"Did you see that? I've already broken through the other side's defenses."
The brush's excited voice rang out from the edge of the giant tree as it flaunted its strength.
Gu Zheng and Meng Zhen exchanged glances. They had a rough idea of the other side's strength. As expected, it was only at the peak of Jin Xian's destructive power. It had taken all its strength to break through the defenses, which meant that the other side didn't have much strength down there. Otherwise, how could it only have this level of defense? Of course, it was also possible that the other side was waiting for them down there. After all, this was their home ground.
It was Tang Qing who had secretly followed them from behind. She looked at the excited brush flying all over the sky in astonishment. She never thought that a brush with intelligence would be so much stronger than her.
"Alright, stop swaying. There are still many enemies down there waiting for you to pamper them. Hurry down and scout the way," Gu Zheng shouted at the brush.
He wanted to wait for the brush to stop on its own, but realized that if he didn't stop it, it would keep flying for a while. By then, the other side would be able to reactivate its defenses.
He could imagine the brush taking the initiative to break through the defenses. Then it would get excited and recover, repeating the process until the other side got tired of it.
"Don't worry, leave everything to me. Don't be too strong. This time, I'll lead you to victory." The brush sped up and floated in front of the giant tree. There was currently a wide entrance that led downwards.
"Please."
Gu Zheng made a gesture that satisfied the other side's vanity. Its entire body lit up like a golden light bulb as it led the way down. Not only could it scout the way, it could also illuminate the surroundings.
"Little rabbit, hurry up and leave. Don't let anyone catch you next time," Meng Zhen said as he bent down and stuffed a pill into her mouth.
The little rabbit looked up at Meng Zhen, its pure eyes filled with gratitude. Then it spread out its four limbs and ran towards the grasslands outside. Animals that grew up in the wild still had a bit of intelligence.
Meng Zhen and Gu Zheng entered the other side's lair.
"Official Tang, the other side has already reached the first level. Should we send some men to stop them?"
At the very bottom of the core region, Tang Li looked at the images in the air that showed Gu Zheng and the rest entering a spacious space. One of his subordinates asked him a question from the side.
"Have our men already evacuated?" Tang Li asked.
At this moment, they didn't know what the other party's cultivation level was. However, since he dared to break in and even used a magic treasure to break through the outer defense, he had to be at least Jin Xian's peak strength.
Although there were many of them here, most of them had limited strength. Including himself, only a few of them were at the pinnacle of Jin Xian. The rest of them were very weak. They were only supporting existences. Their combat strength was not high.
Of course, now was not the time for them to make a move. There were some traps along the way, enough to make the enemy suffer. Moreover, he had more important things to do.
"Everyone has already come down. There is no one outside," the subordinate replied loudly.
"Prepare to activate the formation. No matter what, we have to delay them." Tang Li immediately gave orders, but stopped his subordinate who was preparing to leave. "Wait a moment, invite him over."
Of course the subordinate knew who Tang Li was referring to and immediately acknowledged his orders before withdrawing.
Tang Li looked up again and saw that the man had stopped. He had the brush look for a mechanism to keep moving forward, then lowered his head and opened his palm. Once again, a small shadow of light appeared in the center of his palm, revealing a figure that he missed dearly in his heart.
The other party was currently standing outside the tree hole, carefully following him. His expression was hesitant, as if he wanted to go in, but didn't.
He looked up with a gentle expression, but his heart was telling himself, no matter what, don't come in. As for the others, he didn't care if they were alive or not.
"Your Excellency Tang, you were looking for me?"
The old man from before had just gotten ready to rest when Tang Li summoned him. He hurried over carefully, but as soon as he saw the scene above, his heart gave a lurch. That figure had been so careful. Just a few days ago, he'd tried to stop her and narrowly escaped. How could he forget? But he never expected the other party to really chase after her.
"Mm. Take a look and see if these two are the ones who were looking for you before," Tang Li said as he clenched his fist. The image in front of him faded away as well.
As soon as he saw his daughter, he knew that the other party hadn't come with the old man, but was brought here by her. No wonder he knew there was something wrong with the tree. But he needed an excuse, a perfect one to shift the blame to someone else.
"Yes, I never expected the other party to really find me," the old man said with some bitterness. He'd already done everything he could, which meant the other party had some sort of treasure that could track him down.
But even if he wanted to seek justice for the commoners, he wouldn't just barge in like this. Was he really not afraid of encountering an undefeatable enemy? Or did he have strength that surpassed his own?
"Do you know the other party's strength?" Tang Li asked as he turned to the old man.
"We didn't fight, but there was a terrifying pressure coming from the other party, which made me choose to run away immediately. However, I feel that the other party has at least the strength of a peak Gold Immortal," the old man said carefully.
His strength was only at the early Jin Xian level. Aside from his blood escape skills, he wasn't outstanding in other aspects, so he couldn't see through the other party's strength.
