Under One Person: I Opened the Age of Mythology

Chapter 497

Sun Wukong turned slightly to the side, his golden cudgel gently touching the stone wall. The light and patterns on the cudgel intertwined, as if testing something.

His gaze was focused, and his fingertips lightly traced the shaft of the staff, his magical power flowing along the golden cudgel as he sensed the energy fluctuations within the patterns.

After a moment, his brow relaxed slightly, and his tone became steady:
“These patterns are indeed the code of some kind of mechanism. Although the energy is weak, the structure is complex, like a lock.”

Yang Jian nodded, his eyes sharp. He lightly swung his three-pointed double-edged sword, and the silver light of the runes flowed in the air, quickly scanning the arrangement of the patterns.

His movements were fluid and precise, as if he were solving a complex math problem.

After a moment, he said in a low voice:
"The arrangement of the patterns is not random, but follows a certain ancient array structure. If the patterns are divided into nine parts and arranged in the order of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the password to open the mechanism can be deduced."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong slightly turned his wrist, and the light of the Golden Cudgel suddenly intensified, the light on the staff shining as brightly as a blazing sun.

His gaze was fixed on the patterns on the stone wall, and he said in a low voice:
"In that case, you provide guidance, and I'll be responsible for striking the keys. Make sure it's successful on the first try."

Yang Jian nodded, his fingertips tapping lightly on the hilt of his sword, as if calculating the rhythm of each step.

His voice was steady and powerful:
"The first line is located in the upper left corner. Apply light pressure and repeat three times, with a one-second interval between each stroke."

With a slight flick of his wrist, Sun Wukong's golden cudgel struck precisely where Yang Jian had pointed.

"Thump, thump, thump!"
The sound of three taps echoed in the narrow passage, and the patterns on the stone wall shimmered slightly, as if responding to his strength.

"The second spot, in the bottom right corner, should be struck twice with a two-second interval."

Yang Jian's voice remained calm, his gaze fixed on the changes in the patterns.

Sun Wukong did as he was told, and struck with his golden cudgel with just the right amount of force.

With two "thump, thump" sounds, the patterns on the stone wall shimmered even more clearly, and a slight "click" sound came from the air, as if a mechanism was being gradually activated.

"The third spot, slightly to the left of center, is the most forceful, with a frequency of five strikes, spaced half a second apart."

Yang Jian raised his voice slightly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

Sun Wukong took a deep breath, and with a sudden flick of his wrist, his golden cudgel struck five times in quick succession, "thump, thump, thump, thump, thump," at a speed that was dazzling to the eye. The patterns on the stone wall suddenly lit up brightly, as if they had come alive, and rapidly spread outwards.

"The final step is to strike slightly to the right of center, with moderate force and a frequency of one strike, followed by a three-second pause."

Yang Jian's voice carried a hint of tension, and his fingers gripped the knife with slight force.

Sun Wukong tapped the stone wall lightly with his golden cudgel, then stopped, and silence fell. The three held their breath, their eyes fixed on the stone wall, as if awaiting some impending change.

Suddenly, the stone wall emitted a soft "click" sound, the light from the patterns gradually faded, and then the stone wall slowly parted to the sides, revealing a hidden passage.

A strange fragrance permeated the passage, mixed with a faint, moist scent, as if a wisp of water mist hung in the air.

Nezha's nose twitched slightly, and the flame of his Fire-Tipped Spear flickered, reflecting his slightly surprised expression:
"This fragrance... smells like some kind of herb, but with a hint of sweetness."

Yang Jian's gaze followed the passage inward, the runic light on the three-pointed double-edged sword gradually receding, his voice low and calm:
"There was a faint but very clear sound of flowing water in the passage. It seemed as if a water vein was running through it."

Sun Wukong tilted his golden cudgel slightly, and the light emanating from the cudgel illuminated the passage ahead like a curtain of light.

His gaze was sharp and his tone was steady:
"This passage doesn't seem to be a natural feature; it's more like it was carved out by humans a long time ago. We must be careful, as there may be unknown mechanisms or dangers."

Nezha swung his Fire-Tipped Spear sharply, and the flames at the tip of the spear suddenly surged, the firelight reflecting his slightly excited expression:
"Who cares about any traps or obstacles? Let's just charge in! With me here, nothing can stop us!"

Sun Wukong gently shook his head and slightly raised his hand, signaling him to calm down:

“We must be careful, especially in places like this. Yang Jian, you keep watch, I'll scout ahead, and Nezha will cover the rear.”

