The corridor was about three meters wide and five meters high, extending deep into the mountain's core with no visible end. Oil bowls were placed in the alcoves, their small flames burning steadily and quietly. Xue Hou Ao Tian stood at the entrance, sniffed the air, and said, "The oxygen level is high, the putrid odor is quite light, and the oil lamps are still burning—this indicates that the air circulation system within the mountain's interior is functioning normally. There should be no toxic gases. We can proceed." He then turned to his teammates, "Who among you would like to go in as a sacrificial force? I'm a scholar, responsible for strategy and planning." Xiao Yuan suddenly added, "Since this is an engineered city, there must be mechanisms throughout the corridor. We need a scout to conduct on-site reconnaissance." Everyone turned to Guan Ya, the only scout present. Guan Ya replied coldly, "Just say I should lead the way." Xiao Yuan nodded slightly, "Then thank you." Guan Ya: "Hmph." While they were speaking, Xue Hou Ao Tian quietly distributed the piston-style headphones to Sun Miao Miao and the others. Xia Hou Aotian: Will these two women cause trouble? I often see such characters in dramas and novels—constantly competing for attention, then sabotaging things at the most critical moments—acting like they're completely out of it. After all, this is an S-tier quest, where even minor characters can't be clueless, especially not two of them. Zhao Chenguang: They’ve become sages, so they certainly can't be mindless. You don't need to worry so much. Still, since the Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign has brought a girlfriend, he shouldn't have included women with unclear relationships—quite unwise. Sun Miao Miao: The Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign is smart when he's smart, and equally clueless when he's not—especially when it comes to handling personal relationships. Tianxia Guihuo: Probably lacks romantic experience. Hm, no matter how intelligent a college student is, after twenty years of just eating meals, he can't possibly manage everything perfectly. Compared to someone seasoned, he's quite lacking. 】 【Xiahou Aotian: Though not very old, he's quite fickle—Tai Sheng Zun is clearly a 'daddy's boy' type. Some girls just go head over heels for him, which is truly mind-blowing.】 【Sun Miao Miao: You're being too harsh. I actually don't like Tai Sheng Zun at all—don't act so sarcastic.】 【Zhao Chenghuang: Miao Miao, he wasn't talking about you...】 Zhang Yuancheng walked in, weary, his eyes fixed on their ears. "What have you all been whispering about?" "Nothing!" The group removed their earphones and quietly slipped them into their pockets. At that moment, Guan Ya stepped forward, holding a Han Ba Fang bronze sword, her long legs carrying her gracefully into the corridor. Zhang Yuancheng, worried she might stumble, hurried after her. Why is today's atmosphere so tense? He followed Guan Ya, speaking softly, "Wife, don't get worked up with her." Guan Ya replied calmly, "I'm not a Cancer—my heart isn't all about romance. Don't worry, I won't hold anything against her. She walked steadily through the gaps among the piled corpses, occasionally kicking one body here and there, then carefully examining the walls. After a few minutes, Guan Ya turned to the team members who had followed her and said, "The dead at the entrance mostly have their backs facing up—they were killed while fleeing. The smooth cuts on their bones and the sword marks on the walls indicate that the attackers were swordsmen, and there were at least two of them. 'All of these people died at the entrance to the corridor, which means that once inside the city of mechanisms, the stone gate will close. This corridor is a one-way passage: either you pass through it or you die." Either pass through or die... The team members all furrowed their brows, their spirits weighed down. Xia Hou Ao Tian added, "Don't be intimidated by the S-tier dungeon. Before coming, I read several papers from our family's database. The dungeon's difficulty has a ceiling. Among us, there are four- and five-tier members, but only one six-tier—Master Yuan Shi Tian. "Theoretically, the dangers within the city hall are at most weak master-level, and certainly involve a boss. Before encountering the boss, most of the stages can be handled by the Primordial Celestial Sovereigns." Hearing this, everyone felt a little reassured. "Not quite!" Sun Miaomiao spoke softly. "I just observed each of your facial expressions. Aside from the Primordial Celestial Sovereigns, everyone has a blood-illness fate. Even the Primordial Celestial Sovereigns themselves are shrouded in clouds of gloom, accompanied by blood signs. This means we could die at any moment, and the Primordial Celestial Sovereigns might suffer serious injuries—or even death." Shallow Ryō clenched his fists, whispering a few Japanese words to himself, as if boosting his own morale. Lady Silver Yao raised her small megaphone: "We cannot be complacent. After all, the Primordial Celestial Sovereign is merely a night-wanderer deity with a singular ability. While he can withstand many dangers, he may not be able to save us." Zhang Yuanqing led the way, with everyone maintaining a distance of ten meters from him. After walking through the dimly lit corridor for several minutes, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly stopped. Standing ahead were two swordsmen draped in straw cloaks and wearing conical hats. They stood like statues, facing the group, heads bowed, their hat brims shielding their faces. "Yin