Chapter 1375: Twisted Space

Truth be told, Zhang Xuan was quite disappointed.

He had expected Zhang Chun, a genius of the Zhang Clan, along with the other four masters, to be able to contend with him at a similar level. Only after their actual confrontation did he realize how vast the difference truly was. Before, simply cultivating his True Qi to the early Nascent Phantasm realm had been enough for him to smoothly pass through Jiazi Alley. Now, with his physical body and shaman soul having also advanced, Zhang Chun and the others, though talented, still lagged far behind in comparison.

“They’ll probably wake up in about a day and a night. Don't worry, I'll have the Azure Dragon Beast watch over them to prevent other Saint Beasts from harming them!”

Stretching, Zhang Xuan approached the group. “We have some free time now, so let's quickly go find the Void Gourd!”

Though he harbored resentment towards the Zhang Clan, he wouldn't leave them to their deaths. If they remained unconscious there, they would soon be eaten by Saint Beasts, which would be tantamount to indirect murder. Having the Azure Dragon Beast guard them would, first, deter other Saint Beasts from causing trouble, and second, prevent them from re-entering the cave even if they woke up.

“Alright!”

Suppressing his inner shock, Luo Xuanqing nodded. Zhang Chun, whom he had contended with for so many years, was just knocked unconscious like that... This young man he had only met yesterday was truly extraordinary!

“Zhang Chun suffered a significant loss, so he definitely won't let this go. It's best to be careful when you return to the Saint Son Hall. If he truly comes to cause trouble for you, be sure to inform me, and I'll handle it…”

He transmitted his voice as they walked towards the cave. He knew Zhang Chun's character; although he was a clan disciple and an eight-star intermediate Master Teacher, he wouldn't resort to despicable tactics. However, with his power and influence, it would still be effortless for him to make things difficult for someone in the Saint Son Hall. Even if he didn't outright harass them, it would be simple for him to ruin someone's reputation. The person before him had offended Zhang Chun by standing up for him, and would certainly face considerable trouble in the future.

Zhang Xuan nodded. In truth, he had disciplined Zhang Chun because the latter harbored inappropriate intentions towards Ruoxi. However, if this incident helped him win over his future brother-in-law, it would be killing two birds with one stone. He could clearly sense that while Luo Xuanqing had previously regarded him merely as a talented ordinary friend, he now considered him a true friend. Although it was still not the best time to inquire about Luo Ruoxi, the strengthening of their relationship would be greatly beneficial in the future. Anyway, his current strength wasn't formidable, and his identity as the Hall Master hadn't been revealed, so slowly building connections was not something to rush.

With the threat of the Azure Dragon Beast gone, the group quickly entered the cave. The cave entrance was narrow, but inside, it opened up into a vast space. The entire cave followed a mountain fissure, layered upon layer, extending to an unknown depth, its end nowhere in sight.

“Xuanqing, I just thoroughly examined this place, and I didn't find anything special about it?” Yuan Xiao looked over. While searching for the Azure Dragon Beast earlier, he had also taken the opportunity to inspect this place. It was just an ordinary cave formed by a mountain fissure, containing nothing noteworthy.

“What about you? Did you find anything?” Without answering, Luo Xuanqing looked at Yun Lianhai, who was not far away. As a Treasure Seeker, Yun Lianhai had an innate sensitivity to treasures and might be able to detect something different.

“I'll try!”

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Yun Lianhai focused his spirit. A drop of fresh blood flew to his glabella, and it was as if a third eye appeared between his brows, scanning the surroundings. A moment later, he also shook his head. “Nothing found either!”

“So this is the ability of a Treasure Seeker? Indeed… it can’t be learned!” Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder. He had just specifically observed with his Eye of Insight and saw that the other party was using the power of their bloodline to detect treasures with spiritual energy. It was like a compass detecting a magnet; even if there was a formation separating them, it could still sense something amiss and find anomalies. This ability, much like a dog's ability to sniff out lost items, was innate and not something that could be achieved through later cultivation. He had never heard of anyone with exceptional talent who ultimately trained themselves into a police dog. He had originally thought of finding an opportunity to learn it, but now it seemed truly impossible.

“Teacher Zhang, did you find anything?” Luo Xuanqing looked over. The others were also filled with curiosity. After only a few days of interaction, this young man, despite his seemingly low cultivation, had greatly astonished them. They all wondered if he, too, could discover something.

Without answering, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes, and subtle patterns quietly appeared within them as he scanned the surroundings. Formations, when not active, were invisible and could only be detected using the Eye of Insight. Soon, he also shook his head. “I didn't find anything either!” Although the Eye of Insight was powerful, limited by his cultivation, it still couldn't detect many hidden things. Just like on the Conferred Saint Platform, he couldn't find the so-called folded space.

“Where exactly is it? Luo Xuanqing, stop being so secretive…” Seeing that he also found nothing, Bi Hongyin, from the side, frowned and spoke.

“I'm not trying to be secretive!” Luo Xuanqing nodded. “To be honest, if I were alone, I wouldn't be able to find the exact location either. It was my sister who, based on the map, pinpointed the precise location of the grand formation's 'Life Gate.' That's how I was able to come and detect it!”

