Chapter 1378: Chapter 1378: Discovered! Chapter 1378: Chapter 1378: Discovered! The imperial palace within Wanzhen City resembled a city within a city. From a distance, it indeed exuded the grandeur of royalty, with its vast and majestic moat, wrapping around the palace complex like a gigantic dragon.
Within the moat, there were also numerous formations!
And these formations composed countless labyrinths!
In other words, just within the moat alone, there laid an unknowable number of labyrinths! Common folks shouldn’t even think about entering the imperial palace, let alone crossing this moat!
Huang Xiaolong and the treasure hunters, in their state of invisibility, looked at the moat and all frowned in contemplation.
“Brother Huang Xiaolong, although I have some knowledge of these formation labyrinths, I’m not proficient in them. But just looking at this river, I know I can’t cross it,” the Sword Immortal Emperor sighed helplessly.
Huang Xiaolong pondered for a moment, then said with a serious face, “Roughly in an hour, I can solve all the labyrinths within the moat.”
Upon hearing Huang Xiaolong’s words, the First Son and the Twenty-Seventh Son both looked on with admiration.
It was known that the Wanzhen Ancestor had spent several years designing these formation labyrinths within the moat, yet Huang Xiaolong was capable of breaking them within an hour.
This was enough to show that Huang Xiaolong’s skills were truly extraordinary!
However, the formation labyrinths within the city were definitely more mysterious and intricate, even harder to crack!
“Alright, now that we are all invisible, everyone try not to speak and control your breathing,” Huang Xiaolong instructed sternly. “First Son, Twenty-Seventh Son, you lead the way and guide us into the imperial palace.”
“Yes!” The First Son and Twenty-Seventh Son responded in unison.
Following that, the First Son and Twenty-Seventh Son, like experienced guides, led Huang Xiaolong and the others straight towards the imperial palace. While passing the moat, there were countless small bridges above the water. These small bridges were part of the labyrinth–interwoven and chaotically arranged.
One bridge often connected to dozens of others, forming web-like labyrinths where one misstep could trigger mechanisms and traps that brought instant death.
But the First Son and Twenty-Seventh Son had traversed these paths countless times in their lives, and they quickly led the treasure hunters across the bridges!
At the gates of the imperial palace.
A group of elite soldiers stood guard.
The lifespans displayed above the heads of these soldiers all exceeded a century, their vitality indescribably robust!
“Greetings, First Son, Twenty-Seventh Son!” the soldiers bowed reverently.
“Hmm~~rise,” commanded the First Son with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a noble and valiant presence.
He was the very first son of the Wanzhen Ancestor. If the Wanzhen Ancestor were likened to an emperor, then the First Son was truly the Crown Prince!
Therefore, the First Son’s status within Wanzhen City was second only to none!
Without facing any scrutiny, the First Son and Twenty-Seventh Son entered the imperial city with great composure.
The treasure hunters followed behind like specters.
Entering the imperial city!
The palace complex within the imperial city was bathed in the harmonious light of the stars and moon, as well as the auspicious haze emanating from the countless formations!
Here, there was a sense of surreal, dreamlike quality!
Between each palace, labyrinths abounded, making it an arduous task to navigate.
For the Sword Immortal Emperor and the Purple Flame Immortal Emperor, their scalps were tingling! If they had entered alone, they would have been trapped and died here!
From this, their wariness towards the World Boss, the revered master of formations, grew stronger!
Huang Xiaolong silently observed each formation, his mind racing as he calculated how to decipher the maze of arrays, gradually becoming immersed.
It was as though Huang Xiaolong had already begun to engage in a game of strategy with the revered master of formations.
The Crown Prince and the Twenty-seventh Prince led the way, navigating through the maze of formations as if they were treading on home ground.
Then, a group of palace maids approached.
“Greetings, Crown Prince, Twenty-seventh Prince.” The maids knelt in submission.
“Mhm, rise.” The Crown Prince’s response was without warmth. “In which consort’s palace will Father rest tonight?”
“Replying to the Crown Prince, the revered master is sleeping at Consort Yi’s Autumn Chrysanthemum Palace tonight,” a clever maid answered promptly.
“I see. You are dismissed.” The Crown Prince waved them away with an air of pretense.
The maids withdrew.
The Crown Prince, with Huang Xiaolong and the others, continued deeper into the imperial palace.
