Chapter 093
Chapter 93: The End
“They must have some special means of tracking us. Enough, there’s no point in wasting our effort.”
Han Mei Yan’s expression was grim. Zhang He frowned deeply and asked, “If that Eighth Prince keeps following us, how will we ever obtain the Qilin blood?”
Han Mei Yan’s slender, captivating eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and after a moment of silence, she murmured, “We’ll have to take things step by step. If necessary, I’ll distract them while you go get the Qilin blood. We’ll split up then.”
Zhang He glanced at her, eyes flickering sharply, and slowly nodded. “I suppose that’s our only option.”
…
“How come we haven’t found a single copper coin all this way?”
Li Yuan Ling steered their wooden boat, eyes scanning carefully along the walls of the Karst Cave, clearly searching for something.
“How should I know?” Li Mu Sheng shrugged carelessly. Then, waving his hand casually, he said, “It doesn’t really matter. Let’s reach the end first. Worst-case scenario, we’ll just take some from others.”
Hearing this, Li Yuan Ling’s eyes brightened, and she thoughtfully tapped her smooth chin. “Right! The stone tablet didn’t say anything about not being allowed to take copper coins from others. We can wait along the path to the end, taking a coin from each wooden boat that passes by. That shouldn’t be too unreasonable.”
Li Mu Sheng nodded approvingly. After all, this was a competitive game; being slightly less virtuous was hardly a big deal.
Throughout the rest of the journey, Li Mu Sheng and Li Yuan Ling closely followed Han Mei Yan and Zhang He, navigating left and right through various Karst Caves, steadily progressing through the labyrinthine underground waterways.
Occasionally, hidden traps shot weapons from the walls, and underwater mechanisms triggered sudden surges, hoping to overturn their boats. However, none of these posed any real threat to Li Mu Sheng and his companion. They effortlessly followed behind Han Mei Yan and Zhang He, safely arriving at the maze’s end.
“These two from the demonic path are quite impressive,” Li Mu Sheng remarked softly, nodding slowly. Their opponents had navigated nearly flawlessly, practically taking the straightest route possible.
Li Yuan Ling was also in high spirits. She looked around, taking in their destination—a grand Underground Palace.
Within the palace, countless candles burned brightly, illuminating foundations built from polished granite. Massive stone pillars stood tall, beautifully carved with intricate wooden boat patterns. Above, stalactites hung down like frozen waterfalls, shimmering in vibrant colors under the candlelight.
At the palace center, water paths from the Karst Cave connected, allowing wooden boats to glide through majestic gates and enter the palace.
Han Mei Yan signaled Zhang He to halt their boat, turning to Li Mu Sheng behind her. With graceful courtesy, she said, “This humble girl was rude earlier. Please, Young Master, proceed first as my apology.”
Hearing this, Li Yuan Ling immediately frowned and protectively blocked Li Mu Sheng, her gaze wary. The charm spell Han Mei Yan previously cast on her had worn off, leaving her alert once more.
Yet Li Mu Sheng merely nodded gently, unable to firmly reject such polite courtesy from the enchanting demonic woman.
“Let’s go inside and have a look first. Perhaps we can find the divine object to increase our martial cultivation?” he said to Li Yuan Ling.
After brief hesitation, Li Yuan Ling didn’t argue. Steering their wooden boat ahead of Han Mei Yan and Zhang He, they entered the Underground Palace.
Han Mei Yan and Zhang He exchanged quiet glances before silently following behind.
“Congratulations, esteemed guests, on being the first to pass through the maze! Your total accumulated marks are two hundred and ten.”
A middle-aged man dressed in elegant robes approached Li Mu Sheng and Li Yuan Ling, smiling warmly and holding a scroll.
Li Yuan Ling studied him briefly, then impatiently waved her hand. “Get straight to the point. What’s the reward for first place? Is it a divine object capable of raising martial cultivation?”
The robed man was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting such bluntness. He laughed awkwardly, cupped his hands, and replied politely, “I don’t know where Young Lady heard such rumors. The rewards given by our Floating Boat City are usually powerful martial techniques, rare weapons crafted by renowned Martial World masters, or precious treasures…”
“But there has truly never been a divine object that directly increases cultivation!”
Hearing this, Li Yuan Ling’s delicate brows knitted together sharply, immediately displeased. Pointing at the pile of jade tokens on their boat, she retorted coldly, “We’ve achieved such a high score—surely a record! Is your Floating Boat City truly so stingy as to offer nothing extra?”
The robed man shook his head gently and smiled. “Young Lady misunderstands. Your two hundred and ten marks are indeed impressive, but the highest record in Floating Boat City to date is two hundred and fifty.”
Li Mu Sheng’s brow twitched slightly at that unlucky number.
Quickly, he stopped Li Yuan Ling, who clearly wanted to argue further, and squinted at the robed man. “If we surpass your current record, will you then provide a divine object to boost our cultivation?”
The robed man showed helplessness and bowed again. “Young Master truly misunderstands. Floating Boat City simply does not possess such a divine object that increases martial dao cultivation.”
Li Mu Sheng turned suspiciously toward Li Yuan Ling. “Are you sure your information is reliable?”
“It should be,” Li Yuan Ling blinked innocently, then shrugged, adding, “But whether that divine object actually exists, well… I can’t be entirely sure.”
Li Mu Sheng’s brows jumped sharply, and he silently stared at her.
[Listen to yourself—what nonsense are you even saying?]
Yet, after a moment’s consideration, he turned to Han Mei Yan and Zhang He behind them. With sudden realization, he asked, “Aren’t you two also here for the divine object?”
Han Mei Yan and Zhang He glanced at each other instantly. Zhang He’s face flickered, and he quietly sent a qi-infused whisper to Han Mei Yan, clearly asking how to respond.
Noticing this, Li Mu Sheng withdrew his gaze knowingly. Their hesitation and secretive whispers were answer enough. The divine object likely existed, but Floating Boat City was evidently unwilling to reveal it as a reward, deliberately hiding its presence.
“It seems this thing isn’t simple at all,” Li Mu Sheng murmured, thoughtfully stroking his chin.