Chapter 604: The Stone Array Within The Lake

The heavenly mountain loomed ahead.

Like a colossal sword piercing the heavens, it was grand and awe-inspiring.

Celestial clouds coiled around its slopes, countless ancient halls dotted its peaks, and a dense array of dazzling celestial barriers shimmered across the landscape.

Qin Sang saw a streak of evasion light flash across the sky like a shooting star, piercing through a light barrier and charging into one of the ancient halls. He knew then that another Spiritual Infant grandmaster had arrived.

Dongyang Bo, seemingly afraid of being detected, had already descended from the sky, concealing his aura as he carefully weaved through the forest, approaching the heavenly mountain in secret.

Later, he circled around to the far side of the mountain and began ascending on foot, remaining hidden. Yet even so, his pace was still astonishingly fast.

Carried along by Dongyang Bo, Qin Sang had no control over their movements. He could only observe the passing scenery of the heavenly mountain like a fleeting panorama, quietly speculating on Dongyang Bo and Chenyan’s true purpose in coming here.

Why were they taking such pains to avoid being seen?

As they neared the mountainside, Dongyang Bo suddenly paused and surveyed the surroundings before veering left.

What appeared to be a sheer cliff wall on the left turned out, upon closer approach, to conceal a narrow stone path. It was clearly carved out by hand, but its presence didn’t seem out of place at all. On the contrary, it blended seamlessly with the natural terrain.

At the other end of the path lay a stunning valley blanketed in blossoms.

The valley floor was flat and lush, carpeted in wildflowers of every color, forming a brilliant sea of petals. At the very center of this floral ocean was a small lake.

The lake resembled a pearl inlaid among the blossoms, its surface mirror-smooth and crystal clear, reflecting the sea of clouds above and the outline of the heavenly mountain itself.

Thud!

Qin Sang suddenly felt a tightening in his body as Dongyang Bo casually tossed him onto a bed of flowers and grass by the lakeside.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Catching him completely off guard, he stumbled and barely managed to steady himself. He was startled to find several other figures standing nearby. A quick glance revealed them to be Qiu Mubai, Mu Yifeng, and the others.

All four of them had appeared out of nowhere.

Despite being in close proximity just moments ago, Qin Sang hadn’t sensed anything at all. It was only after being thrown here that he noticed them. Moreover, looking outward from where he now stood, the scenery appeared no different than before.

The methods of a Spiritual Infant grandmaster were truly unfathomable.

Qiu Mubai and the others looked at Qin Sang in surprise as well.

Their marks had been linked; not long after they entered the inner palace, they had been located by Dongyang Bo and brought here. They had already waited some time and were all curious about what had delayed Qin Sang.

"Senior Brother Qiu, Senior Brother Mu..." Qin Sang greeted each of them in turn.

Mu Yifeng stepped forward and gave Qin Sang a light punch on the chest, his expression tinged with concern as he asked with agitation, "Where the hell did you run off to? Why are you only showing up now? I thought you were..."

Qin Sang glanced behind him.

Dongyang Bo was standing beside the lake, occasionally gazing into the water or turning his eyes to the distant mountaintop. Everyone was present except for Chenyan. She had likely gone out to search for him as well.

Qin Sang lowered his voice and explained, "I ended up falling into an illusion array just after entering the inner palace. The illusions inside were terrifying, almost indistinguishable from reality. At first, I really believed everything was real and couldn’t spot the flaws. Later, I sensed something off and realized it was an illusion array, but even then I had no way to break free. It was part of an ancient celestial array, far beyond what I can handle at my current cultivation. If not for Grandmaster rescuing me, I would’ve been trapped there forever..."

"Just your rotten luck!" Mu Yifeng shuddered, thinking of how close Qin Sang had come to being lost. The four of them had all landed on scattered outer fragments and hadn’t encountered any danger, only Qin Sang had stumbled into such a rare misfortune.

