Chapter 437

Chapter 437: Reunion

Treasure Vault…

Gazing at the three true seal characters on the stone door, Wang Chen couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sarcasm.

Was this the reward for clearing a dungeon?

He had to admit, the ancient immortal sect that constructed the Nine Dragons underground palace as a training ground for disciples was indeed quite innovative.

Wang Chen scrutinized the stone door and noticed a hexagonal groove at its middle section, with a rectangular groove beneath it, as if something had once been embedded there.

An idea struck him, and he pressed the yellow-brown crystal in his hand against the hexagonal groove.

Click!

It fit perfectly.

The bronze stone door trembled abruptly, and a faint glow emerged on its surface.

However, after waiting for a moment, there was no further movement.

Is that it?

He pondered for a moment before shifting his gaze to the rectangular groove below.

No way?

Wang Chen retrieved the long piece of jade he had obtained from the demon cultivator Yang Yi from his Xumi Ring and attempted to fit it into the groove.

He had initially thought it was an ancient sealed jade, but later discovered it could fit into his storage bag, leaving him puzzled about its origins.

With a click, the jade perfectly nestled into the groove!

Buzz~

The stone door suddenly shook violently, and the runes etched on its surface lit up one by one, dazzlingly radiant.

The intense light forced Wang Chen to instinctively close his eyes.

In the next moment, an overwhelming force abruptly pulled him forward.

Before Wang Chen could react, he found himself in a hidden chamber about ten feet square.

In the center of the hidden chamber stood a table with an ancient design, displaying a Jade Slip, a short blade, and a white jade box.

All three items were enveloped in a layer of transparent glowing film.

Without any explanation, it felt as if this hidden chamber was conveying information to the intruder; Wang Chen instantly understood that these were the reward items he deserved.

But he could only choose one.

I want them all!

Wang Chen’s desire was indeed noble; however, intuition told him that the rule of picking one from three was something he couldn’t defy.

The consequence of greed might result in losing everything, or even his life!

Suppressing his unrealistic impulses, Wang Chen seriously contemplated which item he should choose.

There was only one chance; once he chose, he couldn’t go back.

Moreover, he couldn’t even touch them.

His gaze swept over the Jade Slip, short blade, and white jade box one by one.

The Jade Slip was most likely a technique, the short blade was undoubtedly a weapon, and as for what lay within the white jade box, it was hard to say—it could contain elixirs and talismans or perhaps even heavenly materials and treasures.

How should he choose?

Just as Wang Chen’s gaze settled on the white jade box, the Life Creation Cauldron hanging on his chest suddenly trembled.

And it grew hot!

"Huh?"

Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.

He sensed that his treasure had some kind of connection to the white jade box, which had triggered such a strong reaction.

That must be it!

Wang Chen was never one to hesitate or waver; since the Life Creation Cauldron had made the choice for him, he would let this treasure decide.

After all, he couldn’t lose either way!

He reached out and grasped the white jade box.

Wang Chen’s hand passed effortlessly through the glowing barrier, and he seized the box.

In that Instant, he felt the world spin around him. He lost all sense of control, his vision filled with a blinding whiteness, unable to distinguish front from back, up from down, as if he were floating in a weightless void.

It felt like an eternity had passed, yet it might have been only a fleeting moment.

When Wang Chen’s consciousness and vision returned to normal, he was astonished to find himself surrounded by bright lights and the clamor of voices filling his ears, a clear sign of human presence.

Wang Chen had returned to the Nine Dragons Great Hall, standing before the teleportation stone pillars!

Surprise, curiosity, confusion…

All manner of strange gazes focused on him, filled with intense scrutiny.

Wang Chen’s appearance was quite disheveled; his robe was badly torn and stained with blood.

It was evident he had just emerged from a fierce battle.

More eyes were drawn to the box tightly clutched in Wang Chen’s hand.

The white jade box glowed softly, its surface flawless and pure white, making it clear that it was no ordinary object.

Those gazes were tinged with greed!

Regaining his composure, Wang Chen calmly tucked the white jade box into his robe.

He had just realized that this item could not be stored in his Xumi Ring either.

"Junior Brother…"

At that moment, a Purple Palace cultivator approached with a smile, attempting to strike up a conversation.

Wang Chen paid him no mind and turned to walk toward the exit of the hall.

He was solely focused on understanding the situation and had no patience for idle chatter.

The Purple Palace cultivator paused, a flicker of irritation in his eyes, and let out a cold snort.

Wang Chen ignored him and left the Nine Dragons Great Hall. Once outside, he swiftly summoned the Yaoguang Sword and flew toward Wailing City.

At the same time, a letter symbol was sent out.

As Wang Chen was nearing Wailing City, he received a reply.

Half an hour later, Wang Chen met Zuo Xiaomo at the Xu family.

"Wang Shixiong!"

Upon seeing Wang Chen, Zuo Xiaomo looked as though he had reunited with a long-lost relative, nearly moved to tears. "It’s so great that you’ve returned!"

Freshly bathed and radiating vitality, Wang Chen smiled and said, "I’m relieved to see you safe."

Wang Chen had been deeply concerned about Zuo Xiaomo’s safety.

Had Zuo Xiaomo ended up in the same predicament as Wang Chen, survival would have been uncertain.

He asked earnestly, "Do you know what happened?"

Zuo Xiaomo sighed, "It’s a long story."

It turned out that when he teleported to the second level of the Nine Dragons underground palace, he realized Wang Chen hadn’t followed.

However, all the other Outer Sect Disciples who participated in the assessment were present.

Zuo Xiaomo wasn’t the only one in this predicament; in fact, all the guardians who teleported at the same time had vanished!

It was alarming; everyone discovered they had been transported to an unknown area!

This left everyone terrified.

For their own safety, they had to stick together, forming teams to explore and search for a way back.

During this journey, they faced attacks from monsters and Evil Spirits.

Some disciples were seriously wounded, and others tragically died in battle.

Zuo Xiaomo was fortunate; by staying with the group, he avoided major dangers and managed to endure until he escaped the unknown area.

By the time he returned to Wailing City, it was already the seventh day of the assessment.

Upon learning of the situation, the West Sea Sect immediately resealed the Nine Dragons underground palace, but it was soon reopened.

This was because the missing guardians began to return one after another.

The sect speculated that the teleportation array in the Nine Dragons Great Hall might still be unstable.

Now, Qi Training cultivators and Purple Palace cultivators are no longer permitted to teleport together.

As for the disciples who returned safely, they all passed the assessment.

Thus, Zuo Xiaomo was now officially an Outer Sect Disciple of the West Sea Sect!

He had been anxiously awaiting news from Wang Chen.

Wang Chen couldn’t help but ask, "How long have I been missing?"