Chapter 135: Bloody Struggle: Darkness Under the Lamp

Not long ago, a heavy snowfall had just drawn to a close.

Wu Qi and his party were traveling along the snow-covered road.

Suddenly, everyone stopped in their tracks in unison.

Before them lay a large number of footprints that had not been buried by the wind and snow.

"It seems that besides us, others have also set their sights on this ruin," Sun Buyu frowned.

By following behind this group, they might just be able to play the role of the oriole behind the mantis.

But, could they be that oriole?

No one knew if there were others behind them preparing to arrive.

"First, go to the vicinity to lie in wait; don't be in a hurry to act, observe the situation first," Wu Qi arranged, "Old Monster, that Spirit Douluo powerhouse and the peripheral battlefield are left to you. You must ensure that not a single person escapes, and even more so, do not give them a chance to seek reinforcements."

In front of the village.

Two parties were in a standoff.

On one side were the Xinshan Sect disciples guarding the village, and on the other was the Spirit Master army of the Hagen Dazs Royal Family.

Zhou Congping's expression was ugly as he took the initiative to negotiate with the other side, "Who are you, and why are you surrounding our village?"

The leader of the Spirit Master army, Bokefu, sneered, "Stop pretending. This place is where a royal predecessor passed away, and it was recorded in the Royal Secret Record long ago."

"Did you think that by building a village on top of it, we wouldn't know?"

The truth of this statement could not be verified.

But what was certain was that the Hagen Dazs Royal Family knew very clearly when the Soul Guidance Device here would lose its effectiveness.

Zhou Congping's expression was gloomy, and he prayed silently in his heart that the sect Elder in the shadows would come forward to resolve this matter.

But soon, his hope was dashed; the sounds of battle coming from afar were precisely two Spirit Douluo powerhouses clashing.

"The Royal Family's preparations are truly thorough!" Zhou Congping sneered.

Bokefu twisted his neck, "Leave voluntarily, and I can pretend nothing happened. If not..."

Zhou Congping admitted that the sect had miscalculated, but wanting them to hand over the treasure was absolutely impossible.

There was no point in further talk, and the two parties soon began to brawl.

Standing on the edge of the cliff watching, the members of the Seven Treasures Team could not help but click their tongues.

"These people have high combat proficiency; this battle is no less intense than a real battlefield."

The scene was extremely bloody, with neither side holding back in the slightest, and the snow on the ground was quickly stained red.

Sun Buyu laughed, "For us, this might not be bad news."

"The ruins are still some distance from the battlefield; perhaps we can sneak inside and steal the treasure."

Sneaking in was easier said than done.

Right now, their current position was a full hundred meters from the ground below.

And not everyone could fly; the noise of landing would certainly attract the attention of both sides.

By then, they would inevitably become the target of concentrated fire.

Wu Qi strongly agreed with the idea of sneaking in; he took the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch from his waist, "Everyone, hide inside first. I will sneak in, and then I will let you out."

Unlike a Soul Guidance Device, people entering the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch would not feel suffocated or uncomfortable.

After some persuasion, everyone took a deep breath and was finally willing to enter.

Having finished all this, Wu Qi took a White Cloak from the Soul Guidance Device on his wrist and wrapped it around his body, almost blending in with the environment to avoid being visually detected by outsiders.

Immediately after, his martial soul wings spread out behind him, and his figure leaped off the cliff.

His movements were so light that he did not stir up any snow dust upon landing, and for the time being, he was not noticed by anyone.

Scanning the battlefield with his eyes, he immediately rushed to the entrance of the ruins.

To avoid any unknown traps within the ruins, he had to proceed with caution and enter slowly.

About five minutes later, he arrived at a platform and released everyone from the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch.

"Someone has already entered ahead of us; let's try to minimize the noise to avoid being detected by the outside world."

This was not surprising.

The Xinshan Sect already had people guarding the outside, so the moment the ruins opened, they sent a small portion of their people in first, while the main force remained outside to keep watch.

Although they had anticipated it beforehand, it was only upon entering the ruins that they realized how winding it was.

Although the Seven Treasures Team did not encounter any trap attacks on the way, the winding corridors alone made them lose their sense of direction.

If not for the marks left by Wu Qi, they would have likely been lost inside long ago.

As time passed, everyone's mood became irritable.

"If we don't find it soon, once the battlefield outside reaches a conclusion, it will be disadvantageous for us," Sun Buyu frowned deeply.

Wu Qi sighed, "Originally, this should have been an underground cave system, but after being modified by someone, it became the maze it is today."

"I think that if no marks or traps were left around, even the owner of this place could still get lost in these passages."

"Therefore, the true location of the secret chamber must not be in these passages. There might be other mechanisms at the entrance; we have to go back up."

For now, that was all they could do.

But facing the intricate and complex passages, trying to return the way they came was no easy task.

Outside, the battle had ended, and they had entered a standoff phase once again.

Both sides had suffered heavy losses, and the remaining twenty or so people glared at each other, yet were unable to do anything to one another.

Everyone knew that if they continued to fight, they would all be wiped out, and if someone were hiding in the shadows, the treasure would certainly be out of their reach.

Zhou Congping understood in his heart that as long as the group that entered the ruins retrieved the treasure, their mission would be considered complete.

But no one knew what mechanisms were in the ruins, nor did they know if that group of people was dead or alive.

On the other side, the battlefield of the two Spirit Douluo also temporarily ceased.

Both sides were even discussing whether to join forces to explore the ruins together.

Dugu Bo, hidden in the shadows, would not let them have their way, nor would he let the two of them escape.

Taking advantage of the moment when both sides let down their guard, the Eighth Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, "Eighth Soul Skill, Time Solidification."

Caught by the sudden turn of events, the two Spirit Douluo had no time to react, their bodies frozen in place.

"Title Douluo! Who are you!"

One of them gritted their teeth and said, word by word.

Dugu Bo would not reveal his identity, sneering, "Once you reach hell, you will naturally know."

With a Title Douluo launching a sneak attack, how could there be any accidents when dealing with two Spirit Douluo?

……

Inside the ruins, that group from the Xinshan Sect had the same idea as everyone in the Seven Treasure Team.

The two sides ran into each other head-on at a corner in the passageway.

Startled, they both activated their martial souls at the same time.

The passageway was only wide enough for one person to pass, so this battle could only be fought by Feng Xiaotian, who was standing at the front of the team.

Aside from Ning Rongrong being able to provide amplification, the others could only fret anxiously.

The opponents were only three people, and all were low-level Soul Ancestors; in any other place, relying on Feng Xiaotian's strength, he could easily defeat them.

But unfortunately, the passageway here was too small, and he simply could not unleash his full capabilities.

Combat methods were restricted, and he could not even unleash his killing moves!

Fortunately, this place was very far from the entrance, and with the intricate and complex passageways, the commotion of the battle could not reach the outside.

But the opponents were not stupid either; knowing they were outmatched, they fought while retreating, seeking support from the outside.

(End of this chapter)