Chapter 86 Sneak In

On the eve of Jiang Li's departure, after Xu Anmin received a secret letter sent by Zhao Meng, his face instantly turned solemn, and his brows knitted tightly.

He hastily opened the letter paper and quickly scanned through the words. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, and then he regained his composure. He promptly summoned his elite subordinates and issued an emergency mobilization order:"Gather immediately. The plan is advanced. Get ready to head to the foot of Dongfeng Ridge. Move as quickly as possible!"

Jiang Li's plan had already been set in motion, and he had to arrive as soon as possible. He quickly inspected the equipment of the team, making sure that everyone was equipped with the necessary weapons and supplies.

Subsequently, he led the team and rushed towards the direction of Dongfeng Ridge at a rapid pace.

He thought to himself,"Fortunately, we are well - prepared here. We should be able to keep up with Jiang Li's pace."

At the same time, Jiang Li and his group had already delved deep into that secret tunnel. The tunnel was shaped like a snake - like passage lurking deep within the earth, winding upwards. There were occasional steps, clearly indicating that it had been artificially constructed.

However, despite the careful renovation of the tunnel, the passage of time had covered it with a thick layer of dust, as if it had been deserted for a long time. The air was filled with a damp, musty smell, which made people feel dull, as if it had devoured all the vitality.

Zhang Shuo walked at the end of the team, clearly becoming impatient. With every step he took, his clothes became increasingly covered in dust. He even couldn't help spitting out a few mouthfuls of dust, and his whole face was smeared with dirt.

He tried his best to hold back his complaints, but the displeasure on his face was still obvious. Especially when he stepped on each step, he felt as if the dust was like a heavy shackle, binding him tightly.

"What a hell of a place," Zhang Shuo muttered in a low voice, his tone full of disgust for this tunnel.

Jiang Li didn't pay any attention to Zhang Shuo's complaints. He remained silent, observing the surroundings. Although he seemed calm, he was constantly alert.

He was well aware that since Dongfeng Ridge had grown to such an extent, their defenses couldn't be underestimated. Moreover, as this secret passage led directly to the core of the Ling - protecting Formation, there must be something fishy about it.

This passage seemed perfect, but why hadn't the people of Dongfeng Ridge blocked it? Even if there was no one guarding it, shouldn't they have sealed it off completely? Doubts rose in Jiang Li's heart. This passage was too easy to access, which made him extremely vigilant.

As the team continued to move deeper, the tunnel became narrower and narrower, and the air grew more and more stuffy, as if every breath became a heavy task.

Jiang Li's alertness increased even more. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was deducing the situation that was about to unfold.

Finally, the team reached the end of the tunnel. Jiang Li stood at the front, his sharp eyes sweeping over the solid stone wall.

After sensing it for a while, he found that this stone wall was no ordinary one. The wall was extremely solid, without even the slightest crack, as if it had completely sealed off the entire passage in this dim space.

Jiang Li's brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

"Is this the end?" Zhang Shuo finally couldn't help asking, his face filled with confusion and anger. Instinctively, he felt that all this seemed to be a hoax, that he and the team had been lured here, and he even began to suspect that this passage had been a trap set by the enemy from the very beginning.

Just as he was seething with indignation and about to flare up, Shangguan Hao stopped him in time.

"Let's first follow Young Master's arrangements," Shangguan Hao said in a calm tone, his eyes firm. He wasn't affected by Zhang Shuo's impatience at all. Standing beside Jiang Li, he waited for Jiang Li's instructions.

Jiang Li stood in front of the hard stone wall, his gaze still as cold and sharp as a blade. He didn't rush to make a decision. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes and released his spiritual consciousness, spreading it out in all directions.

His spiritual consciousness was like an invisible net, quickly covering every inch of the surrounding space. Although the dull atmosphere still filled the tunnel, Jiang Li clearly sensed that there was nothing around, including the room outside the stone wall. There was no sign of any living person.

"There's actually no one here," Jiang Li murmured to himself, his doubts growing even deeper. It was clearly an extremely important passage. How could there be no one guarding it? Moreover, there was not even the slightest trace of any presence, as if the entire space had been completely emptied.

His spiritual consciousness continued to extend towards the stone wall, trying to find more clues. When his spiritual consciousness touched the sealed stone wall, he felt an unusually intense aura, which made his heart skip a beat.

"This wall... is extraordinary," Jiang Li thought, his eyes deep, and his tone carrying a hint of barely noticeable caution. He had never encountered such a tightly - sealed structure. A brute - force attack would definitely not break it, and it would also create a huge commotion.

He slowly straightened up, shifted his gaze away from the stone wall, and turned to the others in the team."Everyone, be careful. This place is not simple."

Zhang Shuo was still a bit puzzled and couldn't help but speak up."Young Master, are we just going to stop here? Isn't this path blocked?"

Shangguan Hao remained calm. He nodded slightly and silently stood beside Jiang Li, waiting for Jiang Li's instructions.

Jiang Li turned to him and said lightly,"Don't act for now. We need to handle everything with caution." His voice was unhurried.

