Chapter 539: The Last Map

Chen Mu's gaze swept across the entire Jin Feng Valley basin.

The energy of Metal here was thick and pure, the environment unusual, yet there seemed to be no powerful guardian beasts or dangerous prohibitions.

As for the "Sunset Ruined Stele" itself, aside from its unusual material and ancient Daoic resonance, no active aggression could be sensed.

It seemed the powerful figure who left the "Four Seasons Key" had not placed many trials here, merely hiding the "Autumn Key" within this convergence of Metal energy, waiting for a destined one to claim it with the token.

"Let's go take a look."

Chen Mu walked first toward the ruined stele at the basin's center.

Zhu Qing Dao Ren and Ning Zhi Xi followed closely, cautiously observing their surroundings; though the place appeared calm, none dared guarantee there were no hidden dangers.

As they neared the stele, the heavy, ancient sharpness of its Daoic resonance became clearer.

Ning Zhi Xi, following the clues in the "Spring Key," took out the three tokens—"Summer," "Winter," and "Spring"—and brought them near the stele's base.

Hum—

The three tokens emitted a clear, harmonious resonance; the golden-red "Xia Yao," the ice-blue "Winter Key," and the emerald "Spring Key" each radiated their corresponding hues, their light interweaving and shining upon the dark-gold base of the stele.

The stele trembled slightly; at the seam where its base met the ground, a soft golden pattern—identical in origin to the three keys' light—suddenly flared to life.

The pattern flowed swiftly, etching a complex circular array, roughly three feet in diameter, onto the metallic soil before the stele.

At the center of the array, space subtly warped, and a faintly golden, illusory gateway—just wide enough for one person to pass through—slowly emerged.

Within the gateway lay deep darkness, from which even purer and more ancient Metal energy subtly leaked.

"The entrance has appeared." Ning Zhi Xi looked at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu nodded; his spiritual sense had already probed inside the gateway.

Below was a completely enclosed stone chamber, constructed entirely of dark-gold metal; at its center stood a small metal platform, upon which rested a single token.

The chamber held nothing else, and no prohibition fluctuations could be sensed.

"I'll go down and retrieve it."

Chen Mu signaled the two to wait outside, then his form flickered and vanished into the golden gateway.

The chamber was small, about three zhang square, its walls and floor made of the same dark-gold metal, smooth as a mirror, reflecting faint light.

On the central metal platform lay a simple, ancient token, its body the withered yellow of autumn leaves, edged with dark-gold patterns.

On the token's front, an ancient character clearly bore the complex aura of desolation, solemnity, harvest, and conclusion.

"Autumn!"

The Autumn Key was in hand.

Chen Mu stepped forward and picked up the token.

It felt heavy in his palm, cold with metallic chill and the weight of autumn, yet carried no further information or guidance.

Chen Mu tucked away the "Autumn Key" and turned to exit the chamber.

His form flickered, emerging from the golden gateway and returning to the Jin Feng Valley basin.

The golden gateway faded and vanished behind him; the intricate array on the ground also disappeared, leaving only the ancient Sunset Ruined Stele, standing silent as if unchanged since time immemorial.

"Senior Brother Chen, how was it?"

Ning Zhi Xi stepped forward, her eyes filled with anticipation and a trace of tension.

Zhu Qing Dao Ren also cast a watchful gaze.

Chen Mu opened his palm; the autumn-leaf-yellow token, edged with dark-gold patterns and bearing the character "Autumn," lay still in his palm.

"The 'Autumn Key' is secured."

Ning Zhi Xi exhaled in relief, a smile forming on her face as she reached out to take it.

Yet the moment her fingers touched the token, her smile froze, then dissolved into shock.

"This… no clue?"

Chen Mu nodded, placing the token in her hand. "None. Only the 'Autumn Key' itself—no additional information."

"How could this be…"

Ning Zhi Xi gripped the "Autumn" token and swiftly pulled out the "Summer," "Winter," and "Spring" keys; the four tokens together immediately resonated strongly, their four-colored lights swirling, spreading the complete, harmonious aura of the Four Seasons' cycle, soothing the spirit.

Yet no matter how she channeled her true energy or concentrated her senses, beyond the previously known clue—that the secret vault could be sensed on Frost's Descent—there was not a single hint regarding the vault's precise location.

"The 'Xia Yao,' 'Winter Key,' and 'Spring Key' I obtained each contained clues to the next location or the final one—why does this last, most crucial 'Autumn Key' have none?"

Ning Zhi Xi frowned deeply, looking from Chen Mu to Zhu Qing Dao Ren, her eyes filled with confusion and anxiety. "Without a specific location, even if we know we can sense it on Frost's Descent, how can we possibly reach the right place in time across this vast heaven and earth? Is this 'Four Seasons Secret Vault' just a joke?"

At that moment, Zhu Qing Dao Ren spoke slowly, "Regarding the final location of the 'Four Seasons Secret Vault,' I have some clues."

"Oh?" Chen Mu turned to her.

Ning Zhi Xi also looked at her in surprise.

Zhu Qing Dao Ren withdrew from her robe three neatly stacked animal skins, their edges yellowed by age but clearly treated with special methods.

"These are maps, painstakingly gathered, compiled, and pieced together over countless generations by my Tianxin Sect's ancestors, detailing possible regions where the vault may lie."

Zhu Qing Dao Ren gently spread the three animal skins upon the metallic soil before the "Sunset Ruined Stele," her expression solemn.

"According to our sect's records, only when all four maps are gathered and activated by a special method can the true entrance location be revealed. My Tianxin Sect's lineage is ancient, yet over the years, we have only managed to recover three of them."

Ning Zhi Xi hurriedly leaned in to examine them.

The three maps, when joined, revealed a broad, complex mountainous region, marked with numerous perilous zones and suspected ruins.

Yet at the very center, the most critical area, was blank; the edges where the three maps met also showed clear gaps, indicating a vital piece was still missing to complete the full map.

"One more is still missing…"

Ning Zhi Xi stared at the glaring blank space; the hope that had just sparked dimmed again. "Where could this last map be? Must we search the mountains of the world like a headless fly, relying on luck? Three months—how can we possibly find it in time?"

"The last map…"

Zhu Qing Dao Ren also wore a helpless, bitter smile. "This map has been lost to the world, its whereabouts unknown. My Tianxin Sect has searched for years with no leads. We had hoped this time, perhaps the 'Autumn Key' or the secret realm might offer a clue—but it seems…"

Chen Mu's gaze swept over the three ancient animal-skin maps, lingering a moment on the missing blank area and the torn edges.

A faint smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"The last map…?"

Chen Mu spoke slowly, and under the puzzled gazes of Bamboo Green Daoist and Ning Zhixi, he calmly drew out another fragment of the same material.