Chapter 64: with translation of chapter title

Eighteen iron arrows were nocked on the bowstring; after Zhang Gonggong fired the first arrow, seventeen more followed.

He gathered his true qi, infusing it into the bow and arrow. The strength of the West Factory's eighteen cavalry is absolutely not just boasting.

The arrows pierced the heavens and fell upon the thick, brownish-red grand gate of the Thousand-layer Gate. Immediately, a series of explosive sounds rang out!

The gate, sealed in dust for thousands of years, the Thousand-layer Gate that had remained mysterious for millennia, burst open with a thunderous roar under the impact of the iron arrows.

The barrier that had surrounded the Thousand-layer Gate for thousands of years was broken today.

Xiao Feng, everyone

Xiao Feng

Nan Zhongyi

Feng Yichu

Tie Yi pats his iron clothes

Ouyang Zhuo

five people

The courtyard of the Thousand-layer Gate is vast, with flowers, trees, streams, and artificial hills; the winding, complex paths easily cause one to lose direction. Although the main hall is not far away, if one gets lost, it will take considerable effort to find the way.

But they won't get lost, especially Xiao Feng, who spent ten years in the Thousand-layer Gate, nine and a half of them locked in this courtyard; he would never forget the way even in death. 'Follow me!'

Not only Xiao Feng, but Nan Zhongyi also remembers clearly; they followed Xiao Feng, pressing step by step toward the Thousand-layer Gate.

Xiao Feng stepped onto a rockery, leapt high, flipped over several old trees, and thus saved a considerable distance!

... (ellipsis) no names.

Grand Elder

West Factory Eighteen Riders

true qi

bow and arrow

Thousandfold Gate

Grand Elder

Seventh Elder

Sixth Elder

Sect Master

Palace Master

Young Palace Master

Dongfang Xing

Wu Rong

Young Palace Master

Seventh Elder

four disciples

the flood dragon at the lake's bottom

white shadow

long sword

cave entrance

We need to list every named entity/coined term appearing in these lines. Let's go through each line and extract.

I'll create a set.

Line 【1】: none.

【2】: none.

【3】: none.

【4】: none.

【5】: none.

Xiao Feng

Xiao Feng

Nan Zhongyi

Feng Yichu

Tie Yi

Ouyang Zhuo

【12】: none.

【13】: none.

Xiao Feng, Nan Zhongyi

Nan Zhongyi

Xiao Feng

【17】: none.

Grand Elder

Grand Elder, Seventh Elder, Nan Zhongyi, Xiao Feng

Times have changed; I wonder if his two disciples still remember him?

Beneath the feet of the Grand Elder lay nine steps of white jade; the steps were flawless, without a single crack.

Second Elder, Third Elder, Fourth Elder

Grand Elder, Sect Master

'Notified.' The Second Elder replied respectfully, his face beaming with a satisfied smile.

'Hehe, it's been decades; to have the honor of delivering a word for the Sect Master is worth dying for!' The Grand Elder laughed, patting the Second Elder on the shoulder, 'On the road to the Yellow Springs, you three must not forget—this fine opportunity is one I have yielded to you!'

'Hahaha! Of course, let us take them with us to the Yellow Springs!' the Fourth Elder laughed loudly, deliberately directing his laughter toward Xiao Feng and the others.

'When everyone thought our Thousand-layer Gate had been destroyed, little did they know it was reborn in a corner unknown to anyone.' The Grand Elder murmured to himself; many years ago he had heard the Sect Master's call, and from then on he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Thousand-layer Gate for his entire life. Actually, if not for this incident, he could have soon peacefully passed away, handing over his duties to the next generation, but things went smoothly for decades, only to go awry at the last moment. 'I misjudged Lao Qi!'

'Grand Elder, things have come to this; you need not blame yourself!' said the Third Elder.

The Grand Elder looked at the Third Elder in astonishment, then suddenly shouted, 'The trials of the Thousand-layer Gate are for entering this gate!'

'The trials of the Thousand-layer Gate are for entering this gate!' shouted the Second Elder.

'The trials of the Thousand-layer Gate are for entering this gate!' shouted the Third Elder.

'The trials of the Thousand-layer Gate are for entering this gate!' shouted the Fourth Elder.

: none (they walk down stairs).

: none.

