Chapter 31: Hexin Mishi

The stone steps extended downward, deeper than the previous two layers.

Aikesi walked in the middle of the group, his feet on ancient stone steps, each step taken steadily. Surrounding them was a deathly silence; only the footsteps of the group echoed in the narrow passage. The Magic Lamps lit up automatically, their dim red light casting on everyone's faces, reflecting solemn expressions.

The battle just now had reduced their numbers by two; everyone remaining knew that the deeper they went, the more dangerous it became.

After walking for about two quarters of an hour, light finally appeared ahead.

It was a crimson light, different from the Magic Lamps, carrying a scorching breath that rushed toward them. The group quickened their pace and walked out of the stone step passage—

Before them lay a vast underground space, several times larger than the hall of the First Layer. Read books at Tiantian Novel, ⓣⓣⓚⓢ. ⓣⓦ Super Awesome

The dome soared dozens of zhang high, inlaid with countless fist-sized fiery red crystals emitting a soft glow. The ground was paved with neatly arranged obsidian, polished smooth as a mirror, capable of reflecting human shadows. In the very center stood a circular high platform, surrounded by twelve massive stone pillars, each wrapped with lifelike fire dragon reliefs.

Floating above the high platform were three orbs of light.

One golden, one crimson, one deep blue.

"Hexin Mishi." The blue-robed Array Breaker's voice trembled slightly, filled with excitement, "We found it. This is the true Hexin Mishi!"

Everyone's spirits lifted, but no one made a move rashly.

Kalun raised his hand to signal the group to stop, then stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. The perception of a Saint Domain expert unfolded completely, probing every inch of space.

"There is a guardian formation," he concluded quickly. "Very strong, Saint Domain level."

Two Array Breakers immediately stepped forward, taking out various instruments to begin detection. This detection took a full double hour.

After a double hour, the grey-robed Array Breaker wiped sweat from his forehead and walked before Kalun.

"My lord, the strength of this formation exceeds expectations. To completely break it, at least three days are needed, and success is not guaranteed."

Kalun frowned: "Not guaranteed?"

"Yes." The grey-robed man gave a bitter smile. "The one who set up this formation possessed immense strength, at least Sanctuary Peak. With our level, the chance of breaking it is less than fifty percent."

"What about a direct assault?"

The blue-robed man took over the reply: "A direct assault is possible, but someone must withstand the formation's attacks head-on while we simultaneously break the array core. The person facing the attacks head-on must be at least Saint Domain level."

Kalun fell silent for a moment, then nodded: "Then we assault directly. I will face it head-on; you are responsible for breaking the formation."

"Yes."

Kalun turned to face the group: "After I act, the formation will attack me with full force. You retreat to the edges immediately; do not approach. The Array Breakers will seek the array core while I draw the fire; the others are responsible for protecting them to prevent accidents."

The group nodded.

Kalun took a deep breath, drew his greatsword, and strode toward the high platform.

With the first step, blinding light suddenly flared around the high platform. Those fire dragon reliefs seemed to come alive; beams of crimson light shot from their dragon eyes, aiming directly at Kalun.

Kalun swung his greatsword; the sword light collided with the beams, erupting in a deafening boom.

The entire space trembled.

Aikesi and the others quickly retreated, standing firm against the walls. The two Array Breakers hid behind the group, their eyes死死盯着 the reliefs, searching for traces of the array core.

Kalun was already engaging the formation head-on.

The beams grew more numerous and denser, shooting at Kalun from all directions. Kalun's greatsword danced into a curtain of light, blocking all beams outside. Yet with every beam blocked, his figure paused slightly, clearly showing the beams possessed immense Strength Profound Mystery.

"Found it!" the grey-robed man suddenly shouted. "The third pillar to the southeast, at the base!"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed. On the base of that pillar lay a stone slab with a color slightly different from the surroundings; without careful observation, it would be impossible to discover.

"That is one of the array cores," the blue-robed man said urgently. "It must be destroyed, otherwise the formation will not stop."

Badun immediately spoke up: "I will go."

"No," Kalun said while still blocking the beams. "You cannot withstand those beams; the distance is too great."

"Then what do we do?"

Aikesi suddenly spoke: "I can."

Everyone was stunned, turning to look at him in unison.

While fighting, Kalun thought rapidly: "How long can you withstand?"

"I have a life-saving method; a few breaths should suffice."

"Then let's try it." Kalun decided instantly. "I will draw most of the fire; you slip past, destroy the array core, and withdraw immediately."

Aikesi nodded, took a deep breath, and began preparing.

The Falling Heart Flame circulated fully within his body; True Essence protecting the body was activated simultaneously, a golden light shield appearing around him. The Magic of the Ice Barrier was also ready to activate at any moment; that was his final life-saving trump card.

"Ready," he said.

"Act!"

With a low shout, Kalun slashed his greatsword fiercely; a massive sword light swept across the entire high platform, instantly severing most of the beams. Those beams dimmed for an instant, then reformed.

That was the instant.

