Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"Awooo!"

The illusory beast, having lost its target, let out a furious roar of resentment, its blood-red eyes scanning back and forth in the empty room.

Then, the array began to flicker, clearly indicating that the remaining energy was insufficient to sustain it. The massive body of the demon beast slowly began to fade, transforming back into a cloud of blood-red smoke and shrinking back into the alchemy furnace.

The dark red runes on the surface of the cauldron quickly faded, returning to a deathly silence, leaving only the lingering stench of blood in the air.

On the stage of the Heavenly Performance.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

A flash of white light, and several figures fell in a disheveled state, staggering onto the open ground in the center of the square.

Everyone hurriedly looked over and saw that it was indeed Zhao Lingyun and the other five members of the Tian Ce team. They were all injured and weak. In particular, Zhao Lingyun and Leng Yue were seriously injured and unconscious, with strange blood-red sparks remaining on their bodies.

"It's the Tian Ce team! They teleported out ahead of time!"

"Oh my god! What a serious injury!"

"Help! Save them!"

The academy physicians, who had been waiting nearby, immediately rushed forward and used all sorts of healing pills, hemostatic talismans, and so on, as if they were free, to quickly bring the injuries under control.

After all, although the Four Great Academy Leagues have been dangerous over the years, no one has ever died. If a student were to get into trouble under the watchful eyes of so many teachers and mentors, no one could bear the responsibility.

The teachers and professors of Tian Ce Academy had livid faces. They stood up abruptly, but forcibly restrained themselves. Their eyes were fixed on the weapon-refining workshop in the light screen, which had returned to its deathly silence. Then they looked at Zhao Lingyun, who was on the verge of death in the square, and their fists clenched so tightly that they cracked.

Tian Ce Academy suffered a devastating blow when its core fighting force was almost completely wiped out due to triggering an ancient restriction. Captain Zhao Lingyun was seriously injured and fell into a coma, forcing the academy to withdraw from the Xiao Xuan Tian Secret Realm ahead of schedule, which also meant losing its eligibility to compete. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the proud and arrogant Tian Ce Academy.

At this moment, Taixu and the Wanxiang group, who managed to dodge in time, were also affected by that terrifying pressure, but because they were far away, they were not injured.

Once everything had calmed down, the group exchanged a glance, still shaken.

"Tian Ce... something must have happened to him," Wen Ruoxu said in a deep voice.

"He only has himself to blame."

Leng Ningshuang said coldly, but her gaze toward the depths of the palace became more solemn, for unimaginable dangers were indeed hidden here.

"Let's continue, everyone please be careful," Wen Ruoxu called out to remind his teammates.

The two groups of people did not linger and quickly left the Sutra Repository, cautiously exploring deeper into the palace.

Only three days have passed so far, there is still plenty of time, and they still have many opportunities.

……

In the ancient city.

Li Yuan and his group of five tried various methods to leave the area. They changed directions several times and headed towards the outside of the city, only to find that as soon as they left the city walls, the surrounding scenery would quickly become blurry and distorted, eventually turning into a hazy void.

They even tried to attack the ground, but were extinguished by a gentle force; the city seemed like an impregnable cage.

"This place... must be sealed off; the space is completely locked, and we can't get out at all."

As Ji Fanghua drew her conclusion, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

"Am I going to be stuck here forever?" Yu Ling'er punched the building next to her in frustration.

The group stood dejectedly on the bustling street when a timid voice rang out: "Are you... lost?"

The group turned around and saw the rabbit demon girl they had encountered earlier. She was carrying a bamboo basket and seemed to have just returned from shopping.

"It's you, little sister." Yu Ling'er forced a smile.

"I've seen you wandering around here for quite a while... Could you not find a place to stay?" the rabbit demon girl asked curiously. "My family runs an inn. It's not big, but it's very clean. Why don't you... come and rest at my place for a while?"

As she spoke, she quickly added, "My grandfather is very knowledgeable and experienced; he might be able to help you."

A thought struck Li Yuan. This ancient city was shrouded in mystery; perhaps he could glean some clues from the local residents. He nodded and smiled, "Then I'll trouble you. Thank you, young lady."

"Let's go. My name is Rong'er. What's yours?"

The rabbit demon girl was lively and chattered incessantly the whole way, leading the five people through several streets to a secluded inn.

The inn's facade wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy, with a few ancient characters written on the sign: "Hundred Ethnic Groups Inn".

There weren't many customers inside; they were mostly weary traveling merchants or low-level cultivators. Rong'er's grandfather had a kind face, with a few emerald green leaves growing from his head. His aura was gentle, and he was actually a spirit plant.

"I am Old Man Mu, the owner of this inn and Rong'er's grandfather. You are unfamiliar faces, are you from out of town?" Old Man Mu chuckled and led the five to the backyard, where he served them tea.

"Senior Mu, my name is Li Yuan. I come from an overseas island. I was stranded here because of something that happened in my hometown."

This was a pre-prepared statement from Li Yuan, intended to elicit information from the conversation.

"I see. You're all so young, it must be quite an achievement."

The old man, unsuspecting, stroked his long beard and sighed.

Under his enthusiastic introduction, everyone learned that the city was called Locked Dragon City, under the jurisdiction of the Hundred Races Alliance. The city lord, Mo Yin, was a highly respected human powerhouse, and there were several ancient sects within the city, working together to maintain order in the ancient city.

"Alas, with the invasion of demons and the turmoil of the world, there have been more and more exiles like you from other places seeking refuge in recent years."

After Mu Weng finished speaking, he sighed again.

"Old Mu, I just saw many people going to the temple to pray. May I ask which deity is being worshipped in Lock Dragon City?"

Ji Fanghua, who was usually quiet, suddenly spoke up and asked.

The old man said solemnly, "The goddess worshipped in the city is Nuwa. She mended the sky and saved the world, and all races have benefited from her grace."

The goddess Nuwa? He had already guessed it when he saw the human-headed, snake-bodied statue in the temple, and it turned out to be her.

"Senior Master Mu, I once saw a mural in an ancient site depicting a serpentine mythical beast with a dark gold body. Do you know its origin?"

Li Yuan had an idea and roughly described the appearance of the snake deity in the underground palace.

Upon hearing this, Mu Weng paused slightly, stroking his beard, and a look of awe appeared in his eyes. He slowly said, "What you are saying, young friend, I do know a little about. That is the noble Serpent King. It is said that he is the most loyal deity under the Empress Nuwa, in charge of time and space and the power of protection."

The Serpent King? The ruler of time and space, and the guardian?

A flash of lightning seemed to strike Li Yuan's mind, and all the clues connected at that moment.

The Serpent King in the underground palace is not a physical entity, and this mysterious ancient city should also be his creation. But why did he teleport the five of them here?

Regardless, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. At least for now, it seems that this snake king doesn't have any ill intentions.

Thinking of this, Li Yuan's heart suddenly calmed down. Rather than rushing into things anxiously, he should calm down and explore the truth behind it.

"I see, thank you for your explanation, senior." Li Yuan bowed respectfully to the old man. "We have wandered here and have nowhere to go for the time being. We would like to stay at your esteemed establishment for a few more days to appreciate the sights and sounds of this ancient city. Is that alright?"