Like an Extension of One's Arm

"."

The stairs leading to the underground chamber beneath the stone hall were long, and Xu Yuan and Li Qingyan descended one after the other.

Looking down along the narrow stone walls on both sides, the end of the steps is shrouded in inky blackness, seemingly bottomless.

As his Will Soul surged forth from his sea of consciousness, Xu Yuan suddenly noticed something quite interesting and placed his hand on the stone wall:

"The walls of this ordinary-material secret room seem to be able to shield the Will Soul to some extent."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes, a hint of wariness creeping into his gaze.

Regardless of whether it's for profit, it's unlikely that this cavernous Underground City would target these two "visitors from the upper realm."

But it's better to be safe than sorry.

Given the disparity in strength between the two sides, unless the four of them agree to attack together, it would be a free kill for Li Qingyan. However, if they had the assistance of an array...

While pondering, Xu Yuan subconsciously stopped in his tracks:

"There are actually formations within this Underground City?"

"Formation?"

Li Qingyan didn't stop, his pleasant, husky voice tinged with laughter. "This isn't an array."

Xu Yuan continued to stride forward:

"If it's not an array, then why can these ordinary building materials block my Will Soul detection?"

Li Qingyan turned her head, her phoenix eyes smiling:

"Because your cultivation level is too weak."

"." Xu Yuan.

Li Qingyan casually tapped the stone wall:

"It has a thousand-layer structure that moves according to the internal mechanisms. If Will Soul strength is insufficient, it will only Will Soul on the surface and be unable to penetrate deeper. If you are really curious, Changtian, you can use your Source Qi to explore it."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan silently touched the cool wall with his fingertips, sensing it slightly, and then said with interest:

"These mechanisms are intricately linked and quite clever."

Li Qingyan replied dismissively:

"It's just a creation of mortals; such an exquisite structure would shatter with the slightest touch."

"."

Because of his Fourth Sister, Xu Yuan had some knowledge of the history of formations, and chuckled softly:

"This cave Underground City cannot be judged by the standards of the Great Yan. It is a small country with a small population. With such a small number of people and cultivators in the underground cave, exploring cultivation Cultivation Method is already the limit. It simply cannot support a complete system to assist cultivation."

"Their decision to design such ingenious mechanisms using the power of mortals was already quite farsighted. If given enough time, they might be able to develop a mechanism array system completely different from that of the Great Yan."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan glanced up at the top of the staircase with a sigh, then shook his head with an ambiguous expression.

Li Qingyan sensed Xu Yuan's expression and gave him a slightly strange look:

"What are you thinking about, judging by that expression?"

Xu Yuan's eyes were thoughtful:

"I wonder what my future would be like if I were born in this Underground City surrounded by Strange Ghost."

"Ha?"

Li Qingyan was taken aback, then shook his head and laughed, "I didn't expect you to think about such trivial things."

"Are you bored?"

Xu Yuan wasn't surprised by the princess's appearance, after all, she was a woman who didn't like to fantasize. Pointing upwards, she smiled with slight interest and said, "Don't you think saving the world in such a desperate situation is a very challenging thing?"

Born in this dark and sunless Underground City, he rose from ignorance to prominence, gradually understanding the plight of his people as he grew stronger. Finally, he became the strongest in the Underground Palace, learning the truth about the Underground City and experiencing the despair of facing countless powerful Strange Ghost before striving to catch up.

"You're overthinking it," Li Qingyan interrupted.

"Hmm?" Xu Yuan asked with slight doubt.

"With your habits, you'll probably be kicked out of the Underground City when you're a teenager, let alone in the future."

"." Xu Yuan.

"Stop indulging in naive fantasies and think more about practical things."

After saying that, Li Qingyan turned around and continued walking downhill.

"."

After being scolded, Xu Yuan stared at the aloof and beautiful figure gradually disappearing into the distance, smacked his lips, and quickly caught up, muttering:

"Hey, don't you know that girls who are too realistic are not cute at all?"

"Cute?"

Li Qingyan's crimson eyes stared down, her calm voice echoing, "Someone just said that 'cuteness' isn't for me. Alright, enough talk, we've arrived at the secret chamber."

As Li Qingyan finished speaking, a stone wall suddenly appeared in front of the two of them, completely blocking the end of the passageway.

The staircase has come to an end.

Looking at the stone wall, Xu Yuan's eyes showed a slightly strange expression, because he could sense that this thing was not a physical object.

It was a projected phantom, a phantom without any fluctuations of Source Qi.

This is yet another technology completely different from that of the Great Yan.

Thinking it over, the two of them passed through the illusory stone wall one after the other and entered the secret chamber below.

As soon as they entered, the two stopped at the entrance.

This secret room—no, it should be called a tunnel—is a secret chamber.

In the corner of the tunnel, there was vegetation that emitted a blue fluorescence in the dark, and with this faint light, Xu Yuan could see the entirety of this vast cave.

The suits of brownish-red armor were simply placed on the ground without any treatment.

