Chapter 1663: Dark Land

The room looked quite ordinary, no different from a typical study, but Zu An could clearly sense several deadly traps within it, as if a single misstep could lead to instant death.

He recalled Zhang Zicong mentioning the presence of mechanisms. While his and Yan Xuehen's cultivation levels made them immune to ordinary traps, triggering them could alert other forces within the palace, creating a significant problem.

So, he told Zhang Zicong, "It's your turn to act!" Zhang Zicong's spirits immediately lifted. She had just witnessed the impressive displays from the two other women Lord Eleven brought, and her eyes were nearly dazzled. As a direct descendant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she couldn't allow herself to be outdone by other women. Finally, it was her moment to shine.

She stepped to the front and meticulously observed the room's layout. After a moment, she instructed, "Stay put right here." No sooner had she spoken than she tapped her toes and leaped several meters, landing in a different spot.

Zu An stared at the spot she had just leaped over, where a faint murderous aura subtly emerged, clearly indicating a trap poised to activate.

Zhang Zicong then moved through the room, pausing occasionally. She would take a few steps forward, then retreat a significant distance, sometimes leaping through the air, other times bending and turning sideways, as if navigating invisible mechanisms suspended in the air.

She was progressing methodically when her expression suddenly changed. She bent backward so sharply that her waist seemed to snap, her upper body arching back to the ground. She then flipped backward several times, her long legs becoming even more prominent throughout the sequence of movements.

Yan Xuehen mused, "This woman's flexibility is truly remarkable. Had I not just detected a transparent thread cutting across in front of her, I might have thought she was deliberately trying to seduce Zu An." This was because her movements throughout the process resembled a dance, constantly showcasing her long legs.

After narrowly escaping that danger, Zhang Zicong let out a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and proceeded, noticeably more cautious this time.

Finally, she reached a wall behind the desk, where an eagle statue was mounted. She took a deep breath, then her entire body seemed to become boneless, contorting into a position impossible for an ordinary person. Supporting herself with one hand on the nearby desk, she performed a full split, one foot touching the ground while the other stretched straight up, hooking towards the wall.

Yan Xuehen's breath hitched. She could faintly discern the dense network of transparent threads around the statue, explaining Zhang Zicong's twisted and peculiar posture. However… she glanced at Zu An beside her, whose eyes were practically bulging.

Finally, Zhang Zicong's legs were fully extended, yet her toes remained nearly an inch short of the statue despite several attempts to reach it. Gritting her teeth, she strained to push her body further down, letting out a painful groan as her toes at last made contact with the eagle sculpture.

Then, she tremblingly used her toes to press and rotate the eagle's wing to the side. A rumbling sound echoed as a gap opened in the seemingly solid floor nearby, revealing a hidden door.

Zhang Zicong exhaled deeply in relief, then carefully retracted her legs. Her entire body trembled, clearly indicating the extreme exertion of her recent movements.

She waved to Zu An and the others, saying, "Come on over, the mechanism has been disarmed." Zu An and the others approached and, as expected, encountered no danger.

Seeing her drenched in sweat, Zu An remarked, "It's a good thing you're here today; otherwise, disarming this mechanism would have been truly difficult." Zhang Zicong's exceptionally long and flexible legs made her the only one capable of performing that particular movement.

Upon hearing his praise, a unique sparkle appeared in Zhang Zicong's eyes. She had finally proven her worth; no woman by Lord Eleven's side was useless.

Zu An couldn't help but glance at Yan Xuehen, noting that her body was also quite lithe, and he had certainly witnessed her flexibility before; perhaps she wasn't incapable of such a feat... Sensing his gaze, Yan Xuehen clearly understood his unspoken thought and glared at him pointedly.

The group slowly descended the steps into the opening. Along the way, Zu An asked Zhang Zicong, "Why are you so familiar with the mechanisms here?" Zhang Zicong replied, "Lord Seven once taught me that all mechanisms in the world essentially belong to a few fundamental schools. Once you understand the core principles, everything else is just a slight variation." Zu An nodded, thinking of the obscure Feng Shui arts from his past life. Though often described in mystical terms, the imperial tombs were built following those very rules for site selection, allowing later generations to often locate ancient tombs by applying the inherited Feng Shui schools.

