The dim corridor burned with self-igniting lamps.
Each ancient lamp glowed with an eerie blue light. The runes etched on the stone walls pulsed like veins, constantly shifting. Walking through it felt as though they had stepped into the bloodstream of some colossal beast.
The cultivators held their breath, afraid of provoking something.
Su Wanci clutched her array disk tightly, her eyes cold and sharp. "The energy fluctuations here are extremely unstable. The dungeon's self-regulation has exceeded normal limits. We must proceed with caution—"
Before she could finish, Ji Canglan was already tapping the stone wall with his fishing rod, grinning. "Solid stuff, makes a nice thumping sound. If I hung a fishnet here, I bet I could dry plenty of fish."
Dong—
From the depths of the corridor, a massive white coffer materialized, hovering and rotating in the air, humming with a deep resonance.
"The Archive Coffer…" Su Wanci's face changed drastically. "Why has it appeared again?!"
Luo Xingyun was already weeping rivers, collapsing to his knees in frenzy. "The Sacred Coffer returns! The Heavenly Emperor will speak again, and the Dao shall be established once more!"
The crowd erupted into hysteria.
But Su Wanci glared at her array disk, gritting her teeth. "No! This time I'll speak first—to prove it's not 'Sacred Words,' but merely a resonance log of sound waves!"
She raised her head sharply, her voice cold and cutting: "This is simply the dungeon's process of energy self-regulation. It captures linguistic data and solidifies it into runes! It's not Sacred Words! Not at all!"
Boom!
The white coffer trembled violently. A moment later, glowing text emerged across the stone wall:
[Dungeon Decree: Solidification · Energy Self-Regulation]
The entire hall froze for three breaths.
Then—
"Ahhh!" Luo Xingyun broke down in sobs, shouting: "The Heavenly Emperor is testing us! He deliberately spoke through a mortal's mouth, to see if we could discern the truth! This is the true trial!"
Cultivators cried out in unison: "The Heavenly Emperor is lofty! The Heavenly Emperor is supreme!"
Su Wanci stood rigid, her face flickering between pale and flushed. She forced out a single choked phrase: "…You're all insane!"
And yet—her instruments displayed stable energy readings. The decree had indeed taken effect.
Her teeth ground so hard it seemed she might shatter the array disk in her grip.
…
Ji Canglan paid no mind to their uproar. He was busy muttering, "Tch, too drafty here. Hard to keep a fire going for roasting fish… Next time I need to find a spot sheltered from the wind."
Boom!
The coffer shuddered again, runes flaring to life as glowing text etched itself upon the wall:
[Dungeon Decree: Stabilize Wind Currents · No Wind in All Sectors]
Instantly, every gust in the corridor vanished.
The cultivators collapsed in tears: "With one word the Heavenly Emperor stills the winds!"
"Sacred Words! Sacred Words!"
Su Wanci's mind went blank, her eyes hollow, lips trembling. "…Why does even his complaining trigger decrees…"
Luo Xingyun frantically carved into a tablet: "Sacred Word Thirty-Eight—The Dao must be sheltered from the wind to burn long!"
…
At the end of the corridor, the stone wall revealed another line of ancient script:
[Native Authority: Unlock Progress 12%]
The entire assembly held their breath.
"The authority has risen again!"
"The Heavenly Emperor truly is the sole native!"
Su Wanci's chest heaved violently, her gaze locked onto Ji Canglan's back, her teeth nearly breaking as she whispered:
"…I must uncover the truth—whether he is truly a god… or just an absurd joke."
But Ji Canglan only yawned, clutching his fish basket as he strolled ahead. "Come on, hurry up. If there's a pool ahead, I might catch some new kinds of fish."
Boom!
The stone gate ahead opened on its own, flooding the corridor with golden light, as if answering his words.