After resting for a while, Ye Cangtian and Dugu Ling stepped onto the third level.
The entire third level was immensely vast. On the ground lay only the corpses of a few puppet guards, clearly the work of Cang Lang.
Ye Cangtian and Dugu Ling exchanged glances, then slowly proceeded towards the main hall at the far end.
The hall doors were already ajar, and as they approached, the sounds of a struggle emanated from within.
Just as they had anticipated, Cang Lang was locked in combat with a puppet clad in armor and wearing a crown.
The puppet did not appear to be merely a puppet; it seemed more like a formidable warrior from ancient times.
Dressed in golden armor and a crown, it was as if a prince had donned his battle regalia!
Currently wielding a large golden saber, it was driving Cang Lang back with powerful, sweeping attacks.
No!
To be precise, it was more like toying with him. The opponent wasn't using any specific techniques, merely attacking at will.
If the puppet had intended to kill Cang Lang, he would have been nothing more than a corpse by now.
"Ye Cangtian, Dugu Ling, hurry and help!"
"I can't hold on much longer!"
On the other side, spotting the two figures at the entrance, Cang Lang was overjoyed and immediately cried out for assistance.
"Hmph! And you have the audacity to ask for help!"
"When you abandoned us and ran, not considering our lives, why didn't you think about our feelings then?"
Dugu Ling instantly became furious. If he hadn't fled during the battle, the team's casualties might have been lower.
She wished she could strike him down twice now, so why would she offer help?
Ye Cangtian gently pulled on the slightly agitated Dugu Ling.
From the current situation, he realized that the puppet wearing the crown was extremely difficult to deal with. Even he would struggle against such an entity, and a helper was indeed needed.
Subsequently, he looked at Cang Lang and said, "Cang Lang, we have lost trust in you. What guarantee can you give us that you won't flee in the face of danger?"
"I..."
Hearing their words, Cang Lang's face instantly flushed red, leaving him speechless.
The deed was done, with no room for retraction. Even if he swore now, they likely wouldn't believe him.
But at that very moment, the golden-armored puppet attacking Cang Lang suddenly halted its assault and pulled back.
Its gaze swept towards Ye Cangtian and Dugu Ling, and a playful smile appeared on its face.
"This prince doesn't even remember how many years have passed. It's finally welcomed new ants again."
As it spoke, the golden-armored puppet, calling itself a prince, raised its hand and pointed at Ye Cangtian, saying, "Don't worry about that ant. I've finally found a plaything, and I won't let him escape!"
"Hm?"
Ye Cangtian was shocked by this remark.
From the other party's words, it was evident that this puppet, calling itself a prince, possessed considerable intelligence. Such an entity was definitely a significant problem.
Thinking this, Ye Cangtian let out a soft snort and said, "Then you'd better not let him escape, or I'll look down on you!"
Damn it...
As soon as Ye Cangtian spoke, Cang Lang's heart erupted with anger. Not only was he not receiving help, but Ye Cangtian was also kicking him while he was down. This was utterly despicable.
"Hahaha, a mere ant like you, why would this prince care if you look down on me?"
"Forgot to mention, he won't escape. You, the other ant, and those downstairs, none of you will escape."
"You can't blame this prince for being ruthless. I'm short a maid, and my guards are dead, so I need to replenish my ranks..."
The prince let out a laugh, glancing at Dugu Ling from time to time with an evil smile.
This is unbelievable... can a newly formed soul understand matters of men and women?
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian's mouth twitched twice, and his expression turned cold.
He knew that this golden-armored puppet calling itself a prince was not a true ancient powerhouse, but rather a new intellect that had arisen from the corpse over time.
It was much like the axe-wielding fellow they had encountered previously.
"You scoundrel! How dare you ask this heroine to be your maid? You're not worthy!"
Dugu Ling was absolutely furious and charged towards the prince.
In her entire life, no one had dared to speak to her like this. Coupled with his lecherous gaze and the thought of those desiccated guards, her anger could no longer be contained.
Beautiful!
Seeing Dugu Ling charge forward, Cang Lang's heart rejoiced. If Dugu Ling had gone, could Ye Cangtian still escape?
As expected, in the next moment, Ye Cangtian also charged forward. Naturally, he couldn't let Dugu Ling venture alone.
"Cang Lang, if you don't act, I will deal with you first!"
As he intercepted Dugu Ling, Ye Cangtian's voice carried over.
He couldn't possibly let the other party escape, nor could he allow them to reap benefits without effort.
Upon hearing this, Cang Lang glanced at their retreating backs, gritted his teeth, and finally charged forward with his weapon.
There was no other way. The prince clearly wouldn't let him leave, and with Ye Cangtian joining in, his demise would be almost certain.
Therefore, it was better to cooperate with Ye Cangtian; perhaps he could even gain some advantage.
"Heh heh, three ants attacking together, how interesting!"
"This prince will happily play with you!"
Seeing the three charge forward, the prince smiled mockingly and picked up his golden saber again, meeting their onslaught.
...
Initially, the prince paid no mind to the three, intending to toy with them as he had with Cang Lang.
However, after a short while, he was forced to face reality. The combined efforts of these three ants had actually begun to pose a threat to him.
Especially Ye Cangtian; his Dragon Soul Saber, when swung, possessed at least a thousand jun of force. Even the prince found it strenuous to block.
Coupled with the coordinated attacks of Dugu Ling and Cang Lang, the prince found himself falling into a disadvantage, with wounds gradually appearing on his body.
These wounds were not severe, but the prince was utterly enraged.
This was blatant desecration; as a prince, how could he allow ants to harm him?
"Roar!"
In the next moment, the prince roared, swinging his large arm.
As the golden saber moved, blade qi erupted frequently, instantly sending Dugu Ling and Cang Lang flying backward, their faces turning pale.
The power of this blade qi was definitely at the Earth level or above. It was fortunate that they could withstand it at all; injuries were inevitable.
On the other side, Ye Cangtian fared much better but was still forced back several steps, feeling only a slight discomfort in his qi circulation.
"You two, watch for an opening. I'll hold him off for a while!"
Seeing that both of them were injured, Ye Cangtian slowly spoke.
With them injured, they couldn't engage in a head-on confrontation; stealth and strategy were required.
Fortunately, he possessed the Dragon Soul Saber. As long as they continued to clash, the situation could be gradually reversed through the freezing effect.
This was unless the opponent exclusively used blade qi attacks, preventing him from closing in.
But then again, how long could the opponent sustain attacks using blade qi?
Just as Ye Cangtian had predicted, the prince soon abandoned his blade qi assaults.
There was no other way; the damage inflicted by blade qi on Ye Cangtian was minimal, and the energy expenditure was immense.
The prince was forced to abandon this futile attack and resort to more potent killing moves.
What made him uneasy was that Ye Cangtian, despite not using any particular techniques, reacted with exceptional agility, blocking all his attacks.
The damage he sustained was far from his expectations.
Crack, crack, crack...
As the two continued their exchange, faint cracking sounds began to emanate from the prince's body.
Cold air continuously emanated from him, and the frost on his body was connecting, gradually thickening, significantly impacting his movement and attacks.
The prince knew he couldn't wait any longer. He raised his arm high, preparing for a downward chop, and the golden saber in his hand emitted a clear, ringing sound.
"Now!"
Ye Cangtian roared, then gathered all his spiritual energy onto the Dragon Soul Saber, ferociously meeting the attack.