Myriad Wonders Lake

Upon hearing Wu Meng's words, Zhang Wanqing could not help but feel excitement rising up within her heart.

Cultivation...

Even though Wu Meng had already mentioned multiple times that taking him as a master meant that she would eventually become a cultivator, he had yet to really teach her anything in that regard, so it did not really sink in with her.

But now, it seemed like all of that was going to change.

It was time for her to become a mighty cultivator as well!

By the side, Nie Changyun looked over at Zhang Wanqing, then back at Wu Meng. "Esteemed Sir, please pardon my ignorance. But may I ask if you are intending to rely on the Myriad Wonders Lake to stimulate her potential because she is old and has already missed the golden years of cultivation?"

"Eh?" Zhang Wanqing blurted out subconsciously this time.

She is old and has already missed the golden years of cultivation?

Just who are you calling old?!

I am only seventeen!

Zhang Wanqing could not help but feel offended by Nie Changyun's question. However, Wu Meng's response that came next shocked her once more.

"You can say that," Wu Meng nodded. "She might be old, but there are many methods to circumvent this problem. Your Myriad Wonders Lake can be considered one of the easier ways."

Zhang Wanqing: "..."

Old...

Zhang Wanqing had yet to get over Nie Changyun's words when Wu Meng's response served her a second blow!

"It is not that I want to dissuade you, Esteemed Sir. But even though our Myriad Wonders Lake is a great cultivation ground, there is still a limit to its effect," Nie Changyun said hesitantly. "For this young lady..."

Zhang Wanqing looked over at Nie Changyun, who promptly looked away to avoid meeting her gaze.

"That is for me to worry about, so you don't have to concern yourself over it," Wu Meng said casually. "Don't worry. No matter the result, we will only stay there for a week, no longer than that."

"As long as Esteemed Sir understands," Nie Changyun nodded.

As instructed by Wu Meng, Zhang Wanqing proceeded to pack up their stuff in preparation to leave.

Most of their items had been left on the horse wagon, so there were not many things to pack in the first place. Nevertheless, the listless Zhang Wanqing still took a while to bring everything up onto the horse wagon.

She did not say anything, but she could not help but keep thinking about what Nie Changyun said.

No matter what, Nie Changyun was still the leader of this huge valley. For someone of his stature to say something like that, there must be some truth to it. Not to mention the fact that Wu Meng seemed to have agreed as well.

Was she really too old to start cultivating?

If that's the case, could she still become a mighty cultivator like she had hoped?

After they were done packing, Nie Changyun personally led the group into the depths of the Five Elements Valley as he had promised.

Just like he did on the journey from Golem City to the Five Elements Valley, Wu Meng once again got onto the horse wagon and asked Zhang Wanqing to be the driver.

Zhang Wanqing was initially reluctant to do so since she was conscious of how Nie Changyun would feel, but was relieved to see that the latter did not seem to mind.

The scenery in the depths of the valley was just as beautiful as the outskirts, if not even more so. Butterflies danced upon beds of flowers, and lush trees swayed gently with the wind. Even the air itself carried a sweet floral fragrance that revitalised the mind.

It was truly nature at its best.

Grand pagodas, towers, and houses could be seen along the way, yet they did not seem one bit out of place in this wondrous paradise. They were designed in an impeccable manner, such that they fit perfectly into the surroundings without ruining the beauty of nature.

In comparison, the grandoise of Golem City that had shocked Zhang Wanqing previously could only be described as pale and stale!

They also came across other members of the Five Elements Valley, all of whom greeted Nie Changyun with utmost respect. At the same time, they could not help but cast curious looks towards the horse wagon, wondering who it was that deserved the valley head's personal escort.

Of course, none of them dared to question the valley head's actions. No matter what, Nie Changyun was still the highest authority in the faction. Questioning his actions would be stepping out of line.

The Five Elements Valley was far larger than it looked. Even though they were simply moving from point to point within the valley itself, the sun had already set by the time they arrived at their destination.

Nie Changyun stopped in front of a wooden gate before turning around to face them. "Beyond this gate is the Myriad Wonders Lake. Does Esteemed Sir need me to show you in?"

"There's no need for that, I can take it from here," Wu Meng waved him off nonchalantly from within the horse wagon.

"In that case, I will be back in a week," Nie Changyun clasped his fists towards Wu Meng.

With that, Nie Changyun took his leave, and only the master-disciple pair were left in front of the wooden gate.

Wu Meng slowly got down from the horse wagon, and Zhang Wanqing followed suit without having to be told.

"Let's enter," Wu Meng said before pushing open the wooden gate.

Zhang Wanqing remained silent as she pulled the horse along, carefully following his lead as they entered.

The sun had already set by now, and their surroundings were shrouded in darkness. There were no torches as well, so Zhang Wanqing could only rely on the dim moonlight to look around her.

Yet although she could not see all too clearly, the scenery that unfolded before her still managed to take her breath away.

Walking past a fence of thick bushes brought the duo before a huge lake that seemed to stretch out endlessly before them. Under the illumination of the moon, the surface of the water glistened like shining stars, almost as though the lake truly contained these celestial bodies within.

The gentle breeze brought along the scent of nature. One could smell the soil and leaves in the air, yet it was still surprisingly pleasant to the senses.

In the silence of the night, they could also hear the water gently splashing against the banks of the lake. This was a truly serene and magical location, even when compared to the rest of the beautiful Five Elements Valley.

Wu Meng slowly walked up to the lake, stopping at the edge of the water.

Looking at the all too familiar Myriad Wonders Lake, he could not help but feel nostalgic. As he stood there in silence, old memories started resurfacing in his mind.

