Chapter 597 - 537: Shrouded in Suspicion

Chapter 597: Chapter 537: Shrouded in Suspicion

Day rose and fell. In the gloom of the seabed, the passage of time was nearly impossible to perceive.

But after twenty-one hours had passed, the group, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ocean floor, all opened their eyes one after another as if sharing a single mind.

However, Chu Mu gazed into the darkness before him, while Zhao Shuang and the other two looked at Chu Mu, seemingly hoping he could tell them the precise location of the ruins’ gate.

Without violent fluctuations, the spatial presence was difficult to detect. With the Cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Realm, it was clearly impossible to sense such faint spatial ripples.

But right now, to Chu Mu’s senses, it was all perfectly clear.

A faint spatial ripple emanated from the darkness not far in front of him.

A giant coral reef. A faint spatial ripple.

And now, that faint spatial ripple was becoming increasingly distinct.

Like a waking Wilderness Demon Beast, the faint spatial ripple grew from weak to strong until, finally, the disturbance in space was almost visible to the naked eye.

Ripples spread across the seabed. Strands of crisscrossing Spatial Rifts appeared, looking sinister. Under the immense pressure of the sea, the water in this area was sucked into the network of rifts as if it had found a drain, forming terrifying whirlpools.

A Devouring Power, originating from the Spatial Turbulence, emerged along with this torrent.

In just a few moments, the giant coral reef was sliced into countless small pieces by the overflowing Spatial Turbulence, then swept up and pulled into the ever-more-menacing Spatial Rifts, disappearing from sight.

Though the seabed was in turmoil, the group showed little surprise, their gazes fixed on the unfolding scene with unconcealed anticipation.

This transformation didn’t last long. The web-like Spatial Rifts slowly healed and vanished.

When the last Spatial Rift disappeared completely, a phantom roar seemed to echo out. Immediately after, a towering, fluorescent gate materialized before them.

The gate was several zhang tall. Its square frame was made of White Jade that emitted a faint glow, and within the frame was a rippling, light-blue surface like water.

It stood majestically on the seabed, and the unabating spatial fluctuations clearly proved its nature.

"S-Senior..."

Seeing the gate appear, Xie Yu couldn’t help but step forward and bow to Chu Mu, his voice trembling slightly.

Chu Mu glanced at the expectant Xie Yu, then shifted his gaze to the Zhao Shuang sisters. He didn’t respond. Instead, he flicked his hand, and a Cyan Bird Puppet vanished into the Space Gate.

"Hm?"

When the Cyan Bird Puppet entered the Space Gate, Chu Mu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of doubt on his face.

A moment later, with a thought, he sent another Cyan Bird Puppet into the Space Gate.

This time, the connection he felt to the Cyan Bird Puppet was even clearer.

Almost at the exact moment the Cyan Bird Puppet passed through the Space Gate, his connection to it was completely severed.

This was to be expected. After all, being separated by space, it was normal for the connection to be lost. He just had to wait for the Cyan Bird Puppet to return on its own according to its programming to find out what was on the other side of the Space Gate.

The problem was, the two puppets that had entered the Space Gate hadn’t just been temporarily disconnected by the spatial barrier.

He had sensed it clearly. The instant the Cyan Bird Puppets entered the Space Gate, not only was his link to them broken, but it was as if an invisible hand had erased all connection between them.

This connection even included his control over the Cyan Bird Puppets!

In other words, the moment the Cyan Bird Puppets entered the Space Gate, he lost control over them.

In that case, it was impossible for the Cyan Bird Puppets to follow his programmed instructions and return on their own.

Chu Mu’s brow furrowed. After a moment of thought, his gaze shifted and settled on Xie Yu, who stood respectfully by his side.

"Do you know why this happened?"

Xie Yu paused, looking somewhat confused. He asked tentatively, "Senior, are you referring to the two puppets that just went inside?"

Chu Mu nodded, his eyes once again fixed on the Space Gate.

Xie Yu hesitated before gritting his teeth and saying:

"This junior was once fortunate enough to enter these ruins. Please allow me to scout ahead, Senior."

Chu Mu gave a slight nod. But just as Xie Yu stepped toward the Space Gate, an invisible force suddenly appeared and restrained him completely.

"S-Senior!"

Xie Yu cried out, his shock and fear unconcealed.

Chu Mu acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing, his gaze shifting to the Zhao Shuang sisters instead.

"Please allow this junior to scout the way, Senior."

Zhao Shuang bowed respectfully, awaiting Chu Mu’s command.

"Go."

Only then did Chu Mu finally speak.

That single word made the three of them sigh in relief.

The Power of Imprisonment dissipated, and Xie Yu stood respectfully beside Chu Mu, not daring to move an inch.

Zhao Shuang cautiously approached the Space Gate. Finally, with a ripple of the light-blue surface, her entire body vanished into it.

