Magic: Reincarnate from high-voltage electricity at the start, level up independently.

As Aigu was lost in thought, Chu Ge had already taken action, retrieving two Grade A crystal cores from the corpses of the spider and the giant snake.

She handed one of the crystal cores to Aigu.

This spider was a demon beast that Aigu personally killed after breaking through his cultivation level. According to the rules, this spoils of war should rightfully belong to him.

However, upon seeing the crystal core in front of him, which was completely transparent and extremely valuable, Aigu, a businessman who was well-versed in the ways of profit, simply waved his hand and refused.

"No need."

His expression was frank, and his tone was exceptionally sincere: "If you hadn't come to my rescue in time, I would be dead here today. Forget a single crystal core, you saved my life."

"Please accept it."

Seeing his insistent refusal, Chu Ge stopped being polite and simply nodded, then put both crystal cores into his mouth and quickly refined and absorbed them.

She knew that besides the two crystal cores, the bodies of the two A-level demonic beasts on the ground were also extremely valuable, and all their materials could be sold for a high price. Aigu would not suffer a loss no matter what.

A moment later, the magic power of the crystal core was completely absorbed by the body.

Chu Ge looked up at Aigu, whose expression was somber, and asked a question.

"You're always so cautious, why would you rashly venture into such a dangerous place?"

When questioned, Aigu sighed deeply and slowly recounted the whole story.

"My demon-hunting team was hunting normally in the Demon Beast Forest when, while chasing a fleeing demon beast, they accidentally stumbled into this underground area. No one expected that a group of A-level demon beasts would be lurking deep within this underground palace."

"By the time I received the news and rushed to provide support, most of the brothers in the team had already been killed or wounded."

He looked up into the dark, deep passage, his eyes filled with grief: "As you walked this far, you must have seen the corpses scattered along the way. Those people were brothers who fought alongside me for many years."

After a brief silence, Aigu suppressed the bitterness surging in his heart and spoke in a deep voice.

"Let's go... I need to take their remains back and give them a proper burial. We can't let them lie exposed in the wilderness."

After saying that, he turned and walked forward.

After taking a few steps, he found that there was no sound behind him.

Aigu stopped and turned around, only to see Chu Ge still standing in the same spot, his gaze fixed on the dark depths where the poisonous bat had fled earlier.

"What's wrong?" Aigu asked, puzzled.

Chu Ge withdrew her gaze and turned to look at him.

"Now that I'm already inside, I plan to explore further."

"You take their remains and leave first. I'll leave after I've finished exploring the entire underground palace."

In fantasy novels, these hidden underground palaces often hold unexpected opportunities.

It's either an ancient cultivation technique, or a miraculous elixir, or a divine artifact or mythical beast.

If you're even luckier, you might even encounter an ancient powerhouse slumbering in an ice coffin.

Once awakened, the other party will take you as their apprentice, nurture you with all their might, and you will be able to do whatever you want in the future.

Of course, risks and opportunities coexist, and it's not impossible to encounter an old monster who possesses your body and you are reborn.

After listening to Chu Ge's idea, Ai Gu pondered for a few seconds in silence before speaking earnestly.

"I'll go in with you. It'll be better if there are two of us on the way."

"No need." Chu Ge could tell he was worried about her safety, so she explained softly, "You know my strength; the monsters here can't hurt me."

"I understand." Aigu nodded slowly.

The girl, who could withstand attacks from a peak A-rank venomous snake and remain unharmed, possessed strength far beyond his comprehension and had no need for protection from others.

But he still insisted on his own ideas, and not just because of Chu Ge's safety.

"That bat killed three of my brothers and is now hiding deep within the underground palace. I cannot rest until I avenge this grudge; I must personally slay it to avenge my brothers."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ge did not continue to refuse. He silently turned around and continued to walk deeper into the underground palace through the dark passage.

Aigu immediately followed.

The tiger that had submitted also obediently followed behind the two, never leaving their side.

As you continue downwards, you'll occasionally encounter a few wandering monsters in the passage; their strength is at least at the B-level.

Aigu took the initiative to step forward and make a move.

After swiftly dispatching the monsters blocking their path, they led the way.

The tiger followed along, witnessing firsthand Chu Ge's terrifying combat prowess in overwhelming the venomous snake. All the wildness and arrogance in its heart were completely subdued.

