Chapter 495: Chapter 353: The Shadowlands of Central State

Divine Strategy Pavilion’s underground space.

Densely packed arrays surrounded it, and this was Zhong Heng’s third time entering here.

In the air, pieces of blue crystal stones were suspended, seeming to have faint light and shadows connecting them.

Within the crystal stones, various pieces of intelligence were recorded.

A ghostly blue light illuminated this dark space.

This was the intelligence hub of the Divine Strategy Pavilion.

The Divine Strategy Pavilion mainly dealt in selling intelligence, with other skills and trades as a supplement.

It seemed that the various pills, magical artifacts, array talismans were just add-ons.

"How could it be..."

Zhong Heng’s face rarely showed such a look of surprise and uncertainty.

At the center of the entire space, a mark was flickering.

Its appearance was like a simple mark of an arrow piercing through a black moon.

The mark flickered, as if some message was waiting to be received.

"The mark of the Wind and Rain Tower."

Zhong Heng looked at the mark, somewhat hesitant.

"Zhong Heng!"

While Zhong Heng was still in shock, his shoulder was suddenly gripped by someone.

Zhong Heng’s entire body froze.

Fake Core!

And his aura was already close to the Golden Core.

Behind Zhong Heng was a middle-aged man with a gentle demeanor, Steward Song, one of the two stewards of the Divine Strategy Pavilion, but Steward Song usually only displayed a cultivation of Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

"Old Brother Zhong Heng, the True Master’s order is that you are responsible for managing the Master of Hundred Arts, and I’m in charge of the intelligence aspect, you shouldn’t be in this place."

Steward Song’s voice was eerie, but fortunately, there was no killing intent in his words.

Otherwise, even though Zhong Heng had his secrets, he was ultimately just a Qi Refining Cultivator, how could he possibly match a Fake Core Cultivator.

The Divine Strategy Pavilion’s intelligence aspect had always been low-key, after all, selling intelligence easily offended people.

Especially recently, Zhong Heng’s reputation as an array genius had been growing, and the Divine Strategy Pavilion’s intelligence aspect had become increasingly low-key.

Zhong Heng was previously just an Honored Guest Elder, not considered part of the management, he was curious about the intelligence aspect of the Divine Strategy Pavilion, but he didn’t plan to meddle too much.

Now, as Zhong Heng was about to breakthrough into Foundation Establishment, and was valued by Yunmiao Master, the power of the Divine Strategy Pavilion was gradually shifting towards him.

And when the Business Alliance requested Yunmiao Master to assist in investigating the Wind and Rain Tower, it was then that Zhong Heng first truly came into contact with the underground space of the Divine Strategy Pavilion.

However, that was with Steward Song accompanying him the entire time while reviewing the intelligence.

With Zhong Heng’s temperament, he wouldn’t dig too deep into things.

Until now...with Steward Song missing for a long time and the intelligence agency nearing paralysis, Zhong Heng thus came to this place.

"Senior Song, I was being presumptuous..."

Zhong Heng bowed.

At this time, Steward Song no longer had his usual approachable appearance, but instead looked somewhat rigid.

He said, "Consider yourself lucky that you’ve caught the True Master’s favor."

"If it were someone else, they’d be dead by now..."

Steward Song’s voice was eerie.

"Since you have found out, then follow me..."

Steward Song walked up to the Wind and Rain Tower’s mark.

His fingernail suddenly grew long and sharp, touching the mark.

A spatial vortex actually opened up.

Zhong Heng’s expression suddenly changed!

Because that mark was actually an array, and he, Zhong Heng, didn’t recognize it at all at first!

A few special arrays, don’t know the specifics, but the spatial vortex in front of him could only be revealed by some teleportation array.

Stable, array patterns spiraling around, perhaps a sub-array of a large array?

"Follow me..."

Zhong Heng was somewhat hesitant.

But based on trust in Yunmiao Master, Zhong Heng took a step forward.

[The timely appearance of Steward Song sent a chill through your body.]

[And the other party gradually revealed the truth.]

[Steward Song’s form changed, fingernails turned sharp and long, faintly showing two fangs, revealing that his true identity was not a human cultivator, but a Yaksha!]

[According to Steward Song, he had followed Divine Strategy Master for over seven hundred years, and after Divine Strategy Master ascended, he followed Yunmiao Master.]

[The relationship between Divine Strategy Pavilion and Wind and Rain Tower was established during Divine Strategy Master’s time.]

[As he spoke, you both walked into the spatial vortex.]

[The familiar pulling sensation appeared, indicating that you had entered a secret realm.]

[No, this isn’t a secret realm!]

[But a...Pocket World! You made a judgment in your heart.]

[And this Pocket World is vast, with no light from the heavens and earth, the nine Great Suns in the sky don’t emit brilliant light, but instead, like a bright moon, emit a ghostly white color.]

[A continuous drizzle fell onto your True Essence Protection Shield.]

"What is this!?"

Jiang Ming looked at the simulated text with disbelief.

His mind overlapped with Zhong Heng, carefully observing this world.

Nine Great Suns...

This familiar yet unfamiliar feeling...

Jiang Ming frantically searched through his memory bank.

Finally, a name appeared.

Nine Heavens Grotto Heaven!

The Imperial Capital of Great Wei.

No, Great Wei was clearly in Changzhou, but here was Central State! 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

How could it be!?

"Something seems a bit off..."

"What exactly happened over these twenty thousand years..."

According to the timeline, two thousand years ago, the world changed dramatically, and the Immortal Sect was established.

Fifteen thousand years ago, the Five Elements True Immortal ascended.

As for how far away the time of Ouyang Yun is from now, it is unknown, but at least there was no world-changing event at that time.

And at that time, Great Wei was still whole.

Although it had some gaps compared to the flourishing Great Wei of Xiang Wuji’s era which possessed a True Immortal.

"Wait!"

"I seem to have overlooked something..."

Jiang Ming pulled up the simulated text.

The New Source Era...five thousand years..."

[The Wind and Rain Tower has always existed, residing within unknown Pocket Worlds that the Jiuzhou Cultivation Realm’s influences could not probe.]

[From the fragments of Jiuzhou’s shattered pieces, arose numerous secret realms, Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands, allowing Wind and Rain Tower to exist within these worlds.]