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“Old Master, at the very least, you need to give me a clear explanation. You can't just say whatever you want without any basis; I can't trust you!” Zhu Feng said with some dissatisfaction, struggling to understand Qianjizi's obstruction of their attempt to open the hidden door to the cave.
The other members looked at the high-ranking Hall Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect in confusion. They didn't understand the internal relationships among the Hall Masters within the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, but they could sense that these two seemed to be at odds.
Qianjizi sighed inwardly, finding it difficult to explain the reasons behind his obstruction. The ability to read omens was somewhat ethereal, much like feng shui; it involved feelings that could only be understood intuitively and could not be articulated clearly.
“Old Zhu, trust me one more time. This hidden door really cannot be opened. Perhaps my previous leadership was misguided and I failed to guide everyone correctly, but this time, please believe me!” Qianjizi said earnestly, his expression leaving no room for doubt.
Zhu Feng furrowed his brow and decided not to rush into opening the hidden door for now. After all, they were from the same sect. If he couldn't even trust his own people here, relying on those inexperienced youngsters from Taiyi Tower and Azure Thunder Sect would be a fool's errand.
Seeing that Zhu Feng had temporarily set aside his intention to act, Qianjizi felt relieved. However, at that moment, Wang Wei and others began to voice their opinions.
“Senior! We discovered this door; you can't just say it can't be opened! Even if you're powerful, you can't be so unreasonable! I don't want to stay in this cursed place for another second! This might be where that black hole was hiding, a way left by our predecessors!”
“Exactly! Senior, you can't expect us to follow you around like headless chickens!”
“Right! We demand our own ideas and the right to take action!”
The continuous outcry shattered the temporary balance of the group. Although their combined strength of nearly ten people couldn't compare with Qianjizi and his companions, they were still quite capable among the disciples assigned tasks in Yue Ma Plain.
Inevitably, there were gaps between people; the sense of disparity among different levels already made Wang Wei and others feel oppressed. Now it seemed that their counterparts wanted to strictly control them, which was absolutely unacceptable.
Qianjizi was somewhat taken aback; he hadn't expected these young ones to dare oppose him! However, he wouldn't allow them to have their way.
“Enough! I’ve said before that if you have doubts about me, you are free to leave! Old Man doesn’t require you to follow me!”
Just because Old Man doesn't show his authority doesn't mean he's a pushover!
In an instant, the situation escalated dramatically. What may have started as a protest for basic human rights turned into a confrontation when the opposing party responded rudely. The expressions of Wang Wei and the others instantly darkened.
Sometimes, issues of face and dignity can drive people to irrationality. Wang Wei exchanged glances with his companions, pride swelling within him as he gritted his teeth and declared, "If they won't cooperate, then they won't! What's the big deal? If we can come in, we can leave on our own!"
With that, he suddenly took action, delivering a powerful kick toward what might be a hollow wall.
"But you have no right to stop us from choosing our own path!" Qianjizi and Zhu Feng only managed to hear this line before they could not prevent his actions in time.
"Stop!"
A loud crash erupted as Wang Wei, possessing late-stage Origin Martial Realm strength, delivered a kick strong enough to deform an iron door. If this truly was a hollow secret door in the stone wall, how could it withstand such force?
As the shattered stones fell away, a dark environment revealed itself to everyone’s eyes. Qianjizi was furious and raised his hand to teach this reckless individual a lesson. However, Liao Fan and others had somehow stepped forward to block Wang Wei.
The meaning behind this action was clear; even if they combined their strength, they would not match Qianjizi alone. Yet they were united in protecting their team's interests, which was far more important than following the Hall Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect.
"You! You all!" Qianjizi seethed with rage, but he still refrained from striking. After all, indiscriminate killing was the behavior of those from demonic sects. As the Hall Master of a Heavenly Level Sect, he could not lower himself to fight these reckless youths; it would be beneath his dignity.
Seeing this, Zhu Feng quickly stepped in to mediate. He had initially wanted to investigate but found himself caught off guard by the audacity of these youngsters.
"Alright, alright! The die is cast; Old Master, don’t be too angry!"
Qianjizi shook his head, realizing he could not reverse the situation. With a flick of his sleeve, he reluctantly withdrew... though his gaze lingered on the shattered dark hole.
The stones lay scattered on the ground; the dark environment of the hole could not be observed with the naked eye. Wang Wei felt flushed from his kick but also somewhat excited. He proactively released a Fire Element technique into the darkness!
"Wrath of the Celestial Flame!" The small Fire Element technique instantly illuminated the space inside, revealing a staircase and corridor that caught everyone's attention!
The flickering flames reflected on each person's face, their expressions varied, but all shared a sense of eagerness and anticipation!
Liao Fan took a deep breath and respectfully bowed to Qianjizi, saying, "I apologize for the offense, esteemed senior. I hope you can understand that we just want to leave as soon as possible. It seems that this is a clear choice for us, so we will take our leave!"
His words were quite appropriate, leaving no room for rebuttal; Qianjizi had no reason to stop them! Hearing this, Qianjizi's face shifted between shades of blue and white.
