Chapter 676: You Be Careful

"So, you can't figure it out?" Luo Qiqi couldn't help but ask, seeing his dejected face.

"I said, I can solve it... but will you let me continue?" Wu Zhen looked over.

Everyone shook their heads in unison. Xing Yuan gritted his teeth, "If you dare to try solving it again, do you believe I'll kill you right now?" It was no joke. While they desperately wanted to open the true underground palace, they certainly didn't want to die there! Especially him; his face was disfigured and swollen from the fine needles. The other guy had only tried three times and was already in this state. If he continued, the mechanism might not even open before he kicked the bucket!

"What should we do then?" They knew there was a mechanism, but couldn't open it. They couldn't just stand there hesitating, could they?

"Let me try!" Seeing everyone's worried expressions, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. He had just touched the stone tablet, and a book had formed in his mind. It wasn't that he ignored Wu Zhen and let everyone get hit; rather, the mechanical engineering techniques were so profound and intricate that a single glance had captivated him with their complexity. By the time he reacted, Xing Yuan's face was already covered in silver needles, suffering immensely.

"You?" Seeing him step out, Wu Zhen frowned. "You also... have studied mechanical engineering?" This guy was proficient in alchemy and formation arrays; surely he didn't understand mechanical engineering too! Although the field of mechanical engineering wasn't as famous as formation arrays or alchemy, it was far more intricate and difficult to learn. Especially with its myriad details, a slight deviation could lead to a monumental error, making every tiny aspect crucial. In this profession, he considered himself a one-in-a-million genius, yet even after studying for so long, he was only a five-star. He couldn't solve it himself, but this guy steps up... Could it be that he's even stronger? Impossible!

"I know a little!" Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

"A little?" Wu Zhen shook his head. "If you only know a little, you definitely won't be able to solve it. You saw me trying just now; even a slight deviation can trigger the mechanism and shoot out fine needles! The first few times, the needles weren't poisonous, so even if you got hit, the injuries would heal, nothing major. But if the subsequent needles are poisoned... I'm afraid no one will survive! Forget it, you'd better not try. Without absolute certainty, I'm afraid we'll all die here..."

"No one has absolute certainty, do they? You're no different." Seeing Wu Zhen try to stop him, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Didn't you try three times without certainty? And 'nothing major'... Go ask Xing Yuan if he agrees with that. If you said that to him, don't you think he'd beat you to death on the spot?"

"Hmph, how can I be the same? I come from a family of mechanical engineers. I could make self-propelling mechanisms by the age of three, and by seventeen, I was already a four-star mechanical engineer. After entering Hongyuan Academy, I even studied under the only six-star mechanical engineer in the entire empire, learning numerous skills and knowledge..." With a flick of his sleeve, Wu Zhen raised his head, brimming with confidence. "Even though I failed three consecutive attempts just now, it doesn't mean I lack confidence. Even if this is a six-star deceptive mechanism, as long as I get to try a few more times, given enough time, I can successfully crack it..."

"Alright then, since you want to try, I have no right to stop you. I'll ask you two basic questions. If you can answer them, it means you truly have some understanding of mechanical engineering, and aren't just messing around!" Wu Zhen looked at him.

"Oh?" Zhang Xuan paused.

"Who is the most famous mechanical engineer in the Hongyuan Empire over the past ten thousand years?" Wu Zhen asked.

"Uh..." Zhang Xuan scratched his head. He had hardly read any books about the mechanical engineer profession, so how would he know who the most famous one in the Hongyuan Empire was? Not only him, but he also had no idea what the Hongyuan Empire's Emperor's name was, or the Headmaster of the Master Teacher Academy.

"You don't even know that?" Seeing his embarrassed face, Wu Zhen frowned. "In that case, you certainly wouldn't know who originated the Deceptive Mechanism style, would you?"

"No!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I just need to solve the stone tablet. What does knowing all that have to do with it?"

"Of course it does!" Hearing him say that, Wu Zhen's eyes filled with exasperation. "These are the most fundamental requirements for a mechanical engineer! If you don't even know this, it means you're completely clueless about this profession. How can you find the nodes or dismantle the mechanisms? I won't deny that you have unique insights into alchemy and formation arrays, but mechanisms are different from those two. You can't just solve them by feeling good about yourself..."

"Alright, I'll first explain the origins and complexity of mechanical engineering, as well as the principles of some mechanisms. Then you can reconsider whether you want to continue..." Seeing this guy talk on and on, to the point where his ears were practically calloused from listening, Zhang Xuan didn't bother to pay attention anymore. He took two steps to the stone tablet, flipped his wrist, and the Ice Rain Sword appeared in his palm.

"What are you doing? This is a mechanism, not just anything else! Using a sword will only trigger more attacks..." Wu Zhen was in mid-sentence, lecturing, when he saw the guy pull out a long sword and nearly fainted from anger. Was he trying to be funny? Mechanical techniques were as precise as a hair's breadth; even with the Thousand Machine Spikes, one had to find the exact location without the slightest deviation. And he was just using a sword? Was this for real? Just as he thought the other person was simply messing around, the young man seemed to have heard his advice, hesitated, and then put away the long sword.

