Chapter 857: The Secret of the Inscription

Zu An hadn't expected his opponent to play dirty, rendering him speechless and instantly turning all his brilliant ideas into smoke.

Seeing the other person about to strike, he became as agitated as an ant on a hot pan. His head could be severed, but his "little head" certainly could not.

He hurriedly called out to Mi Li in his mind, "Master Queen, save me!"

Mi Li snorted, "Let's see if you dare to be so clever on your own again."

She was about to appear and lend Zu An a hand. Although her current state meant every action would deplete her soul power, especially against an emperor of such high cultivation, she couldn't just stand by and watch Zu An die.

Fortunately, at that moment, Bi Linglong, who was nearby, spoke up, "You can't kill him!"

Zhao Ruizhi laughed in a fit of pique, "Oh, so you're going to plead for him?"

He Li, standing nearby, secretly shook his head. The Crown Princess was usually quite sharp; why was she so foolish today? Anyone else could plead for Zu An, but not her. Pleading for her illicit lover would only add fuel to the fire, wouldn't it?

Feeling the oppressive gaze of the emperor, Bi Linglong's face paled, but she still straightened her back and tried to speak, "Because only he knows how to get to that palace over there. You've pursued immortality your entire life; you would never let go of such an opportunity."

Although she didn't know the poetic verses the other group had obtained, having been in the imperial palace for so many years, she naturally understood the emperor's intentions. Always clever, she immediately realized that only the prospect of immortality could make Zhao Ruizhi temporarily abandon his grudge against Zu An. It turned out to be an unexpected stroke of luck.

Although Zhao Ruizhi's heart skipped a beat, he still refused to admit it, "Heh heh, do I really need him to get to that palace?"

Despite his words, he didn't continue his attack. Instead, he tossed Zu An aside.

He looked up at the floating island palace in the distance, then pushed off with his toes, vanishing from his spot and soaring straight towards it.

Although the highest floating island was hundreds of *zhang* away, for someone of his cultivation, he could reach it almost instantly.

However, not long after he took flight, his body suddenly began to descend. His expression changed, and he instinctively clawed at his starting point. A transparent, ethereal claw gripped the current floating island, and the next moment, he was back where he started.

"Still can't fly," Zhao Ruizhi muttered, his face grim. Fortunately, he had been prepared, or he might not have been able to return.

"Your Majesty, there's a mechanism here; perhaps it's a way to get across," He Li said, quickly coming forward to flatter him, noticing his displeased expression, and pointing to the array of stone slabs.

Zhao Ruizhi's eyes lit up as he approached the stone slab array. Even he, who prided himself on his superior intellect, had no clue looking at the slabs before him. "Is this meant to be the starry sky? But why is it so disordered? Do they need to be rearranged according to a specific pattern...?"

Many ideas flashed through his mind, but unfortunately, he dismissed every one of them.

He suddenly turned to Zu An, "You can solve this mechanism?"

"I can solve it, but you'll just kill me once I do. Why would I bother?" Zu An said, rubbing his neck, appearing unfazed like a pig unafraid of boiling water.

Zhao Ruizhi's pupils constricted. "Are you threatening me?"

"Not a threat, just stating the facts." Zu An wondered how the other party had attacked him just now, leaving him utterly defenseless. It was quite frustrating.

Mi Li's voice echoed in his mind, "This man's cultivation is indeed unfathomable. After the Grandmaster realm, each subsequent breakthrough brings earth-shattering changes. Moreover, he is now an Earth Immortal, and many of his attack methods and techniques are beyond your comprehension. It's perfectly normal that you had no power to resist."

Zu An sighed, "This feeling of helplessness is truly unpleasant."

Mi Li said, "Since you called me 'Master,' I naturally have to fulfill my responsibilities as one. Later, I'll explain the common techniques of people at this level in a way you can understand. How much you grasp will depend on your own ability. But with your talent, you should at least not be as helpless as you were just now."

Zu An retorted, "Why didn't you teach me earlier?"

"Facing an enemy of this caliber, even if I taught you these things, it would only be the difference between dying sooner or later. Naturally, I didn't think of teaching them before," Mi Li snorted. "Are you going to learn or not?"

