Zhang Fei - The Abandoned Son

Chapter 574: Enter Inner Area

[There are no restrictions in this place, Master. The systemʼs detection system returned to normal as soon as we entered this place, and you should be able to open a portal to the Yin-Yang Space or the training space. However, I donʼt think itʼs a good idea to open both in this place, especially since those people must be watching you from somewhere inside this tower. As for the inner area, I canʼt confirm whether there are restrictions or not, so you should go in there first.]

Zhang Fei immediately woke up Xian Xianqin, who was sleeping beside him, before lifting her and Yue Xinyue to their feet. Next, he woke up Xian Changyue and his team members, especially since he did not want to be left behind by their five enemy groups.

The people from the beast and natural racesʼ kingdoms also immediately woke up once they sensed their movements. Xian Qifeng, Li Yao, and Mu Yu also woke up their team members. All of them began to prepare themselves to enter the inner area.

Once they were ready, they immediately led their respective groups to enter the gate to the inner area. As before, they were immediately transported to different areas, but they were no longer separated from their group members. Even though there were more of them than before, they still had to move more carefully due to the stronger and more numerous obstacles in the area.

”Phew!” Once they reached the starting area, Yuan Luo patted her chest in relief. ”Fortunately, weʼre staying together this time, so we donʼt have to spend much time passing through this inner area.”

”Even though weʼre together now, the traps in this area may still separate us, so we must always be careful where we step.” Bai Tianʼer said that as she scanned the area around them, but she then asked Zhang Fei, especially since there were three paths around them. ”Which direction should we take first?”

”Why do you ask me, Senior Sister?” Zhang Fei then pointed at Xian Changyue. ”She is our senior, so she should be the one to lead us and make decisions, and I will follow her decisions.”

Bai Tianʼer turned to him directly. ”For decades, the obstacles and tests in this maze have never changed even once, but everything changed because of your presence.”

Zhang Fei raised his eyebrows at that point, but Ye Zhiqiu immediately spoke to him. ”I also think the same as Tianʼer.”

”Me too.” Ru Yanyue and the others nodded in agreement.

Ximen Chuixue then patted Zhang Feiʼs shoulder. ”Aunt Changyue is our senior, but your adventure with Princess Xianqin and Princess Xinyue in the outer area before proved that you can lead us, so you donʼt need to refuse and lead us through this inner area.”

”Just lead them, Zhang Fei.”

Zhang Fei let out a heavy sigh before trying to open his map, and it worked. He could see that the path on their left was a dead end, and he could also see the trap in that room, so they didnʼt need to waste time going there. Meanwhile, many beasts in the sovereign realm awaited them on the right path, and many other living beings awaited them on the path ahead.

Zhang Fei wanted to check the path beyond the two rooms, but the map couldnʼt detect that far, so he had to clear the two rooms first before the system could detect the next paths beyond them. ”Letʼs check the right path first, and weʼll turn around if itʼs a dead end.”

In a few minutes, they arrived at the room at the end of the right path, but Xian Xianqin immediately hugged Zhang Feiʼs arm and asked. ʼAre you going to absorb their beast essence again? If you do that, Yuan Luo and the others will definitely be horrified, and Aunt Changyue will probably be suspicious of you.ʼ

ʼI didnʼt intend to use that technique.ʼ Zhang Fei then turned to his group members, who couldnʼt wait to slaughter the beasts. ”Their number is around two hundred, but they are only sovereign-rank beasts.”

”Letʼs kill them, Brother Chui!” Ximen Chuixue and the others immediately followed them, including Xian Xianqin, and fought those beasts head-on.

Zhang Fei prohibited Yun Xinyue from joining them due to her mental instability. He then turned to Xian Changyue, who also did not join them. ”Do you have any information about the person behind Huangfu Shou?”

”Hmm?” Zhang Fei informed Xian Changyue about Bai Shouyiʼs grandfatherʼs suspicions. ”I didnʼt expect that Bai Yuntian would be so protective of his granddaughter, and he left a small part of his soul in hers. My brother and I have long suspected that there was someone else behind Huangfu Shou, but we havenʼt managed to get any information about that mysterious person, especially since that person never appeared on the surface directly. Moreover, that evil emperor tightly closed every area of his kingdom, so it was difficult for us to infiltrate there. Do you intend to investigate this matter?”

Zhang Fei shook his head in denial. I wonʼt interfere in kingdom affairs because it will only cause me more trouble and enemies, so you and Emperor Xian can handle this matter yourselves. Nevertheless, I will help Bai Shouyi and her two brothers to escape from their kingdom, and I will send them to a safe place so that they can escape from Huangfu Shouʼs clutches.”

