Chapter 169: Relic Restriction
"withdraw!"
Seeing that the effect of his own containment was getting smaller and smaller, Shi Feiyang made a prompt decision and ordered a retreat.
The members of the Navoli Brotherhood quickly adjusted their tactics. Using their familiarity with the terrain around the ruins and their tacit cooperation with each other, they retreated into the poisonous miasma in the rear like ghosts in the night.
"Where can the thief go!"
The Dao League disciples roared and tried to chase after them, but the misty forest before them seemed to come alive, with poisonous miasma and illusions interweaving into a huge net that blocked their way. They did not dare to go deeper, fearing that they would fall into a more dangerous situation, and could only watch the members of the Navoli Brotherhood disappear in the mist.
"Humph, you guys are fast!"
The leading disciple of the Taoist Alliance snorted coldly, and then ordered everyone to be on high alert, fearing that Shi Feiyang and his group would catch them off guard again by catching them out of the poisonous miasma.
On the other side of the destination, Ximen Tianyu was lurking there with three or four members of the brotherhood.
Seeing that some of the Dao League disciples who were responsible for guarding the front had left, he knew that Shi Feiyang's containment had worked. He immediately winked at the brothers beside him, and everyone understood, lowered their bodies, and approached the weak point of the guard silently like a cheetah.
"Remember, our goal is to sneak into the ruins and find and destroy the core mechanism that is said to control the power of the entire ruins."
Ximen Tianyu whispered the order, his eyes flashing sharply in the night, as if they could penetrate all obstacles.
Following his order, everyone was like an arrow shot from a bow, using the cover of night and terrain to quickly and nimbly break through the outer defense line of the Dao League disciples. Their movements were tacit and efficient, and every breath and every step was carefully calculated to ensure that they would not be discovered.
“It’s really here!”
As he approached the entrance to the ruins, Ximen Tianyu took a deep breath, feeling the antiquity and mystery in the air. He knew that every step forward would be filled with unknowns and dangers, but he also understood that for the sake of the peace of countless innocent lives on this land, he had to figure out what this forbidden stone was.
"Are you ready?"
He asked in a low voice, his voice was soft but full of power.
The people behind him nodded one after another. Although their purpose of coming here was different from Ximen Tianyu's, since they were already here, there was naturally no reason to retreat.
As Ximen Tianyu gestured, everyone rushed out together and immediately controlled the two Taoist Alliance guards guarding the entrance to the ruins.
In order not to alert the enemies further away, Ximen Tianyu and his companions brought the two Dao Alliance guards who had been subdued to the entrance of the ruins.
"Open the door!"
Without any nonsense, Ximen Tianyu spoke directly to the two of them.
However, upon hearing this, the two guards just shook their heads in embarrassment.
"Oh, I didn't expect you two to still have some backbone. I wonder if you can withstand what we're going to do next."
Ximen Tianyu curled up the corner of his mouth in a sneer and winked at the brothers beside him.
"Don't blame us for being ruthless. It was you who chose to stand on the wrong side."
The rest of the people behind him also understood immediately and prepared to punish the two guards. Looking at the silver needles emitting cold light in the hands of these people, the two guards subconsciously wanted to shout, but their acupuncture points were now blocked and they could not make any sound in their throats.
The two guards saw the silver needles about to pierce their bodies and quickly pointed their fingers at their mouths to indicate that they could not speak at all.
Ximen Tianyu's eyes moved slightly when he saw this, and he immediately raised his hand to stop his men's actions. He stared at the two guards and said in a deep voice: "Since you can't speak, then prove it with your actions. Open this door, and we will spare your lives."
The two guards looked at each other, with a trace of struggle and fear in their eyes, but they still stood there without moving, just pointing at their open mouths with their hands.
Ximen Tianyu frowned, obviously surprised and puzzled by the "silent protest" of the two guards. He pondered for a moment, and scanned the two men with a sharp gaze, trying to find any possible clues or explanations from their expressions.
"I will untie your acupuncture points later, but if you dare to make any noise, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Ximen Tianyu's voice was low and cold. He slowly stretched out his hand, gathering a faint spiritual power at his fingertips, ready to untie the acupoints of the two guards.
As the acupuncture points were unlocked, the two guards took a deep breath, as if they had regained the freedom to breathe. However, they did not make any sound, but just looked at Ximen Tianyu with horrified eyes, as if they wanted to convey some message.
"Tell me, why don't you open the door?"
Ximen Tianyu's patience has reached its limit, and his tone reveals unquestionable majesty.
One of the guards hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered up the courage to point at the gate of the ruins with a trembling finger. His eyes were full of fear and awe, as if something more terrifying than death was hidden behind the door.
"We can't open it."
The guard's voice was hoarse and weak, but every word was filled with desperation.
"why?"
Ximen Tianyu frowned even more tightly. He couldn't understand why the two guards were so afraid to open the door.
"Because there is a restriction on it...If you open it in the wrong way, it will attack."
"From the beginning till now, several fellow Taoists have died here."
Another guard also summoned up the courage to speak these words in a broken voice. His voice was small, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
Ximen Tianyu was shocked when he heard this. He did not expect that such a method was hidden behind this seemingly ordinary relic door.
He quickly calmed down and looked over the intricate runes and carvings on the gate of the ruins. These ancient marks glowed faintly under the moonlight, revealing an indescribable antiquity and mystery. Ximen Tianyu knew that these runes were likely the key to opening the gate and the mechanism that triggered the ban.
"Do you know the meaning of these runes? Or, do you have any clues about how to open this door safely?" Ximen Tianyu asked in a deep voice. There was both urgency and caution in his tone. He didn't want to put the entire team in danger because of a momentary impulse.
The two guards looked at each other and shook their heads, their eyes full of helplessness and fear. Obviously, they had no direct knowledge of how to open the door safely, but only knew the dangers of opening the door from past painful experiences.
Seeing this, Ximen Tianyu thought to himself: I wonder if I can use the power of the Heart Mirror to break this restriction?
(End of this chapter)