The Seventh Elder rested for a full half hour more, as if suddenly sensing something; his frail body trembled, he opened his eyes, and told the four disciples, 'The time has come.'

Chen Yi He

Chen Yi He realized it was no time for grief; he tightened his grip on his sword and warily observed his surroundings.

Dongfang Xing, Wu Rong, Young Palace Master

Sure enough, the subterranean world began to tremble, the vibration spreading from shallow to deep, gradually making everyone feel it—the mist dispersed by the Sixth Elder was unknowingly surfacing……

Giant rocks continually fell from the sealed sky, the ground collapsed, countless bones were exposed, then shattered by the falling stones.

: none.

Wu Rong pointed at the undulating lake water and shouted, 'The lake surface!'

The lake water rippled! A surge of life, centered at the lake's middle, sent out wave after wave of ripples toward the shores; the ripples grew larger and faster, each ring following the next in tight, orderly, staggered succession.

'Roar!' The jiao dragon lurking beneath the lake burst onto the surface, fleeing far away as if escaping disaster; an unknown amount of lake water was lifted with it, then fell like a downpour, drenching everyone.

The earth trembled ever more violently, like an earthquake; tombstones toppled, graves split open. Everything resembled the apocalypse; the doom of the entire subterranean world was imminent!

The distance between heaven and earth kept shrinking; many tall objects were compressed, ultimately becoming part of the dust.

The Seventh Elder's gaze remained fixed on the lake surface; even as his body swayed, he remained unmoved until a tiny, fleeting beam of light pierced the center of the ripples on the lake, whereupon his expression changed, his eyes widening in fury.

The ripples on the lake surface vanished quickly! No new ripples formed at the lake's center; ripples reaching the shore disappeared, one ring after another fading away.

'Count to ten! Then rush into the lake bottom—I'll go first!' The dying Seventh Elder, like a final flare of life, sprang to his feet and lunged toward the lake's center; his whole body turned into a white streak, closely following that earlier beam of light, also shooting toward the center of the lake's ripples!

Only a voice from somewhere unknown was heard, 'Hehe! Lao Qi, do you really think you can take them out?!'

Such a cold voice hardly seemed to come from a living being; it was like an old-fashioned repeater in modern society—icy and lifeless.

four disciples

Faintly visible, the ripples were continually disappearing!

: none.

A long sword served as a lever-like support, propped on the lake bottom, holding up a hole the size of a person.

The long sword was bent severely, its cracked blade trembling, constantly in danger of being jammed and shattered by the mouth of the hole!

That hole lay at the lake bottom, yet no lake water flowed into it—seemingly defying the law of universal gravitation. Ripples originated from it, and it was closing! Were it not for the sword blocking it, it would surely snap shut with a 'bang'.

'I'll go first!' Wu Rong exclaimed, then dove headfirst into the hole, disappearing within!

The long sword emitted a prolonged sound, 'You… you guys… hurry… follow!' It looked as if it could barely hold on any longer!

The Young Palace Master lifted her skirt and also rushed in.

Dongfang Xing glanced at Chen Yi He, nodded, and followed the little Palace Master into the cave.

Chen Yi He stands at the cave mouth, reluctant to leave for a long time, he softly says, "Master..."

"Hurry up! Master, having a disciple like you, I die without regrets..." the long sword urges.

The sword has spirit, the long sword has spirit.

"Remember, the sword must be wielded with heart."

"Master..."

"Hurry up!"

Chen Yi He leaps into the cave mouth; behind him, the long sword shatters, fragments like sword blossoms, dissipate at the lake bottom, the cave mouth is instantly sealed.

Chen Yi He later only remembers that the cave mouth was narrow and long; after walking for a long, long time, he finally walks out, gently pushing open the door at the end.

Only a flash of light appears above their heads, the light persists, not fleeting. That is long-missed sunlight, blinding; Chen Yi He and the four of them have no choice but to shield their eyes with both hands.

The spring wind blows so unrealistically. It lifts Wu Rong's rolled-up sleeves, lifts the red gauze on the little Palace Master's face, lifts Dongfang Xing's falling long hair.

When they truly stand under the sky, they discover they are in the Thousandfold Gate, beneath their feet are nine-tiered white jade steps.

Finally they see the sky!

The Grand Elder never imagined, even unto death, that these four disciples could escape the underground world! "Good, good, the Sect Master also came out!"