Under Chen Yan’s vision, he saw a location on the side of the mountain where the surrounding Primordial Qi was subtly flowing towards it, and then ceasing to disperse upon nurturing it. By visual estimation, it should be the ancestral tomb of He Family, using the advantageous terrain to absorb the surrounding Primordial Qi.
Looking further into the mountain, Chen Yan’s gaze shifted, and he made a small sound of surprise.
On the rear left side, there was a place at the bottom of the mountain. Using his Qi Observation Skill, he saw that the Primordial Qi at the bottom of the mountain was weak and sparse, the flow sluggish. In fact, even the vegetation and trees in that area were much sparser compared to other parts of the mountain.
Looking closely, even the Primordial Qi in that place was trickling towards one direction. Following the direction of the Qi’s flow, it led straight to the He Family ancestral tomb.
It seemed as if the He Family ancestral tomb on the hillside was using a stance similar to "Dragon Absorbing Water," silently drawing the Primordial Qi from the bottom of the mountain for its own use.
While Chen Yan was observing, Chu Keqing had already walked up to him.
This woman had a hint of fatigue in her eyes. She took out some snacks like cakes and bread from her backpack and handed a piece of toast to Chen Yan, also shoving a bottle of mineral water to him, saying: "Senior, it’s noon, have something to eat."
Chen Yan casually accepted it, giving the woman a glance—Chu Keqing had been climbing the mountain all morning. Her face was flushed, beads of sweat were faintly visible on her forehead, and she was slightly panting.
Even though the Cloud Sect’s cultivation technique she practiced was incomplete and lacked the effect of nourishing the body with Primordial Qi, after so many years of cultivation, her body had still reaped some benefits, making it somewhat superior to that of ordinary people.
However, a morning of trekking had left Chu Keqing, who was accustomed to a life of comfort in the city, rather overwhelmed.
"Look at that place," Chen Yan pointed calmly without much consideration for pleasantries, and then moved aside to give her space.
Chu Keqing walked over, her expression becoming more serious as she stared at the direction for over ten seconds before frowning, "Senior, the Primordial Qi flow in that place is a bit strange."
"Yes," Chen Yan found a place on the mountaintop to sit, twisted open a bottle of mineral water to take a sip, stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth, and said unclearly, "The Primordial Qi in that place has been sucked away by the He Family ancestral tomb."
Chu Keqing, who did possess some real abilities, squinted her eyes and observed for a while longer, then spoke in a low voice, "It’s strange—not only is the Primordial Qi being siphoned off, but there are also traces of fortune entwined within it, which are being sucked away along with the Qi."
Chen Yan looked up at Chu Keqing and smiled, "Tell me more."
Chu Keqing, assuming this senior was testing her, pondered seriously for a moment before saying earnestly, "That area was originally a valley within the mountain. The surrounding Primordial Qi would gather there, so by rights, the Qi in that area should be quite dense.
But... because of the existence of the He Family’s ancestral tomb, it draws in fortune with its yin dwelling and advantageous position. Coupled with the formidableness of the ’Jiao Long Chasing the Sun’ style, it creates an attraction for fortune.
Water flows downward while Qi rises.
Primordial Qi or fortune generally disperses upwards.
Placed above that area, the He Family ancestral tomb naturally benefits the most from drawing the Qi away!"
Chen Yan swallowed the bread in his mouth with some water and nodded, "Well noted, let’s go have a look!"
The two walked through the mountain. Chu Keqing took out a hiking stick for support, while Chen Yan moved nimbly, showing no sign of fatigue.
Having nourished his body with Primordial Qi, his stamina was now several times that of an average person. Despite walking in the mountain for half a day, he showed no signs of weariness.
Eventually, Chen Yan, forgetting to enjoy the scenery, took the initiative to walk ahead, grasping Chu Keqing’s hiking stick to pull her along.
After walking for nearly an hour, they finally arrived at the valley.
Descending, they noticed the area was in decline—dying grass everywhere, trees growing twisted and their branches sparse.
No paths were visible within the mountain, indicating that people seldom ventured into such areas.
Entering the valley, their eyes lit up instinctively!
Within the valley, remnants of ruined walls and low skirt walls formed a circular pattern, one after another, all collapsed and haphazard.
There was also an old stele, weathered over the years, now broken and only half standing. The other half lay fallen, buried amidst the overgrown weeds.
The odor of decaying foliage lingered in the valley, the cold and damp air unpleasant to breathe in.
Without saying a word, Chen Yan walked up to the broken stele to inspect it.
The stele was about the height of a person. Now that only half of it remained, it stood just at Chen Yan’s waist, its base buried in the weeds. Nearby were a few shattered, barely recognizable stone carvings, likely guardian beasts of some kind.
After squinting for a while, Chu Keqing spoke softly, "Senior... this is an ancient cemetery! These stone beasts were all guardians of the yin dwelling."
Chen Yan made a sound of agreement but remained silent, continuing to scrutinize the stele thoughtfully.