Chapter Thirty: Beneath Lake Listening to Clouds

Within Listening Cloud Ravine.

The nine disciples sat at a distance from one another, each meditating, floating atop the surface of Listening Cloud Lake.

Zhu Qianqing and Lin Bufan were close together; both had already entered a deep state of meditation. A faint mist emanated from their bodies, their minds and aura blending seamlessly.

Listening Cloud Lake was a wondrous place. Anyone who set foot upon its surface would feel as if an invisible hand cradled them, never allowing even the smallest contact with the water. Thus, only disciples deemed worthy could float and cultivate atop the lake.

To speak of Listening Cloud Lake, one must mention its mysterious origin. It was said that when Tian Xuanzi returned to the Valley Continent to heal, he stumbled upon this lake. The spiritual energy was dense, and it could connect to realms beyond, astonishing Tian Xuanzi. To keep outsiders unaware, he cast powerful wards over the area, but found many places immune to his restrictions.

Thus Tian Xuanzi began a careful investigation. What he discovered shocked him: not only was the lake unique, it was also the burial site of an ancient soul beast.

The Shadow Vermilion Bird, one of the ten great soul beasts of antiquity. Its rank equaled that of the Undying Divine Turtle, buried in Soul Devouring Valley on Peak Cloud Continent, though its size was much smaller.

Before Tian Xuanzi attained the Dao, this place was a forbidden zone. Deathly energy enveloped the land for thousands of miles, a perilous region for cultivators. For reasons unknown, after several centuries, the deathly aura vanished, replaced by intense spiritual energy.

Tian Xuanzi puzzled over this for a long time. Eventually, he learned the truth. The disappearance of deathly energy was due to the lake’s mysterious waters. Beneath the surface lay a divine object from beyond the heavens.

Perhaps because of this artifact, Tian Xuanzi could never enter the lake, despite exhausting every method. He could only stand atop the water. He knew nothing of the object beneath, but surmised that the Shadow Vermilion Bird’s burial here resulted from its devouring the celestial artifact.

To claim the site, Tian Xuanzi founded his sect here, establishing the Qian Xuan Sect. The Shadow Vermilion Bird, before its soul transformation, had been called the Listening Cloud Bird by the ancients. Thus, Tian Xuanzi named the lake Listening Cloud Lake and the area Listening Cloud Ravine.

The location of Listening Cloud Ravine lay at the Shadow Vermilion Bird’s lower belly, deep within the sect’s inner mountain. Tian Xuanzi never spoke of this to anyone, not even to his own disciples.

Returning to the present.

Shen Wan followed Elder Qu along a winding path, passing through dense woods behind the mountain, finally arriving at Listening Cloud Ravine.

He eyed the modest lake before him and smacked his lips. This forsaken place—without a guide, one would never find it.

Elder Qu earnestly explained the rules and cautions regarding Listening Cloud Ravine, then left Shen Wan to enter alone, vanishing back into the woods.

Shen Wan glanced around. The disciples meditated on the lake, and he spotted Zhu Qianqing and Lin Bufan among them. He had no desire to disturb them. His presence here had already stirred much controversy within the sect. Though no one dared voice their displeasure openly, Shen Wan was far too idle to seek trouble.

So, he did not go any further. He veered toward the lake’s edge.

The water was clear, revealing not a single fish or even a blade of waterweed—only dark stones. To Shen Wan, nothing seemed extraordinary about Listening Cloud Lake; it appeared just like any other.

He considered the disciples cultivating here. They possessed cultivation, so floating atop the water was no challenge. He, however, was a mere mortal; with water any deeper, he might well drown.

After much hesitation, Shen Wan decided to enter the water to keep up appearances. Who knew if the senior sister, older than himself, was secretly observing?

He stripped his clothes, including his faded jeans, leaving only his underwear. Worried the distant disciples might glimpse his splendid physique, he plunged into the lake.

The moment he entered, Shen Wan nearly leaped out again—damn, the water was freezing. He shivered violently, teeth chattering incessantly.

