When Chen Xiao regained consciousness, he found himself still underground, facing another bronze door.
However, compared to the Six Harmonies Palace where King Luling resided, this bronze door was much smaller.
In fact, Chen Xiao had already understood what King Luling had told him.
This ancient tomb, built underground, was structured like a circular Eight Gates Formation.
King Luling's Six Harmonies Palace was at the core, with the Eight Gates surrounding it.
The Eight Gates were the Gate of Rest, the Gate of Life, the Gate of Injury, the Gate of Obstruction, the Gate of Scenery, the Gate of Death, the Gate of Shock, and the Gate of Openness.
According to King Luling, Xuan Mingzi was currently in the Gate of Life, while Chen Xiao, unfortunately, had entered through the Gate of Death.
If Chen Xiao had been able to calm down and investigate thoroughly, he wouldn't have found himself in such a predicament.
However, his concern for his mother's whereabouts had made him reckless.
But every loss brings a gain; if Chen Xiao hadn't rashly barged into the Six Harmonies Palace, he wouldn't have known that an ancient powerful being like King Luling was hidden beneath his own home.
This bronze door before him must be the Gate of Life!
Chen Xiao thought, reaching out to push the bronze door.
Creak—
Effortlessly, the bronze door slowly opened, revealing a spacious secret chamber within.
Indeed, there were people in the secret chamber.
Chen Xiao immediately saw his mother, Liu Zhen, along with Gu Zhendong, Gu Yutong, and Lin Zicong.
They were all unconscious, lying sprawled on the ground.
In the center of the secret chamber sat a dirty old beggar, clad in a tattered Taoist robe, with a toothpick in his mouth.
If not Xuan Mingzi, who else could it be!
Xuan Mingzi looked up upon hearing the door open. Seeing Chen Xiao outside, his face was filled with disbelief.
"Eh, kid, how did you find your way here?" Xuan Mingzi asked.
Chen Xiao sneered, "Since you can find your way here, why can't I?"
A strange expression flickered across Xuan Mingzi's face.
"I didn't come from that direction. The path I took is different from yours!"
Chen Xiao was unaware that Xuan Mingzi was speaking literally; he thought the old man was trying to trick him.
"Of course, we didn't take the same path. You took the crooked path!"
Xuan Mingzi remained silent for a moment, then said, chewing on the toothpick, "Honestly, I knew you would come looking for me, but I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. Since you're here, let's settle our score."
"Settle what score? What score do I have with you? Hurry up and release my mother and friends, then we can talk about other things!"
Chen Xiao's entire focus was on the group of people behind Xuan Mingzi, but he dared not act rashly.
Xuan Mingzi was, after all, a cultivator in the Golden Core realm. Unless he had the certainty of a killing blow, any slip-up could put his mother and the others in danger.
Who knew if this sinister old man would plant a blood curse on his mother, similar to what Jiang Zhenlin had done.
Xuan Mingzi let out a few sinister laughs. "You know perfectly well what score we have. Junior Brother Xuan Qingzi was my only kin in this world. You killed him, and I lost my family. So, I will personally kill your family to make you experience the pain I've endured."
Chen Xiao's fury erupted, and he gritted his teeth, "What did you do to them?"
"Don't worry, I haven't done anything to them yet. To double your pain, I will make you watch as I slowly torture them to death before your eyes. I will make you suffer a hundred times more than I did!" Xuan Mingzi said with a grin, his eyes blazing with a perverted light.
However, upon hearing this, Yang Zhen felt a slight sense of relief.
"Make you watch? Xuan Mingzi, you're too arrogant about your own strength. You're merely in the Golden Core realm, yet you dare to disregard me?"
Xuan Mingzi shook his head. "No, no, no. It's precisely because I take you seriously that I brought them here. Moreover, you were able to reach the Gate of Life from within the Eight Gates Formation. I can't do that. This shows your capabilities are far greater than mine!"
Chen Xiao suddenly understood that there were other paths to enter the Gate of Life, and Xuan Mingzi had clearly come through one of them.
"And do you know how long I've been studying this formation? A full fifty years! Fifty years, and I've only just reached this point. But you, in just a few hours, have arrived here. Tsk tsk tsk, I must say, you're truly remarkable, kid. I admire you!" Xuan Mingzi said frankly.
But the more he acted like this, the more curious Chen Xiao became.
If he didn't have absolute confidence, this old man wouldn't be so calm and collected. So, what was his trump card?
And he said he had been studying this place for fifty years? What kind of secret was hidden here?
"Since you know you're no match for me, why don't you surrender obediently? Stop before you make a mistake, or I will utterly destroy you!" Chen Xiao's eyes were fierce, his dominance radiating outwards. "Don't worry, I'm not just saying empty threats. I, Chen Xiao, always keep my word!"
Xuan Mingzi laughed heartily. "I believe you'll keep your word too, but no matter how powerful you are, you can't kill me!"
Chen Xiao's brow furrowed.
"Old man, are you suffering from dementia? You know you're no match for me, yet you provoke me and say I can't kill you? Listen to yourself, what are you saying?"
Xuan Mingzi said calmly, "If you kill me, many people will be buried with me, including you, including your mother, including your friends, and even... all life in Dragon City!"
Chen Xiao's heart trembled. This old man indeed had something up his sleeve, and his words didn't sound like mere threats at all!
"Old beggar, what exactly do you mean?" Chen Xiao rebuked!
Xuan Mingzi twitched his lips and let out a cold laugh.
Then, he slammed his hand onto the ground.
Hum—
A buzzing sound echoed, and then, an ancient and mysterious formation appeared beneath Xuan Mingzi's body.
This formation diagram covered the entire floor of the secret chamber of the Gate of Life.
Along each rune pathway, a faint black-purple light flickered.
"What is this?" Chen Xiao asked, his brow furrowed.
Xuan Mingzi bit his toothpick and said dismissively, "This is just a spiritual energy detonation array. It's not a particularly significant formation. Any cultivator who has reached the Great Perfection of the Dao can set up such a formation."
"The power of this formation itself is not great. With your abilities, you can't be harmed by it."
"But do you know what lies beneath this?" Xuan Mingzi's smile grew wider, his entire face showing an increasingly manic expression.