I have a composite mirror

Chapter 113 Secrets of the Pavilion

The air in the corner smelled musty.

This place is obviously rarely visited.

The dust on the bookshelf was thicker than anywhere else.

Orthodox talisman masters generally disdain studying these unorthodox methods.

But that's exactly what Gu Shenyan wanted.

He walked to a bookshelf labeled "Nanyang Scenery".

With your finger hovering about an inch above the spine of the book, quickly trace a line across it.

Although it cannot be touched, the system's scanning function is unaffected.

[Scanning in progress — "Detailed Explanation of Southeast Asian Gu Techniques", no abnormalities found.]

[The Origins of Black Magic, no abnormalities found.]

[The Doctrine of Witchcraft and Gods is incomplete.]

Sudden.

Gu Shenyan's finger stopped in front of a black book titled "A Study of Witchcraft in Southeast Asia".

This book is not thick.

The cover was made by polishing some kind of unknown scales.

From the microscopic perspective of the system.

There is a very faint fingerprint on the inside of the spine of this book.

It was so faint that even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not be able to detect it with their divine sense.

However, under microscopic trace analysis, the fingerprint appeared as a nauseating grayish-black color.

[Warning: Residual putrid odor detected.]

[Ingredient comparison: 85% similarity to "Soul-Eating Nail".]

[Residual time: Approximately three days ago.]

Gu Shenyan's pupils contracted slightly.

three days ago.

That was the day before the selection competition began.

Someone has been here.

Moreover, the key point that person was looking at was—

Gu Shenyan's divine sense carefully seeped into the book.

[Page location: Page 74, "Tracing the Blood Curse"; Page 82, "Soul-Sealing Nail Making Diagram".]

There are obvious creases on the pages.

It's the kind of trace left by someone repeatedly flipping through and touching it.

"really."

Gu Shenyan sneered inwardly.

The bone nail in Lei Lie's hand was not obtained by chance.

Instead, someone found the recipe in the secret archives and then learned it on the spot, or—it was directly handed over to him.

A person who can freely enter and exit the secret pavilion without leaving a record.

Who else could it be but a high-ranking internal executive with extremely high authority?

Wang Daolin, who has been targeting Tingtao Pavilion, is the prime suspect.

Gu Shenyan kept quiet.

He simply let the system record the fingerprint's pattern and characteristics.

This is irrefutable evidence.

After doing all this, he did not stop.

If we stay here too long, it might arouse the old woman's suspicion.

He turned and walked deeper into the "Monk's Travelogue" section.

This area is even more deserted.

Most of them were the ramblings of frustrated and unsuccessful rogues written before their deaths.

It's hard to tell the truth from the fake.

Gu Shenyan moved among the bookshelves, his gaze sharp as lightning.

Sudden.

A tattered notebook tucked away at the very bottom caught his attention.

The book title is quite casual: "Random Notes on the Vast Ocean".

Author: Cangming Sanren.

The profile indicates that this was a rogue cultivator who practiced water magic four hundred years ago.

Gu Shenyan's heart stirred.

Water-based cultivators are rarely seen in inland areas.

He crouched down and scanned the area with his divine sense.

The first half of the book is just a stream of consciousness, complaining about how difficult it is to cultivate oneself and how cold and indifferent people are.

But when he turned to the last few pages, Gu Shenyan's heart skipped a beat.

"—I was traveling in the South China Sea when I encountered a storm and accidentally entered a foggy sea area."

"A faint light was seen shooting into the sky from the seabed, as if an ancient formation was in operation."

"We sneaked in and found a broken wall and ruins. At the entrance, there was a lifelike fish and dragon relief."

"Beside it are ancient seal script inscriptions, though broken, the characters 'Longmen' and 'Huasheng' are still faintly discernible."

Dragon Gate!

Gu Shenyan's breathing quickened.

Legend has it that a carp that leaps over the Dragon Gate can transform into a dragon.

For him, who possessed merman blood, those two words held a fatal attraction.

He continued reading.

"I wished to go inside and explore, but the array's repulsive force was extremely strong."

"It seems that one must possess the bloodline of a true dragon or possess the purest water treasure in order to sense and activate it."