"Lucky it was only an illusion array. Could’ve been much worse." Mu Yifeng sighed.

"What did the ancient celestial array look like? Junior Brother Qin, can you describe it to us?" Ji Qing asked curiously.

Qiu Mubai and Yu Wansen were also intrigued.

The legends of Ziwei Palace had captured their admiration for years. Each of them dreamed of obtaining treasures from the ancient cultivators.

They had been fortunate enough to enter the palace during the Fake Core Realm, yet had seen nothing so far. They were brought straight here, with no chance to explore. Their curiosity about the outside world was understandable.

Qin Sang shook his head repeatedly and said solemnly, "Celestial arrays are terrifying, don’t let curiosity get the better of you! I only fell into a remnant array, and there are surely countless similar places throughout Ziwei Palace. They could kill us effortlessly. Don’t wander off. Just—"

Before he could finish, he felt a soft breeze brush past him and promptly fell silent.

Turning around, he saw that Chenyan had appeared by the lakeside at some unknown point.

Dongyang Bo pointed at Qin Sang and said to Chenyan, "This foolish disciple ended up in the sword-scarred mountain and got trapped in an illusion array. He happened to blunder into a weak point, which is how I sensed the mark's fluctuation. Fortunately, it didn’t delay your plans. Otherwise, I’d have killed him myself."

Chenyan cast Qin Sang a brief glance and said coolly, "As long as he’s been found, there’s no need to stir up more trouble. Now that the five-elemental beast seals are all gathered, Daoist Dongyang, isn’t it time we set off?"

Dongyang Bo turned and looked up at the peak of the heavenly mountain.

Following his gaze, Qin Sang and the others looked toward the same direction, but all they could see was a vast expanse of white clouds.

Dongyang Bo seemed to have noticed something and said gravely, "Not many have arrived yet. In particular, Daoist Zhenyi is absent. I suspect that old bastard is too worried about the battlefront to bother with treasure hunting. That means we still have plenty of time. Follow me."

With that, Dongyang Bo waved his sleeve, and the water of the small lake suddenly parted down the middle. Beneath the surface lay a stairway paved with white jade, leading to a circular stone altar at the very heart of the lakebed.

Dongyang Bo took the lead, and Qin Sang and the others were involuntarily pulled along as they descended. Chenyan followed behind, bringing up the rear.

After stepping onto the stone altar, Dongyang Bo took out a square white jade seal and pressed it into the center of the altar.

Only then did Qin Sang and the others notice that there was a recessed groove there. The jade seal fit perfectly, snug and seamless.

In the next instant, the altar suddenly lit up, and a barrier emerged into view.

"Lady Chenyan, please."

Dongyang Bo retrieved the jade seal and gestured for them to step forward.

Chenyan frowned as she looked at the stone altar. "Can this truly lead to the place where my master went missing?"

Dongyang Bo chuckled. "We’ve come this far, do you really think I’d deceive you now? Have you forgotten the first time we met? Back then, my cultivation was far inferior to your master’s, yet my speed was no less than yours. It was all thanks to this shortcut."

Chenyan gave a noncommittal nod and stepped onto the altar, then asked again, "Shouldn’t we set up an array here to keep this place hidden?"

"No need."

Dongyang Bo shook his head. "I understand you’re eager to rescue your master, and caution is never wrong. But rest assured, this place allows exit, not entry. To activate the barrier on the altar, one must have this jade seal in hand. Those old geezers are all sly and cunning; if we set up an array here, it might actually draw their attention."

The six of them stood at the center of the altar.

Dongyang Bo raised the jade seal, and with a surge of true essence, activated the altar’s barrier. A white light surged up from the ground like a funnel and drew Qin Sang and the others down into the earth.

In an instant, all six vanished on the spot, and the altar and the small lake returned to their original state.

Qin Sang’s vision flickered from light to dark. When his senses stabilized, he found himself standing within a dim underground tunnel.