Perhaps due to long-term neglect, hundreds of the refined Black Death Fungal Armor have taken root in the ground again, and the spreading fungal carpet almost covers the entire tunnel, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled softly:

"The fact that this Fungal Armor can grow on its own after being refined is a truly unexpected delight."

He wasn't sure if he could use the Fungal Armor stored in the Underground City to upgrade Li Qingyan to "purple," because according to the conversion rate in Cangyuan, a purple Fungal Armor requires a thousand white Fungal Armor as materials to synthesize.

However, it seems to be enough now.

Li Qingyan circulated his Cultivation Method, flames blazing in his eyes, and asked softly:

"Absorb all?"

Xu Yuan glanced at Li Qingyan and pondered for a moment:

"With your cultivation level, you should have enough Source Qi to supply this black Fungal Armor. But it doesn't matter; if your cultivation level isn't high enough, I have plenty of Source Crystal."

"Oh, you're quite generous."

Li Qingyan chuckled softly and flew to the center of the tunnel.

After standing silently for a few breaths, Li Qingyan removed her black robe, revealing the perfect curves of her body covered by Black Death Fungal Armor. Then, she gently touched the fungal carpet on the ground with a slender finger.

The next moment,

A fiery red Source Qi emanated from her body, illuminating the entire tunnel as if it were daytime, while the intricate brownish-red fungal carpet on the ground instantly began to boil.

The commotion of the fungal carpet lasted for about ten breaths.

When they subsided, the Black Death Fungal Mat that had been lying flat on the ground had swollen up with countless channels resembling flesh and blood vessels.

It spread out from Li Qingyan's center, connecting all the Black Death Fungal Armor in the tunnel.

Seven hundred and thirty-two Black Death Fungal Armor, seven hundred and thirty-two blood and flesh-like tubes.

"."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly upon seeing this, but before he could ask anything...

"Plop--"

A soft, swallowing sound echoed in the silent tunnel.

Xu Yuan frowned and looked in the direction of the voice.

But then, one after another, bulges appeared at the connection between the fungal carpet meridians and the Black Death Fungal Armor, and then slowly traveled along the fungal carpet meridians toward Li Qingyan.

"Plop--"

"Plop--"

"."

The vast underground tunnel was filled only with the sound of continuous swallowing.

Under Xu Yuan's gaze,

Li Qingyan's close-fitting Black Death Fungal Armor was like a gluttonous beast, constantly absorbing the life force of the other Black Death Fungal Armor in the tunnel through the fungal carpet's meridians.

The life force of the Black Death Fungal Armor was drained, and it quickly shriveled up at a rate visible to the naked eye.

As time goes by,

The dull, lifeless surface of Li Qingyan's Fungal Armor gradually developed patterns, constantly emitting an eerie and profound dark red light.

It's about to end.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Xu Yuan realized something was wrong.

Although most of the Fungal Armor had been sucked dry, more than twenty sets of Fungal Armor remained standing.

Is this a green-grade Black Death fungus suit?

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan immediately realized that the remaining items were most likely left behind by a third-grade Grandmaster from the Underground Palace.

For a third-grade Grandmaster, ordinary Fungal Armor no longer provides a significant boost to their combat power.

If they were of normal intelligence, they would know to absorb the Fungal Armor stored in the Underground City to synthesize stronger ones and obtain greater power.

Fifteen minutes later,

The absorption process was nearing its end; the once vibrant underground tunnel had become desolate, with only one piece of Fungal Armor still persisting under Li Qingyan's devouring influence.

However, with the combined absorption of nutrients from more than a dozen fungal veins, the last Fungal Armor quickly withered and turned into a dry vine shell.

Everything returned to calm.

A tall, slender woman stood quietly in the center of the tunnel, looking down at the completely different Fungal Armor she was wearing.

"Click--"

The dead fungal carpet was trampled.

Xu Yuan stepped forward, examining the dark red glow emanating from the intricate patterns on her Fungal Armor, and chuckled softly:

How are you feeling?

"Very strong."

Li Qingyan raised her eyes, smiled, and said, "And it's as easy to use as an extension of my own arm."

As they spoke,

A glint flashed in her crimson eyes, and her dark red, form-fitting Fungal Armor immediately changed.

Then it boiled.

The tight-fitting princess is gone.

The strapless princess is back.

The Black Death Fungal Armor transformed directly into the red robe dress that Li Qingyan usually wore, and it even came with a breast wrap.

However, upon closer inspection, one can discover that the red robe is covered with some intricate dark red patterns, which seem to sway on the surface of the garment as if they were alive.

Silence for several breaths,

Xu Yuan sighed and smiled with a hint of teasing:

"This ability of the Fungal Armor to transform is quite convenient. When I return to the army, I won't have to worry about my breastplate tearing again."

Li Qingyan walked closer, staring at him with a smile in her eyes:

"Changtian, you seem a little reluctant? Do you want me to turn this garment back?"

"What's there to be reluctant about? Isn't it more torturous to show them the food but not feed them?"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes at the woman, then turned and walked towards the top of the passageway.

"Let's go. Judging by the time, those four people upstairs should have already reached a conclusion."

Li Qingyan chuckled and followed, her red skirt fluttering in the wind.

