Dragon Palace's Secret, The Map Unfurls to Reveal the Dagger

"Ah--!"

A piercing scream echoed through the vast and desolate underwater hall, causing the surrounding cold air to seem to shrink back.

The incident happened too quickly, so fast that no one had time to react.

The withered bone, which had been sitting cross-legged on the Cold Jade Chair for who knows how many years, had actually "come alive." Its claw, consisting only of bare white bones, like iron hooks, plunged deeply into Qian Tong's left shoulder.

Blood spurted out instantly, dyeing the pure white Cold Jade Chair red, and also dyeing the withered bone's faded robes red.

"Get off! Get off me!"

Qian Tong's face contorted in pain. His usual demeanor of pampered comfort and strategic management as a merchant association steward was completely gone. He frantically swung his right palm, imbued with powerful internal energy, and slammed it fiercely towards the withered bone's head.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the withered bone's already fragile neck bone snapped, and its head, glowing with a faint green Ghost Fire (actually Phosphor Fire), rolled down, landing right at Lu Chen's feet.

At the same time, the bone hand stuck in Qian Tong's shoulder, having lost its support, drooped limply, but its finger bones remained tightly clamped in the flesh.

"Steward!"

Only then did the four guards from the Flying Horse Merchant Association snap out of their daze, shouting in alarm as they rushed forward.

Especially the tall, thin man in black. His movement was incredibly fast, leaving behind an afterimage as he instantly appeared beside Qian Tong. He brought his fingers together like a blade, precisely severing the bone arm, and then quickly pressed several vital acupoints on Qian Tong's shoulder, stopping the gushing blood.

"What... what the hell is this thing? Did it come back to life?"

One of the guards stared at the scattered skeleton on the ground, his face deathly pale, his hand holding the knife trembling slightly.

In this bottomless underwater ruin, facing a withered bone that suddenly attacked, anyone would feel a chill rush from the soles of their feet straight to the crown of their head.

Only Lu Chen stood quietly a few steps away, a faint, almost imperceptible cold smile on his face.

His fingers twitched slightly, and several transparent threads, as fine as gossamer and invisible to the naked eye, were silently retracted into his sleeve.

This was "Puppet Silk."

He had specifically asked Wang Xiaoliu to prepare this little trick from the Heretical Path last night, and he hadn't expected it to work so surprisingly well.

"Hall Master Lu!"

Qian Tong's face was ashen, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He stared intently at Lu Chen, his eyes filled with malice and suspicion, "You were the closest just now, why didn't you make a move?!"

Although he was in excruciating pain, his mind was still clear. In that instant, he had clearly felt a faint fluctuation of energy, and the timing of the withered bone's attack was too coincidental, happening precisely when he reached out to grope around.

"Steward Qian's words are truly unfair."

Lu Chen spread his hands, looking innocent, "I was also stunned just now. Who could have imagined that this senior, who has been dead for hundreds of years, would have such a temper and not like being touched?"

As he spoke, he lightly flicked his toes, kicking away the skull that had rolled to his feet as if kicking a ball.

"You..."

Qian Tong was choked with anger. Just as he was about to lash out, he was gently pulled by the person in black beside him.

"Steward, look what this is?"

The person in black dug out a piece of black metal fragment from the broken arm bone.

This fragment was tightly clenched in the withered bone's hand. The previous grab had brought it out. The fragment was semicircular, engraved with complex patterns, exuding an ancient and vicissitudinous aura.

Qian Tong took the fragment, and his originally contorted face suddenly froze.

Immediately after, an ecstasy surged into his heart, even overshadowing the severe pain in his shoulder.

"This... this is..."

He took out a semicircular jade pendant of the same material from his embrace.

This was the token that the Ye Family Patriarch had personally given him before setting off, saying it was the key to unlocking the true inheritance of the Profound Nether Sect.

The two fragments, one black and one white, fit together perfectly at the cut edges.

Qian Tong took a deep breath and slowly put the two fragments together.

"Buzz--!"

A low buzzing sound suddenly rang out.

The previously dead silent great hall suddenly began to shake. On the bare stone wall behind the Cold Jade Chair, countless blue light patterns lit up. These light patterns intertwined and moved, finally converging into a huge formation pattern.

"Rumble..."

With a dull grinding sound, the stone wall slowly slid open to both sides, revealing a hidden secret chamber behind it.

A cold air, ten times more potent than that in the great hall, surged out of the secret chamber instantly!

"Hiss--"

Everyone present, except for Lu Chen, couldn't help but gasp, and a layer of white frost instantly formed on their eyebrows and hair.

Even Qian Tong and the others, who were protected by the Water Repelling Pearl, felt as if their blood was about to freeze.

But their gazes instantly became extremely fervent.

The secret chamber was not large, only about a zhang in area.

In the center was a half-human-tall Ice Stone Platform.

On the stone platform, two items floated quietly.

To the left was a booklet emitting a faint blue glow. The cover vaguely showed three ancient seal script characters: Ice Soul Art.

To the right was a crystal-clear jade bottle. The stopper was slightly ajar, and a hint of refreshing medicinal fragrance mixed with cold air drifted out. Just one whiff made one feel all their pores relax, and their true qi flowed a bit faster.

"Spirit Tier mid-grade cultivation technique Ice Soul Art! And... is that the legendary 'Marrow Cleansing Pill'?!"

Qian Tong's eyes instantly turned red, as red as a rabbit's, filled with greed and madness.

At this moment, he forgot his pain, forgot the danger, and even forgot Lu Chen beside him.