The current Myriad Wonders Lake was a sacred cultivation ground of the Five Elements Valley – a famed location that even members of other factions dreamed of visiting.

But how many people in contemporary times would actually believe that this incredible spot used to be just an ordinary lake?

"It's really beautiful," Zhang Wanqing gasped involuntarily as she walked up beside him.

That was a genuine remark.

She had seen the rivers near Green Seed Village at night, and they were definitely nowhere near in comparison.

"It's just a lake, what's so beautiful about it?" Wu Meng replied with a smile. "Rather than wasting your time admiring it, you should get prepared to enter."

"Enter? You mean enter the lake?" Zhang Wanqing blinked blankly. "Nah, I can't even swim, so there is no way that I am going to enter th- wha?!"

Before Zhang Wanqing could finish her sentence, Wu Meng had already given her a strong push.

"You crazy basta-!" Zhang Wanqing cursed out loud as she fell into the lake with a loud splash.

Even though she had fallen in right next to the bank, the water was not shallow by any measure.

Beneath the water surface, the Myriad Wonders Lake was shaped more like a cylinder than a funnel, with no shallow regions, whatsoever.

It was a literal deathtrap for anyone who did not know how to either float or swim.

Not just that, but the lake was also unfathomably deep. The mysterious water felt far heavier than normal as it applied a heavy downward pressure on anyone who entered, making it difficult even for good swimmers to move around in the lake, so diving was out of the question.

Throughout the long history of the Five Elements Valley, there was only one person who was known to have managed to dive to the bottom of the lake and returned, and that was none other than the progenitor of the faction himself!

After he passed, many stellar descendants had tried to explore the depths of the lake as well.

Yet despite them being powerful cultivators in their own right, none had ever succeeded in reaching the bottom before feeling the need to resurface. All of them knew that if they did not turn around at their limit, they might never have the chance to do so again!

"Sav... me...!" Zhang Wanqing struggled with all her might to keep her head above the water surface, but it was a futile struggle.

Since it was difficult even for good swimmers, someone like Zhang Wanqing naturally did not stand a chance.

By the next moment, her body had already disappeared beneath the water surface.

Looking up as she continued to sink deeper into the water, the desperate Zhang Wanqing looked up to see a figure dive into the water.

After he shoved Zhang Wanqing into the lake, Wu Meng had immediately leapt off the bank of the lake as well, following right after her.

Zhang Wanqing could not help but feel relief in her heart.

With the comparatively bright water surface as a backdrop, his appearance truly seemed like a symbol of hope – one that would rescue her from imminent death.

At least he realised soon enough that I was not lying about not being able to swim!

That was the thought that went through Zhang Wanqing's mind.

Unfortunately, that thought only lasted for the slightest of moments before being completely betrayed.

Pa-!

A pair of shoes landed directly on the top of her head, pressing down on her and sending her straight down into the water.

Instead of rescuing Zhang Wanqing, Wu Meng had actually chosen to press down on Zhang Wanqing's head with his feet, further accelerating her descent as they dived into the depths of the water as one!

Crazy!

He's completely crazy!

Zhang Wanqing widened her eyes in shock as she sank into the depths of the lake. She could not see a thing above her, but she could definitely feel the pair of feet pressing her down into the dark unknown.

She instinctively reached for the legs on her head, wanting to free herself from the weight.

The water felt especially heavy, and even lifting her arms felt extremely difficult.

However, the desperate Zhang Wanqing had no other choice. In order to survive, she had to free herself before she ran out of breath!

But even after she grabbed hold of the two feet on her head, she simply did not have the strength to shake them off. It was almost as though they had been attached to her head from the start.

"Stop struggling," Wu Meng said lazily as he stood cross-armed, with his feet firmly rested upon Zhang Wanqing's head. "You won't die with me around."

They were in the water, so Wu Meng naturally did not speak normally to convey his message. Instead, he used a special means of communication called sound transmission.

Sound transmission was a communication technique commonly used among cultivators to directly transmit their voice to another person's mind. With the use of this technique, they no longer needed to verbalise their thoughts, allowing them to communicate when it would usually be inconvenient to do so, such as when they were underwater or if they had to be careful not to make a sound.

Zhang Wanqing naturally did not know of this technique, so she could not help but feel surprised when she heard Wu Meng's voice sound out in her head.

Even so, this feeling of surprise only lasted for a few short moments, until she suddenly felt her breath running out.

She could not hold on for much longer!

Zhang Wanqing desperately tapped on Wu Meng's feet, hoping that the latter would finally let her go.

But Wu Meng's response was something that Zhang Wanqing never expected.

"Just breathe."

Zhang Wanqing did not even have the time to feel speechless. She only felt anger and despair in her heart.

That's what I want to do as well!

But the problem is that we are underwater, so how am I supposed to breathe?!

She started tapping even harder on Wu Meng's feet, but the latter was unmoved. Pressing down on Zhang Wanqing with his feet, the two of them only continued sinking deeper and deeper into the Myriad Wonders Lake.

Tears escaped her eyes, though they were quickly washed away by the surrounding water. Her lungs hurt, and she felt like she was about to black out.

In the end, Zhang Wanqing reached her limit and could not hold her breath any longer.

Her instincts finally took over, and she opened her mouth to take in a huge breath.

Water flooded into her mouth immediately, but what happened next was completely beyond her expectations.

Pant-! Pant-!

Zhang Wanqing took in deep breaths with all her might, all with her mouth filled with water.

At this point, Zhang Wanqing was completely befuddled.

They were clearly underwater, and her mouth was clearly filled with water as well.

Yet she was still able to breathe as per normal...?

Just what exactly was going on?