Chapter 306 - 261: Investigation (2)

Han Yuan was even quicker, using the Seven Stars Step to flash away.

Liao Feng was already a good distance away, but after hearing what Ding Zihu said, he wisely decided to move even farther back.

A moment later!

The censer monster suddenly detonated!

A terrifying blast wave tore across the area, engulfing more than half of the plaza.

Even Han Yuan was caught in the blast wave.

However, his physique was absurdly tough, and he had already moved far from the epicenter, so he wasn’t injured.

Ding Zihu wasn’t so lucky. The blast wave sent him flying five or six meters, and he landed hard.

"Oww... That damn near killed me."

Ding Zihu struggled on the ground for a good while before staggering to his feet, cursing and muttering.

He saw Han Yuan and Liao Feng not far away and hurried over.

"How come I’m the only one who got hurt..." Ding Zihu said, exasperated.

But he noticed that Han Yuan and Liao Feng were giving him strange looks.

Liao Feng even took a frightened step back.

"MROW~~"

"Don’t you take another step, kid, or I’ll torch you to a crisp!"

The Orange Cat even arched its back.

These words instantly stopped the startled Ding Zihu in his tracks.

He asked in bewilderment, "What’s gotten into you? I haven’t done anything. Why are you so on guard against me?"

Expressionless, Han Yuan pointed off to one side.

Ding Zihu turned to look.

Instantly, his eyes flew wide and he cried out, "Impossible!"

Because over there, to his shock, stood another Ding Zihu!

The other one also wore an expression of utter disbelief.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

The two Ding Zihus demanded in unison!

Even Han Yuan frowned upon seeing the two Ding Zihus, one on his left and one on his right.

Judging by their appearances, movements, and expressions, there was no discernible difference between them. He couldn’t tell which was real and which was fake.

Besides, it had been too chaotic during the explosion, and he hadn’t been paying attention to what happened to Ding Zihu.

Liao Feng also frowned deeply. "Hero Han, which one is real and which one is fake?"

"Mroww~ No need to figure out which is which. Let’s just burn them both!"

The Orange Cat hissed.

"Fat Thief, have you lost your mind?"

"Fat Thief, are you blind or something? Can’t you tell who’s real and who’s fake?"

The two Ding Zihus spoke at the same time.

The Orange Cat had originally hoped to catch some sort of tell in their tones of voice.

But now, seeing their identical performances, it could only shake its head, admitting it was stumped.

Han Yuan narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment.

"Alright, then. Both of you, take out your Eight Trigrams Mirrors and aim them at each other."

Han Yuan said calmly.

’A person can be impersonated, but a Dharma Artifact shouldn’t be so easy to fake.’

’Besides, even if they could fake the Dharma Artifact, they surely couldn’t replicate its fluctuations of Magical Power.’

"Good idea!"

Without a word, the Ding Zihu on the left produced an Eight Trigrams Mirror!

The Ding Zihu on the right produced an Eight Trigrams Mirror as well.

Just as they were about to aim the mirrors at each other.

SWOOSH!

The Ding Zihu on the right suddenly let out a strange grin, transforming into an afterimage and lunging for Liao Feng.

It seemed to know that Liao Feng was the weakest one there.

But Han Yuan was ready. With a flash, he appeared in front of Liao Feng and slashed with his saber!

SPLURCH!

Han Yuan cleaved the fake Ding Zihu in two, and it dissolved into black smoke.

"Heh heh, I told you guys, I’m the real one!"

The Ding Zihu on the left finally breathed a sigh of relief.

’Finally, that impostor is dealt with.’

Han Yuan suddenly asked, "Where did we first meet?"

Hearing this, cold sweat broke out on this Ding Zihu’s forehead. "Uh... let me think..."

"Mrow~ Think, my ass!"

The Orange Cat spat out a ball of Red Flame.

BOOM!!!

A fireball suddenly erupted on Ding Zihu’s body.

This one, too, dissolved into a wisp of black smoke.

"Th-this one was fake too?"

Liao Feng hadn’t expected the twist to come so quickly.

He had thought this Ding Zihu was the real one, but it turned out to be another impostor.

"Mm... This is why you must always be on your guard."

Han Yuan said softly.

Liao Feng nodded, though he only partially understood.

Just then,

the Orange Cat flashed over to a dark corner a dozen meters away.

