Chapter 104: How Could You Not Await My Arrival?

The grandeur of the underground world also left Wei Lao and An Dao Fu awestruck. They held their breaths for a long while before finally exhaling a deep sigh.

Wei Lao, who had been composed all along, let out a long sigh and said, “What a spectacle! I have never seen such a magnificent scene in my entire life. Had I not come here personally, I would have never imagined such a wondrous place could exist!”

An Dao Fu suddenly stared in shock, pointing at a distant spot with his hand trembling, “Wei Lao, look! Is that… is that a door?”

An Dao Fu and Wei Lao’s eyesight clearly couldn’t match Qian Ye’s. After focusing for a moment, Wei Lao said, “It should be.”

At this moment, the amazement in An Dao Fu’s heart was no less than Qian Ye’s, exclaiming, “Could Earth Dragons actually create doors as well?”

Wei Lao stroked his long beard and after a brief pause, he replied, “What do you think an Earth Dragon is?”

“Well…” An Dao Fu initially wanted to say an Earth Dragon is just an Earth Dragon, but he then realized the answer wouldn’t be so simple. His understanding of the Earth Dragons was limited to mere legends; no one had ever truly seen an Earth Dragon. There was no clear answer to what they looked like or whether they even existed.

After some contemplation, An Dao Fu asked, “Has Wei Lao seen an Earth Dragon?”

Wei Lao responded, “I haven’t, but someone has.”

An Dao Fu was greatly startled and probed, “You mean the exploration from several hundred years ago?”

“Of course not. It was an expedition by the Empire seventy years ago.”

An Dao Fu was stunned once more. The Empire had quietly explored the lair of the Earth Dragons and might have even seen them! He exclaimed, “No wonder Wei Lao knows how to pacify the Earth Dragons and even improved the ancient methods.”

Wei Lao remarked, “Your faction clings to the ancient methods without any progress. For hundreds of years, you have made no advancements. The pacification techniques remain crude and full of flaws. Relying on such methods, you can hardly pacify the Earth Dragons. If not for the isolated position of the Neutral Grounds, it would have fallen into the hands of the Empire long ago.”

An Dao Fu smiled wryly, “The Empire’s prosperity is envied by all. My master exerted so much effort precisely to secure a domain within the Empire.”

Wei Lao nodded, looking slightly smug. He waved his hand and said, “Come, let’s go and see the door first. If I’m not mistaken, the Earth Dragons’ lair is behind it, and the object we seek will be there too.”

Looking ahead, An Dao Fu’s face turned solemn, “But, this path seems treacherous.”

Indeed, the path was perilous. A gigantic crystal crocodile loomed at the center, two insect nests blocked the sides, and various monsters and flying creatures roamed the remaining area. The open view here made it easy to attract the attention of all the monsters if one wasn’t careful.

“Fear not, I have a plan.” Wei Lao led the way, and An Dao Fu had no choice but to follow with the others. Without command, the soldiers arrayed themselves in a combat formation, advancing cautiously.

Wei Lao was not boasting. He held up a book, flipping to a page. A faint silver light emanated, enveloping the whole group.

Qian Ye, hidden far away, couldn’t help but mutter in surprise. In his perception, Wei Lao’s team carried a faint aura of the Earth Dragons. Had he only relied on perception, Qian Ye would have thought it was a pack of beasts on the move.

This disguise method was truly miraculous, especially since many insects rely not on sight but other senses, making it likely to fool them.

Wei Lao didn’t dare to be arrogant and steered clear of the central giant crystal crocodile. This monster’s strength likely surpassed that of a marquis. Though it seemed to be sleeping, rousing it could spell doom for the entire party.

Realizing their target was the same giant gate, Qian Ye saw no need to follow. Activating his bloodline stealth, he concealed his aura and silently crept towards the gate along the cliff wall.

The biggest obstacle on his path was the insect nests. Qian Ye prepared in advance, smearing himself with a bit of giant insect fluid to mask his scent. He scaled the rock wall to the dome and moved along the junction, bypassing the nests. The nest was hundreds of meters below the dome, and most of the insects were on the ground or underground, rarely flying. Thus, Qian Ye overcame this barrier unscathed and reached the other side of the underground world.

He had chosen a vantage point near the giant gate, atop a massive stone pillar. With numerous cracks and platforms, it was a perfect hiding spot, providing a high and advantageous view of the surroundings.

