Chapter 442: Doors to the Main Hall
Chapter 442: Doors to the Main Hall
Wu Yu reached out a hand, wiping the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Though her eyes remained closed, Luo Pin should have felt his gentle touch.
"I'll take you in right now." With that said, Wu Yu rapidly increased his pace as he approached the direction of the doors to the main hall. At the same time, he remained in a state of constant vigilance towards his surroundings.
Logically speaking, given the intensity of the fight earlier, if there were still any Spirits of the Universe remaining outside, they would have barged into the front hall to join in the battle.
Therefore, this courtyard should be a safe haven.
As Wu Yu neared the main hall, he felt as if he had fallen under the intense scrutiny of an immense beast comparable to the heavens and earth combined.
Hence, he decided to privately confer with Ming Long.
"Given the ruined state of this main hall, at the very least I can't detect any trace of the Three Generations Yuan Deadly Formation, nor the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord. That much should be certain. Whether it's the formation created by the heavenly immortals, or the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord, they should have already completely dissipated and scattered to the winds!"
Ming Long tut-tutted in annoyance, "Rest assured, the heavenly immortals are definitely more meticulous in completing their tasks compared to you. Given that they employed the Three Generations Yuan Deadly Formation to deal with the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord, they were definitely confident in its ability. In fact, the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord shouldn't even have been able to survive for the duration of one yuan. If the Three Generations Yuan Deadly Formation still exists, you wouldn't even be able to step into the front hall, not to mention enter the main hall. If the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord hasn't died, it goes even more without saying that he would have left this place long ago. This is his territory after all."
Ming Long's words were not without reason.
Upon closer inspection of the main hall, visible traces left by the passage of time revealed that this place had indeed not been populated for many years. After all, the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord was a Spirit of the Universe from nearly 600,000 years ago. Even heavenly immortals might not be able to exist for such a long time, much less the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord while under the suppression of the Three Generations Yuan Deadly Formation.
Of course, Wu Yu still remained alert as he quickly arrived in front of the doors to the main hall. Before him were two great bronze gates that looked similar to the front hall's entrance, only these were much bigger and measured up to 200 zhang. From down below where they were, they could barely see what was above them just by looking upwards, much less the roof of the palace, which was entirely shrouded in darkness.
"The Precursor Dragon Scale lies within. I'll be relying on you. Apart from that, I can confirm that the Three Generations Yuan Deadly Formation and the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord residing in this place have already disappeared long ago. It's empty inside," Luo Pin whispered softly into his ear. Even though her voice lacked strength due to her injuries, it still sounded melodious and charming.
"Leave it to me."
Having experienced the near-death struggle in the front hall, Wu Yu still needed to make some preparations before entering the main hall. Since this courtyard seemed safe, at least for now, Wu Yu thought for a while before putting Luo Pin down, assisting her to sit on the ground. At this moment, Luo Pin opened her eyes. Her gaze was dim and she allowed Wu Yu to make the necessary arrangements, all the while with her eyes fixed upon him. Suddenly, she said, "I realized that even though you are young, you're actually pretty good."
“Pretty good.” This already counted as the highest praise Luo Pin had ever given him, indicating that her feelings towards him were highly favorable. It was indeed his good fortune to be able to obtain the favor of a mystical dragon.
Wu Yu smiled and nodded in acknowledgement before telling her to wait patiently for a while. Once he set his mind upon the task, there was no hesitation. He immediately turned and set off in the direction of the doors to the main hall. He had a vague suspicion that opening these doors would be no mean feat; after all, they were probably several times heavier than the previous ones. However, they shouldn't pose a problem to him.
Once he arrived in front of the doors and laid his hands upon them, he applied a slight pressure and realized that these doors were indeed much heavier than those in the front hall. Even when he increased the level of force applied, the doors didn't even budge an inch!
Wu Yu immediately underwent the Immortal Ape Transformation, exponentially increasing the physical capabilities of his body. At this point, Luo Pin was gazing at him, eyes shimmering with eager anticipation. He definitely couldn't afford to appear incapable in front of her! He mustered his strength and summoned all the dynamic force of his physical body. Coupled with his currently near-perfect Jindan essence, he channeled every bit of energy into his arms. At this moment, he let out a ferocious roar and thrusted explosively towards the door!
In just a while, Wu Yu's veins were clearly showing from the exertion.
Following that, he was dumbfounded. Even though he had used nearly all the force he could possibly muster, he had only just managed to move the doors slightly, and there was absolutely no way he could get through the miniscule opening. The reason for this was clear: the mechanism behind the bronze doors was closed. It must have been locked from the inside! Wu Yu took off into the air and peered through the gap in the middle of the doors. He could see that there was a small part of the two doors that were conjoined. This was where the lock was located.
After a few more attempts at pushing, the great doors rocked violently but still refused to open. Unless unlocked from the inside, it would be impossible to gain entry.
Wu Yu examined his surroundings. Whether it was the windows or the blackened walls, they were ancient yet impregnable. Wielding the Yan Huang Heaven Raising Staff, he launched a few solid blows at them but failed to even leave a scratch. This was, after all, the former residence of the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord. Given the insignificance of Wu Yu's current cultivation level in comparison to the Heaven Devouring Evil Lord, how could he even hope to break through the walls or sealed windows of the main hall?
Upon landing, a sense of urgency gnawed at his heart, causing him to brandish the Yan Huang Heaven Raising Staff and attack the bronze doors savagely. His assault gave rise to ear-piercing sounds and caused the door to vibrate intensely, but because the door-opening mechanism remained firmly shut, he was still unable to open a gap that allowed entry.
