Ling Xuan couldn't contain her curiosity. "Senior... who is this 'woman' you speak of?"
Before the entity could answer, the entire cavern shook violently. Cracks spread across the stone platform as the inverted waterfall's flow reversed momentarily—revealing glimpses of a massive shadow moving beyond it.
The entity's form flickered. "Tch. She's getting restless again today." It turned back to the three cultivators.
The black-water entity's form rippled with amusement as it watched the three cultivators' reactions.
"Don't ask about her," it said, its voice suddenly serious. "If she notices you... death will be a mercy."
A chill ran down Long Chen's spine. This 'woman' must be something even this ancient entity fears.
The entity gestured toward a dark tunnel. "Come in. My chamber is safer. I want to know more about the outside world."
Xiong Ba's grip tightened on his axe. "This is clearly a trap!"
Ling Xuan shook her head. "If senior wanted us dead, we'd already be corpses."
Long Chen hesitated only a moment before following. Xiong Ba cursed under his breath but trailed behind.
The chamber was unlike anything they'd seen. The ceiling was a perfect mirror of still water, showing the surface world above. Through it, they saw their masters—Nie Tong, Qian Jinglei, and Xiong Yu—desperately attacking Mirror Lake's surface.
The entity chuckled. "Are they your masters? Their effort is useless. This prison only allows entry, not exit."
Xiong Ba's face paled. "Impossible! My uncle is a True God!"
The entity's laughter echoed. "True Gods? Mere children compared to what sleeps beneath us."
Long Chen studied the reflections. His master, Qian Jinglei, was carving formation symbols in the air, her face tight with worry.
Ling Xuan stepped forward. "Senior, is there truly no way out?"
The entity's form shimmered. "Perhaps. But first..." It pointed at the mirror-like ceiling. "Watch."
The image shifted, showing not their masters, but a massive azure eye staring back from beneath the lake's surface.
The chamber trembled as the same terrifying roar they'd heard earlier shook the very air.
"That," the entity said quietly, "is why you must never draw her attention."
As the echoes faded, the entity gestured. Three stone chairs rose from the ground. "Sit. I wish to hear of the world above."
Reluctantly, they obeyed.
Long Chen spoke first. "Senior, what is this place truly?"
The entity's form stilled. "A prison built at the end of the Primordial War. The woman... she was sealed here by the Creator's decree."
Xiong Ba scoffed. "The Creator is just a myth!"
The entity's eyes darkened. "Foolish child. You breathe in a world the Creator shaped." It turned back to the mirror. "That 'myth' imprisoned something even the Primordial Gods feared."
Ling Xuan's voice trembled. "Then... we're trapped here forever?"
The ancient entity studied Long Chen's silent expression and chuckled dryly.
"Unnecessary," it said, waving a dripping hand. "I've tried escaping countless times. Do you know why I remain?"
Long Chen remained silent, his mind racing but finding no answers.
The entity's form rippled with something resembling bitterness. "Because this prison was forged by the Creator's hand. I realized that only power equal to the Creator could break its laws."
Ling Xuan's face paled. Xiong Ba's grip on his axe tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"Impossible!" Xiong Ba suddenly roared, leaping to his feet. "I refuse to believe this!" He turned toward the watery ceiling, muscles coiling to jump—
The entity flicked its fingers. Black water tendrils snapped out, yanking Xiong Ba back into his seat with a thud.
"Fool!" the entity hissed. "Charge up there and you'll attract her attention. Then not even your True God uncle could save you."
Xiong Ba's chest heaved, but he stayed seated. "...Then is there no way out?"
The entity's form calmed, its voice turning thoughtful. "There is one path." It gestured to the mirror-like ceiling. "Comprehend the laws governing this prison, and you may leave."
Xiong Ba's face twisted. "What kind of answer is that?! That's no different from saying there's no way out!"
Ling Xuan, however, had been studying the entity carefully. "Senior... may we know who you are?"
A long silence followed. The black-water figure seemed to ripple with memories before speaking softly:
"I am Tang Wei. Once... I was Protector of the Celestial Pavilion in the Sacred City of Origin." Its—his—voice grew heavy. "I failed in my duty. When the city fell, I was cast here as punishment."
"The Sacred City of Origin?" Long Chen repeated the name in shock. "I thought it was a myth."
Tang Wei stared at Long Chen and chucked. "It seems many things have happened outside. The biggest city in the entire universe has actually become a myth."
He paused for a moment and continued, "This prison doesn't just hold her. It holds all who failed that day." His form gestured to the watery ceiling. "Your masters see only an ordinary lake. They cannot perceive the truth."
Ling Xuan frowned. "Then the legends about Mirror Lake..."
"I don't know what kind of legends you have learned but they are definitely lies," Tang Wei finished. "The world above probably remembers this place as a mere spatial anomaly. Not as the Creator's prison."
A sudden tremor shook the chamber. The azure eye reappeared in the ceiling's reflection, closer this time.
Tang Wei's form tensed. "This is bad. She grows restless again. We must move."
He led them deeper into the chamber, where an ancient stone tablet stood covered in primordial runes.
"This," Tang Wei said, "is the prison's core. Study it, and you may find your path out."
Xiong Ba scoffed. "You expect us to comprehend Creator-level laws?"
Tang Wei's voice turned icy. "Would you prefer to rot here?"
Long Chen stepped forward, examining the runes. One phrase stood out:
"Time flows backward for the prisoner."
His breath caught. "Senior Tang, does this mean...?"
Tang Wei nodded. "The prison exists outside normal time. That's why your masters' attacks fail—they're striking the wrong temporal layer."
Ling Xuan's eyes widened. "Then to escape..."
"We must align ourselves with the correct temporal frequency," Long Chen finished, mind racing.
Xiong Ba looked between them. "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Tang Wei chuckled darkly. "Your companions understand, boy. This prison isn't just a space—it's a moment. The moment of her sealing."
A deafening roar shook the chamber. The ceiling's water bulged downward, as if something massive was pressing against it.
"Strange," Tang Wei frowned. "This is the first time I saw her become restless to this extent."