"Yu Qiang's attempt to break in failed, and he was instead attacked, forced to flee in panic."

"Only a few crystals and a fragmented ancient talisman rubbing were found on the outskirts."

The last page of the journal contained a simple drawing.

It was a distorted rune.

It looks like a coiled water snake, or a whirlpool.

To the average person, it would only make them feel dizzy and disoriented.

But in Gu Shenyan's eyes...

The structure of this rune was surprisingly similar to the origin of the "Water Control" supernatural power he had gleaned from the song sung by the mermaid queen in his dream—

They look about 70% similar!

"Found it."

Gu Shenyan suppressed his overwhelming joy.

This is no coincidence.

The so-called "Longmen Ruins" are definitely related to the Merfolk, and even to the lost ancient underwater palace.

[System, record the map immediately!]

[Model being built]

[Recorded.]

Based on star chart comparison, the location of the ruins has been pinpointed: South China Sea, near the Black Reef Islands.

Gu Shenyan took a deep breath and stood up.

This discovery is more valuable than any cultivation method.

This is a golden road to his future promotion.

But he knew now was not the time to get excited.

He calmed himself down and casually walked towards the "Ancient Symbol Chart" area on the other side.

There, Han Sushuang was standing in front of a huge scroll.

That was a fragment of the "Golden Crow Splitting the Sky Talisman".

Han Sushuang was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even notice Gu Shenyan approaching.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, indicating that she was fully engaged in deciphering the mystery.

Gu Shenyan did not disturb her.

His gaze seemingly casually swept over a diagram next to Han Sushuang.

The Mysterious Turtle Sea-Suppressing Talisman.

This is a defensive water-element talisman.

There was nothing special about it originally.

But the system alarm sounded again.

[Alert: Hidden spiritual energy marker detected.]

Gu Shenyan narrowed his eyes.

On the yellowed blank edge of this picture, there is a tiny mark left with a special technique.

It is almost invisible to the naked eye.

However, under the scan of spiritual sense, the mark appeared as a strange triangle.

The lines are twisted, possessing a sinister beauty.

"These patterns—"

Gu Shenyan felt a chill run down his spine.

This style bears a striking resemblance to a certain curse rune recorded in the book "A Study of Nanyang Witchcraft".

Why is this mark placed here?

Is he passing a message to his accomplices?

Or is there something wrong with the map itself?

Gu Shenyan glanced at Han Sushuang without showing any emotion.

She was less than three feet away from the mark.

Be careful.

As Gu Shenyan passed behind Han Sushuang, he spoke very quickly in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

Han Sushuang's back stiffened slightly.

She didn't turn around, but simply nodded slightly.

Gu Shenyan continued walking forward.

Just around the corner, he almost bumped into someone.

It's Zhangqiao.

The boy was pale and covered in cold sweat, looking like he had just recovered from a serious illness.

When he saw Gu Shenyan, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was an urgency.

He looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

Then, pretending to look at the catalog on the bookshelf, he moved his lips slightly and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Brother Gu—East District, C column, shelf seven, bottom floor."

"There is a scroll titled 'Fragment of an Ancient Teleportation Array'."

"One of the array diagrams—resonates with the evil energy from the bone nails I sensed on the arena that day."

Gu Shenyan was deeply shocked.

That kid Zhang Qiao actually found out!

His talent in formations was indeed terrifyingly sharp.

This not only confirms Liu Wenyuan's conjecture.

This further demonstrates that the other party's scheme was not simply to assassinate a few disciples of Tingtao Pavilion.

They are researching teleportation arrays.

It's still that kind of teleportation array with an evil aura.

What are they trying to do?

Smuggling?

Or is it to bring something over?

Gu Shenyan nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

This was the code they had agreed upon before coming in.

If any significant discoveries are made, report the location.

After Zhang Qiao finished speaking, he didn't dare to linger and hurriedly slipped into another passageway.

Gu Shenyan took a deep breath and prepared to head towards the East District.

Sudden.

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

"You've stayed in this area for too long."

That hoarse voice rang in his ears like a ghost.

Gu Shenyan suddenly turned around.