"Then why did the other party follow you here? Don't tell me they just happened to be looking for us. They found this place and confirmed that we were here," Tang Li stared at him.
"Your Excellency Tang, I … I don't know either," the old man's face was covered in wrinkles, making him look even older than he already was.
Every time he used the blood escape technique, he'd look a few years older. After all, it cost him his life essence. Otherwise, Meng Zhen would be able to catch him in time even if he gave a start.
"You don't know? Forget it. Since the other party's already here, you'll be in charge of the last layer of the array. Kill them and atone for your crimes, "Tang Li said without looking up.
"This subordinate obeys!"
No matter how much the old man didn't want to go, there was nothing he could do now. He didn't even have the strength to resist, much less the fact that it really was his fault this time.
Once the old man was gone, Tang Li opened his hand again. Outside, Tang Qing seemed to have made up her mind to come in as well.
Tang Li sighed before summoning another wall of water around the tree. Although its defenses were weaker than before, it wasn't something that his weak daughter could break through. Only then could she be careful enough to follow his orders.
Once he was done, he didn't even look at the images in his hand before turning to leave.
He had a premonition that nothing outside would be able to stop them, so he had to be fully prepared.
Very soon, he passed through the open area and arrived at the heart of the forest. This space was enormous, no smaller than a city. Aside from him, no one else could enter.
The ground was no longer covered in mud, but stones of different colors. They were all the same size and crisscrossed in a picturesque manner, making the ground look like a chessboard.
Some people with dull expressions were sitting inside some rocks that were even bigger than houses. The color of the rocks rose from the outside like a prison, imprisoning them inside.
In truth, these people's minds had long been controlled like corpses. Day after day, they worked tirelessly to extract spiritual energy until they died.
The old man had been afraid just then because Tang Li would just throw him in here. Then he'd have no chance at all.
The people here not only included their own, but also outsiders. Sometimes, they'd go out to capture them and keep them in a secret room. When needed, they'd take them out and replace them with someone else.
However, a single person could hold out for a long time, so they'd only go out to capture a few on occasion.
In the middle of this vast space was a simple sacrificial altar.
The altar was several hundred feet tall, and it was surrounded by layers of milky white stone steps. There were at least a few hundred steps that extended to the ground.
At the very top, there was a round silver stone pillar with a small hole at the top. Wisps of mist seeped out of the hole to form a white mist in the air. One could faintly make out a white pearl the size of a thumb floating in the air.
This was the most important item, something the Lord Demon God needed to recover his strength.
Only the pure, low-level spiritual energy of the human race could be converted into the pearl's energy after complicated transformations.
This energy was incomparably pure, so humans, demons, and immortals could carefully absorb it and make it a part of their bodies without any signs of disharmony.
If it could help the Lord Demon God recover his strength, then it was obvious how much spiritual energy it contained. Unfortunately, there was no point in rushing the process. They had to grind it down bit by bit without any other options.
The absorbed spiritual energy would be channeled into the pearl through a small hole on the side to form the mist above.
"What's the situation now?" Tang Li asked the only person in charge as soon as he entered.
His face was currently pale as if he'd never seen the sun before. His body looked extremely weak as well, his clean face expressionless as if he was a dead man. Although this person wasn't strong and was only a Celestial Immortal, he was indeed sent by the Lord Demon God himself to observe the situation here.
"In a few more years, it'll be complete. Did something happen outside?" the Lord Demon God's trusted aide asked.
"Yes. Our people outside ran into a group of self-righteous people who purposely let them go. They followed us all the way here and broke in just then. I've already arranged for people to stop them, but I can see that they're very strong. We might not be able to stop them," Tang Li "told the truth."
"You have master's clone, but you still have such thoughts. Looks like you've kicked an iron plate this time," the aide's unchanging face finally showed some surprise.
They had already prepared themselves to be discovered here, but they'd always kept a low profile. None of the righteous people had found them, but this time, they'd reached the end of their plan.
"But we've basically succeeded here. As long as we use our last resort, we can finish ahead of time. But there are some minor flaws," the aide told him their current situation.
"Then let's do the second plan. We still have some spare people on our side. If the other side fails, we'll just waste a bit more time. If they rush in and send us back to His Excellency the Lord Demon God, there's nothing we can do about it. We can only let His Excellency work hard for a few years to eliminate it with his own strength," Tang Li said.
They had no choice but to do this under the current circumstances. In other words, it was better to be safe than sorry. They didn't care if they died, as long as they didn't delay His Excellency the Lord Demon God's plans.
If they succeeded in stopping the other side, they could pull up another team to replace them. At most, they'd have to spend a few more years polishing the plan.
If they didn't prepare ahead of time, they wouldn't have time to teleport away by the time the other side arrived.
"Naturally. Then we'll leave the outside to Your Excellency Tang. Leave the inside to me," the aide nodded.
"I'll definitely risk my life to block the other side outside," Tang Li said solemnly.
