Chapter 81

The entrance is an old stone gate.

Spider webs are everywhere, and the place is covered in dust, but there are signs of recent activity, and occasionally, one can see some waste left behind by past adventurers. Several deep corridors stretch out before Tang Tian and Bing. Tang Tian notices that the rock used for the corridors seems to be the same as the red rock outside.

Bing's face turns serious. "Follow me, and be careful."

"Uncle Bing, have you been here before?" Tang Tian asks softly. Despite the eerie atmosphere, he isn't the least bit afraid.

Bing floats forward and says, "Yes, I have. This used to be a base for the battalion. There's an armory inside, so there are many traps."

"Traps?" Tang Tian's eyes widen as he looks around nervously.

Yaya, perched on his shoulder, mimics Tang Tian, puffing out her cheeks and staring with wide eyes, darting her gaze around. She holds a small bow in her hand, and her soul core is nowhere to be seen.

"Hmm?" Bing suddenly senses something and snorts. "Someone is following us."

"Someone?" Tang Tian's eyes immediately show a wary look.

Bing's aura grows colder. He doesn't enter the corridor but walks to the rock wall beside it. After fiddling with something, the entire rock wall slowly rises, revealing a bronze corridor.

Tang Tian swallows hard. The corridor is entirely made of bronze, and after so many years, there isn't a trace of rust. The beautifully carved bronze bricks cover the entire corridor, and the ancient bronze patterns seem to unfold a sealed era before Tang Tian. Lanterns light up along the ceiling, winding into the depths of the corridor.

"Good, it's still working."

Tang Tian can tell that although Uncle Bing is trying to keep his tone calm, the change in his voice reveals that he isn't as calm as he appears.

After Tang Tian enters the bronze corridor, the rock wall slowly descends, fitting perfectly. What surprises Tang Tian is that the air inside the corridor is very fresh, not as murky as he imagined.

"Don't step on the ground," Bing warns Tang Tian.

"Don't step on the ground?" Tang Tian is puzzled. "How do we walk then?"

Yaya's eyes light up. She kicks off with her little legs and bounces toward the wall, pinging back and forth between the walls like a bouncy ball, moving forward quickly.

"It seems Yaya is smarter than you," Bing says, then floats over.

Tang Tian's eyes twitch. Without a word, he activates his lightness skill, lightly touching the walls to propel himself forward in a zigzag pattern. Fortunately, his lightness skill is solid, making this task easy for him.

The corridor is much deeper than Tang Tian imagined, and he can feel it continuously descending.

Tang Tian's amazement grows stronger. The bronze corridor has already exceeded ten kilometers and is still descending. What an astonishing engineering feat and financial investment!

"Be careful. If it hasn't failed, we'll need to verify our identity ahead," Bing's tone is serious.

"How do we verify?" Tang Tian asks.

"Badge!" Bing says.

"Do we have one?" Tang Tian asks again.

"No," Bing answers bluntly.

Tang Tian is stunned. "What do we do then?"

"Charge through," Bing says.

"Charge... charge through?" Tang Tian thinks he must have heard wrong.

"Exactly!" Bing appears beside Yaya, grabs her, and then reappears behind Tang Tian, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Divine youth, it's all up to you!"

Tang Tian is about to curse when a red light suddenly blooms before his eyes.

"Ah!" Tang Tian dodges to the side without hesitation.

A bronze arrow whizzes past him, embedding itself deeply into the hard wall. The bronze fletching vibrates sharply, making Tang Tian's heart race. His face turns pale; if he had been hit, he would have been pierced through!

"Don't stand there! Charge!" Bing urges.

"You bastard!" Tang Tian curses, then pushes off with his feet, lunging toward the opposite wall. Another bronze arrow!

"Don't step on the ground!" Bing reminds him from behind.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The hair-raising sound of arrows whistling through the air comes from the depths of the corridor.

Tang Tian's pupils constrict as several dots enter his field of vision. His legs, still in the process of landing, suddenly push off again, and he darts toward the opposite wall like an arrow.

Thud, thud, thud!

Tang Tian has no time to curse. A shower of arrows rains down, almost completely blocking his escape routes. Intense fear stimulates every muscle in his body. As he is about to touch the wall, he suddenly extends his palm, fingers curved like a hook, and plunges them into the bronze wall. The strong inertia almost pins him to the wall, and the force is transmitted to his fingertips, causing him intense pain. Ignoring the pain, he repeats the action with his other hand, plunging it into the bronze wall ahead.

