The scene suddenly became awkward.
Ji Mo had just stated that there couldn't possibly be a tomb here.
And the result?
The ground cracked open, and a stone gate emerged.
This was a direct slap in the face, a resounding one at that.
Ji Mo's old face felt a slight flush, his mind filled with confusion. According to his understanding, no one should have built a tomb in this location.
It was against the principles of feng shui.
Hong Qiantu was stunned, unsure how to proceed with the conversation, his face resembling a bitter gourd.
He felt as though he had dug a pit for himself, putting the esteemed master in such an embarrassing situation, and he was sure there would be no good outcome.
"No tomb, there's absolutely no tomb here."
Hui Neng, ever the sycophant, seeing this golden opportunity, immediately stepped in to help Ji Mo save face.
After all, if Mr. Ji said there was, there was; if he said there wasn't, there wasn't. The key was to treat every word Mr. Ji uttered as the absolute truth.
"This is Mr. Ji's home, a blessed land of spiritual energy, where outstanding people are born. How could there be a tomb here?"
Fan Jingxing also hurried to chime in, his tone resolute.
Ji Mo's embarrassment was instantly dispelled, and he cast appreciative glances at Hui Neng and Fan Jingxing. These two gluttons hadn't eaten his rice in vain; they truly had foresight.
"You two have been working hard on the land reclamation recently. Tonight, I'll stir-fry a few small dishes, and we'll have a good drink or two."
Ji Mo, being very worldly, offered his reward.
Upon hearing this, Hui Neng and Fan Jingxing were ecstatic. They had been craving Ji Mo's cooking for a long time, not to mention his mellow and fragrant homemade white wine, with its lingering aftertaste, truly the taste of heaven.
More importantly, to dine with Mr. Ji was such immense honor and grace!
The two cast grateful glances at Hong Qiantu, thinking the old Hong was truly loyal, creating such an opportunity for the brothers to gain such a boon.
What a good person!
Hong Qiantu, who had just received a "good person card," was so angry he gritted his teeth, cursing Hui Neng and Fan Jingxing for their shamelessness in telling such blatant lies.
The tomb gate had already appeared over there, and they still claimed there was no tomb. Their faces were too thick.
But since the esteemed master said there wasn't, they naturally couldn't contradict him.
Hong Qiantu had a flash of inspiration and quickly changed his tune: "Mr. Ji, I misspoke. There is no tomb. There is no White Emperor's tomb here at all."
"You old fellow, you change your tune with the wind. You never speak the truth. Look for yourself, aren't the words 'White Emperor' carved on the stone gate?"
Ji Mo looked at Hong Qiantu with disdain, finding him untrustworthy and too cunning.
In the distance.
The stone gate emanated a dazzling divine radiance, the words "White Emperor" flowing with brilliance, as dazzling as stars.
A vast imperial aura, like the sea, enveloped the surroundings, causing people's minds to tremble and a desire to prostrate themselves to arise within their hearts.
Without a doubt, this was indeed a relic of the White Emperor, though whether it was a tomb remained unknown.
Hong Qiantu's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Was he simply not destined to curry favor?
Why was he never favored by Ji Mo, no matter what he did?
"Mr. Ji, this is your territory. Do you want to drive these people away?" Hui Neng inquired.
Ji Mo shook his head, looking at the stone gate, his thoughts in a whirlwind.
He had also heard of the White Emperor.
After all, this legendary figure was far too famous.
Ten thousand years ago, when humanity was in its darkest and most desperate times, the White Emperor emerged, single-handedly resisting the slaughter of humans by other races such as demons, devils, and ghosts, and holding up a sky for humanity.
If not for the White Emperor, the Xuan Ling Realm would likely have no place for humanity to stand today.
His achievements were enough to shine through the ages, yet his end was said to be incredibly tragic.
Some few still firmly believed that the White Emperor was still alive, silently protecting humanity.
Now, by entering the stone gate, perhaps this eternal mystery could be unraveled.
The stone gate remained tightly shut, enshrouded by an incredibly powerful energy, making it difficult for outsiders to approach.
Everyone was observing, no one daring to act rashly.
"Mr. Ji, are we just going to let this be?"
Fan Jingxing carefully noticed that Ji Mo seemed moved, clearly showing interest in the White Emperor's tomb, but for some reason, he made no move.
"Let's eat first. We'll talk after the meal."
Ji Mo glanced at the sky, lost in thought.
He truly paid no further attention and directly returned to his house to cook.
Ah Li, that little glutton, was already crying about being hungry and was chasing the Ginseng King all over the house, with remnants of ginseng roots still clinging to the corners of her mouth.
The Ginseng King had initially thought Ji Mo was ferocious enough, but it turned out this tiny girl, who was barely bigger than a fist, had surpassed him and was even more ferocious, treating it like a carrot to be gnawed.
"Perhaps in the entire Xuan Ling Realm, only Mr. Ji can face the White Emperor's tomb with such a calm and composed demeanor."
Hong Qiantu sighed.
Even at this point, Ji Mo remained unhurried and composed, truly worthy of being a reclusive master.
Looking at the others, their eyes were practically glowing, their greed undisguised.
In contrast, Ji Mo appeared even more detached from the world!
Hong Qiantu sighed again, lamenting his failure to connect with the esteemed master. What would he do in the future?
"Everyone, since you lack the courage, I shall inherit the fortune of this White Emperor's tomb."
Someone finally couldn't hold back their greed and decided to act.
As he spoke, his entire being transformed into a beam of light, charging towards the stone gate.
His voice still echoed in the air, but in the next instant, his entire body dissolved into a pool of blood.
The stone gate indeed harbored great terror, effortlessly obliterating a Spirit Emperor.
"Heh, ignorant."
Someone let out a cold laugh. How could the White Emperor's tomb be so easily breached?
However, it was fortunate that there were such foolish individuals, allowing everyone to understand the dangers contained within.
A Spirit Emperor, without a powerful protective artifact, might not even be able to approach the stone gate. Such a threshold directly prevented most of the people present.
This way, only true masters would be qualified to contend for it.
Subsequently, several more experts, refusing to believe, made attempts one after another, but all failed.
These individuals were turned into ashes by a powerful force before they could even get within a hundred meters of the stone gate.
But the situation also progressed; the energy contained within the stone gate was gradually diminishing, and some people could now approach within ten meters of it.
While these people were bleeding profusely.
Inside the house, Ji Mo and the others were in stark contrast, filled with laughter and merriment, eating heartily.
Almost everyone had become a glutton, eating and drinking without restraint, as Ji Mo's cooking was simply superb.
Ah Li, the little girl, had a greasy face, with rice grains stuck to her cheeks, constantly stuffing food into her mouth.
Hui Neng and Fan Jingxing were even more voracious, eating as if they were reincarnated starving ghosts, because every bite of food contained great fortune, and missing even half a bite would be a colossal loss.
The two of them finally broke through their cultivation realms, both advancing to the Spirit Saint realm.
Some had cultivated diligently for thousands of years and still couldn't break through this bottleneck, while others, by fawning and flattering, experienced a leap in their cultivation within the span of a single meal.
If this were to get out, it would likely infuriate people to death.
For example, Hong Qiantu, shivering in the cold wind outside.
"It's getting dark. It's my turn to play!"
After a satisfying meal and drink, Ji Mo looked out the window, seeing the setting sun, knowing it was time for him to make his move.