Chapter 235: One wave after another of unexpected events

I have to say.

This Dadalya truly can hold out.

The spatial gate that Xiao had deemed extremely hard to open, which also required a constant infusion of power to maintain.

He threw this punch.

Only his spirit was a bit listless, yet he showed no sign of exhaustion and even had the energy to look around, surveying this new space everywhere.

"A bit tired, but I'm fine; I can hold on."

This was Dadalya's first words after entering.

Luo De and Ye Lan both turned their gaze toward Xiao.

Wanting to break the seal, the spatial gate inside is hard to open — this was Xiao's original words.

"His power after putting on that armor is quite special."

Xiao explained it that way.

"Indeed."

Luo De nodded.

Dadalya's Demon King Armor fused water elemental energy, thunder elemental energy, and abyssal power; although it placed a heavy burden on his body, it genuinely multiplied his power severalfold instantly, and combined with the special nature of abyssal power and the spatial junction Xiao had found.

Such performance is still reasonable.

The spatial gate behind him had long been closed.

Xiao wasn't wrong about that.

No one maintained that gate; after Dadalya broke through, the sealed space returned to its previous calm within just a few seconds, and even the shadows of those frenzied pursuers no longer appeared.

"Is this the true sealed space?"

Unlike that bizarre, monstrous illusion, the new secret realm is a desolate, ruined area littered with scattered weapons, armor, and withered branches.

This is the memory scene left behind five hundred years ago by the Thousand Rock Army and Fushe together.

They all checked the area thoroughly.

Aside from a few scattered journals, there was only a new teleportation gate; otherwise they found nothing.

"Shall we go in?"

Standing before the spatial gate, Ye Lan did not act impulsively; she frowned and asked.

"Enter."

Although it differed from his memory, Luo De could still confirm that this new secret realm was the space where the Taiwei Instrument Disk was stored.

Just as his words fell.

Dadalya immediately rushed forward and charged in first.

After Luo De and the others entered.

The sight before him almost made Luo De's expression falter.

The good news is that the Taiwei Instrument Disk appeared.

It's quite large.

In this new secret realm created by the sealed space, this is also normal.

What made Luo De almost lose his composure was

the person currently fighting Dadalya.

"That one... is you?"

Gazing at the two people locked in fierce battle before him, Ye Lan hesitantly asked.

"That's right."

"It's me."

Luo De rubbed his nose and said embarrassedly.

In this new secret realm that stores the Taiwei Instrument Disk.

The memory of everyone who enters is read by the space, which then creates a one-to-one copy of the enemies they have recently fought.

It's quite obvious.

Although Dadalya most wanted to fight Fushe, relying solely on Xiao's account still couldn't give him a concrete image of Fushe.

Thus, the enemy copied from his memory naturally became Luo De, who had been contending with him upon entering the Layered Rock Abyss.

"He's going to win."

Actually, the current situation is still evenly matched, but Xiao still drew an affirmative conclusion.

"Hmm."

"This copy of me in the illusion is a bit weak; it can't compare to my true self."

Luo De also noticed this.

As for techniques and martial arts,

This copy's strength is almost no different from Luo De's own.

It's just a pity.

After all, an illusion is still an illusion.

No matter how realistic, it's impossible to copy Luo De's seemingly bottomless reserve of elemental energy.

And Luo De can defeat Dadalya.

Precisely because he relies on this terrifying amount of elemental energy reserve.

That is, Dadalya himself suffered considerable loss after opening the gate; otherwise he would have taken down this copy long ago.

Dadalya, already in a certain-to-win state, needs no worry.

While they were still fighting.

Luo De entrusted Xiao to watch Dadalia's state here, lest something unexpected happen, while Luo De themselves then went on to explore this new secret realm with Yelan.

Previously, they did not find the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk in the first secret realm.

This made Luo De feel uneasy.

Since entering the sealed space, all that has happened has differed greatly from their memory.

No matter how confident they are that their memory is correct, the place they entered and the solution method are also without problem.

After all, they still feel uneasy.

They are not afraid of ten thousand, but afraid of the one chance.

What if this sealed place really differs from what they remember?

What if they really cannot find the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk?

But Luo De themselves cannot show these worries, must stay calm and continue to direct forward; the pressure they face is no less than that faced by Yelan and the others who know nothing about the sealed place.

