Chapter 167: Chapter 166: Lots of Intricate Plots_1
The labyrinth was filled with passageways extending in all directions, their destinations unknown.
On the stone platforms of the surrounding walls, clusters of Flames automatically lit up, brightly illuminating the entire passageway.
"What a pity. If Ling Yin were here, we could easily get through this labyrinth," Ling Chen said with some regret.
"Disciple Ling? True. Her Mental Power Talent surpasses yours, and mechanisms, Array Formations, and such would not pose a difficulty to her."
Xiao Muyu nodded. "Alas, Ling Yin was kept back at the Sect by Elder Xie Chan, so she didn’t come to these Tienzong Ruins."
"It’s no use discussing this now. My Mental Power has reached level ten—I can detect ordinary trap mechanisms. We’ll just have to take it one step at a time."
Ling Chen wasn’t too worried. Although his strength wasn’t the most outstanding among the many young talents, his Mental Power was certainly among the best. His Mental Power had previously reached level ten. After comprehending Sword Intent, his mental strength level had risen along with the tide. It should be at level eleven by now.
"Let’s go this way."
There were routes extending in all directions from the Stone Palace, with numerous forks. Ling Chen guessed that the mechanisms in this Stone Palace were probably operating continuously, and these passageways had no clear distinctions between paths of life and paths of death.
It was possible that one moment, the path ahead was a path of life, then in the next moment, it turned into a path of death.
Therefore, most of the time, they had to rely on intuition.
After passing through three corridors, Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu found themselves facing a solid wall.
"It seems we’ve hit a dead end," Xiao Muyu said, a look of disappointment on her pretty face.
"Not necessarily." Ling Chen walked directly to the wall and knocked on it twice with his fist. His gaze then fell on a protruding half-brick on a nearby stone platform.
He reached into an opening beside the stone and, with a little effort, the half-brick began to rotate.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
As the half-brick rotated, the wall in front of them suddenly swung open to the left.
"There was actually a mechanism! How did you discover it?" Xiao Muyu looked at Ling Chen with surprise, finding it incredible.
"This is just a simple mechanism. There are more complex mechanisms, even Puppet Mechanisms. I am sure that the one who set up the mechanisms in this Stone Palace was definitely a Legendary Level Mechanism Master," Ling Chen said, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Legendary Level?" Surprise surfaced in Xiao Muyu’s beautiful eyes. Mechanism Masters, like Array Masters and Illusionists, had different ranks. Ordinary Mechanism Masters corresponded to ordinary warriors, Mechanism Masters to Martial Artists, and Grand Mechanism Masters to Grand Masters. A Legendary Mechanism Master, however, corresponded to a Top Sky Apex Strong.
However, Legendary Mechanism Masters were much rarer than Top Sky Apex Strongs. Mechanisms arranged by a master of that level could trap even a Top Sky Apex Strong, leaving them to die inside.
Of course, the mechanisms of this Stone Palace were at least three hundred years old, and many could no longer be activated. Furthermore, these mechanisms weren’t specifically targeting Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu. Otherwise, they would have been doomed.
"There’s a stone chamber here."
After entering the hidden passageway, Ling Chen came to a stone door. The stone door was sealed, but its outline was visible from the outside.
Xiao Muyu pushed hard a few times but found she couldn’t open it. "This door won’t budge. Is there a mechanism?"
"This door probably doesn’t have a mechanism." Ling Chen channeled True Qi into his palms and pushed with force. The stone door swung inward.
Instantly, a dense wave of Energy surged out.
The moment the stone door opened, Ling Chen strode in. Intense brilliance flooded his vision, causing him to squint. Only then did he realize the stone chamber was entirely lined with a type of Cold Jade, a faint chill permeating the air.
This kind of Cold Jade was generally used by major sects to store weapons, Armor, Elixirs, and Treasures. Its presence here meant Treasures were likely nearby.
With this thought, Ling Chen barely glanced at the Cold Jade decorations. His gaze immediately focused on a stone pedestal in the center of the stone chamber.
Atop the pedestal, two items were clearly visible.
Ling Chen approached the stone pedestal, upon which lay two decayed boxes. One box held a cyan Treasure Sword, and the other, a piece of red Soft Armor. Brilliant light flowed from the Soft Armor, emitting extraordinary fluctuations of precious aura.
"Cloud-hidden Sword."
Ling Chen picked up the cyan Treasure Sword and partially unsheathed it. Instantly, a dazzling brilliance erupted, radiating an intimidating sword qi that could blind an onlooker.
"A remarkable sword!"
Xiao Muyu stepped forward, her beautiful eyes gleaming. The sword’s quality, sharpness, and material were all top-notch. Compared to the Juechen Sword in her hand, it was even superior.
Famous swords in the Jianghu were known not just for their appearance but also for their unique characteristics. This Cloud-hidden Sword was like a hermit’s blade, its true sharpness concealed, revealing its full might only when necessary.
"Now, let’s look at this armor."
Ling Chen placed the Cloud-hidden Sword down and picked up the other piece of Soft Armor. After wiping the dust from it, the "Red Lotus Soft Armor" was revealed. Its bright red glow shone like Flames, emitting a warm aura.
This aura had a nurturing effect on one’s Essence Blood and True Qi.
Moreover, the Soft Armor was crafted from a very special material, offering excellent protection. Its value was no less than that of the Cloud-hidden Sword.
"I’ll take the Cloud-hidden Sword. You can have the Red Lotus Soft Armor. What do you say?" Ling Chen said, keeping the Cloud-hidden Sword and handing the Soft Armor to Xiao Muyu.
"For me?" Xiao Muyu was visibly flattered and hesitated to accept it. "You discovered this place, and I’ve done nothing. I can’t accept a reward I haven’t earned."
"Come on, didn’t you save my life last time?" A faint smile touched Ling Chen’s lips. "There’s no need for such formality with me. I can tell you really like this Soft Armor."
"In that case, I won’t refuse." Xiao Muyu accepted the Soft Armor and excitedly put it on.
The Soft Armor was a perfect fit. Once Xiao Muyu wore it, her graceful curves were accentuated, making her appear radiant and captivating.
"It suits you well." Ling Chen nodded. Just then, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the stone chamber. Ling Chen’s expression changed slightly. As he looked towards the stone door, he saw a hawkish-nosed young man standing there, followed by several other young disciples.
"Damn it, someone beat us to it!" The hawkish-nosed young man’s face darkened. His gaze swept from the Cloud-hidden Sword in Ling Chen’s hand to the Red Lotus Soft Armor Xiao Muyu wore, a fervent glint of desire in his eyes.
"Hand over the sword and armor, and I might spare your lives," the hawkish-nosed youth licked his lips, his voice a low growl.
Xiao Muyu gritted her teeth. "Treasures belong to those who find them first. Why should we hand them over to you?"
"Senior Brother Wang Shuang, why waste words on them? If they refuse to hand them over, let’s just take them by force," one of the disciples behind him said coldly.
"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Since you insist on doing this the hard way, I’ll have to teach you a lesson!" Wang Shuang’s eyes narrowed. He drew the Long Sword from his waist and advanced towards Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu.