Chapter 358 - 308: Searching the Inner Garden

Hiding in a corner of the crowd, Jiang Xu took advantage of everyone's attention being on the search party to conceal himself and slip to the side.

The leader of the search party, the one with the highest Cultivation, was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Jiang Xu wasn't worried in the slightest that they would notice one person was missing.

Besides, among the Cultivators in the Outer Garden,

there were hardly any guests at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Otherwise, the search party's leader wouldn't be acting so brazenly.

Even the Island Master wouldn't casually make things difficult for a group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Sure enough, things went just as Jiang Xu had expected.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the search party still hadn't noticed Jiang Xu's absence.

Seeing his chance, Jiang Xu flickered away from the area, stealthily making his way toward the inner part of Xianya Garden.

Since the search party had already rounded up all the Cultivators in the Outer Garden,

Jiang Xu didn't encounter a single person on his way deeper inside.

His path to the deepest part of the Outer Garden was completely unobstructed.

...

Jiang Xu's gaze was sharp as he stared ahead.

A small, exquisite stone arch bridge spanned a gurgling stream. This was the boundary between the Outer Garden and the Inner Garden.

A winding little river came into view, shimmering with a silver luster under the moonlight as it encircled the edge of the Outer Garden.

The water was so clear you could see the bottom, and it reflected the swaying shadows of the trees on its banks.

The stone bridge was exquisite and elegant, constructed from blocks of fine-grained bluestone and carved on both sides with lifelike auspicious beasts. The marks of time had not diminished its original charm, but rather added a simple, ancient grace.

Jiang Xu activated his Spiritual Eye Technique. His gaze instantly grew deep and bright, and the scene before him became sharp and three-dimensional.

He discovered an obscure and complex Restriction at the border between the river and the Inner Garden ahead. It was completely integrated with the river itself.

The Restriction was like a flowing curtain of water, winding along the riverbank. It shimmered in concert with the sparkling river's surface, looking both beautiful and perilous.

Although the Restriction was a Tier Two Array, its intricate construction and ingenious layout were exceptionally rare.

Several independent Arrays were interlinked, each affecting the others. This created a complex, layered effect, making the Restriction's power far greater than that of a typical Array of the same tier.

Jiang Xu stared at the dense lines of the Restriction hovering over the river and couldn't help but frown. With his current proficiency in Arrays, it was indeed difficult for him to unravel all its mysteries at a single glance.

The entire river was sealed airtight by this Restriction. Any attempt to force a way through or go around it would trigger the Array and invite unknown dangers.

In this apparent dead-end, the only way forward was the stone arch bridge over the river.

The bridge seemed to be a gap in the Restriction, cleverly designed to avoid its effects and form the sole safe passage to the Inner Garden.

Jiang Xu gazed at the stone arch bridge and marveled internally.

'The design separating the inner and outer sections of Xianya Garden is truly a work of genius.'

'It provides powerful Defense while guiding visitors along a specific path. It really shows the owner's profound foresight and mastery of Arrays.'

However, even though the small bridge created a gap in the river's Restriction,

Jiang Xu could tell at a glance that this "gap" was actually a different Restriction entirely.

Anyone who tried to cross without the proper authority would trigger the Restriction and be attacked.

HISS!

'What a hassle.'

'Even after sneaking all the way here, I still can't get in.'

Truth be told, Jiang Xu should have known.

If there was a requirement to enter the Inner Garden, there would naturally be a way to keep out those who didn't meet it.

'...Looks like my only option is to find that Qi Cultivation First Layer Cultivator... or wait a while and see if anyone from deep within the Inner Garden comes out of Xianya Garden.'

Just as Jiang Xu, feeling helpless, was about to figure out a way to leave,

he heard a noisy clamor approaching.

'Could it be...?'

Jiang Xu raised an eyebrow. He concealed himself off to the side and waited quietly.

...

"Nothing?"

The face of the leader of the Island Master's Guard Team darkened.

"How is that possible?! I saw him enter Xianya Garden with my own two eyes!"

A sense of unease crept into the captain's heart.

He knew that if he couldn't retrieve the item soon, a true disaster would befall him.

That item was...

The captain shuddered at the thought.

"Reporting, Captain. We've searched every single person. We really didn't find anything!" his subordinate reported.

The captain paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze shifted, one moment sharp as an eagle's, the next lost and bewildered. The internal struggle and external pressure were nearly suffocating him.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto his collar, leaving a dark stain.

His thoughts flickered like a candle in the wind. On one hand, he worried whether he could bear the consequences of this failure. On the other, he frantically racked his brain for anything they might have missed.

The leader's eyes scanned Xianya Garden, desperate to find even the smallest clue.

His face was grim, his brow furrowed so tightly it seemed to be tied in a knot. Anxiety surged within him like an undercurrent, leaving him deeply unsettled.

The importance of the lost item was self-evident. It wasn't just about the object's intrinsic value, but the significance it held and the chain reaction its loss could trigger.

"Search again!"

he commanded through gritted teeth.

"Search every corner of Xianya Garden, every inch of soil! Don't even let a wisp of air escape your notice!"