Yang Jian nodded, and the blade of the three-pointed double-edged sword tilted slightly. The silver light of the runes flowed even faster, and the light on the blade formed a silver barrier that enveloped the three of them.

The three stepped into the passage one by one. The walls inside the passage were as smooth as jade, and the sound of flowing water could be faintly heard coming from the depths.

The aroma grew stronger, as if enticing them to continue.

Sun Wukong's golden cudgel cleared the way ahead, its light like a curtain of light dispelling the darkness.

His gaze was piercing, and each step he took was steady and powerful. The ground beneath his feet was slightly damp, as if water was seeping through from underground.

Yang Jian followed closely behind, the blade of his three-pointed double-edged sword dragging lightly on the ground, the silver light of the runes flowing slowly, as if probing every energy fluctuation around him.

His gaze was calm and focused, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were thinking about something.

Nezha followed at the back, the flame at the tip of his Fire-Tipped Spear flickering slightly, reflecting his somewhat impatient expression.

He walked briskly, glancing back every now and then, as if worried that something might attack him from behind.

At the end of the passage, a wide space came into view, filled with a rich fragrance, and the sound of flowing water became clearer, as if an underground river was flowing past their feet.

Sun Wukong stopped, the light from his golden cudgel dimmed slightly, his gaze fixed on the scene before him, his voice low and deep:

"This... seems to be an underground altar."

"altar?"

With a hint of doubt in his voice, Yang Jian slowly walked to Sun Wukong's side, sheathed his three-pointed double-edged sword, and pointed the blade at a recess in the stone wall.

“There seems to be something on this altar.”

He leaned down slightly and carefully observed the patterns in the depression. The stone in the depression was fine-grained, and the patterns were exquisite and complex, like some kind of ancient totem.

In the dimly lit passageway, only the sounds of their breathing and the flowing water could be heard.

Sun Wukong raised his golden cudgel and gently tapped the grooves in the grooves. Each tap carried a subtle fluctuation of magical power, and the cudgel trembled slightly, as if sensing the flow of energy within it.

His gaze was fixed on the lines, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of inquiry:
"These patterns are not simple; they seem to contain a magic array that requires specific magical power to activate."

Yang Jian stood beside him, his three-pointed double-edged sword slightly tilted, the silver runes on the blade intertwining and swirling in the dim light.

He bent down to examine it carefully, his fingertips gently tracing the edges of the patterns, and felt a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy.

His voice was low and calm:
“That’s right, this pattern is indeed a magic circle. Moreover, its activation method... seems to require a specific incantation.”

He closed his eyes, as if recalling something; after a moment, he opened them, his gaze piercing.
“I remember now, this is the ancient ‘Celestial Evolution Array’, which requires the power of the four elements of ‘Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun’ as a guide, and must be combined with the sequence of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to be activated.”

Sun Wukong smiled slightly, and with a slight twist of his wrist, the light of the golden cudgel suddenly intensified:

“In that case, tell me the incantation, and I will activate it.” Yang Jian nodded and whispered a string of ancient incantations, his voice deep and clear, each syllable seemingly carrying some kind of mysterious power.

His fingertips traced a rune's path in the air, the rune's silver light intertwining with the golden cudgel's glow to create a powerful energy surge.

Sun Wukong did as he was told, and with a sudden flick of his wrist, the golden cudgel struck the center of the pattern with tremendous force.

His movements were fluid and precise, each strike carrying a specific force and frequency, and the patterns on his body gradually glowed faintly under the impact of the magic.

Nezha stood to the side, the flame at the tip of his Fire-Tipped Spear flickering slightly, reflecting his somewhat impatient expression.

He flicked the tip of his spear slightly, the flame drawing a blazing arc in the air, his tone tinged with urgency:

"Have you guys got it sorted out yet? I don't want to just sit here waiting!"

Yang Jian glanced at him, his tone calm:

"Please be patient. The magic array needs time to activate. Interrupting it rashly will only make all our efforts futile."

Sun Wukong ignored their conversation and waved his wrist again, the light of the golden cudgel like a curtain of light enveloping the patterns on the surface.

His gaze was piercing, and his tone was deep:
"That's enough, the final blow!"

Before he finished speaking, the golden cudgel slammed down, and the light from its patterns suddenly burst forth, enveloping the entire altar in a dazzling radiance.

A soft "click" sound came from the air, and the stone wall in the center of the altar slowly cracked open, revealing a stone platform that slowly rose from the ground.

On the stone platform, an object emitting a strange light sat quietly, as if waiting for their arrival.

