Qing Chen passed through several layers of overt and covert sentries. The closer he drew to Black Centipede Cliff, the more his unease grew.
Following the information in the voice transmission, he finally stopped before the stone door of a quiet room marked "Thirteen."
The instant Qing Chen came to a standstill, the stone door slid inward without a sound.
"Come in." Tie Ming's utterly cold voice sounded directly in his Sea of Consciousness.
Qing Chen forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart and stepped into the quiet room.
The furnishings inside were so simple they bordered on crude: a black stone table and two stone chairs, with nothing else besides.
Several faintly glowing Spirit Stones were embedded in the walls, their gentle light illuminating a figure seated upright in one of the stone chairs;
-it was none other than Tie Ming.
Tie Ming still wore his faceplate, concealing his features and expression.
He did not look up, merely extending a finger covered in metal plating and tapping the stone table lightly.
Hum!
With that soft sound, the quiet room's stone door closed silently.
Immediately afterward, the runes on the walls and floor lit up.
A pale blue curtain of light, visible to the naked eye, swiftly rose and completely enveloped the quiet room.
A powerful isolation restriction activated, instantly cutting the interior off from the outside world.
Qing Chen's heart sank sharply. The True Essence within him instinctively began circulating faster through his meridians.
His expression remained unchanged. As instructed, he walked over to the stone table and sat in the chair opposite "Tie Ming." His bearing was respectful without being servile. Lowering his head slightly, he said deferentially:
"Lord Army Supervisor, what instructions do you have for me?"
For the first time at such close range, Tie Ming's