Aikesi shifted his mind, and Teleportation activated.

The scene before his eyes changed instantly; he appeared beside that pillar. Just as he stabilized, several beams shot toward him.

True Essence protecting the body withstood the first beam; the golden light shield trembled violently, developing fine cracks. The second followed immediately, the cracks expanding. The third—

Ice Barrier!

Aikesi was instantly wrapped in solid ice; the beams struck the ice, splashing up countless ice shards, yet could not penetrate.

Seizing this opportunity, he punched the differently colored stone slab.

The Falling Heart Flame condensed on his fist; with one punch, the slab shattered upon impact.

In the instant of shattering, the formation light throughout the entire space suddenly dimmed. The intensity of those beams clearly weakened, and their number decreased significantly.

"There is another one!" the blue-robed man's voice came. "The seventh pillar to the north!"

Aikesi did not hesitate; while the Ice Barrier still had a few breaths of time, he activated Teleportation again.

This teleportation covered a greater distance; when he appeared, the Ice Barrier had just shattered. Several beams shot toward him; his figure flashed urgently, barely dodging two, while the third grazed his shoulder, leaving a patch of scorched black.

It hurt, but there was no time to care.

He smashed his fist into the second array eye.

The stone slab shattered.

The magic array dimmed completely; those beams of light vanished, and the fire dragon relief returned to being ordinary stone.

Kalun sheathed his sword, his breath somewhat急促，but unharmed. He looked at Aikesi, his gaze carrying a measure of admiration: "Good courage, good skill."

Aikesi nodded, said nothing more, and looked down at the wound on his shoulder. A burn, not deep, but stinging painfully.

Lao Chen walked over and handed him a bottle of ointment: "Apply it first; we'll deal with it properly later."

Aikesi took it, applied a little simply, then turned his gaze to the three orbs of light on the high platform.

With the array broken, those lights, no longer restrained, began to drift slowly.

The crowd closed in.

The three orbs of light gradually condensed, revealing their true forms—

Within the golden light lay a short sword, entirely golden, its hilt inlaid with a fist-sized golden gem, radiating a sharp, cutting aura.

Within the crimson light lay a staff, entirely dark red, its shaft carved with complex magic runes, its top inlaid with an egg-sized fire-red Magic Core, within which flames seemed to flow faintly.

Within the deep blue light lay a palm-sized Crystal Bottle, its body transparent, revealing dark blue liquid inside, with specks of silver light floating within the liquid, dreamlike and ethereal.

Everyone's breathing grew a few degrees heavier.

Those were treasures that even Saint Domain experts would covet. Each was priceless, valuable beyond market price.

Kalun stepped forward and picked up the golden short sword. As the blade entered his hand, a faint hum sounded. He nodded: "A fine sword."

Then he looked at the crowd, his gaze calm.

"By the rules, treasures found in a ruin are first chosen by the leader, the rest distributed by contribution. I'll take this sword first; you two discuss the remaining two among yourselves."

Having spoken, he sheathed his sword and stepped back one pace.

The remaining two treasures were a staff and a bottle of unknown potion.

Everyone's gaze fell upon the staff.

It was a fire-element staff; only one person present could use it.

Aikesi felt everyone's gaze but said nothing.

"The staff is yours," Badun suddenly spoke. "You are fire-element; only you can realize its value."

Bali nodded in agreement. Lao Chen and the Zhou-surnamed wind mage also indicated no objection. The two Array Breakers, though covetous, had no use for the staff, so naturally had nothing to say.

Aikesi looked at Kalun.

Kalun nodded: "This is everyone's wish; take it."

Aikesi stepped forward and reached out to grasp the staff.

The instant the staff entered his hand, the Fallen Heart Flame flickered slightly. A warm Strength Profound Mystery flowed from the staff, resonating with the foreign fire within his body.

"Thank you all," he said, turning to nod at the crowd.

Lao Chen waved his hand with a smile: "Why be so polite? We all saw you risking your life to break the array just now. Besides, we'll split that potion; no loss for us."

The remaining deep blue potion was, by Kalun's decision, divided equally among the remaining nine people. Poured out, it made exactly nine small bottles, one per person. Aikesi also received one; it felt cool to the touch. Knowing it was a good thing, he first tucked it into his robes.

With the treasures distributed, the group began searching the other corners of the secret chamber.

The secret chamber was large; besides the central high platform, there were several stone tables and shelves around the perimeter. Various objects sat on the stone tables, some already rotted, others still intact. The shelves were piled with scrolls and books, all ancient artifacts of great age.

Aikesi walked to a stone table where a palm-sized wooden box sat. The box was made of special material; despite a thousand years, it had not rotted. He gently opened it—

Inside lay a pill, entirely crimson, with faint golden patterns on its surface. Beside the pill lay a piece of paper with several lines of ancient script written upon it.

He could not read it, but Lao Chen leaned over for a glance, his eyes lighting up.

"Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill," Lao Chen whispered. "This is an ancient pill; it can greatly boost the Magic of fire-element cultivators and even has a certain chance to help break through bottlenecks. A good thing; put it away."