Nezha swung his Fire-Tipped Spear sharply, and the flames at the tip of the spear suddenly surged, the firelight reflecting his slightly excited expression:
"This is finally starting to look interesting!"

Yang Jian's gaze was fixed on the items on the stone platform. The silver runes on the three-pointed, double-edged sword shimmered slightly, and his tone carried a hint of solemnity:
"This thing... seems unusual."

Sun Wukong did not respond immediately. His eyes were like torches, and the golden cudgel in his hand tilted slightly. The light from the cudgel formed a barrier that enveloped him.

His voice was low and firm:
"Whatever it is, bring it over and take a look."

Yang Jian nodded, the blade of his three-pointed double-edged sword tilted slightly, and the silver light of the runes flowed even more rapidly:
"I'll stand guard, you go and get it."

Without hesitation, Sun Wukong lightly lifted his foot and leaped towards the stone platform like lightning.

The golden cudgel in his hand emitted a dazzling golden light, and the light from the cudgel was like a curtain of light that shot straight towards the stone platform.

Just as his hand was about to touch the object, a bright light suddenly burst forth from the stone platform, and a powerful energy wave swept over.

Sun Wukong's body trembled violently, and the light of the Golden Cudgel suddenly intensified, the staff forming a golden barrier that protected him.

Sun Wukong steadied himself, his golden cudgel held horizontally in front of his chest, its light forming a solid barrier against the powerful energy impact.

His gaze was sharp as he stared at the items on the stone platform, vaguely sensing that the source of the energy fluctuations came from the flowing runes inside the items.

"This rune...something's not right."

Sun Wukong muttered to himself, his brows furrowed slightly. He could sense a powerful force contained within the runes, as if it might erupt at any moment.

Seeing this, Yang Jian quickly swung his three-pointed double-edged sword, the runes on the blade shimmering with silver light, rapidly setting up an even stronger defensive array around the three of them.

The runes in the formation seemed to come alive, quickly weaving together to form a light shield that firmly locked the energy fluctuations within, preventing them from leaking out in the slightest.

"Great Sage, be careful, the energy fluctuations of this thing are very unstable."

Yang Jian's voice was deep and calm. The three-pointed double-edged sword in his hand was tilted slightly, and the silver light of the runes flowed more rapidly in the defensive array, as if he was ready to deal with any sudden changes at any time.

Nezha stood to the side, the flames of his Fire-Tipped Spear suddenly surging, the flames at the tip of the spear like a blazing beam of light, reflecting his slightly wary expression.

He looked around, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, as if searching for any possible threat.

"Great Sage, what do you plan to do? Are you going to take action directly?"

Nezha's voice carried a hint of urgency, and the flame of his Fire-Tipped Spear flickered slightly, revealing his inner unease.

Sun Wukong did not answer immediately, his eyes fixed on the items on the stone platform, his fingers gently tapping the tip of his golden cudgel, producing a soft "ding-ding" sound.

After a moment, he said in a low voice:
"No, the power of this rune is too great. Taking action directly might trigger an even bigger explosion."

With a gentle wave of his hand, the light of the golden cudgel dimmed slightly, and the light on the cudgel itself drifted slowly toward the stone platform like a thin mist.

Sun Wukong attempted to use his own magical power to guide the energy fluctuations within the runes, carefully deciphering their secrets.

"Yang Jian, can your defensive formation be reinforced with another layer?"

Sun Wukong turned his head and met Yang Jian's gaze, his tone carrying a hint of pleading.

Yang Jian nodded slightly, and his three-pointed double-edged sword moved swiftly in the air. The silver light of the runes poured down like a waterfall, quickly creating an even more complex light shield outside the defensive formation.

His movements were fluid and precise, each rune appearing as if it had been practiced hundreds of times, without any deviation.

"Okay, you can continue now."

Yang Jian's voice remained calm, as if everything was under control.

Sun Wukong took a deep breath, and with a gentle tap of his fingertip, golden magic flowed from his fingertip, slowly seeping into the runes.

His movements were extremely slow, as if he were deciphering an incredibly intricate mechanism. The energy fluctuations within the runes gradually weakened, and their flow slowed down.

"almost."

Sun Wukong's brows relaxed slightly, and with a gentle twist of his wrist, the light from the golden cudgel, like a thin veil, slowly enveloped the items on the stone platform.

His movements were extremely careful, as if he were holding a fragile treasure.

Finally, he carefully removed the item, gently held it in his hand, and felt the residual energy fluctuations within it.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he said in a low voice:

"This thing... is indeed unusual."

(End of this chapter)