Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3974: Heading To A Secret Route

The Core Court had existed at a level above the Inner Court for a very long time, and anything considered too important for ordinary access would eventually be preserved there. The records concerning Deng Siqi, assuming the name really belonged to the Heavenly Stream Immortal Daoist, were especially likely to have been moved there.

The Hopeful Star Pavilion was another matter.

A faction that had existed more than one hundred thousand years ago might have disappeared entirely from Inner Court records. It could have been renamed, dismantled, absorbed into another faction or simply forgotten.

Still, Lin Mu had to start somewhere.

"Information about Deng Siqi and the Hopeful Star Pavilion might be in the Core Court," Lin Mu thought. "If they aren’t here, I’ll deal with that later."

For now, Zhenyu was his priority and a couple of hours later, Lin Mu finally reached the Records Division.

He slowed down as the enormous complex came into view. "That’s the Records Division?"

Even knowing that the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect was enormous, Lin Mu had still underestimated the scale of its archives. The Records Division looked less like a building and more like an entire city.

Massive walls surrounded the complex, with numerous entrances spread throughout its perimeter. Inside were countless buildings of different sizes and shapes. Some were tall towers that disappeared into the clouds, while others were wide halls that stretched for hundreds of meters.

There were streets between them, courtyards, gardens and even small plazas where disciples and elders moved about carrying jade slips, books and storage containers. Lin Mu descended toward one of the outer streets.

He had no reason to sneak around. In fact, acting suspiciously would probably create more problems than simply walking openly. The moment his feet touched the ground, several nearby disciples glanced toward him.

Lin Mu ignored them and he walked with the relaxed posture of someone who had every right to be there.

His robes were just simple ones, though the Silver Mirage Circlet concealed their actual appearance beneath an illusion that matched Zhenyu’s robes. His jade token allowed him to pass through the sect’s formations without triggering any obvious warnings.

The combination made his presence appear entirely legitimate. Besides, the sect was simply too large for everyone to know everyone else. There were millions of elders and disciples spread throughout the Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect.

Even among the Inner Court, there were countless people who had never met each other. A strange elder walking through the Records Division would attract a few glances, though most people would quickly lose interest.

Lin Mu’s size did attract slightly more attention than usual as he was simply too large to blend into a crowd.

A pair of disciples whispered as they passed. "Which peak is he from?"

"Probably Man Peak."

"Could be some body cultivator from another branch."

"I don’t think he’s from Wild Peak."

"Why?"

"He’s too quiet."

Lin Mu nearly laughed as he had expected people to recognize the Wild Peak robes. Instead, his behavior had convinced them otherwise. The Wild Peak had developed a reputation for having aggressive body cultivators who were quick to challenge others.

Zhenyu himself had apparently possessed a strong personality even before entering the Mad Demon Depths. The enormous elder walking calmly through the streets without causing trouble simply did not fit the image.

Another disciple glanced at Lin Mu and muttered that perhaps the elder simply liked maintaining a large body.

Lin Mu heard it clearly and he decided that explanation was perfectly acceptable. He continued walking as the main archives were farther inside, though Lin Mu had no intention of entering them directly.

Zhenyu’s jade token contained several instructions regarding old access routes throughout the sect. One of those routes was located at the very edge of the Records Division. Lin Mu followed the directions carefully.

The deeper he went, the fewer people he encountered and eventually, the grand buildings disappeared behind him. The streets became narrower and the formations also became simpler.

Finally, Lin Mu reached the boundary wall and a small shed stood there. He stopped as the shed looked so ordinary that Lin Mu almost wondered whether he had followed the wrong instructions.

It was barely larger than a storage room. Its wooden walls were weathered, its roof had several patches that had clearly been repaired over the years and the door looked as if it had been painted and repainted countless times.

Lin Mu activated his immortal sense but felt nothing particular. There was no life inside, so he examined the formations around the area and there was nothing obvious about them either. As such he stepped toward the door and opened it.

Creak.

The interior was exactly what it appeared to be.

Cleaning tools were stacked against one wall. There were several old brooms, buckets, brushes and pieces of cloth. A few spare servant robes hung from wooden hooks. A couple of empty containers sat in the corner, and a faint smell of dust and cleaning powder lingered in the air.

Lin Mu stared at the contents for several seconds. "Someone actually designed a secret entrance inside a janitor’s shed."

He shook his head. Then he remembered Zhenyu’s personality.

"Actually, that sounds exactly like something he’d do."

Lin Mu stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He looked down at the floor and the tiles appeared ordinary. But that was the entire point.

Zhenyu had recorded the method for activating the hidden passage, including the sequence required to avoid triggering the defensive mechanisms. Lin Mu carefully followed the instructions.

He tapped the first tile with his right foot.

Tap.

Then the third tile.

Tap.

Then the eleventh tile beside the wall.

Tap, tap.

The sequence seemed completely meaningless but Lin Mu continued. He changed the rhythm, paused for two breaths and then struck another tile with his heel. For a moment, the shed remained completely silent as Lin Mu waited.

Then he tapped the final tile and a faint vibration traveled beneath his feet.

Tremble

His eyes brightened as a thin line of light appeared between the floor tiles. The lines spread outward and one after another, the tiles lit up with extremely faint runes. The entire floor began glowing.