”What are your plans for them?”

”I havenʼt thought about it yet, and Iʼll think about it after we return from this tower.” Zhang Fei then looked at his group of members who were slaughtering those beasts. ”What is certain is that we must send them somewhere else where Huangfu Shou and his subordinates cannot find them, so we cannot take them to the Xian or Yun Kingdoms.”

”Why not hide them in the beast or natural racesʼ kingdoms?” Zhang Fei and Xian Changyue looked at Yun Xinyue directly. ”People from those races obviously want to establish good relations with you, so I think you can make use of them a little to protect Bai Shouyi and his two brothers.”

”I think Xinyueʼs idea is quite good.” Xian Changyue said this with a nod. ”All these years, no human has been able to establish a deep relationship with them, but they took the initiative to come to you. I can tell that they intend to draw you to their side, so you can use that opportunity.”

Zhang Fei immediately agreed with them. ”All right, I will discuss this matter with Long Chen and Xian Jinglan first, and I hope they are really willing to help us.”

Sometime later, Xian Xianqin and the others came out of the room after killing all the beasts, and Yuan Luo looked the happiest among them because he got an earth element crystal, which corresponded to her element. Regrettably, no other paths were available in the room, so they quickly returned to their previous path.

”Shall we check the left path?”

”Thereʼs no room at the end of the left path, so we donʼt need to waste our time, and we can take the front path.” They all turned to face Zhang Fei directly. ”Why are you all looking at me like that? Have you still not realized that our senses are no longer suppressed like before?”

After hearing that, Xian Changyue and the others directed their senses toward the room at the end of the left path, only to discover that it was indeed a dead end, as Zhang Fei had previously mentioned.

Bai Tianʼer then curiously asked. ”Since when did you realize that?”

”I always try to use my senses, so Iʼve noticed it since we rested in the resting area.” Zhang Feiʼs answer left them speechless, including Xian Changyue, especially since not a single one of them tried to use their senses. He then led them through the path ahead, but his next action surprised them again, especially since he drew his sword and deflected the various weapons that came out of the two walls on their sides. ”Iʼve studied the patterns on the walls in the outer area, and these walls are no different from there, so I can guess there are traps behind them.”

Since they had already traversed the outer area alongside Zhang Fei, Xian Xianqin and Yun Xinyue were not surprised by this. However, their members were left in complete shock, leaving them with questions in their minds. ʼThis guy! Can he really figure everything out just because of that?ʼ

After they had walked for some time, they arrived at the four-way intersection once again. Zhang Fei immediately led them to the left path, where they found a treasure chest. Unfortunately, they only found jewels, and there were no other items inside. Upon their return to the intersection, he swiftly guided them to the correct path, as numerous enemies awaited them on the opposite path. ʼHey! Itʼs so convenient to have the system, and I donʼt have to spend much time in this area. This way, I can return to my residence faster, and Iʼll go into seclusion again after that.ʼ

Zhang Fei led them through all the safe routes, but he also took them to every room filled with beasts because there was a chance for them to get elemental crystals that would be useful to them, so he couldnʼt possibly ignore them.

However, they still had to work hard in some rooms, especially since they were faced with some difficult riddles, which took them quite a long time to solve.

Unlike Zhang Feiʼs group, all the other groups had to exert great effort to navigate through all the paths they encountered, as none of them realized that the restrictions on their senses had been lifted, requiring them to check each path individually.

The inner area of the maze, while not as large as the outer area, is still quite spacious. A few hours later, they arrived in front of a room that was completely different from the others, but they didnʼt see anything inside.

Zhang Feiʼs map didnʼt reveal anything inside, but he always believed that anything too calm must be hiding something frightening, which made him reconsider entering.

”Letʼs enter so we can proceed to the next area.”

”Stop!” Zhang Fei immediately stopped Bai Tianʼer as she was about to enter the room. ”Youʼre too reckless if you want to enter now, Senior Sister. Look at the interior of the room; youʼve never encountered such a room before, right?”

”Thatʼs right.” Bai Tianʼer then asked. ”Did you sense something unusual in it?”

”Senior Sister, a calm sea can be deadly sometimes, so we shouldnʼt take it lightly.” Zhang Fei then took a huge chunk of beast meat and threw it straight into it, and numerous weapons shot out from the three walls and ceiling, cutting it to pieces before disappearing again.