It quickly ran to Chu Ge, bent its limbs and lay down on the ground, making a gentle gurgling sound in its throat, its posture very ingratiating.

Chu Ge looked at its obedient appearance, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"You want me to ride on your back?"

The tiger immediately nodded vigorously, the gurgling sound in its throat becoming even softer, and obediently lay down and waited.

Without hesitation, Chu Ge stepped forward and sat steadily on the tiger's broad back.

The tiger slowly rose to its feet, its steps steady and unhurried as it followed behind Aigu, proceeding with great care.

"That's quite interesting."

Chu Ge murmured softly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The moon chameleon and white snake she used to keep were all small and had a cute style.

Now, riding a majestic king of the forest, she inexplicably exudes an air of looking down upon all things, much like a hermit sage.

The underground palace passages meandered and twisted, the terrain continued to sink, the surrounding temperature dropped lower and lower, and a chilling coldness enveloped the entire space.

The rock face overhead was covered with sharp stalactites, and droplets of water condensed and dripped down, hitting the cold ground and occasionally landing on the girl's head, bringing a slight chill.

The two men and the tiger continued down the stone steps for a full hour.

The long stone steps beneath our feet finally came to an end, where a magnificent black stone palace appeared at the deepest part of the earth.

The entire palace is built from single blocks of rock, its structure towering and imposing. However, placed in the vast, empty underground space, it does not appear particularly grand.

The palace is entirely gray-black, with thick, solid walls and no windows, except for a heavy, tightly closed stone door in the very center.

"We should have reached the bottom of the underground palace by now."

Aigu raised his hand and pointed to the stone palace in front of him, then turned to look at Chu Ge sitting on the tiger's back.

"Should we go in and investigate?"

"Okay." Chu Ge nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the stone door. "We haven't seen any trace of that bat along the way, so it's most likely hiding inside this palace."

The two men and the tiger quickly walked to the front of the stone hall.

Aigu stepped forward first, placed his hands on the stone door, and pushed forward with all his might.

The heavy stone gate remained motionless, as if it had been completely integrated with the mountain.

Aigu frowned slightly, his magical power surging and gathering rapidly within him. Now an S-rank powerhouse, he could easily shatter ordinary stone barriers, and breaking through a stone door was a simple matter.

He raised his hand and conjured a sharp wind blade, which slashed directly at the surface of the stone gate.

But the moment the wind blade touched the stone door, a transparent halo like water rippled across the surface of the door, and an invisible spatial barrier quietly appeared, slowly dissolving the sharp wind blade.

"It's spatial power...?"

Aigu, being knowledgeable and experienced, saw through the true nature of this restriction.

Unwilling to give up, he repeatedly unleashed several stronger wind blades.

The result has always been the same.

No matter how sharp and domineering the wind blades are, when they land on this inconspicuous spatial barrier, it's like a stone hitting cotton; all the force dissipates and they have no effect whatsoever.

"I'll give it a try."

Chu Ge leaped off the tiger's back, walked to the stone gate, gathered all his strength, clenched his fist, and slammed it hard against the stone gate's barrier.

The fist shot out through the air, creating sonic booms, and slammed solidly into the spatial barrier.

Aigu, standing to the side, watched the powerful punch, and his right eyelid twitched violently.

Even though the attack wasn't directed at him, it still gave him a sense of unease.

Even with such a powerful attack, it still failed to shake the spatial barrier in the slightest.

Chu Ge looked down at his palm, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

That punch she just threw not only used her physical strength, but also the spatial power she controlled.

Space to space.

She was at a disadvantage.

This is enough to show that the person who built this palace and set up this restriction has a cultivation level far higher than I am at this stage.

"I was right."

Chu Ge's gaze was fixed on the black stone palace in front of him.

If it were an ordinary underground palace, there would be no need to set up this level of spatial restrictions.

The only possibility is that something extraordinary is hidden inside the palace.

Whether it is a peerless martial arts technique, an ancient divine weapon, or a sleeping ancient master, we have no way of knowing at the moment.

Only by entering the palace and exploring can the answer be revealed.

Chu Ge tried various methods, including brute force, magical cleansing, and using his spatial abilities to dismantle the restrictions, but all to no avail. He was unable to break through this solid barrier.

