Chapter 122: The Underground World

  After running for half an hour, they reached the deepest part of the palace. The scenery had completely changed. Outside, it was eerie and gloomy, but inside, radiant light filled the air, with lush vegetation and magnificent buildings.

  This place was incredibly sacred, seemingly capable of purging resentment. Auspicious scenes were everywhere, and the surrounding pavilions were dazzling, giving a dreamlike sensation.

  "This is a palace? The difference from the outside is too stark," Qing Yuan muttered, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The transition from hell to heaven was a bit overwhelming.

  "Be careful. This place is too strange. I feel like something is about to happen," Yang Tian said, pacing around the palace, unable to resist commenting.

  "Yang Tian, you're spot on. There really is a monster," Shan Qu suddenly blurted out, his gaze fixed on a figure ahead.

  "It's a humanoid puppet," Yang Tian said, his eyes quickly shifting to the approaching figure. His expression turned serious. This puppet had residual energy after so many years; it was no ordinary foe.

  "There's a large gate behind the puppet. It must lead to the core area," Xing Hao said, his eyes lighting up as he noticed the scene behind the puppet.

  "Outside is a grand tomb, and inside is an unparalleled palace. This place is too bizarre," Yang Tian scratched his head, feeling helpless. They had been here for so long but had gained nothing.

  "Enough talk. Let's destroy the puppet first. We can't go back empty-handed," Qing Yuan said, pulling out his Thunder God Hammer and charging forward with a murderous aura.

  "Let's go!" The group surged forward, their energy bursting forth as they attacked the puppet.

  "Boom!" As they approached within thirty zhang, the humanoid puppet turned its head. Its foot stomped the ground, causing a deafening rumble.

  "Thunder God Descends!" Qing Yuan roared, hurling his Thunder God Hammer. The hammer expanded to fifty zhang, releasing a massive wave of energy.

  Dense arcs of lightning began to dance, and the surrounding energy surged violently. A huge lightning arc appeared, exuding a destructive aura as it struck the puppet.

  "Boom!" The puppet was engulfed in lightning, the air filled with metallic clangs. The puppet's body was incredibly tough; the terrifying force only made it step back slightly.

  "What the hell is this thing made of? It's harder than a turtle's shell," Qing Yuan muttered, his pupils contracting as he cursed under his breath.

  After a few more attempts, they realized the puppet's body was extremely tough, made of some unknown material. Its attacks were fearsome, but its speed was average, allowing them to barely maintain control.

  "Boom!" The puppet threw a punch, shattering the vacuum as it aimed for Yang Tian's back.

  Yang Tian swiftly dodged, retreating as the terrifying force shook the entire hall.

  "Such a terrifying attack. If we don't cut it down, it will keep attacking," Yang Tian said, pulling out a broken sword. A tremendous force weighed down on him, as if he were carrying a mountain.

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  Waving the broken sword, Yang Tian frowned. "Can you guys hold it off? I can't attack like this. This sword is too heavy."

  "Let me handle it. You guys block it," Shan Qu said urgently, retreating quickly.

  "Let's go!" Qing Yuan and Xing Hao exchanged glances, closing in on the puppet and striking with their weapons.

  A purple arrow, wrapped in divine patterns, with a dragon-like body and a sharp, red tip, sliced through the vacuum.

  "This guy has so many arrows. This one is actually a Dao artifact!" Yang Tian thought, eyeing Shan Qu's arrow with curiosity.

  "Hum!" The arrow hummed, emitting a brilliant purple light. Beneath the radiance lay a terrifying aura, as if the arrow had come to life.

  The divine patterns swirled, and as the arrow's power increased, the surrounding vacuum exploded, and the void trembled. Shan Qu's energy was rapidly depleting; he was using a powerful technique.

  "Dragon-Slaying Arrow!" Shan Qu suddenly roared, and the arrow shot forward at an incredible speed, transforming into a purple dragon.

