"Divination by observing qi?"
Hearing these two words, the three were all startled.
To ordinary people, this term might sound like feudal superstition or ghosts and spirits.
But within the archaeological community, it is considered a top-tier geomancy technique!
However, this skill is almost entirely dependent on talent, and effort can hardly achieve it. Therefore, throughout the entire Longguo archaeological circle, only one old archaeology professor, who passed away fifty years ago, possessed it!
And that old archaeology professor was none other than Elder Dong's master!
It is said that Elder Dong's master was not originally an archaeologist but belonged to one of the many esoteric traditions of the old society.
He practiced both Feng Shui and grave robbing.
However, when war broke out, Elder Dong's master resolutely joined the battlefield.
After the victory in the war of resistance, Elder Dong's master could no longer return to his former professions, and the policies did not permit it.
By chance, he turned to the field of archaeology.
He immediately became a legendary figure in the archaeological community.
The most widely circulated story about Elder Dong's master is this: At that time, Longguo apprehended a group of grave robbers. Based on the stolen goods confiscated from them, it was evident that there was a significant tomb. Once excavated, it would have been a sensation across the nation.
The entire archaeological community was greatly excited and brought the grave robbers to the tomb's location.
However, upon arriving at the excavation site, the three grave robbers each pointed in a different direction: one said east, another west, and the third, south.
All three vehemently insisted they were correct and the others were mistaken.
Logically, the three could not be lying, as pointing out the correct location could lead to merit and reduced sentences.
But with their completely contradictory statements, the archaeologists present were at a loss.
Finally, they decided to have each of the three follow their respective directions to find their original digging points.
Whoever could find their digging point would be credited with merit.
To their surprise, after much effort, not only did they fail to find their digging points, but all three men vanished without a trace!
With police patrols at the foot of the mountain, the three could not have possibly escaped, yet they could not be found anywhere on the entire mountainside.
Just as the archaeological experts were in a frenzy, Elder Dong's master, who was then an archaeology student, stepped forward.
He did nothing, used no tools, simply stood at the highest point of the mountain and squinted for a long while.
After a moment, he pointed towards a certain direction: "The tomb is right there. Those three men are also hidden inside."
At first, the archaeological experts did not believe a student's words, but with a 'why not try' attitude, they sent people to investigate the location Elder Dong's master had indicated.
Unexpectedly, upon investigation, they immediately discovered the digging point and the three grave robbers concealed beneath it!
It turned out that the three grave robbers were well aware of the inherent intricacies of the terrain and had deliberately used this opportunity to attempt to evade punishment!
Unfortunately, Elder Dong's master saw through the deception at a glance, not only locating the tomb but also finding the three culprits.
Everyone was amazed, and it was only later that they learned Elder Dong's master had used the technique of observing qi.
According to Elder Dong's master himself: To those who observe qi, mountains and rivers all possess different colors.
The flow of qi also manifests in various colors.
That particular tomb, for instance, emanated a bluish-purple hue, a color associated with wealth and nobility. Simultaneously, the qi formed the shape of a coiled azure dragon, hidden beneath the ground.
Such a tomb was an exceptionally auspicious site, and there was no doubt that a grand tomb lay beneath it.
Later, Elder Dong's master soared to prominence, being promoted from student to professorial assistant, then to associate professor, professor, and eventually becoming a towering figure in the archaeological world.
Regardless of which tomb he excavated, Elder Dong's master relied solely on his sight.
He never needed any detection tools.
If he hadn't passed away so early, it is highly probable that all of Longguo's hidden grand tombs would have been unearthed by him!
It was thought that after Elder Dong's master departed, no one in the world could practice the art of observing qi.
Who would have imagined that Ying Chen could do it!
However, whether Ying Chen truly possessed the skill or was just speaking casually remained to be seen.
Professor Li and Wang Zizai looked towards Elder Dong.
Only Elder Dong could now verify the authenticity of observing qi.
After all, Elder Dong was the student who had followed that master for the longest period and had received his true teachings.
The only regret was that Elder Dong's talent was limited, and he could not pass down the art of observing qi.
Elder Dong cautiously looked at Ying Chen.
Having been proven wrong too many times, he dared not directly negate Ying Chen's claims.
He could only ask, "Mr. Ying, what do you mean by observing qi? Is it simply observing the flow of celestial and earthly qi, or does it allow you to ascertain the location of tombs?"
Ying Chen glanced at Elder Dong, seeing through his thoughts at a glance.
Elder Dong, Professor Li, and Wang Zizai all harbored doubts that Ying Chen's concept of observing qi was different from the one practiced in the archaeological circle.
Ying Chen did not answer. Instead, he pointed towards the southeast and said, "Ten li in that direction, the qi is withered and heavy with malevolent energy. It either contains a large burial of withered bones or is suppressing something malevolent."
Ying Chen then pointed towards the southwest: "There is azure qi circling in that direction, faintly resembling incense smoke. It should be the burial of an official of no small rank, but unfortunately, it is not Zhang Daoling."
"Besides these, there is a large area that appears to be blank. While this area looks ordinary on the surface, its proximity to malevolent qi and azure qi indicates a hidden secret. It has merely been concealed by some means."
"The tomb of Zhang Daoling is highly likely to be in that area!"
"In other words, there is no need to waste manpower and resources; you can start excavating directly from that area!"
Hearing Ying Chen's words, Elder Dong and the other two were dumbfounded.
Especially Elder Dong, Ying Chen's confident tone and his commanding demeanor were uncannily similar to his master's!
Someone who did not genuinely understand the art of observing qi could not possibly be so confident and assured!
With Ying Chen's assistance in observing qi, they would save an immeasurable amount of effort this time!
It was akin to cheating in a video game!
While others were still guessing where the enemy was hidden, you could directly see their location through a single glance!
If they couldn't excavate Zhang Daoling's tomb with this advantage, then they should just quit the profession!
"However, while excavating, you must still be cautious. That area is the region of the Profound Well, and to excavate it, you will inevitably encounter the Profound Well.
"You may not believe folk legends, but the withered, malevolent qi emanating from the Profound Well is genuine. There might not be any so-called thousand-year-old great demons within, but there is definitely some earthly malevolence and yin energy.
"You had best proceed with caution. I will draw some talismans for warding off evil. Each of you and the construction workers should wear one before you begin work."
Ying Chen added.
Wang Zizai, having experienced the strange events years ago, knew that this place was indeed somewhat eerie and nodded without hesitation.
Elder Dong and Professor Li, deeply aware of Ying Chen's abilities, also did not object.
Thus, the three had people go to the neighboring city to purchase yellow paper, cinnabar, and other supplies, while waiting for the items to arrive before Ying Chen could draw the talismans.
At the same time, there was another person they needed to wait for.
That person was the supervisor sent by the relevant department.
Only upon the supervisor's arrival would this excavation be considered legitimate and officially approved.
Otherwise, if someone were to cause trouble, it could be defined as a private excavation, leading to the suspension of work and the imprisonment of Ying Chen and his companions.
Time slowly passed. By the time Ying Chen had finished drawing the talismans and distributed them to everyone,
The supervisor dispatched by the relevant department had still not arrived.
It was not until nightfall that an off-road vehicle was seen speeding and barging into the site.
Its demeanor was one of utter arrogance.