Moving alone, Qian Ye was far quicker. By the time he found a hiding spot and hid successfully, Wei Lao and An Dao Fu’s party had only traversed a third of the distance, not yet crossing the midpoint.

With a spare moment, Qian Ye observed the giant gate.

Up close, the pair of massive gates were a marvel, each spanning tens of meters wide and hundreds high. The carvings of mountains and fierce beasts, though rough, were extraordinarily lifelike, exuding a primitive and desolate aura. These engravings, possibly a meter deep, suggested the tremendous thickness of the gates.

The gates, mottled in color, were adorned with vines at the edges, indicating they had been closed for an untold number of years. Qian Ye couldn’t discern the material, but it must be immensely sturdy to support its immense size. Otherwise, its own weight would crush it, yet the lines remained straight and unyielding.

Such gates could not be pushed open by ordinary divine generals. Perhaps only mighty celestial monarchs, capable of moving mountains and filling seas, could force them open. Certainly, Qian Ye was far from capable.

Qian Ye examined the gate, finding no traces of mechanisms or drive systems. Even if such systems existed, decades of dormancy rendered them inoperable. Without external assistance, Qian Ye could not open the gates. He considered using all his primordial grenades, hoping to blast an opening.

However, an explosion would surely alert Wei Lao and An Dao Fu. Uncertain of what lay beyond, Qian Ye decided patience was key. He would wait and observe how Wei Lao opened the gates. If possible, sneaking in would be ideal; if not, waiting for the right moment was better.

Resolved, Qian Ye waited.

As they walked, the light from Wei Lao’s book dimmed, and he would flip to a new page, restoring the light. Their route was circuitous, and to maintain stability, their pace was slow. By the time they reached the gate, Wei Lao had flipped to the last page. He put away the book, breathing deeply, sweat glistening on his forehead. Though the journey was perilous, the mental strain was profound.

Instead of immediately examining the gate, Wei Lao sat to meditate and recover. An Dao Fu, though anxious, arranged for security, guarding Wei Lao during his recovery.

An Dao Fu’s arrangement was intriguing. Two snipers climbed a massive pillar, reaching about a hundred meters high, concealing themselves. One used a telescope to survey the surroundings, while the other set up a sniper rifle, securing the rear.

This setup appeared to guard against rear assaults. Qian Ye deduced it was likely to watch for Qing Yue.

Qing Yue’s stealth and power during her ambush on Kaimo revealed a hidden prowess. She had always concealed her strength, even when a High Hu elder was gravely injured by a werewolf baron. Her cunning was profound. Had Claudia not intervened, Qing Yue would have succeeded. But even then, with Qian Ye lurking, the Earth Dragon blood in the nest would still fall into his hands.

Qian Ye was positioned a hundred meters above the snipers, invisible to them. They were completely unaware, focused on their surveillance. If Qing Yue attacked, they would be the fallback.

Once the snipers were in place, An Dao Fu breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for Wei Lao to recover. The vast, tranquil underground world echoed with the steady breath of the crystal crocodile, sounding like a howling wind.

Time passed, and just as the world seemed to continue eternally, Qian Ye noticed a slight disturbance in the primordial energy along the cave wall. The fluctuation was minuscule, detectable only after it moved dozens of meters.

The primordial energy disturbance, roughly human-sized, moved slowly along the wall, approaching.

This was likely a skilled infiltrator. When Qian Ye focused, he saw nothing, only an occasional blur at the edges. It was almost impossible to notice, even with intent observation.

Truly a master!

Qian Ye admired the skill, nearly perfect stealth. Traps and static tactics would be needed to catch her.

Several hundred meters from Wei Lao’s group, the infiltrator halted, disappearing entirely from Qian Ye’s perception.

Below, the snipers continued their surveillance, oblivious to the disturbance.

Knowing her location, Qian Ye felt confident. The infiltrator was likely Qing Yue, also waiting for the gate to open. These massive gates, with their material and weight, would baffle anyone below a divine general.

Wei Lao’s cultivation was enigmatic, and An Dao Fu, a marquis vampire, was powerful but helpless against the gates.

Suddenly, a group emerged from a distant passage, led by Claudia, Qian Ye’s former adversary.

Claudia’s presence caused a ripple in the primordial energy around the infiltrator, indicating agitation. The ripple vanished quickly, unnoticed by the snipers, who were unaware of their discovery.

A thunderous laugh echoed, “How could such a fine opportunity pass without me?”