Chapter 1070: Pressing Forward

"Fellow Daoist Lei, that Lekima has a strange temperament. Though he left suddenly, it's hard to say he won't come back. Since we've gathered here, how about we move together from now on and explore this Time Tower as a group?" Jin Liu quickly put away his grief and discussed the next course of action.

"Of course, I would be delighted. I ask Fellow Daoist Jin, Fellow Daoist Shi, and Fellow Daoist Su to guide me." Lei Yuce was delighted at this, glanced at Su Quanxi with a flicker of excitement in his eyes, and immediately replied.

The others on Lei Yuce's side had just witnessed the strength displayed by Jin Liu's trio, especially Han Li's exceptional cultivation, so they naturally had no objection to merging the two teams and nodded in agreement.

Lan Yan did not want to travel with Han Li, but alone she carried little weight, and voicing opposition would only make her a target, so she remained silent.

"Fellow Daoist Lei, you flatter me. This place is not safe to linger, so let's set out now." Jin Liu said with a smile.

After this brief rest, everyone had recovered some of their energy, so they immediately set off, flying forward.

Without the influence of Lekima's divine ability, the howling wind here had weakened considerably and no longer hindered flight much.

However, worried about Lekima's reappearance, the group did not dare to fly at full speed, reducing their speed by half to be ready for any sudden situation.

"Fellow Daoist Lei, you arrived on this level earlier than us. Have you discovered the location of the spatial gate to the next level?" During the flight, Su Quanxi suddenly asked Lei Yuce.

"Actually, we only arrived shortly before you and hadn't had time to investigate properly before encountering Lekima, who kept us occupied until just now. So we may be less familiar with this level than the three of you." The beauty's question prompted Lei Yuce to answer hastily.

Su Quanxi gave an "oh" and asked nothing more.

Su Quanxi had rarely spoken to him, so Lei Yuce was secretly pleased and was about to find more topics to chat about.

"Fellow Daoist Lei, regarding that Lekima just now, do you know anything about him?" Han Li suddenly flew over and interjected.

"What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Shi?" Lei Yuce was slightly annoyed at being interrupted but did not show it, asking instead.

"Fellow Daoist Lei must have noticed that this Time Tower was where the Tai Sui Immortal Venerable once imprisoned demons. Could Lekima be the demon imprisoned on this level? You fought him for quite a while, and I noticed Lekima is lively and talkative. He must have revealed some information in your conversations, right?" Han Li continued, unaware of Lei Yuce's displeasure.

"Well... although we fought Lekima for some time and exchanged a few words, he never mentioned his identity. But given his strength, he should indeed be the demon imprisoned here." Lei Yuce hesitated before replying.

His expression remained calm, but inwardly he felt a surge of regret.

During the earlier battle with Lekima, they had been focused on fighting and had paid little attention when he tried to converse with them. If they had been more alert and talked more with him, they might have extracted useful information.

Of course, Lei Yuce would never admit this and let Su Quanxi laugh at him.

Han Li showed a noncommittal expression and said nothing more.

For the next stretch, the group flew in silence, saying nothing.

"Fellow Daoist Shi, do you think Lei Yuce's guess is wrong?" After a moment, Su Quanxi moved closer to Han Li and transmitted her voice.

"Fellow Daoist Su, do you remember those white hairs we found on the fourth level?" Han Li transmitted back.

"Those hairs do look quite similar to Lekima's mane." Su Quanxi, being sharp-minded, immediately understood Han Li's meaning.

"Not just similar—they are definitely the same. I don't know why his mane appeared on the fourth level, but it's best not to assume Lekima is the only dangerous prisoner here." Han Li smiled faintly and said.

Su Quanxi's eyes flickered, and she nodded slowly.

Lei Yuce, flying ahead, noticed Han Li and Su Quanxi whispering and a flash of anger crossed his eyes, but it quickly vanished.

After flying for a while, Jin Liu at the front let out a soft exclamation and stopped.

Seeing this, the others also halted their flight and looked ahead, revealing expressions of joy.

Ahead stood a tall mountain with a peculiar shape. It was divided into upper and lower parts, both round, stacked like a huge gourd—wide at the bottom and narrow at the top.

At the foot of the mountain lay a cluster of bluish-black palaces, one after another, resembling an imperial city covering about twenty to thirty mu. Their layout was similar to the palace complexes encountered on the previous two levels.

Barring any surprises, the spatial gate to the upper level should be within this palace complex.

Everyone thought the same, but no one immediately descended.

Because, logically, if the spatial gate were here, Lekima would most likely be here too, and no one wanted to court trouble.

