Chapter 344
Before they arrived, they had already figured out the significance of the nine runes...
Even Zheng Shidi had a comment that she couldn't quite grasp: "Memorizing the answers... Isn't it hard to memorize the big questions? What about the fill-in-the-blank ones?"
As they stepped into the Water Palace, they noticed the expressions of the wooden Taoist and the others behind them were blank, as if they hadn’t quite processed what was happening...
It wasn’t until the Nine Turns Water Shield closed again that they began scratching their heads and drawing symbols.
But these nine spirit runes were not of the current style; they had only seen them once and lacked the profound mastery of talismanic arts to replicate them in a short time. They could only try slowly.
The more they tried, the more they realized the complexity of these runes, and their hearts sank further:
The Tianhe Zunren (Heavenly River Master) must be more familiar with this than you!
...
Xiao Yuying's eyes were filled with intrigue as she turned to Zhang Shijie and said, "If it were me, I’d probably spend a long time outside the Water Palace." She wasn’t being modest.
Though she had some understanding of the history of runes, her skill in talismanic arts was no match for Zhang Shijie.
Faced with the Nine Turns Water Shield, she could only try slowly.
Zhang Shijie nodded with a smile.
"Collaboration... is quite interesting."
Xiao Yuying added.
It was clear that during this trip, she had grown more accepting of the idea of collaborating with the Jiushan Sect.
Once inside the Water Palace, they didn’t rush to search for treasures but instead did as they had before:
Using the recording talisman to take pictures.
Digging in the earth.
Even collecting building materials from the Water Palace...
While they didn’t dismantle the structures, they were taking things of no value.
The two outside watched them, utterly confused.
"Master, what are they doing?"
"How would I know!"
Cheng Kong, the master, snapped back.
"Then... are they the people you were looking for?"
"..." Cheng Kong fell silent for a moment before saying, "We'll know once they enter the main hall."
The other person nodded, suppressing their impatience as they waited for Zhang Shijie and the others to enter the treasure hall.
They waited and waited, but after a long time... Zhang Shijie and the others were still busy collecting, showing no urgency to enter the main hall.
Not just the two of them.
Even the wooden Taoist and the others outside the Water Shield were feeling frustrated watching their actions:
If you had taken the treasures earlier, we would have given up hope sooner!
By doing this...
It makes it hard for us to give up out here, doesn’t it!
...
Finally, after documenting the architectural styles, soil, and bricks from about ten rooms, Zhang Shijie led everyone into the main hall.
She was indeed being deliberate...
She hadn’t forgotten Mu Qingyan’s warning and was naturally afraid of any mishaps upon entering the main hall, so she decided to complete the "archaeological task" first.
Standing at the entrance of the main hall, she exchanged a glance with Xiao Yuying, both of them alert.
They channeled their spiritual energy and pushed open the grand doors, revealing an empty hall with no furnishings.
There were no traps or mechanisms, just an eerie calm.
Upon closer inspection, they found two tables.
On the tables were a yellow gourd and a jade tube.
The yellow gourd emitted no spiritual energy, and the contents of the jade tube were unknown.
As Zhang Shijie and Xiao Yuying stepped into the main hall, they discovered something else—a mountain stone, two people high.
This stone was pitch black, placed in the deepest, darkest corner of the hall, devoid of spiritual energy, easily overlooked.
Only by getting closer could they see that the stone had a clean cut, as if it had been split by someone.
Upon closer examination, they noticed deep and shallow sword marks on the rock face...
Xiao Yuying's gaze shifted, and with a flick of her finger, a bolt of lightning struck the rock wall.
When the light faded, it left not a trace behind.
"Tianhe Zunren..."
Xiao Yuying sighed softly.
Zhang Shijie understood her lament—though Xiao Yuying's strike had not used a magical artifact, it still bore the might of the Nascent Soul, yet the stone remained unchanged.
And those sword marks—
Both she and Xiao Yuying could tell they were not intentionally carved.
It was more like a powerful being practicing swordsmanship, with sword energy crisscrossing, causing the very heavens to respond and altering the shape of the stone.
In her understanding, the only sword immortal with such power was the Tianhe Zunren.
Xiao Yuying sighed, feeling both inadequate and yearning for the prowess of the ancients.
...
Outside Changji Lake, Cheng Kong seemed particularly attentive to the stone's reaction. Seeing it remain still, he shook his head.
"Master?"
