Chapter 211

Two people turned left and right in the rear courtyard; all guards along the way were subdued by Juexing's acupoint sealing, and after a moment they arrived at a place where rocks were piled up.

It's right inside!

Miss Huang hugged a stone, turned it left three times and right three times, then heard a rumbling sound; afterward the boulder shifted, revealing a downward-sloping entrance.

Please go ahead, benefactor.

Juexing closed his eyes to feel it, then opened them and calmly said to Miss Huang.

Miss Huang curled her lip in disdain, took out a fire striker from her bosom, lit it, and led the way inside.

The two proceeded down the winding passage, passing another six heavy stone doors along the way; seeing they still hadn't arrived, Juexing finally couldn't help but shout in a low voice: "How much longer must we walk?"

"What's there to be fierce about? The next stone chamber is it!" Miss Huang glared back, unwilling to be outdone.

Juexing's expression eased slightly; he lifted his gaze ahead, then reached out to examine the stone wall, warning: "Don't play tricks, benefactor, or don't blame me for dealing a deadly blow!"

Hmph—

Miss Huang also ignored him, gave a light snort, lit the oil lamp on the fire stand, walked to the front stone wall, pressed a spot, and another heavy stone door slowly slid open.

Hearing a buzzing vibration from inside, Juexing's face lit up with joy; he quickly grabbed Miss Huang and rushed in.

When he, using the outdoor firelight, saw the faintly trembling sword and saber on the stone rack, he couldn't help but murmur excitedly: "Truly the immortal spirit artifact spoken of by the godly monk!"

As he spoke, he had already gripped the Dragon Slaying Sword in his hand, unable to resist lightly stroking it.

"Of course, how could my brother Niu collect any scrap copper and rotten iron?"

Miss Huang strutted over to the innermost stone wall with a proud, coquettish air, turned her eyes to Juexing, tapped the stone rack, and reminded: "Venerable Monk, you said you'd leave once you got the sword and saber—why aren't you leaving?"

Juexing ignored her, as if entranced, slowly drew the Dragon Slaying Sword, fixed his gaze on the chilling, awe-inspiring blade, and a flush of rose appeared on his aged face.

"Sure enough, it's that bald donkey old scoundrel!"

Miss Huang snorted coldly, gritted her teeth, made up her mind, and slammed her hand against the rear wall.

Click—

Boom!

With a crisp click, before Juexing could react, a huge stone crashed down onto the open stone door with a boom, sealing it tightly; the tremendous force shook the entire stone chamber.

Then the stone chamber plunged into darkness, a darkness so thick one couldn't see their own hand.

Juexing regained his senses, his face changing dramatically, and he thrust a palm strike toward the stone door.

Boom!

The overwhelming force produced a deep thud, yet the stone door didn't budge at all.

In the darkness, Miss Huang's giggling voice sounded: "Venerable Monk, put a little more strength into it—this stone door is forged of meteoric iron stone, weighing twelve thousand catties; with a bit more effort perhaps you could push it open."

"Do you really think I dare not kill you?"

Juexing shouted angrily, lunged toward the sound, and seized Miss Huang's throat, yelling: "Open the mechanism! Otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Feeling the choking and pain in her neck, Miss Huang's face turned red from holding her breath.

She cried through tears: "There's no mechanism! Kill me if you want—those with the surname Ni love whoever they meet, and I've had enough of it; anyway, having the Venerable Monk buried with me is fine."

"No mechanism?"

In the darkness, Juexing's pupils constricted, and he involuntarily released his grip, saying in a low voice: "I swear before the Buddha that if Miss Huang opens the stone door, I will leave at once; if I break this vow, I shall forever fall into Avici Hell."

Cough cough cough—

After breaking free of the choking, Miss Huang couldn't help but clutch her throat and cough violently.

She caught her breath, then hugged her knees and crouched in the corner of the wall, sobbing sadly: "There was never any mechanism to begin with, and the crack in the door doesn't let air in; we'll die in here before long."

"You!" Jue Xing was both furious and anxious, unable to hold back as he was about to swing his palm to strike.

"Kill! Kill!"

Miss Huang reached up and wiped away a tear, choking out loudly: "It's not like you, you big monk, forced this! Being slapped to death by your palm would be more comfortable than being suffocated alive!"

Jue Xing wouldn't dare kill her; the two had sunk at least ten zhang underground, all around solid thick stone walls—even if you gave him a chisel, he couldn't chisel his way out before death.

He tightened his grip on the Dragon-Slaying Blade, Jue Xing's heart stirred, and he said in a low voice: "Take out the fire striker and light the lamp stand."

"No way!" Miss Huang stubbornly refused, her head held back, she softly sobbed twice, then couldn't help but scornfully say: "If there's fire in this secret chamber, the fresh air we breathe will diminish; you big monk, haven't you gone mad chanting sutras?"

Hearing those words, Jue Xing was still angry, but after a moment's thought he also felt it made sense.

Right now it's urgent to get out, but there's no time to waste arguing with this yellow-haired girl.

Thinking of this, he turned and walked a few steps forward, raised the Dragon-Slaying Blade, and then swung hard toward the direction he remembered.

Ding—

In a deafening crisp sound, a bright spark suddenly flashed in the darkness.

Using this light, it was clearly visible that on the smooth stone door, a depression as deep as a forearm had been directly chiseled out.

"Indeed it is a divine weapon..."

In the darkness, Jue Xing's murmuring whisper sounded.

"Open up for this poor monk!!"

