"Then let’s start looking around this hall," Dox said, heading toward the podium.
Angel didn’t follow immediately, as the hall was small anyway, and first decided to check the surroundings for any Extraordinary traces.
Angel walked to the side, extending his hand to touch the somewhat broken yet still cold wall, slowly closing his eyes as his spiritual power began to spread out.
In less than a few seconds, Angel retracted his external spiritual power.
"Tough job, huh? I tried when I first arrived, you can’t get the spiritual power to penetrate here at all, forcing it will only backfire." Dox said, standing on the podium, with a gleeful expression looking at Angel.
Angel remarked calmly, "Since you tried as soon as you arrived, did you have no discoveries at all?"
Dox let out an "Ah", looking puzzled: "I, do I need to discover something?"
Angel said indifferently, "The result after projecting spiritual power, I anticipated it. I was just testing the penetration degree of the spiritual power. From the current feedback, there should be a considerably large Magical Energy Array surrounding this area. But it’s noteworthy that although this array is quite large, possibly beyond our imagination, it doesn’t encompass this place."
"In other words, this underground building is built right next to the Magical Energy Array. Moreover, the position is extremely close to it, otherwise, except for the exit, walls facing other directions wouldn’t give a similar spiritual feedback."
Dox frowned slightly, "I know there’s a Magical Energy Array outside, but what does that signify?"
Angel: "It signifies that we’re not far from the deeper layers of the Underground Aqueduct, which is truly the maze."
The surface of Naraku City’s Underground Aqueduct even has residential areas, with very few transcendent facilities; hence the collapse incidents. But the deeper areas are different, they even have Magical Energy Arrays operational. If we can sense the Magical Energy Array underground here, it means the real underground maze is right next door.
Dox also realized Angel’s point: "This building is deliberately constructed beside the real underground maze, surrounded on multiple sides, such proximity is surely not coincidental."
Since it’s not unintentional, it must be deliberate. Why did the original builder deliberately construct it next to the underground maze? Is there some kind of conspiracy? Perhaps they plan to secretly enter the underground maze from here?
"Seems like exploring here first was indeed the right choice." Dox murmured softly, "This place should not be as peaceful as it appears; there must be secrets."
As Dox was pondering, Angel too silently acknowledged: It wasn’t that we chose right, but that you chose right.
This further proves that bringing Dox along to clear the path was a very wise decision.
After confirming that there might be hidden secrets here, Angel didn’t linger, he continued to search for clues in the hall.
The hall contained many items from the Hero Squad, most being daily necessities with some weapons. Generally speaking, they were of little value.
Angel didn’t touch their supplies; instead, he used spiritual power to peer through these mundane objects, examining the floor and walls, searching for any supernatural traces or hidden patterns.
However, possibly due to the passage of time, all supernatural traces had disappeared. Only the life remnants left by the Hero Squad remained.
As for hidden patterns... there were none. But he did find that the flooring and walls also included some extraordinary materials of a level similar to dense copper, contributing to the building’s resistance to being worn down by time.
Honestly, looking at the burn marks left by the Hero Squad on the floor, along with the sword marks on the walls, Angel couldn’t help but sigh a bit. Although these extraordinary materials seem worthless to him, they are indeed more valuable than the pile of scrap and could fetch some gold coins if a few bricks were brought to some alchemy shops, even if they can’t be exchanged for Magic Crystals.
And what the people of Hero Squad seek is precisely money, isn’t it?
However, one cannot entirely blame them for not recognizing the value, since the world of transcendents is far beyond their reach. Besides, if they had indeed carried out a few floor bricks, they might not even find a suitable alchemy shop to sell them.
Angel shook his head, dismissing further thoughts.
He searched the hall again, still without success, and looked up to see that Dox remained on the podium. He silently wondered if Dox had discovered anything.
Just as Angel was about to check the podium, a slab of stone flew down from above.
"Earl, have you found anything?" Angel stopped and asked.
Black Earl: "Found a little gadget, but it’s useless; I didn’t take it. Although it’s worth some Magic Crystals, feel free to take it if you’re interested."
During their conversation, it became clear why Black Earl headed directly to the top of the building earlier: he noticed smoke wafting up from the second and third floor rooms, gathering at the top.
With only his nose remaining, Black Earl’s sense of smell was unparalleled. He was the first to detect something amiss: despite the visible traces of campfire in the hall and the smell of cooked food in the lodgings, the air in the building was remarkably clean and transparent. Black Earl then speculated whether there was a pipe venting the smoke, and if this pipe was connected to the depths of the underground maze.
Ultimately, it proved to be Black Earl overthinking.
On the very top of the building, he found a card embedded in a sculpture.
The card had remained uncorrupted over the years, naturally qualifying as a transcendent item.
It was an Inscription Card.
The card’s inscription depicted a graceful lady clad in thin gauze, pouring a continuous stream of water from a jug.
This Inscription Card’s imagery was quite classic, signifying "Purification of the Goddess" capable of cleansing impurities in the air.
Yet, purification cannot operate unilaterally. Once absorbed, the impurities would gradually materialize, forming an outer sculpture resembling the Goddess.
The larger the sculpture, the more impurities were absorbed, eventually engulfing the card entirely, at which point the card’s function begins to diminish, its effect weakening with increased encasement.
With the passage of time, the card had been fully enveloped by the sculpture, rendering its effect minimal, only capable of subsuming ordinary smoke particles.
Nonetheless, by dismantling the outer sculpture and retrieving the card, a skilled inscriber could mend it to nearly pristine condition. So, in Black Earl’s opinion, it holds some monetary value, though he disdainfully dismissed it.
Angel wasn’t inclined to keep it either. Inscription-related items, though scarce due to suppression by extreme sects in the Southern Domain, aren’t rare in other parts of the Wizards’ Realm. He could cross the Continent of Yuantan to other parts of the Wizards’ Realm, thus he was indifferent about a low value Inscription Card.
Dox likewise declined, given that the bloodline side possessed the strongest purification techniques, why would he need this? Moreover, selling it required finding someone knowledgeable in inscriptions, where to find such expertise he didn’t know. Even if repaired, it couldn’t be openly sold, as he’s merely a wandering wizard and dares not provoke the extreme sects without backing.
As for the other two, Kaier was already upstairs, and Vay hadn’t returned; without exchanging via Mind Ribbon, they were unaware of the situation.
The matter of the Purification Card was thus set aside.
"Anything from your side?" Black Earl inquired.
Angel shook his head: "The power of time leaves not a trace of the supernatural."
Black Earl: "What about him?"
Black Earl was naturally referring to Dox with his mention of "him".
Angel: "Unsure, he’s been standing up there for a while, unknown what he’s doing. Maybe he’s already discovered something but hasn’t realized it yet. Since you’re here, why not check together?"
Black Earl was naturally open to the suggestion; evidence had shown Dox’s talent for inspiration was strong indeed. Their progress this far might not have been possible without Dox’s guidance, perhaps they would have been wandering outside.
Of course, Dox himself was unaware of his significance.
Once he realizes it, perhaps it will mark the manifestation of his talent.