348: Chapter 348 Crystal Tomb

"You mean... that Demon Emperor is waiting for us to get stronger before telling us the truth?"

"It's just a guess! But it's better than continuing to waste time here."

Chen Yi was silent for a moment, weighing the options rapidly in his mind.

Returning to the third layer meant that if he wanted to come back in the future, he would have to cross that Storm Zone again.

But staying here was indeed just a waste of time.

"Let's take a gamble!"

"Let's go to the third layer and see!"

"If Rose guessed correctly, that place might be the answer to everything."

Chen Yi finally made his decision!

He had the power of the system in his hands, and now he also had a large number of rare heaven and earth spiritual treasures as his trump cards.

Even if he couldn't beat that Demon Emperor, he should still be able to escape.

"I agree!"

"I have no objections either!"

"It's better than being bored to death here!"

"Anyway, I'll go wherever Brother Chen Yi goes."

The women all expressed their agreement, and no one opposed it.

"Then it's settled!"

Chen Yi waved his hand, "Pack up, let's go!"

---

The road back was much easier than expected.

It was unclear if this was how the secret realm's rules were designed, or if the original obstacles were no longer worth mentioning now that everyone's strength had improved.

When the group returned to the boundary between the fifth and fourth layers, that sense of ease was particularly evident.

Especially in the Storm Zone of the fifth layer.

Previously, they needed the help of the wind breath flower to break through, but now they just walked right through!

Those violent Wind Blades felt more like a full-body spa treatment; unexpectedly, it was actually quite comfortable!

Right there in the storm at the edge of the passage, they saw a familiar figure.

Ivan, the SS-rank prodigy from Su Country, was currently leading his team in search of the wind breath flower within the storm ring.

"Damn it! Why is this storm getting stronger and stronger?"

"Brother Ivan, we... we can't hold on any longer!"

"Hold on a little longer! We're almost there—"

Before Ivan could finish his sentence, his eyes suddenly widened.

Because he saw Chen Yi and his group in the passage.

Those people... were actually taking a stroll in the Storm Zone?

No shields, no protection, and without using any tools!

They were walking so easily, as if the destructive storm around them was just a spring breeze!

"That... that's Chen Yi? Holy crap! How did he come back?"

Ivan's brain crashed.

He hadn't expected to run into the person he least wanted to see here again.

Chen Yi also saw Ivan and gave a scornful smile.

This guy really is tough!

Ivan subconsciously nodded as well, then watched Chen Yi and his group move further away until they disappeared into the depths of the storm.

Watching their departing backs, Ivan was silent for a long time before finally smiling bitterly.

"That is someone we will never be able to catch up to..."

---

Passing through the Storm Zone, the group arrived at the ocean area of the fourth layer.

Compared to half a month ago, it was much livelier here.

"Look, there are people coming over there."

Hua Yuetong pointed into the distance and said loudly, "They look like new faces?"

On the sea surface, several teams were fighting against ocean magical beasts.

Those ocean magical beasts were generally around the fifth rank, which meant nothing to Chen Yi and the others now.

But for those fifth or sixth-rank prodigies, it was still a life-or-death test.

"It must be that reinforcements have been sent from outside again."

"Indeed, it seems the various countries haven't given up yet."

"But the Crystal Palace has already been taken by Master."

"Yeah! The greatest treasure in the ocean area is gone, so it's futile no matter how much they explore."

Indeed, having lost the Crystal Palace, the value of the ocean area had greatly diminished.

Those newly arrived prodigies were fighting for their lives, but in the end, they might only obtain some ordinary heaven and earth spiritual treasures.

"Let's go."

Chen Yi had no interest in staying, "Straight to the third layer!"

The group flew over the ocean and arrived at the entrance to the third layer.

The Fog Zone.

A familiar sight was before them!

Thick, white fog shrouded everything, and visibility was less than three meters!

Damp air, an eerie silence, and... that faint, elusive feeling of being watched.

"We're back here again!"

Su Taotao said softly, subconsciously grabbing Chen Yi's arm tighter.

"Tao Tao."

Chen Yi looked at her, "Are you ready?"

Su Taotao took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "Mm!"

She took a step forward and pressed her hands together in front of her chest.

Instantly, a phantom of the Taotie appeared behind her, opening its massive mouth.

A black hole-like vortex began to rotate, erupting with terrifying suction power.

The surrounding fog surged toward the vortex like a tide, being rapidly swallowed up.

Ten meters, fifty meters, one hundred meters...

As the fog was cleared, the true scene gradually revealed itself.

But this time, it was completely different from last time.

No hell, no corpses, no vengeful spirits!

What appeared before them was a massive crystal mausoleum!

It stood quietly in the center of the fog, as if it had existed for ten million years.

And at the entrance of the mausoleum, a person was standing.

No, not a person!

But a humanoid phantom formed from mist!

He stood there, yet seemed to be integrated with the entire space.

If not for seeing him with their own eyes, they wouldn't have been able to perceive his existence at all.

"Not bad, young man!"

A voice filled with endless majesty rang directly in everyone's minds, "To be able to obtain resonance with the origin, you are indeed qualified to know the truth of the world! Follow me!"

As soon as the words fell, an irresistible force of rules swept over them!

Before Chen Yi could even react, he felt the surrounding space begin to twist constantly!

The mausoleum, the fog, the ground beneath their feet... everything was spinning, and they couldn't see anything clearly!

The next second, everyone disappeared from the spot.

The fog surged back, swallowing the temple and all traces of them.

The third layer returned to its usual tranquility.

Only the endless white fog continued to churn slowly.

---

The moment the space stabilized, Chen Yi and his group immediately entered a combat state.

However, the anticipated attack did not come.

"No need to be nervous."

The voice of the Cloud Dragon Demon Emperor sounded again, "If I wanted to harm you, you would have already died back in the third layer!"

Only then did everyone have the opportunity to observe the surrounding environment.

This was a... space that was difficult to describe in words.

The entire space seemed to be constructed from pure crystal.

The ground was transparent crystal, through which one could see the seven-colored light streams flowing slowly below; the walls were angular amethyst pillars, and the dome was a starry sky pattern inlaid with countless tiny crystals, with every star slowly rotating!

The most miraculous thing was the concentration of spiritual energy here.

It was actually several times more concentrated than the Crystal Palace?

Taking a breath made one feel refreshed all over, and their spiritual power was even circulating automatically!

With every breath, a massive amount of pure energy poured into the body, even capable of rapidly replenishing consumption!

"Oh my god—"

Hua Yuetong felt the surging spiritual power in her body, "Cultivating here for one day is probably worth a year in the outside world!"

"No, maybe even longer."

Hua Xingtong added, "The quality of the spiritual energy here is so high that it can be absorbed directly with almost no need for refining!"

Even the knowledgeable Luo Shiyin showed a look of surprise: "This kind of place... I have never seen it! Even the core training ground that our Luo family can only open once every hundred years does not have one-tenth of the spiritual energy concentration here!"