"There’s much mystery here."

Yun Ziliang pointed at the mirrors covering the wall and said, "Hexagonal mirrors are the hardest to focus with. When it comes to blocking or suppressing evil, it’s about using the angles of these mirrors to concentrate the incoming heavenly light onto a single point. This adjustment highly depends on one’s skill.

For the usual Dragon Seeking Heavenly Masters, setting up ten mirrors is already the limit. To set up thousands, channeling the light onto the Blood Well, is indeed a feat of the Dragon Seeking Hall Master. I have no doubt about it. Though it’s night now, if it were day and the sunlight was strong, this stone room would be as hot as a furnace."

"Without profound prowess, such an exquisite arrangement would be impossible."

Lao Yun mentioned this, then pointed at the cover of the Earth Abyss well, saying to Zhou Xuan, "Xuanzi, I must inform you in advance. Such a massive array, this kind of mobilization, is not for small things. As Old Hua and Li Chengfeng have mentioned, it may suppress something tremendously ominous, a major ominous thing..."

"But we have no way out."

Zhou Xuan said.

To rebuild Mingjiang Prefecture, six divine entities are needed. Including the Bitter Ghost, there are only five, and without the consent of the sixth God-level entity, the Will Heavenly Book cannot take effect.

With Zhou Xuan’s "Divine Fate," besides the Mountain Ancestor, where else could he draw in a sixth deity?

Moreover,

as Yun Ziliang said—if the Mountain Ancestor can be found, perhaps his insight could reveal Bi Fang’s weakness.

Slaying Bi Fang and lifting the "Hundred Beasts" curse is Zhou Xuan’s current high-priority plan.

"Whether to save my master or rebuild Mingjiang Prefecture, the Mountain Ancestor is crucial."

Zhou Xuan looked at Yun Ziliang and said, "I have to descend into the Earth Abyss."

"Great Master, if the Earth Abyss’s well cover is opened and something from below is released, there will be great disaster."

The Music Master also warned Zhou Xuan.

And at the mention of "great disaster," Zhou Xuan suddenly recalled Qing Feng’s Peace Scale prediction.

After the calamity, Qing Feng found Zhou Xuan—at that time, he spoke of the Peace Scale anomaly. The calamity in Mingjiang Prefecture seemed to have been averted, yet within the Peace Scale, the weight of Mingjiang Prefecture had fallen to the bottom, indicating that a major disaster still loomed over Mingjiang Prefecture.

It was just that at that time, there was no external threat to Mingjiang Prefecture. The internal issues with grain supplies, Zhou Xuan was addressing them. On the surface, it seemed that there was no risk, only the matter of rebuilding.

It appears now—

—Could it be that the great disaster of Mingjiang Prefecture began with the unsealing of the Earth Abyss? And the instigator is none other than Zhou Xuan himself?

For a moment, Zhou Xuan found himself in a dilemma.

The future was uncertain, and the two paths before him severely impacted his judgment, making it impossible to make an immediate decision.

However, he eventually calmed down, turning his head to first ask Yun Ziliang, "If I use the Divine Soul Day Traveling Technique, without disrupting this Heavenly Light Array, can I descend into the Earth Abyss?"

"You can go down."

Yun Ziliang said, "Although the Heavenly Light Array suppresses all kinds of evil spirits and wandering souls, you, after all, are a direct disciple of the Tao Ancestor. This array can’t trouble you. But only your soul can descend; none of us can enter the Earth Abyss. I’m afraid you might be isolated and unsupported down there."

Zhou Xuan’s soul could traverse anywhere, but this Earth Abyss was no ordinary place—Liu Pingyao’s Space Law far surpassed the Painter, yet even at thirty thousand feet, he did not survive.

The unknown terrors below the Earth Abyss, should Zhou Xuan enter alone, may result in a fate similar to Liu Pingyao’s.

"If I seek help, we pause this Heavenly Light Array, and someone watches the well’s entrance. Should any demons emerge, the array can be reactivated..." Zhou Xuan devised a new plan.

Yun Ziliang continued, "Having someone guard the array is feasible. I could help guard the array."

"Amitabha Buddha, let this humble monk guard the array instead."

The speaker was the bowed head of Zhao Wuya.

His Buddha Heart blossomed once more as he said, "I possess a Buddha Heart, and borrowing the Heavenly Light Array, I can guard the mouth of this Earth Abyss."

Having said this, Zhao Wuya assumed the Lotus Seat, his form floating at a distance of two feet, with hands positioned in a flower-gesturing state.