"Mroww~ Looks like this one just passed out."

the Orange Cat called out.

Beside it, Ding Zihu was lying on the ground, unconscious.

Han Yuan walked over and waited a moment. Soon, Ding Zihu groggily came to.

"Hero Han, this one isn’t fake too, is he?"

Liao Feng asked cautiously, given his recent experience.

"What’s fake?" Ding Zihu asked, still dazed.

Han Yuan didn’t explain, but instead asked directly, "Where did we first meet?"

"At the entrance to Sanling Village."

"Did some Evil Spirit impersonate me again?"

The moment he heard Han Yuan’s question, Ding Zihu understood everything.

"And two of ’you’ appeared at once."

"If I hadn’t been prepared, I might have actually fallen for it."

Han Yuan chuckled.

"So that’s what happened..."

"Looks like this Void Palace is truly bizarre."

Ding Zihu scrambled up from the ground, shaking his head dazedly as he spoke.

That last impact had really done a number on him.

"Let’s go... There’s probably nothing left here."

Han Yuan’s gaze fell on the dark, gloomy halls in the distance.

"Let’s go check out the main hall directly ahead."

"The layout of a Taoist Palace is very particular; it’s not just arranged randomly."

"Generally, after the entrance, you have the main hall. It’s the public face of the entire Taoist Palace."

"Which means there’s bound to be something there!"

Ding Zihu said in a low, serious voice.

"Then let’s go take a look."

Han Yuan nodded.

Ding Zihu rested for a moment to recover, and once the dizziness passed, he was largely okay.

After he signaled to Han Yuan that he was fine, Han Yuan wasted no time and headed straight for the main hall.

The doors to this main hall weren’t closed, but it was pitch-black inside, making it impossible to see anything.

However, an ancient plaque still hung high above the entrance.

Ding Zihu looked up and read the characters on the plaque aloud.

"Yuhua Hall..."

"Strange... Why would they use this name..."

Ding Zihu frowned.

In the Taoist School, ’Yuhua’ is a term for ascension to immortality.

Therefore, a Yuhua Hall is generally a place where the founding masters are worshipped.

But according to the conventional layout of a Taoist Palace, the Ancestor Hall should be built at the very back.

"This Taoist Palace is already bizarre, so it’s not surprising for it to be even stranger."

Han Yuan said, hefting his Dragon Sparrow Cloud-Splitting Saber and stepping directly into the Yuhua Hall.

Ding Zihu, the Orange Cat, and Liao Feng hurriedly followed him inside.

As Spiritual Light illuminated the Yuhua Hall, countless nameless Spiritual Tablets appeared before their eyes.

They were densely packed and piled up like a mountain; it was impossible to tell how many there were.

In the gloomy darkness, the sight was undoubtedly enough to make one’s heart pound with unease.

"W-Why are there so many nameless Spiritual Positions enshrined here?"

Ding Zihu frowned deeply.

"Something... must have happened here back then."

Han Yuan said softly.

The group searched the Yuhua Hall, but after finding nothing of value, they left.

"Since there was nothing in the Yuhua Hall, let’s go look elsewhere,"

Ding Zihu said.

"Let’s check the halls at the back."

Han Yuan wanted to see what secrets were hidden in the depths of the Taoist Palace.

"Alright."

Ding Zihu nodded.

Just as the group was passing through a corridor to the left of Yuhua Hall,

BOOM!!!

A deafening crash suddenly erupted from the depths of the Taoist Palace, and the entire complex began to shake!

"Something’s happening!"

Ding Zihu’s expression turned grave.

"Follow me!"

Han Yuan wasn’t worried that something was happening; his biggest fear was that nothing would.

A disturbance was a good thing. At least now they had a target and wouldn’t have to search this massive Taoist Palace blindly.

He led the others toward the source of the crash.

They passed through many halls, finally arriving at the deepest part of the Taoist Palace.

Here, too, was a massive open area.

However, this vast space was filled with numerous gray-white stone pillars.

The pillars were exceptionally tall and seemed to be arranged in some kind of pattern, giving them a profoundly mysterious appearance.

In the center of the clearing stood a massive, dark Alchemy Furnace.

Countless chains stretched out from the dense forest of gray-white pillars, binding the massive Alchemy Furnace tightly in place!