Luo Qiqi took a step forward and tossed out a few Night Illumination Pearls to illuminate the interior.
As the two of them walked down the stone steps, the sound of flowing water grew louder and louder.
Even though they were beneath the river, it wasn't humid at all. On the contrary, it was dry, and the air was getting fresher and fresher.
"The spiritual energy is being drawn in from the river above. There's probably a unique Spirit Gathering Formation here!"
Luo Qiqi said with a hushed voice.
"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded.
Most likely, there was a massive Spirit Gathering Formation in the middle of the river that allowed spiritual energy to be drawn from the ground without attracting any attention.
With the infusion of spiritual energy, even though this was underground, it could still be considered as a treasured land for cultivation. One would not feel suffocated here.
Jiya!
Barely after walking for a moment, they heard a loud rumble above them. Raising their heads, they saw that the door had already closed up.
"This is bad..."
Zhang Xuan's face darkened, and he hurriedly returned to the starting point. Only then did he realize that the passageway had been sealed.
"It's the Dragon Severing Lock that only a 6-star celestial designer is capable of forging!" Luo Qiqi's face paled.
"Un. It seems like the other party was right when he said that we only have a single choice. Once the Dragon Severing Lock is locked, even a 6-star celestial designer would find it hard to open it. We probably won't be able to get out, and the others won't be able to enter either! "
Zhang Xuan said grimly.
He had thought that the voice from the stone bridge was just a casual remark, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like it was true!
He had seen the Dragon Severing Lock back in the soul oracle tomb. Once it was locked, one would have to possess strength surpassing that of a 6-star celestial designer to open it.
In other words, the both of them would be trapped here, unable to leave via the original path.
"Teacher, what should we do?"
Luo Qiqi asked.
She could be considered as one of the top geniuses in the academy, but before Zhang Shi, she felt like she was completely ignorant. Unknowingly, she had developed a sense of reliance on him, and she felt that his ideas were always the best.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to follow Zhang Shi even though she knew that Yu Fei-er's words were right.
"Since we can only choose one passageway, it means that Xing Yuan and the others must have been locked by the Dragon Severing Lock as well. Let's continue forward.
It might not necessarily be a dead end... "Zhang Xuan frowned.
"En!"
Luo Qiqi also understood and nodded.
The two of them continued walking down. Not long after, they arrived at a small room. Under the illumination of the Night Pearl, there was a stone table and two stone stools. It looked very simple.
There were no windows or doors in the room. It was like a dead end that had come to an end.
"So small?"
Luo Qiqi frowned.
The main hall from before was several hundred square meters in size. He had thought that since this was a real underground palace, it would at least be bigger. Who would have thought that it would only have an area of twenty to thirty square meters, and there was nothing in it? It did not seem like an underground palace, but more like a cage.
"The end? Don't tell me … I really went the wrong way? "
Zhang Xuan's face darkened as well.
It was not that he had chosen this path recklessly, but there was a reason behind it. Just that … given the narrow room and the lack of passageways, could he have really made the wrong choice?
Am I going to be trapped here?
"Regardless of whether it's correct or not, to build such a deep underground tunnel and place down the Dragon Severing Lock, there shouldn't be just a small room like this. Perhaps there's some sort of mechanism here, just like before!"
Zhang Xuan took a look at the surroundings and suppressed the anxiety in his heart before saying, "Alright.
Even to 6-star celestial designers, the Dragon Severing Lock was an invaluable artifact. Putting aside the intricacies of the mechanism, just the fact that it was a defense that even a Saint would find hard to break through showed that it was not made of ordinary materials.
To use such a valuable artifact to seal off a passageway just to conceal a small room like this, it didn't make sense at all.
"I'll take a look!"
Luo Qiqi replied. She walked up to the stone table and touched it. However, as soon as she retracted her finger, a look of astonishment appeared on her face. "There's no dust at all!"
Zhang Xuan also walked up to the stone table and touched it, and his face tightened.
It was hard to tell how many years this stone table and stone stools had been placed here, but there wasn't the slightest bit of dust on it. It was as if someone had cleaned it frequently …
"Could it be that … someone is living here?"
Luo Qiqi narrowed her eyes.
If it was just a mechanism, she could still accept it. But if there was someone alive … that would be a different story!
The danger would increase significantly!
After all, this was a faction that was capable of capturing 6-star pinnacle Blacksmith Wu Yangzi back then. There was no doubt that it was a powerful faction!
If there was someone alive, given their strength, it would be difficult for them to escape!
"I was the one who took away the formation flags outside. Based on my observation, these formation flags have been guarding this place for at least two thousand years … To remain in the underground chamber for two thousand years? No one has such a long lifespan! "
Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression.
At Transcendent Mortal realm, one's physical constitution would undergo a qualitative change. After undergoing the baptism of the Prolonged Longevity realm, one's lifespan would only be around two to three hundred years!
Even if one were to reach Saint and undergo a qualitative change, one's lifespan of a thousand years would come to an end. There had never been a Saint whose lifespan exceeded two thousand years.
In fact, even Empyrean Kong Shi had disappeared in the annals of history.
Since the formation flags in the underground chamber hadn't been touched for two thousand years, it meant that no one had left the cavern. To be able to remain alive after such a long period of time … How could that be possible?