Fortunately, his constitution was good; as the saying goes, young men sleep by the hearth, strong with fire. After a short while, he adjusted to the temperature.

The lake was not deep, reaching just to Shen Wan’s chest. Standing was manageable, but if he tried to meditate cross-legged, he’d float away in under three minutes.

He scanned his surroundings and spotted a slight protrusion further into the lake, which looked suitable for sitting. Against the water’s resistance, Shen Wan slowly moved toward it.

His progress was unhurried but easy; he stepped forward again without thinking. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Damn! Water’s refraction—this is a pit… glug, glug, glug…”

Cut off mid-curse, Shen Wan plunged beneath the water.

A subtle whirlpool formed on the surface, and a powerful suction dragged him downward. No matter how hard he struggled, it was useless.

He held his breath, swallowed several mouthfuls of water, but managed to keep one last gasp. Utterly miserable, he thought,

“Hell’s bells, I didn’t come here to cultivate—I came to die!”

And then, nothing.

As his final breath ebbed away, a stream of air rushed to his forehead, and the last traces of oxygen in his mind dissolved. Blackness engulfed him.

...

Time passed slowly. In the darkness, silence was broken by a faint cough.

“Guh… guh… guh…”

Water sputtered from Shen Wan’s mouth as consciousness returned. He opened his eyes slightly; pitch blackness surrounded him.

He had no idea where he was, only a dizzy ache in his head, needle-like pain lingering until he finally regained his senses.

As awareness sharpened, Shen Wan exhaled deeply, braced himself with one hand, and sat up.

It wasn’t utterly dark; soon he adapted to the gloom. Though still dim, he could make out some details.

It appeared to be a cavern. Even though he couldn’t see its full expanse, every slight movement echoed in the emptiness.

Clearly, the place was not large.

Strangely, a thin layer of water shimmered on the nearby cave wall, rippling gently, giving the impression that the wall itself was writhing.

Perhaps the refraction between these water films prevented the cave from being completely shrouded in darkness.

Shen Wan rose, staggering to the nearest wall. He reached out, and through the water film, felt solid stone.

He wondered how the water film adhered to the stone; it was a novel phenomenon to him.

Looking up, the cave was tall, and directly above the spot where he had lain was a large hole. He must have fallen through it.

No wonder his lower back still ached—such a drop, and surviving was a stroke of luck.

“Damn it all, how am I supposed to get back up there?”

Judging by sight, the height was seven or eight meters, at least three meters—and Shen Wan couldn’t climb it.

He checked his back—his black blade was still there—but even with its length, he couldn’t reach the hole above.

Worried, he surveyed the area. If there was no other exit, he was doomed to die here.

“How is it that every damn thing happens to me? Wonder if Senior Brother can find me…”

“Ugh…”

Thinking of the morning’s events, he realized depending on his ‘discount’ senior brother was hopeless. If he couldn’t find him on the surface, let alone underground.

Anxiety flickered in Shen Wan’s heart.

Still, he wasn’t driven to despair. He began to explore the walls, licking them for water when thirsty. Fortunately, there was no shortage of water—a small mercy.

His vision was dim, able to see only a few meters ahead; beyond that, everything was obscured.

The cave, though not spacious, seemed rather long. Shen Wan walked for ages without reaching a corner.

His mood grew heavier; then suddenly, his hand met empty air—a gap in the wall, where his arm slipped inside.

Delighted, he groped forward, and after about a meter, found stone wall again.

Clearly, it was a tunnel, and Shen Wan felt a glimmer of hope.

He thought of entering, but paused—what if it was a dead end? He didn’t want to suffer another bout of despair.

So he decided to explore the cave thoroughly first. If there were other tunnels, he’d have the option to retreat and try another.

He carefully marked the tunnel’s location, and continued along the wall.

Time slipped by unnoticed in the eerily silent cave.

Eventually, Shen Wan stopped and sat down.

Perhaps it was the dimness, but his eyes were vacant, confused, devoid of color.

“Damn… over a hundred tunnels… which one am I supposed to take?”

As hope of escape grew, so did the wild horses of Shen Wan’s mind, galloping ever faster…