"Earlier, Lekima only managed to divide and conquer because our two teams were separated. Yet, under our combined pressure, he still fled in the end. Now that we are united, even if we face Lekima head-on, I believe we can gain the upper hand. So why fear? Moreover, I see faint treasure light within the palaces below, indicating that valuable treasures are hidden there. Let's go down and investigate thoroughly." Lei Yuce declared loudly.

Hearing this well-reasoned analysis, the others felt somewhat reassured. The mention of treasures below made them even more eager, so led by Lei Yuce, they descended toward the palaces.

Han Li also descended with the others, quickly landing in front of the outermost palace. The palace gate was wide open, and above it hung an ancient bronze plaque with three large characters written in gold powder: "Mingxin Palace."

As soon as he touched the ground, his expression changed slightly.

This palace complex was unexpectedly filled with a powerful restrictive force. The open space before the gate was also shrouded by the restriction, which had no effect on cultivation but greatly limited divine sense.

Even with Han Li's formidable divine sense, it could only extend less than a hundred zhang.

The others also noticed this situation, and their expressions shifted as well.

"It's just a spirit-restricting restriction. No need to make a fuss. Let's go." Lei Yuce was also secretly startled, but having already made bold claims, he couldn't take them back. He had no choice but to steel himself and step into the main hall first.

However, he waved his hand and summoned a golden alms bowl immortal artifact, which hovered above his head, emitting streams of golden light that draped around him.

Seeing this, the others also summoned their immortal artifacts for protection and followed Lei Yuce into the hall.

The outermost main hall was empty, with nothing but a few pillars.

The group did not linger here. They soon exited through a side door at the back of the hall and proceeded deeper in.

This palace complex contained many halls, and the group, worried that the Leech Horse might be hiding among them, dared not split up, so their exploration proceeded slowly.

Half a day passed, and they had only explored a small portion.

Fortunately, each hall did contain some treasures, and everyone obtained a few items, so they did not find it tedious.

Along the way, no danger appeared. Although the group did not become careless, the tense atmosphere had relaxed considerably.

The group passed through a long corridor and arrived before a palace.

This palace was much larger than any they had encountered before, and it was adorned with carvings of dragons and phoenixes. The eaves and corners featured exquisite reliefs, suggesting it was no ordinary place.

Having gained many benefits along the way, Han Li and the others were in high spirits. Their eyes lit up at the sight of this palace.

The main gate of this hall was also wide open, and the group was about to enter.

But at that moment, a "hissing" sound suddenly arose around the hall. Streaks of blue light materialized, forming a blue light screen at the entrance, blocking the way.

"Hmph!" Seeing this, Lei Yuce snorted coldly and immediately flicked his finger.

A dazzling golden light shot out from his hand—a golden flying sword with a curved blade, resembling a golden snake, which also appeared quite extraordinary.

The golden snake sword flashed and transformed into a several-zhang-long golden ribbon of light, striking the blue light screen fiercely.

The blue light screen was hit, and a brilliant blue light burst forth from it, accompanied by a splashing sound like water, unexpectedly blocking the golden ribbon.

Lei Yuce's attack being so easily blocked made him feel embarrassed. With a soft shout, he flicked his sleeve.

Six golden lights shot out from his sleeve—six golden curved blades—flying toward the blue light screen.

Meanwhile, the golden snake sword also rose and struck down again.

"Everyone, let's join forces and break this restriction!" Wen Zhong shouted softly, waving his hand to send a golden rainbow hurtling toward the blue light screen.

Hearing this, the others also summoned their immortal artifacts and struck.

In an instant, a barrage of immortal artifacts hammered against the blue light screen, with various colors intertwining and flashing wildly, engulfing the screen.

A muffled "bang" came from within, and the blue light screen, unable to withstand so many attacks, was finally shattered.

Everyone retrieved their immortal artifacts and entered the hall.

Han Li looked at the open gate, his brow suddenly furrowing slightly. A faint sense of foreboding stirred in his heart.

But this premonition flickered and vanished in an instant. He wondered if it was just an illusion caused by his own tension.

Han Li shook his head, cast aside distracting thoughts, and followed the others, being the last to step into the hall.

The interior of the hall was quite spacious, about forty to fifty zhang in diameter. It was also rather empty, with only some stone pillars standing and a long stone table at the far end, and nothing else.

The stone table appeared to be an altar. At its center was placed a golden spirit tablet inscribed with a line of script-like patterns that Han Li did not recognize.

Besides the spirit tablet, the altar was also adorned with many other items, which caught everyone's attention.