The boat docked, and there were already quite a few empty boats nearby, which meant that the people who had been with them earlier had left first.

Ji Li jumped ashore first. Remembering that there were still female cultivators on the boat, he was about to turn around and help her when, in the next second, Lu Zhaozhao had already leaped to his side.

Before he could retract his hand, Xun Hua grabbed it.

"Thanks, bro!"

Xun Hua said with a smile, and Ji Li could only nod with a blush on his face.

The rest of the people came up one after another.

After the last person boarded, the boat docked at the shore suddenly started moving.

They were arranged in order and heading back the way they came.

The boat was empty, yet it maintained the same distance from the other boat, as if an experienced boatman were controlling its speed and direction.

The six people on the shore looked at each other, stunned by this bizarre scene and at a loss for words.

Ji Li took a step back, and then stepped on something that made a crisp sound, which startled him so much that he immediately jumped up.

Xun Hua, who was closest to him, curiously squatted down and picked up a broken wooden box covered with exquisite patterns.

"This little gadget is really exquisite, and oh, there's something inside!"

He casually removed the top pieces and took out what was inside.

It was a piece of paper, the ink still wet, written with strong strokes, the ink soaking into the paper, it looked like it was written by someone with skill.

Among the sects present, the one most accomplished in writing was undoubtedly Wenyuan Academy.

Sure enough, the very first sentence Xun Hua recited was related to this.

"Respectfully presented by your junior disciple Yue Cong, and addressed to your senior master Bai Yuan... Eh? Fellow Daoist Bai, this was left to you by your fellow disciple. Sigh, why is it written in such flowery language? I can't even understand it..."

Bai Yuanshi took the letter and read it carefully, finishing it in no time.

"Yue Cong said that they waited for us for a long time after they arrived, but when they didn't see anyone, they had to set off first. He also said in the letter that Sect Leader Yun mentioned that the destination of this trip was the Nine-Story Tower in the Crystal Palace. The tower has nine floors, and each floor stores different treasures. The higher you go, the rarer they are, but the more dangerous they are also."

He folded the letter, his expression seemingly somewhat solemn.

Lu Zhaozhao sensed something was wrong and asked, "Didn't the letter mention anyone else from Wen Yuan?"

She still remembers the scrap of cloth embroidered with the Wenyuan pattern.

Bai Yuanshi shook his head, which was why he looked displeased.

"The handwriting on the letter looks like it was written in a hurry, and it doesn't say anything extra."

Hearing him say that, Lu Zhaozhao didn't ask any more questions.

Ji Li, being perceptive, sensed the awkward atmosphere and remained silent. Xun Hua, however, became anxious as soon as he heard that everyone else had left: "We'd better hurry up and leave, or they'll have already taken all the good stuff by the time we get there."

The contents of the letter were cryptic, and it was clear that something else had happened. Xun Ye and Xun Yin understood this and reached out to tug at Xun Hua, only to receive a look of incomprehension from him.

Xun Ye was a little embarrassed. He winked at him and said, "Senior brother, how about... how about we don't go?"

"Why not go! We've finally made it this far, how can we not go!" Xun Hua roared in anger.

"The road ahead is already this difficult, how much more difficult will it be later..." Xun Yin said weakly.

"You may be afraid of me, but I'm not. In that case, you can wait for me here. I'll bring you some good stuff!"

Xun Hua put his hands on his hips and said loudly.

Lu Zhaozhao was eager to find an opportunity. In the original book, Yun Xian could be found even if he only arrived at the last moment. Now that he had already gone in, she was afraid that if she didn't go now, she would miss her chance.

Bai Yuanshi, standing beside her, felt the same way; all he wanted now was to find Yue Cong and find out what was going on.

So, the team members were quickly decided.

Xun Ye, Xun Yin, and Ji Li stayed behind, while Lu Zhaozhao, Bai Yuanshi, and Xun Hua took over the rest of the journey.

"Senior brother, you must, you absolutely must take good care of yourself." Xun Yin said, his eyes brimming with tears, as he reluctantly held Xun Hua's arm.

Xun Hua was touched, but still felt a little embarrassed in front of others, so he could only pat him on the back and say with a smile, "Hehe, wait for your senior brother to bring you back some good stuff!"

Seeing this, Ji Li glanced at Lu Zhaozhao, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Lu Zhaozhao glanced at this tender moment, tugged at the corners of her mouth, and for some reason, suddenly recalled the scene of arguing and quarreling with Ying Che before going down the mountain, and felt inexplicably sad.

"They're gone."

Bai Yuanshi's voice rang in her ears, and his figure moved from behind her to in front of her, bringing a gust of wind that dispelled Lu Zhaozhao's sorrow.

Yes, it's time to go.

Lu Zhaozhao also stepped forward.

Seeing that the two had already set off, Xun Hua hurriedly took his arm out of Xun Yin's arms, rubbed his head, and turned to chase after them.

After walking no more than a kilometer, a magnificent palace appeared before our eyes.

"Nine Realms".

Lu Zhaozhao softly read the words aloud. The palace doors opened wide, and her pupils contracted slightly, as if she were observing the gods and ghosts inside.

"Ninefold opening, the spirit's gate. This dragon's ambition is not small."

Bai Yuanshi also saw the words on the palace. He squinted at them, and perhaps because he was in a bad mood, he said something quite sarcastic.

"Huh? What did you say? What do you mean?" Xun Hua was completely confused, wondering why the two people beside him looked so bad, and why Bai Yuanshi kept saying things he couldn't understand.

"When the Heavenly Gate opens, the divine chariot will arrive. Dragons are said to be the mounts of the celestial lords. If it were a true dragon, that would be one thing, but the owner of these ruins is a jiaolong (a type of dragon-like creature), and from the very beginning of the Crystal Palace, it has always proclaimed itself a true dragon. It's understandable that Senior Brother Bai, who values ​​the law, feels uncomfortable seeing such transgressions."

Lu Zhaozhao explained to Xun Hua that when Bai Yuanshi heard the last sentence, he glanced at her, but only for a moment before turning away without saying anything.

Xun Hua nodded, half understanding and half not. Lu Zhaozhao didn't intend to delve any further and simply said, "Let's go in."

"Huh? Okay, okay!" Xun Hua snapped out of his daze and immediately agreed.

After walking up the white jade steps and arriving in front of the main hall, Lu Zhaozhao took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

A gust of wind blew in my face, carrying the smell of decaying wood, as if telling the story of the ruins' thousand-year-old history.

Lu Zhaozhao's gaze slid over the painted beams and pillars, the gold, silver and white jade, over the dragon-patterned cloud brocade and bird-and-flower window sills, over the mural screens, and finally landed on the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.

Clearly, those are the stairs leading to the second floor.

But Lu Zhaozhao stood still, and the whole place exuded an eeriness.

Cedar and nanmu wood do not rot for thousands of years, and this place is isolated from the outside world, yet the smell of decay in the air is too strong; the surroundings are spotless, yet excessively clean; there is a breeze in the room, but the books on the desk show no signs of being stirred.

Everything felt too deliberate, like an elaborately designed cage designed to trap those who come for the treasure.