Chapter 108: Yinglong

However, her magical power had indeed broken free from its shackles and reached the strength of a Divine Lord; otherwise, even if she dared, she could never have taken on the Five Realms alone in the end.

Thinking back, so many years have passed, yet she still did not know what had truly happened within the void. And why did all those events occur the moment she returned?

Now, reflecting on it, her father had urged her strongly to visit Mount Zhongnan. There must have been something extraordinary about that place.

If time permitted, she would have to go and see it for herself.

Jiang Lan returned to her senses, took the sword from Sanmu’s hand, and headed toward the southeast corner of the entire stone pit.

Sanmu followed closely, and the Taoist with the blue eyebrows trailed silently behind.

Jiang Lan pointed at the unremarkable stone wall before them. “This is the entrance.”

“Entrance? Then there must be a hidden mechanism!”

Sanmu was very excited. Now that he possessed the Yellow Scroll, he was most suited to uncovering mechanisms.

Many others nearby, catching wind of this, joined in enthusiastically.

Jiang Lan and the blue-browed Taoist stepped aside, retreating a few paces.

“Benefactor, I have a question and would like to ask for your guidance,” the blue-browed Taoist said.

Jiang Lan turned to him, gesturing for him to speak frankly.

“How did you discover that the entrance was right here?” The Taoist pondered before asking, “You said ‘entrance’ just now, not ‘exit’?”

Jiang Lan looked at this clever man—the only one who had noticed this subtlety.

“Indeed, this is not the exit. It is the entrance leading to the third level.”

“The third level? You seem quite familiar with this place.”

“No, to answer your first question, I figured it out.”

“How did you?”

“By the flow of the magical energy.”

The blue-browed Taoist was greatly shocked. He had suspected as much before but dared not think deeply. Now, it seemed this person before him had never intended to find the exit; all his goals were aimed at entering the third level.

Previously, he had guessed that the external array required the magical energy of 365 individuals, and the remainder was hidden underground.

After traversing the first and second levels, apart from nightmare beasts, no other substances were found.

Therefore, the monsters must be in this final layer without a doubt.

The blue-browed Taoist could hardly bear to think further. If the gates of this hell were truly opened, what would happen?

“Benefactor, shall we deliberate longer on this matter? After all, it is of great importance. The monsters imprisoned here might be beyond even the Imperial Overseer’s ability to control. Perhaps it’s best we do not provoke them.”

“Don’t you want to get out?”

“…But releasing the monsters to wreak havoc upon the world is also unacceptable.” The blue-browed Taoist was deeply conflicted. At barely over sixty, he had achieved much. Though not as talented as Rong Mu, he was among the top of his generation. If he truly perished here, torn apart by the Overseer, he would feel a great unwillingness.

Yet, if he let the beasts loose, he not only feared for their danger but also worried that if they escaped, they might harm the entire imperial capital’s populace.

In his heart, the blue-browed Taoist resolved, “No, I must prevent such a thing.”

But Jiang Lan’s stance was resolute. “No, this is the only way I can think of to get out. You need not come down.”

“Th-This…” The prepared words were blocked.

At that moment, someone discovered the mechanism. Jiang Lan walked over, triggered it, and without concealment told everyone the level of danger below. He stated that he was willing to go down alone, but those who wished to follow could do so.

Sanmu was the first to step forward.

Sanmu thought, “Am I crazy not to follow the Young Master? It’s best if none of them follow so I can have a private talk with him and learn that spell from earlier.”

But where there was one, there would be two. Nearly twenty percent of the villains were willing to descend. They even declared that if they could not subdue the beasts, they would sacrifice themselves and the jade to prevent the monsters from harming the human world.

Jiang Lan paid no heed to their hesitation and complexities. He left only one shard of the luminous crystal previously divided among everyone, then led those two groups into the secret passage beneath.

The tunnel was very dark. Jiang Lan walked in front, the crystal light he had withdrawn into his palm now flying again toward the remaining companions.

Since the group was smaller, each had three shards, forming a protective ring. Because Sanmu was close to Jiang Lan and bore a faint trace of his aura, an extra shard flew to his side.

Many were surprised to discover this.

“It feels like my magical power has increased a lot!”

“Me too!”

Sanmu was especially delighted—his power had almost fully recovered.

Without the blue-browed Taoist’s interference, Sanmu firmly took the place right beside Jiang Lan.

“Master, I’ll assist you.”

Jiang Lan nodded and tossed him the sword sheath.

Sanmu happily caught it and followed just half a step behind.

The passage first descended dozens of steps, then opened into a short stone corridor. Walking along, within just a dozen steps, the view suddenly expanded into a vast pit.

The pit walls were carved with many holes, each sealed with black iron. Inside, various monstrous spirits were imprisoned.

“There are so many monsters inside? They seem to be trapped here.”

Walking along the narrow path forged into the pit walls, they passed many stone caves. The monsters inside were pierced with soul-locking nails, unable to move or use magic, and bound by heavy chains, struggling in vain.

“This is too cruel.”

“Benefactor said before that someone in the Overseer’s office uses ghosts to concoct pills. Now it seems they experiment not only on ghosts but also on monsters.”

“This is utterly vile. If the servants knew, the scandal of such a high and lofty Overseer secretly committing these acts would surely erupt.”

“A scandal? Those disgusting Overseers, no wonder they won’t let us go and cruelly want us to die with the secret of the golden pearl. Their hearts have long since grown ruthless, their conscience numb. Such deeds are intolerable!”

Jiang Lan ignored their impassioned outcries. A strange sensation seemed to call from the pit’s depths, beckoning him onward.

Suddenly, a white butterfly fluttered before him, leaving a faint glow in its wake.

Jiang Lan felt an inexplicable familiarity with this butterfly.

He turned to Sanmu. “Did you see that butterfly?”

Sanmu looked toward where Jiang Lan pointed but saw nothing.

“What butterfly? I didn’t see any. Hey, Master, why are you walking so fast? Wait for me!” Sanmu hurried to catch up, but Jiang Lan’s steps were swift, descending the wooden stairs pressed close to the stone wall.

Jiang Lan pursued the butterfly’s figure, unknowingly reaching the deepest part. The butterfly transformed into a streak of white light and vanished.

Before Jiang Lan stood a golden giant dragon bound atop a magical altar. Judging by its horns and scales, it was not a pure-blood Ying Dragon, but due to an atavistic trait, it possessed extraordinary power.

This Ying Dragon’s magical energy was rapidly draining; it was extremely weak, lacking even the slightest majesty expected of its kind when lifting its eyelids. This was the dragon breath Jiang Lan had detected earlier. But what was that butterfly just now?

“Mortal? Leave quickly, or I will swallow your heart whole!”