Chapter 243: The Ancient Well and the Vines

The slovenly Taoist cried out in alarm, his feet suddenly slipping from under him. His body lost control instantly and he plummeted down the mountainside.The mountainside was steep, and the slovenly D...The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and most of the pavilions and corridors had collapsed. The scene is no longer as it once was.

Qin Sang suppressed the joy in his heart, cautiously scanned his surroundings, restrained his aura, and stealthily followed, entering the courtyard with the Fire Jade Centipede.

Finally, Qin Sang entered an desolate courtyard and stood before the moon gate, sizing up the courtyard in front of him.

Even in ruins, there is a luxury that ordinary people can't imagine. The courtyard floor is paved with square jade stones, each measuring one foot. These jade stones, if placed in the mundane world, would each be considered a treasured heirloom.

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Some jade has already cracked or is incomplete, and clumps of weeds have grown in the crevices between the jade stones. Combined with the ruined houses that remain only as walls, the entire courtyard appears desolate.

The courtyard wasn't large, and it was easy to see everything at a glance.

The eyes could not see anything peculiar about the courtyard.

Qin Sang used his divine sense to sweep back and forth through the courtyard dozens of times, not missing a single corner. He didn't find any spirit creatures, nor did he discover any hidden restrictions.

Oddly, the fire jade centipede's target was very clear: this courtyard.

The fire jade centipede struggled fiercely in Qin Sang's palm, frantically gnawing at the spiritual energy binding it. Its perception was definitely not a lie; there must be something amiss within the courtyard.

Qin Sang frowned slightly, lifted his foot, and cautiously walked in. He walked along the wall for a circle, then went over every inch of the courtyard. Everything was normal, even when he tried to destroy a piece of jade, there was no retaliation.

It's not surprising, if a spirit item were that easy to find, it would have already been taken.

Qin Sang returned to the Moon Gate and glanced at the Fire Jade Centipede before releasing it.

But the Fire Jade Centipede’s slender body suddenly curved and sprung, shooting out like a fiery line. It landed at the edge of the white jade, and then something astonishing happened to Qin Sang's surprise.

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The fire jade centipede crawled along a peculiar route, rapidly moving across the ground. Its body twisted and turned, sometimes curving back on itself, creating a path that was far from straight. It was incredibly complex and mysterious.

As the Fire Jade Centipede's crawling speed increased, Qin Sang suddenly felt a subtle fluctuation within the courtyard.

Before this, Qin Sang had not found the slightest anomaly!

Is this some kind of illusion formation

As time went on, Qin Sang could even see ripples appearing in the void with his own eyes. Luckily, these fluctuations were not obvious, otherwise it would have very likely attracted others.

Even at this moment, Qin Sang was still unable to sense what kind of formation was arranged within the courtyard, let alone how to break it.

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Just as Qin Sang was secretly pondering, the front half of the Fire Jade Centipede suddenly vanished into thin air. Qin Sang's gaze froze, and he hurriedly activated the restriction on the Fire Jade Centipede, fixing it in place.

Half of the Fire Jade Centipede's body entered the unknown space, while the other half remained outside. It was as if the void had cut its body in two, a very strange sight.

Qin Sang flew to the side of the Fire Jade Centipede, but he found that no matter how he moved, he couldn't enter that space. He couldn't help but be surprised.

After a moment's thought, Qin Sang ordered the fire jade centipede to retreat back to the Moon Gate. Then he attached his divine consciousness to the fire jade centipede and followed it step by step into the courtyard.

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At the beginning, there was nothing unusual. However, after a while, Qin Sang discovered that a thin mist suddenly appeared around him. Then, the mist became increasingly dense, and the surrounding scenery became hazy and dreamlike, as if he were in a fairyland.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's heart moved. He stopped in his tracks. Before him appeared a strange mirror. The mirror surface rippled slightly, as if composed of flowing water.

This is the core of the formation. Qin Sang understood this, the previous fire jade centipede should have entered the water mirror, which is why half its body disappeared.

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The fire agate centipede is still intact, it seems like there's nothing dangerous inside, but it's best to be careful anyway.

Qin Sang summoned the Obsidian Sword to protect her, then stepped into the water mirror.

In an instant, the clouds and mist dissipated.

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The courtyard is still the same courtyard.

The distant mountains are still distant mountains.

The air runes blazed red, like a sea of fire engulfing the sky.

Everything before, seems to have been a dream.

Besides that, the only other change was an empty well appearing in the center of the courtyard. Qin Sang stood now at its edge, leaning slightly forward to peer down into its depths.

The ancient well was deep and dark. A divine sense swept across the bottom, finding everything normal - it was just an ordinary well. One could barely see the bottom with the naked eye; the water had long since dried up, revealing a deep black at the bottom. A stone staircase, just wide enough for one person to pass, extended down into the depths.

The courtyard owner set up such a powerful and hidden illusion array, just to conceal this well!

Qin Sang's heart brimmed with anticipation. He touched the Corpse Puppet Bag, and a zombie leaped into the well, descending along the stone steps until it vanished from sight.

Until it was almost out of Qin Sang's perception, the zombie had not been attacked.

Qin Sang hurriedly jumped into the well, trailing far behind the zombie.

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The stone steps were long, stretching deep into the earth. As Qin Sang walked deeper, he felt the air around him growing increasingly hot. He couldn't help but wonder if the steps led directly to the lava river

Just then, Qin Sang sensed the zombies had reached the end of the steps. He hurriedly ordered them to return, then silently and quickly darted downward.

"Hiss!"

Qin Sang stood on the last level of the stone steps, not daring to breathe. The anticipation and joy on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by an unusually solemn expression.

He was right, this stone staircase really led to the lava river, but it didn't connect directly. Instead, it led into a huge cavern.

The cave was almost ten feet high and incredibly wide, stretching far beyond sight.

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At the bottom of the cave, it wasn't really a river anymore; it was more like a lake of magma.

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Like the Trial Grounds, there is an identical circular barrier on the surface of the Magma Lake.

However, there was no fog obscuring the vision inside the cave. With the naked eye, one could clearly see countless flame monkeys frolicking and playing in the air above the lava lake.

The most striking feature was in the center of the lava lake, surrounded by monkeys, where several fiery red giant vines grew out from the lava lake.

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These vines were intertwined, as thick as several people could embrace, like an ancient tree. They had sparse branches and leaves, stretching straight to the cave's ceiling, bearing roots that clung tightly to the stone wall, then drooping down again.

At the tip of the thickest vine hung a fruit the size of a hand.

This fruit was surprisingly golden all over, standing out in stark contrast.

The flying monkeys seem to know the preciousness of the fruit, and even during play, they will avoid it from afar. Perhaps, they are more like guardians of the vines and fruits.

The flying monkeys here were far fewer in number than those in the trial grounds, but Qin Sang stood still, not daring to enter and pick the fruit.

Because the flames on the fire monkey's body are not scarlet, but dark red!

Even in play fighting, every move they make carries a power that shocks Qin Sang.Nascent Soul elders from various sects will arrive, and things will become difficult."A man in black opened his eyes and spoke in a low voice.At this time, another middle-aged cultivator with a somewh...