Chapter 276: Oh No, It's a Trap!

Just as they were halfway there, a slight "click": "Oh no, it's a trap!"

Before the words had even faded, the entire passageway suddenly began to shake. Countless hidden weapons shot out from the walls on both sides, so dense they almost obscured the entire space. The surfaces of these hidden weapons shimmered with a cold light; they were clearly lethal weapons that had undergone special treatment.

Lin Xuan reacted extremely quickly, and a wall of fire instantly unfolded before him. The moment those hidden weapons touched the fire wall, they were melted by the high temperature, turning into pools of liquid metal that dripped onto the ground. However, just at this moment, several specially crafted hidden weapons suddenly shot in from unexpected angles. These hidden weapons had special Runes carved onto their surfaces, and they were actually able to penetrate the defense of the fire wall. One of them struck Wang Zhenqiu squarely in the shoulder.

"Ugh!" Wang Zhenqiu let out a muffled groan, "These hidden weapons are strange!"

Lin Xuan checked his wound and discovered that the hidden weapon actually carried a type of special Rune capable of sealing meridians. Fortunately, Wang Zhenqiu's cultivation was profound, so this minor injury could not yet affect his combat ability.

Continuing forward, the two arrived at a spacious stone chamber. As soon as they entered, countless bats suddenly flew up in alarm from the ceiling, emitting shrill cries. These bats were clearly not of a common breed; each one exuded a faint demonic aura.

"A mere trifle." He condensed a ball of flame flickering with electric light in his hand. Before those bats could even launch an attack, they were smashed to pieces by the power of thunder.

"Let's split up; I'll take the left, you take the right. Remember, if you encounter a situation you cannot resolve, retreat immediately."

After separating, Lin Xuan proceeded along the secret passage on the left. This passageway was colder than the previous ones, and the walls were covered in ancient Runes. Not long after walking, he arrived at a circular stone chamber.

Just at this moment, a giant stone statue suddenly came to life. The stone statue was pitch black, stood three zhang tall, and exuded an aura that made one's heart palpitate. What concerned Lin Xuan most was that he felt the fluctuations of Dust of Earth within the stone statue's body.

"So that's how it is." A sharp light flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes, "A guardian refined using Dust of Earth? Interesting."

The stone statue monster roared and charged at Lin Xuan; every step made the entire stone chamber tremble. Its attacks appeared clumsy, but in reality, they contained the power of the earth; with a single punch, the very air was distorted.

Lin Xuan was unhurried; he circulated his Heart Fire, and streams of flame coiled around the stone statue like swimming dragons. Those flames not only carried astonishing high temperatures, but also contained a power that restrained all things.

Just as the fierce battle between the two sides was in full swing, Wang Zhenqiu suddenly arrived from another passageway. When he saw the scene before him, he was completely stunned.

That giant stone statue was like a giant punching bag before Lin Xuan, left to be ravaged at will. And every move Lin Xuan made appeared so calm and unhurried, as if he were performing an elegant dance. What shocked Wang Zhenqiu most was the power of those flames; every wisp carried the power to destroy the heavens and extinguish the earth.

"Is... is this the Daoist's true strength?" Wang Zhenqiu muttered to himself, "It's simply unbelievable."

After a fierce battle, the stone statue finally could not hold on and collapsed with a loud crash. From within its shattered body, a ball of dark brown light slowly rose; it was precisely the Dust of Earth.

"This is the Dust of Earth?" Wang Zhenqiu curiously examined that ball of light, "It doesn't look like much."

Lin Xuan took the Dust of Earth into his hand and slowly explained: "Dust of Earth is condensed from the most yin and soft essence between heaven and earth. Legend has it that in the ancient era, when the earth first opened, a strand of extreme yin Qi settled, and after ten thousand years, it finally transformed into this object. It can not only restrain various yang-hard powers, but also soothe restless Spirit Qi."

"So that's it." Wang Zhenqiu suddenly realized, "No wonder the Daoist wanted to find it. With this Dust of Earth, one can suppress the violent power of the Heart Fire, right?"

Lin Xuan nodded: "Correct. However, the uses of this Dust of Earth go far beyond this. Its more important function is..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching. It seemed that other factions had also discovered the location of this ruin.

"Go!" Lin Xuan made a prompt decision, "If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"

The two quickly retreated from the underground ruin. Not long after they left, a group of black shadows arrived quietly. Leading them was precisely that old man from the Dongying shrine.

"Too late?" A trace of gloom flashed in his eyes, "Let's see how long you can hold out in this storm!"

Lin Xuan and Wang Zhenqiu stepped into the underground passage one after the other. The damp, musty smell, accompanied by the scent of decay, rushed toward them, and the moss on the walls shimmered with a ghostly green light in the dim illumination. Wang Zhenqiu walked in front holding a fire-starter; as the firelight flickered, it illuminated the mottled ancient Runes on the stone steps. Those Runes seemed to have been eroded by time until they were blurred, yet one could still feel the massive energy contained within them.

"This place has at least a thousand years of history." Wang Zhenqiu rubbed the wall with his fingertips, his voice carrying a hint of excitement, "Daoist, do you think there might be other treasures hidden in this secret vault besides the Dust of Earth?"

Lin Xuan's gaze was calm, and his footsteps did not stop: "Greed leads to ruin. If you are distracted, watch out for traps."

Before the words had faded, a slight "click" sound suddenly came from under Wang Zhenqiu's feet. His whole body stiffened, and before he could speak, Lin Xuan had already shouted sternly: "Oh no, it's a trap!"

In an instant, the entire passageway trembled violently, and countless cracks burst open on the stone walls on both sides. Cold light flashed, and dense hidden weapons poured out like a rainstorm—poison-tipped darts, barbed iron caltrops, chains with barbs... each piece shimmered with an eerie purple light, clearly coated with a deadly poison that kills upon drawing blood.

"Retreat!" Lin Xuan gave a low shout, red-gold flames surging in his palms, instantly condensing into a wall of fire before him. The moment the hidden weapons struck the fire wall, they emitted a "hissing" burning sound, and the metal melted into molten iron, dripping onto the ground. However, several diamond-shaped darts carved with blood-red Runes actually penetrated the fire wall, heading straight for Wang Zhenqiu's face!

"A mere trifle!" Wang Zhenqiu sneered, circulating the Dragon Suppressing Art, his body's Qi surging violently. He dodged sideways like a ghost, slapping two poison darts away with one palm, but then heard a muffled "pfft" sound as the third dart buried itself deep into his left shoulder.

"Ugh!" Wang Zhenqiu let out a muffled groan; black Qi spread from the wound, and his entire arm went numb instantly. He gritted his teeth and pulled out the poison dart, only to see the Runes on the dart body flickering; it was indeed a sinister, poisonous method specifically designed to seal a person's meridians.