Chapter 116: The Underground Palace

Chapter 116: The Underground Palace

“Are you alright?” Ye Tian turned to ask Jerry behind him. Jerry’s face had been flushed since morning and showed no sign of fading now.
“Oh, I’m fine,” Jerry stammered, glancing at Eve beside him, his face growing even redder.

“He likes that girl!” Isabella shrank behind Ye Tian, pressing tightly against him so he couldn’t easily chase her away. As for the two behind, after seeing Isabella’s true form, their fear lessened, though Eve remained visibly upset, clearly still angry about what happened earlier.

“Uh, I figured as much,” Ye Tian smiled. “No trouble, okay? Their matters are theirs to resolve.” He glanced around. “Jerry, we’re almost there. Get the magic lamp ready!”

“What are you looking for?” The three stopped on the platform to rest and check their gear. They had brought plenty of equipment this time—ropes, grappling hooks, and more—to avoid trouble crossing any cliffs. This wasn’t the original mine shaft but another unknown mountainous area; who knew what awaited inside? Better to be prepared.

“Oh, the Moonstone. Have you heard of it?” Ye Tian asked.
“Hmph, I thought it was something good. Actually, I recall there are several large Moonstone crystals inside. Want to check them out?”

“Really? That would be fantastic!” Ye Tian brightened instantly. “That would save us a lot of trouble.”
“But it won’t be easy!” Isabella pointed at Eve.
“What’s the situation?” Ye Tian frowned.

“It’s a mountain area, but you have to descend. Not very high, just over ten meters. Do you think she has the strength to endure it? Plus, there’s a three-meter-wide cliff gap where we need to find something to bridge it,” Isabella explained thoughtfully.

“Here’s the plan: you all wait outside, and I’ll go in alone,” Ye Tian said, turning around.
“That’s not acceptable!” Jerry immediately objected. “We should go together for safety.”

“No need. You’d just be a burden,” Ye Tian said as he slung a rope over his shoulder and grabbed a grappling hook. “I’ll be out before noon. Even if I don’t find anything, I’ll come back, so don’t worry. Just take care of Eve.” He patted Jerry on the shoulder and said to Isabella, “Let’s go.”

“Here!” Isabella struggled, holding a luminous pearl.
“What’s that? It’s so bright!”
“That’s a Night Pearl, very precious. Don’t break it!” Ye Tian looked up.
“It’s beautiful!” Isabella examined the pearl in her hand, about the size of a wolf’s eye, radiating a gentle light.

“So pretty. Can you give it to me?” Isabella smiled brightly.
“This is my only one, for emergencies. If I give it to you, what will I use?” Ye Tian replied helplessly.
“No worries, I can give you one that provides light,” Isabella offered. “They’re precious.”

“You should keep such a valuable thing for yourself,” Ye Tian said resignedly. “Hold it carefully, or maybe give it back to me—I see you’re struggling.”
“No!” Isabella immediately hugged the pearl tightly to her chest. “I’ll hold it. See how bright it is!”

“All right, all right, you keep it. But why does this place feel so strange?” Ye Tian looked around, noticing signs of artificial repair.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just keep moving forward,” Isabella’s voice was low and somber.

“Are you okay?” Ye Tian asked, looking up.
“I’m fine. If you give me this pearl, I’ll be fine,” the girl said.
“Then you just keep going,” Ye Tian was speechless. This girl—no words!

“This way, this way!” Isabella led Ye Tian to a stone wall. He frowned; something about the wall felt odd, hard to describe.
“Hmm, where exactly?” Isabella fluttered anxiously, inspecting the wall.
“Here!” She pointed to a spot. “I’ll go back first. Press here and push hard to get in. Remember, push hard!” Saying this, she swiftly slipped into Ye Tian’s embrace.

---

“This spot?” Ye Tian touched it, feeling a small protrusion. He pressed hard, then mustered all his strength to squeeze through. Suddenly, it felt as if he was entering water. Without hesitation, he pushed further until his body lightened, and he entered a cavern.

“Where is this?” Ye Tian looked in astonishment. Calling this a cavern was an understatement—it was a grand hall, comparable in size to any building at the academy. He looked up to see countless stars shining, some emitting other colors—gems!

“Isabella, Isabella!” Ye Tian shook the prayer beads in his hand, but there was no response. Growing anxious, he called out, “Are you okay?”
“Isabella!”

“Here!” With a swoosh, Isabella appeared, gazing at the hall and sighing softly.
“Where is this?” Ye Tian asked.
“This is my bedroom… and my tomb,” Isabella said faintly.

“What happened?” Ye Tian was confused.
“I’ll take you to find the Moonstone,” Isabella said, drifting upward. “This way.” She slowly floated forward. Ye Tian observed the hall; judging by the marks, there should be other rooms.

“Here!” Isabella led Ye Tian into another chamber.
“This way.” She floated ahead. “Don’t run around. There might be temporal rifts inside. If you get sucked in, it’ll be troublesome,” she warned seriously.