"That's more like it, much more..." Wu Zhen nodded, just thinking that the other person was finally being reasonable, when he saw the guy flip his wrist again, and a large hammer appeared in his palm. This iron hammer was even larger than those used by smiths for forging weapons, resembling one used by a construction worker, and its material was quite inferior; it was unclear where he had gotten it.

"What are you...?" Stuttering in shock, Wu Zhen watched as the young man raised the iron hammer and swung it directly at the stone pillar!

"Oh my god!" Everything went black, his chest tightened, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. He had used the Thousand Machine Spikes to try and solve the stone tablet and nearly died from the fine needles, but this guy was just smashing it with an iron hammer... There were better ways to court death! Frantically, he opened his Thousand Machine Umbrella and cowered behind it like a quail, not daring to move. Then, he heard a sound like a giant bell, vibrating to the bones. Crack! Crack! A series of crisp sounds, like an egg being peeled, and then... silence.

"Alright, it's open!" Wu Zhen was wondering why no fine needles were shooting out when he heard the young man's calm voice. He cautiously peeked his head out from behind the Thousand Machine Umbrella, took one look, and immediately froze. "This... this..." His eyes nearly popped out, as if he'd seen a ghost. The stone tablet that had been directly in front of them was gone, replaced by a tall gateway. A flight of stone steps extended straight down, leading directly to the bottom of an underground river not far away.

"It's open?" Not just him, but Luo Qiqi and Xing Yuan, who were nearby, were also stunned. Wu Zhen, a dignified five-star mechanical engineer and a famous mechanism master in the entire academy, had poked and prodded, leaving everyone in a disheveled mess, yet achieved nothing... But this guy simply took an iron hammer, gave it a mighty smash, and it opened directly! Was this a joke? Who was the five-star mechanical engineer here, Wu Zhen or him?

"The true underground palace is beneath the river. No wonder the air here is so fresh, yet we couldn't find any ventilation! So that's where the secret lies!" After the initial shock, Luo Qiqi couldn't help but speak. Upon arriving, they had noticed the room had fresh air and excellent ventilation, but they hadn't found any vents or discerned the source of the spiritual energy. Now that the underground palace was open, they understood the secret was directly beneath the river. All the fresh air in the underground palace was circulating up from the river.

"Since we've found the underground palace, let's go down quickly! We can finally see if this place has any connection to Elder Wu Yangzi!" Princess Yu Fei-er nodded. Although she disliked Zhang Xuan, she had to admit that he indeed possessed abilities far beyond ordinary people. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to find this true underground palace so quickly.

"The underground palace is open, but I think it's better not to go in just yet!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Why not?" Princess Yu Fei-er looked at him. Since this was an underground palace sealed and hidden by mechanisms, any secrets would surely be found inside. They would know the results immediately, so why not enter?

"There are two stone tablets, one before the bridge and one after. The first is called 'Homesick Dwelling,' and the second is called 'Worriless Dwelling.' Since they're both referred to as 'Dwellings,' I think the other stone tablet might also be a passage. It's better to choose carefully before entering!" Zhang Xuan explained. This palace had only one bridge and two stone tablets. Now that one stone tablet had been opened, there might be a similar underground palace beneath the other one.

"You're right!" Everyone nodded simultaneously. They had been so caught up in the excitement of opening the first stone tablet that they hadn't considered this. Thinking about it carefully, the other stone tablet could indeed be another passage. If that were the case, then there would be two places, two choices.

"Yes, the priority now is to open that other stone tablet, and then make our choice..." Seeing that everyone understood, Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he felt his palm lighten; the iron hammer in his hand had been snatched away. Immediately, a faint voice followed: "I'll go solve that one..." He looked up and saw Wu Zhen had already run across the bridge to the first stone tablet, raising the iron hammer to smash it. This guy was just too eager to prove himself. A dignified five-star mechanical engineer had failed three consecutive times, only for an amateur to smash it open with a hammer. The frustration he felt was imaginable. Now that there was another stone tablet where he could prove his skill, how could he let the other person take the spotlight again? He grabbed the hammer and rushed over. Recalling carefully the young man's position, direction, and even the force he used when he smashed, Wu Zhen let out a shout, and the hammer whistled through the air, heading straight for the stone tablet.

"You..." Zhang Xuan was stunned, having not expected the guy to be so fast, leaving no time to react. Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the stone tablet on the other side of the river emit a grinding sound. Immediately, a torrent of fine needles shot straight towards the man on the opposite bank. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Wu Zhen was completely unprepared and didn't even have time to open his Thousand Machine Umbrella. Everything went black, and he was instantly turned into a pincushion. "...Careful!" Only then did Zhang Xuan manage to utter the last two words.