Chapter 513: Chapter 329: The Third Person to Wake Up (Part 2)
When the master was filled with suppressed anger, Yan Xiaobao rushed to the location he had been told about. As he hoped to return home, his entire body was filled with anticipation and excitement. He thought of going back to inform his friends of the information he had discovered.
Finding the headquarters’ upper level wasn’t something that took a lot of time; soon after, the young man finally reached a room where a massive staircase stretched upward into the unknown.
Although Yan Xiaobao didn’t climb the staircase, standing beside it, he could easily tell it was the Staircase of Hope—the path leading out of these horrifying tunnels.
Seeing these stairs, all the worries and pressure in his heart were finally released, and the young white-haired man was now filled with relief and excitement. As he turned around and made his way briskly toward the house where his friends were waiting for him, he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. He would soon share the good news with them.
....
Frozen General Zhong Hui sat on his throne within the Ice Castle he had built. Beside him stood a beautiful woman, and his face was filled with boredom.
"How long has it been?" The general finally sighed deeply, glancing at the numerous white-haired men in front of him. Looking at the frozen men gave him some joy; however, something was still missing.
"Since what exactly? How long has it been since Meldor?" the woman asked curiously, gazing at the man beside her.
"The child from the Holy Dungeon," he answered bluntly. "Do you think this child has reached the Dragon Core yet?"
Seeing the yearning in the general’s eyes, the woman couldn’t help but wonder why he was so curious. However, she shook her head, indicating she didn’t know.
Watching her reaction, Zhong Hui sighed deeply before standing up and shouting, "You’re all dismissed!" He yelled loudly before transforming into a streak of light that disappeared into the distance.
On the Frozen General’s face was an expectant smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let’s see how you escape from me this time," he murmured as he rushed toward the Staircase of Hope.
....
Yan Xiaobao stepped away from the Staircase of Hope, feeling a chill. But as he looked around, he noticed no one was nearby. Shaking his head, he began doubting if he was overreacting. Giving one last glance toward the staircase, a faint smile blossomed on his face. He couldn’t help but hum a little tune as he strode back to the house, eager to finally share some good news with everyone.
"What? Can you repeat what you just said?" Xu Biao asked in disbelief, his eyes wide and his heartbeat irregular, causing him to gasp for breath. Xu Biao wasn’t the only one who was shocked—Xie Lan also stared at Yan Xiaobao with an expression of skepticism. She wasn’t as emotionally invested as Xu Biao, so her reaction was more composed.
While Xu Biao and Xie Lan were stunned, Deng Wu, Wang Julong, and Sha Yun were all brimming with happiness.
Just moments earlier, Yan Xiaobao had returned home and shared the news that he had traded information about the location of the Staircase of Hope with the Scar-faced Killer. The entire team was filled with joy and excitement. Finally, it seemed they could leave these underground tunnels, shed the oppressive feeling of being trapped beneath a ceiling, and ultimately return to the friends they had long left behind.
Looking back, Yan Xiaobao was surprised to realize it had been roughly two years since the battle in Liluo City. It had been two years since he last saw his closest friends.
Thinking about it, Yan Xiaobao felt an intense longing to return to Liluo City and see the changes that had unfolded over the years. He hoped to reunite with Ma Kong, Gao Yao, and the Rong twins once more.
Gazing at his friends, he knew that Deng Wu and Wang Julong both missed their families. It was clear that Deng Wu especially missed Xu Xing, even though he had never explicitly mentioned it. Sha Yun also missed her sisters, but during their two years of traveling, not a single friend had complained to Yan Xiaobao; none had ever brought up the discomfort of leaving home. They all relied on Yan Xiaobao deeply and were incredibly grateful to him.
However, though he now knew where the exit was, he couldn’t simply leave. He had promised Lan Feng that he would uncover the laws and figure out what was truly happening to them. A promise like that was one he would never break. He was a man—a man who kept his word.
"I’m sorry, but I need to search for the laws again," Yan Xiaobao said apologetically as he turned to leave. He still had a few hours of daylight to continue his search. Now that he had found the exit, Yan Xiaobao felt closer to his goal than ever. He was already halfway there.
As they left, all his friends either nodded or waved goodbye. They had been waiting a year for the chance to leave these dark, depressing tunnels—a few more days wouldn’t matter. As Yan Xiaobao sprinted out of the room, silence once again descended upon it as the three young men resumed their cultivation.
The days spent training had strengthened them considerably. Sha Yun and Wang Julong were progressing at the same pace, both nearing the breakthrough to the next star level. Deng Wu spent half his time crafting inscriptions and the other half cultivating.
While many might think Deng Wu spent an excessive amount of time on inscription crafting, it was crucial for metal cultivators. Although time-consuming, it made them exceptionally powerful.
....
Yan Xiaobao had explored nearly every room in the headquarters when he spotted a small house on the outskirts of the city, one he had never seen before. His mood grew increasingly sour. The house appeared to be heavily guarded, and as Yan Xiaobao approached it, he realized just how many guards were present.
"No unauthorized personnel is welcome inside this house!" one of the men called out, his face stiff. Seeing the man, Yan Xiaobao flashed his A-level badge, but none of them moved aside as he had expected.
"I’m sorry, sir," the man said, still blocking the way. All the guards were King-level experts, and Yan Xiaobao knew he didn’t stand a chance against them.
"This house is only open to S-level experts," the man explained. "We only have three S-level experts, and unless you’re the leader of the Dragon Army, we cannot grant S-level clearance."
Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaobao shot the house one last glance, then politely nodded and walked onward. Deep within, he was filled with conflicting emotions.
Yan Xiaobao explored other parts of the Dragon Army Headquarters but found nothing. Now, as he finally located a building that seemed to hold what he sought, he wasn’t allowed to enter.
This realization only made him more certain that this was where the laws were hidden. As he walked back toward the room, a cold glint flashed across his eyes. Now he knew where the laws were hidden, and the presence of guards so clearly unwilling wasn’t driven by their own volition. It was easy to understand what he would do next.
Returning to the main house, Yan Xiaobao soon noticed that he was being followed by a King-level expert guarding the house. Although the expert didn’t take any offensive actions, the blatant act of being tailed revealed how seriously they treated preventing anyone from entering the building. Unfortunately for them, Yan Xiaobao was sharing his body with a divine beast. If Lan Feng wanted to enter the house, no King could stop him.
Back at the house, the expert followed right up to the front door. Only once he entered did the man turn back. Yan Xiaobao walked distractedly into the room where his friends were. All of them were cultivating; even Deng Wu had paused his inscription work to focus on cultivation.
Seeing this, Yan Xiaobao approached Xu Biao and let himself collapse onto the ground. The past few days had been tense for the younger man. He had been searching for an exit and hunting for the laws. During his search, he unexpectedly came across the Azure Dragon’s corpse—something he hadn’t anticipated. A lot had happened over the past few days, and he knew that before tonight, he needed to calm his mind.
Yan Xiaobao could have chosen to sit next to Xu Biao to relax. But instead of resting, the young man went to the corner and lay down on the bed. During the entire time the room was full of people, they had never truly slept, as they had been cultivating all night. As Yan Xiaobao sank into the pillow, a comforting blackness descended upon him—a world he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
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