Endless Stone Stairs

aisle?

There is a channel?!

Jiang Jingyuan was shocked and speechless at the same time. She had thought so much, but in the end, she found that those things had just entered the passage...

But this moment of silence was like a passing cloud, fleeting, and was replaced by more shock and fear, and surprise filled her heart.

They had searched the cave twice when they first entered it, but they hadn't found the passage yet. If something more dangerous or more numerous monsters and ghosts emerged from the passage while they were asleep...

Jiang Jingyuan pursed her lips, thought no more, and walked forward to check.

This passage is hidden very secretly.

The surface of the rocks here is uneven. There is a depression in this stone wall, which is perfectly hidden from the front by the stone wall that is not too obvious compared to other places. Only from the side can you see the passage that goes through the depression.

The passageway was a series of white-gray stone steps that extended straight down the slope, with a relatively steady gradient. The steps were also quite damaged, with rubble of varying sizes scattered across them. In the cracks where the steps met the stone wall, small patches of faint green grass and tender shoots grew here and there.

Shouldn't...

She and Hua Simiao had checked this place before, and both times they were very careful, so it was impossible for them to miss it...

But in fact, Jiang Jingyuan was just thinking about it and didn't worry too much about it.

This may be the era when immortal magic was the most complete and colorful.

It was only when encountering such strange and bizarre things that Jiang Jingyuan could remember that he was once Jiang Yunshu. But now he was Jiang Jingyuan, living in a bizarre era, a completely different era from the past.

"Well, should we go down and take a look?" Hua Simiao took out the brass compass and looked at it for a moment, then asked hesitantly.

Jiang Jingyuan's mind moved, and he asked, "Is this the birthplace of magical instruments?"

Hua Simiao nodded with a conflicted look on her face.

In fact, she didn't really want to go down. The staircase was creepy just by looking at it... But if Jiang Jingyuan wanted to go down... "Wuuuu, don't leave me alone..." Hua Simiao couldn't help but burst into tears in her heart.

Jiang Jingyuan, who was beside her, was also hesitating.

Whether the place where the stairs lead to is dangerous or not is another matter. In fact, she is now a little doubtful whether this road really leads to the place where the magic weapon was born?

She suspected that all this was a scheme designed by Hua Simiao...

After a pause, Jiang Jingyuan dismissed this speculation.

Probably not.

With Hua Simiao's strength, dealing with her wouldn't be too difficult. If Hua Simiao could still control those ghosts, it would be even easier. If they were wary of her life-saving trump card after the previous joint battle, then there was no need to go to such great lengths...

Unless Hua Simiao discovered her "Teng Snake" mark, she would not use such a roundabout method. However, if she really discovered it, she should know that most magic weapons and tricks cannot kill her.

Trap her?

ridiculous.

If you want to trap her, you should use the magic weapon directly and unexpectedly, so that you may be able to hold out for a while longer.

If she had created such a complicated venue and consumed so much energy, she wouldn't be trapped for long. It would just be a waste of effort and a dead end.

"Let's check the time before leaving." Jiang Jingyuan collected his thoughts and spoke calmly as if nothing had happened.

Hua Si Miao closed her eyes with a look of pain on her face - she knew it would be like this.

"You can stay, I'll go down first." Jiang Jingyuan added.

"don't want!!!"

Hua Simiao suddenly opened her eyes and looked back at her anxiously, "I'm going, I'm going. I can't wait to leave! The magic weapon is right in front of me, how could I give up!!!"

Finally, she pointed at her two index fingers and said aggrievedly, "Don't leave me..."

Jiang Jingyuan was silent for a moment: "...Okay."

Hua Simiao was satisfied.

The two men retreated cautiously to the entrance of the cave.

Hua Simiao flipped her hand and took out a magical instrument, which was a sundial - from top to bottom it consisted of two discs, one small and one large, with a hole in the middle of the small disc.

Hua Simiao stood at the edge of the cave entrance, holding the sundial in her hand and extending it out of the cave, allowing the faint natural light outside the cave to fall into the hole in the center of the small disc.

A pointer-like shadow appeared out of thin air on the large disc below and began to rotate slowly, stopping three times at different positions on the disc.

Seeing this scene, Hua Simiao's expression froze. She swallowed and said hesitantly, "I, we... seem to have been in the cave for almost three days..."

"?"

“???”

When Jiang Jingyuan heard this, his first reaction was that it was impossible.

They might have spent a long time in the cave without realizing it, but it was only about a day at most. Three days was too exaggerated... She didn't feel anything wrong with the flow of time at all.

But... looking at Hua Simiao's expression, this is the fact.

The day when Jiang Jingjian returns to the palace is almost here... Jiang Jingyuan subconsciously thought of this and his heart sank.

It had taken her about four days to get from Ling County to Bai Zhou Mountain and then to the cave. Now another three days had passed... Could she really see a magical weapon in the next few days, or even compete for one?

This was the same as leaving the palace without being discovered. After all, they had depended on each other for so many years, and Jiang Jingyuan didn't want to make Jiang Jingjian sad. She could imagine Jiang Jingjian's reaction after he knew it. He would definitely show a lost look as if saying "Jiang Jingyuan doesn't need me" and "Jiang Jingyuan doesn't tell me anything".