Ding—

Then came a loud shout; he swung the blade again, the treasure blade's passage drew another flash of fire that split the darkness. This time the long notch cut out was actually twice as long as the previous cut.

Jue Xing was overjoyed, his hand showed no hesitation, and he began to wield the Dragon-Slaying Blade with all his might, chopping away.

Ding—

Ding—

……In the darkness, Jue Xing swung the blade with all his strength, intense sparks flashed into his murky eyes, one after another the sound of blade striking stone rang out, shaking Miss Huang's eardrums numb.

But she, however, had sunk into silence.

Hiss—

Suddenly, in the gap between Jue Xing's blade swings, a faint "hiss" sound arose, and in the secret chamber a faint smell of gunpowder gradually appeared.

What are you doing!

After Juexing noticed, his heart suddenly jolted, he hastily sheathed his sword, turned and shouted.

Miss Huang calmly said: "My Brother Niu says, one sulfur, two nitre, three charcoal, add a bit of sugar, big Yi Wan. Rong'er may not know what big Yi Wan is, but I'm sure it's very powerful."

One sulfur, two nitre, three charcoal, add a bit of sugar, big Yi Wan.

You buried gunpowder!!!

Juexing took a careful sniff, after reacting his face drastically changed, he involuntarily shouted.

The hissing sound in the darkness, like a death summons, stimulated his nerves, but after searching left and right for a while, he saw no firelight.

In desperation, Juexing involuntarily lunged before Miss Huang, held his knife to her neck, and angrily shouted: "Where is the fuse?"

Miss Huang snorted coldly, saying: "The fuses are in the secret passage, five in total, one extinguished leaves four; moreover, the fuse is long enough for the Grand Master to chop more than a hundred breaths."

"You..." Juexing was furious, wanting to kill her with one sword, yet he didn't believe this girl had the guts to die together with him in an explosion.

This is something my Brother Niu specially prepared for Grand Master Juexing before his seclusion.

In the darkness, Miss Huang's voice was extremely calm, sending a chill through Juexing's heart: "He deliberately buried three hundred catties of volatile gunpowder around the secret chamber; Grand Master, you still have more than sixty breaths—if you can't open the door, we'll both be blown to pieces."

I know that after leaving, Grand Master will definitely not let us off; to avoid trouble, we might as well die together here.

Sixty breaths' time? She really dares to die with me?

If there were even a hint of firelight now, one could surely see Juexing's aged face instantly turn deathly pale.

Although his heart was furious, killing this demoness would be tantamount to cutting off his own path of survival; time is life, he dared not delay, hastily shaking off Miss Huang and rushing toward the stone gate.

Open up for this poor monk!!!

Juexing glared with eyes wide open, expending all the energy in his dantian in a single, ultimate strike.

Ding—

Another large chunk of rubble fell.

Open!!

Ding—

…… -> "……" We'll output: "……"

Hiss—

The fuse's burning sound continued.

Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen…

In the darkness, Miss Huang's soft counting voice suddenly rang out, her voice extremely calm.

Juexing's hairs instantly stood on end, his face turning feral and mad; as he waved his knife and chopped furiously, he shouted hoarsely: "Open for me!!"

Six, five, four, three…

Click—

Plop!

Boom—

In a earth-shattering roar, the secret chamber was instantly submerged in the erupting sea of fire.

On the ground, a tremendous boom shook, making the entire summit seem to tremble.

In the mid-mountain barracks, Su Lu Zhi and the others, who had been drinking merrily, all froze upon hearing such a huge commotion.

Niu Ben reacted, suddenly recalling the sect leader's arrangements, his face drastically changed as he flung aside his wine bowl and shouted: "Quickly up the mountain! Enemy attack!!"

On the summit

Nobody expected that Aiai Guobaoer would be the first to rush open the passage.

After she helped several people unlock their acupoints, Chen Jin'er, Han Xiao Ying, and the Burning Heaven trio, having just rushed out of the hall, heard the tremendous boom and involuntarily froze in place.

Chen Jin'er came to her senses, her pretty face instantly turning deathly pale as she stared toward the explosion, unable to help crying out in a trembling voice: "Rong'er! Rong'er!"

Madam!

Vice Sect Leader!

At this moment, Niu Ben, Niu Kui, together with Su Lu Zhi, Yan Hongshou, and Jin Buhuan, the three elders, were the first to arrive, their faces all full of shame.

Soon after, a large contingent of guards and soldiers quickly surrounded the various points on the mountain, seized the high ground, and set up ballistae.

First, seal off the rear courtyard secret chamber!

Chen Jin'er steadied her emotions, struggled to remain calm, looked toward Niu Ben and ordered:

Juexing has abducted Rong'er to seize the Slaying Dragon Blade and Heaven-Reliant Sword! Mobilize the troops to fully blockade Nine Palaces Mountain; upon encountering that monk, remember to exhaust him at all costs!

Yes!

Niu Ben received the order and quickly departed.

Chen Jin'er finished speaking and said nothing more, her face slightly sinking as she gave a slight nod to Burning Heaven, then led Han Xiao Ying and Niu Kui, heading a large contingent of guards toward the mid-mountain.

Fen Tian Huiyi looked toward the Su Lu Zhi trio and said, "Su Lao, you three go to the rear courtyard secret chamber entrance; if there's any movement, remember to send a signal first!"

Having said that, without waiting for the trio to reply, Fen Tian Huiyi quickly pursued toward the mountainside. (End of chapter)