“In this day and age, someone actually drew a treasure map on a parchment scroll. How tacky.” Jun Changxiao held the treasure map, his face full of disdain.

Never mind whether there was actually treasure hidden somewhere—at the very least, they could have used some high-tech method, like setting up a small-scale formation or something. Instead, it was just a piece of parchment.

With his Treasure Detector in hand, he didn’t think much of such things. After all, if he wanted to find treasures, he could locate plenty at any time.

The System said, “This item has quite an aged feel to it. Perhaps it really does hide something good.”

“Is that so?”

Jun Changxiao examined it carefully and discovered the patterns drawn on it were extremely chaotic. He shook his head and said, “It’s probably just someone randomly doodling out of boredom.”

“Sect Master.”

Li Qingyang said, “Could this parchment scroll contain a hidden mystery?”

“A hidden mystery?”

Jun Changxiao stroked his chin and said, “That’s very possible.”

“Qingyang, go fetch a basin of water.”

“Yes.”

Li Qingyang retrieved a basin of clear water.

“Swish!” With a casual wave of his hand, Jun Changxiao tossed the parchment scroll into the water to soak, saying, “There might be a hidden layer inside that will reveal itself when exposed to water.”

Li Qingyang had a sudden realization and said, “Sect Master is brilliant!”

A quarter-hour later, Jun Changxiao retrieved the parchment scroll and placed it on the table. The patterns drawn on it had completely blurred.

“Sect Master…” Li Qingyang’s mouth twitched slightly as he said, “There’s no hidden layer inside. The terrain drawn with ink has been washed away by the water instead.”

“This is getting interesting.” Jun Changxiao remained calm throughout and said, “Since water can’t reveal the mystery, we’ll have to use fire!”

“Whoosh!”

He raised his right hand, and flames appeared.

Jun Changxiao picked up the parchment scroll with his other hand and explained, “Qingyang, if this seat hasn’t guessed wrong, as long as we lightly roast it with flames, a completely new pattern will definitely appear!”

Li Qingyang was filled with admiration.

Using water and fire to search for hidden mysteries—this was his first time seeing such methods, so he had learned something from the Sect Master!

“Swish!”

Jun Changxiao brought the parchment scroll over.

Sure enough, there were changes!

The extremely aged parchment scroll, under the burning flames, quickly… turned to ashes!

“Sect Master!”

Li Qingyang stared wide-eyed and said, “The parchment scroll has been burned away!”

“Bang!”

Jun Changxiao slammed both palms on the table, roaring inwardly, “TV dramas are all lies!”

…

In order to find the mystery within it, a parchment scroll with considerable age had just been burned to nothing. One could say it was more wronged than Dou E.

No big deal.

Jun Gou Sheng had already memorized the terrain in his mind and could recall the patterns on it even with his eyes closed.

Of course.

He didn’t take it seriously.

After all, with the Treasure Detector in hand, why worry about not finding opportunities in the Planar Battlefield? How could he care about a pretentious treasure map?

The next day.

The Spirit Origin Continent dispatched dozens of martial artists for a friendly visit. Both sides held a friendly sparring match outside the stronghold and reached consensus on certain issues.

Although the Planar Battlefield was mainly about killing, having a friend was definitely better than having another enemy.

Jun Changxiao even began to consider whether he should collude with the Spirit Origin Continent, deliberately declare and accept war challenges, then put on a show in the Slaughter Asura Field.

“Dear participant, when two planes enter the Slaughter Asura Field, they must determine victory through genuine combat. If there’s any fakery, punishment from the Upper Realm will follow.” The Female System reminded him.

Jun Changxiao said, “I was just thinking about it.”

“Bullshit.”

The System said, “If this could really be done, the host would definitely not just think about it.”

Though the Female System’s voice was sweet, the one who understood Jun Changxiao best was still it, making it irreplaceable.

…

After the disciples battled with the Spirit Origin Continent martial artists, though it wasn’t a life-or-death struggle, they still benefited greatly. Thus both sides decided to hold friendly sparring matches at regular intervals.

To put it bluntly.

Jun Changxiao paid spirit stones, and the Spirit Origin Continent came to serve as professional training partners for the Myriad Ages Sect disciples.

One gained experience, the other gained resources—mutually beneficial cooperation.

Su Xiaomo, who was at the Supreme Profound Holy Sect, was also cultivating diligently. Not long ago, after successively defeating several inner sect disciples, she obtained qualification to enter the Ten Complete Spirit Imperial Tower.

This top-tier sect’s cultivation sacred ground was quite excellent. Not only did the interior have abundant spiritual energy, but there were also various means to enhance one’s strength.

