Disconnect. (Continued)

Maria paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.

Her ability allows her to see in the dark without regard for her surroundings, enabling her to move forward steadily, something the Old Celestial Master cannot do.

Although she could vaguely see some things, the light was insufficient, or even nonexistent, resulting in some subtle signs of blindness.

But at that moment, both of them saw lights in the distance, and finally, they felt the stairs below stop...

They... seemed to have stepped into a void?

The Old Celestial Master looked around strangely.

On the flat ground some distance away, a candle slowly burned on a strangely shaped stone pillar that looked like a human hand reaching out from the ground.

The faint light barely tore through the thick darkness, but it couldn't illuminate the entire underground space.

They could feel the unevenness and undulation of the wall beside them; the strange texture suggested that it wasn't just simple stone.

"Still ore..."

The Old Celestial Master casually pinched off a piece, sniffed it, and then made his judgment.

Perhaps because it's so close to the ground, there's no longer the warmth from the sun; every breath brings a heavy, icy chill.

There was also a strange, unsettling, cloudy feeling.

The Old Celestial Master couldn't describe the smell, only that it was like a room that hadn't been ventilated in a long time, filled with all sorts of strange incense smells.

The Old Celestial Master turned his head and looked at Maria beside him.

Maria, however, continued walking without saying a word.

Unlike the Old Celestial Master who could only see a glimpse of the light, Maria could see the entire underground world.

This underground space... is frighteningly vast.

Looking up, it rises at least thirty or forty meters high, and its area is so large that as far as the eye can see, only a faint boundary line can be seen!

This scene is as if someone has hollowed out the entire underground space!

But this unusual behavior surprised Maria even more.

If calculated based on her physical perception, the ceiling here is still tens of meters above the ground.

Such a vast space, even with some pillar-like structures supporting it, should have been impossible for anyone on the entire surface of Hundred Stoves to remain completely unaware of it.

Logically speaking, this place should have collapsed long ago.

Unless...

"What supports this space is not stone pillars, but an unfamiliar force."

Maria whispered, gazing again into the darkness not far away.

Many figures slowly emerged from among them.

They noticed Maria and the others, and their gazes turned serious and cold.

The Old Celestial Master also sensed this hostility. Flames in his hand flickered inexplicably, instantly dancing and forcibly tearing through the darkness!

At this moment, she finally understood what was really going on...

In the darkness, hundreds of people, all dressed in black, silently watched this scene.

Many of them had already fallen to the ground, no longer breathing.

Fresh blood flowed continuously along the intricate magic array patterns on the ground.

At the very center of the entire magic circle, a colossal stone statue reaching to the ceiling stood tall!

The towering structure is simply beyond human capability!

"What the hell is this thing?!"

At this moment, even the usually composed Old Celestial Master could no longer remain calm.

Just one glance at that eerie stone statue made the Old Celestial Master feel his blood begin to surge and rage.

Her breathing became painful, and her wails echoed incessantly in her ears.

Countless whispers, like an ocean, overwhelmed his mind.

The excruciating headache almost made her think a hole had been punched in her head!

Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who arrived at this time.

Maria is here too.

She slowly stepped forward, blocking the Old Celestial Master's view of the stone statue, while she herself silently observed the people in front of her.

"The Shanhai Assembly... and the people of Gordan?"

Maria spoke calmly, completely unaware that the other side had several more drinks than her.

"Yes."

The leading figure paused for a moment, then quickly gave his answer.

And its sound...

"It really is you, Xu Zhengguan."

The Old Celestial Master stood up, clutching his head, and glared indignantly at them.

At that moment, Maria noticed that at the far end of this underground space, some kind of thread was faintly visible through the wall. It was pure white, and even the smallest bit of it had a whisker-like structure as thick as an adult's arm.

"Of course it's me."

Xu Zhengguan nodded silently, as if resigned to his fate, and calmly gave his answer in the face of the Old Celestial Master's anger.

He removed his cloak, revealing his pale, gaunt face beneath.

Its weak and terrifying appearance even startled the Old Celestial Master for a moment.

Because she clearly remembered that the last time she saw him was at a meeting in North Korea a few months ago.

Back then, the other person probably didn't look like this, right?

How come now...

"It's scary, isn't it?"

Xu Zhengguan smiled, as if he knew the Old Celestial Master's doubts.