  "Roar!" The purple dragon coiled around the puppet, immobilizing it in mid-air.

  "Now!" Shan Qu shouted as the puppet was sealed.

  "Clang!" Yang Tian rushed forward, his broken sword slashing at the puppet's body, creating a metallic clang.

  Yang Tian's pupils contracted. Gripping the sword with both hands, he unleashed all his strength. With a crack, the puppet's tough body was split in two.

  "Yang Tian, your sword is amazing. Much better than my lousy hammer," Qing Yuan said, his mouth twitching as he glanced enviously at Yang Tian's sword.

  "Being powerful is useless if I can't use it in battle. It's just very sharp," Yang Tian said, waving the broken sword. If he could use it in combat, it would be a nightmare for his enemies.

  "Many artifacts require the Tongxuan realm to activate," Shan Qu shook his head. In the Tongxuan realm, one's body would evolve battle energy, allowing the activation of high-level artifacts.

  "I hope I can reach that," Yang Tian said, touching the sword before putting it away. "Let's hurry inside. The others will be here soon."

  "Alright," the group nodded, quickly moving forward. Yang Tian took two steps, then turned back to collect the severed puppet.

  Just as they entered the stone gate, a group of powerful individuals rushed in, their eyes immediately locking onto the gate as they charged inside.

  Inside the stone gate, Yang Tian and the others walked through a long passage. Seeing a glimmer of light, they hurried towards it.

  "Wait, I have a bad feeling about this," Qing Yuan said, stopping abruptly, his fat trembling.

  "I feel it too," Yang Tian nodded, his gaze heavy as he considered whether to turn back. Suddenly, the Ancestral Dragon Ring vibrated intensely, pointing them forward.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai jumped out, his big eyes fixed on the inside, showing both excitement and wariness. There was something inside.

  "What do we do? Let's go in. Xiao Bai is a treasure-hunting beast," Qing Yuan said, gritting his teeth as he summoned his silver hammer, floating it above his head.

  "Alright, let's go in," Yang Tian smiled, summoning the Qian Yuan Cauldron. Red light poured from the cauldron, enveloping him.

  "Clang!"

  As soon as they stepped forward, overwhelming killing intent surged towards them, attacking the trio. Their artifacts shook violently.

  "What the hell is this..." Xing Hao muttered, watching his gourd shake. If they hadn't protected themselves with artifacts, they would have been in serious trouble.

  "What kind of place is this?" Yang Tian was stunned. He noticed the Qian Yuan Cauldron was cracking. The killing intent seeped through, cutting his skin painfully.

  "This place is terrifying. It's definitely not the War King's abode," Qing Yuan said, breaking into a cold sweat as he saw the cracking cauldron.

  Yang Tian quickly summoned the Golden Dragon Seal, emitting a brilliant light that enveloped him. His skin felt better, but his energy was depleting rapidly.

  "It's ruined. Probably beyond repair," Yang Tian muttered, staring at the cracks on the cauldron. A semi-finished Dao artifact destroyed by the overwhelming killing intent.

  "Look, there's a cave," Xing Hao said, his eyes lighting up as he noticed a dark cave.

  "Let's check it out," Yang Tian said, swallowing a few Star Pills as the group headed towards the cave.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai suddenly jumped out, his purple-gold bell shaking in the air, blocking the killing intent.

  Seeing the wariness in Xiao Bai's eyes, Yang Tian muttered, his gaze shifting as they entered the cave.

  As they stepped inside, the dark cave suddenly lit up, and the killing intent surged, attacking them.

  "Bang!" The group was forced back several steps, sparks flying in the air.

  The Golden Dragon Seal shook violently. Yang Tian's expression changed as his energy surged, stabilizing the seal.

  Ahead of them stood a five-zhang-tall coffin, made of gold and jade, glowing brilliantly. The coffin was exquisite, radiating a dazzling light.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai's fur stood on end, resembling a white hedgehog as he noticed the coffin.