AWB Chapter 221 Eight Gates Formation
Chapter 221 Eight Gates Formation
The moment the barrier shattered, dust billowed up, and a rich, ancient aura emanated from within.
Standing beside the shattered barrier, the group briefly caught their breath before exchanging excited glances. Each gripped their weapons tightly and, with their pets in tow, slowly stepped into the mysterious ruins hidden behind the barrier.
Like a journey through the long river of time, the interior of the ruins is filled with an atmosphere of mystery and oppression.
After entering through the only visible entrance, they arrived at a huge circular space. The space was vast, and darkness was the dominant tone, with no other light sources except for a sliver of light at the entrance.
Just as everyone was fiddling with their torches, Mo Ming took out a luminous jade from his spatial ring and casually tossed it into the darkness.
In an instant, all the darkness was dispelled by the light brought by the luminous jade, and the interior space of the ruins was laid bare before everyone's eyes.
"Wow! Mo Ming, you have such a good thing!" Song Yufei exclaimed in surprise. The others also looked on with astonishment.
In fact, lighting tools like luminous jade are no longer rare these days, but it is truly rare to see such a small object able to illuminate such a large space.
"I was lucky enough to get two!" Mo Ming chuckled lightly, not wanting to reveal all his wealth.
However, among them, Song Yufei was probably the one who understood Mo Ming the most. Two? You're kidding me.
However, since Mo Ming doesn't intend to expose himself, she won't be so ungrateful as to sabotage him.
No, I must trade two of them with him after the expedition! Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Song Yufei's lips. You think you can fool me? You're not good enough!
Although they were amazed by the intensity of the luminous jade, as the space brightened, everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the surrounding environment.
The structure of this place is quite bizarre. Eight passages radiate outwards from their location, each leading into the depths of darkness, as unfathomable as an abyss.
These passages are arranged in a fan shape, closely spaced and orderly, and above each passage hangs a large, blood-red character.
“Eight passages.” Lu Mingyu raised his head, his face full of solemnity. “Including the way we came in, there are a total of eight paths to take here.”
His gaze fell on the entrance above the crowd, and sure enough, there was a bright red character hanging there: Life.
“Life…the path we came in from was ‘life’,” Sun Miaoke said softly, a hint of realization in her bright eyes. “Then the remaining passages…”
Mo Ming instantly understood Sun Miaoke's unspoken meaning: eight channels, eight words, "life"—isn't that the Eight Gates?
Upon closer inspection, just as expected, counting the route taken, the eight Chinese characters above the eight passages are: 休 (xiū), 生 (shēng), 伤 (shāng), 杜 (dù), 景 (jǐng), 死 (sǐ), 惊 (jīng), and 开 (kāi).
The Eight Gates Formation!!!
The others seemed to understand as well. Lu Mingyu pushed up his glasses and slowly said, "In the tradition of the Eight Gates Formation, the order and position of the eight gates are closely related to the positions of the eight trigrams in the Book of Changes."
If we take our location as the center, the eight directions of the Eight Gates, arranged clockwise, should be:
Xiumen (due north)
Life Gate (Northeast)
Injury Gate (Due East)
Du Gate (Southeast)
Jingmen (due south)
Death Gate (Southwest)
The Gate of Shock (due west)
Open the door (northwest).
Each door represents a different symbolic meaning, which can be both symbolic and a warning of danger or trial.
After Lu Mingyu finished speaking, the others nodded in understanding. However, while they understood, not everyone knew the specific meanings represented by the Eight Gates.
"Lu Mingyu, how do you know all this so clearly?" Liu Heng looked at him in confusion.
"Haha, I've been interested in the Book of Changes, the Four Books, the Five Classics, and the Eight Trigrams since I was a child. I also majored in Chinese Studies in college."
"Then... what do these eight gates represent?" Song Yufei leaned against the jade lion and asked lazily, seemingly completely unconcerned about the safety of the place.
"You've come to the right person. First of all, the Rest Gate represents rest, recuperation, tranquility, and peace. The Rest Gate generally symbolizes calm or slow change."
The area outside the door is dimly lit and has a somewhat relaxing atmosphere, which can easily cause one to lower their guard. However, the "rest door" may be a place where clues and power are hidden, because it encourages rest and observation.
The Gate of Life represents hope and vitality, leading to a path of life or a new beginning. Traditionally, it is considered the safest and most auspicious gate. However, in ruins filled with uncertainty, this gate may merely be a facade.
However, since we entered through the "life gate" and encountered no danger, we can temporarily classify it as a "safe gate."
As he spoke, Lu Mingyu turned slightly to face due east and slowly said, "The Gate of Wounds symbolizes injury and pain. The passage may be filled with dangerous trials or traps. This gate usually represents unavoidable loss or sacrifice."
However, there may be unexpected surprises along the way.
The adjacent "Du Men" (闭门) symbolizes closure, barrier, or obstruction. A Du Men can signify a dead end, where those who enter may be trapped or have their progress hindered, but it may also hold the key to unlocking the door.
"Therefore, these eight characters have a clear directional meaning, but in terms of meaning, they may not correspond to the literal meaning."
Whether a door symbolizes positive meaning or danger, it is not as simple as it appears on the surface; it often contains a dual meaning. Liu Heng's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped something key.
“Indeed!” Sun Miaoke nodded in agreement, her face serious. “The words on these doors may only be the surface; their contents may completely defy common sense. We have no way of knowing what these doors lead to.”
Lu Mingyu nodded slightly and said softly, "That's one way to understand it. But most people are easily misled by its outward appearance and find it difficult to explore its true nature."
Just like the Jing Gate!
He pointed to the passageway to the south, where a soft light emanated from the entrance, making it appear exceptionally warm and welcoming.
“The View Gate often represents scenery, prosperity, light, or new breakthroughs. The View Gate may offer some favorable conditions or key information, and it is usually the gate that people are most willing to choose.”
Most of the time, those who choose the Jing Gate (景门) become immersed in its gentle embrace, unknowingly becoming frogs in slowly boiling water in a thriving environment!
“I know about the Death Gate, does it mean death?” Sun Miaoke chuckled.
"Haha, that's right. The Death Gate represents the end and destruction, and is generally regarded as a sign of a dead end. But precisely because of 'death,' it may also be the most unexpected gate of life."
"Is this truly living towards death?" Mo Ming muttered to himself, paying close attention to the dark, cold passage filled with intense fear and oppression.