"This is the architectural layout of the ancient Four Kings Protecting the Emperor." Chu Yun glanced at it and immediately understood.
The Demon Weapon Hall beneath my feet is just one of the Four Kings Halls, occupying the northern part. Besides the Kings Halls in the other three directions, there should be an Imperial Palace on the high mountain in the center. That's the key point.
The Yan Family Patriarch was clearly aware of this as well. After a moment's thought, he decided to explore the remaining three royal palaces one by one before venturing into the central palace to explore the imperial palace.
After another difficult defeat of a Spirit Demon, a Daoist temple slowly rose up.
Filled with dreams, the group pushed open the door and entered.
However, the only gain was a single sentence from the Earthwalking Divine Search: "There are so many treasures here. The Fire Virtue King truly lives up to his reputation as a powerful figure from ancient times!"
"Damn, this Earthwalking Divine Search is a total bastard!"
"Not only did they steal our things, but they also left a message to annoy us."
The Yan Family Patriarch, known as " Earthwalking Divine Search," clenched his fists in anger and resentment, feeling extremely frustrated but unable to find an outlet for his anger.
Earthwalking Divine Search was a figure from 100,000 years ago, and is now long gone. If the Yan Family Patriarch wants to settle accounts with him, he can only do so by committing suicide and sending his soul to the Yellow Springs, where he might still be able to see Earthwalking Divine Search.
"This Daoist temple holds countless Daoist techniques, and he just took them all!"
" Fire Virtue King's collection must have contained top-tier Daoist techniques. Yet none of them survived."
The Yan Family members became increasingly frustrated, some even on the verge of vomiting blood.
Upon arriving at the next royal palace, the same inscription appeared on the bronze pillar.
"Not bad, newcomer. Congratulations on defeating the Spirit Demon outside."
The Yan Family Patriarch was so angry that his face turned ashen and his whole body trembled. The Ancient Earth Altar was filled with guardian Demon Beast of the thousand-year Spirit Demon level. They also knew many ancient Daoist techniques, making them extremely difficult to deal with, and one could easily suffer losses if one was not careful.
Moreover, his spiritual power had reached its limit, and he needed to curb the continued increase in the cultivation of the two great Spirit Demon; otherwise, some demons would become disobedient or even rebel.
Therefore, even if one kills the Spirit Demon and obtains the Demon Crystal, the demon creature in one's possession cannot absorb it. One has no choice but to reluctantly give it up.
After several fierce battles, his once imposing battle robe was now scorched, his hair and beard were singed in many places, and his body had many charred spots. He no longer possessed his former imposing aura.
When they reached the last royal palace, it was completely ransacked by the Earthwalking Divine Search. Many people gritted their teeth and cursed the Earthwalking Divine Search's ancestors and descendants.
Especially after seeing the words left by the Earthwalking Divine Search, some people were so enraged that they actually vomited blood.
Chu Yun stepped forward and heard the voice say, "Alright, don't be angry. I'm going to take a look at that high mountain in the center; maybe I can leave you something."
He couldn't help but chuckle; this Earthwalking Divine Search was incredibly talented. No wonder he was his idol.
Based on this calculation, the masterpiece here must have been created in his later years. It's clear that he retained a childlike heart and found joy in exploring and discovering hidden wonders.
"What are you laughing at?" The man who had coughed up blood was enraged when he heard Chu Yun laugh, and glared fiercely at Chu Yun.
"Hmph! A mere prisoner dares to be so arrogant!"
Everyone was extremely agitated, staring intently at Chu Yun with ferocious and terrifying expressions. If it weren't for the Yan Family Patriarch's prior warning, they might have already taken action and killed Chu Yun to vent their anger.
"We're going to the Earth Altar in the center." The Yan Family Patriarch's breathing was uneven as he set off towards the high mountain in the center, carrying his last hope.
This high mountain is completely bare. It's quite an anomaly in this vibrant underground world.
The mountain was deathly silent, save for the scorching hot rocks, dark red and black, which resembled giant tombstones standing in the center of the underground world.
The Spirit Demon guarding this imperial palace was extremely powerful. It engaged in a fierce and protracted battle with the Yan Family Patriarch. Finally, after three hundred rounds, the Yan Family Patriarch tricked it, revealing a weakness, and the spirit gradually gained the upper hand.
After six hundred rounds, the Yan Family Patriarch killed the Spirit Demon of the Earth Altar and successfully opened the palace on the mountain peak.
Fire Virtue Palace
On the plaque above the palace are three large characters, written in a reddish-gold color, exuding an ancient charm.
Clinging to the last glimmer of hope, the Yan Family Patriarch entered the palace.
"Damn Earthwalking Divine Search of Thieves! I swear that in my lifetime, if I ever encounter a member of the Earth-Slaying Gods, I will kill him! I will exterminate all your descendants!" The Yan Family Patriarch stood before a line of inscriptions, his hair standing on end in fury, and roared with extreme resentment.
Gritting their teeth, the group stepped inside, searching with extreme reluctance.
The vacuum was completely empty; not a single treasure remained.
Chu Yun was very curious about what could have been said that could cause the Yan Family Patriarch to lose his composure like this. He stepped forward and saw that it was written on the wall, "Alas, although there are many treasures, none of them are what I want."
" Earthwalking Divine Search really too wicked, he's deliberately trying to drive people crazy." Chu Yun clicked his tongue, looking at the Yan Family with some sympathy in his eyes.
The Yan Family expended countless resources in their search for the Fire Virtue Palace, only to find it all for naught. After immense hope came even greater disappointment. How could they possibly accept this?