Yao, go try them," Zhang Yuanqing said. Immediately, Princess Yin Yao stepped forward, approached Guan Ya, reached out, and took the Han Ba Fang ancient sword from her hands, saying, "I'll borrow this sword for a moment." She then walked steadily toward the two swordsmen, and as she did, a soft hum of electricity emanated from her sash. Instantly, a clear, resonant song filled the air: "Feasting on frost and snow, forged over ten years to shape a single blade—watch now as I stand alone, daring to command the thousand-strong forces!" With a swift palm strike, Princess Yin Yao silenced the cat king speaker. At that moment, the two hat-wearing swordsmen suddenly lifted their heads. Beneath the cloaks, their faces were covered by black iron masks, and their eyes glowed with a bright red light. "The eyes of enchantment," Princess Yin Yao remarked Two swordsmen with straw hats drew their swords with a crisp "clang," launching swift, piercing slashes that sent sharp whistles through the air. Lady Yin Yao raised her bronze sword steadily, weaving a series of graceful arcs, with a rhythmic clink of impacts and sparks flying everywhere. She swept her blade across to deflect the attackers' strikes, then crouched low, moving silently and fluidly like a night wanderer, reaching the two swordsmen without a sound. Her palms pressed firmly against their chests, and with a sudden surge of power— "Boom!" The two swordsmen were sent flying backward. "Come back!" Zhang Yuanqing turned to his teammates behind him, "At peak level 4—whom shall we send?" Rewards were calculated based on each individual's contribution during the instance. Even if a player achieved S-tier status, if they remained inactive throughout, their experience gain would remain modest. As soon as he finished speaking, two fiery balls shot out simultaneously, exploding with a thunderous roar—Red Chicken Brother and Tianxia Guihuo were the first to depart. Then came two sharp cracks of gunfire—Sun Miao and Zhao Chenghuang provided long-range support with Guan Ya, calm and composed, drew her gun and fired precise shots. Together, the five of them swiftly defeated the two swordsmen. Xiahou Aotian hurried forward, removing his raincoat and hat to reveal the severely damaged frame—crafted from a combination of iron and wood. These were two puppets. Xiahou Aotian pried open the slightly indented iron plate on the chest of each puppet, marveling, "Remarkable! The craftsmanship of these puppets is quite ancient, yet they've maintained operation for over a thousand years. The wisdom of the ancients truly is astonishing. Yuanshen, take them. I'll bring them back to study them thoroughly." Beyond the ancient craftsmanship, the materials used in the puppets were also of high value. Zhang Yuanqing then retrieved the little red hat and took the puppet swordsmen, adding, "Their ability to endure for over a thousand years is likely due to the magical influence of the Spiritual Realm, rather than the exceptional quality of the puppet-making techniques. Besides, will this be useful to you? You're a physician of the Way of the Elements, not a metallurgist." Xiaohou Aotian lifted his handsome face with a look of disdain. "You still don't understand, do you? Mechanic arts are a branch of alchemy, and one doesn't need to reach the level of mastery to learn them. Since ancient times, there have been two major schools of mechanic arts: the Mo family and Lu Ban. Lu Ban's school later absorbed the curse magic of spirit seers and the spiritual scrolls of the Night-Wanderers, and came to be known as the 'defensive arts' or 'pressing arts.' The Mo family's school, on the other hand, gradually faded into obscurity over time. When the ancient practitioners of cultivation disappeared, the pressing arts also vanished. A few years ago, the official body and the three academies of scholars jointly established a fund aimed at promoting ancient arts, but ultimately, it fell through. Xiaohou Aotian remarked, "On the other hand, mechanical engineering is a branch of alchemy. For the masters, with the right materials and time, wouldn't it be better simply to craft tools directly? Thus, mechanical engineering has never truly flourished. Among the three great scholarly families, only a small group of enthusiasts remain deeply committed, producing many excellent works—though still quite niche." Tianxia Guihuo thought for a moment and said, "There may be some secret texts on mechanical engineering here. Once we find them, the texts will be yours, and you will supply the mechanical weapons to the guild." "As long as we're paid, that's all." Xiaohou Aotian's wallet had always been tight. The group continued on, encountering attacks from poisoned arrows, stone spheres, toxic smoke, and spirit ghosts, navigating through perilous challenges without any serious setbacks. Finally, after passing through a long corridor, they arrived at a vast cavern. At the entrance of the cavern stood a stone stele inscribed with the words "Ming Gui" and "Jie Yong." The entire cave complex covers roughly sixty square meters, with only two passageways—one at the entrance and one at the opposite end serving as the exit. The ground is laid out with a massive Ba-Gua pattern, and at the exit, a towering three-meter-high statue of a green-faced, fanged demon stands upright. The straight distance between the two passageways is just sixty meters, so for the group, it's merely a matter of a blink to cross. Yet, the ground marked with the Ba-Gua pattern is strewn with skeletons and broken bones, signaling a series of hidden dangers within the cave. " What does 'Ming Gui' and 'Jie Yong' mean?" asked Hong Ji Ge. " 'Jie Yong' simply means frugality," said Sun Miao Miao, as if she had a limited cultural background. As the most knowledgeable person present, Xue Hou Ao Tian explained: " 'Ming Gui' and 'Jie Yong' are core ideas from the Mohist school. 