Chapter 297: Don

Zhang Cheng's palm pressed on the great door, a chill instantly spread through his whole body.

The runes on the door seemed to come alive, flickering with a faint blue light.

"Whoa, this door turned sentient?" Xingji Xiake rubbed his arms, feeling a bit nauseous.

Xingyun Zhizhe pushed his glasses, the lenses reflecting the runes' glow.

"These runes… seem like some ancient language; I think I've seen them in an old text…" he muttered, pulling a thick, leather‑worn book from his pack and began to read it carefully.

As minutes ticked by, Xingyun Zhizhe turned the pages faster, fine beads of sweat seeping onto his forehead.

The group's anticipation gradually turned into anxiety.

"Lao Zhi, are you even capable? My old back is aching from standing," Xingji Xiake complained.

"Quiet!" Xingyun Zhizhe snapped impatiently, "These are ancient runes; they're not that easy to decipher! If you're bored, go help Guangming Shizhe move a stone over, let her rest her feet."

Xingji Xiake rolled his eyes, "Fine, looks like I'm just an errand boy." He muttered, but his body honestly went to fetch a stone.

"These runes… wrong, the arrangement…" Xingyun Zhizhe frowned, his complexion growing sour, "This isn't a language at all; it looks like some encrypted code!"

"Code? That's even more troublesome!" Xingji Xiake returned cradling a big stone, and upon hearing Xingyun Zhizhe's words, nearly tossed the stone away.

"How about brute force?" Xingji Xiake flexed, eager, "The door doesn't look sturdy; if I punch it…"

"Stop right now!" Zhang Cheng grabbed him, "Do you want to blow us all to pieces? This door clearly has energy fluctuations; who knows what forced demolition would cause!"

"Then what do you suggest? We can't just stand here waiting forever," Xingji Xiake said, looking annoyed.

"Wait, I think I'm about to solve it…" Xingyun Zhizhe suddenly lifted his head, a spark flashing in his eyes.

He extended a finger, gently touching a rune on the door… "Just one more step…" he murmured.

"Not good!" Just as Xingyun Zhizhe was about to complete the final step, a black silhouette descended from the sky, swift as lightning!

"Whoa, what the heck!" Xingji Xiake jumped, the stone in his hand nearly hitting his own foot.

The black blur flashed by, heading straight for Guangming Shizhe.

The silhouette was a Shadow Thief; like a wraith, a cold glint flashed in his hand, a sharp blade aimed at the scented pouch at Guangming Shizhe's waist.

"Know your place, hand over the item!" the Shadow Thief rasped, sounding like a night owl's hoot.

"You dare!" Xingji Xiake roared, leaping forward with a thrust and punching.

The Shadow Thief moved unusually agile, slipping past Xingji Xiake's attack like a loach, and slashed his arm.

"Ah, damn, you're playing dirty!" Xingji Xiake clutched his wound, blood trickling between his fingers.

"Kid, you think you can melee with me? You're still green!" He swung his arm, ignoring the injury, and charged again.

The Shadow Thief sneered, "Overconfident!" He flickered, vanished, and reappeared behind Xingyun Zhizhe.

"Lao Zhi, watch out!" Zhang Cheng shouted.

The Shadow Thief didn't glance at Xingyun Zhizhe, but with a speed faster than the eye, lunged again at Guangming Shizhe, still targeting the scented pouch.

"What the heck is this thing, worth all that effort?" Xingji Xiake gritted his teeth and pursued.

The Shadow Thief gave no reply, attacking Guangming Shizhe even more wildly, each move lethal.

"Heh, trying to steal? Don't you know who your grandpa is!" Xingji Xiake delivered a flying kick, striking the Shadow Thief's chest.

The Shadow Thief let out a low growl, stepped back a few paces, yet his eyes showed no panic, only a strange smile.

"Too late…" he whispered, then hurled the scented pouch into the air… "Not good!" Zhang Cheng's face turned pale, he reached out but it was too late… the pouch exploded mid‑air, releasing a strange powder… "Cough—cough…" Guangming Shizhe clutched her chest, coughing violently.

"This… what is this…?"

