As Ling Xuan stared at the lake before him, it wasn't that large yet it was still considerably big. He felt a mix of frustration and confusion. The map and the instructions led him here, but there was nothing extraordinary about this place, nothing that hinted at the legendary Amrita.
"Wait, I gotta check," Ling Xuan muttered to himself. He took out the piece of paper Feng Mui had given him and double-checked the location. He scrutinised the map, comparing it to the landscape before him. Every detail matched: the surrounding trees, the shape of the lake, heck even damn the position of the sun. It was correct.
He walked around the edge of the lake, examining every stone and plant for any sign or clue he might have missed. The air was thick with the scent of water and earth, and the only sounds were the gentle lapping of water against the shore and the occasional rustle of leaves in the breeze.
Suddenly, Ling Xuan noticed a peculiarity: a part of the earth that acted as a rim to the lake was slightly sunken. Not only that, but moss had grown over it, creating an almost seamless blend with the surrounding landscape.
"How does this happen?" Ling Xuan perked up his eyebrows and checked the map again, his curiosity piqued. He crouched down, brushing his fingers over the moss-covered sunken earth. The texture felt different, softer and more yielding than the rest of the terrain. His mind raced with possibilities.
As his eyes wandered over the map and back to the sunken earth, he realized something significant. The sunken area wasn't just a small patch; it extended further than he initially thought. The lines on the map indicated a larger depression, almost like an outline of something hidden beneath.
"Wait, does that mean a part of the earth around the place caved in?" Ling Xuan mused aloud, excitement building in his voice. He stood up and began to pace around the sunken area, his eyes scanning for any additional clues.
A thought tugged at Ling Xuan.
"What if I go underwater?" he mused. Diving in might offer a better view of the structure and reveal more hidden details.
"Alright, let's do it!" Without a second thought, Ling Xuan used his Qi to envelop the map, ensuring it stayed dry, and then dove straight into the lake.
—-------------------------------------------------------
The water was cool and clear, enveloping him in a silent, serene world. As Ling Xuan swam further underwater, he felt the pressure increase, but his Qi protected him from the discomfort. He moved with purpose, eyes scanning the lakebed.
As he approached the sunken area, the faint light filtering through the water illuminated a breathtaking sight. The moss-covered rim, which looked unremarkable from above, concealed an entire entrance carved into the earth.
"What the heck is this?" Ling Xuan's eyes widened in astonishment.
As he swam closer, he noticed a faint barrier of Qi blocking the water from entering the passage. Ling Xuan took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. He pushed through the Qi barrier, feeling a momentary resistance before it gave way, and he found himself in an open passageway.
The transition was surreal. One moment he was surrounded by water, the next he was in a dry tunnel, the walls shimmering with residual Qi that held the water at bay. The air inside was cool and slightly damp, carrying the scent of ancient stone and moss.
Ahead of him stretched a long, dimly lit passageway, its end lost in shadows. Ling Xuan took a deep breath, his curiosity and determination urging him forward. With no other apparent path, he started walking, the echoes of his footsteps accompanying him through the eerie silence.
The passage seemed endless. Minutes ticked by, each step echoing off the stone walls. Despite his steady pace, Ling Xuan felt as though he was making no progress. The tunnel's unchanging nature began to weigh on him, a subtle disorientation creeping in.
"I should open up the map again," he muttered, pulling out the map from his robe.
The moment he unfolded it, his eyes widened in astonishment. The map had transformed. Where once there had been familiar landmarks, now new paths and symbols appeared, almost as if the map had come alive.
At the top of the map, new writing glowed faintly in the dim light:
Surprised, eh? Hahaha, this map is crafted in a very complex manner with different maps layered on top of each other, each with corresponding instructions! The map can only change through specific catalysts that I know you'll come across during your search, so there is no need to worry about that. Just follow the steps.
—Feng Mui
"Alright, Feng Mui," Ling Xuan murmured, a determined smile forming on his lips. "Let's see where this takes me."
Ling Xuan stared at the shimmering map, disbelief and frustration creeping in. The long passageway he had painstakingly traversed was nothing but a red herring. The actual path, as revealed by the map's new instructions, was hidden within the walls themselves.
"Go back to the beginning of the path and run for four seconds. Then turn to your right and punch the wall with your right hand. Keep it a straight punch; don't change the direction."
Ling Xuan felt weirded out by the instructions, but his trust in Feng Mui's guidance was unshaken. With a deep breath, he turned on his heel and retraced his steps back to the passageway's entrance. The seemingly endless corridor loomed behind him, mocking his earlier efforts.
He positioned himself at the starting point, muscles tensed and ready. Counting silently in his head, Ling Xuan sprinted forward, each second passing with heightened anticipation. At the count of four, he pivoted sharply to his right, the motion fluid and precise.
"Alright, here goes nothing," he muttered, drawing back his fist. With a swift, straight punch, he struck the wall.
BAM!
Surprisingly, almost immediately, the wall started moving and gave way to reveal another passageway.