Hearing the woman's arrogant, cold laughter from behind the colossal bronze gate, the white-robed elder's expression darkened, and a faint yet startling killing intent flashed through his eyes.
The next moment.
He appeared before the colossal bronze gate and raised a hand, casting a hand seal.
Creak...
Amid a teeth-grating sound, the colossal bronze gate slowly opened a crack. The white-robed elder took a deep breath, frowned, and walked in with utmost solemnity.
A deep, shadowy passage led straight underground.
The white-robed elder walked slowly, neither flying nor teleporting.
"Xue Wenzheng, I told you—you won't outlive me. Once you die, Great Qin will have no successor. Let's see who can guard this gate then."
The woman's cold laughter rang out once more.
Xue Wenzheng's face was dark, his lips pressed tightly together. He did not respond to the woman's mockery, merely descended the steps in silence.
Seeing that the white-robed elder would not answer, the mysterious woman grew increasingly impatient. She snorted coldly. "You old bastard, you really are stubborn. I'd like to see whether, once you weaken, you'll still be able to suppress the Heavenly Demon Mark I planted in you!"
The muscles on the white-robed elder's face twitched a few times, as though she had struck a sore spot.
Yet he remained silent and continued downward.
After a long while, he finally reached the end of the stairs.
It was a vast underground space, where faint black mist hung in the surrounding air.
Intense fluctuations from formation arrays emanated from within the black mist. Chains of black and white crisscrossed through the haze, connected to one complex grand formation after another.
At this moment, the chains trembled incessantly, as though tugged by some force.
"Heh. This old man has his own arrangements."
The white-robed elder halted, his gaze