Chapter 94: The Second Stone Hall

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Second Stone Palace

In the pitch-black underground space, Chu Jie led the group forward, guided by the radiance of the Qiankun Treasure Wheel. Without its illumination, they might have stumbled into the caverns that could appear at any moment. Within this vast subterranean chamber, strange cries occasionally echoed, resembling the mournful howls of some monstrous beasts.

Given the enormity of the space, the presence of a few beasts was not surprising; the Darkwind Serpent King had previously entered the Crystal Cavern through this massive tunnel. Now, most of the beasts were gathered in the Abyss of Gods and Demons. Otherwise, the numbers here would likely be even greater.

Suddenly, several fierce gusts swept past. Upon closer look, they were actually Darkwind Serpents. Yet these serpents posed no threat to Chu Jie; any that approached were swiftly captured and tossed into the Barbaric Cauldron, awaiting their fate as food.

Unconsciously, they had caught over a hundred Darkwind Serpents. This enormous chamber seemed to be their breeding ground.

"There's another cave here!" Wu Long ran ahead, peering inside from the entrance, but poor lighting obscured its depth.

"Hold onto the Qiankun Treasure Wheel and go down," said Chu Jie.

Wu Long immediately grasped the wheel, using its power to descend slowly.

A sharp crack sounded as Wu Long landed; he had stepped on something that ruptured beneath his feet. Chu Jie, using the wheel's light, saw that the cave was filled with serpent eggs, neatly arranged. Wu Long had just crushed one, spilling its contents. Instantly, a shrill scream erupted as a Darkwind Serpent three times larger than the others appeared, darting toward Wu Long.

Then, not just one, but over a dozen Darkwind Serpents surged forth. They had been guarding their eggs, and now Wu Long's intrusion incited their attack.

Wu Long swung his fists repeatedly, each blow repelling a serpent, but they soon returned, their vitality undiminished.

Chu Jie manipulated the Qiankun Treasure Wheel to sweep up the serpents. Working together, the two swiftly killed them all.

"There must be at least a thousand eggs here," Wu Long murmured, uneasy at the sight.

Chu Jie’s mind stirred; new food was assured. He immediately directed the Barbaric Cauldron to absorb all the eggs in the cave.

"One thousand two hundred thirty eggs," Chu Jie confirmed as the last egg vanished, and those dozen serpents also disappeared into the cauldron.

Now the cave was spotless, though the temperature remained high—perhaps explaining why serpents chose this place for incubation.

"Boss, there's nothing here," Wu Long reported after searching every corner. Nothing related to the Golden Armor was found, not even traces of people. The cave walls bore many grooves, likely once used to store crystal, but long abandoned.

"Come up," Chu Jie said, disappointed. Though they had gained a stock of serpent eggs, he had hoped for the Golden Armor—armor suitable for the Star Pill Realm must possess extraordinary power. He recalled how the Golden Armor left wearing it; had his strength surpassed Zhou Jie’s, he might have acted then.

Wu Long ascended, holding onto the Qiankun Treasure Wheel.

At that moment, a thunderous crash echoed from afar—clearly the sound of a battle.

"Someone’s over there. Let’s go and see," Chu Jie said, recalling the black-faced warrior who had left first—a Seventh Stage Spirit Gathering Realm cultivator. Fortunately, he had gone; otherwise, Chu Jie’s group might not have prevailed against those twenty men.

But now, Chu Jie had reached the Sixth Stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm, making the black-faced warrior no longer a concern. Perhaps he had discovered something and was attacking.

The group hurried toward the source of the noise.

Another boom resounded, as if someone was striking something with a treasure weapon. Yet whatever was being struck seemed exceedingly tough, resisting all attempts to break it.

Sensing someone nearby, the attacker hid; the crashing ceased.

In such a vast, dark space, pinpointing the exact location was difficult. Bereft of sound, Chu Jie could only rely on memory to guide him.

The black-faced warrior had vanished, concealing himself in the darkness. Finding him would be a challenge.

"This way," Chu Jie instructed.

Despite the iron tracks in the tunnel, there were branching paths. The tunnel was designed for the passage of stone palaces, but the peerless villain had simply moved on, leaving them behind.

