Sun Lingtong exclaimed excitedly, “The mountain tremors stirred the lake’s surface, revealing a glimpse of the corridor’s magic array.”

“Hahaha, we’re so lucky! Niu Cheng indirectly did us a huge favor!”

Ning Zhuo was constantly linked to Sun Lingtong through the “Ren Ming Xuan Si” (Human Life Suspended Thread) spell, which was akin to being present at the scene himself.

He, too, noticed the anomaly and said excitedly, “I noticed it too. The magic array in the corridor is actually deeply connected to the outside world.”

“My mother didn’t just make this place transparent for the beautiful scenery.

“The magic array here uses the natural light from outside to create real-time changes. No wonder when we studied it before, it seemed obscure, didn’t conform to any known formation, and was very strange.”

Some magic arrays have fixed variations, while others have more complex changes.

Previously, Shen Xi, during their discussions, consistently highlighted the Jiugong Zhen (Nine Palaces Array) as superior among the ten major formations. A significant reason for this was the powerful computational and inferential capabilities at the core of the Jiugong Zhen.

This made the variations of the Jiugong Zhen far surpass those of the other nine major formations.

The magic array in the Shuyu Zhai (Washing Jade Study) corridor did not possess the inferential ability of the Jiugong Zhen. Instead, it cleverly leveraged the outside world, using external variables as its own. This was a clever trick.

Ning Zhuo sighed, “If not for the commotion caused by Niu Cheng, which created such huge waves in the Biyu Hu (Jade Lake), we wouldn’t have discovered this peculiarity.”

Biyu Hu was usually smooth as a mirror, without the slightest ripple on its surface.

Sun Lingtong looked up at the sky, staring for a long time. “No, it’s not the natural light; it’s the changes in the cloud formations.”

Ning Zhuo was slightly startled. He observed carefully but still couldn’t discern this layer. It wasn’t until Sun Lingtong had traversed half the corridor that he suddenly understood and realized Sun Lingtong was correct.

The disparity in their array formation knowledge was utterly evident at this moment.

Having understood the intricacies of the array, Sun Lingtong found it quite easy to pass through.

He pushed open the door in front of him and entered a courtyard.

In the courtyard paved with green jade, there was a rock garden.

The rock garden cradled a spring of living water. Within the spring, red-scaled goldfish danced like colorful robes.

On the rock garden, there was a pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, there was a table and elegant furnishings.

On the pavilion hung a plaque with three characters: “Yu Wu Ting” (Fish Dance Pavilion).

Sun Lingtong ascended the rock garden, testing as he went.

As he stepped inside the pavilion, the wind chimes above the pavilion suddenly chimed without wind, creating a delightful tinkling sound.

Then, from the ceiling inside the pavilion, twelve paper figures floated down.

The paper figures glowed in mid-air, and after landing on the ground, they transformed into eight dancing girls and four tea masters, all appearing lifelike.

The tea masters brewed tea over their stoves, while the eight dancing girls danced, their sleeves fluttering.

For a moment, the spring water tinkled, the wind chimes jingled, and soft singing drifted through the pavilion, soothing and delighting the heart.

Sun Lingtong walked around the pavilion, and after confirming it was safe, he sat down casually, took a sip of tea, and smiled.

He transmitted a message to Ning Zhuo: “It seems this is where Auntie used to receive guests.”

As Sun Lingtong left the pavilion, another series of crisp chimes rang out.

The paper figures reverted to their original forms, drifting upwards with the steam of the tea, gracefully returning to the ceiling and merging into the murals.

Sun Lingtong came to the rock garden and peered at the living spring for a few moments. “These red-robed goldfish are quite nice. They’re all Foundation Establishment-level demonic beasts, and they look really beautiful.”

Ning Zhuo glanced at them. “They’re just ornamental. Elder Brother, this place isn’t worth lingering in.”

Sun Lingtong hummed in agreement and returned the way he came.

This time, he passed through the corridor with ease, returning to the array core room without effort.

Navigating this central area was much more difficult.

However, it still didn’t stump Sun Lingtong, who eventually managed to open another door.

Beyond the door was another corridor, but Sun and Ning immediately recognized it as a new corridor, different from the previous one.

After passing through the corridor, Sun Lingtong entered a workshop.

A strong scent of bamboo pulp filled the room.

The room’s layout was simple, with a long table and back chairs in the center. Along the lower part of the four walls were rows of low cabinets with many closed drawers.

Above these low cabinets, on the previously blank wall surfaces, twelve shadow puppets appeared. Sun Lingtong looked closely and recognized them as the twelve zodiac animals.

He stood at the doorway, not entering rashly, but continuously activating his spiritual eyes to scrutinize the surroundings.

Under the spiritual eyes, the shadow puppets shifted from solid to illusory, revealing their true forms. The tip of the Xu Gou (Dog) ear revealed golden thread脉络 (veins), the Yin Hu (Tiger) claw was damaged, and the Long (Dragon) figure was based on living silk-spun water cloth, with bamboo bones supporting its soaring posture…

These were the guardians of this place.

If Sun Lingtong were to enter rashly, he feared he would activate these twelve zodiac shadow puppets and be attacked.