Just a moment later, the calm, light-blue gate rippled again, and Zhao Shuang, who had just entered, reappeared in Chu Mu’s line of sight.

Chu Mu asked, "What’s it like inside?"

"Reporting to Senior, upon entering, there is a plaza..."

Zhao Shuang began to explain, choosing her words carefully.

But she had barely started speaking when Chu Mu interrupted, "You didn’t record it?"

Zhao Shuang faltered, then shook her head. "This junior tried various methods to create a recording, but there seems to be some kind of restriction inside. Everything I recorded turned out blank, with no useful information."

As she spoke, Zhao Shuang took out several Jade Scrolls from her Storage Talisman and respectfully presented them to Chu Mu.

Chu Mu waved his hand, and the Jade Scrolls hovered before him. He extended his Divine Sense into them and found that, without exception, they were all as blank as if they were brand new.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of information within them.

Chu Mu narrowed his eyes, giving Zhao Shuang a suspicious glance, but the look vanished as quickly as it came.

He asked again, "Did you see my two puppets?"

Zhao Shuang shook her head. "The plaza was empty. The surroundings are shrouded by an Array Prohibition, all a hazy mist, making it impossible to see anything."

"This junior also looked around but didn’t see the two puppets from earlier..."

Chu Mu’s brow twitched as he looked at the Space Gate again, his suspicion growing.

A Space Gate is, in essence, a door.

’Normally, the process of crossing from one side of a door to the other shouldn’t have any anomalies.’

’It’s just like my Qiankun Bag or this Storage Ring. The medium to access the space inside is the bag or the ring itself; there shouldn’t be any issues in between.’

’Unless someone deliberately added a step in the middle, like a door within a door? Or a buffer zone?’

Chu Mu was lost in thought. It seemed he was beginning to understand, yet at the same time, he was even more confused.

’What’s the purpose of doing this?’

’To prevent outsiders from peeking in?’

’But the door isn’t locked. Anyone can come and go...’

"Senior?"

Seeing Chu Mu remain silent for so long, Zhao Shuang mustered the courage to speak up.

"You and your sister go in first."

Chu Mu nodded. He glanced around, briefly sensing the Cyan Bird Puppets hidden throughout this stretch of sea, then hesitated for a moment before taking a step that brought him right before the Space Gate.

His vast Divine Sense surged out, completely enveloping the Space Gate. Then, under his watch, the Zhao Shuang sisters stepped through it one after the other.

Chu Mu observed for a moment, his brow knitting tighter and tighter, the suspicion in his eyes deepening.

After another moment, he seemed to come to a decision. He flicked his hand, and an invisible force fell upon Xie Yu like an unbreakable chain. With a single step, Chu Mu pulled the uncontrollable Xie Yu along with him into the Space Gate.

At the same time, a long-forgotten feeling of vertigo washed over Chu Mu. It was as if he were caught in a vortex, his very Divine Soul being pulled out of him.

The vertigo only began to fade when he felt solid ground beneath his feet again.

Chu Mu’s mind was taut. As his immense Magical Power surged, wisps of a terrifying aura began to leak out uncontrollably.

Only after he scanned his surroundings and confirmed there was no immediate threat did the tide of Magical Power roiling around him slowly calm.

Just as Zhao Shuang had said, passing through the Space Gate led to a plaza.

The plaza was shaped like a half-moon, its entire floor like a single, flawless, seamless piece of crescent-shaped White Jade.

On all sides of the plaza was a hazy mist, like a dome of white fog that perfectly enclosed the White Jade plaza.

Next to the Space Gate stood a stone stele about the height of a person. It too was flawlessly white, seemingly made of the same material as the plaza’s White Jade.

Strangely, however, the stele was completely bare, with no characters inscribed upon it.

Chu Mu surveyed the plaza. After a rough guess formed in his mind, he turned to Xie Yu, who was still sticking close to his side, and asked calmly:

"Does your Xie Family have any other information about this place?"

"Reporting to Senior, my clan doesn’t have much information on this place. Only that this is the first trial to enter the Ruins Cave Mansion. We must break this Grand Array to formally begin the trials of the Ruins Cave Mansion. Otherwise, when time is up, we will be expelled from the Ruins Cave Mansion and never be able to enter again."

Xie Yu answered respectfully, speaking at length but providing no useful information.

Chu Mu’s expression remained calm, showing no reaction.

He patted Wangcai, who was still following at his heels, then walked over to the stone stele and began to observe it with great interest.

As for Wangcai, it lay down on the spot. Its beastly eyes, already possessing a degree of Spiritual Wisdom, sized up Xie Yu and the two sisters, giving off a strange sense that it was itching for a fight.

Being scrutinized so terrifyingly by a Tier Three Middle Stage Demon Beast made the scalps of Xie Yu and the others tingle. They stood stock-still in front of the Space Gate, not daring to move an inch as they obediently waited for Chu Mu’s instructions...

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