Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo's expression instantly turned serious, and he whispered to the four people busy beside him:

"Everyone, perk up... The real formidable figures are starting to show themselves."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened once again.

The small maze array was finally completed with difficulty, emitting a barely perceptible fluctuation of spiritual energy, enveloping the small reef in a thin layer of mist, making the scene slightly blurry from the outside.

Although it cannot block the divine sense of experts, it can at least provide some psychological comfort and prevent being spied on by some ignorant nobody.

In the distance, the conflict between the Heavenly Sword Sect and the small sect was nearing its end. The small sect was clearly no match for the Heavenly Sword Sect; many were killed or wounded, and the remaining members fled in a sorry state, not even daring to leave their camp.

The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect arrogantly occupied the better-positioned rocky platform and began to set up a more magnificent and sturdy formation.

This scene was clearly witnessed by all the forces surrounding the circular waterway. In an instant, a sense of oppression and panic permeated the camps of many small and medium-sized sects and independent cultivators.

The Heavenly Sword Sect's move was undoubtedly a warning to others, demonstrating its dominance over the best location at the entrance to the Water Mansion.

"Pah! What's with the arrogance!" Shi Tie spat in the direction of the Heavenly Sword Sect, his face full of indignation. "Just because the sect is powerful doesn't mean they can bully people!"

"Senior Brother Tie, be careful what you say!" Su Xiao quickly whispered a reminder, her beautiful eyes filled with worry. "Be careful, walls have ears. If they overhear, we'll be in big trouble."

Zhang Daniu shrank back and whispered, "Exactly, those guys... they don't look like easy targets. I feel like any one of them could easily beat the five of us..."

Zhao Qingyan didn't speak, but silently reinforced the warning array beneath her feet, her small hands trembling slightly with nervousness.

She had never seen so many powerful cultivators, nor had she ever experienced such a naked and cruel survival of the fittest.

The contrast between the pristine land of Qingyun Mountain and the bloody, cruel world before us is simply too stark.

Shen Mo sat cross-legged in the center of the reef, seemingly closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, but in reality, his divine sense had already been raised to its limit, like an invisible net, carefully sensing the slightest movement within a radius of several miles.

He could clearly sense that more than one powerful divine sense was constantly sweeping across this remote little reef.

There was the sharpness of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the coldness of the Profound Ice Pavilion, and the gloom of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion... but most of these divine senses only swept over them briefly and did not linger for long.

Clearly, these five "small fry" at the early stage of Qi Refining were not enough to attract the attention of these major sects.

However, the cold gaze from the opposite Black Stone Peak lingered like a leech. Although it no longer stared directly at him, the feeling of being secretly watched still haunted Shen Mo, making him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

"The Blazing Sun Sect..." Shen Mo murmured the name to himself, feeling an unprecedented pressure.

Unlike the overtly arrogant Heavenly Sword Sect, the Blazing Sun Sect is more like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows; when it moves, it is always with overwhelming force.

They sent people to observe secretly; their intentions must be far from small.

"Sect Leader Brother," Su Xiao whispered, leaning closer with a worried look on her face, "what should we do next? Are we just going to wait here?"

Shen Mo opened his eyes and calmly looked at the entrance to the water mansion that was shimmering with blue light.

"Wait. Rushing in now would be suicide. The Water Palace's restrictions haven't been broken, and the treasures haven't appeared yet, so these major sects can still maintain a semblance of balance."

"Once the restrictions loosen, or the aura of a treasure leaks out... that's when the real chaos begins."

He paused, then continued his analysis: "Our goal isn't to fight for the most dazzling thing, but to be like a hunter, patiently waiting. Waiting for them to fight to the death, waiting for our opportunity to appear."

"Opportunity?" Shi Tie scratched his head, asking doubtfully, "Sect Leader, what opportunity do we have with just a few of us?"

"Opportunity always favors the prepared mind." Shen Mo gave Zhao Qingyan a meaningful look. "Qingyan, what are your thoughts on the water palace's restrictions?"

Zhao Qingyan was intently observing the distant blue light when she heard this. She was taken aback, quickly composed herself, and carefully sensed it for a moment before hesitantly saying:

"Reporting to Senior Brother Sect Leader, that restriction... is extremely complex and powerful. With Qingyan's meager cultivation, she simply cannot see through it."

"However... I feel that the fluctuations in that blue light seem to follow a certain pattern... like... tides? Sometimes strong, sometimes weak..."

"Tides?" A hint of approval flashed in Shen Mo's eyes. "You've observed very carefully. That's right, this Flowing Cloud Water Mansion is said to be the cave dwelling of a Golden Core cultivator with water attributes, so its restrictions must be closely related to water."

"These tidal fluctuations may be the periodic changes in the power of the restriction. If we can seize the moment when its power is weakest... perhaps it will be a glimmer of hope for those of us with low cultivation levels."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up! Yes! Forcing our way in is definitely not an option, but if we can find the pattern in the restriction and take advantage of any weakness, there might still be a chance!

"So," Shen Mo concluded, "what we need to do now is twofold. First, conserve our energy and maintain peak condition. Second, carefully observe and record the detailed patterns of the restrictions' fluctuations!"

"Especially you, Qingyan, this is your specialty, and it's also the key to whether we can achieve anything on this trip!"

"Yes! Senior Brother Headmaster!" Zhao Qingyan straightened her small body, feeling an immense weight on her shoulders, but her heart was filled with a sense of mission.

She immediately took out paper and pen and began to concentrate on recording every change in brightness and intensity of the distant blue light.

For the next two days, an eerie calm remained on the surface around the circular body of water.

The various factions remained peacefully at home, each guarding their own territory. But beneath the surface, a turbulent undercurrent was brewing.

The Heavenly Sword Sect has once again taken action to eliminate two small families that attempted to approach the core area.

The Xuanbing Pavilion and Danding Pavilion seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding, turning a blind eye to the actions of the Tianjian Sect, but the security of their own camps was obviously strengthened.

Conflicts among independent cultivators are frequent. A piece of drier stone, a pot of clean water, or even just a quarrel can escalate into a bloody battle.

Every day, corpses are thrown into the murky water, where they are quickly dragged away by lurking water beasts and disappear without a trace.