Even Mo Hunsheng, the longest-lived soul oracle back then, if not for the protection of the Nine Hearts Lotus, he wouldn't have been able to live for so long either.
"Then … since there's no one alive here, why isn't there any dust here?"
Luo Qiqi also understood this logic, but the table before her was clean and tidy, as if someone had cleaned it frequently.
One must know that this was a cavern, and there were rocks and dust everywhere. It was only natural for dust to accumulate here. If there was no one alive here … how could she explain this?
"This … I'm not too sure either. Let's not dwell on this for the time being. What's more important right now is to find any traps and leave this place. Otherwise, no matter how much food we have in our storage rings, it's only a matter of time before we run dry!"
Zhang Xuan said, interrupting Luo Qiqi's train of thought.
The most important thing at the moment wasn't to find out whether anyone had entered the cavern or not. Given the size of the cavern, even if someone were to see them, there was no need for her to dwell on this matter.
Right now, the most important thing to do was to seize the time to find a way out and escape. Otherwise, no one knew what would happen as time passed.
He didn't want to be trapped here for the sake of participating in this trial.
"Un!"
Luo Qiqi nodded. She hurriedly touched the surrounding walls.
Zhang Xuan also touched the wall with his finger, and at the same time, he muttered 'Flaws!' in his mind.
Hu!
A book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path, and Zhang Xuan hurriedly flipped it open.
"Greensteel Rock, extremely resilient. It's formed by the collision of earth veins …"
Taking a look, Zhang Xuan was speechless.
The Library of Heaven's Path could only be revealed by touching it. Since Zhang Xuan was touching a wall and not a mechanism, naturally, the properties of the rock were revealed.
Zhang Xuan slid his finger along the wall lightly.
Since this was a rock, there was bound to be a mechanism somewhere. It was just that the other party's means were too profound, and the mechanism was designed to be identical to the rock.
Kacha!
Just as Zhang Xuan was moving along the wall, he suddenly heard the crisp sound of a mechanism being triggered. Following which, Luo Qiqi's excited voice sounded, "I found the mechanism!"
Hurriedly turning around, he saw that the rock where Luo Qiqi's palm was at had caved in by several inches, as though she had forcefully pressed down on some mechanism.
Geji! Geji!
A heavy sound echoed from the mechanism, and a stone door slowly opened before Luo Qiqi.
"Teacher, take a look …"
With a shout, Zhang Xuan took out a Night Illumination Pearl with her other hand. Just as she was about to toss it into the stone door to see what was going on, 'hu!', a palm abruptly shot out from within, grabbed her neck, and lifted her up.
This palm was incomparably thick, resembling the thigh of a human. Its muscles and joints were slightly swollen, and its skin was a dark gray color. It didn't seem like something that a living human would possess.
"This is bad!"
Everything happened too quickly, such that Zhang Xuan didn't even have time to react. Narrowing his eyes, he immediately drove the Heaven's Path Movement Art and dashed forward.
Halfway through his charge, the Glacier Rain Sword had already appeared in his hands. With a swift slash, a sharp glint of sword qi shot forth.
Seeing the sharpness of the sword qi, Zhang Xuan released his grip on Luo Qiqi and flicked his finger.
Ding!
His black fingernail collided with the tip of the sword, and in an instant, Zhang Xuan felt an immense force assaulting him. As though he had been struck by a meteor, he felt a stifling sensation in his chest, and he was sent flying backward.
Peng!
His back crashed heavily into the wall, creating a human-shaped hole in it. A sweet taste filled his throat, and fresh blood flowed from the corner of his lips.
His cultivation had risen significantly recently, and his strength and means had reached a level comparable to a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage cultivator. Yet, he couldn't even withstand a single finger from the other party!
"At the very least, he's at Transcendent Mortal 8-dan, or perhaps … even higher!"
With a livid face, Zhang Xuan gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his fingers had turned white.
He had exerted all of his strength and executed his swordsmanship, but he was still sent flying with a single finger strike from the other party, causing him to spurt blood. Most likely, the other party's cultivation had already surpassed Perfect Harmonization realm, reaching Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm or even higher!
Only someone of that level of strength would possess the strength to leave him in despair.
Hu!
While Zhang Xuan was sent flying, the other party's massive palm reached for Luo Qiqi once more.
"Damn it!"
At this moment, Luo Qiqi also came to a realization.
No matter what, Luo Qiqi was a talented student groomed by the Master Teacher Academy, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan pinnacle expert. It was fortunate that she had been caught off guard by the other party earlier, and with a furious bellow, she retaliated with a stab of her sword.
Her sword qi was dazzling and powerful. With a single look, it was clear that her mastery of swordsmanship was on par with Zhang Xuan!
To think that she had reached the level of Lower Sword Heart as well!
Hula!
Seeing that Luo Qiqi was about to retaliate, the massive palm abruptly retracted.
Ding!
Luo Qiqi's sword immediately flew out of her hand, and it pierced into the wall.
"Hurry up and retreat!"
Knowing that it was impossible for them to withstand the massive palm with their current strength, Zhang Xuan immediately executed the Heaven's Path Movement Art and rushed to Luo Qiqi's side. Shrouding himself with zhenqi, he swiftly retreated to the corner of the wall.
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