Douluo: One man returns, Fan Tianyin smashes Tang San to death

He whispered to Han Ke, "You said you heard a senior mention that there are mysterious items hidden deep within this underground palace that can greatly enhance one's strength. Do you have any more specific clues?"

Upon hearing this, Han Ke paused slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

He whispered, "All I know is that this underground palace was once the burial place of an unparalleled expert."

The elder said that this place might contain treasures he left behind, but I don't know exactly what they are.

He paused, his voice lowering even further, "My companions... were all killed by the mummies."

I was lucky to find this passage.

Upon hearing this, a hint of pity flashed in Hu Liena's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She said softly, "The mummified corpses in the underground palace are indeed strange. They have no soul power, yet they can move freely, as if they are being controlled by some kind of force."

She looked at Lu Yu, her eyes questioning, "Do you think this could be related to that mysterious item?"

Lu Yu did not answer immediately. His gaze fell on the end of the passage, where a dark passage could be vaguely seen, with rubble scattered around, as if it had been bombarded by some kind of force.

He pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Perhaps."

Let's keep going and see what happens.

The three continued forward, the air in the passage becoming increasingly stuffy, faintly carrying a musty smell.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a colorful light suddenly appeared before our eyes, like countless stars blooming in the darkness, dazzling and beautiful.

The light was mixed with a peculiar fragrance, sweet yet slightly pungent.

Lu Yu's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he abruptly stopped, shouting, "Hold your breath! It's poisonous!"

Hu Liena reacted quickly, immediately holding her breath and scanning her surroundings warily.

Han Ke was a beat slower, inhaling a wisp of air, his face instantly turning even paler, and his body swaying slightly.

Lu Yu grabbed him and whispered, "Don't panic, try to control your breathing, and stay close to me."

Han Ke gritted her teeth, nodded, and forced herself to follow behind Lu Yu.

The three of them moved forward cautiously under the colorful light. The poisonous fog blurred their vision, and they became increasingly careful with their steps.

After a few minutes, they finally emerged from the passage, and the view opened up before them.

What came into view was a completely different scene—lush vegetation, towering trees, and a fresh fragrance of grass and trees in the air, as if completely isolated from the coldness of the underground palace.

In the distance, a high platform made of piled rocks spirals upwards, its surface adorned with colorful flowers and plants, resembling a natural painting.

At the edge of the high platform, a simple wooden house stands quietly, and on the platform in front of the house, a figure can be vaguely seen sitting.

Hu Liena's gaze fell on the figure, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. She asked in a low voice, "What is that? A person? Or..."

There was a hint of unease in her words.

Lu Yu narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the figures in the distance, and said in a deep voice, "This may be the deepest part of the underground palace, perhaps where we can unlock the secrets of those mummies."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Han Ke, "Have you been here before?"

Han Ke shook her head, her eyes full of curiosity and anticipation: "No, I've never been to such a deep place before."

He paused, a hint of excitement in his voice, "However, being here might actually lead to some kind of opportunity."

He quickly caught up with Lu Yu and Hu Liena, his eyes gleaming.

The three of them carefully approached the platform and slowly ascended the stone steps.

The stone steps were covered with moss and were extremely slippery, requiring extra caution with every step.

Upon arriving at the wooden house, they finally saw the figure clearly—an old man sitting cross-legged on the platform, gazing at the sky with a thoughtful expression on his face.

His robes were worn and his hair was gray, as if he had been isolated from the world for many years, yet his aura was unusually calm, as if he had blended into the surrounding plants and trees.

Lu Yu stopped and quietly observed the old man.

He didn't speak rashly, but chose to wait on the side.

Hu Liena and Han Ke also stopped, and the atmosphere became quiet for a moment, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the grass and trees.

Han Ke waited for a while, but finally couldn't hold back and whispered, "Brother Lu, this old man... could he just be a corpse? Why don't we go into the wooden house and take a look? Maybe there's something good inside."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man suddenly opened his eyes and slowly swept his gaze over the three of them.

Lu Yu's heart skipped a beat, but he did not back down. He simply stared at the old man quietly.

The old man had a deep gaze, as if he could see through everything. After a moment, he said, "It has been many years since anyone has been able to come here."

