I cultivate the Chaos Technique

Chapter 78 The Mystery of the Palace

Zhang Yifan and Lin Qingzhu walked slowly towards the magnificent palace.

The architectural style of the palace was completely different from what they had seen before, full of exotic charm. Huge stone pillars stood on both sides of the palace, carved with intricate runes and strange mythical beast totems, as if telling an ancient and mysterious history.

The temple doors were tightly shut, and the heavy stone doors were covered with unknown symbols that emitted a faint light, inspiring awe and unease.

Something's not right here.

Lin Qingzhu said in a low voice. She felt an unusual sense of oppression. The power seemed to originate from the depths of the palace, as if silently warning them not to approach.

"We've come this far, there's no reason to stop."

Zhang Yifan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the massive stone gate, vaguely sensing that the secrets behind it might be more complex and dangerous than they imagined.

He carefully reached out and touched the surface of the stone door.

A cold sensation traveled from his fingertips, as if the stone door had been dormant for a thousand years, awaiting some opportunity to be opened. Zhang Yifan took a deep breath, channeled his spiritual power, and slowly pushed the stone door open.

"Rumble--"

The stone door creaked open with a dull thud, and with his strength, the crack slowly opened. The darkness behind the door was like a bottomless abyss, making it impossible to see the truth within.

Zhang Yifan felt an extremely powerful pressure emanating from inside the hall, a force that made him hesitate for a moment.

"I have an ominous feeling."

Lin Qingzhu gripped the sword hilt tightly, ready to face any sudden danger. She had never felt such a powerful surge of energy before, as if some terrifying being lurked within the hall.

"We have no way out, let's go in."

Zhang Yifan's gaze was firm as he stepped into the palace first.

As soon as the two stepped into the hall, the stone door behind them slammed shut, completely blocking out the outside light.

The hall fell into a deathly silence; the surrounding darkness was like an endless abyss, swallowing up all their senses.

Zhang Yifan quickly channeled his spiritual power, spreading his spiritual sense to try and perceive the surrounding environment.

However, to his surprise, his spiritual sense was unable to detect anything inside the hall, as if the space completely blocked his perception.

"How could this be?"

Lin Qingzhu also discovered the same problem; her spiritual consciousness was completely suppressed, as if she were in a completely closed alternate dimension.

Just as they were still puzzled, a faint light suddenly appeared in the hall.

The light shone from the end of the palace, like a beacon in the darkness, guiding them in the right direction.

"It seems we have no choice but to follow that light."

Zhang Yifan said in a deep voice. Although he was full of vigilance, he had no other choice at the moment.

They embarked on the path to the light, each step seemingly treading on nothingness, the ground beneath their feet cold and hard, yet evoking an indescribable sense of alienation.

As the two gradually approached the light source, the surrounding scenery finally became clear.

The walls inside the hall are covered with densely packed runes, which constantly flicker with a faint light, as if silently telling the history and secrets of this hall.

"These runes seem to contain some kind of ancient magic array power."

Lin Qingzhu observed the runes, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.

"Perhaps it was used to suppress something."

Zhang Yifan nodded. He also sensed the power within these runes, which seemed to be some kind of seal.

But he couldn't determine exactly what was sealed away.

The two continued on their way and finally arrived at the source of the light. It was a huge altar, on which sat a crystal that emitted a soft glow.

The crystal has a clear, light blue color, and there seems to be some kind of mysterious energy flowing inside.

"This is... the core item of this floor?"

Zhang Yifan's heart stirred, and his gaze was fixed on the crystal.

He had a vague feeling that this crystal might be the key to this level of trial.

However, just as they were about to approach the altar, the surrounding runes suddenly began to flash violently, and the entire temple seemed to be activated by some kind of force.

The crystals on the altar began to emit a dazzling light, as if responding to the call of the runes.

"Oh no, the altar's power has been triggered!"

Lin Qingzhu exclaimed in surprise. She immediately drew her longsword and looked around warily.

"It's a trap!"

Zhang Yifan instantly understood the entire setup; those runes were not merely seals, but also some kind of trial mechanism. As they approached the altar, they triggered the final trial of this level.

"Boom!"

