Chapter 1107: Undersea Labyrinth
"Come, Wukong, let's all examine this together. Where do you think the place recorded on this treasure map might be?"
After the master and disciples decided to search for the treasure together, Jiang Liu spread out the treasure map and asked Sun Wukong and the others.
"This place, I, Old Sun, don't recognize it." After carefully examining the location recorded on the treasure map, Sun Wukong shook his head and said.
"I, Old Pig, have no impression of it at all either!" Following Sun Wukong's words, Zhu Bajie also shook his head and said.
Guessing the exact location based solely on a map is certainly a bit challenging.
"Master, I do have an impression of this place!" However, at this moment, Little White Dragon suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? Xiaobai, take a closer look..." Hearing Little White Dragon, Jiang Liu moved the treasure map closer to him and asked.
"Master, this place should be North Julu State, near a great mountain by the North Sea..." After carefully discerning the topography on the treasure map, Little White Dragon spoke up.
"Oh? Xiaobai, can you be sure?" Jiang Liu asked.
"I can be sure!" Little White Dragon nodded heavily.
"Alright, since Xiaobai already knows, let's head to the shores of the North Sea!" Following Little White Dragon's confirmation, Jiang Liu said.
As he spoke, the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team took to the air.
Little White Dragon transformed into his Dragon Clan form, carrying Jiang Liu on his back at the forefront, with Sun Wukong and the others following behind him.
On the other side, Kong Xuan held the Calamity Book in his hand, pondering as he looked at the calamities as always.
Although the main goal is to find the mysterious figure and the whereabouts of the Hongmeng Purple Qi, after defeating the Jade Emperor, the Hongmeng Purple Qi was not separated from him, and the clues seemed to have broken off for now.
Therefore, the next focus should be on the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team.
"By the way, I wonder where Xuanzang and his team have reached now?" After pondering for a moment, thinking about designing the next calamity, Kong Xuan expanded his Divine Sense to check the status of the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team.
"Huh? What are they up to?" When Kong Xuan's Divine Sense scanned the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team, he was stunned.
Through the scan, Kong Xuan clearly saw that the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team had all moved into action.
Originally heading toward the Great Thunder Monastery of the Western Heaven, they were now flying north.
"Are they going to Julu Continent in the north? What are they going there for?" Upon discovering the strange route taken by Xuanzang and his team, Kong Xuan murmured to himself.
After pondering for a moment, Kong Xuan also took to the air, following Xuanzang and the others.
Being the coordinator of the Journey to the West tasks, Kong Xuan naturally had to figure out their unusual movements.
Of course, if there were a chance to create a calamity for the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team, that would be all the better.
Kong Xuan followed behind them, but Jiang Liu and his team were unaware. Given Jiang Liu and his team all possessed the cultivation level of Great Luo Golden Immortal, reaching North Julu State wouldn't take long.
The five members of the Journey to the West team, all five being strong practitioners at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level, traversed the skies without hiding their auras. With such a lineup, even in the chaotic North Julu State, no demon, ghost, or monster dared to court death.
Thus, Jiang Liu and the others reached their destination smoothly.
Upon arrival, Jiang Liu surveyed the scene, a vast stretch of mountains by the North Sea.
After closely examining the scenery here, Jiang Liu took out the treasure map for a good look.
Indeed, the distribution of the landscape here matches exactly what is depicted on the treasure map. The place is correct.
"According to this treasure map, the treasure should be beneath the sea in a Water Mansion!" After carefully identifying the current scenery and the topography depicted on the treasure map, Jiang Liu pointed to a part of the sea and said.
"Under the sea? Then let's have Bajie or Junior Brother Sha scout it out first!" Upon hearing Jiang Liu's words, Sun Wukong waved his hand and said.
Although Sun Wukong could enter the sea, he would need to recite a water avoidance art to walk underwater, so if possible, he preferred not to enter the water.
"Alright, Master, I'll dive in to take a look!" Following Sun Wukong's words, Sha Wujing volunteered.
With Jiang Liu's approval, Sha Wujing leapt directly into the water.
Both Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie are adept at swimming, so their activities in the sea would not be affected; they don't even need the water avoidance art, which is a testament to their skills.
After Sha Wujing dived into the water, Jiang Liu naturally waited at the shore.
