Chapter 596: Chapter 565: Death Substitute (Part 2)

Though they didn’t know why Qin An was being targeted by these two experts, they understood that any unusual incident must have an underlying reason.

Gu Yun immediately shouted, "Two of you, block them! Don’t let them kill him!"

Instantly, two Mountain Patrol Gold Generals separated from the crowd and charged toward Yu Caiyi.

Yu Caiyi suddenly turned to the wolf demon leader and said, "Don’t let him get through. Kill that man, and those above will handsomely reward you."

The wolf demon leader was already enraged, his eyes blood-red. Upon hearing these words, he gritted his teeth and erupted in fury.

The howling of wolves around him transformed into a wild storm, sweeping toward the two Mountain Patrol Gold Generals.

The two Mountain Patrol Gold Generals were immediately halted.

At this moment, Yu Caiyi’s attack finally fell again.

Qin An stood with his saber, suddenly sheathing it, his eyes showing a hint of calmness.

"Boom!"

A terrifying explosion sounded, and his flesh and blood shattered, turning into flying ash in the sky.

Yu Caiyi frowned.

"Was it really this easy to kill him?"

He was somewhat disbelieving, as everything seemed too smooth to be true.

The young man turned to the thirty-something Mountain Patrol Gold Generals and said, "He was just an Element Transformation Realm mere mortal. It’s normal for him to die, especially when you and I joined forces. If he were alive, that would be the unusual thing."

"Never mind, let’s kill these people and release whatever is behind that door, and our task will be complete."

Upon hearing this, Yu Caiyi suppressed the uneasy feeling in his heart and rushed toward the thirty-something Mountain Patrol Gold Generals.

The battle erupted once more.

Members of the Evil Extermination Bureau, though fiercely suppressing the slaughter, still fell victim to the hands of demon Pseudo-Gods, and Mountain Patrol Commanders perished at the hands of demon Pseudo-Gods as well.

Therefore, the gate was opening slowly but surely, almost imperceptibly.

Gu Yun and the others had grave expressions on their faces.

They could only stick to their current plan, continuing to fight these demon Pseudo-Gods.

...

In a distant side hall on the battlefield.

A figure was gradually forming.

The figure shifted from faint to distinct, eventually revealing Qin An’s appearance.

Qin An grasped the Cold Star Saber’s handle with his hand and raised his left hand, where a silver needle had become utterly dull in his palm.

"If it weren’t for this Life Substitution Needle, I would likely be dead. But fortunately, this time I have narrowly escaped danger."

He turned his gaze toward the distance, his brow slightly furrowed.

"The Jinluan Holy Hall is too vast. Even though the Life Substitution Needle transported me here, it didn’t take me outside the Jinluan Holy Hall."

Earlier, he had narrowly escaped death from the combined attack of Yu Caiyi and the young man, thanks to the precious Life Substitution Needle, which died in his stead.

He had been teleported to this side hall under the effect of the Life Substitution Needle.

"What should I do next?" Qin An furrowed his brows, contemplating quietly.

His current realm was only in the Element Transformation Realm, so his role in that kind of battle was limited.

Even with exceptional potential, it remained the same.

Back in the cemetery, the Profound Celestial had told him he would play an irreplaceable part in this battle, so Qin An considered how to resolve this deadlock.

After thinking for a good while, Qin An shook his head slightly, murmuring to himself, "I can’t figure anything out here, so I might as well let things take their natural course."

He surveyed his surroundings.

He had never visited this side hall before.

In front of him was a pitch-black door, the only exit.

Without hesitation, Qin An drew the Cold Star Saber from his waist and moved toward the exit.

Beyond the door lay a long passageway.

The passageway wasn’t dark; many Luminous Pearls adorned the surrounding walls, casting a gentle glow and imbuing the area with warmth.

At the end of the passageway was a tightly closed door.

After some contemplation, Qin An headed for the end of the passageway.

His steps were cautious, yet he didn’t trigger any danger and smoothly arrived before the door.

Then Qin An sensed something unusual; the door exuded a familiar aura.

"This isn’t the existence from the Ten Thousand Poison Cloud Peak, but the aura is similar. It must be the Defender. How should I open this door?" Qin An pondered quietly to himself.

The situation was quite perplexing.

He first tried covering his hand with Void Essence, striking the bronze door.

However, when his palm hit the door, a violent rumble ensued.

He felt a tremendous force, pushing him back several steps.

Qin An furrowed his brows, realizing that sheer force wouldn’t open the door.

There must be something peculiar inside the door.

This attempt convinced Qin An of the door’s sturdiness, suggesting he might need another approach to open it.

Calming his mind, Qin An carefully observed the door’s appearance.

Intricate carvings covered the door, similar to what he had seen when entering the cemetery.

Yet, the carvings on this door didn’t absorb his Void Essence. When he’d struck it, the Void Essence dissipated instead of being absorbed, as if the door had no intention of taking it in.

After some thought, Qin An meticulously inspected the hidden patterns.

Protrusions in the patterns gave a sense of ancientness when touched.

At that moment, Qin An suddenly sensed something out of the ordinary.

When his hand made contact, it felt like it was ignited, a sensation both warm and comforting instead of painful.

Closing his eyes to focus, Qin An reopened them, feeling his blood surging as if it wanted to burst out.

"Could it be that this bronze door needs to be opened with blood?"

This thought made Qin An increasingly confident in his guess.

Sometimes having a plan, even just a hypothesis, is better than none, so it’s worth a try.

Without any hesitation, Qin An pressed his thumb to pierce his middle finger, letting a drop of blood gather at his fingertip.

With a flick, the blood splattered onto the bronze door.

Once the blood landed, the hidden patterns on the bronze door suddenly burst into brilliant light.

The drop of blood Qin An had flicked onto it began soaking into the patterns at a visible pace.

At the same time, the door trembled slightly.

A breeze blew through the crack of the door, carrying warmth instead of chill.

Frowning, Qin An attempted to push the bronze door open.

But it remained unmoved.

"I understand now, one drop of blood isn’t enough."

Raising his hand, Qin An consecutively flicked several more drops of blood.

The blood continued soaking into the door’s patterns, and as it did, the door’s opening widened.

Inside lay darkness, concealing its true nature.

Once the opening was wide enough for Qin An to enter, he paused.

Beholding the dark passage ahead, he circulated Void Essence to fortify himself, then set foot into the doorway.

As he stepped through, a rush of warmth engulfed him.

The previously dark passageway brightened rapidly.

Nothing filled the passageway except blue stone slabs stretching forward.

When Qin An surveyed the passage’s end, he briefly froze.

At its end sat a white-clad, white-haired old man.

Noticing Qin An’s arrival, the old man slowly lifted his head. As his eyes met Qin An’s, a joyful light sparked within them.

Qin An frowned.

The aura around this white-clad, white-haired old man strikingly resembled the one he’d encountered at the Ten Thousand Poison Cloud Peak.

Just as Qin An was about to speak, the old man addressed him, "You’ve met the existence at Ten Thousand Poison Cloud Peak? Good, good, good. Once you’ve found this place, its location can be unlocked."

Furrowing his brow, Qin An asked, "Who are you?"

With an enigmatic glint in his eyes, the old man replied, "Who am I? I am the caretaker of this palace."

Upon saying this, a terrifying aura of a Pseudo-God emanated from the old man.