The white-haired old woman had somehow appeared, standing three steps behind him.

Her cloudy old eyes, however, now seemed like two sharp swords, piercing straight into Gu Shenyan's heart.

There was no sound of footsteps.

There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy.

Even the system did not issue an early warning.

This old woman is terrifying.

Gu Shenyan's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He knew that his series of "unusual" actions had already attracted the other party's attention.

From the Nanyang area to the unaffiliated training area, and then to the brief encounter with Zhangqiao.

They were all under her surveillance.

"Your advice is correct."

Gu Shenyan reacted quickly, immediately bowing and showing a hint of fear on his face.

"This junior was simply—blinded by these classic texts, and in a moment of greed, lost his composure."

The old woman stared at him for a long time.

That gaze seemed to want to peel away his skin and flesh to see his soul.

a long time.

She slowly opened her mouth, her tone carrying a profound meaning: "The books in the pavilion are as vast as the ocean."

"Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion."

"Some things, which may seem like opportunities, are actually the seeds of disaster."

The old woman stepped forward and tapped her cane lightly on the ground.

"Young people, don't be fooled by appearances."

"And even more importantly—do not pursue secrets that should not be pursued."

"Some abysses, once you've seen them, you can never return."

This statement is clearly a warning.

What is she implying?

Does it mean he should stop investigating matters in Southeast Asia?

Or is it reminding him that the waters here are deep and dangerous, and he shouldn't drown himself?

Gu Shenyan's mind raced, but his expression became even more respectful: "This junior will remember your teachings."

"Go."

The old woman waved her hand, and her figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.

"Time is running out."

Gu Shenyan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He knew that the old woman's appearance this time was both a warning and a disguised form of "letting him go".

The fact that she didn't directly expel him shows that she wasn't on Wang Daolin's side.

It might even be a way of subtly protecting him.

Gu Shenyan dared not delay any longer.

He strode towards the east district and found the tattered scroll that Zhang Qiao had mentioned.

"Fragments of an Ancient Teleportation Array".

The pages of the book have turned yellow and become brittle.

Gu Shenyan didn't reach out; he directly started a system scan.

[Image comparison in progress —]

[Confirmed: The core structure of the array diagram overlaps 92% with the array formation on the bone fragment.]

[Unusual Finding: The book "Ancient Study of Earth Vein Directions and Auspicious Sites" next to the tattered scroll shows obvious signs of tearing. Missing pages: 3]

Page.】

It was torn.

The most important part about the earth's veins and spiritual caves was deliberately destroyed.

This is a classic case of trying to cover something up only to make it more obvious.

It seems that those people have already set up something shady around the provincial capital, even right under the nose of the Secret Pavilion.

And this teleportation array is the key.

"Buzz"

Just then.

The entire secret pavilion suddenly shook.

A grand bell tolled simultaneously in the minds of the three.

"The time has come."

The old woman's voice echoed in every corner.

"Leave immediately."

Followed by.

An irresistible, gentle force enveloped Gu Shenyan's body.

The scene before my eyes began to distort and blur.

One last look.

Gu Shenyan turned to look into the deep, dark depths of the pavilion.

He seemed to see the old woman standing by the second-floor railing, quietly watching him.

There seemed to be a hint of pity in those eyes?

Swish!

Light and shadow shift and change.

When his vision cleared again, Gu Shenyan found himself standing outside the gate of the Secret Pavilion.

The sunlight was blinding.

It's like an eternity.

Han Sushuang and Zhang Qiao also appeared beside him at the same time.

All three of them looked pale, clearly having exhausted their mental energy.

"They're out."

Liu Wenyuan came forward, his eyes filled with concern.

"how?"

Gu Shenyan took a deep breath, feeling the "Divine Locking Seal" within his body slowly dissipate.

He looked up at Liu Wenyuan, a glint in his eyes that only the two of them could understand.

"This trip was worthwhile."

He spoke very softly.

But only he himself knows how many secrets he carried on his shoulders in that short day.

A conspiracy in Southeast Asia, clues to one's origins, a terrifying formation —

This is hardly a place for further education.

This is clearly a ticket to the abyss.