Chapter 189 189: Freedom

Chapter 189 Chapter 189: Freedom

Xu Shan's heart raced as he stepped into the opulent but ominous palace. Dim torches lined the corridor, casting flickering shadows on the marble walls.

He knew that this place was a fortress of treachery, but he had a mission to complete: rescue the prisoners and create a distraction that would enable him to handle other matters.

His keen eyes scanned the surroundings, detecting minute irregularities in the otherwise flawless floor.

With each step, he gauged the pressure points and avoided pressure plates, mindful of any hidden mechanisms. He had learned about the traps meticulously, but reality was always more formidable than plans.

As Xu Shan advanced cautiously, a faint click echoed in the corridor. His pulse quickened as he looked down, realizing that he had triggered a trap.

Spikes made purely from dark energy shot out from the walls, narrowly missing him. Frowning, he continued onward, feeling the urgency.

A series of chambers lay ahead, each more treacherous than the last. In one room, a grid of dark aura crisscrossed the space, the patterns intricate and lethal. With a deep breath, Xu Shan used a polished piece of metal from his utility belt to reveal the dark aura' paths, his body contorting gracefully as he navigated through the perilous maze.

In another chamber, the floor seemed to be covered in harmless tiles, each adorned with intricate symbols. Knowing better than to underestimate the palace's cunning architects, Xu Shan used a cloth to wipe away the dust, revealing faint discolorations on certain tiles.

He memorized the safe path and stepped carefully, muscles tense, ready to leap away at the slightest hint of danger.

The passage led him to a grand hall with towering statues lining the sides. His heart remained calm as he recognized the statues' purpose..

Swiftly deducing their mechanism, Xu Shan hurled a handful of pebbles toward the statues, skillfully avoiding the pressure plates and activating the sentinels. The room erupted into chaos as the massive stone figures started shooting bolts of fire at each other.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Shan sprinted through the chaos, his lithe form moving like a shadow. He reached a massive door intricately carved with runes that seemed to shift and change.

"Just how much protection does this place have? What is the Queen so worried about, for making so many protection mechanisms? Just what is she hiding here?"

Focusing his mind, he deciphered the riddle hidden within the runes, reciting the answer under his breath. With a low rumble, the door swung open to reveal a spiraling staircase descending into darkness.

The dungeon below was damp and gloomy, the air heavy with the scent of despair. The sight of the prisoners, huddled in their cells, spurred Xu Shan onward.

Using his dagger, Xu Shan sliced the bars of the Prison, freeing the prisoners in the first cell.

Xu Shan didn't speak a single word to them about why he freed them. He didn't even care which cells had the King and which had ordinary prisoners. He was planning to free everyone. The more people there were, the more chaos there was going to be.

He swiftly freed them and moved over to the next cell.

One after another, he kept freeing the prisoners. The deeper he went into the cellar, the more he felt something. There was a strange aura that felt familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Moreover, the aura of the prisoners was also getting stronger. More powerful prisoners were kept in the deeper cells.

They were the warriors who had troubled even the Queen during her conquest. They included the top Generals of the Empires that she took over one after another.

There were also many Kings who were known for their strength and talent throughout. But in a long time, no one had heard of those Kings. All of them were kept in the cells. More importantly, many leaders of the Shadow Tower were kept in the cells.

It was said that no one actually knew just how many people were in the cells or who they actually were.

No one knew why the Queen didn't kill them directly, instead of keeping them in the cells. Some said that it was because she didn't want them to have a quick and easy death. She wanted to torture them.

However, Xu Shan knew the answer. He knew that the Queen only kept them alive because they were of use to her. It was all because of the formation that she was creating. If she killed these people, that was a loss for her.

With the Formation, she could absorb everything from them, even what she couldn't absorb through the book alone. They were like the sacrifices prepared by her for her end goal. That's the only reason she kept them alive.

By freeing them, Xu Shan clearly messed with her goals.

As the freed prisoners slipped away into the labyrinthine palace, Xu Shan continued going deeper and deeper into the cell.

Soon, he was freeing the powerful generals who looked at him in confusion. They were sure he wasn't working with the queen. She didn't need to use such tricks for them.

"Who are you?" One of the Generals asked.

"If you have time to ask these questions, then you also have the time to free more people. Don't waste time."

Xu Shan's voice carried a sense of urgency and determination, urging the generals to follow his lead.

Usually, the general would've been furious to see a youngster talk to them like this, but at the moment, they knew that he was right.

As they were free from the shackles, they were able to use their strength.

Together, they navigated the dimly lit corridors, unlocking cell after cell and liberating the captives who had been unjustly imprisoned. As the numbers gr

ew, so did the momentum of their rebellion.

With the help of Generals, Xu Shan freed more and more people. His speed also increased.

He left most of the cells to the Generals and rushed to the deepest area.