Chapter 661 - 280: Clearing 5 Palaces, Obtaining 5 Treasures

Chapter 661: Chapter 280: Clearing 5 Palaces, Obtaining 5 Treasures

He hurriedly circulated the ultimate technique of the Profound Ice Hall, trying to resist the piercing chill. However, the frigid energy moved even faster. In the blink of an eye, it surged through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians. His body stiffened, completely immobilized, and he could only slowly sink into the water.

The others only heard an endless series of SPLASHes. Not a single one of the Profound Ice Hall disciples who had just stood up was spared; Fang Shuwen threw every last one of them into the Cold Pool.

Fang Shuwen, meanwhile, had already approached the stone platform.

It was completely understandable that the Profound Ice Hall disciples wanted to retrieve their sect’s ultimate technique. The problem was that Fang Shuwen was neither their friend nor their family. He had no reason to risk his neck just to do them a favor. Even Shui Tianxin hadn’t asked for the Celestial Water Palace’s Celestial Water Unification Technique back. Who knew if the brains of these Profound Ice Hall disciples had been frozen solid. Fang Shuwen simply tossed them into the Cold Pool so they could cool off.

Ignoring the reactions of the others, he stared at the stone platform for a moment before placing the box in his hand onto it. The previously stationary stone platform suddenly began to sink slowly.

With a CLACK, the sound of gears turning immediately echoed from a section of the wall. Soon after, a layer of the wall peeled away, revealing a hidden door concealed within.

Shui Tianxin smiled in surprise. "So there was a hidden door here all along."

Luo Shuqing turned to Fang Shuwen. "How did you know?"

Fang Shuwen glanced at her and said softly, "Looking at the layout of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, we are currently in the Kan Position. Its element is water, making this the Kan Water Palace.

"Using the principle of mutual generation in the Five Elements, water generates wood, so the second door should be in the Zhen Position, the Zhen Wood Palace.

"But this door on the wall either leads straight into the Central Palace, or... it points directly to the Li Position. The Li Position’s element is fire. Water and fire counter each other, which is why that girl said the path behind this door was incredibly dangerous.

"Deducing from the principle of mutual generation, the correct path should be through the Zhen Position... but there was no door there.

"So, I guessed it might have been hidden.

"Furthermore, this stone platform had an indentation but no key to unlock it.

"The only place in this entire room capable of hiding something was the Cold Pool.

"I went down and searched around, and sure enough, I found it. Once I placed the box on the stone platform, the door in the Zhen Position opened."

Fang Shuwen’s explanation was perfectly logical and seamless. Luo Shuqing couldn’t help but say, "And you claimed you knew absolutely nothing about Arrays?"

Fang Shuwen paused, remembering that he had indeed told Luo Shuqing exactly that back at Tingtao Pavilion. However, his understanding of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams at that time truly hadn’t been as profound as it was now. But the main reason he could grasp it so clearly was the diagram Elder Hai had given him. Working backward from the answer naturally made the process much simpler.

"Alright, enough chitchat." Fang Shuwen took the box away, and the door remained open. "Let’s go."

The others in the room exchanged glances, but no one moved. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to leave; they just didn’t want to travel with Fang Shuwen. Putting aside everything else about the Profound Ice Hall disciples, they had been right about at least one thing—Fang Shuwen truly killed without blinking an eye. If they followed him, who knew if a single displeasing remark might prompt him to slaughter them on a whim? The most sensible choice was to let Fang Shuwen leave first and secretly trail behind him after a while.

Only Hong Yingqing hurriedly spoke up. "Young Hero Fang, can I travel with you?"

Fang Shuwen glanced at her and nodded. He happened to be short a guinea pig to test for traps. Since she was offering herself up, he naturally wouldn’t turn her away.

However, Fang Shuwen still underestimated the folded booklet Elder Hai had given him. The information recorded within was without a single flaw—it was one hundred percent accurate. Relying on it, Fang Shuwen passed through the Kan Palace, entered the Zhen Palace, walked through the Li Palace, crossed the Kun Palace, and turned into the Qian Palace... His entire journey was completely unhindered.

Although there were mechanical traps blocking their way, their power was within a normal range. Given the Martial Arts of Fang Shuwen’s group of three, the traps couldn’t stop them at all.

However, just after they retrieved a Dark Weapon Box from within the Qian Palace, a massive stone platform suddenly rose from the empty floor. On top of it were a total of five indentations of various sizes. They perfectly corresponded to the five items Fang Shuwen had obtained along the way.

In the Kan Palace, Fang Shuwen had obtained the inherited ultimate techniques of the Profound Ice Hall and the Celestial Water Palace.

In the Zhen Palace, there was a sword box, but it contained no treasured sword. Luo Shuqing hadn’t known its origin, but after Shui Tianxin’s explanation, they learned it was called the Sword Box of Heavy Wood. Any treasured sword nurtured inside it would not only be preserved from rust and decay but would also accumulate Sword Qi. The moment the box opened, even before the sword was unsheathed, its aura would strike down enemies.

In the Li Palace, there had also been a box. Inside it lay Hengyang Island’s Nine Yang Celestial Book. They speculated that it was the complete text, rather than the fragmented version Hengyang Island had acquired in the past.

Hidden in the Kun Palace was a Treasure Saber, stored in a large box. Due to its great age, even Shui Tianxin and Luo Shuqing couldn’t recognize the origin of this Treasure Saber.

What was truly rare was that, despite the passage of time and the changing of the world, neither these weapons nor the hidden weapons had rusted. They all maintained the peak condition of their era.

Fang Shuwen felt the Sword Box of Heavy Wood was the biggest pity. If a treasured sword had been hidden inside and nurtured for a thousand years, just how terrifying would the Sword Qi be when the box was finally opened!? It would probably be more than enough to cleave apart this Xuanji Grotto Heaven.

Having obtained so many things along the way, Fang Shuwen’s pockets were practically stuffed to the brim. He had nowhere left to store this final Dark Weapon Box, so he was forced to carry it in his hands.

Glancing at the five indentations on the stone platform, Fang Shuwen said, "The mutual generation and overcoming of the Five Elements dictates that metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal.

"Along our journey, we passed through Kan Water, Zhen Wood, Li Fire, Kun Earth, and Qian Metal, gathering the essentials of the Five Elements.

"This stone platform should be the key to opening the Central Palace Taiji Position...

"As long as we place the five items we obtained upon it, we can unlock it.

"The Profound Celestial Iron Mirror is right inside!"