These were the things the Ye Family Patriarch dreamed of!

As long as he brought these two items back, his status in the Ye family would soar, and he might even be granted the Ye surname, becoming a true core family member!

"Quick! Hurry and get them!"

Qian Tong roared, pushing the man in black beside him.

The man in black was also full of excitement. His body flickered, and he was about to rush into the secret chamber.

However.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

As soon as the man in black's body touched the entrance of the secret chamber, it was as if he had hit an invisible wall. He was violently thrown back and crashed heavily onto the ground.

"What's going on?!" Qian Tong was shocked.

At the entrance of the secret chamber, a faint blue light screen appeared, flowing with heart-palpitating cold light.

"There's a Restriction!"

The man in black got up, his face looking grim. "This Restriction is very strong. Forcing our way through probably won't work."

"Trash! All of you are trash!"

Qian Tong was so anxious he was hopping. He saw a treasure mountain before him but couldn't find the way in. That feeling of gnawing anxiety was worse than killing him.

Just then, on the wall to the side of the secret chamber, several lines of ancient text slowly appeared, emitting a faint glow.

Everyone looked closely.

"I am Han Shanzi, the third-generation Sect Master of the Profound Nether Sect. I leave this Inheritance for the fated person."

"To enter this gate, one of the following must be met:"

"One, possess the Extreme Yin Extreme Cold Physique."

"Two, cultivate the sect's foundational technique Profound Nether Hand and condense the Profound Nether Cold Qi."

The words were few, but the meaning was clear.

This was a selection mechanism. The Profound Nether Sect did not want their inheritance to fall into the hands of outsiders, so they had set this threshold.

After reading these two lines, the great hall suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

Extreme Yin Extreme Cold Physique?

Such a physique was one in ten thousand. No one present would have it.

Therefore, only the second path remained.

Cultivate Profound Nether Hand and condense the Profound Nether Cold Qi.

Almost simultaneously, everyone's gaze turned uniformly towards Lu Chen.

Qian Tong's expression changed.

From previous greed and anxiety, it instantly turned to malice, venom, and a trace of undisguised killing intent.

He slowly turned around, looking at Lu Chen, who had been standing silently in the corner. A ferocious smile curled up on his lips.

"Hall Master Lu."

Qian Tong's voice was light, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness. "It seems that destiny has its own arrangements."

"What you obtained underwater before, it should be this Profound Nether Hand, right?"

"And judging by your previous actions, that chilling coldness... you must have already condensed the Profound Nether Cold Qi?"

Lu Chen looked at him expressionlessly, neither denying nor admitting.

He merely gently stroked the Hundred Refinements Steel Saber in his hand, his fingertips gliding across the cold blade.

"What does Steward Qian want to say?" Lu Chen asked indifferently.

"What I want to say, Hall Master Lu is a smart person, you should know very well."

Qian Tong no longer pretended. He clutched his injured shoulder and took a step back, signaling to the four guards.

Swish.

The four guards instantly spread out, forming a fan shape and surrounding Lu Chen in the center.

The man in black even drew the long saber at his waist, the tip pointing directly at Lu Chen's throat, his killing intent released without reservation.

"Lu Chen."

Qian Tong sneered, "Originally, I was thinking of sending you away with silver. After all, we are businessmen, and we value harmony to generate wealth. But now, it seems this deal needs to be handled differently."

"Since only you can obtain this Inheritance, I'll trouble Hall Master Lu to exert himself, go in and retrieve those two items, and hand them over to me."

"As long as I get the items, not only will I spare your life, but I'll also give you the thirty thousand taels of silver I promised, not a single cent less!"

"Oh?"

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, his eyes playful. "Steward Qian, do you believe what you're saying?"

"Aren't you wealthy families most adept at 'discarding the millstone after grinding the grain'? If I really take out the items and give them to you, I'm afraid my head will be chopped off the next second, right?"

His thoughts exposed, Qian Tong wasn't angry. Instead, he laughed even more happily.

"Hall Master Lu is indeed a sensible person."

"Since we've spoken frankly, I won't hide anything anymore."

Qian Tong's expression turned grim, and he shouted sternly:

"That's right! You only have two paths today!"

"Either, you obediently listen and go get the Inheritance. Although you'll still die in the end, I can give you a quick death and leave your body intact!"

"Or, I'll have someone break your limbs right now and drag you in like a dead dog!"

"You choose!"

As Qian Tong's words fell, the four guards simultaneously took a step forward.

The man in black's Qi Mechanism locked onto Lu Chen, and if Lu Chen dared to make the slightest move, he would strike like lightning.

The atmosphere instantly tensed to the extreme.

Like a drawn bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.

Lu Chen looked at the ferocious and greedy faces around him and suddenly smiled.

He smiled lightly, faintly.

But in this environment, it sounded exceptionally jarring.

"Choose?"

Lu Chen shook his head, slowly raising the Hundred Refinements Steel Saber in his hand, the tip pointing diagonally towards the ground.

"Only children make choices."

"Adults..."

His gaze suddenly turned ice-cold, like a bottomless pool of dead water.

"I want them all!"

"Qian Tong, do you really think bringing these few stinking fish and rotten shrimp means you can have your way with me?"

Qian Tong was enraged by Lu Chen's arrogant attitude. He suddenly waved his hand, issuing his final command:

"You refuse a toast and insist on a penalty!"

"Go! Cripple him! Just leave him alive!"

"Little Brother Lu, it seems I'll have to trouble you."

Five experts from the Prefecture City simultaneously closed in on Lu Chen, their killing intent surging like a tide.

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your Bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.