Chapter 656: Chapter 279: Xuanji Grotto Heaven, Unity Heavenly Water

Elder Hai’s figure had completely disappeared without a trace. His Body Technique was incredibly exquisite; every step he took was precise and perfectly blended into nature. Fang Shuwen could have stopped him, but there was no need to do so. He remained seated on the stone stool. The tea in his cup had grown slightly cold, yet he paid it no mind, lost in thought.

He wondered, "A madman from the north... The north, the Northern Domain?

"No... It can’t be the Northern Domain."

Fang Shuwen had made a trip to the Northern Domain and carved a path right through that section of the Jianghu. Although he knew from Baiyi that the Northern Domain still harbored hidden experts—a group of peerless old monsters who rarely showed themselves—those people alone could never form what was called a great tribulation.

He pondered, "But what if we go further north... The Great Ice Glacier!?"

Fang Shuwen’s heart suddenly trembled slightly as a new thought struck him. "Could there be people north of the Great Ice Glacier?"

The moment this idea surfaced, he felt it was a bit insane. However, no one had ever crossed the Great Ice Glacier, so nobody knew what lay on the other side. If there really were people there, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.

He thought, "The Northern Domain is blocked by the Great Ice Glacier, and over the ocean... lies the North Sea.

"The North Sea is also known as the Traceless Calm Sea.

"Ships cannot sail across it, and even birds struggle to fly over it. Just like the Great Ice Glacier, it is a forbidden zone devoid of life."

Fang Shuwen tapped his finger lightly on the tabletop. "Could it be that, when that day truly comes, someone will cross the Great Ice Glacier, cross the Traceless Calm Sea, and invade the Five Domains Martial World to unleash a massacre?"

Although this idea was still somewhat bizarre, it was ultimately much more plausible than an otherworldly demon suddenly descending upon them.

"I just don’t know how much credibility Elder Hai’s words hold," he pondered.

Fang Shuwen shook his head gently, silently committing the words "Martial Pavilion" to memory. "The Jianghu is vast and deep, and extraordinary talents emerge endlessly. In the end, I still cannot underestimate the people of this world..."

Naturally, Fang Shuwen was on guard against this person who had appeared out of nowhere; it was impossible to trust him unconditionally. But as he glanced at the booklet in his hand, he thought, "I can take a look at this first to verify whether this person’s words are true or false."

He was just about to study it carefully when he suddenly remembered that Luo Shuqing was still waiting nearby, so he went over to bring her back first. Naturally, Luo Shuqing couldn’t help but ask a few questions. Fang Shuwen didn’t go into detail, merely telling her to go back and get some good rest. Seeing this, Luo Shuqing didn’t press the matter and obediently returned to her room.

Fang Shuwen, carrying the teapot, also returned to his own room. He lit an oil lamp and looked at the booklet. He had only skimmed it earlier, but now, upon closer inspection, he discovered that the specific name of the East Sea secret treasure was recorded here. This place was called the Xuanji Grotto Heaven.

The first thing marked on it was how to cross the foggy whirlpool area. Surprisingly, this was related to the time of day. The underwater currents were not constant; they changed during different time periods. Some hours were fierce, while other hours were gentle. By choosing the latter to enter the fog, one only needed to go with the flow to reach the core area. Of course, one could also rely on a brilliant Lightweight Technique to forcefully cross the sea—that would depend on individual skill.

After that section came the internal layout of the entire Xuanji Grotto Heaven. The more Fang Shuwen read, the more alarmed he became. This place was actually constructed by combining various formations like the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, and the Nine Palaces, seamlessly integrated with an array of mechanical traps. Every area contained incredibly terrifying pitfalls. While advancing, if one followed the pattern of the mutually generating Five Elements, they could often turn danger into safety. Otherwise, the peril would multiply exponentially. The ultimate prize, the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, was located at the Central Palace Taiji Position.

Fang Shuwen studied it over and over for quite a while before completely mastering its contents. He held the booklet to the flame and burned it, a somewhat peculiar feeling rising in his heart. His purpose for coming here was indeed for the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, as well as to resolve the troubles plaguing Luo Shuqing. The reason he had brought along those experts from the Forbidden Lands and the various factions of the East Sea was that he lacked pathfinding stones. This group of people, who had originally wanted to kill him and snatch the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, was perfect to be used for scouting the way.

However, Elder Hai had somehow caught wind of this and showed up. Not only did he invite Fang Shuwen to join a Martial Pavilion he had never heard of, but he had also handed over the entire method of entering the Xuanji Grotto Heaven. With things turning out this way, didn’t it seem like he had a bit too many pathfinding stones?

"Never mind..." Fang Shuwen stroked his chin. "At the very least, this trip eradicated the Dark Sea Three Demon Stockade. The Dark Sea Territory will be much more peaceful from now on.

"As for the pathfinding stones... even though there are a bit too many, I can just use them to verify whether Elder Hai’s map is genuine or fake."

The next morning.

Everyone packed up and set off, heading straight for the fog-shrouded area. However, upon arriving at the perimeter, all the ships halted their advance.

Heavy fog lay ahead. Even though they hadn’t yet stepped into it, they could hear the deafening roar of churning whirlpools and raging currents from within the mist. On the side of the Four Forbidden Lands, some people pleaded with Fang Shuwen to guide them. Fang Shuwen told them to calm down and be patient. He was waiting for the right hour...

They needed to set foot inside precisely at noon. Only then could they take advantage of the currents and smoothly arrive at the Xuanji Grotto Heaven.

But while Fang Shuwen remained still, some people made their move early. With the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror right before their eyes, a ship immediately broke away from the fleet and charged straight into the fog. As it sailed past Fang Shuwen’s ship, Zuo Xuan shouted at them, "It’s not the time yet!"

"HAHAHA," a burst of arrogant laughter erupted from the opposing ship. "You are all too timid and cowardly to venture deep inside, but we are not such gutless rats!

"You all just wait right here. Once we get our hands on the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, we will reign supreme over the Jianghu!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.