"Then let's go."

Jiang Jingyuan said with an expression that was calm and almost indifferent.

If that is the case, there is nothing that can be done. For her now, getting a high-level magic weapon is more important than anything else.

Hua Simiao next to him said "Oh", put away the sundial, took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the passage deep in the cave with a ruthless step, as if he was ready to die.

Jiang Jingyuan stopped in front of the passage, looking at the endless stone steps with a calm expression. He opened the protective barrier of the jade bracelet in advance to restore the flow of energy.

"I'm leaving! I'm going to find a magic weapon!"

A sudden loud shout rang in his ears, startling Jiang Jingyuan so much that he stopped his raised left foot for a moment.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a water-blue figure rushing forward beside him, stepping onto the stone steps first, with his hands hanging on both sides clenched into fists, and he walked down the stone steps quickly - it didn't seem like he was excited or thrilled, but instead it seemed as if there was a flood or a beast chasing him from behind.

Jiang Jingyuan then stepped onto the stone steps covered with fine sand and gravel and looked at the back of the girl in front of him with a complicated look in his eyes.

He actually took the initiative to explore the way...?

Is she truly naive, or is this done deliberately to let her down her guard?

Or maybe he noticed her wariness and was taking the initiative to show goodwill?

Ever since she realized that Hua Simiao might not be as innocent as she seemed, she always felt that her every move had multiple meanings.

Jiang Jingyuan stared vaguely at the beautiful figure in front of him that was moving downwards.

On either side of the field of vision were reddish-brown, uneven stone walls, and grayish-white, age-old stone steps slowly extended downwards. Suddenly, that out-of-place, bright, aqua-blue figure stopped in the middle...

Jiang Jingyuan above also stopped cautiously, neither moving forward nor backward.

The aqua-blue dress fluttered, seeming to glow in the gloomy environment, with a faint fluorescence flowing on the surface. Hua Simiao turned around, slightly raised her head and looked up at Jiang Jingyuan above, with a smile on her face:

"I happen to have a spirit rope in my storage bag!"

"It can tie the two of us together so we won't get lost!"

She took out a light blue spirit rope from her storage bag, spun around happily, and then held it up to Jiang Jingyuan like a treasure. Even through the white gauze, one could clearly see her eyes sparkling.

Jiang Jingyuan stood on the stone steps, silent, looking at the spirit rope in her hand, deep in thought.

If the two of them were companions, she would definitely not refuse.

But... they are not.

Being tied to someone you've only just met isn't necessarily a good thing—even if the situation is dangerous and uncertain.

Besides, how could she be sure that Hua Simiao's spiritual rope did not have any hidden tricks?

Jiang Jingyuan didn't speak for a long time.

Not hearing any answer, Hua Si Miao below pouted unconsciously and tilted her head in confusion looking at the girl in white above.

The next moment, she straightened her head, made an "oh" sound with her mouth, and said with a look of sudden enlightenment:

"Don't worry it will affect your actions!"

"This spiritual rope is different from the others. It is made entirely of energy and can pass through various objects without being easily cut!"

Jiang Jingyuan felt a little guilty when he heard her say these words.

When she thought that she was secretly suspicious here, but Hua Simiao might really be showing off her treasures foolishly over there with all sincerity, her conscience ached.

Actually, it is true that this era is destined to have no truly innocent people, so isn't it normal for the other party to have some self-protection ability?

kill?

There aren't that many choices these days.

Even if Hua Simiao really points the blade at her later, she won't really let herself be slaughtered... In that case, wouldn't it be nice to choose a short-term cooperation now?

Jiang Jingyuan thought of the jade bracelet on her left hand, the "Teng Snake" mark, and the instant transmission of the double "Xi" character - she still had a chance to trial and error.

"good."

Jiang Jingyuan heard himself answer calmly.

"Yeah!"

Hua Simiao happily turned around again - this way they wouldn't get lost, yay!

She walked up the stairs happily, tied one end of the aqua blue spirit rope around her wrist, and the other end around Jiang Jingyuan's outstretched left wrist.

Jiang Jingyuan felt her left hand and found that she did not feel restrained at all, not even tied by the rope itself. Only a hint of coolness on her wrist reminded her of the existence of the spiritual rope.

At the same time, Jiang Jingyuan could clearly sense that if she teleported, the spirit rope would automatically untie and would not follow her—

She never worried about being stalked, and in fact, the only people she should worry about were those with bad intentions.

After all, is it possible that the other party wants to follow her to the Yuan Kingdom Palace?

He was beaten to death with sticks before he could explain his purpose. This was considered as indirectly helping her to finish the job.

Hua Simiao in front was humming a song in an exceptionally bright mood. The soft and melodious melody echoed in the stone path and lingered in Jiang Jingyuan's ears for a long time.

Jiang Jingyuan watched the brisk, aqua-blue figure descend the stairs with ease...

One step, two steps...

Eleven steps, twelve steps...

Jiang Jingyuan was in a trance for a while.

Suddenly, she perked up and looked up at the steps ahead.

The stone steps are endless...

And there was no one there.

There was no singing in her ears. In the empty stone road, only the sound of her footsteps echoed for a long time.