Liu Dashao quickly pointed at the white box. Everyone turned their eyes and saw the box emitting a white light, which startled them all. They followed Liu Dashao toward this mysterious white box. At this moment, even Caqingchong had somehow woken up, looking around in confusion. Supporting himself on Fan Debiao, he also followed along.
They had only walked a few steps when the white light suddenly surged forth like an erupting geyser, instantly illuminating the entire heavenly palace. The intense brightness forced everyone to shut their eyes tightly.
When they opened their eyes again, a magical scene appeared before them. The white light had shifted from being diffused to concentrated, slowly forming a hazy, fantastical image above the white box.
As the light stabilized from its initial flickering, the image above the white box became increasingly clear. Before their eyes emerged a scene from ancient times: continuous high mountains, vast meadows, blue lakes, dense forests, and many strange birds and beasts. Not far from a cluster of primitive grass huts stood a flying object resembling a modern UFO, while a group of people wearing animal skins and holding primitive wooden and stone tools knelt in front of it, worshipping devoutly. Beside the UFO stood a tall, imposing figure dressed in a Taoist robe with a bagua pattern, holding a golden orb in his hands. Next to him stood a pair of colorful phoenixes. Nearby, an old man wearing animal skins sat on the ground, supported by two others, smiling joyfully.
Seeing this image, everyone was momentarily too stunned to speak. After a long pause, Jia Zhuanyuan murmured, “Goodness, who is that person? Isn’t the orb in his hand the very ‘Phoenix Heart’ that was taken by the phoenix earlier? And those phoenixes—could this man be the ancestor of Taoism, Zhang Daoling?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the image suddenly blurred again, and the white light dimmed significantly. Just as everyone was beginning to feel lost once more, the white light brightened again, gathering into a new image before them. This time, it was a different scene altogether. Strangely, the image was divided into two contrasting halves.
On one half, dark clouds filled the sky, the vegetation on the mountains was charred black, forests and meadows were engulfed in flames and smoke, the deep blue lake had long dried up, and the ground was cracked in large patches. Primitive humans wearing animal skins and leaves were fleeing in all directions.
On the other half, a massive yellow flood surged forward, carrying floating grass huts, countless primitive humans, and the corpses of animals.
At this moment, the tall figure holding the “Phoenix Heart,” flanked by the pair of phoenixes, stood on a high mountain wearing strange, silver-shimmering clothing. His expression was solemn, his mouth open as if shouting something. His right hand held the “Phoenix Heart,” while his left hand pointed toward a massive cave with one finger.
Seeing this, everyone understood. This must have been an individual from another world, an extraterrestrial being. Initially, he had used the miraculous “Phoenix Heart” to heal the leader of a primitive tribe, earning their reverence and worship. Later, during the natural disasters of fire and flood, he had guided the tribe into a cave—perhaps the very same mysterious “Ninety-Nine Heavens” everyone had now entered.
Afterward, at regular intervals, the white light from the box flickered and changed images. As the group observed several such scenes, they finally understood how Taoism had come into being. The first image showed a man dressed in strange, robe-like attire exiting a cave and entering a village-like settlement. The village bustled with people, and their clothing and architecture were clearly visible.
In the subsequent images, the man from the cave wore armor, rode a horse, and led countless soldiers wearing yellow scarves in battles, attacking cities and engaging in warfare.
The white light continued to flicker on and off, showing scenes of ongoing conflict between the Yellow Scarves and the Eastern Han army, followed by the rise and fall of the Yellow Scarves Rebellion. These events largely aligned with historical records.
Finally, the last image left everyone in shock. The previous scene had shown Eastern Han generals attacking the Yellow Scarves’ capital, with Zhang Jiao committing suicide by sword.
But the final image showed Zhang Jiao alive and well in the Golden Ancient City, standing beside a mysterious man dressed in Taoist robes. Beneath the dragon throne, countless people knelt and worshipped. The mysterious man smiled gently, raised a hand in place of Zhang Jiao, and signaled for the kneeling subjects to rise.
At this point, the image no longer changed. Everyone fell silent, staring at the frozen final scene, unable to comprehend one crucial question: if Zhang Jiao had clearly died, why was he now alive in the Golden Ancient City?
Suddenly, Jia Zhuanyuan shouted, “The Phoenix Heart! I understand now—it’s the Phoenix Heart!”
“The Phoenix Heart? What do you mean?” Liu Dashao frowned, asking.
Jia Zhuanyuan said excitedly, “It must be that the man beside Zhang Jiao took her body after her death, traveled westward, and used the immortal Phoenix Heart to revive her.”
Everyone was stunned at his words.
At that moment, Liu Dashao suddenly spoke, “The images have stopped here, and we’ve basically uncovered the secrets of this place. The final scene is indeed puzzling, but I think there are two possible explanations. One is that the white box might originally have shown many more images that could resolve our confusion. However, due to thousands of years of changes, the box may have run out of power, preventing it from displaying further scenes. That’s why this image remains unexplained. The second possibility is that the Zhang Jiao and others in the image are simply like what we saw in the Golden Ancient City—undead beings.”
Although Liu Dashao’s explanation seemed somewhat forced, everyone still felt a lingering sense of confusion. Yet, no matter how hard they tried to think, they couldn’t solve this mystery. From Mount Boddhisattva to the Golden Ancient City, countless enigmas had left them without answers. Was the first figure holding the Phoenix Heart and flanked by phoenixes truly Zhang Daoling? Had he built the Ninety-Nine Heavens? Was the Phoenix Heart genuinely a divine artifact capable of granting immortality and resurrection? So many mysteries—how could they ever be unraveled?
They discussed animatedly but reached no conclusions. As more questions arose, the group gradually fell silent, staring at each other helplessly. Indeed, the world was filled with too many unknowns and unsolved mysteries.
The white light from the box continued to display the final image. Everyone stared at the frozen scene, growing increasingly bored. Finally, Fan Debiao muttered, “Even if we solve all the mysteries, what difference does it make? We’re stuck in a dead end. The Infinite Dao Vault is sealed—no one can escape.”
He sat down heavily on the ground and said no more.
A wave of gloom passed through the group. The initial fear had long faded from each person’s heart, replaced only by confusion and despair.
Gradually, one by one, they all sat down on the floor. At one point, Caqingchong and Fan Debiao, unwilling to give up, ran to the palace door and spent some time trying to find a mechanism or way to open it. But in the end, they returned, heads bowed in defeat.
Jia Zhuanyuan looked at them coldly and said, “Stop wasting your energy. When the door first closed, I already searched thoroughly. There are no mechanisms or hidden devices. And this amethyst crystal is so hard that even explosives wouldn’t break it.”
Once again, the group fell into a long silence. No one knew how much time had passed when a “gurgling” sound echoed through the hall. Everyone turned their heads, searching for the source of the noise. Eventually, all eyes fell on Fan Debiao’s seated figure. A little embarrassed, he whispered, “I’m hungry, but I’ve already eaten all my rations.”
His words reminded everyone of their dire situation. Trapped inside the sealed Infinite Dao Vault, without food or water, the only fate awaiting them was death!
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