Tang Li said solemnly before leaving the area.
Once he was gone, the only entrance was covered by a black mist that completely blocked off the outside. Only those inside could open the door if they thought it was safe.
Then Tang Li returned to his original position. There were already two people waiting for him with the same cultivation as him. They were the last line of defense here, both of them looking up at the situation outside.
"A trifling bewildering formation was easily broken by me."
In the spacious hall above, the brush's smug voice rang out again. It didn't need to explain the feeling in its heart as it looked at the passage it'd opened.
He yearned for a life of fighting and killing, rather than staying in his room to write orders. In the past, he didn't have the chance or the ability, but now he had both. He wanted to be the first to do anything.
"You're awesome. Then let's keep going. I reckon you can take care of everyone with a single stroke of your brush," Meng Zhen reached out a hand to encourage him.
"Haha, you're the only one who knows me. I'll lead the way. I'll leave your enemies for you to deal with alone," the brush laughed. Without waiting for Meng Zhen's reply, its body lit up with resplendent light again as it walked into the passage. It was full of motivation now and didn't want to waste a single second.
"This is a very good chance. I'll help you out appropriately, so you have to grasp it well," Gu Zheng said to Meng Zhen with a smile.
"Heheh, I knew you'd help me. After all, you're my confidante," Meng Zhen chuckled before following behind the brush.
Gu Zheng was a little speechless when he heard this. That was just an expedient plan to go in and scout for information. It couldn't be taken seriously. He also knew that Meng Zhen was joking. He chuckled and followed in.
The place they'd left wasn't large, but there were plenty of concealing formations here. It looked like they were there to prevent people from passing by and discovering the mystery below. He'd discovered the entrance as soon as he'd entered, but it took him a bit of time to let the brush search for it.
This was the only entrance. He wasn't afraid that Meng Zhen would escape. Instead, it would give her more pressure.
Of course, he could also tell that Meng Zhen wanted to subdue the brush for her own use. It could greatly increase her strength. Aside from the brush, no one else could tell. After all, the fact that it had been left behind meant that its fate with its original owner had come to an end. Now, the brush was free to do whatever it wanted.
In addition to its special nature, ordinary people wouldn't be able to control the brush that contained the power of the imperial jade seal. Even if there were some people who could use it as an ordinary treasure, it would be too wasteful.
From the beginning, when the forceful suppression did not work, he quickly changed his strategy and greatly improved their relationship. Now, the brush no longer rejected Meng Zhen. Instead, it needed his flattery. The two of them looked very close. After all, no matter what a person did, no matter how good it was, it was useless if no one appreciated it.
And this time, it was a good opportunity. The danger here wasn't high, so it could be used as a safe place to hide.
Soon, they came to an empty place again. This place was different from above. There were four huge passages around them, and they didn't know where they led.
The brush that came down earlier was still looking left and right, trying to distinguish which one led to the core of the other party. But in its opinion, the four passages were similar. It couldn't tell at all.
"You guys came at the right time. Come with me and see which one is the right one. I'm really not good at this." The brush saw the two of them and immediately came up to them.
"Wait a moment, let me take a look." Gu Zheng said to the brush. Then, his eyes lit up with a golden light and he began to look around.
Soon, he retracted his gaze and pretended to be troubled. He held his chin and muttered to himself.
"Did you find it?" Meng Zhen said very cooperatively.
Even if she just glanced around, she knew which one was the right one. Not to mention that there were obvious marks on that passage, it was obviously a passage that was used frequently. Not to mention, there was a dangerous aura there. Obviously, there was a trap waiting for them.
"No, this place is complicated. It's obvious that there are defenses. If we want to find the other party, it'll take more effort." Gu Zheng shook his head carefully.
"But there are only four passages here. Why don't we try them one by one? We can seal the exit passage. This way, we'll just waste more time." Meng Zhen suggested.
"Not bad, this is a good idea. I didn't think of it. Seems like you're smarter than us. Young Master Gu, you block their exit. I'll take care of the rest." Calligraphy Brush knew that Gu Zheng was powerful, and he had to admit it. It was also because of Gu Zheng that he dared to be so unbridled. Otherwise, he would not be so domineering by himself. There was a difference between having a backer and not having one.
If the former met with an accident, he would have Gu Zheng to help him. If the latter met with an accident, he would really be dead. Therefore, when he was waiting for Gu Zheng alone on the mountain peak, he did not leave that place at all to prevent any accidents from happening outside. He still had some self-awareness about this.
He liked to show off and boast. But not only did he show that he was stupid.
"Okay, take a look at which one to choose."
Gu Zheng said to the brush as he sealed the passage behind him. He was sure that the other party wouldn't be able to open it in a few years.
"The left is the most important and the right is the second. Let's start from the left." The brush spun around and pointed at one of the holes.
"No problem. You can take the lead." Meng Zhen said directly.
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