The Eight Gates each belong to one of the Five Elements. The Open, Rest, and Life Gates are considered auspicious, while the Death, Shock, and Injury Gates are inauspicious. The Hidden and View Gates are neutral. Predictions often depend on their positions within the palaces and their interactions with the Five Elements to determine fortune and timing.
The Life Gate belongs to Earth and is located in the Northeast Gen Palace. It signifies the revival of all things after the start of spring, with Yang energy returning and Earth nurturing all life. Hence, the ancients named it the Life Gate, a door of great fortune.
The Life Gate is most prosperous during the four seasonal months, especially in the months of Chou and Yin. It is neutral in summer, weak in autumn, imprisoned in winter, and dead in spring.
The Life Gate prospers in the Gen Palace, is neutral in the Kun Palace, is buried in the Xun Palace, is subdued in the Zhen Palace, is highly auspicious in the Li Palace, moderately auspicious in the Qian and Dui Palaces, and is constrained in the Kan Palace.
The Life Gate is highly auspicious for seeking wealth. In places where the Qimen Dunjia is set up, such as ancient tombs, the direction indicated by the Life Gate is often an escape route.
However, it is not favorable for burials or funerals.
Unexpectedly, this place used the Eight Trigrams Six Extremes Dragon Subduing Array to open the Life Gate, which was quite ingenious.
Leo sat cross-legged at the center of eight circular stone pillars, took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy within his body, formed a hand seal, and then directed a seal towards the circular pillar to the north.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that Leo was not actually sitting on the ground but was hovering about three centimeters above it.
After directing a seal towards the northern pillar, Leo slightly shifted his body angle and then directed a different seal towards the northeastern Zhen position.
In this manner, Leo directed a different seal at each angle until he had completed eight seals, returning to face the northern Kun position.
Standing up from the ground, Leo maintained his hand seal posture and began to move within the array with a specific step pattern.
As he moved, Leo extended his consciousness just enough to cover the array’s range.
Eight different mystical vibrations emerged from the surrounding eight circular stone pillars.
If these vibrations were likened to flowing water, then Leo was like a fish swimming freely within it.
A low shout suddenly echoed in the cave as Leo stood at the center of the eight pillars again. He stomped his right foot, and his entire body vanished instantly.
Leo entered the Life Gate and disappeared for about ten minutes. Christine Dan had only taken three minutes before him.
The darkness lasted only briefly. When Leo’s eyes adjusted to see again, he found himself in a stone chamber.
It was more like a rectangular corridor than a chamber.
Contrary to being dark, it was very bright inside. Looking up, he saw many luminous stones embedded in the ceiling.
The most striking feature on either side of the walls were murals.
There were four murals in total, two on each side.
Upon seeing the content of the murals clearly, Leo was initially stunned and then showed a peculiar expression.
These were not murals of archaeological or artistic value; they were erotic paintings!
Christine Dan, who had walked ahead of him, must have seen these murals too. Leo was curious about her expression at that time.
All four murals had something in common: both men and women wore strange masks. Leo had seen these masks before-in a file at the City Archives.
The masks captured in that black-and-white photo were identical to those on the faces of men and women in these murals!
What was the significance of depicting four erotic paintings here?
Leo pondered for a moment and then noticed that in the first mural, the positions of the man and woman’s heads had changed!
Previously, they were facing each other; now they were both looking at him!
Despite their masked faces and pitch-black eyes, the feeling of being watched was palpable.
In the second, third, and fourth murals, just like the first one, the heads of both figures turned outward to stare at him.
This feeling was far from pleasant; it was downright eerie as if the figures in the murals had come to life.
Calming his mind, Leo ignored the bizarre murals and walked forward.
At the end was a rough wall. A quick scan with his consciousness revealed it was just a hidden door.
After some searching on the wall, he found a spot with a distinct texture.
It was a small square indentation that would be hard to notice without careful inspection.
Leo pressed down hard on it.
A clicking sound followed as if a light switch had been turned on.
Then came a rumbling noise as part of the wall began to sink down.
Beyond this wall seemed to be another stone chamber with light spilling out from inside.
Leo walked in. The space was quite large and well-lit by fluorite on the ceiling.
Finally, Leo saw Christine Dan standing not far ahead, staring at something in a daze.
Leo called out to her and walked over.
He noticed that this stone chamber was not empty; twelve statues were placed on either side.
Initially thinking they might be zodiac animals, he realized upon closer inspection that they were not. Each animal was oddly shaped and somewhat terrifying at first glance.
They were Ancient Twelve Beasts!
Although these statues looked bizarre, they posed no apparent danger.
As he observed them, Leo walked up to Christine Dan’s side.
In front of Christine Dan was a black altar. There were no tablets or offerings on it-only three red boxes.
Having come this far, it seemed they had reached the end. There was no sign of the legendary dragon locked in a well. What could be inside these three red boxes?
“You’re too slow,” Christine Dan suddenly remarked.
“Why haven’t you opened these three boxes on the altar?” Leo asked.
Christine Dan continued to stare at the boxes. “I was waiting for you to open them together.”
“Why?” Leo was puzzled.
Christine Dan finally glanced at him. “If I leave with these three boxes now, would you stop me?”
“Yes,” Leo replied without hesitation.
“Then let’s open them.”
Leo nodded and stepped forward to examine the three red boxes carefully.
Each box was a cube about twenty centimeters long on each side. They were entirely red and made of an unknown material.
The surface of each box was not smooth but engraved with strange patterns that made them look ancient and mysterious.
Sensing no unusual vibrations, Leo extended his consciousness to probe inside but found it blocked.
With spiritual energy protecting him, Leo reached out with curiosity and anticipation towards the first box on his left.
The touch was cold like iron on a winter day.
Slowly opening the box-there were no locks or hidden mechanisms-Leo’s eyes widened at its contents, unable to suppress his excitement.