Ye Tian nodded, following her closely.
“This way!” She led him into a large room that looked like a woman’s chamber, but it was filled with corpses, evidence of a brutal battle before death.

Isabella stopped by a large pink window where a skeleton lay quietly.
“Who is this?” Ye Tian asked softly.
“Me,” Isabella said calmly.
“Oh, should I bury her?” Ye Tian asked.

“No need. Leave her here.” Isabella stared at the skeleton, then pointed to a magic lamp nearby. “Take this. The Moonstone is inside.”
“Really?” Ye Tian picked up the lamp; inside was a palm-sized stone emitting a gentle glow.

“It truly is,” Ye Tian said happily.
“Gray, take that!” The girl pointed to a ring on the skeleton’s finger. “It’s yours.”
“No.” Ye Tian shook his head. “Let her keep it; I don’t need it.”

“That’s a very powerful magical ring!” Isabella said.
“I already have a ring.” Ye Tian lifted his right middle finger, showing a black ring.
“Then take this, to compensate for your pearl!” Isabella pointed to a purple-glowing bead the size of a longan fruit on a nearby table.

“Do you want it?” Ye Tian asked.
“I don’t need it now,” Isabella said.
“Then keep it. This Moonstone is enough for me!” Ye Tian raised the Moonstone in his arms. “I heard these are rare. I’ve got a big one!”

“You’re a strange person,” Isabella floated closer, wrapping her arms around Ye Tian’s neck. “If you knew how valuable this room is, would you still say that?”
“How valuable? Nothing else matters to me but this.” Ye Tian replied.

“Why is no one else like you?” Isabella turned and leaned on Ye Tian’s back. “Gray, let’s get out of here. I don’t like it.”
“Helpless. I don’t like it either,” Ye Tian said, turning to leave.

“Gray, go up and have a look,” Isabella suddenly tugged Ye Tian’s ear. “Over there!”

“What’s there?” Ye Tian asked.
“Let’s see, then we’ll leave,” Isabella said.

Ye Tian walked over, passing many corpses, apparently from at least two different groups judging by the weapons and clothing.
“This insignia… looks like the lost Atlantis emblem,” Ye Tian recalled from his memories. “Isabella? Silas? Saint? Victoria!” Ye Tian suddenly exclaimed. “You’re the lost princess!”

---

“That’s not exactly ‘lost,’ more like relocated. This palace was forcibly pulled here by powerful spatial magic,” Isabella said calmly. “That’s why I told you not to wander.”

“How long have you been here?” Ye Tian asked, speechless.
“Don’t remember. If I hadn’t found a way out by chance, I might still be wandering here,” Isabella sighed, looking at the ruined palace.

“What happened? A once mighty empire vanished overnight?” It was a famous historical mystery. Even the bard’s songs rarely mentioned it. Unexpectedly, Ye Tian had met the last princess.

“A coup. You probably don’t know, but I’m ill, confined to a wheelchair or bed, so some resented me and sought power. I cast spatial magic but failed. This is the result,” Isabella leaned against Ye Tian’s back. “Turn left—that’s the throne hall.”

Ye Tian entered the throne hall. There were almost no corpses here, but on the golden throne at the end sat a skeleton.
“What’s the use of scheming so hard to gain power?” Isabella looked up at the skeleton. “Is power really that important?”

“Who is he?” Ye Tian asked.
“My brother,” she said. Ye Tian fell silent.

“Gray, let’s leave. Just go straight out,” Isabella clung tightly to Ye Tian, trembling.
“It’s alright now. It’s all in the past,” Ye Tian gently comforted her.

“By the way, do you want any souvenirs?” Ye Tian asked. “Once I leave, I won’t come back.”
“Would you be willing to?” Isabella asked softly.
“My business is done; why wouldn’t I?”

“Gray, take the golden seal from his hand. Let’s go,” Eve said, slipping into Ye Tian’s embrace.

“Thousand years of power, a handful of dust,” Ye Tian shook his head. He took the golden seal from the skeleton’s hand and turned to leave.

“Gray, are you okay?” Jerry asked excitedly as Ye Tian emerged.
“All good. Let’s go. Lucky to get such a big piece!” Ye Tian smiled. “Let’s descend.”

“Okay.” Though feeling strange, Jerry was happy since Ye Tian said they got it. “What about the ghost? Did she leave?” Eve looked around; Isabella was nowhere to be seen and immediately cheered, “That annoying ghost is finally gone! Haha!”

“Hey, kid, I heard that!” A white figure flashed. Isabella floated disdainfully in front of Eve, poking the girl’s little chest. “Look how small it is. Who would like you?”

“That’s small? Not at all!” Eve got angry. “You’re the one who’s small!” She reached out, but only grabbed air.

“My’s bigger than yours!” Isabella floated closer, deliberately puffing out her chest. “No matter how you look at it, mine’s bigger, kid!”

“I’m not a kid, and mine’s not small!” Eve shouted angrily, arguing with Isabella.
“I’m dizzy. This is ridiculous!” Ye Tian covered his forehead helplessly and glanced at Jerry, who looked equally embarrassed.