67: Explore the barracks
Since the Tortoise Shell Shield was already destroyed and had lost all its spirituality, the matter of seeking out the Artifact Refiner from Shu, Mysterious Fulcrum Master, no longer seemed so urgent.
Gao De put away those heavy fragments, perhaps they would have another use in the future, but for now, his attention was completely drawn to something else—the entrance to the Dragon Palace Secret Passage he had discovered long ago but was forced to abandon due to insufficient strength.
Now, he was already a Third-Tier Demon King, possessing the Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline; his strength could not be compared to before.
Although the ancient Restriction at the secret passage entrance still made his heart palpitate, it was no longer an insurmountable chasm.
"It's time," Gao De decided in his heart. While repairing a Magic Treasure was important, exploring the Dragon Palace Ruins to obtain deeper Legacies and resources held a more fundamental meaning for him.
This might provide answers to the origins of the dragon pearl fossil within his body, or even find an opportunity to accelerate his cultivation of the Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.
He summoned Turtle Three Thousand and Crab Eighteen.
"This King is about to enter secluded meditation to cultivate a secret technique. During this period, all matters of the Water Mansion will be decided by Turtle Three Thousand, with Crab Eighteen assisting. Maintain strict vigilance; there must be no mistakes." Gao De did not state his true destination. Since his Dragon Transformation, his majesty had grown daily. With one command, the two generals, Turtle and Crab, naturally obeyed with awe and did not dare to ask more.
After arranging the affairs of the Water Mansion, Gao De quietly left the deep pool.
He performed the Breath Concealment Divine Ability, restraining his massive Flood Dragon aura to the extreme. Simultaneously, he activated Lightning Evasion, his figure transforming into a faint bolt of electricity that almost blended into the color of the water, silently and swiftly gliding toward the direction of that dark stone forest in his memory.
Before long, that familiar underwater stone forest, filled with jagged rocks and sedimentary moss, appeared before his eyes once again.
Compared to his last visit, this place seemed even more deathly silent. Only the hidden undercurrents continued to surge tirelessly, and the remaining petrified skeletal sentinels silently spoke of the vicissitudes of time and the vigilance of the past.
Gao De hovered at a safe distance, his massive Flood Dragon eyes carefully examining the rock wall that covered the entrance to the secret passage.
After promoting to the third tier, his perception had improved by more than several times.
At this moment, he could more clearly "see" that faint layer of energy film on the surface of the rock wall, and beneath the film, the more complex and profound Restriction patterns spread out like meridians.
That arrogant, exclusive Dragon Clan will still existed, but it seemed... it was no longer as full of "scrutiny" and "pickiness" toward him as before.
He approached cautiously, slowly releasing a trace of his pure aura belonging to the Purple Lightning Flood Dragon, as if submitting a silent "calling card."
As expected, the ancient Restriction reacted. It was no longer rejection, but a subtle "resonance."
Ripples appeared on the energy film of the rock wall. That Dragon Clan will swept over Gao De with a hint of scrutiny, but more of it was a kind of "recognition."
The light of the Restriction softened slightly. On the originally seamless rock wall, a shimmering energy entrance that could only accommodate a few people quietly emerged.
The interior of the entrance was deep and dark, emitting an ancient, desolate, and alluring aura.
Gao De's heart settled, knowing that he had passed this first trial.
This Dragon Palace Secret Passage's Restriction indeed showed leniency to those with pure Dragon Clan Bloodline, even a Flood Dragon who had just evolved.
He did not rush in immediately but activated his Divine Sense again to carefully scan the interior of the entrance.
After confirming there were no obvious immediate dangers, his figure flickered, turning into a stream of light as he cautiously passed through that energy entrance.
The moment he entered, the energy entrance behind him trembled slightly and quickly closed, returning to its original state, showing no sign of anything unusual from the outside.
As for Gao De, he was already positioned within a wide, deep underwater passage that led to an unknown destination.
The four walls of the passage were not natural rock but were built from some kind of massive, neatly cut blue stones. Ancient murals, long since blurred, were carved onto the stone walls, depicting grand scenes of True Dragons calling for wind and rain and the aquatic clans paying homage.
There was no light in the passage, only pitch blackness, but for Gao De, who possessed the eyes of a Flood Dragon, seeing things was not a problem.
The water flow here was almost stagnant, filled with a sense of sluggishness.
The air was filled with dense Water Spiritual Qi, but within this Qi, there was a very faint, unsettling aura of decay and death mixed in. It was from the same source as the "filth crystals" he had discovered on the periphery earlier, only more diluted.
Gao De focused his attention fully, maintaining his Purple Lightning Thunder Aura in a state of being ready but not yet released. Small purple lightning snakes circled his body, which could both provide light and respond to sudden attacks at any time.
He restrained all his aura and slowly dove deeper along the passage.
The passage was not straight; it had twists and turns, and even forks appeared.
Relying on his enhanced Dragon Qi perception, Gao De chose the direction where the Dragon Qi was relatively more concentrated to proceed.
At the same time, he was constantly alert for those petrified skeletons hidden in the shadows—though most were dormant, there was no guarantee that some wouldn't still retain a portion of their activity.
After traveling for about several miles, the passage gradually widened, and a space resembling an underground plaza appeared ahead.
In the center of the plaza stood several massive, differently shaped aquatic stone statues, appearing to be in the form of Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, but they were already severely damaged.
On the other side of the plaza, three arched gates leading in different directions appeared. Above each gate, a blurred ancient character was inscribed.
Gao De identified them for a moment, and his heart shook slightly.
The gate on the left was inscribed with the character "bing" (Soldier).
The middle gate was inscribed with the "conceal" character gate.
The gate on the right was inscribed with the "prison" character gate.
Barracks, Treasury, Prison?
Gao De's eyes flickered as he quickly weighed his options in his heart.
This secret passage of the Dragon Palace's Seventh Guard Barracks indeed connected to different functional areas.
The "conceal" character gate was undoubtedly the most alluring, potentially storing Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, or Magical Artifacts.
The "bing" character gate might contain standard Magical Artifacts or methods for training soldiers, but the risks might also be significant.
The "prison" character gate was full of the unknown and danger; no one knew if something terrifying was still imprisoned inside.
Just as Gao De was considering which path to choose, his keen Divine Sense suddenly captured a faint but exceptionally pure and ancient Dragon Qi fluctuation coming from deep within the direction of the "prison" character gate on the right. Within it, there also seemed to be mixed... an indescribable resentment and unyielding spirit.
This trace of fluctuation was extremely obscure. If it weren't for the fact that he possessed the Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline and had just promoted to the third tier, greatly increasing his spiritual senses, it would have been impossible to discover.
Gao De's Flood Dragon eyes narrowed slightly.
The "prison" character gate... abnormal Dragon Qi... Is it an opportunity or a trap?
His cautious nature made him lean toward choosing the safer "conceal" character gate, but that unique Dragon Qi fluctuation was like an invisible hand, plucking at his curiosity to explore the unknown and his desire for power.
After pondering for a moment, a flash of determination crossed Gao De's eyes.
He decided to first investigate near that "prison" character gate. If it proved impossible, he would immediately retreat and switch to the "conceal" character gate.
With his current strength and Lightning Evasion speed, as long as he didn't encounter an existence he couldn't contend with, escaping shouldn't be difficult.
His mind made up, Gao De no longer hesitated. His body's lightning light was restrained, and like a true ghost, he silently glided toward the "prison" character gate that emitted an aura of ominousness and mystery.