"... Let’s go down and take a look." Ji Quanzhen rubbed his hands together, not bothered by Lu Ren’s teasing, his expression somewhat heavy: "We need to be careful."
Lu Ren had no objections. What they wanted to see should be inside that stone tower.
The steps were very high and wide, each at least three meters tall, clearly built for creatures over ten meters in height.
Seeing this, Lu Ren slightly relaxed the Ten Earth Knot, and only after returning to his usual human size did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, twisting his body.
Being compressed in such a manner made his body feel very uncomfortable, akin to cocooning oneself in a very small space with no choice but to curl up.
After a while, Lu Ren felt a bit suffocated inside, with a usual height of 1.95 meters he could cope, but any shorter made him feel uneasy.
The two proceeded forward, descended the steps, and stood beneath the towering stone structure.
This black stone tower was like a narrow pyramid, with four large curved doors at the bottom. The tower covered an area of over three thousand square meters, and the curved doors were about seven to eight meters high.
"I wonder who built it back then, digging out such a place near five kilometers underground."
The cave tunnels twisted and turned, but consistently descended, having traveled nearly twenty kilometers, reaching over five kilometers deep.
"Seems like underground missiles can’t reach such depths." Lu Ren jested.
Ji Quanzhen rolled his eyes, ignoring Lu Ren, instead circling the tower and returning, his face heavy: "The malicious aura inside feels far more sinister than the tomb we’ve previously excavated; there’s no comparison."
Saying this, Ji Quanzhen slapped his thigh regretfully: "Should have let Zhang Tongxuan come instead!"
Lu Ren was speechless: "Taoist Ji can be this choosy?"
Ji Quanzhen unashamedly stated: "Man is naturally a being driven by survival instincts, seeking benefit and avoiding harm is instinctual."
Pausing briefly, Ji Quanzhen went forward to touch the stone tower, nodding: "It is stone, though I have no idea what type it is."
Speaking, he exerted some force, yet the tower remained unresponsive. Keep in mind that Ji Quanzhen, although a Spirit Refining Cultivator, has reached the Peak of Determination Path, his Spirit nourishing the flesh. Though he appeared skinny, his Physique compared well with a Martial Artist of the Bright Awakening Realm.
He could easily mold iron into clay without mentioning the added support from his True Power.
"This isn’t from Earth, no idea where it came from, spending such a great effort just to seal the Great Demon."
Lu Ren carefully examined the nearby stone pillars, noticing the incredibly complex runes on them. A mere glance left his eyes slightly dazzled.
"After so many years, should be no major issues." Ji Quanzhen comforted himself.
Lu Ren chuckled: "Isn’t this setting yourself up?"
"Pfft, nonsense, Elder Ji here is a Taoist Quanzhen, a high-achieving True Cultivator, a person knowing the mandate of heaven."
Chattering along, the two entered the stone tower wherein Lu Ren’s pupils suddenly contracted.
From five rectangular stone pillars extended chains into the tower, binding a black ape, large as a tower, around one meter sixty tall, suspended in mid-air.
Its neck, wrists, and ankles were all shackled, with runes emitting a faint blue glow, carrying sealing power, implicitly confining even space.
Here, it’s truly a sealed reality, with even the black ape severely suppressed, life unconstrained.
After a while, Lu Ren and Ji Quanzhen circled around, Ji Quanzhen puzzled: "Is it dead?"
"No, its body, though appearing parched, harbors exceedingly powerful Life Force; it’s typical of a dormant state, slowing its aging intentionally."
Given his higher realm than Ji Quanzhen, Lu Ren saw more, his perspective ascended, perceiving scenes from the Seeking Truth Realm.
There stood a giant ape, beneath five towering peaks pressing down; it exuded overpowering Demonic Qi, engulfing the area, fearsome.
Yet the pervasive deathly aura inside was surprisingly strong due to a high-level being entering an aged state, naturally emitting such aura.
This was an old ape nearing life’s end; the real-world array seemed designed to prevent it from falling asleep, continuously suppressing its Power.
Seems it aimed to hinder the black ape from using slumber Secret Technique to extend its lifespan, forcing it into wakefulness to drain it over time.
After careful examination, the two concluded: this creature was certainly conscious, in normal restful sleep.
"Have you seen enough?"
Before the old ape stood the two, suddenly hearing a slightly sharp yet deeply tired voice.
Lu Ren and Ji Quanzhen startled, stepping back, their forms instantly illuminating
and immediately entering full alert.
The old ape, appearing extremely aged, slowly opened its eyes, its brows knitted, seemed uncomfortable being bound.
It twisted its body, causing five chains to sway, with countless intricate runes glowing blue on the dark chains.
The sound of chains clinking and rubbing echoed like a haunting melody, accompanied by the formidable Primordial Spirit Attack Technique towards the old ape, piercing through the shackles into its being.
The old ape’s eyes bulged, its slightly cloudy pupils bloodshot, uttering ’ho ho’ in its mouth, hairs bristling like sharp spikes.
Beside it, Lu Ren and Ji Quanzhen saw it too, their expressions heavy, feeling the danger simply standing there.
"Quite the thing, this particular Primordial Spirit Attack Technique is tailored specifically, constantly targeting the old ape’s state."
Ji Quanzhen widened his eyes, amazed: "Couldn’t believe it endured this, it’s unbelievable."
Spent nearly half an hour before the Power of Primordial Spirit Attack on the chains gradually quieted down, everything returning to calmness. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noveⅼfire.net
Ji Quanzhen chuckled: "Seems with time, countless years later, the chain’s Power weakened immensely. I suppose initially, it surged twenty-four hours a day, now once a day is considered decent."