The sound was deafening, and the ground shook so violently it was hard to stand. The sheer commotion accompanying the entrance's appearance was completely unexpected.
"Ye Tian, the entrance has appeared. We all need to be careful and on guard for any danger. Although I don't know why my Sect Leader was injured, I have a feeling she might have been hurt by sothing inside this place," Zhang Xinlan said gravely.
"Whether that's true or not, we must be careful," Ye Tian said seriously. "The entrance doesn't look that big, so let's head down slowly. Since your Sect Leader said she would leave it for future generations, the danger shouldn't be too great. That ans we still have a chance of succeeding."
"Let's all go down and see. The entrance isn't very big, but I'm sure it'll be different below. Just be careful, everyone," Zhang Xinlan urged again.
"Snake King, Ye Lin, you two should revert to your original forms. It would be best to shrink down. That way, if we encounter danger, it might be easier to dodge, and it'll be better for reconnaissance," Ye Tian added.
The Snake King and Ye Lin quickly reverted to their original forms. Ye Lin flew onto Ye Tian's shoulder, while the Snake King transford into a small snake, only about a foot long. Seeing them like this, no one would ever suspect their terrifying power.
Zhang Xinlan walked in front, a white Energy Shield materializing around her for protection. "Ye Tian, follow behind . If we run into danger, my Energy Shield can protect you too! This entrance leads straight underground. It's dark at the top, but I'm sure it won't be below."
Ye Tian wanted to object, but he swallowed the words before they ca out. 'A grown man being protected by a woman... it feels a little off.' Still, he knew his strength was indeed no match for Zhang Xinlan's, so he could only silently accept.
The entrance was only a little over a ter wide, but it grew broader the deeper they went. The light also grew brighter. What started as a simple slope soon gave way to stone steps, and on either side, a glowing white pearl was set into the wall every ten ters.
"This looks like an underground palace. What's going on here?" Ye Tian couldn't help but ask upon seeing the scene.
"Don't be hasty. Let's keep moving forward, but spread out your Divine Sense and stay alert for danger. There might be powerful traps or Restrictions here, so be careful not to get hurt," Zhang Xinlan said.
"I should take the lead. Even if there's danger, it's fine. My body is so small, I won't be in any trouble!" the Snake King said at that mont.
Ye Tian nodded in agreent, though he was still worried about the Snake King's safety. This mysterious, unknown place gave him a genuine sense of unease.
Before long, the group ca to a fork with two paths, or rather, two massive cave openings. Each opening was over three ters tall, but less than five ters inside, a Stone Gate blocked the way.
"Stone Gates... and two paths. Which one do we take?" Ye Tian asked Zhang Xinlan, though he knew that even she couldn't be certain which was the right way.
"Let's take a look first! It's certainly unusual for there to be two paths here. It's possible one leads directly to the Ancient Treasures, while the other is a path of no return. If we choose wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable!" Zhang Xinlan said gravely.
As they spoke, the two humans, along with the Snake King and Ye Lin, arrived in front of one of the Stone Gates. All four of them examined it carefully. The gate was made of so unknown material, and there was writing on it that had beco faint and blurry, a testant to its ancient age.
With a gentle wave of her jade-like hand, Zhang Xinlan sent out a gust of wind. In the blink of an eye, the dust on the Stone Gate vanished without a trace, and the writing beca much clearer.
Ye Tian couldn't recognize this script either. He instinctively looked at Zhang Xinlan, assuming it was more writing left behind by her Sect's Sect Leader.
Zhang Xinlan furrowed her brow slightly. After studying it for a long mont, she finally said, "Ye Tian, do you recognize this script? I've never seen anything like it. What do you think it says?"
Ye Tian's heart skipped a beat when he heard her words. 'I thought she would know, but she thinks *I* know? Then what in the world is this script, and what does it say?'
"I don't know either. I thought you did," Ye Tian said seriously. "So what do we do? Maybe the other Stone Gate has writing on it too. But if we can't read it... this could be information about the Ancient Treasures and how to open the gates!"
Hearing Ye Tian, the Snake King's body flashed over to the other Stone Gate. It blew out a puff of air, and the dust on that gate also vanished completely. Just as Ye Tian suspected, there was writing on this Stone Gate as well, but strangely, the number of characters was different.
After a quick glance, the Snake King didn't linger and returned to Ye Tian's side. "Sir, the other Stone Gate has writing on it too, but a little less than this one. Since neither of you can read it, what should we do? Should we find soone who can?"
"That's not a bad idea, but we can't do that. The secret of this place can't be revealed to anyone, not even the Dean. Actually, we overlooked an important issue when we ca in," Ye Tian said.
"What issue?" Zhang Xinlan, the Snake King, and Ye Lin all asked in unison.
"We're supposed to be in confinent right now, but the Dean, Xiao Yaoyao, or Lin Ling might co here. If they discover this entrance, they'll definitely co inside. How would we explain it then? Shouldn't we set up a Barrier?" Ye Tian said.
"You're right, we did overlook that. Why don't I go set one up now? It's not like we can decide which Stone Gate to choose right away. You can stay here and think it over, how about it?" Zhang Xinlan suggested.
"Okay. Go quickly and co back soon. While I can't figure out the secret of these Stone Gates, I can take care of looking for other clues," Ye Tian said.
Zhang Xinlan imdiately turned and left to set up the Barrier. Ye Tian remained standing before the Stone Gate, continuing to examine the indecipherable script, feeling completely helpless.
After a mont, he walked up to the Stone Gate and touched the characters. It was an idle gesture, but sothing completely unexpected happened.
When his hand touched the characters, he felt as if the writing on the Stone Gate was alive; it seed to throb. But when he pulled his hand away, the phenonon vanished, making him feel as if he had just imagined it.
'What in the world is going on?' Ye Tian wondered, and imdiately reached out to touch the script again...
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