As they continued their descent, the surrounding light grew progressively dimmer. Zhang Zicong visibly tensed. "Lord Eleven," she said, "we'll soon reach the Dark Zone. There will be no light whatsoever, and cultivators' elemental perception will be severely weakened. I've heard even Grandmasters can get trapped there. Have you devised a solution?" Having come this far, she didn't want their efforts to be in vain.

"It's fine," Zu An replied calmly, continuing his steady advance. Sensing his confidence, Zhang Zicong recalled their previous adventures, and her heart settled.

They had not gone far before complete darkness enveloped them. Although Zhang Zicong knew it would be futile, she instinctively pulled out her tinderbox, preparing to start a fire.

Yet, though the tinderbox clearly ignited, its light seemed to be half-absorbed by an unknown force. Only a red spark at the very tip was visible, while everything else remained shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

"Put out the tinderbox, or you'll just become a sitting duck," Zu An warned. Zhang Zicong's face flushed with embarrassment; she wouldn't normally make such a basic mistake, but people harbor an inexplicable fear of darkness.

At that moment, a low voice echoed from ahead: "I don't know how you managed to reach this place, but since you are here, everything ends now." This was immediately followed by a harsh, grating sound—the deliberate, slow drawing of swords, seemingly intended to unnerve their opponents.

Zhang Zicong nervously clutched her weapon. Unfortunately, her released aura vanished without a trace, making it impossible to pinpoint the enemies' location. She could only estimate from the sounds of swords being drawn that there were likely eight to ten warriors.

These warriors had been specially chosen; blind from birth and long confined to this dark chamber, they were intimately familiar with its every detail. Thus, while enemies entering were effectively blind, these warriors operated as if they had sight. Any combat here would devolve into a one-sided slaughter.

"Lord, what do we do?" Zhang Zicong barely managed to ask before she suddenly felt an icy coldness envelop them, as if they were no longer in a subterranean dark chamber but on a windswept, snow-covered mountain. Even with her cultivation, she couldn't help but shiver, feeling as though her blood had turned to ice.

At that very moment, she was astonished to realize the sounds of swords being drawn had ceased. Cold sweat trickled down her temples. Had their opponents already concealed themselves in the darkness, poised to attack?

Just then, Zu An's voice broke the silence: "Let's go." Zhang Zicong was taken aback. "Those people..." "They're already dealt with," Zu An replied. This dark place posed a challenge even for Grandmasters, but what about a Great Grandmaster?

Although Yan Xuehen's spiritual essence was constrained by the surrounding materials, she had no need for extensive measures. This secret chamber, neither small nor vast, allowed her to simply unleash a blizzard, freezing the entire area except for the three of them. No matter how adept these dark warriors were at concealment or how well they could navigate this space, they were no match for such a wide-area-of-effect attack; it was a complete dimensional annihilation.

As Yan Xuehen walked through the darkness, she suddenly felt her hand being grasped. Whose familiar touch could it be but Zu An's? While attempting to pull away, she transmitted her voice through spiritual energy: "What are you doing? Let go!" Zu An replied, "It's completely dark here, I can't see, and I'm scared." Yan Xuehen was speechless. This man had fought countless terrifying entities, even dared to slay the Demon Emperor and sleep with the Little Demon Empress; could he possibly be afraid?

With a grim expression, she quickly tried to shake off his hand, but he clung to her like sticky candy, refusing to let go. She dared not make too much of a fuss, fearing Zhang Zicong beside them would hear.

Then Zu An's voice came: "Don't worry, no one can see us." For some unknown reason, these words held a peculiar magic, and she gradually ceased her struggles.

Outside, she was the esteemed temple master of White Jade Capital and Chu Yan's mentor, burdened by too many concerns for a relationship between them to ever be possible. Yet, in this utterly sunless place, where no one knew her identity and no one could see what she was doing, many of her persistent worries seemed to suddenly dissipate. For a fleeting moment, she even found this dark place somewhat comforting, almost not wanting to leave.

Just then, Zhang Zicong's voice broke through: "Lord Eleven, I can't seem to find an exit here." She had fumbled around nearby to no avail. Truthfully, given their intelligence, finding the exit wouldn't be difficult if they could see. But now, in complete darkness, they had to rely solely on touch, and this area was not small, making locating an exit quite challenging.

The main concern was that if they lingered too long, it would be problematic should Prince Yan return.