Time-Space
"No!"
"Not here either!"
This road is blocked!
As the treasure hunt turned into an escape, the numerous trap rooms were quickly overlooked by the group.
Aside from Gongsun Hong still harboring some interest in 'Jiuyu', Li Shaojun, having witnessed the flames and thick smoke, focused on finding an escape route before making a search decision, while Zhang Xuezhou wanted to leave the Mechanized City and head to the secret location to guard against a possible explosion.
Each of the three had their own ideas, and their focus during the search also differed.
But the group's speed wasn't slow.
As a city of mechanisms, the Mohists built numerous trap rooms within the mountain. These trap rooms rarely had dead ends; instead, they were connected by various passageways, forming a labyrinthine network.
If you remember a certain place incorrectly, it will undoubtedly cause you the trouble of retracing your steps.
The fire had not yet reached where everyone was, but thick smoke had already filled the passageway, bringing a pungent smell, and the air had become increasingly dry and difficult to breathe.
Have you noticed something strange?
Although everyone searched quickly, the necessary communication still took place.
"We've checked so many of these labyrinthine structures, but we haven't found a single skeleton of a member of the Mohists, nor any of the traps or mechanisms they set up," Li Shaojun said breathlessly. "This is extremely unusual!"
"They must have gathered atop the mechanical city, and then perished in some unknown destruction," Gongsun Hong said. "Not even their bones were left behind. The mechanisms themselves naturally vanished along with them, with only a few surviving!"
"Not everyone in the Mohists is good at fighting. They must have to leave a few cooks and stewards in there, right?" Li Shaojun said.
"Such a long voyage at sea, who knows if the cooks and stewards would even be willing to come!"
Gongsun Hong quickly shook his head.
He felt that the absence of human remains was not the point; the point was to find 'Jiuyu'.
If they could utilize 'Jiuyu', they could quickly traverse long distances, truly achieving the ability to attack or defend, and remain safe and free even in dangerous situations.
"Gentlemen, the passage here doesn't go up, it just keeps going down," Zhang Xuezhou said quickly. "If you can't hold your breath for long while, I suggest you speed up!"
Li Shaojun can hold his breath, but his ability to do so is limited. Gongsun Hong can exchange air for water and breathe freely underwater for extended periods, but he cannot use poison gas to switch between breathing.
Zhang Xuezhou urged them repeatedly, and the two had no choice but to stop their discussion.
"Going down can't be the exit," Li Shaojun frowned. "Only going up can lead to the exit of the ruins!"
"Our current position is at least fifteen zhang lower than our initial position," Zhang Xuezhou warned. "That kind of fire can melt metal. If the fire causes a collapse, forget about finding a passage; when the torrential rain comes down, no one will be able to escape!"
"As long as we find Jiu Yu..."
Gongsun Hong said unwillingly, when a violent explosion was heard from behind, followed by a tremendous shaking of the earth.
Accompanying this was a scalding, foul stench that swept through the passageway like a whirlwind, instantly filling it with a hazy mist.
Zhang Xuezhou's kind words never come true, but his bad words come true very quickly.
Li Shaojun staggered a few steps, choking and coughing repeatedly as he inhaled the air. Gongsun Hong, on the other hand, turned red in the face and gripped the door of the mechanism room tightly.
"Dongfang Shuo has been blown away!"
"He flew away on the wind!"
"Does he have some kind of bad feeling? I have a strong feeling he desperately wants to escape from here!"
"Everyone wants to escape... Oh no!"
By the time Gongsun Hong managed to regain his balance, Zhang Xuezhou had already disappeared from the passageway near them.
He said a few words, and Li Shaojun replied with a few words in return.
While Gongsun Hong was still pondering, Li Shaojun felt a sense of unease, sensing that the fire disaster would be far more severe than he had imagined.
Li Shaojun knew Zhang Xuezhou all too well. Unlike Zhang Xuezhou, who had multiple lives to squander, Zhang Xuezhou only had one life and cherished it greatly.
The other party was clearly aware of the risk of force majeure, and even felt that there wasn't enough time.
"What exactly is this 'Jiuyu' of yours? If it's not more important than your life, I suggest you waste some time," Li Shaojun coughed.
"Jiuyu can be moved to another area. If we want to escape, the best way is to find 'Jiuyu'," Gongsun Hongdao said.
Why didn't Dongfang Shuo seek him out?
"He's looking for it too!"
"What does it look like?"
"It might be a bronze mirror as tall as a person!"
Gongsun Hong did not wish to share this news with Li Shaojun unless it was absolutely urgent.
Zhang Xuezhou's lack of interest in the treasure might not stop Li Shaojun from having such thoughts.
And it is precisely in urgent situations that such things are more prone to going wrong.
At this point, the situation was beyond his control, so Gongsun Hong had no choice but to quickly mention the characteristics of 'Jiuyu'.
"Then hurry up and chase after Dongfang Shuo! He's definitely flown off to find this 'Jiuyu'!" Li Shaojun cursed. "What if he takes it and runs away? We'll be left with nothing but dust!"
"He's not that kind of person!" Gongsun Hong said.
"That's the kind of person he is!"
Despite their similar interactions, Gongsun Hong and Li Shaojun arrived at completely different character assessments of Zhang Xuezhou.
The two exchanged a glance, wanting to argue but then stopped themselves.
Once the shaking of the passageway subsided, the two of them chased after Zhang Xuezhou in the direction he had flown away.
In any case, there are no other options but to either find an upward route to leave the danger zone or to seek safety from 'Jiuyu'.
"It's collapsed here!"
"There are also large government offices below!"
"These government buildings are heavily guarded!"
The passageways of the Mohists's Mechanized City are well-organized; without guidance, it would be difficult to find the right direction amidst the winding paths.
However, the shockwave from the explosion caused some areas to collapse, damaging the original passageways.
Below the collapsed area, Gongsun Hong and his group finally saw a dense array of crossbows firing in rapid succession, as well as scenes of poison spray, poisonous smoke, and sharp weapons exploding, and White Bone lying scattered among them.
The Mohists mechanical arts were exquisite and incredibly powerful; the mechanical city was almost like a fierce tiger covered in sharp teeth.
If even one or two members of the Mohists school exist, this is a place that is difficult for outsiders to pass through.
Gongsun Hong and the others finally figured out where they were.
If I'm not mistaken, they've been in the area where the Mohists disciples are active. The Mohists disciples can create mechanisms in these areas, learn from the Grand Master, or do other things.
Below the city walls lies an insurmountable forbidden zone, firmly guarded by numerous mechanisms.
"In both Sacred Land and secret realms, the higher one's residence, the more distinguished one's status. The Mohists do the opposite," Li Shaojun said through gritted teeth. "The lower one's residence, the more noble one is. This dilapidated city has always forbidden others from entering or leaving, so nobody knew about their layout!"
"I should have known! Damn it!"
Gongsun Hong was also filled with regret, realizing that he had gone astray from the very beginning when he started climbing the mountain to explore.
He leaped downwards and called out to Zhang Xuezhou several times.
"'Jiuyu' seems to be here!"
When Zhang Xuezhou's response came from afar, Gongsun Hong was overjoyed, but he was also a little afraid, fearing that Zhang Xuezhou would take the things and run away as Li Shaojun had said.