Chapter 343
The once tranquil Changji Lake suddenly erupted with furious waves, towering several zhang high, as if it were about to overturn the grand boat.
This was nothing to worry about; after all, the white jade boat was a treasure, remaining steady despite the chaos.
However, the formation set by Chengkong Shangren was not so simple. The waves, unable to shake the boat, instead rose on either side, like towering palace walls blocking the view of the disciples from Jiushan Sect, leaving only a winding passageway visible.
The lake's water, originally clear and blue, now appeared dark and ominous, formed by the massive waves.
From Chengkong Shangren's perspective, it seemed as if Sister Zhang and the others were trapped in a maze, with its twists and turns making retreat impossible.
“What is this...?”
“Changji Lake... It is said that a powerful figure from the demonic sect perished here long ago. The water can erode the soul and sap vitality. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have chosen this place. This Kan Water Maze Formation gains even more power here in Changji Lake.”
Upon hearing Chengkong Shangren's words, the questioner nodded, his thoughts drifting far away:
Chengkong Shangren chose Changji Lake, likely to make this so-called Tianhe Ruins seem more authentic—after all, the lake was already mysterious, so a ruin would appear normal.
Reflecting on Chengkong Shangren's earlier words, they had placed many treasures within the ruins, all related to the Tianhe Zunren, presumably to maintain the “reputation” of the Tianhe Ruins and attract cultivators, drawing them in like moths to a flame.
Over these hundreds of thousands of years, not to mention the treasures offered, the effort these people had put in was clear—they understood that the Xuanwei Five Sects and various major demonic sects had grand ambitions.
The person they were looking for...
He shook his head, gazing at the surrounded boat, and asked, “Shangren, you’ve set up such a grand formation... What if that person can’t enter the secret realm?”
Chengkong Shangren glanced at him, seemingly finding his question amusing. After a moment, he replied, “If he lacks even this level of skill, why would we be looking for him? If he can’t enter, he’s not the person we seek.”
“...”
“Moreover, the Tianhe Zunren is no ordinary figure. If the ruins were too simple, wouldn’t that raise suspicions?”
“...”
“Besides... the longer they are blocked, the further the news of the Tianhe Ruins will spread,” Chengkong Shangren added, “This news has already circulated for over a month. In my view, it would be best if this secret realm could last for more than three months to achieve the desired effect.”
Upon hearing this, the questioner understood—Chengkong Shangren was concerned with the cost and benefits of creating a ruin. If he was looking for someone, he naturally needed to attract more people.
But...
“This formation... it’s broken!”
Without needing to say more, Chengkong Shangren had already seen it:
The boat was trapped, and with a flash of the jade bracelet in Xiao Yuying's hand, a water-blue pearl slowly rose, flying toward the walls of water on either side.
The water walls, like two curtains, slowly parted, respectfully revealing a passageway.
Chengkong Shangren: “...”
What puzzled him even more was that the Jiushan Sect disciples seemed to have found the location of the water palace within the secret realm, advancing without hesitation, showing no signs of losing their way.
“Who is this person?”
He couldn’t help but ask.
“This person... should be the fairy Lingye, Xiao Yuying!”
“Oh, so it’s her... No wonder she has the Water Spirit Pearl and seems to know the location of the water palace.”
Chengkong Shangren seemed to have heard of Xiao Yuying before, realizing something, but then he grew even more confused:
“Isn’t Xiao Yuying proud and solitary? How could she collaborate with others? With her abilities, why would she need to work with anyone?”
“...”
His companion had no answer, seemingly puzzled as well.
...
On the boat, Sister Zhang glanced at Xiao Yuying, secretly admiring her.
Previously, Zheng Fa had always wanted to collaborate with Xiao Yuying. While she didn’t oppose it, she hadn’t felt much about it—after all, she was also known as a genius and was quite proud.
But now she saw the benefits: Xiao Yuying had many treasures, ensuring safety, and her Yuan Magnetic Dao body was excellent for finding paths.
Just moments ago, in the formation, their vision was obstructed, and even the Dongxu Spirit Eye couldn’t see the way forward.
Yet Xiao Yuying seemed completely unaffected, breaking the formation in an instant, truly impressive.
Sister Zhang turned to look back and saw the wooden Taoist and others still struggling within the formation.
These people had hesitated on the shore, but with their arrival, a sense of crisis had emerged, and they couldn’t help but follow.
The wooden Taoist and his companions were all at the Yuan Ying level, not weak at all. With Sister Zhang and the others leading, they followed suit, their speed not slow.
