Chapter 78

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"It said that the entrance to the underground lair is in the tallest tower at the very center of the entire Horror Manor," Ningning said.

The Horror Manor was vast, covering two to three thousand acres, and the entire manor was uneven with hills and valleys, making it extremely difficult to find the center. Moreover, there were countless tall towers within the Horror Manor. On this journey alone, Yangdingtian had seen at least a dozen. Which one was the entrance to the thousand-year-old night owl's lair?

"We need a map of the Horror Manor," Yangdingtian said. "Only then can we find the absolute center of the manor. However, this will definitely raise Zhao Mu's suspicions."

"Don't worry, I have a way," Ningning said. Then she got out of bed, walked to the window barefoot, opened the two windows, and lifted her head to gaze at the night sky.

Yangdingtian walked up to her, draped his robe over her half-naked body, and saw Ningning close her eyes slightly, extend her delicate hand out the window, and softly chant beautiful spiritual words.

After about five minutes, a night-eyed bird flew out of the darkness and landed in Ningning's palm.

Ningning opened her beautiful eyes, gently stroked the bird, and said, "Next, this night-eyed bird will become my eyes, flying high in the sky to survey the entire Horror Manor, so we can find the center. However, during this time, my mind will be entirely focused on this night-eyed bird. Don't let anything disturb me or touch me, or my spirit will be destroyed."

Yangdingtian was startled, his expression serious as he drew his Flame Feather and stood guard beside Ningning. "I will stay by your side. I won't let anyone interrupt you, unless I die!"

Ningning smiled gently, then brought the night-eyed bird close to her face, her eyes locking with its, as if trying to infuse her spirit into the small bird.

One minute.

Three minutes.

Five minutes!

The night-eyed bird's eyes grew brighter and more spirited, while Ningning's eyes became more distant and mysterious.

Then, Ningning suddenly released her hands, and the night-eyed bird spread its wings, breaking through the darkness, and flew high into the sky, circling over the manor.

The Beast Speaker, so powerful and mysterious.

Yangdingtian held the Flame Feather, staring into the darkness, as if facing a great enemy, fearing that something might go wrong at any moment.

"Chirp..."

A few minutes later!

With a bird's call, the night-eyed bird flew back from the darkness, landing on Ningning's small hand. Nothing had gone wrong. Ningning's beautiful eyes gradually regained their light, and she took out a small pill and put it in the bird's mouth as a reward.

The night-eyed bird happily ate the small pill, then affectionately pecked Ningning's palm.

"Go..." Ningning said softly, and the night-eyed bird flapped its wings, flew off her palm, and disappeared into the darkness.

Ningning quickly took a piece of paper and a pen and drew the general shape of the Horror Manor.

"The Horror Manor is circular, with one half being fiery red land and the other half being green pond water. There are countless tall towers in the manor, but the tallest are six. Five of them are located at the five corners of the manor, forming a pentagram. The central point is the tallest tower called the Lingzhong Tower, where the Zhao family's ancestors are buried," Ningning pointed to the center of the drawing. "The underground lair of the thousand-year-old night owl is beneath the Lingzhong Tower, heavily guarded. Unless Zhao Mu takes us there, we can't enter."

Yangdingtian looked at the shape of the Horror Manor on the drawing. One half was fiery land, the other half was pond water. This was the half-yin, half-yang place mentioned by the Void Flame.

Looking at the five tall towers in the drawing, they formed a perfect pentagram.

Half-yin, half-yang, similar to the Tai Chi on Earth. Combined with the pentagram-shaped towers, it formed a natural Five Elements Yin-Yang Array.

And the central Lingzhong Tower was the eye of the Five Elements Yin-Yang Array.

Yangdingtian was overjoyed. This was a naturally formed, perfect Five Elements Yin-Yang Array.

Originally, he had been hunting demon cores and hadn't had time to find a place to set up the array. However, the location for the array was extremely important. Without a place where yin and yang energies blended, he couldn't set up the Five Stars Yin-Yang Array. Even if he found such a place, the size and strength of the array mattered. If the array wasn't large or strong enough, it wouldn't gather enough celestial energy to help Yangdingtian break through to the Sixth Star Xuanwu stage.

Now, a Five Elements Yin-Yang Array covering two to three thousand acres was right in front of him. It was truly a case of finding what he sought without effort. How could Yangdingtian not be overjoyed? Perhaps the Horror Manor itself was a large array, built to seal the thousand-year-old night owl. Now, it had become the best place for Yangdingtian to set up his array.

At this moment, he had four demon cores and the Five Elements Yin-Yang Array, but he still needed an electric demon core.

The thousand-year-old night owl had an electric demon core in its brain, perhaps the only one within thousands of miles.

"The thousand-year-old night owl is incredibly powerful even when sealed. Normally, entering the Horror Manor, one would be able to sense its presence. Now, I can't sense it because the Lingzhong Tower suppresses it. This tower is where the Horror Manor's ancestors are buried, and the yin energy is very strong, completely masking the night owl's presence," Ningning said. "Well, go back to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll enter the Lingzhong Tower and try to find the entrance to the underground lair and the thousand-year-old night owl."

Then, Ningning took off the robe, half-naked, and climbed into the bed.

"By the way, Ning, will this little thing betray us when it returns to its master?" Yangdingtian asked.