“The key to breaking this lies on the long table,” Sun Lingtong finally fixated his gaze on an inkpad on the table.

He employed his thievery technique, trying several times, and finally managed to steal the inkpad.

He activated the inkpad, neutralizing the hidden traps and dangers, which allowed him to move freely in the area.

Sun Lingtong opened the drawers on the low cabinets one by one, discovering that they were neatly categorized and filled with precious materials for crafting paper puppets.

Sun Lingtong approached the central table and chairs. After inspecting them, he found that they were all tools for making paper puppets. There were cold jade paper-cutting knives, Yin-Yang dotting pens, and other items, none of high grade, all merely magic tools.

“This must have been where my mother made paper puppets during her lifetime,” Ning Zhuo thought to himself.

A scene flashed before his eyes: Meng Yao’in sitting on a chair, bending over the table, tearing paper to make paper puppets. When she needed a certain material, she would flick her fingers, opening a drawer remotely, allowing the material to fly out automatically and land on the table.

Sun Lingtong glanced at the twelve zodiac shadow puppets and then left the paper puppet workshop.

He returned to the array core room, then pushed open another door.

Once again, he passed through a corridor and arrived at another room.

Both Sun and Ning felt a surge of excitement!

Clearly, this was a storeroom, with materials neatly arranged.

On the shelves against the north wall, Yun Lei Jing (Cloud Tear Crystals) were held in jade bowls, with mist rising within the bowls, like a miniature sea of clouds. Next to them, Shen Lou Bei (Mirage Shells) were stacked, their shells opening and closing to reveal a shimmering array of colorful light…

On the west wall, various jade hooks suspended Shui Ci Mu (Water Thorn Wood), its grain appearing and disappearing in the light. There were also crystal jars, with mysterious sand flowing within them…

On the stone platform to the east, Jiaoshui (Glue Water) glowed in a cold jade box, emitting colorful light. A full bowl of Jin Jing (Gold Essence) sparkled with golden brilliance…

In the southwest corner, a half-human-tall jade pillar stood. Sealed within the jade pillar was a three-foot-long section of Chen Hu Yu Sui (Sunken Lake Jade Marrow).

Most of these precious materials were Foundation Establishment level, with only a few reaching Golden Core, and none at Nascent Soul level.

After inspecting them, the joy in both Sun and Ning’s hearts faded.

Both of them had seen much of the world. Compared to the entire fortune of Tian Shuang (Heavenly Frost) and the treasures within the Wangchuan Xianfu (Forgetfulness River Immortal Mansion), these items in Shuyu Zhai were insignificant.

A moment later, Sun Lingtong entered the fourth room.

The light here was dreamlike and ethereal.

A thousand-year-old Shen Zhu (Mirage Pearl) was embedded in the dome, filtering the light into a soft gauze.

The bed was a huge, open shell. Besides bedding, there were also 360 Mengyou Zhu (Dream Roaming Pearls) scattered along its edges.

The Shen Zhu, combined with the Mengyou Zhu and the magic array here, allowed one to design dreams and experience desired ones.

Ning Zhuo sighed, “Mother worked very hard in the Wanxiang Sect. With this setup, she didn’t even waste sleeping time, continuing her arduous cultivation in her dreams.”

Sun Lingtong said, “This method has a drawback: it can lead to soul fatigue. However, we both have souls of a million people, and besides being a bit feminine, this place is actually very suitable for our cultivation.”

Sun Lingtong searched around and found a jade box under a pillow.

Opening the jade box, he found only two items.

One was a divine contract, proving the ownership of a talisman crafting workshop, an industry Meng Yao’in owned during her lifetime.

The other was a talisman made from a jade plaque, engraved with dragon patterns, as white as snow, its purpose unknown.

Sun Lingtong exited the living quarters, returned to the array core room, and then entered the fifth door.

Soon, he pushed open the door and came to a courtyard.

The dome was high and expansive, like a light shield, with the Biyu Hu water outside the shield.

The lake water was incredibly clear, breaking the daylight into billions of shimmering silver flakes that silently scattered downwards.

Tiny specks of light danced in the courtyard, and the water shimmered, coalescing into countless falling water droplets.

At the center of the courtyard was a pond, or more appropriately, a puddle.

The inside of the puddle was uneven and filled with various raw jade stones. These raw stones varied in form and color—there was dull gray green jade, yellowish Xiu Yan jade, Hanbai jade, and Xuesi jade…

Water droplets fell onto the jade stones, creating peculiar changes.

The rough, sand-like surface of a green jade material, along the path where a water droplet slid, became smooth and delicate at a speed discernible to the naked eye.

The earthy, dark Xiuyu (Serpentine Jade) seemed to shed its dusty outer layer. Under the saturation of the water droplets, its color turned from murky to clear, from dull to bright.

Some jade stones even had cracks on their surfaces. As the water droplets filled them, the edges of the cracks blurred, contracted, and gradually formed a natural, soft, flowing pattern, like a leaf vein.

Every immortal cave had its specialty.

The specialty of Shuyu Zhai was “Shuyu” (washing jade).

