The western stretch of ruins grew increasingly damp, the air thick with the scent of ancient water. Qingqing sneezed.
"Big Brother Yun, why are we going to the lake?"
Linlin's ears twitched. Is there something wrong with that lake?"
Yue Zhihe remained silent, her hand resting on her sword hilt.
"I don't know either." Yun Lintian replied casually. "We have nothing to do anyway while waiting for the palace to open."
As they crested a broken ridge, three figures came into view—Nie Tong, Xiong Yu, and Qian Jinglei. They seemed to retreat from the lake as if they had encountered something scary.
The three stared at Yun Lintian with wary eyes as he approached with his group. They recognized him—the young man who had been with the Celestial Pavilion's group.
Nie Tong's eyes narrowed slightly. Wasn't Yun Lintian heading to the Garden of the Lost Souls previously? Why did he appear here?
Qian Jinglei studied Yun Lintian more carefully. Unlike the others, she sensed something unusual about him—an aura that didn't match demeanor.
Yun Lintian also studied them curiously. He was wondering what had happened to make them run. And where were their disciples going?
Xiong Yu, still clutching his injured ribs, barely paid attention. His mind was consumed with worry for his nephew, Xiong Ba.
Qian Jinglei hesitated before speaking. "I advise you not to approach the lake. There's a... creature beneath it."
Yun Lintian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind?"
"A True Dragon God," Qian Jinglei said gravely.
Linlin and Qingqing were surprised and looked at Yun Lintian promptly.
Yun Lintian's mismatched eyes flickered with surprise. "A True Dragon God? Here?"
Nie Tong crossed her arms. "We barely escaped with our lives. That thing could erase us from existence with a glance."
Yun Lintian fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you for the warning."
Yet, instead of turning back, he continued walking toward the lake.
Qian Jinglei frowned. "Did you not hear me? That lake is death!"
Yun Lintian didn't stop. "Then it's a good thing I'm hard to kill."
Xiong Yu finally snapped out of his brooding. "Let the fool die if he wants! We have our own problems!"
But Nie Tong's sharp eyes narrowed. "Wait."
She watched Yun Lintian's retreating figure, then turned to the others. "That man was personally invited by the Celestial Pavilion. He must have some ability."
Qian Jinglei's eyes lit up with realization. "You think... he might know a way to save our disciples?"
The three True Gods exchanged glances.
Xiong Yu gritted his teeth. "Fine. But if this wastes our time, I'm feeding him to the dragon myself."
Yun Lintian stepped onto the shore of Mirror Lake, his mismatched eyes scanning the perfectly still surface. The water reflected the sky like polished glass, undisturbed by wind or ripple.
Qingqing tilted her head, peering into the depths. "Where's the dragon? I don't see it."
Linlin's golden eyes gleamed. "Maybe it's hiding?"
Yue Zhihe's hand rested on her sword hilt as she frowned. "Something feels... off about this place."
Yun Lintian nodded. "Your perception is sharp. This lake isn't natural." He knelt, pressing a palm against the damp earth. Silver light flickered around his fingers as he probed the invisible barriers.
"Fascinating," he murmured. "The entire surface is covered in formations I've never seen before. Not just one—layers upon layers."
Qingqing blinked. "What do they do?"
"Two purposes," Yun Lintian said, standing. "First, they prevent anyone from entering the lake. Second—" His gaze darkened. "They prevent whatever is inside from coming out."
Linlin's ears twitched. "That's weird! Why would someone make a cage that locks from both sides?"
Yun Lintian's lips curled slightly. "That's exactly what I want to know."
As he spoke, a strange sensation prickled at his chest—a fleeting whisper of unease that vanished as quickly as it came. His fingers instinctively touched the Seed of Time hidden beneath his robes.
Something's watching.
Nie Tong, Qian Jinglei, and Xiong Yu cautiously followed Yun Lintian's path, stopping a safe distance away.
Xiong Yu scowled. "What's that brat doing? Just standing there?"
Qian Jinglei's eyes narrowed. "He's examining the formations. Look—his hands are tracing patterns in the air."
Indeed, Yun Lintian's fingers moved with precision, unraveling the invisible threads of energy surrounding the lake. Silver light sparked where he touched empty space.
Nie Tong's frost energy coiled restlessly. "Even if he understands the formations, breaching them would be suicide."
"Let's just watch, shall we?" Qian Jinglei didn't say anything further.
Nie Tong and Xiong Yu went silent and stared at Yun Lintian.
Beneath Mirror Lake's surface, Long Chen, Ling Xuan, and Xiong Ba suddenly looked up as a figure appeared above them—standing effortlessly on the water's surface.
"It's him," Ling Xuan whispered, her eyes widening in recognition.
Xiong Ba frowned. "Who?"
"That man from the arena," Ling Xuan said. "When Jian Feng tried to provoke him. He remained completely calm."
Xiong Ba immediately remembered Yun Lintian.
Tang Wei's liquid form rippled violently as he observed Yun Lintian. "This person... he's the strongest True God I've seen in centuries."
Long Chen's breath caught. His master, Qian Jinglei, had told him Yun Lintian was extraordinary—but to hear such praise from an ancient being like Tang Wei?
Xiong Ba scoffed. "Stronger than my uncle?"
Tang Wei chuckled, his form shimmering with amusement. "Your uncle wouldn't last a second against him."
Xiong Ba's face twisted in disbelief. "Impossible! My uncle is—"
"Look," Tang Wei interrupted.
Above them, Yun Lintian's fingers traced intricate patterns in the air, silver light dancing at his fingertips. The lake's surface, which had been perfectly still, began to ripple faintly—as if responding to his touch.
Tang Wei's voice trembled. "He's interacting with the formations... and the lake is responding!"
Long Chen's heart pounded. "Can he... open it?"
For the first time since being trapped, hope flickered in their eyes.
On the lake's surface, Yun Lintian's mismatched eyes gleamed as the formations beneath his fingers pulsed in response.
The Seed of Time in his Divine Core resonated with the ancient seals, their energy intertwining like long-lost companions.
Qingqing and Linlin watched in awe from the shore, while Yue Zhihe remained alert, her hand never leaving her sword.
Nie Tong, Qian Jinglei, and Xiong Yu stood frozen, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
"He's actually manipulating the lake's seals..." Qian Jinglei breathed.
Xiong Yu's face darkened. "If he can open it, why didn't he say so earlier?!"
Nie Tong's frost energy coiled tighter. "Quiet. Watch."
Yun Lintian took another step forward, his foot landing lightly on the water. The moment his sole touched the surface, the lake reacted—