Though Su Xiaomo’s realm was gradually being surpassed by Li Qingyang and others, being inside the Ten Complete Spirit Imperial Tower with the large amount of natural spirit stones the Sect Master had previously given her, her advancement speed might not be slow at all.

More importantly, each tower level contained martial arts experience at different levels. If she utilized these well, breaking through to the Sovereign level should not be a problem!

“Sect Master!”

Su Xiaomo, seated cross-legged on the sixth floor, thought silently, “This disciple will remain in closed-door cultivation here until breaking through to Martial Sovereign!”

…

Regarding matters of his third disciple’s undercover work, Jun Changxiao rarely inquired anymore, because having reached this stage, the path ahead depended on him walking it himself.

“Continue searching for opportunities.”

The next day, he brought out the Treasure Detector once more.

After activating it, only three light points appeared on it, showing that good things in the fixed area had almost been completely taken by him.

“Sigh.”

Jun Changxiao shook his head, then flew off according to the indicated direction.

“Hmm?”

On the way to a certain opportunity location, he suddenly stopped and looked at the crisscrossing mountain forest ahead, murmuring, “This looks familiar!”

“That’s right!”

He slapped his forehead and said, “It’s somewhat similar to the terrain drawn on the parchment scroll!”

Jun Changxiao manifested in his consciousness the strange terrain he had memorized earlier, then gradually merged it with the area he was seeing before him. Finally, he exclaimed in surprise, “It’s not similar—it’s identical!”

“That’s not right.”

He looked down at the Treasure Detector, puzzled, saying, “This area clearly has no opportunities.”

The System said, “Has the host noticed a problem?”

“What problem?”

“Though the Treasure Detector can search for opportunities, every piece of equipment and medicinal material it has found, according to the battlefield classifications, has without exception been Earth-grade.”

“You mean the Treasure Detector can only detect Earth-grade opportunities and cannot detect higher-level ones?”

“Correct.”

“The parchment scroll contains an opportunity, and this opportunity has already reached Heaven-grade, so the Treasure Detector didn’t capture it?”

“Correct.”

Talking with smart people was not tiring at all.

Jun Changxiao said delightedly, “Could it be that this seemingly ordinary forest hides even higher-level opportunities?”

As he spoke, he quickly closed his eyes and carefully reviewed the memorized terrain patterns, wishing he could slap himself!

He just had to show off by using water and fire to search for mysteries, and ended up burning the parchment scroll.

“Something’s strange!”

After repeated contemplation, Jun Changxiao found from memory that though the drawn terrain was chaotic, it more closely resembled a fierce bird or beast with its mouth wide open, swallowing a large sphere.

“A sphere?”

Jun Changxiao suddenly opened his eyes, his spiritual sense spreading out frantically.

Soon, he discovered an independent forest area on the outskirts of the distant mountain forest that, when viewed from above, formed exactly the shape of a sphere.

“Could this be the mystery within the parchment scroll?”

“Swish!”

Jun Changxiao flew over, then landed in the forest. After walking around inside several times without discovering anything special, he said in confusion, “Why is there nothing here?”

“Has the host noticed that the parchment scroll’s color tone was rather dark?” the System said.

Jun Changxiao said, “Don’t aged items all look like that? Like yellowed ancient texts.”

The System said, “Perhaps it was deliberately added by someone.”

“Deliberately added by someone?” Jun Changxiao stroked his chin and suddenly thought of something, saying, “Could it represent the twilight time period?”

“Quite possible.”

“Then I’ll wait until twilight.”

Jun Changxiao didn’t rush to leave and found a place to sit down.

The weather in the Planar Battlefield appeared in twilight colors except during nighttime, but this didn’t mean there was no twilight period.

Several hours later.

The sky was noticeably dimmer than before, heralding the imminent arrival of night.

Jun Changxiao, sitting in the forest, kept his spiritual sense released, but still discovered nothing. He smiled bitterly and said, “Perhaps someone passed by this place and randomly drew a map out of pretentiousness.”

“What a waste of time!”

“Swish!”

Jun Changxiao stood up, but the moment he took a step forward, flowing light suddenly flashed beneath his feet. Barriers suddenly rose around the entire forest perimeter, enveloping him within.

“What the hell?”

“Buzzzzzz—”

Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly as a stone door carved with text gradually appeared.

Having experienced various grand scenes, Jun Gou Sheng was naturally unperturbed, but upon seeing the text carved on both sides of the door, he raised his hand and ruthlessly slapped his own face.

What did it say?

It said: Affix the parchment scroll to the door to remove the restriction and enter.

—