When they reached a deserted and quiet palace, the Crown Prince spoke softly, “Master, this is great! Tonight, Father is not contemplating within the formation’s core maze! He’s spending the night at Consort Yi’s, his most beloved consort’s palace–this is a godsent opportunity!”
The Twenty-seventh Prince also hurriedly continued, “Yes, Master, if Father were contemplating in the core maze of the formation, even if we entered, we would have to confront him, and that would be troublesome. After all, with a lifespan surpassing ten thousand years, he can easily crush us in the blink of an eye, and any scheme in front of Father is nothing but an illusory reflection or a bubble in a dream!”
“Good, lucky us,” Huang Xiaolong nodded. “Now, lead me to the heart of the imperial palace, the core maze of the formation!”
The two princes, not daring to delay, quickly continued leading the treasure hunters onward.
Indeed, with the Crown Prince, they maneuvered through the palace maze effortlessly, facing no interference. Huang Xiaolong felt secretly proud that converting the Crown Prince was akin to activating a minor golden cheat.
Finally–
They arrived at the heart of the imperial palace!
It was a resplendent golden throne hall!
Enveloped in strands of the Star River!
These Star Rivers were not illusions but genuine cosmic elements, collected from the universe and directly refined into the palace!
And such lavishness, Huang Xiaolong believed, could definitely not have come from anyone but the Immortal Emperor who once defied the heavens!
Within the Star Rivers shimmered countless grains of stellar sand, each twinkling with dazzling brilliance!
At the center of the Star River, a colossal formation was set up and at its core, a key was suspended in midair!!!!
Seeing this key, the breath of the treasure hunters nearly halted!
That was the key they had sought through dangers untold, the key to the Ninth Realm!
And from the golden throne hall within the Star River emanated an endless aura of profound mysteries.
With the super formation at the center of the Star River as the focal point, countless smaller formations surrounded it, like stars encircling the moon.
“It’s so complex, overly complex–there are so many interlinked arrays, it’s impossible to know where to begin,” lamented the Sword Immortal Emperor, overwhelmed.
“In fact, it’s not that complex,” Huang Xiaolong whispered. “The great formation within the Star River is what the Immortal Emperor left behind, and the golden throne hall was built later by the revered master of formations. And the countless other formations around the great formation are also his handiwork.”
“Sister-in-law, what we need to do now is to go in, take the key, right? Once we have it, we can open the gateway to the Ninth Realm without needing to confront the revered master of formations,” the Ninth Princess said eagerly, ready to try.
“Ninth Sister, do you think it’s that simple?” the Third Crown Prince chuckled.
“Reporting to master,” the eldest prince hastily explained. “This Formation eye labyrinth is within the palace’s forbidden area, and I know nothing about it, not even where to enter.”
“I know,” Huang Xiaolong nodded. “Enough, now, I am going to start deciphering these mazes! None of you disturb me!”
Both princes and all the Treasure Hunters held their breath, not daring to speak, and even their breathing stopped!
No one dared to disturb Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong released his divine senses and began to meticulously contemplate.
His concentration was intense, undistracted; sometimes his face showed a contemplative expression, sometimes incomprehension, and at times an expression of dawning realization.
Huang Xiaolong, usually a bit frivolous, rarely showed such focus. Although the Treasure Hunters had used Invisibility Talismans, Huang Xiaolong used a special method to ensure they could all see each other.
Therefore, at this moment, the Ninth Princess, watching Huang Xiaolong, had a look of amazement and admiration in her dragon eyes and gradually became mesmerized. Her heart completely entwined around Huang Xiaolong.
The Third Crown Prince watched from the side, shaking his head secretly, but occasionally nodding, “It’s over, my Ninth Sister seems to have fallen for my brother-in-law as well–If Father knew that the Long Clan’s two most outstanding and beautiful princesses had both fallen for someone from another race, I fear his beard might curl in anger! Enough, enough, let’s not think about that, we must first get through all the obstacles set by the Immortal Emperor Shi Tian and then make our retreat.”
After studying for over an hour, Huang Xiaolong finally spoke, “Within the galaxy wrapping around the Formation eye, there is a maze too. Countless grains of star sand are surging, making it impossible to discern a clear path to enter–but, after dividing the entire Formation maze into parts and contemplating each part separately, I’ve finally found a way to bypass these galaxies and enter the heart of the Formation maze.”
Upon hearing this, the Treasure Hunters were delighted.
