Wandering Swordsman |

"Set off!"

Duan Qianya gave the order, his voice deep and resonant like the gentle tolling of an ancient bell, or like the night wind sweeping across a mountain ridge. Though not deafening, it was like an invisible ripple that instantly pierced through the tranquil night sky over Erhai Lake.

He stood at the bow of the boat heading towards the center of Erhai Lake, his black robe fluttering in the wind, his eyes sweeping across the lake like those of a hawk, his brows furrowed with a solemn, frost-like expression.

The moonlight, like silver, spilled onto the lake, shattering into countless tiny, cold stars that trembled gently with the waves, as if the world itself were holding its breath.

The fleet set sail quietly, without lights or noise, only the faint "creaking" sound of oars cutting through the water, as if afraid to awaken the lake god who had been sleeping for thousands of years.

Each boat glided like a ghost, its hull light and its bottom skimming the water's surface, barely making a splash.

The disciples held their breath and moved as lightly as cats, even their breathing was extremely low.

When the oar enters the water, there is only a soft "plop" sound, like a needle falling into brocade, and then silence returns.

They dared not speak, but conveyed messages with gestures—a finger across the throat meant "silence"; a palm pushing flat meant "slow down"; three fingers lightly touching the water's surface meant "arrived".

The lake's surface was like a mirror, reflecting the starry sky, as if the entire heavens had sunk into the water.

The ship's shadow moved slowly through the Milky Way, like a ferryboat carrying souls across the River Styx, heading towards an unknown shore.

The wind was extremely gentle, whispering only in my ear. When it rustled the hem of my clothes, it seemed as if afraid of disturbing something, and carefully circled around it.

The distant Cangshan Mountains, bathed in the bright moonlight, appear as if painted with ink, silently guarding Erhai Lake like a tomb keeper who has remained unmoved for a thousand years.

......

Before long, the fleet finally came to a stop in the middle of the lake. There was no light around, only the moonlight, like a ribbon, spilled onto the lake surface, creating a thin, misty silver glow.

Duan Qianya raised his hand and waved, and the seven core disciples on one of the boats quietly left the boat and silently slipped into the water.

They wore specially made water suits, as black as night, clinging to their bodies like scales, disappearing into the water as if they had become an undercurrent in the lake.

Underwater, the world suddenly changed. The icy lake water enveloped my body like cold iron, chilling me to the bone, and my breathing became rapid instantly.

The water pressure, like an invisible hand, squeezed the eardrums, producing a muffled "buzzing" sound.

As far as the eye could see, all that could be seen was the dark blue chaos formed by moonlight passing through the waves, as if one had fallen into an endless dream.

The water plants swayed like ghostly hands, dancing with the undercurrent, wrapping around the ankles as if to drag people into the abyss.

Occasionally, a small, silvery fish darts by, leaving behind a trail of tiny bubbles, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, disappearing in an instant.

......

After searching for a long time, one of the disciples reached out and parted the water plants in an area with dense vegetation, and suddenly his fingertips touched a cold, wordless stone tablet.

He was startled and was about to examine the scene closely by the moonlight when a sudden current swept him to one side, almost causing him to crash into the jagged rocks.

He forced himself to remain calm, steadying himself, and barely managed to discern his direction using the faint light filtering through from above. Underwater, there was no sun or moon, only his heart pounding like a drum; each beat reminded him that this place might be the very spot the sect leader was searching for.

He immediately surfaced and reported his findings to Duan Qianya.

Immediately afterwards, Duan Qianya gathered everyone together and began to dive into the water.

......

The underwater journey is fraught with peril.

Around the area of ​​aquatic plants, a jumble of rocks suddenly appeared, the boulders jagged like dog teeth, with narrow gaps allowing only one person to pass sideways. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere to protect the area of ​​aquatic plants.

The disciple who discovered the stone tablet was shocked, as he hadn't seen the boulders before.

However, having already infiltrated this far, they couldn't simply turn back. So Duan Qianya made a gesture, and everyone had no choice but to continue forward.

However, at this moment, something unexpected happened again: the water flow formed a whirlpool here, like the mouth of a giant beast, which could swallow people at any time.

As soon as a disciple leaned in, he was suddenly pulled into a crevice by a dark current and almost got stuck.

He gritted his teeth and exerted all his strength, bracing himself against the stone with both arms, forcing his way out. His fingertips were already worn raw, and streaks of blood slowly spread in the water, like a red mist spreading.

Elsewhere, mud and sand churned, murky as ink. A disciple accidentally stepped into the muddy bottom of the lake, and the scattered mud and sand instantly plunged him into complete darkness, obscuring his vision.

He could only grope his way forward based on his memory, his hands touching nothing but slippery, decaying mud and broken, withered branches. He silently recited the sect's inner cultivation method, focusing his mind on guarding his spirit, barely managing to stabilize his mind and prevent himself from retreating.

In another place, the bottom of the water was a deep abyss, so dark that the bottom could not be seen. The disciples were tied together with ropes and slowly descended.

The rope was taut, making a slight "creaking" sound, as if it might break at any moment.

Below, a deep hum, like the sound of an ancient bell, faintly emanated, stirring the soul.

......

I don't know how much time passed, but time seemed to stretch out underwater, and every breath felt as heavy as lead.

The cold air was like needles, piercing through my clothes and penetrating to my bone marrow; my breath grew short, my limbs felt numb and weak, and I was almost exhausted.

The disciples of Diancang Sect groped their way through the dark underwater world, their fingertips tracing the jagged rocks and slippery seaweed. Each breath felt like being choked by the water pressure, as if an invisible giant hand were gripping their throats. Just when everyone was almost in despair, thinking their journey would ultimately be fruitless—

Ahead, a strange light suddenly flashed.

While one of the disciples was exploring, his fingertips suddenly touched a huge stone slab.

The stone slab was as smooth as if it had been carved, with regular patterns and sharp edges, clearly not formed naturally. He was startled, as if struck by lightning, and his eyes widened abruptly, his pupils shrinking into tiny sparks in the deep blue light of the water.

Ignoring his exhaustion, he gritted his teeth and used his hands to forcefully pry away the thick moss and clamshells covering it. Shells crumbled, mud and sand churned, and slowly dispersed like smoke and mist.

In an instant, the outline of a magnificent building suddenly appeared!

It was a colossal structure submerged underwater, built from whole blocks of bluestone. Each stone slab was over ten feet wide and as heavy as a mountain, as if it had risen from the depths of the earth.

The stone surface is covered with mottled green moss and grayish-white seashells, layer upon layer, as if draped in a thousand-year-old garment, silently telling the story of forgotten times.

The stone slab structure is square, about two zhang high and four zhang wide. Although the top has collapsed slightly and cracks spread like a spider web, it still stands firm, like a sleeping bronze coffin lying in the belly of Erhai Lake, waiting to be awakened.

Most surprisingly, the tightly closed stone door was covered with strange runes.

Upon closer inspection, the runes appear to be naturally formed rather than carved, with smooth lines that meander and intertwine like dragons and snakes, seemingly breathing slowly in the water.

A faint blue light seeped from the gaps in the runes, floating like fireflies or flowing like a starry river, drawing mysterious halos on the dark water.

At the center of the rune, a huge "武" (Wu, meaning martial/martial) character stands out prominently—ancient and vigorous, with strokes like swords, each stroke seemingly having cleaved the heavens and earth, exuding a sharp and fierce aura of killing intent, as if the soul of a martial god from a thousand years ago is still whispering here.