kvmb Chapter 209 Treasure Before You
Chapter 209 Treasure Before You
Zhuang Yu looked at the long sword pointing at him, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
What does "guardian of the celestial palace" mean?
Is there something else going to happen after we've got the treasure?
He subconsciously gripped the jade ruyi in his hand, feeling its warm touch on his fingertips, but it did nothing to ease the unease in his heart.
The air around him seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes were focused on him. The tense atmosphere was almost suffocating.
"This treasure is not something you can take at will." The guardian's voice was cold and devoid of emotion, as if proclaiming an ancient and unchanging law. "You must compete in the Celestial Palace Trial Grounds. Only the victor may take the treasure."
As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.
Although Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi were seriously injured, the greedy light in their eyes burned even brighter.
They struggled to their feet, staring greedily at the jade ruyi in Zhuang Yu's hand, as if it were the only treasure in the world.
"Hmph, I have roamed the cultivation world for hundreds of years, why would I be afraid of your mere trial!" Jin Yangzi clutched his chest, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, yet he still forced himself to speak.
Mu Zi also smiled sinisterly, "Kid, you won a round by luck just now, but this time, it won't be so easy!" His eyes were filled with venom, as if he wanted to devour Zhuang Yu alive.
Zhuang Yu looked at the two of them and sneered inwardly.
These two are really stubborn and won't give up until they're completely cornered.
However, since the guardian of the celestial palace has set these rules, he has no choice but to play along.
He took a deep breath and put the jade ruyi into his storage ring.
"Since that's the case, then let's experience the power of the Immortal Palace Trial Grounds!" Zhuang Yu said firmly, without backing down.
Seeing this, the guardian swung his longsword, and a golden light flashed, revealing a huge stone door in front of everyone.
The stone gate is carved with complex runes, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.
"The trial grounds are open. Enter at your own discretion." After saying this, the guardian fell silent, standing in mid-air like a statue.
Without hesitation, Zhuang Yu stepped forward and walked towards the huge stone gate.
Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi followed closely behind, their eyes flashing with greed and murderous intent.
"Wait!" the guardian suddenly spoke, stopping the three. "In the trial arena, life and death are determined by fate. Have you thought this through?"
Zhuang Yu glanced back at the guardian, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Fortune favors the bold, and what is a little risk compared to the treasure!" With that, he resolutely stepped through the stone gate and vanished in a golden light...
As the golden light faded, Zhuang Yu found himself in a state of chaos.
The wind howled, and spiritual energy cut into his skin like sharp blades, emitting a piercing shriek.
This is the first challenge of the trial grounds—the Spiritual Energy Storm.
Zhuang Yu dared not be careless and immediately activated his internal energy to form a protective barrier around his body.
The storm's power far exceeded his expectations; his protective true essence emitted cracking sounds under the strain, as if it would shatter at any moment.
He gritted his teeth, took out a protective talisman from the mysterious space, and stuck it to his chest.
The talisman emitted a soft light, stabilizing the faltering protective essence.
Zhuang Yu struggled forward against the storm, the sounds of wind and thunder deafening in his ears.
He squinted and vaguely saw an exit ahead.
He took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and finally broke through the storm.
Behind him, Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi also staggered out, their clothes tattered and their appearance disheveled.
Jin Yangzi's face turned ashen as he glared fiercely at Zhuang Yu, his heart filled with resentment.
He, a powerful cultivator in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, was actually beaten to it by this kid!
Upon seeing this, Zhuang Yu revealed a cold smile.
He dusted himself off, appearing nonchalant, which only further enraged Jin Yangzi.
Before Jin Yangzi could react, the scene changed again.
They arrived at a huge square, in the center of which stood dozens of lifelike puppets.
These puppets were made entirely of metal and emitted a cold, icy light.
"The second trial in the training grounds: defeat these puppets." A cold voice echoed across the plaza.
Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi exchanged a glance and launched an attack on Zhuang Yu simultaneously.
They knew that only by dealing with Zhuang Yu could they focus on the puppet.
Zhuang Yu was prepared; he dodged their attacks with a swift movement.
"Want to join forces against me? Let's see if you have the ability!" He sneered, summoned his flying sword, and engaged the two in battle.
On the plaza, sword light flashed and spiritual energy surged.
While fending off the two men's attacks, Zhuang Yu cleverly used the puppet to launch a counterattack.
Sometimes he would hide behind the puppet and use its hand to attack the two; other times he would manipulate the puppet to disrupt their rhythm.
At the edge of the square, Wang Yao watched the battle intently, her hands clasped together, silently praying for Zhuang Yu.
"Zhuang Yu, watch out!" Wang Yao suddenly exclaimed.
Zhuang Yu turned around abruptly and saw a black dagger suddenly appear in Jin Yangzi's hand, emanating an eerie aura...
The dagger was aimed straight at his heart!
A black dagger whistled through the air, aimed directly at Zhuang Yu's heart.
At the critical moment, Zhuang Yu suddenly withdrew his flying sword, turned around abruptly, and abandoned his entanglement with Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi.
