Chapter 346: A Hundred Skills of Qimen

Chapter 346: The Hundred Arts of the Mystic Gate

On the northwestern side of Jade Void Peak, at the other end where Zhao Changhe had previously ascended and descended the mountain.

Halfway up the slope, a cluster of Daoist temples stood, with a plaque above the main gate bearing the words "Jade Void Palace" in large characters.

The buildings were not many, and people were sparse, yet it finally gave a semblance of the concept of the "Jade Void Palace" faction that people had in mind—a Daoist temple, a gathering of villains.

This was the true Jade Void Palace, not the three wooden huts at the summit nor the old woodcutter who split firewood and drank wine.

But the Jade Void Palace had no guards either, for there was no need—no one dared to ascend the mountain, let alone approach the palace itself.

Zhao Changhe had smeared his face yellow this time, changed into a finer set of brocade robes, and stowed his blade and gourd in his ring. This disguise finally gave the impression of "another person," and if Ye Wuzong saw him, he probably wouldn’t get scolded... Well, next time he’d add a five-strand long beard.

As for the matter of seizing the Heavenly Book, the Jade Void might not interfere, but those villains searching for it certainly would. He couldn’t let anyone know it was "Zhao Changhe" who did it, or he’d never know peace. Better to let Wang Daozhong take the blame for now.

He slipped over the wall like a shadow, touching down on the rooftops with a few light steps, and soon reached the rear courtyard.

In the courtyard, a few lanterns flickered. Someone stood idly outside a cave-like storage chamber, seemingly guarding it.

Idle as they were, the fact that guards were posted here—while the main gate had none—was telling. That a mere cave was instinctively assigned a watchman practically proved there was something significant inside.

Zhao Changhe swept past like the wind, snowflakes falling softly. The two guards felt a chill at the backs of their necks and crumpled to the ground.

He had already slipped into the cave in one fluid motion, his shadow barely traceable.

Ninefold Mystic Gate, half-step to the Hidden Vault.

Even though he still felt his understanding of martial arts was lacking, that he hadn’t yet forged his own path, he was already among the top figures in the world.

In the Blind Woman’s view, his seeking guidance from the Vermilion Bird, his questioning of the Jade Void, his hesitant explorations—all were largely meaningless. What he truly lacked was merely time and a wealth of combat experience.

See enough, use enough, and over time, your own understanding would naturally emerge. Why ask others?

Like now.

"Thud!" Zhao Changhe dashed into the cave. As expected, it wasn’t a cave at all. After passing through a short tunnel, the space opened up before him, revealing a colossal mountain peak, towering and majestic, piercing the clouds.

It was like a nesting doll—he couldn’t tell if this was the Kunlun Mountains or the outside was, one Kunlun nested within another.

This was a vast secret realm where spatial barriers had already been breached. Inside was an entire mountain, no longer the small huts, tiny caves, or burial chambers he had seen before.

Sensing the vast and familiar aura within this space, bathed in a feeling akin to the "Way of Heaven," Zhao Changhe’s heart stirred with awe.

He had known there would be a massive secret realm, perhaps even with many people dwelling in it, but seeing such a nested space with his own eyes still left him stunned. The mysteries of space were truly fascinating...

Speaking of which, the chaotic world list flickering in the sky was also a page of the Heavenly Book. Its grandeur was immense, heard by all the world. Yet the golden foil in his hand was also a page, but its manifestation was so lackluster. Clearly, its weakness wasn’t entirely due to incompleteness. It was because the woman beneath Sword Lake had placed a powerful seal on it, making it difficult for the incomplete foil to break free on its own. A more complete version would make unsealing easier.

That meant this page of the Heavenly Book here was unsealed—a supreme artifact of the Way of Heaven on par with the chaotic world list in the sky. No wonder it could sustain such a vast space. Perhaps beyond the mountain, there were even broader lands, but this peak was the core.

What form would it take?

Zhao Changhe looked up. At the mist-shrouded summit, faint golden light radiated in all directions, spilling across the land. This space had no sun or moon; the golden light was its source, casting the entire realm in a hazy, sacred glow.

