The Living Yama, using the Dragon Emperor Token, tracked Ye Bufan's location, searching the forest.
"Hmm?" The Living Yama suddenly stopped. Directly in front of him, a Dragon Emperor Token floated in mid-air.
The Living Yama cautiously scanned the surroundings with his spiritual power, finding no trace of Ye Bufan and the others. This left him somewhat perplexed.
Just as he was about to approach the Dragon Emperor Token, taking a step forward, he halted again.
"Ye Bufan, are you playing the empty fort strategy?" the Living Yama muttered to himself, looking around. "That trick won't work on me. I've played those games before."
After the Living Yama spoke, the surroundings remained silent. Ye Bufan did not appear as expected, not even a rustle of leaves.
"Trying to trick me?" The Living Yama held his palm towards the Dragon Emperor Token, attempting to retrieve it with his true qi from a distance. However, the token remained motionless, unmovable by true qi.
"Trying to lure me closer to the Dragon Emperor Token to launch a surprise attack?" The more so, the more cautious the Living Yama became. He believed Ye Bufan was privy to the secrets of the Dragon Emperor Token and would not simply release it so easily.
"Ye Bufan, are you really going to give up the Dragon Emperor Token so easily?" the Living Yama asked.
Despite his words, Ye Bufan did not reply. The surroundings remained quiet.
"Could he have really given up?" A thought flashed through the Living Yama's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. No one would hand over the Dragon Emperor Token so readily.
For safety, the Living Yama began an indiscriminate attack on the surroundings, fearing Ye Bufan might have set traps.
The Living Yama stared at the Dragon Emperor Token. It was right before his eyes, and retrieving it now seemed effortless.
"Fine! Ye Bufan, you won't come out, will you? I'll wait for you right here."
The Living Yama stood still and sat down cross-legged, patiently waiting for Ye Bufan's appearance.
"I don't believe you'll give up this Dragon Emperor Token so easily."
"If he doesn't leave, you won't be able to get your Dragon Emperor Token back?" Ye Qingyi asked Ye Bufan.
Ye Bufan smiled mysteriously and then chuckled, "He can't wait that long."
"Why?" Ye Qingcheng looked at the cross-legged Living Yama from afar, somewhat confused by Ye Bufan's words.
"It's simple. He wants everything," Ye Bufan said. "If you want everything, you'll end up with nothing. He's naturally suspicious, and I'm playing the empty fort strategy. He can see through it, but he's also wary of traps. But just waiting here is a waste of time. He wants the Dragon Emperor Token and the inheritance here. Just waiting around is impossible."
Ye Qingcheng let out an "Oh~," finally understanding.
"He will choose to maximize his gains and minimize his losses," Ye Qingyi said. "In his eyes, you're just a cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage, while he's at Core Formation. But your abilities, and his concern about our traps, will consume a lot of his true qi and stamina. In this ancient cultivation ruin, he'll find it not worth the effort."
"Yes," Ye Bufan replied. "If he wants the inheritance, he must preserve his strength."
Just as Ye Bufan had said, after the Living Yama meditated for half an hour, a bell sound suddenly echoed through the space, and the Living Yama immediately stood up.
"The main peak has appeared!" an old voice resounded throughout the space.
The Living Yama glanced back at the Dragon Emperor Token and shouted, "Ye Bufan, clean your neck. Your Dragon Emperor Token will be mine sooner or later!"
With that, the Living Yama activated his teleportation scroll and left.
"The main peak has appeared. It seems someone has successfully entered the main peak," Ye Qingyi said. "We need to hurry as well."
"Then what are we waiting for? We can just keep teleporting. We'll eventually reach the main peak," Ye Qingcheng said.
Upon hearing Ye Qingcheng's words, Ye Qingyi exchanged a look with Ye Bufan, and both of them chuckled.
"There must be more than one way to enter the main peak," Ye Qingcheng added. "But since someone has already entered, this method is the fastest."
"Sister, don't you understand yet?" Ye Qingyi said. "In fact, the test began the moment we entered the secret realm."
"Sister, you mean the process of finding our way to the main peak is itself a test?" Ye Qingcheng looked at Ye Qingyi incredulously.
Ye Qingyi nodded and said, "The trick was actually in the map that Zuoqiu Wuji gave us back then."
Ye Bufan took out the map and then said, "This map is not just for Wind Wheel Peak. Wherever we go, it will display the map of that location."
Ye Qingcheng looked at the map in Ye Bufan's hand and found that it was indeed different from what she had seen in Wind Wheel Peak before.
"Is it that magical?" Ye Qingcheng looked at Ye Bufan and Ye Qingyi. "So you two knew beforehand, didn't you? And you didn't tell me?"
"We only just discovered it," Ye Qingyi replied.
"Then what's the use of this?" Ye Qingcheng asked. "Could it be that it hides the way to the main peak?"
Ye Bufan smiled mysteriously and said, "We can't be sure yet, but we need to verify it. We've found that these three maps have one thing in common."
"What commonality?" Ye Qingcheng asked.
"This map cannot be read according to the map itself, but rather according to the Qiankun Bagua," Ye Bufan said. "Each map has a Taiyi Divine Sect symbol in different locations."
These locations correspond to the "vital energy positions" in each place, which are auspicious stars that can bring prosperity to the area.
After discovering this, Ye Bufan and Ye Qingcheng, combined with the analysis of the eight gates – Xiu, Sheng, Shang, Du, Jing, Si, Jing, Kai – of the Qimen Dunjia, continued their investigation.
Among these, the Sheng Gate represents inexhaustible vitality. Therefore, the entrance to the main peak should be the entrance to the Sheng Gate, and the Sheng Gate's location is at or near the vital energy position.
"These ancient sects have thoroughly researched these matters," Ye Bufan remarked.
"I see," Ye Qingcheng said. "Current cultivators are solely focused on cultivation, and they only practice what is useful from their ancestors' teachings. Looking at it this way, anyone with some understanding of Qimen Dunjia and Bagua should be able to find it, right?"
"Yes."