Chapter 3050: Grand Vision Bold Plan

Wei Jiashen immediately said: "Let's go take a look."

Duanmu Heng, however, asked Pan Xincheng: "Is there any special terrain in that direction that others cannot approach?"

"That direction points to the vast mountains and forests behind the inner palace," Pan Xincheng also thought, "It seems there's nothing special about it."

Duanmu Heng then took out a portable sand table, projected the map of the Chi Xiao Golden Hall, and asked him again: "Where are we?"

To outsiders, this Chi Xiao Golden Hall is nothing but a giant maze; even with the most detailed map they possess, once inside they would become disoriented and must have someone like Pan Xincheng, an old hand, to lead them.

Pan Xincheng pointed out the location of this kitchen on the map, then naturally pointed toward the northeast: "The rosy light comes from here."

That line indeed pointed to the vast mountainous area at the northeast corner of the Chi Xiao Golden Hall.

Duanmu Heng's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly reached out and pointed: "It's most likely here!"

What he pointed to was a crescent-moon-shaped large lake at the junction of the inner palace complex and the mountain forest. Just from the map, one could tell it covers a considerable area.

"Mei Lake?" Wei Jiashen and Pan Xincheng exchanged a glance, "How do you know?"

This lake is named for its resemblance to a beauty's curved eyebrows.

The northeastern mountains and forests are so vast—why did Duanmu Heng instantly identify Mei Lake at a glance?

"Actually, I had already speculated before sneaking in," Duanmu Heng said quickly, "When Jiuyou was in Jucheng, the core of the treasure hall must have been near him; but after he left Cangyan, he would most likely have hidden this important treasure in a concealed place inaccessible to others, and not in those well-known forbidden zones within the palace."

If everyone knew where the forbidden zones were, then anything hidden there would eventually not be safe.

Being untraceable is the best way to protect a supreme treasure.

To hide the treasure hall's core without it being a forbidden zone, yet avoid accidental contact or discovery by idle persons, the best place would be where others simply cannot reach.

It could be the eaves of a certain hall, or the heartwood of a certain large tree. But when Duanmu Heng saw Mei Lake on the map, his intuition immediately told him: it's here!

Qulai Shen nodded: "If the treasure is hidden at the bottom of the lake, others truly cannot reach it."

Normally, deep water would block the transmission of divine abilities, but the entire Chi Xiao Golden Hall is itself a magical artifact, and this lake is part of that artifact.

"According to my investigation, this Mei Lake is not connected to any other body of water within the royal palace."

"Yes," Pan Xincheng nodded, this guy has done his homework meticulously, "The Chi Xiao Golden Hall has six major water systems, linking streams, rivers, lakes, springs, pools, as well as waterfalls and ponds. The other water systems are somewhat interconnected, but Mei Lake is self-contained and does not communicate with the others."

"Being self-contained, secrets are less likely to leak." Duanmu Heng continued, "I have also gathered intelligence that a water essence is hidden in this lake."

Xinxing Shen's avatar searched Pan Xincheng's memory for a long time before saying: "This host has no impression of the 'water essence,' but he remembers that various large fish inhabit Mei Lake. A few years ago during midsummer, palace personnel illegally went swimming at night to cool off, were bitten by an unknown creature, and scrambled ashore. Then the palace punished him severely."

"Is swimming not allowed by regulation?"

"Yes. Mei Lake forbids swimming." Pan Xincheng said, "You put it that way, and it sounds like the water essence is guarding the treasure hall's core, deliberately driving people ashore."

"To ordinary people, Mei Lake is a large lake, but to the water essence, it's just a giant washbasin. Intruders would find it hard to evade its perception." Duanmu Heng said, "We want to take the treasure hall's core from underwater—we must first get past this guardian."

He took out a slender crystal tube from his pocket and shook it; inside was a pale green, viscous liquid.

"This is a treasure taken from the Sea Emperor's Palace—ocean essence. No water essence can resist this, just as a drunkard cannot refuse aged fine wine. This tube's dosage is enough to dazed it for a long time, allowing us to proceed calmly and take the core!"

Yes, they braved extraordinary dangers to infiltrate the Chi Xiao Golden Hall, with only one goal: to take the golden hall's core!

Even for Lingxu Shengzun, this is a crazy and bold decision, because his true form cannot yet descend to the human realm.

Cangyan and Jiuyou might have guessed that they would deploy part of the battlefield around Cangyan to divert the main pressure from the Bei Jia battlefield, while simultaneously regaining some initiative. But they did not believe that the heavenly demons without Lingxu Shengzun leading would dare to directly invade Cangyan.

Because, the difficulty is too great.

Yet Lingxu Shengzun insists on doing something on this "impossible"—he ordered his subordinates to attack not only Cangyan, but even the very core of Cangyan's core—

The Chi Xiao Golden Hall of Jucheng!

Needless to say, this place is also the most strictly guarded site under heaven, with hidden tigers and dragons.

Even a fool would not dare to break ground on Tai Sui's head.

But Lingxu Shengzun choosing to act against the Chi Xiao Golden Hall naturally carries strategic intent.

The palaces of other kingdoms are just palaces— a series of above-ground buildings; even if others smash them to rubble, they can rebuild them later.

But the Chi Xiao Golden Hall is different—it is transformed from a single magical artifact.

As long as the heavenly demons take the core of the Chi Xiao Golden Hall, they can directly take the entire royal palace of Cangyan!

By then, the people of Jucheng will watch helplessly as the magnificent, awe-inspiring Cangyan royal palace vanishes from before their eyes in an instant.

Even if they cannot take it, as long as they destroy the core, the entire palace will collapse and disintegrate.

This vision, just imagining it, makes one's blood surge with excitement.

The heavenly demons stealing the Chi Xiao Golden Hall is not a mere prank—it carries serious strategic significance.

First, many senior officials and generals of the Cangyan court work in the Chi Xiao Golden Hall, including Du Shan and others. The heavenly demons capturing the Chi Xiao Golden Hall along with them would be a deadly blow to Cangyan's leadership, inevitably affecting the normal operation of the entire Cangyan, especially during the critical period when the heavenly demons descend—yet the Cangyan court cannot even convene a normal court assembly.

Second, Cangyan is undoubtedly the leader of the war alliance. The heavenly demons being able to invade Jucheng and directly take Jiuyou's royal palace means they can invade any nation's capital, behead its leader, as long as they wish!

This immense deterrent effect on other human nations is more effective than the heavenly demons winning on the battlefield against the war alliance, and will surely drive more fence-sitters to defect to the heavenly demons—

Lingxu Shengzun certainly does not wish for humanity to be a monolithic block, nor for the war alliance to become a unified resistance force of all beings.

Lastly, the heavenly demons openly taking the Chi Xiao Golden Hall from Jucheng is a successful humiliation of the "Reincarnated Dragon God," and a heavy blow to Cangyan's prestige. What qualification, what face does an empire that cannot even protect its own royal palace have to lead the war alliance's resistance against the heavenly demons?

The great war between Lingxu Shengzun and humanity is an all-encompassing, multi-dimensional struggle, not limited to the battlefield.

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