Chapter 500: Core Element

Swoosh!

Miao Yan suddenly drew out a gun and aimed the muzzle of the gun at Chen Xiaolian.

This woman’s chest rose up and down. Clearly, she was feeling emotional.

However, Chen Xiaolian simply looked at the muzzle of the gun. For some unknown reason, he held a special feeling of trust toward Miao Yan. He was confident in Miao Yan’s intellect and sense of reasoning.

As expected, a few seconds later, Miao Yan took a deep breath and quickly kept the gun away. Her eyes narrowed until they were nothing more than slits as she studied Chen Xiaolian in detail. Then, she sighed.

“… so, what happens next?”

Chen Xiaolian smiled and said, “You believe me?”

“It sounds extremely ridiculous. However, if you are a liar, you could just come up with a lie that is not that ridiculous. For a liar to come up with such an absurd lie is simply an act of looking down on my intellect. Thus… … I feel that perhaps you are actually telling the truth.”

Miao Yan shook her head before continuing, “For now, I will believe you. However, you had best give me some convincing evidence. That piece of paper just now is simply not enough for me.”

Chen Xiaolian quickly spoke up, “This place we are in right now is a secret chamber filled with mercury. Beneath this sea of mercury is a valve. By finding the location of this valve, you would be able to drain the mercury away and also find the way out of here. Additionally, there are some monsters here. Every 30 minutes, this instance dungeon will spawn some monsters out. Although these monsters are not very strong, their bodies are made of rocks. They all engage in melee attacks. Also…”

After saying that, Chen Xiaolian gave a wry smile and continued, “I have forgotten the specific time. However, sometime later, you will be seeing ‘me’.”

“Mm?” Miao Yan’s eyes flickered. However, this clever woman was quick to understand what Chen Xiaolian meant.

“You mean to say, the you from this time?” Miao Yan smiled with pursed lips.

“Yes, according to the original timeline, the two of us first got to know each other in this secret chamber.”

“… … so that is how it is.” Miao Yan nodded her head. “Continue.”

“I know that your ultimate objective is to enter Epang Palace to find Qin Shihuang’s coffin and…”

As Chen Xiaolian was in the middle of speaking, he saw that Miao Yan’s expression had abruptly turned extremely peculiar. He subconsciously stopped and asked, “You… … why are you looking at me that way?”

“Your… your body!” Miao Yan answered with a serious tone.

Chen Xiaolian looked down and was shocked.

His own body was rapidly becoming transparent.

Even as he was looking down, his legs had disappeared. The disappearing parts quickly spread up to his chest area.

Chen Xiaolian was stunned.

What the Hell is going on?!

At the same time, he received a message through his personal system.

[????: Due to the disclosure of important information to a third party, you are being forcibly sent away!]

Chen Xiaolian’s heart instantly sank.

Seeing that both his arms had disappeared as well, Miao Yan hastily took a few steps forward and shouted at Chen Xiaolian, “What else? Hurry up and tell me! Time is running out!”

Chen Xiaolian clenched his teeth. “Later, you will see me… … I have a little girl with me. The me from this timeline is just a rookie. I will have to trouble you to take care of … … in the future, I…”

That was all.

Miao Yan watched as this strange man disappeared before her eyes.

Her brows furrowed tightly as she stood on the stone platform. She carefully assessed her surroundings even as the various thoughts swirled about in her mind. Finally, the edges of her lips curled into a peculiar smile.

“This world… … is getting even more interesting!”

She then sat down cross-legged and tried her best to recall the words spoken by that mysterious man earlier.

Secret chamber of mercury… … valve…

She produced a curved blade and quickly etched out several lines on the surface of the ground. She drew out every stone platform within this secret chamber and began making the calculations silently.

After an unknown time, she suddenly heard a roaring sound from above.

Miao Yan raised her head and saw a hole appearing on the ceiling above. Next, two figures, one small one big, fell through it and onto a stone platform.