His arms suddenly exert force, and Tang Tian moves forward along the bronze wall like a gecko.

Thud, thud, thud!

The cold, sharp wind of the bronze arrows passing by his body makes Tang Tian's scalp tingle.

"Great job!" Bing seems quite excited. "Rookie, that's it! Charge forward!"

Rookie...

Tang Tian's eyes twitch. He resists the urge to slap Bing and focuses on moving forward. Sticking to the wall, he relies entirely on the strength of his fingers and arms, showcasing his formidable physical endurance.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Arrows rain down, whistling through the air from the depths of the corridor.

Tang Tian's face changes, and he realizes the situation is dire. He transforms his fingers into palms, pushes off with his legs, and leaps like a frog.

"Excellent! Your coordination and explosive power are beautiful! Rookie, great job, don't stop, charge, charge, charge!"

Bing, behind him, seems energized. The familiar surroundings make him feel like he's back in that era. He used to lead young recruits through rigorous training, roaring encouragement from the sidelines.

Now, he is the only one left from the battalion.

Not quite dead, not quite alive.

Confusion has always plagued him. Why is he the only one left...

In the battalion, his strength was not exceptional; many were stronger than him. He had a basic understanding of mechanics, but it was far from outstanding. In terms of strategy and wisdom, he was also not top-tier.

Why did he transcend and become a soul warrior? Why him? Why!

He has asked himself this question countless times, but he can't understand it. If there is a destiny, shouldn't someone like the battalion leader, with his extraordinary talent, be the one to survive...

But no, only he is still alive...

The whistling of the arrows gradually brings his thoughts back.

Tang Tian is a good soldier!

Although Tang Tian's talent is not exceptional, Bing says that his balanced elemental attributes are not a bad thing. He says Tang Tian's energy affinity is fine. However, he didn't say the whole truth. When he says "fine," it means just fine, not rejecting true energy. He has seen many people who are naturally highly attuned to true energy, which is a sign of talent. Among the new recruits he has trained, there are many who are highly attuned to all five elements. These people always progress faster and more efficiently, making astonishing progress!

However, in Bing's eyes, talent is just that. For a soldier, bravery, willpower, and resilience are the most important. In these aspects, Tang Tian stands out among the many new recruits he has trained.

Tang Tian is not smart, but his calmness in battle and his animal-like instincts are astonishing. Just breaking through to the fourth rank, he can steadily move forward in such a rain of arrows. If the battalion were still around, it would cause a sensation.

Tang Tian is not the first to challenge this trap.

Most soldiers of the Southern Cross Battalion are fierce and enjoy challenges. Many would come here without a badge to challenge the trap. Many found it fun, but only veterans could pass it; no new recruit had ever succeeded.

Suddenly, Bing becomes curious if Tang Tian can make it all the way.

Tang Tian has no idea what Bing is thinking. He is fully focused, his attention unprecedentedly sharp.

The gecko-like movement soon encounters trouble. The trap seems to have figured out his pattern, and the bronze arrows become more threatening. Tang Tian immediately feels the pressure as several bronze arrows narrowly miss him. The closest one grazes his forehead, leaving a thin trail of blood.

Tang Tian is drenched in cold sweat. He has never been in such a predicament.

The space to dodge in the corridor is quite limited. With just a few more bronze arrows, the space can be effectively sealed, leaving him less and less room to maneuver.

What to do?

Sweat drips from Tang Tian's chin, but he is unaware. This method of movement is extremely taxing on his stamina. His breathing becomes heavy, but his expression shows no sign of retreat. He lifts his face and stares ahead, his mind racing.

No space to dodge... what to do?

A fierce look flashes in Tang Tian's eyes.

No space to dodge, then create space to dodge!

Tang Tian moves forward along the wall at an astonishing speed, dodging the whistling arrows. The cold bronze wall makes his heart even calmer. Seven arrows tightly block his path, and Tang Tian, without hesitation, leaps up.

Three bronze arrows, in a triangular formation, whiz toward him.

Mid-air, Tang Tian suddenly curls into a ball, causing the three arrows to miss him.

However, his momentum is now spent, and there is no place to push off in mid-air. Another arrow follows closely.

Just as he is about to be pierced, Tang Tian suddenly moves.