I never imagined you'd come this far.

Upon hearing this, Han Ke couldn't help but step forward and ask eagerly, "Senior, are you... are you the owner of those mummies?"

The old man smiled slightly and nodded, which was taken as acknowledgment.

Han Ke pressed on, "But if you are already dead, why can you still exist in this form?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Senior, you used your own soul power to construct this world, allowing your consciousness to survive within it, right?"

His tone was calm, but carried a hint of probing.

A hint of appreciation flashed in the old man's eyes, and he slowly said, "Not bad."

You are very smart.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, his voice low, "I am both a living consciousness and a person who has long since died."

This world was created by my last strength.

Hu Liena frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Senior, why did you create this world? Was it to protect something, or...?"

Her words carried a hint of wariness.

The old man smiled, turned his gaze back to the sky, and said in a distant tone, "I tell you, go east, and you will reach the end of this world and leave alive."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "But do you really want to leave?"

Hu Liena's expression changed, and she whispered, "Senior, what do you mean by that? You don't want us to leave?"

The old man's lips curled into a meaningful smile as he countered, "Do you think this ethereal and uncertain world is worth staying in?"

He paused, his voice low, "This world is more unfamiliar than you can imagine."

The 'gods' of this world are all hypocritical and greedy beings.

They wield supreme power, yet are unwilling to share it with anyone.

Upon hearing this, a hint of curiosity flashed in Lu Yu's eyes, and he asked in a deep voice, "Senior, how do you know all this? What... exactly did you go through?"

The old man gazed into the distance, seemingly lost in memories, before finally saying, "I experienced it firsthand."

As for you, you came here perhaps for training, or perhaps for what I left behind.

"And I, too, have my own purpose." Hearing this, Han Ke couldn't help but ask, "What is your purpose?"

Lu Yu spoke first, whispering, "Senior, you want us to stay in this world and accompany you, right? After all, a consciousness is still essentially a person."

Upon hearing this, Hu Liena and Han Ke's expressions instantly turned serious.

Hu Liena's gaze swept over the old man, with a hint of wariness.

Han Ke frowned even more and said in a low voice, "Brother Lu, if that's really the case, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to leave."

This old man's cultivation level is unfathomable..."

Upon hearing this, the old man laughed heartily, his voice carrying a hint of frankness: "Indeed, I have had such a thought."

But I also know that with your talent, you will eventually find a way to leave.

I will not force you to stay.

He paused, then turned his gaze to Lu Yu, "The medicinal herbs I left behind before my death might be of some help to you; consider it a small favor."

After listening, Lu Yu smiled slightly, shook his head, and said nothing more.

He turned to look at Hu Liena and Han Ke, and said in a low voice, "Let's go, eastward."

He took the lead and walked in the direction the old man pointed, his steps firm and without the slightest hesitation.

Han Ke quickly caught up and couldn't help but whisper, "Brother Lu, do you really trust him that much? What if he's lying to us?"

His tone was tinged with doubt, and he even rolled his eyes, clearly disapproving of Lu Yu's decision.

Lu Yu smiled, his gaze calm: "I believe he wouldn't lie to us."

This is my gut feeling.

Upon hearing this, Han Ke paused for a moment, then shook his head helplessly and muttered under his breath, "Intuition... this is too mysterious."

However, he didn't say anything more and just silently followed behind Lu Yu, heading east.

Hu Liena walked beside Lu Yu, her gaze sweeping around from time to time, a complex emotion in her eyes.

Following the old man's directions, Lu Yu and Hu Liena slowly made their way forward. The light inside the cave gradually brightened, and the air was filled with a damp, earthy smell, mixed with a faint fragrance of grass and trees.

On the cave walls, moss gleamed a pale green in the dim light, and the loose stones beneath their feet crunched softly with each step.

The sound was slow and steady.

Lu Yu's gaze wandered around, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he was pondering something. Hu Liena, standing beside him, kept her head down, her steps light, occasionally glancing up at him with a complex emotion in her eyes.

Finally, they reached the end of the cave. A blinding light shone from the exit, and Lu Yu subconsciously squinted and raised his hand to shield his eyes.

Hu Liena gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Lu Yu, something seems off outside."