"Not everyone is like you, with a life that hardly changes... I will grow old, everyone will grow old."

"..."

The Old Celestial Master didn't speak, but Xu Zhengguan didn't seem to be trying to talk to Old Celestial Master either; he just continued muttering to himself and showed his arm.

In contrast to his aged and bloodless face, his arms were remarkably young.

He was strong and powerful, with fair skin where you could even see the blood vessels and muscles pressing against each other; his robust physique was completely unlike what one would expect of a civil official.

"I find it hard to believe that my body could change so much in just one month... I feel... I feel like I've become ten years younger."

Xu Zhengguan at his hands; even though he had examined them countless times, he was still fascinated by them.

The older he got, the longer he lived, the more he realized how wonderful it was to be young.

"I once asked you about the secret to longevity... but what I really want isn't longevity, but a better body... even if it shortens my lifespan, I don't care."

"Do you know what's most painful for someone like me?"

Xu Zhengguan at the Old Celestial Master in front of him and spoke coldly.

"It's the feeling of aging..."

"Problems that used to require no thought now need to be repeatedly clarified; copywriting that used to be easy to solve now requires me to spend an entire night studying it; after finishing everything, I used to be able to train a group of students... But now, I can do nothing."

"Sometimes I'm quite envious of you, Old Celestial Master. You were promised by the previous emperor to join the Mixed-Breed Warriors program, gaining near-infinite life..."

Xu Zhengguan turned his head, gazing at the Old Celestial Master, and couldn't help but make a sound.

Seeing the Old Celestial Master's furrowed brows, he continued speaking indifferently.

"I know you're going to argue that your life wasn't due to the Mixed-Breed Warriors Project, but rather your own Originium Arts... But can you guarantee that you're alive today without any connection to the Mixed-Breed Warriors?"

Xu Zhengguan spoke, his tone calm.

The Old Celestial Master paused at this moment.

Although she has long declared that her life is influenced by Originium Arts.

However, it must be admitted that even the most exquisite Originium Arts could not have sustained her for over a thousand years.

The key lies in the blood and power gained by Mixed-Breed Warriors.

"So... you stole the Mixed-Breed Warriors plan and gave it to them? And now you've got the result you wanted?"

The Old Celestial Master snorted coldly.

But Xu Zhengguan shook his head.

"That was the initial idea... but the plan failed. We were missing one of the most crucial pieces of information, which was vaguely described in the plan itself, until... I met them."

As he spoke, he turned to the side, revealing the person behind him.

Seeing the Old Celestial Master frown, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Of course I know that the so-called Shanhai Assembly and the so-called Gordan are not good people... At least, I don't think the emperors of past dynasties were wrong to be wary of them."

"But..."

At this point in the conversation, Xu Zhengguan changed the subject!

"Being wrong or not being a good person doesn't mean they are completely worthless!"

"Even these people, with their knowledge, power, and abilities, are..."

"Nonsense!"

The Old Celestial Master didn't let Xu Zhengguan continue speaking, and she was too lazy to listen any further.

She simply stared coldly at the man in front of her.

The image of the other person when they first entered officialdom overlapped with their image now that they had reached the top, ultimately revealing a hint of disappointment.

"Ultimately, all you want is to live, isn't that right?"

"... Yes."

Despite being interrupted, Xu Zhengguan remained calm and spoke in a low voice before coldly looking at the Old Celestial Master.

Perhaps in the past, he would have shown respect for this living fossil of Yan's history.

But at this moment, he had no thoughts at all.

Even the other cloaked figures nearby didn't show any fear.

They just smiled, smiling as they looked at the Old Celestial Master.

What are you laughing at?

The Old Celestial Master frowned, revealing a hint of impatience.

"The evidence is irrefutable; none of you are getting away!"

Xu Zhengguan, however, simply smiled.

We're laughing... laughing at your stupidity and boredom.

"Do you think we didn't suspect you'd track us down here? Do you think our defenses are that weak?"

"We've put in a lot of effort to deal with you..."

"Especially for you, Exorcist General..."

Xu Zhengguan speaking, the Old Celestial Master beside him was stunned for almost an instant.

In this era, besides myself, who else knows of the existence of the Exorcist General?!

That can't be right, can it?

"..."

Maria did not reply, but simply looked at the man before her in silence.

Xu Zhengguan continued speaking, seemingly unconcerned.