The powder spread, carrying an odd fragrance; everyone involuntarily held their breath.

"Whoa, what's this so stinging? Biochemical weapon!" Xingji Xiake covered his nose, complaining, the wound on his arm still throbbing.

Guangming Shizhe saw Xingji Xiake injured, worry filling her eyes; a soft white light gathered in her hand, gently enveloping his wound.

Warm energy flowed, the wound quickly stopped bleeding and scabbed over.

"Thanks, Guangming Shizhe, you're the best!" Xingji Xiake chuckled, feeling the gentle gaze, his heart warmed and the wound hurt less.

Zhang Cheng furrowed his brows, staring at the drifting powder, a foreboding feeling rising within him.

"This thing… probably isn't that simple," Xingyun Zhizhe adjusted his glasses, studying the powder's trajectory, his expression growing solemn.

"These particles… seem guided by some force, drifting toward the door…"

At that moment, a hunchbacked figure slowly emerged from the depths of the maze.

He wore a tattered craftsman's outfit, holding a strange tool, exuding an odd aura all over.

"Runes… ancient runes…" he muttered, his gaze fixated on the door's runes, as if possessed.

"Who are you?" Zhang Cheng asked warily.

The newcomer lifted his head, revealing a wrinkled face, eyes flashing with strange light.

"I am… a craftsman. Runes… I can decipher them…" he spoke haltingly, seemingly lost in his own world.

"Decipher the runes?" Xingyun Zhizhe's eyes lit up, "Great! Can you tell us how to open this door?"

The craftsman approached the door, carefully examining the runes, his fingers gently brushing the ancient marks.

"This door… requires a special energy stone to open… an energy stone…" he pointed to a recess at the door's center, "Place it here… and it will open…"

"Special energy stone?" Zhang Cheng echoed, curiosity stirring, "Do you know where to find such a stone?"

The craftsman shook his head, eyes hazy, "I don't know… but I sense… it's nearby… very close… very close…" He suddenly pointed toward a corner deep in the maze, "There…"

The group followed the craftsman's pointing direction, advancing cautiously.

The maze's passages were tangled like a massive spider web; a slight misstep could cause one to lose direction.

"Man, this maze is harder to figure out than my girlfriend's mind!" Xingji Xiake quipped.

Guangming Shizhe let out a light laugh, the light in her hand flickering, illuminating the path ahead.

"Stop complaining, watch your step."

After about a quarter‑hour of walking, a faint energy ripple drifted through the air.

"Found it!" Xingyun Zhizhe pointed at a concealed corner ahead, where a faint glow emanated.

Everyone hurried forward and pushed aside the dense vines, discovering a stone radiating a strange glow lying quietly there, giving off a palpitation-inducing energy fluctuation.

"This is the energy stone!" Zhang Cheng carefully picked up the energy stone; it felt warm and smooth in his hand, and a powerful energy surged into his body, refreshing his spirit.

"666, this stone looks totally badass!" Xingji Xiake couldn't help but marvel.

Zhang Cheng strode quickly to the great door and slotted the energy stone into the groove.

With a click, the runes on the door blazed with dazzling light, ancient machinery began to turn, and the heavy stone door slowly opened with a deafening rumble.

Just then, a black shadow flashed by—the Shadow Thief darted out like a phantom, trying to seize the chance to rush through the door.

"In your dreams!" Xingji Xiake, already on guard, dashed forward with a lunge and blasted the Shadow Thief flying with a single punch.

"That's it? And you thought you could sneak around?"

The door opened fully, and a dazzling beam of light shot out from within, illuminating the entire labyrinth; within the light, some immense secret seemed to be hidden.

"Holy shit! This light… it's blinding my dog eyes!" Xingji Xiake clutched his eyes and cried out in alarm.

Zhang Cheng narrowed his eyes, sensing the powerful energy contained within the light, and a surge of inexplicable excitement welled up in his heart.

"Let's go, let's go in and take a look!" He waved his hand and was the first to step through the great door.

Everyone followed closely behind, and with feelings of curiosity and tension, they slowly walked through this mysterious door…

"Wait…" the Artisan suddenly spoke up, extending a withered hand and pointing deep into the door, "There… is…"