"I'll learn, I'll learn," Zu An quickly apologized. "Thank you, beautiful Master!"

Mi Li's eyebrows shot up. "What did you call me?"

Zu An explained, "You know what happened between me and Zhao Hao's empress. She's also an empress, so every time I say 'empress,' I think of her, and it feels a bit disrespectful to you. That's why I changed it. You are a great beauty, Master, so I'm just stating the truth."

Mi Li's lips curved slightly upward, but she quickly suppressed it. "Just 'Master,' no other words allowed."

"Alright, beautiful Master," Zu An said with a sincere expression.

Mi Li was speechless.

Just then, Zhao Ruizhi's voice came, "If you can help me achieve immortality, what are our past grievances? I certainly won't hold them against you and guarantee your life. If you don't trust me, I can make a Heavenly Dao oath."

He sneered inwardly, thinking, "After all, if I sever your limbs and turn you into a human pig, I'll still be leaving you alive, so it won't count as breaking the agreement."

"Your Majesty's word is law; I naturally trust you," Zu An said, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. Inwardly, he also sneered, "I'd be a fool to believe your nonsense."

Despite both parties harboring ulterior motives, they eventually reached an agreement.

Zu An approached the stone slab array. "These represent the starry sky. As long as they're rearranged according to the correct pattern, it should work."

As he spoke, he quickly moved the stone slabs on the ground. Indeed, they could slide up, down, left, and right.

"...Azure Dragon Mengzhang Jiayin on the left, White Tiger Jianbing Jiashen on the right, Vermilion Bird Lingguang Jiawu above, Black Tortoise Zhiming Jiazi below, the Moon as a noble entering the center..." He recalled the incantation he had seen on the stone tablet earlier, gradually arranging the stone slabs into the corresponding shapes.

As the last slab was fitted into place, a distinct mechanical click was heard, and the entire array, even the ground itself, shook.

Everyone looked around, but after the shaking subsided, no other changes occurred.

He Li chuckled from the side, "Master Zu, is this what you meant by knowing how to solve this mechanism?"

Zhao Ruizhi's gaze towards Zu An also sharpened.

Zu An ignored them and carefully observed the stone slabs on the ground. His eyes suddenly fell upon the circular indentations on many of the slabs.

A thought suddenly struck him, and he pulled out the eighty-one luminous pearls he had found earlier in the giant turtle's shell from his embrace.

He placed the pearls into the circular indentations, and sure enough, they fit perfectly.

At that moment, clicking and clanking sounds came from underground. The stone slabs continuously rose and fell, then some sank while others slowly rose, eventually forming several square stone pillars.

Each pillar was carved with different patterns on all four sides, resembling divine beasts or celestial symbols.

Finally, the rumbling from underground ceased, and everything fell silent once more.

Zu An frowned. Had the mechanism still not been solved?

He tried to move the pillars and found that while they couldn't be moved, they could be rotated. And when one was rotated, it would cause several other pillars to rotate accordingly.

"So that's it..." Zu An suddenly understood, but then immediately frowned again. Although he knew the general solution, he wasn't sure what conditions the patterns on these pillars needed to satisfy. Many of the carvings on the stone tablet he had found in the temple earlier were missing.

Just then, Zhao Ruizhi burst into laughter. "So that's how it is! Indeed, destiny is on my side. Zu, you're no longer of any use."

He then glared at Zu An with an unfriendly expression, as if ready to strike at any moment. Since he hadn't truly sworn an oath earlier, he had no qualms about going back on his word.

Zu An, however, remained unhurried, as if all of this was within his expectations. "Don't be so quick to burn your bridges. Without me, even if you know the correct incantation, you won't be able to solve this mechanism."

He had realized that if he could obtain crucial incantations along the way, it was impossible that the other party had gained nothing. They must have also acquired some incantations.

Zhao Ruizhi indeed showed hesitation and didn't rush to attack. Instead, he gestured to He Li, "Align those patterns according to the inscription we found earlier at the ancient city ruins."

He had already made up his mind that once He Li solved the mechanism, he would first castrate Zu An.