Just when the two were at their wits' end, the tiger that had been standing quietly behind them suddenly stepped forward.

It walked to the front of the stone gate, raised its head and carefully examined the spatial barrier in front of it. It stood there for a long time, as if weighing the pros and cons and making a difficult choice.

After a moment, the tiger seemed to have made up its mind.

It slowly raised its thick tiger claws and gently pressed them against the cold stone door surface.

Then a miraculous scene unfolded.

The impenetrable spatial barrier remained untriggered, and the tightly closed, heavy stone door slowly slid inward, opening up a wide passage on its own.

Chu Ge and Ai Gu turned their heads at the same time, their gazes falling on the tiger, their eyes filled with the same shock and confusion.

At this moment, their thoughts were completely in sync:

So this palace is your territory? If you had the ability to open the door, why didn't you say so earlier!

Stared at by two direct and sharp eyes, the tiger instantly felt guilty, drooping its ears and quietly taking two steps back, putting on a docile and innocent look.

Neither of them investigated further.

The fact that the demon beast took the initiative to show goodwill and help is already a sign that it has abandoned darkness and turned to the light, so there is no need to be harsh on it.

After the stone door opened, the two did not hesitate and stepped inside.

The environment inside the hall was completely different from the dark and cold atmosphere outside.

The walls were covered with burning torches, their flickering flames illuminating the darkness and brightening the empty hall.

The ground beneath their feet was clean and flat, devoid of any objects or decorations; the empty environment exuded loneliness and eeriness.

On the walls on both sides of the main hall, there are rows of stone doors of the same size arranged neatly.

At a glance, there are a total of twenty-four stone gates on both sides.

At the deepest part of the palace stands a steep stone staircase that winds its way up to the second floor.

Chu Ge slowly walked to the right, stopped in front of the first stone door, and gently pushed it open.

This stone door has no restrictions or obstacles and can be opened easily.

"It seems that only the main gate of the palace has a spatial barrier in place..."

Chu Ge seemed to be deep in thought, then stepped into the room, with Ai Gu following closely behind.

The room was very spacious, and torches were lit inside.

In the corner, a huge black scorpion was curled up on the ground, sleeping and resting.

The noise of the stone gate opening startled it.

The scorpion instantly awoke, its compound eyes turning a blood-red hue, gleaming with ferocity as it stared intently at the two intruders. Its long, slender tail lashed out, the sharp, venomous stinger at its tip gleaming with a chilling light.

This scorpion only has the strength of the early stage of A-level.

Sensing the S-rank aura emanating from Aigu, fear instinctively arose in his heart.

Its massive pincers snapped and clashed rapidly, making a cracking sound, as it used a bluffing posture to try to force the two back and protect its territory.

Apart from the wary scorpion, there was nothing else in the room.

The two looked away and exchanged a glance.

Aigu spoke first: "I guess the remaining rooms are all where demonic beasts are imprisoned."

"The spiders, snakes, and bats we encountered before all reside in these stone chambers, and even the tiger that led the way is most likely a native of this place."

"It will be clear once you look at them one by one," Chu Ge replied.

She ignored the trembling scorpion in the corner and turned to leave the stone chamber.

She walked to the second stone door and pushed it open.

Inside this stone chamber dwells a three-legged toad, its body entirely black. The toad's skin is covered in raised venomous venomous bumps, indicating it possesses mid-A-level strength.

The moment it caught sight of Chu Ge's intrusion, it immediately tensed its body and assumed an attack stance.

The poisonous venom on its body surface dripped thick, black venom continuously. When the venom landed on the bluestone ground, it instantly burned with a sizzling sound and billowed black smoke.

"It's convenient that the toxins can be released without breaking the skin."

Chu Ge watched the dripping venom, a sense of curiosity rising within him. He decided to test whether the venom could harm him.

She didn't act immediately; instead, she turned and left the room, intending to discuss it later.

Turning around, I saw that Aigu had already walked to the left side of the main hall and was exploring the stone chamber opposite.

A few seconds later, Aigu pushed open the door and shouted at Chu Ge, "There's a giant centipede in this room!"

"I'm a three-legged toad," Chu Ge replied.

After exploring several stone chambers, they encountered poisonous monsters.

Chu Ge recounted his experiences along the way.

Snakes, spiders, bats, scorpions, centipedes, toads—the monsters that inhabit this underground palace are all highly toxic.