Sun Lingtong looked around and understood, “This is the Shuyu Ting (Washing Jade Pavilion).”

Here, the water of Biyu Hu was refined and purified, transforming into water droplets to wash the jade stones.

The flaws of the jade stones were washed away, their imperfections mended, and their essence awakened and nourished by the water droplets, making them lustrous and translucent. One by one, the dull, lifeless jade materials eventually radiated the warm glow of precious jade.

Because no one had been there for too long, there were already many washed jade stones in the jade pit.

Sun Lingtong bent down and picked them up directly.

There was Yangzhi Baibi (Mutton-fat Jade), warm and flawless, like ointment and fat, with inner spiritual light and warm to the touch. A pure spiritual energy slowly flowed within it. This was a rare and invaluable material for the core of talismans and array plates.

There was also Han Sui Bing Po (Cold Marrow Ice Soul), completely clear like ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, with internal cold energy. Approaching it immediately cleared one’s mind, making it a top-grade material for refining ice-element magic treasures and calming spiritual artifacts. At its core was a faint dark blue marrow light, which, upon seeing, Sun Lingtong felt as if he saw the vast blue evening sky.

And there was Jin Lin Huo Yu (Golden Scale Fire Jade), with a warm golden jade texture, but with fine, golden-scale-like fire patterns slowly flowing within, containing pure fire energy. This was an excellent material for setting up large fire-element arrays and refining ultimate Yang (masculine) magic treasures, possessing both the hardness of metal and stone, and the heat of molten lava.

This time, the harvest was considerable.

The latter three types of jade were all Nascent Soul-level precious materials, and of excellent quality, sure to fetch high prices on the market.

“Xiao Zhuo, next time we come, be sure to bring many inferior jade materials to fill this pit!”

Sun Lingtong reluctantly left Shuyu Ting and, after some maneuvering, entered the last room.

Seeing the three characters on the door, both Sun and Ning became excited.

“Bucuan Shi (Divination Chamber)?”

“Is this where my mother used to perform divinations? So, there might be divination tools here?”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes gleamed.

Sun Lingtong had more conjectures: “Perhaps there are some divination classics as well, you never know.”

However, when Sun Lingtong opened the door, he saw only ruins.

The four mica stone walls had long since turned to dust, with only the light shield formed by the array separating it from the Biyu Hu water.

The ceiling and floor still largely remained.

And in the center, a deep blue water vortex floated.

The water vortex was large, occupying most of the room’s space, its rotation speed varying from fast to slow.

“What exactly happened here?”

“Was it attacked?”

“Unlikely. If an enemy invaded, why weren’t other parts of the immortal cave damaged?”

“Perhaps the enemy triggered the defensive measures here and perished.”

“That’s certainly a possibility. If so, the enemy must have been a lone fighter.”

Sun Lingtong walked around, finding the place in ruins, having suffered some calamity. Only the mysterious water vortex remained; the rest of the area was worthless.

Sun Lingtong approached the water vortex, his expression suddenly changing. “Wait, there seems to be something in the water vortex?”

He immediately activated his spiritual eyes, discovering distorted and broken bronze star tracks of a celestial globe, incomplete divination sticks made from polished Xuan Gui (Mysterious Tortoise) shell fragments, and a shattered zitan wood abacus frame within the water vortex…

Sun Lingtong’s eyes emitted spiritual light, pushing his innate talent to its limit.

His gaze penetrated deep into the core of the water vortex, where ancient and profound brilliance shone.

Within the brilliance, an object faintly appeared.

“It looks like a page,” Sun Lingtong said with a surprised expression.

But the next moment, he saw it more clearly, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

“My goodness!”

“This, this is a page from the Luo Shu (Luo River Map)!!!”

Magic tools, magic treasures, spiritual treasures, dao treasures… The Luo Shu was a historically renowned dao treasure.

According to historical records, the Luo Shu was neither metal nor jade, neither silk nor stone, but woven from the fundamental mathematical principles of the universe.

When Sun Lingtong used his spiritual eyes to peer at this dao treasure, he triggered it.

On the page of the Luo Shu, black and white circular dots emerged endlessly, constantly moving across the paper, then suddenly fixing, then scattering into a chaotic mess.

During this process, thoughts rapidly consumed Sun Lingtong’s spiritual sea, his mental energy plummeted, and his soul weakened.

But he had gained a very deep understanding of the water vortex before him.

“Elder Brother!” Ning Zhuo, seeing the ominous sign, quickly activated a spell, providing remote support through the Ren Ming Xuan Si.

Sun Lingtong was startled awake, immediately closing his eyes and actively interrupting his connection with the Luo Shu page.

Blood silently flowed from his nose.

Sun Lingtong ignored it, his expression greatly invigorated. “This really is a page from the Luo Shu, it’s a dao treasure!”

“With the Luo Shu’s help in my calculations, I’ve realized that this water vortex is actually a magic array, Xiao Zhuo.”

Ning Zhuo suddenly understood. “I get it. Dao treasures can affect their surroundings. My mother has been away from here for too long, and the dao treasure’s spontaneous power destroyed this room and used the surrounding environment to form a natural magic array!”