“Found the location of the formation's Life Gate based on a map?” Everyone simultaneously gasped. This young princess was truly astounding! It was already terrifying enough to infer the existence of ruins from a map, but to also find the exact location… How did she manage that?

“This is the map my sister specially crafted for me. With it, we can smoothly locate the core of the formation and enter the ruins containing the Void Gourd!”

With a flip of his palm, a palm-sized jade tablet appeared in his hand. Luo Xuanqing gently tapped it with his finger. A ray of light flickered, and a faint mist immediately emanated from the jade tablet, enveloping the entire cave. Within the mist, faint images of rocks, fissures, and the like were vaguely depicted, resembling a landscape painting that slowly merged with reality, becoming indistinguishable.

“What powerful spatial manipulation…” Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched. What emanated from the jade tablet appeared to be mist, not an ink painting or a formation, but a form of spatial energy. To paint with space, merging it perfectly with reality… This ability was simply too formidable!

Once the mist had fully merged with the cave, the jade tablet flew up from Luo Xuanqing's hand and moved straight forward. The group followed closely. They soon arrived at a fissure. Ahead, they were blocked by a wall, resembling a sealed stone chamber. The jade tablet stopped at a certain spot and spun continuously.

“The external formation is too vast, and this 'Life Gate' shifts over time. It's no longer in the same spot as when I came last… However, since the jade tablet stopped here, it must be here!” Luo Xuanqing nodded.

Without further ado, Zhang Xuan's Eye of Insight began to subtly activate as he looked again.

“Indeed, there's a spatial distortion…” His eyebrows twitched. Once the location was confirmed, he indeed noticed something amiss. Beneath the jade tablet, a sesame-sized area of space was distorted. Without knowing the exact location, it would be almost impossible to detect even with careful searching. After all, such distortions could be created by the concentrated attacks of cultivators in the Transcendent Mortal realm at a single point, so they would typically be ignored. No wonder the Hell Azure Dragon Beast, a dignified Saint 8-dan expert, hadn't noticed it despite living here for countless years… It was simply too difficult to find. To be able to locate something so difficult to find, merely by looking at a map and crafting a jade tablet… Luo Ruoxi's abilities once again made him feel a sense of pressure. Before, not knowing her true strength, he had simply liked her without reservation. Now, with such formidable power, it would be incredibly difficult to resist an arranged marriage. The challenge was immense.

“No matter how difficult it is, I will openly and honorably marry you!” Narrowing his eyes, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists.

“I still don't see anything special here. Just activate it directly, and we'll follow you in!” Looking at where the jade tablet stopped, Yuan Xiao and the others stared wide-eyed for a long time, still finding nothing. They finally couldn't help but shake their heads.

“Alright!” Without further ado, Luo Xuanqing raised an eyebrow and gently tapped a finger forward. A drop of blood immediately appeared. He continuously formed several hand seals, and a special power landed on the jade tablet.

With a 'buzz,' the sesame-sized spatial distortion below immediately began to spin, like churning air currents.

Tear!

Space seemed to rip apart, and centered on the sesame-sized spot, it rotated upwards in a funnel shape, the vortex growing larger and larger.

“Let's go in!” Luo Xuanqing's face was a little pale, as if he had expended a great deal of energy.

“Alright!” Yuan Xiao nodded, said no more, and was the first to leap into the funnel. His roughly two-meter tall body appeared quite large when above the funnel, but as he fell downwards, he grew smaller and smaller, instantly shrinking to the size of a pinprick before vanishing into the distorted space.

“This…” Witnessing such a strange sight for the first time, everyone's eyebrows twitched.

“This is… the ability of the fourth stage of the Heaven's Path Divination, the Creation realm?” Zhang Xuan, meanwhile, frowned. When Yuan Xiao leaped into the funnel-shaped vortex, it appeared as though he had shrunk, but in reality, it was due to spatial folding and visual distortion; the person himself had not changed. It was like how a person standing one meter away appears different in size from a person standing a hundred meters away. Even if a person over two meters tall stood a hundred meters away, to the naked eye, they wouldn't appear much larger than a sesame seed. The current situation was precisely like this. This funnel, which seemed only a few meters deep and not very wide to them, actually concealed countless layers of space; the true distance likely exceeded several kilometers.

“Creating stable, undetectable spaces based on spatial principles… The person who left behind the Void Gourd must be at least a Saint 9-dan expert, with an extremely high comprehension of space. Though not comparable to Ancient Sage Qiuwu, they far surpass ordinary cultivators…” He grew wary. No wonder his Eye of Insight couldn't detect it earlier; this spatial ability was simply too terrifying and completely beyond his current reach.

“Come on, let's go in too!” Seeing Yuan Xiao enter, the others no longer hesitated. Bi Hongyin, Yun Lianhai, and the rest followed closely behind, leaping in as well.

Seeing the two vanish, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and leaped in after them. For a moment, it felt like falling from a great height, plummeting straight down.