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the tiger that was obediently waiting for its turn not far away.

In the entire underground palace, only this tiger was not poisonous, making it the sole exception.

After thinking for a moment, Chu Ge walked towards the third stone door and pushed it open.

Deep within the stone chamber, a black millipede over ten meters long was coiled up, its densely packed legs resembling countless tiny tentacles, enough to make one's scalp tingle.

If someone with trypophobia were here, they would probably faint on the spot.

This millipede broke through the A-level barrier and reached the S-level standard, with a temperament far more irritable and ferocious than other venomous insects.

The moment Chu Ge pushed open the door, it immediately launched a surprise attack, its slender insect body carrying a foul-smelling gust of wind as it pounced straight at him.

Facing the fierce attack of the S-class monster, Chu Ge calmly responded and casually threw a punch.

The force was precise, knocking the frenzied centipede unconscious and rendering it immobile.

She needs the live poisonous insects for later body tempering, so she only suppresses them and does not kill them.

The fourth stone chamber houses a gigantic S-class wasp whose stinger contains deadly venom.

In the fifth stone chamber, a highly aggressive and ferocious venomous ant dwells.

The two worked together, exploring the stone chambers on both sides one by one, with extremely high efficiency.

It wasn't until he pushed open the door to the eighth stone chamber that Chu Ge finally saw that familiar figure.

It was the bat that had fled earlier.

At this moment, it is hanging upside down in the shadow of the stone chamber ceiling, its wings curled up as it lies in wait and hides.

Upon seeing Chu Ge enter through the door, Bat's first reaction was not to strike first, but to flee at full speed.

It knew perfectly well just how terrifying Chu Ge's strength was.

Even the full-force bite of a peak A-level venomous snake couldn't harm the opponent in the slightest. My own skills are completely useless; staying here will only lead to my death.

The bat, quite aware of its own limitations, suddenly flapped its wings, transformed into a black shadow, and rushed out of the stone chamber, heading straight for the main gate of the palace, trying to escape this deadly underground palace.

But this time, it faced Chu Ge, and had no chance of escape.

Just as it was about to fly out of the main hall, an invisible force suddenly locked its body in place.

The bat's flight posture froze instantly, hovering in mid-air, unable to move.

Immediately afterwards, a tremendous force pulled it in and completely took control of its body.

boom!

A dull, loud bang rang out.

The bat was flung violently, its head slamming heavily against the hard stone wall before plummeting straight to the ground.

The violent impact pierced its entire body, causing excruciating pain in its bones and muscles, numbness and swelling in its head. The bat collapsed to the ground, dizzy and disoriented, without even the strength to struggle to its feet.

After exploring the fifth stone chamber on the left, Aigu stepped out of the room and immediately saw the poisonous bats on the ground.

The moment Aigu caught sight of his enemy, his eyes turned bloodshot, and the grief and anger that had been building up inside him exploded.

This very beast ambushed and killed three of his demon-hunting brothers.

With a blood feud looming before him, Aigu did not hesitate for a moment and immediately took action.

Wind magic rapidly converged, and countless sharp wind blades descended from all directions, slashing at the stunned bats on the ground.

The dense blades of wind fell, instantly tearing the weak and powerless bat to shreds.

Flesh and bone shattered, wisps of hair flew everywhere, and mottled bloodstains were scattered all over the ground.

This wicked bat eventually met its end here.

Even in death, the bat remained filled with doubt, unable to understand one question.

The palace's main gate was clearly protected by a spatial barrier that outsiders could not break through. How did Chu Ge and Ai Gu manage to enter the palace?

It will never know that among the monsters guarding the underground palace, there is a treacherous tiger that betrays its own kind.

As it turns out, there were indeed bad people among the masses.

The tiger is a wicked beast that can't stand seeing other animals do well.

With all three major venomous insects killed, Aigu finally avenged his fallen brothers.

Despite having avenged his great grudge, he felt no joy, only a heavy sense of loneliness.

Most of his demon-hunting team members were lonely individuals, leading wandering lives and utterly alone. After their deaths in battle, they had no relatives to offer condolences or comfort, and he was denied even the chance to atone for his guilt.

Suppressing the heavy sorrow in her heart, Aigu composed herself and continued to explore the remaining stone chambers with Chu Ge.