'Jie Yong' emphasizes opposing extravagance and waste, advocating for frugality and efficiency in production. As for 'Ming Gui,' there's more debate— the most widely accepted interpretation is that one "Upon quietly listening and observing the conditions within the cave, Tianxian remarked, 'More people have died here than outside—this is dangerous. By tradition, we shall send the Yin corpses to scout ahead.' Zhao Chenghuang immediately produced a bronze box and, with the aid of his spiritual servant, guided the military terracotta figures into the cave. The yin-yang fish at the center of the Bagua diagram spins once more. As it completes its rotation, two beams of white light surge forth from the fierce, toothed eyes of the malevolent ghost. The warrior statues shatter again. After re-solidifying, Zhang Yuanqing says, "Retreat!" The statues retreat, this time unharmed. Zhang Yuanqing turns to his scout girlfriend. "What do you think?" Guan Ya has already discerned the pattern, stating, "As long as something enters the cavern, the ghost sculptures will launch an attack. To reach the exit, one must pass through the cavern before the yin-yang fish completes its full rotation." Red Chicken immediately replies, "That's easy—I'm a fire-elemental, so I'll make it through." "Not so simple," Guan Ya observes, looking at the scattered bones within the cavern. "The Mo Sect is a celestial sect. The golden-clad guests must have gathered a substantial number of ancient cultivators. Among them, surely there must be fire specialists? Flight techniques may not be feasible. Yuanshǐ, try using your spiritual attendants." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a stream of cold qi. A young spiritual servant, his body split open like a slaughtered creature, roared forward toward the exit, moving with incredible speed. At the center of the Bagua diagram, the Tai Chi fish instantly completed a full rotation, and two beams of dark light shot forth from the eyes of the demonic statue, striking the servant. The servant emitted a sharp, silent cry, then dissipated into a cloud of black smoke. "He's completely dispersed," Zhang Yuanqing frowned. Guan Ya nodded: "White light targets physical matter; black light affects spiritual entities. The faster the movement, the quicker the Tai Chi fish rotates—evasive techniques fail..." Suddenly, she drew out a large-caliber handgun and fired at the demonic statue. "Bang!" As the bullet exited the barrel, the Tai Chi fish completed its rotation at a speed barely visible to the eye, and then a flash of white light erupted, turning the bullet into fine dust. "Any entity that passes through this cavern will suffer a devastating attack," Guan Ya shook her head. "The intensity of our assault can directly annihilate fifth-tier enemies. My infantry statues have solid defensive capabilities—no fourth-tier sage has been able to easily shatter them." Zhao Chenghuang said solemnly. Red Chicken Brother widened his eyes, "Then isn't this a dead end?" "Not quite," Tianxia Guihuo replied. "Look at the Bone Division—several corpses have advanced close to the exit. That means they've withstood multiple attacks from the evil spirits, just one step away from success. How did they manage to succeed?" Sun Miao-miao nodded mentally, "Through a sea of troops." Tianxia Guihuo agreed, "Exactly. We use the shadow corpses and infantry statues as sacrificial forces and push forward." He paused and added, "Zhao Chenghuang's infantry statues possess self-healing abilities. Let's hold off on using the shadow corpses for now." With that, he turned to Zhao Chenghuang. The latter understood immediately. His spirit servants extended black threads from their ten fingers, which reached into the bronze box. One after another, black infantry statues emerged—totaling twelve. These statues had been transformed from the original infantry statues found within the palace Zhao Chenghuang might not have as many undead corpses as others, but his soldiers were stronger than ordinary Level 4 undead. "Thud... thud... thud..." Twelve soldier statues advanced in perfect formation into the stone cavern. The Taiji fish spun wildly, and beams of light erupted from the eyes of the ghouls' statues, flashing rapidly—fast as laser beams. Tianxia Guihuo raised a ball of fire and hurled it with force. Sun Miao miao activated her Star Dashing Technique. Fire surged from Tianxia Guihuo's body, enveloping Sun Miao in a glow of starlight. When the fire faded and the starlight dissipated, both remained motionless at their original positions. Meanwhile, the soldier statues inside the cavern had already been shattered by these "laser beams" before the light and fire fully enveloped them. "I can't use my skills..." Tianxia Guihuo's face tightened. He seemed to recall something, suddenly turning sharply toward the stone tablet. "Efficiency... skills can't be used within the cavern." "Twelve undead corpses—less than two seconds of endurance," Zhao Chenghuang said, his tone more serious than ever before. The group fell into Yet, something worse happened. Red Chicken Brother pointed behind them toward the corridor and shouted, "There's toxic mist!" Turning around, the group saw a thick stream of yellow-green vapor rising like a dense fog. For a moment, they were attacked from both front and back.