Wang Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly. He approached the broken tombstones and bent down to inspect them. After finding nothing abnormal, his face turned grim. If I continue to waste time here, I’m just squandering my own life. Perhaps we should investigate the surroundings first.

"I think we’d better not pin all our hopes on these tombstones," he then said aloud.

Jiang Yin and Luo Xue both nodded. In the blink of an eye, the three of them were ready to leave.

However, just as they turned, the ground began to tremble. Wang Zhan and the others quickly used their individual skills to steady themselves.

In the distance, transparent figures appeared. They were called ’transparent people’ because their facial features were completely indistinct; only watery, shimmering forms could be seen.

Upon seeing this, Luo Xue’s expression changed rapidly for the worse. She grabbed Wang Zhan’s arm and asked anxiously, "Brother Wang, what are these creatures? Why do they look so eerie?"

Wang Zhan squinted slightly and said with a smile, "I’m not sure what they are, but perhaps we’ve found an opening in the barrier. Let’s get rid of them first, then we’ll see."

As he spoke, Wang Zhan immediately brandished his Deep Fire Blade and swiftly charged at one of the transparent people.

Luo Xue, by his side, didn’t hesitate either. She quickly clenched her fists and engaged the transparent people in combat.

Jiang Yin, standing aside, promptly brought out her ancient zither. Her fingers danced across the strings, and as the music flowed, she summoned variant beasts that rushed towards the transparent people.

Although there were many transparent people, the trio dispatched all of them with their concerted efforts in less than five minutes.

As expected, once the transparent people vanished, the Water Ripples before them gradually faded.

Wang Zhan narrowed his eyes. After touching the Water Ripples in front of him, he glanced back, and the two behind him quickly exclaimed, "It seems our idea wasn’t wrong in the slightest! The barrier before us has disappeared. We should be able to enter the palace!"

Jiang Yin and Luo Xue also nodded excitedly and followed Wang Zhan. The trio quickly advanced towards the palace ahead.

Although the palace seemed near, it was as elusive as a mirage. They walked for what felt like a great distance on the staircase before them, yet the palace remained tantalizingly out of reach; they simply couldn’t get to its main entrance.

"This can’t just be an illusion, can it?" Jiang Yin’s face darkened considerably as he frowned and spoke. "Why have we been here for so long and still can’t even get inside? If we keep walking like this, we may never reach the end. Perhaps we should think of other ways."

"It seems there are traps everywhere in this Deep Water Barrier," Wang Zhan mused. "We need to proceed with caution."

He had sensed this for a while. He had experienced quite a few barriers, but never one as terrifying as the Deep Water Barrier. Although this place wasn’t overtly aggressive, it constantly felt as though they were caught in a meticulously designed mechanism, every step following a path laid out by someone else.

Having wandered for so long without finding a way forward, the three of them became much more alert.

"Why not stick to our old ways then?" Wang Zhan grinned. There was no panic on his face. After all, they had already come this far, and having only just stepped into this area, they had plenty of time to solve the problem at hand, so there was no need to worry.

Wang Zhan lifted his Deep Fire Blade and fiercely slammed it down on the endless steps in front of him.

As expected, under Wang Zhan’s full-powered strike, the steps remained completely unchanged. Not even a speck of dust stirred, as if the blade had sliced through empty air.

Jiang Yin quickly understood. "It seems our assumption was correct," he said. "This is probably like a mirage. Relying on brute force to enter it won’t be easy. We still need to search for a mechanism around here."

"A mechanism?" Luo Xue sighed helplessly. She pointed to the countless steps before them and the equally unending steps behind, shaking her head. "Just look around you. Everything looks the same. Even if we want to find a mechanism, we need some kind of lead."

Hearing this, Jiang Yin also recognized the difficulty of their situation. When they had first entered the barrier, though it wasn’t easy, they eventually found the tombstones and, by coincidence, broke that initial barrier. But now, there was nothing in sight, making things a lot more difficult.

Wang Zhan squinted slightly, walked over to them, and patted their shoulders. Pointing towards the unfathomable Abyss beneath the steps, he said, "How about we try something a bit more exciting?"

He continued, "If this place is indeed a mirage, then these Abysses might just be illusions, things our naked eyes perceive them to be. Perhaps, in reality, they are tangible, just like the steps. What if we jump right into this Abyss? Perhaps that might break the mirage before us."

Undoubtedly, Wang Zhan’s suggestion was dauntingly risky. If their assumptions were wrong, they would be gambling with their lives. Once they leaped into the Abyss, escaping would not be easy. Even if they managed to survive, they might end up severely injured.

But Luo Xue had always trusted Wang Zhan’s instincts. Smiling, she walked to his side and said, "If Brother Wang dares to take the challenge, then what do I have to fear?"

As she spoke, Luo Xue looked at Jiang Yin, seemingly seeking his thoughts. After all, they were a team, facing a critical moment of life and death. They couldn’t simply let the majority decide and override Jiang Yin’s perspective.

Wang Zhan chuckled. "Actually, we don’t need to make things so complicated. Besides, we’re still not sure if this is the way to break the Illusion. Instead of everyone trying it, it would be better for me to test the waters first. If all is well, you two can follow. If I go silent, then you’ll know my situation and can look for an alternative."

Hearing this, difficult expressions appeared on Jiang Yin’s and Luo Xue’s faces. Luo Xue felt greatly indebted to Wang Zhan for his many kindnesses. They had recently been through many trials together, and she also understood his character well; he had repeatedly put himself in front of her to protect her, and each time, she was deeply moved.

This time, however, Luo Xue wasn’t going to let Wang Zhan go into danger alone. She walked up to him, grabbed his arm, and said firmly, "Brother Wang, no matter what you say, I’m prepared to go down there with you to check the situation. If everything is fine, then that’s great. If there’s any danger, I can be your companion, and at least we won’t be alone on the road to the Netherworld."

A warm current flowed through Wang Zhan’s heart. He patted Luo Xue’s head and said with a smile, "Things aren’t as severe as you believe. And if that worst-case scenario does happen, the fewer casualties, the better. Even if I die here, you two can still make it to the palace and see what’s inside."

"Besides," he added, "there are so many people waiting for us outside, so let’s not joke about such things."

Just as Luo Xue was about to speak, Jiang Yin walked to their side. After glancing at the Abyss beneath their feet, he smiled. "This time, I agree with Luo Xue. After all, if we can’t find a way out from below, then even if we break the current barrier, we might still end up trapped in this sea domain indefinitely. It might be better to risk our lives together; perhaps we can find a lifeline in this desperate situation."

"So, the three of us naturally need to advance and retreat together. Since we want to see what’s truly beneath this Abyss, let’s go together."

Looking at the determined pair, Wang Zhan could only nod in agreement.

The three of them, their minds made up, jumped directly into the Abyss below without any hesitation.

After a few seconds, they were surprised to find there was seemingly nothing beneath the Abyss. They were still treading on a flat surface. Looking to their right, those flights of stairs were surprisingly still there, as if everything existed on a single plane. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

At this, Wang Zhan suddenly understood. Everything before their eyes was like a giant curtain. So, even by entering the Abyss, they had merely moved away from the area with the steps. There was no actual danger. After all, from their current perspective, the Abyss and the steps were simply parallel to each other.

It was indeed somewhat shocking that such a terrifying mechanism could be designed beneath the sea domain.

Wang Zhan glanced at Luo Xue beside him, who still had her eyes tightly closed, and almost burst out laughing. He patted Luo Xue’s shoulder and said, "Alright, you don’t need to put on such a woeful expression. We don’t need to worry about anything. Generally speaking, we should be safe now."