A door that was over 200 zhang in height, and yet the gap still remained so narrow!
Wu Yu had even reached the point where he considered using the Violent Art to aid in his attempts, though as he calmed himself down and pondered, he realized that even the Yan Huang City Lord might not be able to break open these bronze doors if he came personally, much less himself. He could only return to Luo Ping, who had observed everything that had occurred.
She laughed bitterly before saying in a melancholic tone, "Perhaps it is really heaven's will that I perish. After all the difficulties we overcame to reach this place, I can't believe this door is firmly shut."
In fact, she knew deep down in her heart that the closed door mechanism basically represented a death sentence for her. She also knew that even if she were in her peak condition, she might not have been able to make it through the doors ahead.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the doors being sealed this way was also because the heavenly immortals did not wish for irrelevant beings to trespass within?
"You forgot what I told you. Never give up before the final moment arrives." Wu Yu extended his hand, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. This courtyard was way too big, so Wu Yu took the initiative to carry her on his back once more before circling the area close to the main hall, walking around, observing, searching.
"It's unlikely that there'll be other ways out... Being able to make it up to this point is already a blessing from the heavens." Luo Pin's voice was despondent. After all, she was about to face an unavoidable demise.
Martial cultivators were naturally afraid of death. As one's cultivation level increased, so did one's fear of death. In this aspect, their ability to transcend such fears might not be more than that of an ordinary mortal.
Furthermore, she had very nearly succeeded in her quest to survive.
"Say no more." The frustration in Wu Yu's heart was reflected in his stern tone, cutting Luo Pin off before she could speak further. This caused her to look at him in a slightly confused manner. Perhaps to Luo Pin, the two of them had only known each other for a brief period of time and were but shallow acquaintances, yet Wu Yu seemed to accord a great deal of significance to her life.
Wu Yu was indeed unwilling to accept the current situation!
They were just a step away from success; they had even managed to make it past the Green Glows. If he were to watch her perish before him, it would undoubtedly be a devastating form of trauma.
He desperately searched around without sparing any nook or cranny while hoping fervently for a miracle to occur, such as a passageway suddenly opening somewhere in the hall.
However, after covering the entire area, he realized that these were just naive thoughts.
Luo Pin gazed intently upon his side profile from behind, murmuring in a pensive manner, "In my impression, I've only been carried like this before by my father, when I was very young..."
Wu Yu cast a backward glance at her. He had actually given up hope as well, but hearing these words and seeing her frail countenance made him grit his teeth and continue his search. He resolved to turn the entire courtyard upside down before even thinking about stopping.
The sight of this “little man,” so much younger than herself, running around wildly on her behalf made Luo Pin unable to hold back an affectionate smile. The hand she had placed on Wu Yu's neck squeezed a little tighter subconsciously, and she rested her head on his back, reminiscing...
Huo!
Wu Yu's steps came to an abrupt halt.
Before them stood a black wall. This was not the wall of the main hall, but the wall separating the central courtyard and the back hall courtyard.
If he could get past this wall, he would have entered the back hall courtyard.
The courtyard where Wu Yu was located connected the front hall and main hall, whereas the back hall courtyard connected the main hall and the back hall.
Previously, Wu Yu was merely unwilling to give up and resign himself to fate. Never did he expect that this painstaking search would actually lead them to an inconceivable vestige of hope!
The wall before him had a hole in it. It was not a huge hole, but it was more than enough for 10 of him to pass through.
Standing in front of the hole allowed them to see through to the back hall courtyard. It appeared equally empty, not unlike the courtyard that was Wu Yu currently standing in.
"Luo Pin!" Wu Yu called out to her.
In her dazed state, Luo Pin also noticed the hole in the wall. This unexpected chance for survival instantly perked her up, and she seemed somewhat revitalized amidst the prior gloom.
"There are two doors in the front hall, and surely two in the main hall as well. Even though the front door of the main hall is locked, we never know, the back door to the main hall might just be open. No matter what, it's a shred of hope... I'll head over immediately to take a look!"
Wu Yu was already raring to go.
He wanted to know if the back door to the main hall was closed as well. If it wasn't, Luo Pin would really be able to overcome her fate and gain a second chance at life!
The hole was not easy to find at all. It lay in a dark corner, at an unimaginable location. Had Wu Yu not decided to persevere, they would likely have missed it.
Excitement and apprehension tugged at Luo Ping's heartstrings. She did not know how to adequately express the overwhelming gratitude she felt towards Wu Yu, and also stared at the hole in the wall in joyous surprise. At least there was still hope. However, the moment she scrutinized it, her expression changed and she hurriedly exclaimed to Wu Yu, "Don't go yet!"
Wu Yu had very nearly rushed through already.
He quickly stopped in his tracks, asking, "What's wrong?"
Luo Pin replied, "This hole is being filled up by a spirit design. You can't see it. I can't confirm what kind of spirit design this is, and charging in recklessly might get you injured. Wait a moment.”
She retrieved a common immortal treasure of little importance from her Sumeru Pouch, told Wu Yu to stand a safe distance away, then hurled it towards the hole in the wall.
The immortal treasure passed through without any resistance.
Wu Yu was elated, yet Luo Pin remained concerned. Frowning, she said, "This is an Obstruction Spirit Design - it doesn't block common objects. There's a chance it only blocks living beings."
Hearing this, Wu Yu peeked into the hole once more, only to receive a rude shock. In the further recesses of the back hall courtyard, he could actually spot a black wolf demon lying on the ground.