She looked at the two figures. Her eyes were hidden behind her long hair. However, they were wide open.

This man appeared to be still a boy with a gentle look. He had a fair looking face and there were traces of immaturity on his face… … this person was none other than the mysterious man that she had been just now.

They looked exactly the same.

Miao Yan’s expression gradually grew somewhat tangled.

“Awakened?”

“Hey! What are you looking at?”

“How did you enter this place?”

“Is there an exit here?”

After hearing this young man ask the fourth question, Miao Yan sighed to herself.

Although this young man had the same appearance, his demeanour, tone and questions revealed his immaturity. There was a marked disparity between him and the earlier fellow’s maturity and calmness.

It would seem… … that fellow was not lying.

Miao Yan finally raised her head to look forward. Her slender shaped eyes were directed ahead.

“Can you please be quiet?”

Hearing her words, the young man appeared to be at a loss for words. Seeing that, Miao Yan chuckled inwardly.

Fine… … mysterious fellow, I will take good care of you!

…

“What is going on here?”

Chen Xiaolian swore in frustration.

Just now, he had disappeared abruptly from Miao Yan’s side. There were still many important things that he simply did not have the time to tell her.

Disclosure of important information to a third party? Forcibly sent away?

Is this one of the system’s restrictions?

Zero City’s main system sent him back in time. However, he cannot expose too much matters to the people from this time?

He patted his head in frustration before standing up.

Chen Xiaolian had been teleported to a strange looking but… … familiar place.

An antique room.

Calling it an antique room was probably inaccurate. To be more accurate, this place had an antique feel to it. Additionally, it was also very plain.

A short square shaped table, bronze lamp stands, a long bed…

After getting up, Chen Xiaolian checked his surroundings. After spending some time doing so, he walked toward the door.

Pushing the door open, Chen Xiaolian looked out and immediately understood where he was.

Epang Palace!

He was now within one of the rooms inside Epang Palace.

Beyond the door was a long corridor. Just one glance was sufficient for Chen Xiaolian to tell that this was the architectural style of Epang Palace – he had nearly died here back then, how could he not recall it?

As he was looking around, he suddenly heard an orderly wave of footsteps coming from the end of the corridor.

Chen Xiaolian was quick to notice the team of terracotta soldiers with pikes and swords marching forward in a uniform pace.

They were the monsters patrolling Epang Palace.

Chen Xiaolian subconsciously reached out with his hand to summon the Sword in the Stone.

However, he found that his hand was holding thin air.

The Sword in the Stone… … could not be summoned?

Chen Xiaolian was stunned.

However, he soon recollected himself.

Within Epang Palace… no metal was allowed.

In other words, within this Epang Palace area, game participants were not allowed to bring any metal equipment inside. They were also not allowed to summon out and use metal equipment while inside.

Chen Xiaolian could still remember it. Back then, when he was going through this instance dungeon, neither his side nor the Players from the Windslasher Guild were able to use their own weapons. In order to fight here, they had to seize the terracotta soldiers’ weapons after fighting them. It was either that or seizing bronze items from within the palace to use as weapons.

Seeing that the terracotta soldiers were coming closer, Chen Xiaolian frowned and quickly slipped back into the room. He then cautiously closed the door.

He stayed close to the door and listened. After the sound of footsteps had gradually faded away, Chen Xiaolian turned around to look at the room again. He picked up a bronze lamp stand before pushing the door open. Next, he quietly moved across the corridor and into the palace.

“If the timeline did not change after I was teleported earlier, then at this moment, the others had not entered Epang Palace.

“In other words, be it the me from this timeline or Qiu Yun and the others from Nangong Guild, none of them had made it here yet. The same goes for the Windslasher Guild.

“As of now, I am the first to have arrived in Epang Palace!”

Chen Xiaolian’s eyes lit up.

What was the core element of Epang Palace’s final quest?

Without question, it had to be…

Bai Qi.

The God of Slaughter, Bai Qi!

…