Soon, Chu Jie and his group arrived where the sounds had originated.

"This should be it," Chu Jie said, listening closely. Apart from their own breathing, nothing else could be heard.

The Qiankun Treasure Wheel spun overhead, its light illuminating the space, but nothing seemed unusual—aside from the tracks, there was nothing else.

"Let’s go a bit further," Chu Jie proposed.

They pressed on.

Hidden below, the black-faced warrior used a breath-concealing technique, leaving only a tiny hole through which he observed outside, unseen by Chu Jie. He was shocked to see Chu Jie and his companions still alive. He had left earlier, anticipating a fight and not trusting anyone inside, so he was the first to depart.

Now, with Chu Jie’s group unharmed, he surmised the others must be dead. Had he stayed, he too would likely have perished.

Once Chu Jie and his companions passed his hiding place, he emerged from the earth, watching their direction.

Chu Jie had walked several hundred meters when the path ahead seemed blocked.

"What’s this, a dead end?" Wu Long complained at the sight of a stone wall.

Chu Jie’s instincts told him it wasn’t a dead end. He quickly maneuvered the Qiankun Treasure Wheel around, finally seeing what lay ahead.

It was a stone palace—identical to the one the peerless villain had entered.

"A stone palace... Could the peerless villain be here?" Chu Jie’s words fell, and the group went silent.

None wished to encounter the peerless villain again; who knew what demands he might make? They had been forced here once, threatened with death if they refused. Now, the villain seemed uninterested in them, but to seek him out would be courting disaster.

"This might not be the villain’s palace," Duan Kun ventured after careful inspection.

At his suggestion, everyone examined the palace closely, comparing it to their memories, and concluded this was another stone palace.

Relieved that it wasn’t the villain’s, they all exhaled. The villain’s strength was overwhelming; they had no hope against him.

Chu Jie considered the palace before them. If they could claim it, traversing the underground tunnels would be far easier, and finding an exit more likely. Controlling the palace might also aid in locating the Golden Armor.

All gazed intently at the palace’s massive doors, with the Qiankun Treasure Wheel hovering above, casting light.

Several white marks marred the doors, signs of repeated strikes. Chu Jie recalled the earlier sounds, realizing the black-faced warrior must have been attacking the stone gate.

Yet now, the black-faced warrior was nowhere to be seen—likely hiding nearby.

The Qiankun Treasure Wheel shone brighter than ever, illuminating the surroundings in dazzling light.

With enemies lurking nearby, Chu Jie felt uneasy and insisted on searching for the black-faced warrior.

Despite the wheel’s brilliance, no trace of the black-faced warrior could be found.

"Let’s attack the palace and see," Chu Jie suggested.

Unable to locate the black-faced warrior, they might as well attempt to seize the palace.

Duan Kun’s shuttle-shaped treasure weapon shot forward, spinning rapidly against the palace doors, attempting to penetrate, but it failed to pierce through, leaving only a deep pit. Further drilling proved impossible.

"My treasure weapon isn’t enough," Duan Kun lamented—his weapon simply couldn’t open the gate.

Wu Long and the other seven launched their treasure weapons; after Chu Jie had slain the twenty warriors, each of his companions now wielded a treasure weapon.

Seven streaks of light struck the palace doors, leaving seven white marks, identical to those already present.

A low-grade treasure weapon could only leave white marks on the stone gate. A high-grade weapon could dig a small pit, but no further.

Chu Jie took a deep breath and sent the Qiankun Treasure Wheel crashing against the stone gate. He had no confidence; if Duan Kun’s shuttle couldn’t breach it, could his wheel succeed?

Duan Kun doubted it, holding little hope.

When the Qiankun Treasure Wheel struck the gate, a powerful stream of light erupted, spreading outward like a sonic wave. Soon, the light waterfall contracted, and at the point of contact, a beam as long as an arm formed, slicing continuously across the gate.

The Qiankun Treasure Wheel operated at full power, its humming relentless. It was capable of grinding crystal—though only a high-grade treasure, it was so close to a magical artifact that the Luo family highly valued it.