However, Huang Xiaolong dampened their spirits, “But once inside the Formation eye maze, I’ll need to start over and study it again because I haven’t yet had the chance to contemplate the various formation mazes inside.”
“Then let’s just get inside first,” the Third Crown Prince said directly.
“Let’s go,” Huang Xiaolong said without fuss, leading the large group, winding here and there, and finally bypassing all the galaxies to enter the interior of the Formation eye maze!
Not far ahead seemed to be the golden palace hall and above that, the great defensive array arranged by the Immortal Emperor Shi Tian, and–the key!
However, the place where everyone was and the appearance of being not far from the golden palace hall and the key felt like they were separated by countless mountains and rivers!
“Nobody move recklessly, one wrong step could be the end!” Huang Xiaolong stood firmly in place, his mind racing again.
None of the other Treasure Hunters, including the eldest prince and the twenty-seventh prince, dared to make any rash moves.
After a full hour, a flash of brilliance appeared in Huang Xiaolong’s eyes, “Now, follow me. Don’t go astray, make sure to stay right behind me!”
After speaking, Huang Xiaolong carefully took a step toward the front left.
The step landed steadily and went smoothly.
Right after that, Huang Xiaolong stepped toward the front right.
Just like that, Huang Xiaolong stepped firmly, making his way toward the direction of the golden palace hall.
Although Huang Xiaolong moved slowly, each step was steady, without any mishaps, and soon he was halfway to the golden palace hall!
Victory seemed within reach!
But although Huang Xiaolong didn’t take long to cover half the distance, every step he took was the culmination of his lifetime of wisdom and understanding of Formations!
Each step was arduous!
Suddenly!
As Huang Xiaolong was about to take the next step!
Buzz–Buzz–Buzz–
The entire Formation echoed with a buzzing sound, piercing and sharp!
Huang Xiaolong and the numerous Treasure Hunters’ invisible states were directly broken, revealing their true forms!
Moreover, above the heads of the Treasure Hunters, trails of smoke-like yellow light emerged, exceptionally eye-catching!
Streaks of yellow light soared into the sky, causing the night sky to flicker with a patchy brightness!
“Ah~” Huang Xiaolong was stunned for a moment, then shook his head in self-deprecation. “No way around it, there was too little time. I managed to break through some of the maze, but failed to detect, that within these mazes, there were also defensive formations~”
The entire palace stirred up instantly!
Alarm bells rang out!
From all directions, sharp roars resounded. “Attack! Attack!”
Simultaneously.
Within Consort Yi’s Autumn Chrysanthemum Palace.
A middle-aged man with sinister features sat on the edge of the bed, enjoying a massage from an enchantingly beautiful woman.
This man exuded a profound aura, and above his head hovered a splendid golden lifespan.
The numbers of this man’s lifespan were lengthy!
Behind a “1”, were several zeros!
A lifespan of tens of thousands!
This was none other than the Venerable Grand Formation Master!
The king of this world! The Earthly Immortal Emperor who had dominated this world for thousands to tens of thousands of years, holding power over life and death!
The young and beautiful woman carefully attended to the Venerable Grand Formation Master, fearful of even slightly provoking his ire!
The Venerable Grand Formation Master was capricious, sometimes bursting into inexplicable rages. Although this woman was currently his most favored consort, she could unexpectedly suffer misfortune without cause.
Right at this moment!
Woo~woo~~woo~~~
An alarm resounded within the palace!
“Hm?” The Venerable Grand Formation Master’s pupils suddenly contracted!
Through the paper window, one could see the night sky outside filled with yellow light!
“My Venerable~” The woman called out sweetly.
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“Get out!” The Venerable Grand Formation Master shoved the woman aside, standing up abruptly with a fierce look in his eyes. “Hahahaha~~~ To think someone, someone dares to trespass the core of my Formation Maze! Hahahaha~~~ Seeking death! Utterly seeking death!”
“I now want to see for myself, what kind of blind fool dares such a thing!” The Venerable Grand Formation Master stepped forward, heading out!
Back to Huang Xiaolong and the others in the core of the Formation Maze.
“Master, what do we do now~now? We’ve triggered the maze’s mechanism and been~been discovered~~~” The eldest son’s face was full of panic. “Father… father… he… he will be here soon~~”
“Forget it, there’s no other way, we have to confront the Venerable Grand Formation Master.” Huang Xiaolong shook his head. “If I’d known we couldn’t avoid it, we should have just gone in forcefully!”
…