After seeing that, Bai Tianʼer and the others immediately took a deep breath, and cold sweat dripped down their foreheads.

Xian Changyue then spoke to them. ”Those weapons are not ordinary, and their grade is extremely high, at the celestial or divine grade. Even if we shield our bodies with qi, we may not be able to withstand them, as they have the potential to breach our defenses.”

”So, how are we going to get through this room?” Ying Shanhu asked.

Ru Yanyue then pointed to the path across the room. ”The distance between the two doors is too far, and the movement of the weapons is too fast. Some of us might be able to fly there at full speed, but some of us might not be able to do it, including me.”

Ye Zhiqiu and the others were also perplexed by this, but Xian Xianqin pointed at Zhang Fei as he spoke. ”As long as he is with us, we can pass through this room easily, and we donʼt have to bother avoiding those attacks.”

When they all looked at him questioningly, Zhang Fei shook his head. ”I have a feeling that there is still something else hidden in this room, so I wonʼt bring you guys into it in a hurry. Anyway, just be patient for a moment, and Iʼll check first.”

Since Zhang Fei could use his demon abilities without transforming into his lust demon form, he immediately created five white fox familiars, surprising everyone, including Xian Xianqin and Yun Xinyue, who had never seen them before.

Zhang Fei then sent the five of them into the room, but as soon as they entered, the trap mechanism activated, causing the weapons to attack them immediately. Seeing that, he swiftly controlled them to avoid the attacks and sent them forward to check the path at the other end. However, an unexpected event occurred, causing the end of the room to appear even more distant.

In the end, Zhang Fei canceled all five of his familiars. ”See that? There are traps within traps, and we will definitely die if we force our way into this room.”

”We are your seniors, but your actions make us feel inferior, and we would die without you.” Yu Chongming said this as he smiled bitterly.

Ximen Chuixue then asked. ”Can you reach the other end with your speed?”

”I canʼt be sure, especially since I donʼt know how far the hidden trap will activate. Moreover, I believe that the hidden trap is not the only one, and there might be another one inside. Zhang Fei then crouched in front of the entrance, carefully examining each wall before turning his attention to Ye Zhiqiu. ”Can you freeze those weapons, Senior Sister?”

”I can use a special technique to freeze those weapons, but their grade is too high, and there are too many of them, so I canʼt freeze them all at once.” Ye Zhiqiu then turned to Bai Tianʼer and Xian Changyue. ”I have to borrow your Qi; only then can I freeze them.”

”Sure.”

Ye Zhiqiu then stood in front of the entrance, and the two women stood behind her, pressing their palms against her back. ”Are you going in now, Zhang Fei? Once the trap is activated, I will immediately freeze them. However, you should not trust my abilities completely, especially since I might fail to freeze some of them, so you must be on full alert.”

”Got it.” Zhang Fei observed the interior area, recalling the movement patterns of those weapons.

”Do you need my wind elementʼs help, Fei?”

”You donʼt need to waste your qi, Princess Xianqin. My speed is enough to avoid them.” Zhang Fei then said to Ye Zhiqiu. ”Get ready, Senior Sister. Iʼll go inside now.”

Hearing that, Bai Tianʼer and Xian Changyue immediately channeled their qi into Ye Zhixiuʼs body, and she right away prepared to use her special technique. ”Iʼm ready, Zhang Fei.”

Zhang Fei swiftly entered the room, and as soon as those weapons emerged from all directions, he instantly teleported to dodge them. Wasting no time, Ye Zhiqiu activated her special technique, causing the temperature in the room to drop rapidly and frost to cover the walls of the room.

Ye Zhiqiu then tried to freeze all the weapons, but some remained unfrozen and continued to pursue Zhang Fei. ”Be careful! I canʼt freeze them for too long because those weapons are too powerful, so you have to get to the other side quickly.”

Hearing that, Zhang Fei immediately teleported across the room, but the entrance continued to move away from his reach. He immediately used his wind element and enhanced condition to increase his speed further, and he didnʼt forget to use his clone illusion steps to trick them before using the nine cloud steps.

Using all of that, Zhang Fei almost reached the other end, but a figure suddenly appeared in front of him and kicked him at high speed, sending him flying backward towards the entrance.

Ye Zhiqiu, Bai Tianʼer, and Xian Changyue immediately dodged to the side so they didnʼt collide with Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei immediately regained control of his body, landed precisely at the entrance, and gazed in shock at the figure. The recognition of the figure shocked Xian Xianqin and the others as well, especially since it was Zhang Fei himself. ”How is this possible?”

- To Be Continued -