Yun Xi knew that the stunning scenery before her was only a corner of the valley. The true secret of this place was likely hidden deeper within—beyond where the eye could see.
Should she go in or not? Yun Xi hesitated, unable to make a firm decision. Yun Lu, however, was so excited that he tugged on her arm.
“Xi’er, look! There are so many edible plants here. Let’s keep searching—maybe we’ll find something even better to eat!”
Yun Xi shuddered inwardly. Why was this boy always thinking about food?
Still, he wasn’t entirely wrong. This place might have more edible seeds that she could take back and cultivate outside.
With that thought, the two of them lowered their heads and examined the grass beneath their feet—lush and soft like a carpet—trying to spot any edible crops hidden among it. Whenever they found something suitable, they pulled it up roots and all, soil still clinging, planning to transplant it later. Unknowingly, they had already reached the center of the valley.
Fortunately, Yun Xi found several barley seedlings. They hadn’t produced grain yet. She carefully uprooted them and discreetly activated her micro-lab, placing the dew-damp seedlings inside to keep them from wilting.
As they continued walking, the grassy ground disappeared, and a small hill appeared before them. Calling it a hill was generous—it was more like a large stone slope, about two people tall and as wide as a large room. In this valley, it stood out prominently.
Yun Xi felt puzzled. Could this hill be the valley’s secret? Looking around, everything else was just endless grasses and unknown trees, thick and flourishing.
She circled the hill, looking for anything unusual. At that moment, Yun Lu shouted:
“Xi’er! Come look! Look up here!”
Yun Xi hurried over. Following his pointing finger, she burst into laughter.
On the hillside was a round pattern—clearly the modern Taiji Eight Trigrams diagram. It had eight raised points around the circle, and at the center was a larger protrusion.
What was this supposed to mean?
Yun Xi tried pushing down on one of the raised points, but no matter how she pressed, the hill didn’t react at all.
Why would there be an Eight Trigrams symbol here?
She recalled her past-life knowledge about the Eight Trigrams. The trigrams represented elements of nature. People generally understood their meanings:
Qian represented heaven—masculine, strong, active—yang;
Zhen represented thunder—movement, force—yang;
Li represented fire—light, heat—yang;
Gen represented mountain—stillness, solidity—yang.
Kun represented earth—feminine, gentle—yin;
Dui represented marsh—low, moist—yin;
Kan represented water—weakness, downward flow—yin;
Xun represented wind—humble, subtle, invisible—yin.
Based on these definitions:
Qian, pure yang, was positioned above, beginning the cycle;
Next came Zhen, the dawn thunder—morning light;
Then Li, the noonday sun—blazing;
Then Gen, mountain—sunset and stillness leading into the yin trigrams;
Then Kun, pure yin—darkness, nightfall;
Then Dui—stillness and rest;
Then Kan—deep night, darkest point;
Then Xun—light breeze at dawn, returning to Qian.
Thinking this through, Yun Xi suddenly had an idea. They had entered from below during the afternoon. Now, it was near sunset—so the corresponding trigram should be Gen. With this reasoning, she pressed the raised Gen point firmly.
But there was no sound of stone shifting. No hidden door opened.
Was her reasoning wrong? The Eight Trigrams were clearly here—this should have been correct.
She studied the diagram again. Her gaze fell on the protrusion at the very center. Acting on instinct, she pressed it.
In the very next moment, the diagram shifted, and a pitch-black opening appeared beneath it…