In fact, the environment within the walls was vastly different from what he had imagined. He initially thought some terrifying creature would emerge, but now it seemed he might have been mistaken.
His silence made Liao Fan feel somewhat awkward, but soon the group decided to proceed on their own. At this moment, Zhu Feng could no longer hold back and said to Qianjizi, "Old Master, let me give you an out! Why must you be so stubborn? I believe we can leave through here!"
Qianjizi found himself in a dilemma; on one hand was his pride, and on the other was his doubt about his own judgment. Ultimately, he couldn't withstand Zhu Feng's insistence and reluctantly followed Wang Wei and the others down this unknown path!
In the narrow corridor, the staircase was distinct. Leading the way was still Zhu Feng, who skillfully used the Fire Element technique more adeptly than Wang Wei, providing lasting illumination that made the path ahead clear! Surprisingly, this corridor was quite long; it was a staircase leading downward!
Although it differed greatly from the expected exit, for those with no way out, it seemed like a place left behind by predecessors—a rather good option!
Soon, they reached the end of the corridor... and arrived at a platform!
This platform was circular and not an enclosed space. Opposite the circular platform was an opening, but it caused everyone to halt!
Looking up, they saw an expansive ceiling with numerous round holes of various sizes in the surrounding walls. It was unclear what they were for, but their dense arrangement made one feel quite uneasy! However, the most significant reason they stopped was...
The circular platform was broken! In the middle was a horizontal gap; although not large—only about three meters wide—it could easily be crossed by a martial artist in a single step. Yet in such an strange environment with such a trench clearly seemed intentionally designed!
"Old Master, what do you think this time?" Zhu Feng left the judgment of the situation to Qianjizi, looking at the bottom of the trench which showed no abnormalities, just a deep darkness that even the Fire Element battle technique could not illuminate, creating an overwhelmingly heavy atmosphere.
Qianjizi stood at the edge of the circular platform, peering deeply into the bottom but unable to draw any further conclusions. He could only express his concern, saying, "If I were to ask you to return the way you came, would you be willing?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately drew suspicious glances from everyone. Zhu Feng was the first to scoff, "Don't joke around. You know very well that at this point, we can only move forward, not backward!"
Taking a detour and turning back was only an option when there was a clear danger ahead. The strange and complex situation they faced was not enough to make them turn back.
Qianjizi actually knew the answer as well, but this time he understood that he could not stop everyone from moving forward because he couldn't articulate the hidden sense of crisis that lay ahead...
He glanced again at the exit on the opposite side, which looked almost identical to their side. If this place truly posed no issues, it wouldn't make sense to have such a trench on the platform... That was the biggest problem.
Something unusual must be lurking! But where exactly was this lurking danger?
"Alright, this time I'll go first. You all wait for my signal!" Qianjizi resolved in his heart and gritted his teeth as he spoke to everyone.
This decision was unexpected! Everyone knew that in an unknown environment, the leader would be the first to face danger. For Qianjizi to say such a thing now was indeed quite noble.
"Old Master, isn't that a bad idea?" Zhu Feng said with a troubled expression. He had initially thought of sending one of those young brats ahead as a scout, but why was Qianjizi...
"Stop arguing. I've made up my mind. I also hope my judgment is wrong. Remember, you must wait until I confirm that the exit ahead is safe before coming over!"
Seeing his serious demeanor, Zhu Feng sensed something was off and whispered, "What’s going on with you? Since entering this Underground Palace, you haven't been normal at all!"
Qianjizi also whispered bitterly, "If I said there are eyes watching me from somewhere in the dark, would you believe me?"
Zhu Feng was stunned, left speechless! Qianjizi knew his answer and, without saying more, turned and strode toward the exit on the opposite side of the circular platform.
He leaped three meters and landed gracefully... without triggering any mechanisms! He didn't even say a word of greeting! In the astonished gazes of the crowd, Qianjizi's figure landed at the entrance on the other side!
"Old Master! Be careful!" Zhu Feng seemed to sense something was off. In an unusual place, if there was no abnormality, that would be the most unsettling!
Qianjizi did not respond to him. Despite the close distance between them, it felt as if they were separated by a vast river... He focused solely on probing the environment inside the dark hole... The others could only watch his fleeting silhouette...
Suddenly! He turned sharply and shouted, "Don't come over! This is a dead end! We've fallen into a trap! Everyone turn back!" His voice was urgent, absurd, and incredulous!
Unfortunately, it was too late! The people on the opposite side only saw Qianjizi's pale face before the horizontal groove of the circular platform suddenly changed! A deafening rumble erupted from the bottom of that groove!
The sound came quickly and ended just as fast! A partition made of what appeared to be ordinary stone walls suddenly burst forth! The rumbling was the sound of its friction! This wall separated both sides! Then, above their heads, a chilling whistling sound echoed!
Looking up again, everyone's faces turned as pale as Qianjizi's because those round small holes that had been incomprehensible suddenly spewed out many snakes! Those snakes were incredibly slender and had green crowns! It was terrifying!
Indeed, it was a trap...
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