"Not them."
The attendant also caught on that this stone was the key to finding the person, but it showed no response at all.
Cheng Kong seemed disinclined to look further, casting one last glance at the Water Palace before rising to leave.
The other person immediately followed, puzzled, and asked:
"Master, are we just going to let them be?"
"What else can we do?"
"This ruin..."
Cheng Kong fell silent for a moment before saying, "As long as that person isn’t found, the reputation of the Tianhe ruins cannot be tarnished..."
The attendant understood—no matter what, they couldn’t let anyone know that the Tianhe ruins were fake, nor could they let anyone know it was related to the Xuanwei Five Sects.
Not a single unnecessary action could be taken.
"What a pity about that treasure..."
"What’s there to pity?" Cheng Kong replied with a faint smile, seemingly unconcerned.
"That gourd..."
"Indeed, it’s a relic of the Tianhe Zunren, no doubt about it, but the method to refine it has long been lost..."
"And the jade tube?"
"Oh, it contains the 'Tianhe True Method.'"
"..." The other person was momentarily speechless, finally saying, "Isn’t that the fundamental technique of the Tianhe Sect?"
"Exactly!"
"If that gets out..."
"It would be a problem."
"So, Master, you..."
"The troubles of the Tianhe Sect have nothing to do with me, Jiang Chengkong of the Taishang Dao."
"..."
"It’s not much, just a method for the Golden Core stage; I don’t know what comes after that—presumably, they wouldn’t dare to practice it."
This made the attendant nod slightly in agreement.
That was indeed the case; if the 'Tianhe True Method' were complete, many would want to practice it.
But until the Golden Core stage...
Even the Nascent Soul couldn’t reach it, and it would easily provoke the Tianhe Sect.
Anyone who got their hands on it would feel it was too hot to handle.
"What about that stone?"
"This item is important; we need it to find the person." Cheng Kong said, "But do you know the origin of this stone?"
"I don’t know..."
"Have you heard of Wuyashan (Endless Mountain)?"
"I think I’ve seen it in the classics; it was said that Wuyashan was vast and once the largest mountain range in the Eastern Continent... but now it’s gone."
"That stone is..."
"Ah?"
Cheng Kong sighed and began to recount a story: "According to the Taishang Dao, the Tianhe Zunren fought against someone in a battle that lasted for months, with sword energy sweeping across the sky, flattening the endless Wuyashan..."
Once he finished speaking, the two fell silent, both lost in thoughts of the power of that sword technique.
"This stone is the remnant of Wuyashan, the hardest part of the mountain body; though it’s not much, my Taishang Dao has no shortage of it."
After the two left.
Zhang Shijie finally collected the yellow gourd and jade tube with Xiao Yuying and the others. Xiao Yuying was about to leave when she saw Zhang Shijie wave her hand and collect the mountain stone as well.
She rubbed her head, remembering Zheng Fa’s archaeological principle of taking a piece of everything—since this stone was indestructible, they might as well take the whole thing.
That was much bolder than she was!
As the group exited the immortal palace, they found that outside, no one remained; the wooden Taoist and the others had vanished.
Once they flew out of Changji Lake, they realized...
Three Nascent Souls had been waiting on the water’s surface for quite some time—five people had entered Changji Lake with them, one had died in the Water Shield, and the wooden Taoist was now missing, leaving the other three waiting for them to emerge.
Xiao Yuying understood their intentions; they likely refrained from attacking in the lake out of fear of its peculiarities.
"Xiao Xianzi, and this fairy..." one of them said with a smile, "You’re just two Nascent Souls, and you still have to protect these little cultivators behind you. Why not just hand over the treasures from the Water Palace to avoid any conflict..."
His meaning was clear; their side had three Nascent Souls, while Zhang Shijie’s side had only two, urging Xiao Yuying and her companion to be more sensible.
Xiao Yuying also understood that her master could handle most people—but this Water Palace belonged to the Tianhe Zunren!
There would always be those who were reckless.
Like the three in front of her.
Seeing her remain silent for a long time, the three grew impatient. Suddenly, she smiled and pointed behind them.
The three turned to look, only to see Elder Lao, Uncle Pang, Uncle Huang, and Madam Xuanhua standing behind them—Zhang Shijie had contacted Zheng Fa through the Fengshen List as soon as they prepared to leave the Water Palace, timing it perfectly.
The air above Changji Lake fell into silence...
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