"It won't. All mental beasts are unfaithful; they follow whoever is stronger. I believe there is no stronger mental beast speaker within thousands of miles," Ningning said. "Go to sleep. We have big things to do tomorrow."

At this moment, there were still two and a half days until the Yin-Yang Festival!

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The next morning, Zhao Mu indeed came to greet them. After breakfast, he accompanied Yangdingtian and Ningning on a tour of the entire Horror Manor.

Ningning always looked unhappy, as if still haunted by the nightmare from the previous night. She showed a look of disdain throughout the tour, but Zhao Mu didn't show any displeasure; instead, he explained even more enthusiastically.

Along the way, Yangdingtian saw many tall towers, but five were particularly high and of different colors: fiery red, icy blue, wind gray, golden yellow, and electric transparent.

The five tall towers were located at the corners of the manor, forming a pentagram, representing the five elements.

Heaven! This was a naturally formed Five Elements Yin-Yang Array, covering thousands of acres! Three hundred years ago, the owner of the Horror Manor built this large array to seal the thousand-year-old night owl with the central Lingzhong Tower. Now, it was the best place for Yangdingtian to break through.

Yangdingtian became even more eager to obtain the electric demon core of the thousand-year-old night owl.

...

After touring for more than two hours, they finally reached the center of the Horror Manor as planned. Yangdingtian couldn't help but ask about the hundred-meter-high tower nearby, "Young Master, this tower is probably the tallest building in the manor. What is its purpose?"

Zhao Mu respectfully said, "This is the Lingzhong Tower, where the ancestors of our manor are buried."

The Lingzhong Tower, where the entrance to the underground lair of the thousand-year-old night owl was located. They had to find a way to enter.

Yangdingtian immediately showed respect and said, "This is the resting place of the ancestors of the Young Master. We have caused a lot of trouble during our stay. We must go in to pay our respects. Please lead the way, Young Master."

Zhao Mu quickly said, "No, no, you are too noble. How can we treat you like this? Our Horror Manor would never be so disrespectful to such distinguished guests."

"Ning, what's the point of going there?" Ningning said coquettishly. "I don't want to go."

Yangdingtian, playing the role of Ning, glared at Ningning, and Ningning, playing the role of Qin Hongmian, quickly said, "Okay, okay, let's go. Zhao Mu, lead the way."

"But..." Zhao Mu hesitated.

"Lead the way if I tell you to. What are you waiting for?" Ningning said coquettishly. "Is there something you're hiding?"

"Do you really want to go?" Zhao Mu asked.

Ningning was about to get angry, but Yangdingtian quickly said, "We won't go. The elders will say we are impolite."

"Alright, please come in," Zhao Mu said, then led Yangdingtian and Ningning to the hundred-meter-high Lingzhong Tower.

...

The Lingzhong Tower, when seen up close, was even more magnificent and imposing.

The main door was tightly closed, but a cold aura still seeped through. On the surrounding square, over a hundred guards were on alert, and there were countless giant crossbows and poison arrows hidden in various places. This Lingzhong Tower was undoubtedly the most heavily guarded place in the entire Horror Manor.

Zhao Mu stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a cold, old voice came from inside. The owner of the voice was definitely an expert.

"It's me," Zhao Mu said.

With a creak, the massive wooden door slowly opened, and a cold aura rushed out, making one shiver and feel a bit dizzy. The open door was dark and foreboding, like the mouth of a demon.

"Please come in," Zhao Mu bowed.

Yangdingtian and Ningning took a deep breath and stepped into the massive Lingzhong Tower.

As soon as they entered, the air around them turned cold, at least ten degrees colder than outside, causing Ningning's body to shiver.

Looking up, Yangdingtian and Ningning couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Because the massive hundred-meter-high tower was not divided into floors but was a single, continuous space, stretching from top to bottom.

This was not the most surprising part. The entire wall of the tower was covered with coffins. On the five-sided tower, every five meters, there was a large black coffin, half exposed and half embedded in the wall.

Hundreds of large black coffins were suspended on the five walls, layer upon layer. Each coffin contained a skeleton, and as soon as they entered, they were surrounded by the coffins and skeletons, causing them to shiver and feel a chill in their limbs, almost unable to breathe.

Ningning slowly closed her beautiful eyes and released her mental energy to search for the presence of the thousand-year-old night owl.

The yin energy here was incredibly dense, and the skeletons of hundreds of strong people were needed to suppress the presence of the thousand-year-old night owl. But there was definitely a trace of its presence. If they could feel the night owl's presence, the entrance to the underground lair would be there.

Ningning pretended to be scared and walked around the thousand-square-meter tower, looking up at the hundreds of suspended coffins, making sounds of amazement. But all her mental energy was focused on finding that trace of the thousand-year-old night owl's presence.

One minute, two minutes...

Five minutes!

Despite Ningning's somewhat disrespectful behavior, Zhao Mu did not stop her but stood to one side, bowing.

As she passed a brick, Ningning's steps paused slightly, and her expression changed.

She found it. It was here, under this brick. Ximen Ningning could feel a powerful and surging energy presence, which even the dense yin energy in the tower could not suppress. This was undoubtedly the presence of the thousand-year-old night owl.

And this place was also the very center of the Lingzhong Tower.

The thousand-year-old night owl was below.

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