Her voice was clear but tinged with unease. Lu Yu turned to look at her, smiled slightly, and gestured for her not to worry.

The moment the two stepped out of the cave, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. As if drawn by an invisible force, they swayed and found themselves standing on an open space.

The open space is surrounded by lush forests, where sunlight filters through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves, bringing a touch of coolness.

Lu Yu took a deep breath; the smell of earth and grass in the air invigorated him.

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on the depths of the mountains and forests not far away, his brows furrowing slightly as if he were recalling something.

A moment later, he turned to look at Han Ke behind him, his tone calm but with a hint of inquiry: "Han Ke, is this where you found the body?"

Han Ke was leaning against a rock, lazily stretching, when he heard this he was stunned, and looked up to look around.

Sunlight shone on his slightly tired face, reflecting the doubt in his eyes.

He scratched the back of his head, his tone uncertain: "Not here, but... it's not far away."

He paused, a half-joking smile appearing on his face, and glanced sideways at Lu Yu. "Brother, you don't think I deliberately released that thing, do you? Don't wrong an innocent person!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu gently shook his head, but his gaze grew increasingly solemn.

He crossed his arms and paced slowly, the grass beneath his feet making a soft rustling sound.

His eyes were deep, as if they pierced through the mountains and forests before him, gazing into the unknown beyond.

After a moment, he said in a low voice, "I just think this is very strange."

The corpse appeared out of nowhere; it felt like it foreshadowed something.

He paused, his voice lowering even further, almost as if talking to himself, "I have a vague feeling that the situation outside has become complicated, as if some powerful force is about to shroud this sky."

These words stunned Han Ke. He scratched his head, looking somewhat bewildered: "Lu Yu, are you overthinking this? Although this matter is a bit strange, we still managed to harvest quite a few medicinal herbs."

As he spoke, he chuckled, leaned closer, and rubbed his hands together in a fawning manner, "Hehe, could you give me a few? I put in a lot of effort, brother!"

Lu Yu glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, but with a hint of mockery: "Want some medicinal herbs? No way."

His tone was soft, yet it conveyed an unwavering determination that left no room for argument.

Han Ke's face immediately fell, and he muttered a few words, but seeing that Lu Yu's expression did not change, he had no choice but to muster up his courage and change his strategy: "Then I'll trade you some information, okay?"

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow, stopped, turned to look at Han Ke, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes: "Oh? Tell me about it."

Han Ke works in intelligence and is well-informed; he might actually have the information he needs.

Seeing that Lu Yu was interested, Han Jian immediately perked up and grinned: "A few months ago, besides this matter, we also obtained another piece of information, which is related to a powerful figure and also to the Martial Soul Empire behind the girl next to you."

Upon hearing this, Hu Liena frowned, her tone tinged with displeasure: "My Martial Soul Empire never does such a thing!"

Her voice was clear and bright, yet it carried an undeniable firmness, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes.

Han Ke shook his head dismissively, his tone tinged with mockery: "You guys just haven't done anything on the surface, but who knows how many bad things you've done behind the scenes."

I learned by chance that the Martial Soul Empire is searching for the tombs of several powerful figures, seemingly hoping to obtain something from them. We came here on their orders.

These words made Lu Yu fall into deep thought.

He looked down at the grass at his feet, his mind racing to process the information Han could provide.

The Spirit Empire's focus should now be on the technology of transplanting spirits. Could it be that they have their eyes on the spirit bones of the strong? As a treasure coveted by spirit masters, spirit bones can not only greatly enhance strength, but may also contain secrets left by their predecessors.

If that's the case, the conspiracy behind it is probably quite significant.

He pondered for a moment, then looked up at Han Ke, his tone calm yet dignified: "Tell me the specifics, and I can give you some medicinal herbs."

Han Ke's eyes lit up, and she nodded hurriedly, telling Lu Yu everything she knew.

His voice was low and rapid, as if he were afraid that Lu Yu would change his mind.

After listening, Lu Yu nodded slightly and took out a few medicinal herbs from his soul tool and handed them to Han Ke.

Han Ke accepted the medicinal herbs, beaming from ear to ear, and repeatedly said, "Brother Lu Yu, you're truly loyal! I still have things to take care of, see you later!" (End of Chapter)