Compared to the previous secret realm.

The new secret realm is somewhat larger, the environment also a bit more complex; aside from the large plaza where Dadalia and the phantoms fought, everything is covered with some withered shrubs.

Broken armor and weapons are everywhere, yet no corpses have been seen.

Yelan picked up a broken sword, examined it carefully: "This is not a phantom."

"Hmm."

"It should be left behind by the fallen soldiers of the Geo Army from back then."

Luo De also picked up a long spear densely covered with tooth marks; the feel in hand was correct, it is indeed genuine, not a phantom created by the sealed space.

"What a pity."

"I don't know where the bones are."

Luo De inserted the spear in their hand into the ground and said regretfully.

The space they are currently in is still not the cave where the Floating Ship and the Geo Army last stayed; wanting to find and retrieve their bones is a very difficult matter.

"Yes, what a pity."

Yelan also had a regretful expression.

Along the way.

They collected many diaries and notes left by the Geo Army soldiers.

At the final moment of life.

Besides recalling the past, those Geo Army soldiers all without exception wrote the two words "miss home".

It is impossible to fulfill the predecessors' last wishes.

However you say it, it is a regrettable matter.

"Bring as much as you can; even if it's just a memorial tomb, it's better than staying forever in this pitch‑black cave."

Luo De did not refuse Yelan's request, helping Yelan also bring as many armor and weapon fragments as possible.

It was precisely during this process of collecting equipment fragments.

They finally found the miniature version of the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk.

Of course.

Said to be a miniature version.

Actually it is also much taller than a person.

"It is the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk."

Seeing this familiar appearance, Luo De recognized it at a glance.

"Are you sure this is the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk?"

Yelan said thoughtfully: "Judging by its structure and layout, it is actually quite similar to the magical implement used by my family."

"Similarity is enough."

"Because this magical implement might originally belong to your family."

Luo De pursed their lips and stated a fact.

"Huh?"

While examining the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk, Yelan heard this, was slightly startled, then said: "Several hundred years ago, an expert did indeed give the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk to my ancestor; afterwards, the two brothers carried this magical treasure to the Chasm and participated in the battle to repel the Khaenri'ah monsters, but that expert never explicitly said the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk belonged to my family."

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Luo De curiously asked: "Has your family left no written records at all?"

"No."

Yelan shook their head: "During the five‑hundred‑year‑old gloom disaster, the family's ancestors went missing, went mad, and the inheritance was also lost in that battle; as you said, the fact that the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk was once a family artifact indeed has no written record."

"Like that."

"Actually I was just guessing too."

Luo De scratched their head, feeling no shame about their nonsense, and said: "I haven't told you before, the Grand Majesty Instrument Disk originally belonged to the immortal Minghai Qixia Zhenjun; later the immortal and mortal cultivators became on good terms, and thus bestowed this magical treasure upon that occultist, and the two of them together improved it, resulting in the present Grand Majesty Instrument Disk."

Yelan roughly understood Luo De's meaning and guessed: "You mean, the expert who visited my family five hundred years ago was that immortal clan?"

"Maybe, hard to say; perhaps another immortal clan came to return the magical treasure."

Luo De is not very certain about this matter.

After all, Luo De themselves also do not know when the immortal Minghai Qixia Zhenjun died; they only know that Luo De themselves once bestowed a magical implement upon a mortal cultivator to aid in battle.

Immediately after.

Luo De scratched their head and said the point of all this: "After saying all this, I just want to ask whether you can use this magical implement."

"In theory it should be possible."

Ye Lan gave an affirmative reply, then added: "But this isn't the true Taiwei Instrument Disk before us; it's likely just a replica created by this space. I can only follow the method for operating the Taiwei Instrument Disk, see if we can transfer via the secret realm to bring us to find the true Taiwei Instrument Disk."

"What are we waiting for? Let's do it."

"Once Dada Liya deals with that replica, we can go to the next secret realm."

Hearing that Ye Lan could operate the Taiwei Instrument Disk, Luo De couldn't help but feel delighted.

Actually, according to memory.

Luo De also knew how to operate the Taiwei Instrument Disk to shift space.

But who let so many unexpected situations appear ahead!

It's precisely those events that made him feel increasingly unsure, which is why Luo De dared not operate the Taiwei Instrument Disk on his own, lest he fall into an embarrassing situation again.

