The box was just a wooden one, with nothing particularly remarkable about it.
Zhang Tian observed it briefly before pulling open the side of the box.
The wooden box slid open.
Inside, a spirit tablet and a yellow piece of paper appeared before his eyes.
Looking at the items, Zhang Tian felt a sense of foreboding.
The spirit tablet was made of wood, but it was adorned with numerous patterns and runes, not something an ordinary person could replicate.
Above the spirit tablet, a single character was carved, presumably the character "Dao."
Zhang Tian set the spirit tablet aside.
With his hand, he took out the yellow paper from inside.
It was inscribed with characters written in brushstrokes.
Zhang Tian glanced around, but Yi Mei Dao Ren had not yet returned.
Zhang Tian decided to read it himself.
"The fate of our Great Xia dynasty is waning, and its end is near."
"To achieve Nirvana and be reborn, all evils must be eradicated."
"We, the Daoist school, are sworn protectors of Great Xia. How can we stand by as its end approaches?"
"Our entire temple will mobilize to eliminate these impurities. If Xia can achieve rebirth from this crisis, it will usher in a hundred years of peace."
The writing on the paper stated.
Zhang Tian furrowed his brow slightly.
Great Xia's end is near? Why? He had never heard of such a thing.
However, upon seeing the inscription at the end, Zhang Tian seemed to understand.
The inscription bore the date of when the Fushiguò initiated its disturbance.
This meant that the temple members had all descended the mountain to fight Fushi, and those so-called evil spirits were likely the small Fushi.
Thinking this, Zhang Tian felt he understood.
That period was indeed a turning point for Great Xia.
The two factions of Great Xia unified, and the Qing Dynasty gradually fell.
A new era began, and thus, Great Xia underwent countless reforms, a form of Nirvana and rebirth.
It was because of this transformation that Great Xia later became a true dragon.
"It seems they had foreseen this, but why did the entire temple descend the mountain without leaving anyone behind?"
"And with their strength, even in the face of gunfire, they shouldn't have all died."
Zhang Tian mused.
He continued reading.
On the back of the yellow paper, there were more characters.
Clearly, one sheet of paper was not enough to write everything.
"We observed the stars and discerned that a small country's destiny was about to change. They sought to defy fate and attempt to rise anew. During this time, extraordinary individuals may emerge."
"We will do our utmost to obstruct them from the shadows."
"If anyone sees this letter in the future, we hope you will revitalize our Daoist sect."
"May the Three Pure Ones, our Ancestral Masters, grant you peace."
The letter ended here.
After reading it, Zhang Tian let out a sigh of relief.
Now he understood how those disciples and others had disappeared.
Zhang Tian felt a pang of regret; so many disciples, perhaps all of them had perished.
Perhaps, like Yi Mei Dao Ren, their remains were scattered in the wilderness.
If Zhang Tian hadn't discovered this place, perhaps no one would have ventured here for hundreds or thousands of years.
Shaking his head, Zhang Tian put the items back.
He had a rough idea of what the wooden spirit tablet was.
Most likely, it was a spirit tablet from Maoshan.
They wanted Zhang Tian to revive it.
But how could such a revival happen overnight?
It would be a great success if his Nine Gates could survive long-term, let alone this.
Shaking his head, Zhang Tian looked towards the door.
He saw Yi Mei Dao Ren walk in, looking somewhat dejected.
His face was unreadable, devoid of any discernible emotion.
His mood at this moment had clearly plummeted to its lowest point.
"Good disciple, it seems they are all gone."
"What happened? What occurred these past few decades?"
Yi Mei Dao Ren murmured, his face filled with confusion.
"Look at this."
Zhang Tian tossed the wooden box over. Yi Mei Dao Ren quickly caught it.
He held the wooden box with both hands, his eyes carefully examining it.
Yi Mei Dao Ren studied it for a long while.
Then, he opened the wooden box.
After reading the characters inside, Yi Mei Dao Ren trembled all over.
"As expected of Master, as expected of my junior brothers."
"I am proud of them. We Maoshan are truly the foremost mountain under heaven."
"Xiao Tian, did you read it?"
Yi Mei Dao Ren's previous sadness vanished, replaced by an overwhelming excitement.
He felt pride in this.
Zhang Tian nodded.
"They are all my idols."
Zhang Tian said softly.
"Since Master has passed Maoshan to me, I, Yi Mei, must revive Maoshan!"
"I am the pride of Maoshan!"
Yi Mei Dao Ren declared, taking out the spirit tablet.
His face was full of confidence.
"Crack!"
The moment he finished speaking.
On the altar, the statues of the Three Pure Ones suddenly cracked.
Zhang Tian was stunned.
And Yi Mei Dao Ren, who was full of fighting spirit, was also dumbfounded.
"Uh, Master, it seems the Ancestral Masters are not pleased."
Zhang Tian said softly.
"What do you mean the Ancestral Masters are not pleased? This means the Ancestral Masters are overjoyed! As the most talented disciple of Maoshan, I, Yi Mei, must accept this great honor!"
Yi Mei Dao Ren said with a serious and earnest expression.
This thoroughly confused Zhang Tian.
Are you sure this is the Ancestral Masters laughing with joy, and not anger?
"Alright, Xiao Tian, since Master has decided to pass Maoshan to this genius, this is how it is. We must descend the mountain and search for disciples with excellent aptitude."
Yi Mei Dao Ren was somewhat excited.
This change in him was truly unexpected for Zhang Tian.
"Wait, what about this statue?"
"It's cracked."
Zhang Tian pointed to the statues of the Three Pure Ones.
"It's old, it needs repairs. Don't worry about it. The Ancestral Masters will forgive us."
Yi Mei Dao Ren waved his hand, saying it as if it were the most ordinary thing.
Zhang Tian's face was a mask of exasperation.
Was this guy not afraid that the Ancestral Masters would appear in his dreams tonight and say, "Listen to me, thank you."?
"Wait, I just thought of something."
Zhang Tian suddenly seemed to recall something.
His eyes lit up as he looked at the base of the statues.
The letter had mentioned that the Three Pure Ones, the Ancestral Masters, would help you.
If Zhang Tian guessed correctly, the Three Pure Ones would not actively help.
Furthermore, it was impossible to invite the Three Pure Ones for possession.
Generally, one would invite their master, or masters from a few generations above. Inviting the Three Pure Ones was almost impossible.
Therefore, Zhang Tian speculated.
Beneath the statues of the Three Pure Ones, there was likely something hidden that was little known.
"What is it, my good disciple? We must hurry to revive Maoshan."
Yi Mei Dao Ren looked at Zhang Tian, confused.
Zhang Tian stood up.
He walked towards the base of the statues.
Zhang Tian reached out and tapped the pedestal beneath the statues.
A series of clear sounds echoed around them.
Zhang Tian's eyes lit up; he knew very well that it was hollow inside.
"Master, it's hollow in here."
"There's likely something hidden here."
Zhang Tian said.
"I thought I searched the entire mountain and found nothing. Could it all be hidden in here?"
Yi Mei Dao Ren murmured, his eyes also drawn to the spot.
Zhang Tian rummaged around the base of the stone statues for a while.
Soon, a protrusion caught Zhang Tian's attention.
He felt over it a few times.
Zhang Tian pulled out a wooden board.
The two men froze for a moment, then a look of joy spread across their faces.
Something was indeed hidden beneath the Three Pure Ones!