and exit within a quarter of an hour.

This plan had been proposed by Mei Qing and refined and arranged by Zhang Shisan. Bi Zhen, unfamiliar with formations, could only watch helplessly on the sidelines, feeling quite disheartened. To cheer her up, Mei Qing had told her that during the opening of the formation, a special incantation would be required, and only her recitation would make it effective.

Now, hearing Bi Zhen recite the phrase “Sesame, sesame, open up!” followed by the unexpected addition of “As commanded, so it shall be!”—a curious blend of East and West—it was all Mei Qing could do to keep from collapsing in laughter.

Zhang Shisan scratched his head and stroked his beard, racking his brain through every incantation he had ever learned, yet he couldn’t recall anything so peculiar. Though curious, he was too proud to ask Mei Qing directly. In his frustration, he couldn’t help but admire Mei Qing’s extraordinary talent and vast knowledge, sensing that the young man was already surpassing him.

“The time has come! Let me chant the incantation!” Bi Zhen, checking the time, clapped joyfully. “Sesame, sesame, open up! As commanded, so it shall be! Open!”

As Mei Qing struggled to suppress his trembling laughter, and Zhang Shisan and Hou Shen watched intently, seven points of starlight gradually appeared above the massive stone of Qianjin冶.

The seven stars grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire area until it was nearly blinding. At the peak of their brilliance, a beam of light extended from the handle of the Dipper, pointing forward to form a radiant gateway, slowly flickering and stabilizing.

“Oh, it opened! It opened!” Bi Zhen beamed. “Mei Qing, your incantation really worked!”

Standing before the shimmering portal, all of them were momentarily stunned.

No one could predict what lay beyond this mysterious gate. The legendary Mount Jiashi had long been a myth, and Xu Fu and Zhang Liusan were figures of awe even in the cultivation world.

Stepping through this portal, none could foresee what awaited them.

Zhang Shisan glanced at the others, then held up a hand to stop Mei Qing from advancing. He made a gesture and stepped forward first, crossing the light and vanishing instantly.

Mei Qing and Bi Zhen exchanged a look, then joined hands and stepped forward together, their figures disappearing into the dazzling light.

Hou Shen’s form flickered, and in an instant, he was gone. The light from the portal shimmered and trembled briefly, then returned to stillness.

“What… what just happened?” Mei Qing managed to say with difficulty.

What lay before them was utterly beyond expectation.

None of the possibilities they had imagined were present.

Zhang Liusan was gone. Xu Fu was gone. The ancient ship covered in seaweed and shells was gone. Even the towering black Jiashi Stone had vanished.

Before them stretched an endless sea, boundless and shimmering under the light. Looking up, they saw a vast dome overhead, with silent waves of water flowing above it. The sunlight filtered through the sea, casting shifting beams of light that blended with the reflections on the surface, creating a surreal and otherworldly glow.

The air around them no longer brimmed with thick spiritual energy, but instead carried a violent and chilling aura of death, permeating every corner of space.

The stark contrast between their expectations and reality left the group momentarily speechless.

“Master…” Mei Qing opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by a gesture from Zhang Shisan.

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhang Shisan scooped something from the surface of the sea.

They looked closer—it was a small wooden fragment, no more than an inch in diameter.

“Could this be…” Mei Qing stared at Zhang Shisan in astonishment. Zhang Shisan slowly nodded.

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously extended their spiritual senses. In an instant, their expressions changed dramatically.