Ten minutes later, all twenty-four stone chambers on the first floor of the main hall had been explored.

Of the twenty-four stone chambers, three were completely empty, with no monsters lurking around.

However, the traces left in the corner of the room are enough to prove that the previous residents lived there.

The dense spider webs, the shed snake skins, and the scattered feline fur correspond to the spiders and venomous snakes that were previously killed, as well as the tiger that voluntarily surrendered.

"The first floor has been explored. Let's go up to the second floor and take a look." Aigu looked at the stone steps leading to the upper floor.

"Okay." Chu Ge nodded in agreement.

The two stepped onto the stone steps and headed towards the second floor of the palace.

The docile tiger did not follow, remaining alone in the empty main hall on the first floor.

As the two figures disappeared completely at the end of the stone steps, the tiger's gentle eyes suddenly changed color.

A deep, cold light flashed in the depths of his scarlet pupils.

It slowly turned its head, its gaze falling on the mangled bat carcass not far away, and walked over slowly.

Standing before the corpse, the tiger's brown hair stood on end, and a low, chilling roar came from its throat.

"Old man, ever since my master passed away, you've been ganging up with snakes and spiders to bully me every day. I've wanted to get rid of you for a long time."

The humiliating memories of being bullied and suppressed over the years flooded back, and the hatred in the tiger's heart grew stronger.

The reason why some members of the demon-hunting team who had mistakenly entered the underground palace were able to escape alive and report the news was because it deliberately let them pass.

Its purpose is simple: to lure outsiders in and use external forces to eliminate the three major scourges that have been oppressing it for years.

The first team that came was led by Aigu, who was strong, but not strong enough to kill the three high-level poisonous insects.

Not only did the plan fail, but it was also scolded and insulted by the spider, who accused it of being incompetent and unable to even handle a few weak mermaids.

It was only when it was chasing the fleeing demon hunters again that it happened to encounter that white-haired girl with unfathomable strength.

Inexplicably, it developed an intuition.

With the help of Chu Ge's power, the three-headed venomous insect that has oppressed it for so many years will definitely not survive.

Things unfolded exactly as it had predicted.

But even though all its enemies were wiped out, it felt no joy whatsoever.

Because these opponents who humiliated it were ultimately not killed by its own hands, and the resentment of many years could not be settled by its own hands.

After a brief period of frustration, the tiger stopped thinking about it, opened its blood-red maw, and began to devour the bat's flesh and blood.

The flesh and blood of a peak A-level demon beast contains an extremely large amount of magical power. Although it is not as pure and abundant as the magical power in a crystal core and is not as easy to absorb, it is still a rare tonic for a low-level demon beast like this.

As pieces of flesh and blood were consumed, rich magical power flowed through the tiger's limbs and bones, and the tiger's aura steadily increased.

In a matter of moments, it devoured the entire corpse, licking away even the remaining hair scraps and bloodstains on the ground.

At the same time, its cultivation level completely broke through the shackles, stepping from the peak of B-level to the early stage of A-level.

The moment it broke through its cultivation level, its brownish-yellow fur quietly transformed, its surface tinged with a faint dark gold luster, and its aura became much stronger than before.

The power boost brought by breaking through the realm still failed to bring joy to the tiger.

It is weak in strength, but its intelligence far surpasses that of ordinary monsters.

With A-level strength, one could dominate a region in the monster-infested forests.

However, within this underground palace that holds countless secrets, they are still at the lowest level, and could be controlled and bullied by a stronger being at any time.

After a brief rest, the tiger turned and looked towards the palace gate.

It clearly remembered that in the underground palace passage, there were still two corpses of peak A-level beings: a spider and a giant snake.

With Chu Ge and Aigu present, it dared not act rashly, fearing that it might displease the two and bring about its own demise.

Now the two are venturing deeper into the second floor, a place fraught with danger, and it's uncertain whether they can come down safely.

This is its best chance.

As long as it devours and refines the bodies of two peak A-level demonic beasts, its cultivation will surely surge again, its strength will undergo a new transformation, and it will take another big step closer to its goal of becoming the Tiger Heavenly Emperor and dominating all ages.

With his mind made up, the tiger stopped and, in a flash, transformed into a swift black shadow, dashing straight out of the palace gate and speeding towards the underground palace passage.