Jiang Li took a deep breath, feeling his blood and qi rising slightly in his body, and his heart rate accelerating a bit. His entire body and mind were focused on that strange stone brick.

He stood in front of the stone wall, his gaze as sharp as a knife. The silence around seemed to have solidified the air, and the oppressive feeling made it almost impossible to breathe. The end of the tunnel was still deathly quiet.

He released his spiritual consciousness once again, casting it over the surroundings as finely as a spider's web, sensing every inch of the air and every part of the stone wall.

The wall seemed intact, but Jiang Li detected an unusual fluctuation. His gaze quickly fixed on a spot - a stone brick on the wall. Although it looked no different from the other bricks around it, the slight misalignment didn't escape Jiang Li's eyes.

That brick protruded just a tiny bit, a difference of only a centimeter. An ordinary person would never have noticed it, but Jiang Li, with his acute perception, instantly saw through the clue.

His brows arched slightly. Jiang Li had already made a judgment in his mind:"This isn't a coincidence." The wall was completely symmetrical, and the misalignment of this brick was clearly a carefully - designed arrangement, not an accident.

He suddenly understood that this was likely the mechanism to open the stone wall. This was their escape route. It was ridiculous that he had been so cautious, pitting his wits against the air.

Jiang Li took a deep breath again, his mind highly focused. He whispered to Shangguan Hao,"You guys be on high alert and be ready to deal with any unexpected situations at any time."

Shangguan Hao didn't say a word, just nodded. A flash of alertness passed through his eyes. He led the team to take their positions, scanning the surroundings with his eyes, ready to respond to any possible attacks.

As for Jiang Li, he focused all his attention on that strange stone brick.

He gently extended his finger and touched the protruding stone brick. Immediately, he felt a subtle vibration, as if some powerful force was waiting to be triggered in the dark.

"As expected, it's a mechanism," Jiang Li thought, his brows furrowed and his expression solemn.

He didn't act rashly. Instead, he released his spiritual consciousness once more, carefully probing the surroundings to confirm there was no sign of enemies.

After making sure everything was clear, a sense of determination welled up in him, and he decided to take action.

With a gentle push of his hands, the stone brick slowly sank under Jiang Li's touch, accompanied by a soft click.

Immediately, the brick - made door above their heads began to move slowly. The dull sound of friction echoed in the empty tunnel, as if a sleeping iron beast was waking up.

Jiang Li stared intently at the wall, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. If this was really a hidden trap, then they could only follow this path, even if it led to an abyss.

The door slowly opened, revealing a narrow opening just wide enough for one person to pass through. Jiang Li's heart tightened slightly. He looked around warily, but without the slightest hesitation, he jumped in first.

Shangguan Hao followed closely behind, his figure as agile as a ghost, his movements crisp and decisive.

Then, Su Yao, Lin Xiao, Zhang Shuo, and Ye Xiaoke entered one after another. Although everyone felt a bit nervous, Jiang Li's calmness undoubtedly gave them confidence.

When they successfully jumped into the opening, the scene in front of them made everyone frown slightly.

It was an empty hall. There was nothing around, and the air was filled with a thick, gloomy aura, making it extremely oppressive.

In the center of the hall, a hexagonal crystal floated in the air, emitting an unnatural glow. It was like a huge heart, pulsating with some indescribable energy.

Complex light patterns flowed across the surface of the crystal, and strange fluctuations flashed from time to time, as if it contained a powerful force.

Jiang Li's eyes focused intently. In his heart, he had already confirmed that this was the core of the formation.

His mind raced, calculating every possible situation that might occur next.

Although they were close to their goal, he still didn't let down his guard, because he knew very well that the real challenge had just begun.

"This is the core of the formation," Jiang Li murmured to himself. He swept his eyes around and was certain that this hexagonal crystal must be the key to unlocking the formation.

Destroying it would cause the entire formation to collapse, allowing Xu Anmin and the others to arrive in time. Otherwise, they would be trapped in the formation and might even be plunged into a more complex crisis.

Jiang Li took a deep breath, his tone low and firm."We only have one chance. We must destroy this crystal immediately, or everything will be irreparable."

Shangguan Hao responded promptly, his eyes calm and cold."Young Master, rest assured. Now that things have come to this, we can't afford to fail." His concise words revealed a profound understanding of the situation and his preparedness, and his eyes were full of determination.

Jiang Li turned to look at the other team members, his tone becoming even more serious."You all need to be careful of any changes around, especially the energy fluctuations around the crystal. Be ready immediately if anything seems wrong."

Su Yao nodded, her expression solemn. Lin Xiao, Zhang Shuo, Ye Xiaoke and the others also moved closer slightly, ready to deal with any unexpected situations at any time.

Jiang Li slowly walked towards the hexagonal crystal, his mind extremely focused. Every step now was related to their life and death. The slightest mistake could lead to an unpredictable dangerous situation.

Although his steps were steady and cautious, he knew that the closer he got to the target, the closer the crisis was.