Da Xuan Martial Saint

Chapter 594: Chapter 355: From Central Prefecture

In the dim Earthly Abyss,

five silhouettes clad in pitch-black cloaks rapidly advanced.

“This remote land of the Cold North has undergone drastic changes. All three passageways leading to the Third Layer have sealed up. I wonder about this one. If it’s also impassable, we’ll have to slowly search for another route,” said the person leading, his face hidden in the shadows, speaking softly.

Another beside him shook his head and said, “A century is too long. The Earth’s Veins have shifted significantly, closing many passages. It’s also uncertain if that… still exists.”

“Existence or not, it’s of utmost importance, worth our effort to explore,” the leader whispered.

The others remained silent, each following as they moved on. After traversing dozens of miles, they came upon a depression in the ground up ahead. In the valley’s center, there was a dark cave that led into the unknown underground.

“Excellent.”

After exchanging glances, they hesitated no longer and immediately entered the cave.

One of them, just before stepping into the cave, narrowed his eyes to carefully look around. Sensing no abnormalities, he quickly refocused and disappeared into the depths with the others.

However,

after they vanished,

from the darkness some hundred yards away, a figure carrying a huge boulder walked toward that Third Layer entrance of the Earthly Abyss, a hint of light flickering in his eyes.

“Who are these people…”

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes as he stared at the passageway.

Having arrived at the Cangshuang Mountain Range with Liu Tong, Feng Hongsheng, and others, the Elders and Grandmasters of various sects had all successively arrived. None dressed in such black cloaks, and they all seemed to conceal their identities deliberately, obviously to hide their traces.

Such attire was akin to those from the Blood Hidden Pavilion, but the Grandmasters of the Pavilion were even more adept at concealment. Even hundreds of yards away, if Chen Mu could sense faint traces, it would be difficult to locate them precisely. After all, he was only a Qiankun Grandmaster, not one with the Unity of Heaven and Man.

Clearly, these people were not Grandmasters from the Blood Hidden Pavilion. Moreover, their movements were highly suspicious, unlike any recognized power from the Cold North. And there were so many of them moving together.

“Could they be from other States?”

The thought flickered through Chen Mu’s mind.

Cold North Path is a secluded area, and Ice State lies in the Extreme North. Though the Earthly Abyss attracts Grandmasters and those seeking the Blood Exchange, Grandmasters from other forces are usually not willing to venture deep into the Cold North.

After all, it’s far and unfamiliar territory. Unless a force launched a large-scale operation, a lone Grandmaster venturing into the Ice State Abyss could easily die without cause, which is common. And if they mobilized too many forces for the Ice State Abyss, it would be nearly impossible to keep it concealed. Besides, other States were not peaceful either, and the risks were high.@@novelbin@@

The main point was,

this group seemed to have a clear objective, heading straight for a passage deeper into the Earthly Abyss.

After a brief consideration, a faint light crossed Chen Mu’s eyes. With a thought, a dark concealment enveloped him completely, as if without a trace, he silently approached the passageway, trailing at a distance behind them.

If this group was so purpose-driven, they might have some special intelligence, perhaps a map of the Earthly Abyss or searching for a specific treasure location within. Encountering them by chance, Chen Mu naturally wouldn’t turn away. If these people indeed came from another realm, taking such risks to come this far, the treasures they sought must be extraordinary.

A moment later,

Chen Mu entered the Third Layer of the Earthly Abyss through the passage.

This layer was darker and the air heavier. Upon landing, Chen Mu sensed the area’s aura was chaotic, with no trace of the group he was following.

They obviously acted intentionally, erasing their tracks as soon as they entered the Third Layer to avoid being followed.

“A well-concealed technique, but…”

A gleam crossed Chen Mu’s eyes as he raised his right hand and waved it lightly twice.

To an ordinary person, even one extremely skilled in sensing, faced with such disrupted Power of Heaven and Earth and aura, it would be likely to lose track of the group. However, having cultivated the Qiankun Domain, escaping his notice was not so easy.

Chen Mu had followed them closely, and even in such a brief time, no amount of disturbing the aura could prevent him from smoothing out the chaos and catching some traces with his capabilities.

“It occurs to me that among the techniques aligned with the Qiankun, there’s one called ‘Reversing Qiankun’ that can invert the changes of Heaven and Earth within a small range. It’s a pity I’ve never seen it; otherwise, it would have been easier,” Chen Mu mused to himself. Without pausing, his hands continued moving, smoothing out the most chaotic surface aura, isolating faint remaining traces, and casting his gaze in a specific direction.

Without lingering,

he flashed forwards, following the traces he had found.

…

The five cloaked figures in the Earthly Abyss moved swiftly.

After about a hundred miles, the leader finally halted, gazing into the distance.

The man under the black cloak had a fair complexion, resembling a young man with smooth, beardless skin. Upon stopping, his slight breath caused ripples in the air, but his aura was profoundly deep. Streams of Inner Breath flowed within him, showing no less prowess than Ji Yuanshan, evidently a top-tier Grandmaster!