A sudden tremor came from inside the palace, and the ground around the altar began to slowly crack.

The massive stone slab was torn apart, and countless dark wisps of energy surged from the cracks.

Those auras condensed into wisps of black mist, drifting in the air like ghosts, carrying endless resentment and curses.

"It's a ghost!"

Lin Qingzhu's expression changed. She sensed the intense resentment contained within the black mist, as if these spirits had suffered immense pain in life and were unable to find peace even in death.

"Ready to fight!"

Zhang Yifan shouted coldly. His longsword was already drawn, and his spiritual power was rapidly circulating within his body, the blade flashing with dazzling light.

The spirits let out sharp howls, as if venting endless pain and resentment.

They pounced on Zhang Yifan and Lin Qingzhu with lightning speed, carrying an unstoppable aura of death.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yifan swung his sword, the sword light like a rainbow, directly slashing at the oncoming undead.

The powerful spiritual energy surge instantly tore the undead's form apart, turning it into wisps of black smoke that dissipated into the air.

However, even more undead poured out of the crack, seemingly endless.

Lin Qingzhu's sword light was also extremely sharp, each strike carrying a strong chill, instantly repelling the approaching undead.

But she soon discovered that although these undead appeared to have been killed, their aura remained, as if they were constantly being resurrected.

"We can't kill all these undead; they'll keep coming back to life!"

Lin Qingzhu said anxiously, her face showing an unprecedented seriousness.

"We must find the source of their resurgence!"

Zhang Yifan quickly calmed down, his gaze fixed on the crystal on the altar.

Perhaps, the crystal is the core that controls these undead.

"I'm going to destroy the crystal!"

Zhang Yifan made a decisive decision. His figure moved swiftly like the wind towards the altar, his long sword pointing directly at the radiant crystal.

However, just as his sword was about to touch the crystal, a strong light burst out from the crystal, causing Zhang Yifan's sword energy to deflect.

At the same time, a dark figure appeared from behind the altar and blocked the crystal.

It was a man dressed in black robes, with a sinister face and a dangerous glint in his eyes. He stared coldly at Zhang Yifan, his voice low and mocking:

"Foolish humans, do you think you can easily destroy the core of this place?"

The moment Zhang Yifan saw the figure in black robes, his heart jolted, and a long-forgotten memory surfaced in his mind—the Shadow Bamboo Sea! Back then, he and his senior sister Lin Qingzhu had encountered a mysterious figure in black robes whose movements were unpredictable and whose power was unfathomable.

The black-robed man before them bore a striking resemblance to that person.

"you……"

Zhang Yifan's grip on the sword tightened slightly, his brow furrowed, and he seemed to be testing the waters.

"What is your relationship with the man in black robes in the bamboo forest?"

Upon hearing Zhang Yifan's question, the man in black robes' previously calm expression flickered slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, followed by a cold smile appearing on his lips:

"It seems you've met 'him' before. However, he and I... might be considered old acquaintances, but you don't need to think about him today."

"As expected, there is a connection..." Zhang Yifan thought to himself, vaguely guessing that there must be some deeper connection between the two, but he had no way of knowing the truth.

Even so, I will not let you control all of this.

Zhang Yifan's gaze was resolute, his spiritual energy surging wildly within him. He swung his longsword once more, aiming directly at the man in black robes. He knew that only by defeating this man could he truly uncover the conspiracy behind it all.

"Foolish resistance." The man in black robes waved his hand lightly, and a pitch-black barrier quickly condensed in the air, blocking Zhang Yifan's sword energy.

Black runes flickered on the barrier, carrying a strange power that easily neutralized Zhang Yifan's attack.

“I set the rules here, and your resistance is pointless.”

The black-robed man's voice was cold and ruthless. With his movements, the entire altar began to shake violently, and the number of the dead suddenly increased, seemingly endless.

Zhang Yifan and Lin Qingzhu were under immense pressure, barely able to stand, but their eyes remained filled with determination.

Even when faced with such a powerful enemy, they would not give up easily.

"No matter who you are, we will break this deadlock today!"

Zhang Yifan roared, and the sword light erupted once more, piercing straight towards the black-robed man.