The Painter, seeing Zhao Wuya preparing to guard the array, resolved himself and said to Zhou Xuan, "Great Master, the Divine Lantern will become ineffective below the Earth Abyss. Seeking other helpers won’t benefit you. I, Old Hua, with a hand in Space Law, like you, can go anywhere. I’ll be your assistant."

"Thank you, Old Hua."

"A trivial matter, not worth mentioning." The Painter was such; whenever faced with a major event, he would always think back and forth, appearing somewhat timid. But once he took the first step, he would no longer fear, biting down hard and seeing the matter through to the end.

Zhou Xuan said to the Painter, "Our descent into the Earth Abyss this time is just to investigate, to find the Mountain Ancestor would be ideal; if unable, that’s acceptable. Should we encounter anything unusual, you’ll enter the whirlpool space while I will use the Divine Soul Day Travel to then notify Master Wu Ya at the well entrance to seal it immediately."

The Music Master heard this and asked, "Then here’s the issue: the Earth Abyss is ten thousand meters deep, how can you alert us?"

"I have this."

Zhou Xuan’s right hand reached into his Secret Realm and with a yank, pulled out a White Bone Monk.

This White Bone Monk is Nuoshen Heishui, crafted from the remains of Monk Zhu Jiu. The monk’s hands form a bone lock, capable of hooking and tethering to Zhou Xuan, extending automatically no matter where he goes.

During his descent into the Blood Well, back to Peng Town three hundred years ago, Zhou Xuan utilized these hook chains of the White Bone Monk.

"After our descent, should the hook chain shake violently, it indicates we sensed danger or a powerful evil. Just seal the well; we’ll escape through space law and day travel method."

"But if after you’ve descended, both the space law and day travel method lose effect, and you’re entangled by malicious entities, what then?"

Yun Ziliang presented the worst-case scenario.

Zhou Xuan was silent for a moment before resolutely declaring, "If Old Hua and I are trapped, unable to use space law or day travel method, you still seal the well."

"Then you’ll be sealed below."

"Better than letting evil ascend, dooming the city."

At this point, Zhou Xuan asked the Painter, "Old Hua, descending into the Earth Abyss is a dead or alive gamble; if you regret it, it’s not too late."

"As long as the city’s populace is safe, I’m not really afraid to gamble with my life."

The flame within the Painter’s palm was faintly igniting, preparing for the descent into the Earth Abyss.

"Have you considered other options?"

Out of concern, Yun Ziliang asked Zhou Xuan.

"In peril, life is sought. My master’s life, the countless souls of Mingjiang Prefecture, are all tied to the Mountain Ancestor, the Earth Abyss—I must go down."

Then, Zhou Xuan told Yun Ziliang, "Moreover, the Blood Well divined the whereabouts of the Mountain Ancestor, proving he is still alive and hasn’t fallen. Since the Mountain Ancestor survives there, how could I, Zhou Xuan, not survive?"

Having said this, Yun Ziliang and Zhou Xuan exchanged smiles.

"Your mind is set; I, Lao Yun, will open the well for you."

In the stone house, Yun Ziliang stepped in the Heavenly Gang steps, walking several paces before settling on a position, pointing to a mirror: "Yazi, flip the mirror."

Master Wu Ya and Zhao Wu Ya, originally one individual, possessed both a Buddha Heart and Tao Body. He raised his hand, stirring a heavenly light wave toward the mirror, causing the mirror to reverse.

Yun Ziliang moved to another position, once more pointing at a mirror: "Continue the flip."

Lao Yun and Yazi, this Dragon Seeking master and apprentice duo continued this operation; after flipping around twenty mirrors, the winds in the stone room walls ceased flowing, and the moonlight no longer burned.

This indicated that the "Heavenly Light Suppressing Evil Array" had stopped operating.

The Music Master, Gu Ling, Li Chengfeng, and the Painter simultaneously ignited Tao Flame.

The collective Tao Flame activated together, prying open the cover of the well to the Earth Abyss, revealing a deep, immeasurable underground hole before Zhou Xuan’s eyes.

"White Bone Monk."

Zhou Xuan shouted deeply, and his soul left his body.

The hands of the White Bone Monk transformed into hook chains, one hooking onto Zhou Xuan’s soul, the other onto the Painter.

"Old Yun, Yazi, remember, if either of us jerks these hook chains violently, you must seal the Earth Abyss, remember, remember."

Having finished, Zhou Xuan handed the ginseng child he was holding to Gu Ling: "Take care of this child, and don’t let him run off."

After saying so, Zhou Xuan’s soul ventured into a day travel into the Earth Abyss.

"Remember, if uncertain, seal the well."

The Painter reiterated once more before entering the whirlpool space, following Zhou Xuan into the Earth Abyss...