It seemed a golden scroll hung suspended in the sky, indistinct and unclear.

Thus, the people of Jade Void Palace had been hacking their way up the mountain for years. None had reached the end, yet they persisted tirelessly, countless lives lost in the attempt.

The allure of the Heavenly Book was enough to make anyone spend their entire life here, risking death for a chance.

Zhao Changhe carefully avoided areas with voices, climbing upward along paths without trails.

Before long, a phantom sound of zither music drifted into his ears, like a clear stream in the mountains, seeping straight into his soul.

At first, the sound was faint, soft and plaintive. Gradually, it grew louder, the stream turning into a river, birdsong into crane cries, swirling and echoing.

Suddenly, Zhao Changhe felt a surge of blood in his chest. Examining himself, he found his heartbeat had synchronized with the music’s rhythm, beating faster and faster, his blood surging in tune with the flowing water in the melody.

He understood immediately.

This music was compelling everything within him to follow along. If he failed to notice or couldn’t suppress it, he would die here.

Was this a trial of the Heavenly Book? Or was it the natural manifestation of the book’s power, forcing anyone who approached to pass through these barriers?

Those villains had been exploring for years—these layers of obstacles were what kept them from reaching the summit.

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He had already studied music theory... When you analyze music from a professional perspective, all that remains in your mind are the pentatonic notes, the techniques, the essence of music itself. You are no longer easily swayed or resonated with.

It was like a novelist reading someone else’s novel—hard to get emotionally invested, seeing only "this line has spirit," "this suspense is well-crafted," "this emotional manipulation is brilliant," until you realize you’ve lost the joy of reading.

Thus, the sound no longer stirred ripples in Zhao Changhe’s heart. Instead, he thought: "Damn, how was this music made? Impressive."

Because it wasn’t played by human hands—it was the sound of nature itself.

If he could incorporate it into his martial arts, it would become a supreme sonic attack technique. Perhaps Tang Wanzhuang knew something similar?

So this page of the Heavenly Book was about the Mystic Arts? But the Mystic Arts were also part of martial arts, already within the scope of the golden foil. Wasn’t that redundant?

Zhao Changhe didn’t dwell on it. He continued climbing quietly. The people here had already explored high up; he needed to catch up.

The music still echoed in his ears, following him all the way, subtly suppressing him, making him wary of distraction. Once distracted, his blood would follow the music, and before he knew it, he’d explode or go mad...

Under these conditions, the trees and rocks ahead began to seem strange.

He had an odd feeling—hadn’t he seen these stones and trees just now?

Frowning slightly, Zhao Changhe peeled a strip of bark from a tree ahead.

He continued upward, and soon, the tree with the peeled bark appeared before him again.

A maze.

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded. His knowledge of formations was only basic... He had wanted to learn more before, but someone had said, "Greed for more will spoil the broth," and told him to focus. So he had only been taught the fundamentals.

Would that be enough to break this maze?

Judging from the earlier music, it didn’t require profound knowledge—just a grasp of the basics. After all, this was the natural emanations of the Heavenly Book, not a deliberate test.

Zhao Changhe studied the surroundings for a long time, then looked down at his position, calculating for a while, and scratched his head.

According to his limited knowledge, he was stuck in a "Return" position, causing him to go back and forth.

But in theory, moving from the Return position to the Escape position should let him out. How that worked, he couldn’t figure out.

To his left front was the "Army" position, and beyond that, "No Falsehood." Based on his basic knowledge, stepping into No Falsehood should be the correct solution.

But before entering No Falsehood, he had to pass through Army. And Army wasn’t a teacher—it was an army of war.

There would be battle.

So be it. If the Heavenly Book had a spirit, it was merely forcing people onto the same narrow path, making them compete for who was most worthy.

Zhao Changhe decisively leaped a great distance to his left front.

Almost at the same moment, a sword light slashed from the side toward his abdomen: "An unfamiliar face? Stay right there!"