Both of them were taken aback, not understanding what Zhuang Yu was up to.
Zhuang Yu ignored the approaching dagger and the murderous aura behind him. His eyes were sharp as he scanned every corner of the square.
The square is paved with huge bluestone slabs, each of which is carved with intricate patterns.
Zhuang Yu noticed that in the southeast corner of the square, there was a stone slab with a slightly different pattern.
The other patterns are all auspicious cloud designs, but the pattern on this stone slab is a phoenix spreading its wings as if about to take flight.
A thought struck him: Could this be the clue?
Without a second thought, Zhuang Yu rushed over and carefully examined the stone slab.
He reached out and touched the phoenix pattern, feeling a warm, smooth sensation as the stone slab slightly sank.
With a soft "click," the stone slab slid aside, revealing a dark hole.
A rich spiritual energy emanated from the cave entrance, carrying a refreshing fragrance that soothed the soul.
Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi then realized that Zhuang Yu was actually looking for treasure!
They were both shocked and furious, and immediately abandoned their fight, rushing towards Zhuang Yu.
"Boy, don't even think about keeping the treasure for yourself!" Jin Yangzi roared.
However, it's too late.
Zhuang Yu leaped into the cave entrance, and the stone slab immediately closed tightly, as if it had never been opened.
The cave entrance disappeared, and the rich spiritual energy dissipated as well, leaving Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi staring blankly in the square.
"Damn it!" Jin Yangzi slammed his fist into the ground, and the bluestone slab immediately cracked in several places.
Inside the cave, it was pitch black; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Zhuang Yu took out the luminous pearl and illuminated the surrounding environment.
This is a long, narrow passageway, with ancient runes carved on the walls on both sides, exuding a mysterious aura.
Zhuang Yu walked forward along the passage, and at the end of the passage was a spacious stone chamber.
In the center of the stone chamber, there was a lotus platform carved from white jade. On the lotus platform, a golden elixir lay quietly, radiating a dazzling light.
Zhuang Yu took a deep breath, feeling the immense energy contained within the elixir.
This is the treasure of the training ground!
He carefully put the pill into his pocket, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
Just then, the walls of the stone chamber suddenly began to shake, making a loud rumbling sound.
"Not good!" Zhuang Yu's heart tightened. "It seems there are other trials in this training ground..." Before he could finish speaking, a crack suddenly appeared in the top of the stone chamber, and a dazzling beam of light shone down, illuminating a line of small characters in the center of the chamber: Cooperation leads to win-win results.
Zhuang Yu frowned as he looked at the crack in the ceiling of the stone chamber and the line of small characters.
Cooperation?
Cooperate with those two old foxes, Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi?
He sneered inwardly; this was even more dangerous than dealing with a tiger for its skin.
However, the tremors in the stone chamber grew more and more violent, and stones kept falling from above, threatening to collapse.
He knew that if he didn't find a way out soon, he might be buried alive here.
"Jin Yangzi, Mu Zi, let's cooperate!" Zhuang Yu shouted loudly at the entrance of the stone chamber.
Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi also realized the danger. They exchanged a glance. Although they wished they could tear Zhuang Yu to pieces, saving their lives was the priority at this moment.
"Alright!" Jin Yangzi gritted his teeth and agreed to Zhuang Yu's suggestion.
Mu Zi nodded in agreement.
The three temporarily put aside their prejudices and began searching for a solution.
Zhuang Yu carefully observed the runes in the stone chamber and discovered that these runes seemed to be related to some kind of formation.
He shared his discovery with Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi, and the three of them worked together to begin studying the formation.
Jin Yangzi was an expert in formations, and he quickly located the key point of the formation.
"The key to the formation is right under this stone slab!" he said, pointing to a stone slab in the center of the stone chamber.
Mu Zi was skilled in attack; he summoned his flying sword and cleaved the stone slab in two.
Beneath the stone slab lies a complex mechanism.
Following the instructions from the runes, Zhuang Yu began to operate the mechanism.
The mechanism made a "click-clack" sound, the vibrations in the stone chamber gradually stopped, and the cracks overhead began to slowly close.
"It's done!" The three of them were overjoyed.
Just then, the walls of the stone chamber suddenly slid open to the sides, revealing a passage leading to the outside world.
The three of them dared not delay and quickly left the stone chamber.
At the end of the passage lies the main hall of the celestial palace.
The guardian still stood in the center of the hall, holding the longsword in his hand.
"Congratulations, you've passed the trial." The guardian's tone was cold and devoid of emotion. "The treasure is yours." He pointed at Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu accepted the jade ruyi, his heart filled with joy.
He glanced at Jin Yangzi and Mu Zi; their eyes were filled with resentment, but they were also helpless.
Zhuang Yu, with Wang Yao in tow, turned and prepared to leave the Immortal Palace.
Suddenly, a dazzling light appeared in the sky, enveloping the entire celestial palace.
"What's that?" Wang Yao exclaimed, pointing to the sky.
Zhuang Yu looked at the strange phenomenon in the sky and a sudden sense of unease welled up inside him...