And Ye Lan, who was familiar with the operation, only needed a few moments to adjust the needle's position on the Taiwei Instrument Disk.

At the same time.

The spatial gate inside the secret realm also changed color, echoing from afar the Taiwei Instrument Disk being adjusted here.

"Let's go."

"There should be another such Taiwei Instrument Disk in the next secret realm."

"If I'm not mistaken."

"Only after all four of our memories have been read will the true Taiwei Instrument Disk appear."

What Ye Lan said matched Luo De's understanding almost exactly, with basically no discrepancy.

When the two returned to the secret realm's plaza.

Dada Liya also happened to tear Luo De's copy into pieces, and now he sat on the ground gasping heavily.

He continuously used the Demon King's gear.

For him, he had long lost the composure he had when opening the door earlier, and truly showed a look of exhaustion.

"How strange."

"He shouldn't be this tired."

"Hah—hah—"

Seeing Luo De and Ye Lan return, Dada Liya, while gasping heavily, said as if discovering a new continent: "This space has a problem; whenever there's combat, fatigue accumulates several times, even over ten times what's outside. I can't walk anymore, friend, sorry, I might end up dragging you down later."

"It's fine, thanks for your effort, rest well."

After comforting the somewhat self-reproachful Dada Liya with a few words, Luo De still felt a bit uneasy inside.

This simple-minded fellow.

To be honest.

It's really hard to feel hostility toward him.

Even though Luo De had indeed come with the intention of scheming against Dada Liya, facing his heartfelt self-reproach, Luo De instead felt as if he himself were the utterly wicked villain.

But now is not the time to sigh here.

In this sealed space.

Even without expending one's own power, one must constantly endure dual wear and tear on body and spirit.

The longer one stays, the stronger the fatigue becomes.

Moreover, time and space are in chaos.

If we don't hurry out, consciousness will also suffer mental disorder from this chaos, and by then even if we want to leave we won't be able to.

Dada Liya did not refuse Luo De's kindness; with his sore, weak limbs he placed one hand on Luo De's shoulder, leaning on him, and hobbled along with everyone into the new gate.

This time.

The memory of Ye Lan replicated in the secret realm.

Quite a coincidence.

It just happened to be a group of the Fatui.

What's more embarrassing is.

The leader, an elegant young man wearing glasses, is also a colleague of Dada Liya.

"Pantaluonie."

"When did you ever cross blades with him?"

Dada Liya asked Ye Lan in surprise.

"Cut the nonsense."

Ye Lan gave a cold snort, her expression grim.

Talking about this makes her angry.

This Pantaluonie is the Ninth Seat Executor of the Fatui, and also an executor highly skilled in business.

Under his manipulation.

Snezhnaya's Northland Bank forcefully entered Liyue's commercial circle, stirring up a financial storm that nearly crushed all of Liyue's big and small money shops into bankruptcy.

He was also rated by Ning Guang as the most dangerous commercial rival.

And the entanglement between Ye Lan and Pantaluonie is even deeper.

That was an intelligence operation that entailed both success and failure.

In that battle.

Ye Lan lost a hereditary jade bracelet, while Pantaluonie lost a precious gift that was meant to be presented to the Empress.

"Hmph—"

"This space really isn't prepared to let us leave."

Ye Lan isn't worried about fighting the phantom of Pantaluonie.

The earlier battle between Tartaglia and Luo De's phantom had already been proven.

The copy created from reading memories differs vastly in strength from the original.

Furthermore, since Ye Lan and Pantoluonie were not using their full strength at the time, after everyone tested each other a little and realized no one could gain the upper hand, they all dispersed.

The Pantoluonie copy, possessing only partial strength, was naturally no match for Ye Lan's full power, and Ye Lan swiftly cleared it away.

Afterward, they repeated the previous procedure and entered the third secret realm.

However, after entering this secret realm,

Luo De, who had been calm until then, immediately put on the pain mask.

Since entering the sealed space,

This mishap just keeps coming one after another, and it simply won't stop.

The third secret realm reads his memories.

And the opponent he faces

is not an opponent he has ever fought before.

and at the same time is an opponent he could absolutely never defeat.

"This damned space."

Looking at the icy‑green‑haired, green‑eyed, green‑clad woman before him, Luo De gritted his teeth and snapped: "How did it read Apophis's memories?"

(End of chapter)