Gong Wenshan grumbled under his breath as he walked toward the exit.
Kong Qi stood frozen on the spot.
He had indeed come over to ask Gong Wenshan to check whether there were any restriction formations around the exit, but he hadn't expected the man to agree so readily and without the slightest hint of refusal.
That wasn't like Gong Wenshan at all — not his usual temperament, not his usual personality…
A flicker of unease crossed Kong Qi's face. He hurriedly quickened his pace to catch up. "How can I let Brother Gong venture into danger alone? Kong would be honored to accompany you. True brothers share every hardship together!"
"You sure?" Gong Wenshan cocked his head to the side, regarding him with an expression that was openly mocking.
"Uh…" Kong Qi's mind churned with a thousand conflicting thoughts. The main problem was that the man's expression was far too meaningful, leaving him caught between hope and dread, unable to figure out what answer would actually satisfy him. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "I'm sure."
"Then fine." Gong Wenshan shrugged his shoulders and continued walking forward. "Just stay close to me."
Hearing this, Kong Qi's heart swelled with delight — his answer had clearly been the right one. He kept his composure, however, and said, "Of course, of course. Do be careful, Brother Gong."
Chatting like this, the two of them walked up to the sole exit under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
By now, the cultivators who had been sitting and resting inside the great hall were all closely watching Gong Wenshan's movements, afraid to miss even a single detail. His ability to dismantle restrictions had been witnessed by all of them firsthand. If there truly was a hidden formation over this exit, he would surely be able to see through it.
In an instant, everyone held their breath, waiting silently for the result.
Gong Wenshan stood before the exit, studying it carefully. His expression shifted continuously, keeping everyone on edge. After a long while, he finally spoke in a leisurely tone, "Just as I thought. This exit is nothing more than an ordinary passage. There's no danger at all!"
With that, he strode directly toward the entrance.
Kong Qi hurriedly followed.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished through the exit without a trace.
"All show and no substance!" Xiao Chen snorted in displeasure. He had seen Gong Wenshan's expression change multiple times and had assumed the man had discovered something. The anticlimactic result left him with the distinct feeling of having been played.
Lan Xun smiled faintly. "That Brother Gong… is quite the arrogant talent, isn't he?"
"Speaking of which — have you noticed…" Xiao Baiyi suddenly came over to stand beside the two of them, glancing left and right with a grave expression. "Wuchang isn't here."
Xiao Chen frowned. "Meaning what? Whether he's here or not — what does that have to do with us?"
Xiao Baiyi gave him a glance, then looked away toward Lan Xun.
"What's with that look? Are you dismissing me?" Xiao Chen grew immediately displeased.
Lan Xun knit her delicate brows, but a thought seemed to strike her. She murmured, "Brother Baiyi means… that Wuchang's failure to make it in here was Gong Wenshan's doing?"
Xiao Baiyi nodded with a serious expression. "That is precisely what I believe. Gong Wenshan can dismantle restrictions — perhaps he can control them as well. Everyone else managed to get in, so there's no reason Wuchang couldn't. The only explanation for this situation is that Gong Wenshan didn't let him in!" At this point, Xiao Baiyi let out a sigh and looked at Lan Xun with earnest sincerity. "Your Highness, this one is Xiao Baiyi of the Qingyang Divine Temple — not 'Brother Baiyi,' if you please."
"I know…" Lan Xun pressed her lips together in a smile. "But you share a surname with Brother Xiao Chen, so it's awkward for me to address you that way. Besides, didn't Yang Kai just call you Xiao Bai? So I thought… Does it bother you very much, Brother Baiyi?"
"Not in the slightest!" Xiao Baiyi denied flatly, though a cold glint flickered through his eyes as he said in an icy voice, "Once we're out of here, I'm going to tear that guy's mouth apart."
"If you keep dawdling, everyone else will be gone. We should set off first." Xiao Chen couldn't get a word in edgewise, so he changed the subject.
Lan Xun turned her head and noticed that the cultivators in the great hall had indeed all but departed, leaving only the few of them still standing in place. She nodded. "Then let's go."
Xiao Baiyi exchanged a glance with Murong Xiaoxiao, and the two of them immediately launched themselves toward the exit using their movement techniques.
…
"This is bad — it's a trap!" The moment Yang Kai rushed through the exit, he couldn't help but cry out.
The world before his eyes had suddenly warped and twisted, transforming into an open expanse of grassland.
The grass grew tall and lush across the vast plain, stretching endlessly to every horizon. Blue skies, white clouds, verdant green — the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, but this was clearly not a scene that belonged in the Temple of Time.
"Illusory formation?" Yang Kai frowned and halted in his tracks, not moving a step further.