However, their luck with the formation was not as good; the lake’s water was treacherous, and merely touching it could lead to death.
Several Jindan cultivators had already drifted in the water, silent and lifeless.
Looking back at her own boat, even Mu Qingyan, who was still in the Qi Refining stage, was lively and active...
...
The boat continued forward until it reached the center of Changji Lake, where Xiao Yuying stopped the vessel and pointed at the water, saying, “It’s right below.”
Sister Zhang nodded, waving her hand behind her. The group abandoned the boat, seeking refuge under the Water Spirit Pearl, and descended into the depths.
As they walked, five figures appeared behind them. Sister Zhang turned to see it was the wooden Taoist and the other four Yuan Ying cultivators.
Behind them, however, there was no one left. It seemed the others were either still trapped in the formation or had already perished.
These cultivators were all Yuan Ying, each with their own means, and they managed to keep up with the group.
On the other hand, among the Jiushan Sect members, aside from Sister Zhang and one other, the rest had lower cultivation levels, causing their speed to slow down.
They were even overtaken by the Yuan Ying cultivators.
She understood their thoughts—Xiao Yuying was renowned for her treasure-hunting abilities, so following her would surely yield results.
The group fell silent, each wary, as they reached the lakebed.
At the bottom lay a water palace, not large, resembling about ten rooms.
The architectural style was ancient, not of this era.
Sister Zhang glanced at Xiao Yuying, who nodded, saying, “From the previous epoch.”
As they approached, they noticed something peculiar about the water palace—a hemispherical, dark green transparent dome enveloped it, and there was not a drop of lake water inside. The dome was covered in densely packed runes.
Before Sister Zhang and the others could act, a middle-aged man who had followed them boldly approached the dome, carrying a tower-shaped treasure.
It was clear he had confidence in his treasure.
He walked up to the dome, and with a flash of golden light from his treasure, a door about half a person high appeared in the dome.
“This treasure is extraordinary... it can break the restrictions!”
From a distance, the two observers seemed to see the situation inside the water palace, and Chengkong Shangren's companion exclaimed in admiration.
But then Chengkong Shangren suddenly laughed, “Fool.”
Before the other could respond, the green light on the dome abruptly turned red, resembling blood threads.
After a moment, the dome expelled a broken treasure tower, which fell at Sister Zhang and the others' feet, devoid of any treasure light.
“...”
“The restrictions of the Nine Turns Kan Water Dome were passed down from the previous epoch,” Chengkong Shangren explained. “This method has no offensive or defensive capabilities, only one thing—if you cannot grasp the corresponding runes, you cannot enter.”
“Entering recklessly, even I would encounter trouble.”
His companion nodded in realization, then asked, “Runes?”
“How can it be said to be passed down? The runes on it are written in the style of the previous epoch... even recognizing them is not easy, let alone completing them.”
“I can control this thing only because I memorized the runes to open the Kan Water Dome.”
The companion understood, realizing why Chengkong Shangren had only been surprised and not worried when Xiao Yuying broke the formation earlier.
The path of runes was inherently profound.
Not to mention those from the previous epoch...
Moreover, he looked at the Nine Turns Kan Water Dome, its runes densely packed and constantly shifting, making it impossible to discern any patterns at a glance.
Let alone three months; an ordinary person might take a year or more to decipher this Kan Water Dome... right?
He watched in astonishment as the Yuan Ying fairy beside Xiao Yuying didn’t even glance at the runes on the Nine Turns Kan Water Dome, directly drawing nine extremely complex spirit runes.
Then...
The Nine Turns Kan Water Dome trembled slightly, and two large doors appeared on the light shield, crashing open as if inviting Sister Zhang and the others to enter.
It seemed that the Kan Water Dome had encountered its true master...
“...”
Chengkong Shangren fell silent again, and after a long while, he finally voiced his confusion, “How is this person... more skilled than I am?”
...
Sister Zhang put away her flying immortal brush, feeling that it had been too easy...
These nine runes to open the Nine Turns Kan Water Dome were indeed what Mu Qingyan had mentioned, but her understanding of rune techniques was not deep, and she could only describe the general idea.
It was clear that if Mu Qingyan were alone, she likely wouldn’t have been able to enter so easily.
The problem was... Zheng Fa’s archaeological team was filled with talent.
Not only were there various Yuan Ying cultivators from Jiushan Sect who were well-versed in rune techniques.
There was also Xiao Yuying, a historian knowledgeable about the evolution of runes.
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