Chapter 63 Each Uses Their Own Methods

"It seems these intricate symbols and tiny cavities are the key to unlocking this door," Yun Yi muttered to himself in his characteristic mosquito-like buzz, a sound laced with insatiable curiosity and a yearning for the unknown.

Yet, upon closer inspection, Yun Yi realized that these apertures seemingly required some minuscule, specific objects to trigger them.

His tiny antennae gently brushed against each small hole, as if attempting to converse with them.

"Bzz, bzz... Could it be that I am destined to wander here, waiting for those sect disciples to arrive and use the keys in their hands to enter the secret realm's main chamber?"

Anxiety welled up in Yun Yi's heart. He knew full well that since those sect disciples could track their way to this secret realm entrance, they must hold the vital implements needed to unlock this stone gate.

However, this realization struck Yun Yi like a bucket of cold water. His original plan had been to sneak into the main chamber ahead of time, cleverly planting treasures near the fierce beasts possessing faint true dragon bloodlines to lure the sect disciples in, thereby using their hands to eliminate these troublesome entities for him.

Now, however, that plan appeared destined to dissolve into nothingness.

Just as Yun Yi was agonizing over this dilemma and on the verge of giving up, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind, like the brightest star in the night sky.

A bold yet cunning idea quietly sprouted within him—to smash this stone gate open by sheer force.

On second thought, however, Yun Yi's tiny body trembled involuntarily. He keenly realized that this stone gate leading to the main chamber of the secret realm was by no means something his negligible level of cultivation could ever shake.

Even if he were to exhaust every ounce of strength within his minuscule form, he would likely leave nothing more than a barely perceptible, microscopic scratch on that indestructible stone wall.

Moreover, such an action would be tantamount to declaring to those sect disciples that some unknown entity had already infiltrated the main chamber ahead of them.

How could that be allowed? They would surely... A wave of panic gripped Yun Yi at the thought.

"Alas, this method is impractical after all." Yun Yi resignedly vibrated his tiny wings, his antennae gently brushing against the surrounding air to emit an almost inaudible buzzing sound.

Though filled with reluctance and frustration, he also knew that acting recklessly would only plunge him into a far more perilous abyss.

Consequently, Yun Yi began to re-examine his surroundings from his microscopic perspective, attempting to glean a sliver of a possible exit or a way to crack the stone gate's mechanism.

Yet, at this critical juncture, five disciples clad in the varied garments of different sects—three men and two women—burst into this tranquil sanctuary like a sudden storm.

Attired in robes of blazing red, pure white, and deep black, they exuded an aggressive aura so terrifying that Yun Yi didn't even dare glance at them twice before hastily beating his wings and seeking a place to hide.

Just as Yun Yi was frantically darting through the crevices of the stone wall, attempting to evade these behemoths, the three men and two women began to converse.

One of the women, wearing seductive makeup with heavy purple eyeshadow brushed across her eyelids, spoke in a shrill yet alluring voice: "Fellow Daoist Bai, Fellow Daoist Ma, Fellow Daoist Xiao, Fellow Daoist Ye, what are you still hesitating for? Hurry up and take out your respective master keys; surely you want to enter the secret realm's main chamber sooner rather than later?"

As her words fell, several distinct voices rang out one after another, weaving together into a chorus.

"Fellow Daoist Zi, why be in such a rush?"

"My, Fellow Daoist Bai certainly appears unhurried."

Yun Yi's heart tightened abruptly. He vaguely recognized two familiar tones amidst the chaotic voices, but this surprise merely caused his form to pause for a fraction of a second before he swiftly adjusted his direction and resumed his search for a more secluded hiding spot.

When he cautiously poked his head out to peer through the stone wall's crevice toward the source of the voices, the answer was already clear in his mind: "It's them."

However, among these five individuals, Yun Yi could only definitively identify two: Bai Yang from the Qingyang Sword Sect, and Senior Brother Ma from the Dragon and Tiger Gate. As for the remaining three, Yun Yi had not laid eyes on them at the outer camp of the secret realm earlier, and their identities remained a mystery to him.

While Yun Yi carefully concealed himself within the stone crevice, observing all this with his sharp gaze, the four sect disciples yielded to the urging of the woman known as Fellow Daoist Zi and successively retrieved faintly glowing master keys from their bosoms.

Yun Yi's heart leapt into his throat; he held his breath and concentrated intensely, terrified of missing a single detail.

Fellow Daoist Zi parted her vermilion lips and began to count down: "One, two, three!"

As her crisp words echoed in the air, the four sect disciples seemed guided by some invisible force. At almost the exact same moment, they aimed the master keys gripped in their hands precisely at the ancient and mysterious stone holes on the gate, firmly inserting them home.

The instant the master keys made contact with the stone apertures, a faint luminescence seemed to flow between them, adding a touch of mystery to the silent space.

Following the insertion of the keys, Bai Yang and the other three instantly flashed backward, retreating before the stone gate while maintaining a posture of vigilant anticipation, waiting quietly for the gate's response.

Just then, a low, protracted rumble erupted from within the stone gate. Immediately afterward, the gate slowly began to open, as if a sleeping giant were being awakened and gently unclosing its tightly sealed eyes.

Yet, before the stone gate could fully swing open to reveal the secret realm beyond, Senior Brother Ma's voice suddenly cut through the air, resounding like a thunderclap within the narrow space.

"Fellow Daoists, let it be understood in advance: once we enter this main chamber of the secret realm, each of us shall rely on our own abilities and take what we need."

His words carried an unquestionable firmness, as if laying down the rules for the impending competition.

At this, Yun Yi clung like a lightweight feather to the shadowy corners of the stone wall's crevice. Although his line of sight was restricted by the rock, his sensitive antennae could capture the minute fluctuations in the air, sensing an atmosphere interwoven with tension and excitement quietly pervading the space.

He cautiously vibrated his transparent wings, each flap executed with utmost gentleness as if he feared disturbing the world about to erupt. At the same time, his slender antennae swayed gently, continually probing the subtle changes in the surrounding environment.

Senior Brother Ma's remark did not elicit an immediate response from the other four. Instead, after a brief pause, the voices of Bai Yang, Fellow Daoist Zi, Fellow Daoist Ye, and Fellow Daoist Xiao rang out successively outside the stone wall, clashing and mingling like four distinct streams converging in this tranquil expanse.

Bai Yang's voice was cold and resolute, devoid of the slightest trace of emotion: "Naturally, that is only right. I also hope Fellow Daoist Ma will keep his promise and not go back on his word."