The two people outside looked at them, even more puzzled.
"Master, what are they doing?"
Master Cheng Kong regained his composure, speaking irritably.
"Then... are they the ones you’re looking for?"
"..." Master Cheng Kong fell silent for a moment before speaking: "We’ll know once they enter the main hall."
The other person nodded, settling down to wait for Zhang and the others to enter the treasure-filled main hall.
The two waited and waited, and after a long while... Zhang and company were still collecting things here and there, showing no hurry to proceed to the main hall.
Not to mention the two of them.
Even Daoist Mu and the others outside the Kan Water Shield were feeling despondent at this moment, watching their actions:
If you guys would just take the treasures already, we could give up hope!
It makes it hard for us on the outside to abandon any hope, doesn’t it!
Finally, after collecting and recording the architectural styles, earth, and tiles from about a dozen rooms, Zhang led everyone into the main hall.
She was indeed doing this deliberately...
She wasn’t without memory of Mu Qingyan’s warning, of course, she was fearful of any mishaps upon entering the main hall, so she preferred to complete the "archaeological task" first.
She and Xiao Yuying stood at the entrance of the main hall, exchanging a glance, both with caution in their eyes.
The two stimulated their Spiritual Power, swung open the grand doors of the main hall, and saw it was empty and devoid of any furnishings.
There were also no traps or mechanisms, very quiet.
Upon further inspection, they found two tables in the hall.
On the tables, there was a Yellow Gourd and a Jade Tube.
The Yellow Gourd lacked Spiritual Energy, and it was unknown what was inside the Jade Tube.
Zhang and Xiao Yuying took the lead into the main hall, only then noticing that there was another object—a two-person-high boulder.
This boulder was pitch black, placed in the deepest, darkest corner of the main hall. It lacked Spiritual Energy and was very easy to overlook.
Only upon closer inspection could you see that the rock face was neatly cleaved, as if it had been split by someone.
Looking more closely, one would find deep and shallow sword marks on the rock wall...
Xiao Yuying’s eyes moved slightly, her fingertip lightly tapped, and a Thunder Light struck the rock wall.
After the light dispersed, not a single trace was left.
"Tianhe Venerable..."
Xiao Yuying sighed softly.
Zhang understood what she was sighing about—that strike from Xiao Yuying, although not utilizing a Magical Treasure, was still a display of Nascent Soul power, yet the boulder remained unchanged.
As for the sword marks on it—
Both she and Xiao Yuying could tell, they were not deliberately inscribed by someone.
It was more as if some grand power was practicing Swordsmanship, with sword energy cutting across, the heavens, and earth naturally responding, altering the appearance of the boulder.
Among the sword immortals of such strength known to her, apart from Tianhe Venerable, there was no one else.
Xiao Yuying’s soft sigh was one of self-deprecating frustration.
And was also a longing for the revered predecessor’s Divine Skills.
Outside Long Silence Lake, Master Cheng Kong seemed to be paying close attention to the boulder’s reaction. Seeing no response, he couldn’t help but shake his head.
"They’re not the ones."
The attendant also figured out that the boulder was key to finding the person, but now the boulder showed no reaction whatsoever.
Master Cheng Kong seemed disinclined to continue watching, glanced at the Water Mansion again, and got up to leave.
The other person immediately followed, his heart filled with confusion, and asked:
"Master, are we just going to let them be?"
Master Cheng Kong fell silent for a moment before speaking: "As long as that person is not found, the reputation of this Tianhe relic must not be tarnished..."
That person understood — under no circumstances could it be revealed that this Tianhe relic was fake, nor could it be known that this item was related to the Xuanwei Five Sects.
Not a single superfluous move was allowed.
"What a pity for that treasure..."
"What pity?" Master Cheng Kong said with a light smile, seemingly unconcerned.
"It is indeed a relic left by the Tianhe Venerable, genuinely so, but the cultivation method to empower it has long been lost..."
"Oh, inside it are the ’True Methods of Tianhe.’"
"..." The other person was lost for words for a moment, and it took a while to say, "Isn’t that the fundamental cultivation method of the Tianhe Sect?"
"If this were to spread..."
"Then Master, you..."
"What does the Tianhe Sect’s trouble have to do with me, Jiang Chengkong of the Supreme Dao?"
"There isn’t much to it, just the cultivation method up to the Golden Core Stage, I don’t know about the rest — after all, they probably wouldn’t dare to practice it."
The attendant nodded slightly at these words.
Indeed, if the "True Methods of Tianhe" were complete, naturally, many would want to practice it.
But only up to the Golden Core Stage...
Unable to reach Nascent Soul, and it would easily provoke the Tianhe Sect.
Whoever got it would feel it burning their hands.
"What about that rock?"
"This item is important; we need it to find someone." Master Cheng Kong spoke, "But do you know the origin of this rock?"
"Have you heard of Wuya Mountain?"
"It seems I have read about it in the archives, that Wuya Mountain once occupied a vast area and used to be the largest mountain range in the East Continent... only it is no longer seen today."
Master Cheng Kong heaved a light sigh, and told a bit of history: "The record of the Supreme Dao says that when Tianhe Venerable fought with someone, they battled for months, sword qi filling the sky, and actually leveled the ten thousand miles of Wuya Mountain..."
After saying this, both were silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating the might of that swordsmanship.
"This rock is the remnant of Wuya Mountain, the most solid part of the mountain, though not much, but we of the Supreme Dao are not lacking it."
Zhang and Xiao Yuying, among others, gathered up that Yellow Gourd and the jade tube, Xiao Yuying was about to leave but saw Zhang wave her hand and also took away that rock.
She touched her head, only then remembering Zheng Fa’s archaeological philosophy was to take a portion of everything — if the rock was indestructible, then move it in its entirety.
Much harsher than her!
The group exited the Immortal Mansion, only to find that there was no one outside the mansion; Daoist Mu and the others were nowhere to be found.
Once they flew out of Long Silence Lake, they understood...
Three Nascent Souls, actually, had been waiting on the water surface for a long time — of the five who had entered Long Silence Lake with them, one died in the Kan Water Shield, Daoist Mu was now missing, and the remaining three were waiting for them to come out.
Their intentions were clear to Xiao Yuying, not taking action in the lake, probably due to the fear of Long Silence Lake’s peculiarities.
"Fairy Xiao, and this fairy..." One of them said with a smile, "You are only two Nascent Souls and have to protect these little cultivators behind you. It would be better to take out the treasures from the Water Mansion, so as to avoid damaging our good relations..."
His meaning was very clear, they had three Nascent Souls on their side, while Zhang’s group only had two, advising Xiao Yuying both to be aware of the situation.
Xiao Yuying also understood, her Master could intimidate most people — but this Water Mansion belonged to Tianhe Venerable!
There are always those who are not afraid of death.
Like the three before her.
Seeing that she did not speak for a long time, the three became a bit impatient, only to see her suddenly smile and point behind them.
The three turned their heads to look, to see Elder Yuan, Master Pang, Junior Master Huang, along with Lady Xuanhua, all standing behind them — from preparing to leave the Water Mansion, through the Investiture of the Gods, Zhang had contacted Zheng Fa, and the timing could not have been better.
Above Long Silence Lake, silence ensued...
For a while, only Xiao Yuying’s voice with a hint of a smile could be heard: "Now, we have six!"