The underground labyrinth is unlike the palace beneath the lake which almost has no lethal mechanisms. Apart from the safe main path and auxiliary paths nearby, other passages are lined with lethal mechanisms. However, those mechanisms are meant to fend off ordinary people who sneak in by digging tunnels or other means from the outside. For that group of students, they pose little danger.
"Most of these mechanisms are broken, and even if they’re not, their destructive power isn’t enough—how odd. I remember the Tianqiong Dynasty had set up a Maze of Delusions here before."
In a certain hall, Фэн Юань said puzzledly while looking at the collapsed stone pillars and the broken inscriptions on the ground. Originally, the danger level of this relic was much higher than now, but as he walked all the way, he found many dangerous mechanisms had already been destroyed. He recalled the Huatian Dynasty had entered this labyrinth after the Cangyun Dynasty.
Although there aren’t many records, he is sure they didn’t choose to station people here. So, when the Huatian Dynasty barged in here, they might have conveniently cleared a path, and they just happened to walk along it.
"Years in disrepair? It doesn’t seem so. There are signs of man-made damage here, though not very obvious."
Dou Yanlan said while scrutinizing this relic in puzzlement, noticing marks left from battles on the wreckages. But because Фэн Юань hadn’t made it clear, she wasn’t familiar with the Huatian Dynasty’s affairs, only thinking the relic was a bit peculiar. On the other hand, the archaeological team quickly analyzed after discovering these marks, realizing another group had once entered this place after the Cangyun Dynasty.
Moreover, that group took a rather barbaric approach to destroy the relic’s defenses. From this, they deduce that it should be an official team from a dynasty, and probably around the middle of the Dynasty Era. Since by the end of the Dynasty Era, the concept of archaeology and relic preservation had already started to emerge, excavation teams at that time wouldn’t blindly destroy relics.
Due to the mechanisms being destroyed, Фэн Юань and others easily reached the lower areas of the underground labyrinth. Here, the passages became quite bizarre.
"How come... we’re heading downwards, right?"
"It should be the lower level of the underground labyrinth, and we never went through any device like a portal. Why... and where exactly is this?"
Walking down the narrow stairs and seeing the passage ahead resembling a glass tunnel beneath an aquarium, not only Ци Чэнь but even Dou Yanlan was startled. Especially as the Ice Crystal Fish swam up, curiously approached the glass, then suddenly flicked its tail and swam towards the distance, giving them a feeling of strolling through an aquarium.
"It is indeed the lower layer, except here it’s an artificially created pseudo-lakebed. Those surrounding waters are actually just pools, and of course, we didn’t undergo spatial transfer. Now, our location is within the large pool below the labyrinth passage."
Фэн Юань said with a smile. If unaware of the truth, seeing this scene one would naturally suspect if they’ve inadvertently been moved elsewhere, and might even try to locate here from the lakebed outside. Unfortunately, whether it’s the ceiling simulating daylight or the Ice Crystal Fish swimming through special channels, it all merely decorates incorrectly and misleads people.
"What is the purpose of doing this?"
Dou Yanlan looked at Фэн Юань in confusion, unable to understand why the Tianqiong Dynasty designed it this way. Compared to merely adding various dangerous mechanisms, this seems much more troublesome and hardly serves any defensive purpose.
"The stationed soldiers below need to relax or say, besides soldiers, there are dedicated inspectors guarding the Meteor Pavilion. They wouldn’t want their living quarters to be surrounded by only rocks. When you reach the Meteor Pavilion, you’ll see something even more interesting."
With a mysterious smile, Фэн Юань once again teased, but this time Dou Yanlan had already guessed what might be below. Strolling in this underwater tunnel, besides Ice Crystal Fish, everyone also saw other fishes present. Had Фэн Юань not revealed it, they really might have thought it was a tunnel built under the lake.
The archaeological team entering from another direction was stunned seeing this, and someone started contacting the camp, preparing to send people to locate this tunnel. However, Professor Li stopped them.
"This place seems a bit off, look at that light."
Putting on glasses, Professor Li carefully observed the underwater scenery close to the glass. Although this place initially mirrored the outside world, time changes scenarios, Mingjing Lake’s bed once accidentally fell into a large amount of Gan Gold Sand, giving the lakebed a slight golden hue. However, though this place connects with Mingjing Lake, it doesn’t really absorb much Gan Gold Sand.
The artificial daylight from the ceiling also due to time passing is unable to perfectly recreate the effect of sunlight dropping into the lake from the surface, but even so, without careful examination, it would be hard to uncover the truth.
"It’s really strange, why did they set up such an arrangement here?"
One member of the archaeological team muttered puzzledly, unable to understand the thoughts of those who built this relic. As if realizing something, Professor Li chuckled lightly, saying
"Perhaps, to them, it was just a trivial matter."
"Such... extravagance."
Looking at the luxurious wooden pavilion ahead, Фэн Юань muttered as he pouted. At that moment, glass walls surrounded them, forming a sphere and enclosing the pavilion and its circular plaza underwater. Dou Yanlan looked towards Фэн Юань and asked
"Is this the Meteor Pavilion?"
"Of course not, but the Meteor Pavilion is below. This is where the guards live; the Meteor Pavilion itself cannot accommodate people."
Shaking his head, Фэн Юань said as he led the way into the wooden building. Inside, craftsmen had divided it into numerous rooms. As they casually entered a bedroom, they found inside quite a bit of furniture. Despite being ravaged by time, turning them into ruins, it was still evident that the previous owner’s status might not have been low.
"This place doesn’t seem suitable for guards to live in, could it be that our luck is good?"
Pinching her chin, Dou Yanlan said as she exited the room and opened another room’s door, only to find both rooms have similar designs, apart from varying interiors, the furniture all seemed—to be... expensive.
Dou Yanlan didn’t believe this could be where the guards lived, as it was too lavish for them, unless these guards were special and not ordinary soldiers.
"It should be where visitors stay; guards surely wouldn’t have it so well. However, it’s a pity. How about going back to enjoy a lakebed hotel someday?"
Casually Фэн Юань said with a peculiar smile at Агунас nearby. The latter rolled its eyes and said sardonically
"Putting aside the hassle, are you sure you could enter this place?"
It doubted Фэн Юань was thinking of returning to the Tianqiong Dynasty era here, but this place was regulated. Without a certain identity status, wanting to stay here? Joke!
Returning to the past usually meant being a commoner with no identity. Of course, Агунас could fabricate a high-status identity for Фэн Юань as it did during the end of the Great Li Dynasty, but because higher the status, greater the historical impact, Агунас didn’t want to do so.
"Hehe... I just want to experience it. You say, if we let the archaeological team restore this place, could they recreate the original look?"
"Then you could treat it as a specialty hotel to stay?"
Rolling its eyes, Агунас looked at Фэн Юань speechlessly. It could instantly see through his thoughts. Scratching his head, Фэн Юань laughed guiltily and dared not argue. Ци Чэнь sighed and said
"The Meteor Pavilion wouldn’t be beneath us, would it?"
"You guessed right—it’s directly below us. However, the entrance is quite special; it’s not going down but requires first going to the uppermost level of this wooden building and taking the elevator down."
"Elevator?!"
Both Dou Yanlan and Ци Чэнь were shocked by Фэн Юань’s words. An elevator in this place? However, remembering their previous encounter at the Qianta Pavilion, they couldn’t help but wonder what exactly is in the Meteor Pavilion.

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