...

Deep within the Hero King's underground palace.

Shangguan Yun and his companions had successfully entered the grand gate with the assistance of the Treasure Tripod Sect's master from Yuan Country.

After entering, they found themselves in a labyrinth, and the group had been wandering within it for quite some time.

"Shangguan Yun, do you really not have a map of the underground palace?"

The speaker was a man draped in a crane robe, holding a rat-tail whisk, wearing a large red crown, and dressed in a Yin Yang Robe. His stature was tall, exuding an aura of elegance, with skin as clear and healthy as a baby's, giving off an aura of divine and ethereal grace. His eyes, especially, were as tranquil as a lake, with nary a ripple.

He was a highly respected Daoist master of the Treasure Tripod Sect from Yuan Country, with the surname Yelev and the name Xuandu.

Shangguan Yun bowed respectfully, sighed, and said: "I would never dare deceive a master. To be blunt, if I knew the routes of this underground palace, I wouldn't have invited someone from Yuan Country to aid us."

Baojiao County was already a border region, where even ordinary herbalist villagers could smuggle themselves abroad, establishing illicit trade with Yuan Country.

Especially for someone like Shangguan Yun, the master of a county, who had established power here for five years. If he wanted to connect, it would be easy; it was just a matter of whether he wished to.

"That does make sense." Master Yelev said calmly: "This labyrinth is intricately designed, surrounded by traps. It cannot be breached with brute force; one misstep could trigger a formation, sucking us into a grand array. Without a map, fruitlessly charging ahead, we will eventually stumble into a formation. Now that we're here, do you have any solutions?"

"The only plan now is to rely on the simplest method." Shangguan Yun sighed and said: "Everyone must bring more people to explore the routes. Using people as fillers, it won't take long to discover the right way."

"Very well, Gao Huan, you will accompany Shangguan Yun." Master Yelev said indifferently.

"Disciple accepts the order." A handsome young man emerged from behind Master Yelev, nodding to Shangguan Yun with a touch of arrogance: "Shangguan Yun, lead the way."

"In that case, I'll go with the master's favored disciple, the Heavenly Craftsman's Mansion will go together, the geomancers will go with my 'Feiyun Village' brothers, and the master will guide his own disciples alone. How about that?" Shangguan Yun proposed a plan to divide forces.

Master Yelev nodded slightly.

The group split into four units, heading in different directions within the labyrinth.

After half a cup of tea's time.

Ahead, there was a place known as Earth Spring. Shangguan Yun walked with his hands behind his back, looking at Gao Huan beside him, and asked softly: "I heard that you, Mr. Gao, are one of the top ten true disciples of the Treasure Tripod Sect. Your skills surely surpass your peers?"

Gao Huan glanced at Shangguan Yun coldly and said: "Shangguan Yun, don't think I don't know what you're contemplating. You summoned me and my uncle from afar just to borrow our strength to eliminate the Axe General at the entrance. Now that we've entered the labyrinth, you plan to shake us off? I'll tell you frankly, from the very first meeting, Master Yelev marked you with a 'Tracking Seal'. Wherever you go, we'll know. Don't think of sneaking away alone!"

"Tracking Seal?"

Shangguan Yun's expression shifted slightly, then he sighed and said:

"I didn't expect Master Yelev to distrust me so much. In that case, indeed only..."

Gao Huan sneered.

Shangguan Yun's eyes flickered as he turned to a woman behind him and smiled: "Minjun, isn't it time to awaken the 'Sword Puppet' your Xu Family hid within this underground palace?"

"What sword puppet?" Gao Huan's expression changed.

Standing behind Shangguan Yun, Xu Minjun's eyes flashed with a trace of golden light.

Boom!

Suddenly, from the Earth Spring ahead, a majestic sword energy surged, forming into a figure that rose amidst a wave of water, emerging from the spring as a being entirely clad in armor, empty helmet, wielding a rusted saber.

This figure was approximately one zhang tall and emitted the same aura as the Bronze Axe General who guarded the entrance.

"Seventh Realm Bronze Guardian!" Gao Huan's complexion changed as he cursed Shangguan Yun, then without hesitation, he crushed something in hand and fled far.

Shangguan Yun gave Xu Minjun a signal, prompting her to control the Bronze Guardian to pursue and attack Gao Huan who was retreating.

One slash!

With Seventh Realm speed and strength, the strike instantly reached Gao Huan, yet unexpectedly, there was a sound of shattering from his body and a dazzling golden light burst forth, allowing him to escape in one direction of the labyrinth.

"No need to pursue!" Shangguan Yun reached out and then gazed at the Bronze Sword Puppet as if admiring a work of art.

Sui You looked incredibly at the Bronze Sword Puppet and said: "Sir, is this one of the creations recalled by Miss Minjun?"

"Indeed."

Shangguan Yun smiled slightly and said:

"After Minjun absorbed the Essence Blood from her kin, although she couldn't see the map of the underground palace, she recalled from the Bloodline the legacy left by the Xu Family ancestors within this underground palace."

He looked at the bronze puppet and said:

"The many bronze mechanisms within this underground palace were crafted by a Divine Craftsman from the Heavenly Craftsman's Mansion at the Hero King Pei Dongliu's behest. They heed only the Hero King's orders. Even the Xu Family ancestor 'Xiong Ying' depended on the Hero King's directive to summon these bronze mechanisms with him into the underground palace. But among them, there was one, specifically bestowed and refined for the Xu Family, the 'Bronze Sword Puppet', sealed beneath the Earth Spring, commanded solely by Xu Family descendants. This is the first treasure from Minjun's memory within the underground palace, a Seventh Realm-level 'Bronze Puppet'."

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