Egg Pancake’s massive body crashed onto the surface of the lake, letting out a tremendous SPLASH.

At the same time, a dense yellow light transformed into a heavy stone sphere, parting the curtain of water and sealing off a dry, waterless space large enough for Han Ning to breathe.

As Egg Pancake slowly sank to the lakebed, the surrounding light grew dim.

Ahead, the light emanating from Yin Yi and Egg Pancake became the only two light sources in the dim environment.

The world at the bottom of the lake was not devoid of life.

Han Ning saw many Water Type Soul Beasts and ordinary fish swim past him.

Stalks of dark green aquatic plants drifted with the undercurrents along the lakebed.

Looking up, he could still see the sunlight shining on the water, piercing the surface to form a shimmering patch of bright light.

For him, visiting this underwater world for the first time, everything was a novelty.

Egg Pancake paddled its thick limbs. Though not an aquatic creature, it propelled itself forward with the Giant Power from its strong body, covering a great distance with every stroke.

Before long, a massive shadow loomed out of the darkness and into view.

Han Ning could just barely make out that the shadow ahead was the outline of densely packed buildings.

That alone was shocking enough.

After all, this was fifty meters deep at the bottom of a lake.

As they drew closer, the bright light from the Soul Beasts finally illuminated a portion of the buildings ahead, revealing their appearance.

A high, dark red wall surrounded the buildings within.

Inside the wall stood several buildings. ’They’re similar to the Gothic style from my past life, yet with some distinct differences.’

In the pitch-black depths of the lake, the limited light source illuminated an array of towering, sinister spires.

The largest building within was a full seven stories high, covering at least a thousand square meters. Its doors and windows were shut tight, making it impossible to see what lay inside.

Surrounding the outer wall was a trench, much like an ancient moat, that separated the massive compound from the rest of the lakebed.

Four long stone bridges spanned the trench.

Perhaps because they were at the bottom of the lake, the surfaces of the buildings were all coated in a layer of green algae, making them appear dull and lifeless.

They faintly exuded a strange, eerie atmosphere.

’Are these the ruins of some mysterious civilization? Or the legendary home of vampires?’ Han Ning thought, his mind conjuring up one decadent legend of horror and death after another.

’But the style of these buildings is clearly of human origin...’

’This is simply... unbelievable,’ Han Ning muttered to himself. ’I have to go in and take a look.’

Egg Pancake was too large. Its massive, forty-meter-tall Body towered over even this sinister complex of buildings, its torso extending high above them. A pair of enormous Dragon Eyes flickered uncertainly in the darkness, making it look more like a terrifying lake monster than anything else.

The compound was too intricate; its body clearly couldn’t fit inside.

"Egg Pancake, head back for now." Resigned, Han Ning had no choice but to recall it into his Soul Beast Space.

"Kyuu~" Egg Pancake let out an aggrieved cry. It wanted to go inside and see, too, but its body was just too big, so it could only return obediently. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Since they were underwater, the wall naturally couldn’t stop him.

Han Ning mounted his Storm Butterfly. Yin Yi manipulated the currents, pushing aside the lake water, and they descended smoothly from above, landing steadily inside the compound.

Standing inside the compound offered an entirely different feeling.

The faint daylight filtering down through the water’s surface, the buildings hidden in the gloom before him, and the clusters of slender aquatic plants drifting and clinging to the structures’ corners—all of it combined to form a bizarre and fantastical tableau.

"This complex is connected to the mountainside on the edge of Biyou Lake. If I pass through the mountain, I should be able to enter the true Mist Deep Valley," Han Ning murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the large expanse of red "glass" above the main building.

"It looks like a religious site, a place for worshipping or making offerings to Divine Beings."

’To maintain their complete architectural form underwater, the materials used for these buildings definitely aren’t Wood.’

Han Ning thought this as he observed the nearby pillars, which showed no signs of decay whatsoever.

He passed through a long corridor and arrived before the main building.

The main building was at least twenty meters tall and shaped like a rectangular prism. Its doors and windows were topped with pointed arches, and towering spires stood nearby.

The seemingly wooden doors were covered in intricate, decorative carvings.

The windowsills were covered in thick green algae, obscuring whatever lay beneath.

"Eee..."

Standing before the main building with its distinctive style, Fei Lin, who was in Han Ning’s arms, stared at the strange patterns on the doors. Her brow furrowed slightly, and a contemplative expression unusual for her age appeared on her face, as if she was trying to recall something.

"What’s wrong?" Han Ning keenly sensed little Fei Lin’s change in mood and gently stroked her back.

"Eee, eee..." Fei Lin snapped out of it and shook her head, indicating that she was fine.

’Fei Lin seems to have some connection to this strange civilization.’ He gave Yin Yi the signal to attack.

Yin Yi darted forward, leaving a trail in the water as she swam to the great door.

It lifted a vine and swiped lightly.

CREAK~

In a daze, Han Ning thought he heard the sound of a wooden axle turning.

The great door swung open without any resistance, revealing a pitch-black space behind it.

Yin Yi leaped in first, followed by the Puppet Ghost Bee created by the All-Encompassing Spiritual Silkworm.

Han Ning had assumed the light from their Spiritual Energy would illuminate the space within.

But it remained pitch-black.

Just then, a feeling of "safety" was transmitted from Yin Yi through their link in the Spiritual World.

’A darkness that even the light of Spiritual Energy can’t disperse...’

Before entering, Han Ning took one last look at the strange patterns and sharp arches on the tall building’s facade, then stepped inside.