Jiang Liu's situation was similar to Sun Wukong's. Although he could enter the sea, he needed to maintain the state of the water avoidance art.
After waiting for about half an hour, the seawater suddenly exploded, and then Sha Wujing's figure jumped out from the sea.
"How was it, Wujing? Did you discover anything?" Jiang Liu asked as he watched Sha Wujing land in front of him from the sea.
"After searching for so long, I finally found the Water Mansion!" Sha Wujing nodded and said.
"Junior Brother Sha, did you find the treasure?" Sun Wukong, being naturally impatient, couldn't help but come forward upon hearing this.
"Master, Senior Brother, that underwater residence doesn't look big, but inside, it's winding and twisting like a labyrinth. So, I didn't look for the treasure and came up directly to inform you!" Sha Wujing answered.
"I see, in that case, let's venture into that Water Mansion together, shall we?" Upon hearing this, Jiang Liu nodded and said.
Then, after reciting the water avoidance art, led by Jiang Liu, the members of the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team all jumped into the North Sea, diving towards the underwater mansion.
"How strange!" In the shadows, while Jiang Liu and others were waiting for Sha Wujing, Kong Xuan had actually already arrived. At this time, Kong Xuan stood on the shore, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion.
While Jiang Liu and the others were waiting for Sha Wujing, Kong Xuan had already unfolded his Divine Sense into the seawater to check the situation inside.
Kong Xuan learned something, but it was precisely because of this discovery that he felt even more puzzled.
Under the sea, there was an underwater residence. This wasn't unusual—it's normal for there to be several hidden residences in the vast world.
However, as the Divine Sense continued to probe, Kong Xuan discovered that this residence unexpectedly led to a place he hadn't anticipated.
Logically, no one should be able to approach this place, yet someone had built an underwater residence here? Secretly leading to this place?
"Although the situation is a bit strange, this might become a new calamity." In his surprise, Kong Xuan's mind was slightly moved and started contemplating other thoughts.
As the Coordinator of the Journey to the West, Kong Xuan was becoming more competent. Whenever something happened, he reflexively thought about whether he could design it as one of the eighty-one calamities of the Journey to the West.
Today, naturally, such a thought was born in Kong Xuan's mind.
...
What Kong Xuan thought, Jiang Liu naturally did not know. After maintaining a water avoidance art spell, Jiang Liu and the others followed behind Sha Wujing and indeed arrived at an underwater residence.
This residence didn't appear grand, and if not careful, it could really go unnoticed.
For instance, beside him, Zhu Bajie was secretly complaining, saying that this Water Mansion was nothing compared to his own Marshal Tianpeng's Mansion.
He suggested it would be more fitting to call it an underwater cavern.
Mansion? To describe it as such was like putting gold on its face.
"Master, this place is winding in all directions. Who knows how big it is!" The Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team walked in this Water Mansion for a full hour, but hadn't yet reached its end. Sun Wukong couldn't help but say to Jiang Liu.
"Hmm, perhaps if we walk a bit further, we'll reach it?" Jiang Liu said to Sun Wukong, glancing at the Treasure Map in his hand.
Upon entering the Water Mansion, there was a reaction from the Treasure Map. Every five minutes, it provided a position indication.
Yet, after walking for an hour, they still hadn't found the location of the treasure.
"Master, you've been saying that for a long time!" Unable to resist, Sun Wukong exclaimed.
"Junior Brother Sha, how far have we walked all this time?" At this moment, Zhu Bajie suddenly asked Sha Wujing.
"Second Brother, I indeed calculated this!"
As Zhu Bajie's words fell, Sha Wujing responded, "We've walked for about an hour, and judging by the direction, we haven't really turned. We should have covered a thousand miles!"
"An inconspicuous underwater residence covering a thousand miles?" Without previously considering it, upon hearing Sha Wujing's words, the Journey to the West Pilgrimage Team couldn't help but express their surprise.
However, despite their surprise, Jiang Liu and the others knew Sha Wujing's words made sense.
Without much change in direction and having walked for so long, traveling a thousand miles in one hour at their speed wasn't surprising at all.
Just when Jiang Liu and the others were secretly marveling at this, the enormous undersea labyrinth suddenly opened up before them.
This was a large secret chamber within the Water Mansion, with a meditation cushion at its center where a beam of light fell directly from the void, illuminating the cushion.
Within this beam of light, there was a human figure...