Chapter 983: Playing Me for a Fool

Chapter 983: Chapter 983: Playing Me for a Fool

Jiang Qi walked at the forefront, holding the torch high, the vigilant glow in his eyes never fading.

As he delved deeper into the cave, he sensed something unusual.

The surrounding air seemed to grow heavier, as if an invisible pressure was squeezing from all directions, making it hard to breathe.

Even as a powerful martial artist, he felt a hint of unease.

The tunnel of the cave alternated between wide and narrow, and the deeper he ventured, the stranger the aura became, as if something hidden was watching them from the darkness.

Still, aside from the cave’s unique echoes, there were no signs of life, nor traces of the legendary treasures.

As time passed, the passage began to narrow gradually; the road ahead seemed to stretch endlessly, yet there was still nothing noteworthy to be found.

Gradually, Jiang Qi’s patience began to wear thin.

His expression grew increasingly grim, a faint anger visible on his forehead.

Despite repeatedly reminding himself to stay calm, the prolonged futile search stoked the flames of his fury.

He halted, the torchlight casting a glow on his angry face, his gaze icy.

"What’s going on?" Jiang Qi’s voice was low, suppressing his simmering rage, "Is this the cave you found? What else is here besides these broken stones?"

The guards dared not speak; the eerie atmosphere inside the cave made their hearts quiver, and they were even more fearful of angering the Saint Heir of the Jiang Ancient Clan.

Jiang Qi’s anger slowly ignited, and he forcefully plunged the torch into the ground, making the flame flicker violently.

He turned abruptly, his eyes flashing with agitation: "Is Xue Wei, that old fox, playing tricks on me?!"

He snorted heavily, clenching his fists, evidently extremely dissatisfied.

The anticipation in his heart transformed into complete disappointment, unable to tolerate being mocked in such a manner.

Jiang Qi kicked the nearby stone wall forcefully, producing a resounding "bang," seemingly venting his fury.

"Continue forward, find any clues, or I want Xue Wei to give me an explanation!" he growled, word by word, his voice filled with uncontainable anger and resentment.

Just as Jiang Qi’s angry roar echoed within the cave, a low rumble suddenly emerged from behind, as if something was slowly activating.

Jiang Qi turned around sharply, his gaze firmly drawn to a mysteriously appearing door.

This door, completely incongruous with the ancient stone walls of the cave, appeared to come from another world.

The frame was made of dark red ancient wood, engraved with numerous strange runes, each rune emitting a faint glow, as if breathing, mysterious yet powerful.

The door was inlaid with intricate patterns, the center featuring a dragon-shaped carving that seemed alive, its eyes glowing red, as if watching anyone approaching.

Ancient talismans were inscribed on either side of the door, the lines flowing smoothly yet intricately, exuding an inexplicable pressure.

A circle of weak black air hovered around the door frame, seemingly leaking from within.

The entire door appeared both ancient and mysterious, as if leading to unknown realms.

Jiang Qi’s heart suddenly leaped, evidently startled by this unexpected change.

He instantly grew vigilant, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Despite being battle-hardened, he had never encountered such a bizarre sight.

His gaze fixated on that door, various possibilities swiftly flashing through his mind.

"What... what is this?" Jiang Qi’s voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked by the sudden appearance of the door.

He instinctively retreated a step, his gaze growing more cautious. His earlier anger was quelled by this bizarre scene, his breath slightly rapid, heartbeat increasingly intense.

The atmosphere within the cave grew more oppressive, as if the entire space transformed due to the appearance of this mysterious door.

The dragon-shaped carving on the door seemed to come alive, its red eyes staring at Jiang Qi, making him feel a chill from deep within his soul, as if bound by some irresistible force.

Jiang Qi forcibly suppressed his fear and unease, took a deep breath, striving to calm himself.

He knew the appearance of this door was no coincidence; perhaps it was the true secret Xue Wei mentioned.

But its sudden appearance was too bizarre, causing a trace of unease he couldn’t shake.

Jiang Qi took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart, retrieving the token Xue Wei had given him from his bosom.

The token was entirely black, irregularly polygonal, its surface covered with a dense layer of runes, the spaces between them flowing with a faint black glow, as if some power lurked within.

The edges of the token were slightly worn, attesting to the passage of time.

Holding the token, Jiang Qi cautiously approached the mysterious door.

Upon closer inspection, he found a groove at the center of the door, its size and shape perfectly matching the token in his hand, as if they were one.

Jiang Qi carefully placed the token in the groove, his movements cautious, fearing the trigger of some dangerous mechanism.

The moment the token settled into the groove, the door emitted a low humming sound, as if some ancient power was being awakened.

The runes around the groove suddenly brightened, black light spreading across the door, flowing along those strange talismans, gradually covering the entire door.

Simultaneously, a rush of Demonic Qi surged from within the door, instantly permeating the cave, filling it entirely.

This Demonic Qi was extremely dense, as if a thousand-year accumulation of resentment and malice intertwined, carrying a suffocating pressure.

The Demonic Qi surged like a tide, enveloping Jiang Qi and the guards beside him in an instant.

Upon encountering this Demonic Qi, the guards’ faces changed drastically, their bodies involuntarily trembling, as if suppressed by some invisible force.

Though Jiang Qi’s heart was vigilant, he did not retreat, observing the resonance between the token and the door before him.

The dragon-shaped carving on the door seemed truly awakened under the black light, its eyes growing increasingly dazzling, as if ready to spring from the door at any moment.

Soon after, the whole cave began to tremble from the door’s anomaly, cracks appearing on the stone walls, rubble falling incessantly from the ceiling, producing thudding sounds.

The cave’s shaking grew more intense, as if some subterranean force was being awakened, breaking through the earth.

Standing in the unsteady cave, Jiang Qi’s expression grew more solemn, clenching his fists, striving to maintain his balance.

As the Demonic Qi spread, the door began to slowly open, emitting a piercing "creak," as if an ancient mechanism, long unopened, was laboriously operating.