Do you think they will agree?

"Bai Muxi herself is probably not too willing, after all, that jade pendant can temporarily make her a Origin Beginning expert."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly, "However, the price I'm offering is one they can't refuse. The method to break through to the Origin Beginning alone is likely enough to cause internal divisions, not to mention the Cultivation Method and the chance to escape this Underground City."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan glanced at Li Qingyan:

"Besides, isn't Your Highness here? It's a perfect opportunity to try out this new Fungal Armor."

A hint of amusement flashed in Li Qingyan's beautiful eyes:

"If they refuse, are you prepared to use force?"

"Hey, don't put it so harshly."

Xu Yuan waved his hand, squinted, and smiled, "How can a win-win situation be called using force? We call it winning people over with virtue."

"Once we hand over the Blood God Stone to them, our Seven Cities Alliance will be without Origin Beginning power for a short period of time."

The altar was surrounded by a soundproof barrier formed by the four people using their Source Qi. Li Xing's rebuke echoed within the barrier, "This is tantamount to handing over the power of life and death to those two from the upper realm."

"The way you're talking makes it sound like we can defeat that Origin Beginning Being from the Upper Realm without even engaging in combat."

Yi Kui rested her chin on her hand, her fair fingers gently tapping her cheek, and replied nonchalantly, "That woman was able to protect a Soul Condensation as she quietly approached us. Doesn't that prove something? Our Underground City's Cultivation Method are simply incomparable to those of the Upper Realm."

"That was because Lord Simin hadn't activated the Blood God Stone!"

Li Xing chuckled softly, took a deep breath, and said sarcastically in a low voice, "Yi Kui, are you in such a hurry to go to the Upper Realm with that Soul Condensation? It's just a pity that his status is already so noble that he doesn't even look at your body."

"Call"

Yi Kui let out a soft breath, looked at the man in front of her, not annoyed, but simply said:

"Since that's the case, Li Xing, tell me you don't agree to this deal. After the two from the Upper Realm leave, or die in the Blood Demon Cave, where will we find a way to break through to the Origin Beginning? Where will we get a stronger Cultivation Method? Can you create one yourself, or can I, or perhaps our Simin Siming can?"

"If we miss this opportunity, we'll only be left to die in the next Blood Nest Disaster!"

Having said that, Yi Kui clenched her fists, a fierce glint flashing in her beautiful eyes and fingertips.

All four grew up in this dark and gloomy Underground City, where the people and things they wanted to protect were located.

Indulging in the sounds of horses and chirping was because there was no hope in this desperate situation, but it did not mean that Yi Kui had forgotten the original intention they made when they overthrew the rule of the "priests".

"Feel sorry."

Li Xing remained silent for a few breaths, then his voice softened:

"What I mean is, at the very least, we can't lose our most basic ability to resist. Let's try to negotiate the terms of the deal with those two again."

"Discuss?"

Yi Kui pointed outside, her previously alluring and seductive tone completely gone, replaced by a hint of Sha Qi:

"Besides the Blood God Stone, what else can we use to negotiate with the two from the Upper Realm?"

"Use the intelligence from the Blood Nest, or the resources from our Underground City?"

"Li Xing, the Source Crystal they casually scattered are the likes of which we've never seen before in our lives! As for intelligence... ha, that Soul Condensation man from the Upper Realm even knows how to escape the Underground Palace, why would he lack our intelligence?!"

Speaking of this,

Yi Kui took a deep breath, rubbed her temples, and softened her voice slightly:

"Besides the Blood God Stone, the only thing that might interest those two from the Upper Realm is the four of us ourselves."

After he finished speaking, the four of them fell silent for a moment.

From the very beginning, they had no chance to bargain. If they wanted to save the people of the Underground City, they had no choice but to unilaterally compromise with the young man in brocade robes from the upper realm.

"Alright, everyone, stop arguing."

Bai Muxi's clear voice was gentle and soothing, tinged with laughter, but beneath the veil, the smile held a hint of bitterness, "I already know what to do."

Having said that,

She slowly stood up and looked at the deep, dark chamber of the stone hall.

There, two figures were slowly emerging from the passageway.

The next moment, the gentle, smiling voice of the man in the brocade robe drifted over:

"Lord of Simin, are you willing to accept the deal I just proposed?"

Bai Muxi's beautiful eyes flickered for a moment, then she sighed inwardly. With a stomp of her foot, her gauze robe fluttered as she gently landed in front of the handsome man, bowing respectfully.

"Of course I'm willing, but Mu Xi would like to add one condition, and I hope you will agree, young master."

Upon hearing the change in the other person's self-address, Xu Yuan's narrow eyes involuntarily narrowed.

Tell me about it.

"Apart from the Blood God Stone, the four of us are willing to serve you, young master."

As he spoke,

Bai Muxi yanked off the blood-red crystal hanging from her chest, slowly bent down and knelt, her fair forehead touching the ground beside Xu Yuan's boots, offering it with both hands:

Mu Xi,

"We implore you, young master, to save the people of the Underground City."

Bonus chapter failed.