No wonder some people were so angry they vomited blood. Even a seasoned and experienced figure like the Yan Family Patriarch, who had weathered many storms, was trembling with rage and lost all composure.
" Earthwalking Divine Search, I curse you to be utterly destroyed!" someone cursed through gritted teeth.
"You liar, you big liar! You promised to leave one or two treasures for future generations!" Someone cried, still agonizing over the words left behind by the Earthwalking Divine Search in the royal palace.
"Grandpa, the ancestral treasures have all been stolen. We can't find the Qi-enhancing Demon Plant, what should we do? The one in the Lineage won't last much longer." The young master of the Yan Family spoke in a very heavy tone. This outcome was beyond his expectations, leaving him completely lost and panicked.
The Yan Family Patriarch struggled to calm himself, coldly glancing at Chu Yun before saying in a low voice, "The reason the five ancient clans have survived to this day is that each family possesses a powerful magical artifact to suppress their fortune. The Yan Family cannot be without such a magical Demon Plant, so we have no choice but to use Chu Yun to exchange for the Dragon Wish Tree in Shu Tianhao's possession."
Chu Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he finally understood the real reason why the Yan Family Patriarch hadn't killed him.
"Hmph, the Dragon Wish Tree is the most useless of all the luck-related demonic creatures. It's completely useless, and your cultivation can only improve naturally," the young master of the Yan Family said indignantly, glaring at Chu Yun a few times.
Chu Yun's heart sank.
The other party was unaware that the Dragon Wish Tree was actually in his possession. If he were taken to Yan Family Island and forcibly severed from the spiritual connection between himself and the demon, and the Dragon Wish Tree was discovered, he would become of little value.
"Let's go back to Yan Family Island first. You all stay here and guard this place. The Yan Family's follow-up troops will arrive in a few days." The Yan Family Patriarch sighed deeply and was about to leave.
"How hateful!" someone cursed, kicking the bronze pillar hard.
Clang
Suddenly, a section of the floor tile sank, revealing a tunnel.
"What's going on?" the man asked, still confused.
The young master of the Yan Family rushed forward a few steps and, after inspecting the area, discovered that a section of the bronze pillar had sunk in.
"I didn't expect there to be a hidden mechanism here. You did a great job. There will be a big reward from the Lineage when we get back." The young master of the Yan Family's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Thank you, Young Master!" The man was overjoyed. People around him cast envious and jealous glances at him. To be able to kick out a hidden mechanism with a casual kick—his luck was truly astonishing.
"This mechanism is so well hidden, even the Earthwalking Divine Search might have missed it. Let's go down!" A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the Yan Family Patriarch, and the Yan Family members were immediately invigorated again.
As soon as Chu Yun entered the tunnel, he felt a wave of heat rushing towards him, which made him feel hot and bothered.
The mysterious tunnel wasn't dark; it emitted a dim firelight. The deeper one went, the brighter the firelight became.
After walking for a quarter of an hour, the Yan Family Patriarch suddenly stopped, his face ashen.
"**, this Earthwalking Divine Search been here before too!" someone shouted.
On the wall, there is a line of text.
"This place is strange, and there is great danger ahead. Those who come after, do not proceed. This is the advice left to you by the Earthwalking Divine Search."
"What kind of advice is this?"
"They're deliberately trying to disgust us."
"That's alarmist talk. This Earthwalking Divine Search is a complete scoundrel."
After reading it, everyone started cursing.
Chu Yun frowned, sensing a different tone in those words. If true, what could be the danger that even the Earthwalking Divine Search feared?
"Keep moving forward," the Yan Family Patriarch gritted his teeth and continued deeper. He would never be satisfied until the very end.
After walking for another fifteen minutes, the group turned a corner and suddenly their eyes were drawn to a bright light.
"Fire everywhere!" cried the lead explorer in alarm.
A violent heat swept over, causing everyone to sweat profusely. The swirling flames and blood-red fire burned fiercely, a sight that made one's heart tremble.
"This is no ordinary fire." After observing intently for a moment, the Yan Family Patriarch's expression changed. "This is the legendary Heart Fire."
The fire of the heart is a special treasure, fueled not by matter, but by emotion.
"Keep moving forward." The Yan Family Patriarch made up his mind and strode forward.
The group stepped into the inferno, yet remained unharmed. Flames licked their bodies, but caused them not a single burn.
This is the fire of the heart, not a physical, ordinary flame.
"Ahhh, I can't take it anymore, I want to vent, I want to destroy!" After walking for a while, someone in the group suddenly shouted, tearing at his clothes, his eyes bloodshot, exuding a violent aura.
The Yan Family Patriarch was not surprised; inner fire can ignite emotions within people. The sea of fire they were currently in was the Wrathful Heartfire. The deeper they went, the stronger the fire grew, and the more it would ignite the anger within people's hearts.
Spirit Beast Master who lack willpower and spiritual strength will find themselves unable to control their emotions.
Finally, this person stepped back several dozen paces and remained where he was. The others continued forward.
Along the way, people were constantly forced to stop, and fewer and fewer people continued to venture deeper.
The fire grew fiercer, and Chu Yun felt the anger rising within him, his heart burning with rage. The people around him were in even worse shape; many had bloodshot eyes, clenched fists, and were panting heavily, struggling to move.
The tunnel suddenly leveled out, and the group arrived at a cave.
The cave was engulfed in flames. A tree stood tall amidst the inferno.
"Ah, we've found the Demon Plant that represents the destiny of our Yan Family!" The young master of the Yan Family exclaimed excitedly, his pupils dilating wide.
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