Aikesi nodded, closed the box, and tucked it into his robes.

On the other side, Badun found a great sword; though not comparable to Kalun's Saint Artifact, it was still a rare sharp weapon. Bali found a set of light armor that fit perfectly. Lao Chen dug out several scrolls of water-element magic, treating them as treasures. The Zhou-surnamed wind mage found a wind-element Magic Core, Level 9, also a considerable gain.

The two Array Breakers were even more beaming; they found several ancient texts recording ancient arrays and a complete set of Array Breaker artifacts, far superior to what they currently used.

Everyone had gained abundantly.

Just then, a sudden change occurred.

The thief, who had always been silent, suddenly erupted into action. His figure flashed, appearing behind Bali, a dagger thrust straight at her back.

Bali was looking down at the light armor, completely unprepared.

"Careful!"

Badun roared, but the distance was too great; it was too late.

Aikesi was closest; he had no time to think, his figure flashed, and he crashed directly into Bali.

Both fell to the ground; the dagger grazed Aikesi's back, drawing a spray of blood.

"You—"

The thief, missing his strike, immediately changed targets, lunging for the golden short sword Kalun had just chosen. His speed was astonishing; clearly, he had been hiding his strength all along.

"Seeking death."

Kalun snorted coldly and struck with his palm.

The thief's figure whirled sharply, actually dodging the palm strike, and at the same time flicked his hand backward, a cloud of poison mist spreading out.

"Hold your breath!" Lao Chen shouted.

Everyone retreated; Aikesi shielded Bali and ducked behind a pillar. The poison mist spread, vision blurred; only the clashing sounds of weapons, ding-ding-dang-dang, could be heard.

A few breaths later, the poison mist dissipated.

The thief lay in a pool of blood, his chest pierced through by a sword. He still gripped the golden short sword, but the blade's tip was only one foot from Kalun. Just that little bit short.

Kalun withdrew his sword, his expression calm, but coldness in his eyes.

"Search his body."

Badun stepped forward and searched the Thief, pulling out a pile of items—a few Magic Cores, several bottles of potion, and a jade tablet. Carved on the tablet was a skull, and beneath it a number: seventeen.

"From the Assassination Guild," Lao Chen's face darkened. "He was an assassin from the Assassination Guild, lying in wait within the group, just waiting for the final moment to snatch the treasure."

Everyone looked at one another, a wave of relief washing over their hearts.

The Assassination Guild, one of the most mysterious organizations on the Yulan Continent, specialized in assassination contracts and also engaged in treasure snatching. This assassin had hidden so deeply, showing no flaw before; if Aikesi hadn't reacted quickly, Bali would already be dead.

Bali stood up, her face pale. She looked at Aikesi and said seriously, "Thanks."

Aikesi waved his hand; the wound on his back throbbed painfully. The dagger was poisoned; he could feel waves of numbness spreading from the wound.

"Don't move." Lao Chen walked over, glanced at the wound, and said, "The poison isn't deep, but it must be treated immediately."

He took out medicinal powder and sprinkled it on the wound, then fed Aikesi a detoxification pill. A cool sensation spread through him, and the numbness gradually faded.

Kalun sheathed the golden short sword and swept his gaze over the group.

"Pack everything up and prepare to withdraw. We cannot stay here long."

Everyone nodded, quickly gathered their respective spoils, and then headed in the direction they had come.

When they reached the secret chamber's entrance, Aikesi suddenly stopped and looked back.

The positions where those three orbs of light had floated were now completely empty. Yet he vaguely felt that deep within the secret chamber, something else still remained.

"What is it?" Lao Chen asked.

Aikesi shook his head: "Nothing."

He turned and followed the group.

The stone steps extended upward; the path back was much easier than the descent. An hour later, everyone returned to the First Layer hall. The corpses of those magic beasts were still there, already beginning to rot and emitting a foul odor.

Passing through the hall and stepping out of the stone door, the familiar volcanic landscape lay before them.

Outside it was dusk; the sun was setting, painting the horizon a fiery red.

Aikesi took a deep breath, feeling the air outside—though it still carried a sulfurous smell, it was far fresher than the depths below.

Kalun stood at the very front of the group, turned, and looked at everyone.

"The group disbands here. This haul was good; thank you all for your cooperation. If the opportunity arises in the future, we can work together again."

Everyone nodded in turn, bidding each other farewell.

The siblings Badun and Bali walked over and cupped their fists toward Aikesi: "Brother, we remember today's events. If you need anything in the future, come to the O'Brien Empire and find us."

Lao Chen patted Aikesi's shoulder: "Rest well and recover; I'll treat you to a drink when we get back."

The Zhou-surnamed wind mage spoke rarely, saying only two words: "Take care."

The two Array Breakers also came over to express their thanks, saying that if Aikesi hadn't broken the formation, they wouldn't have obtained those ancient texts.

Everyone gradually dispersed, each setting off on their return journey.

Aikesi stood in place, watching the sunset slowly sink below the horizon.