Inside the dimly lit underground palace, cold walls surrounded them on all sides. Here and there, remnants lay scattered on the floor, suggesting that a battle might have taken place here many years ago. Many of the traps and mechanisms that should have been densely packed seemed as if they hadn't had the chance to activate and were exposed to Du Fei and Wan Ling.

A faint light emanated from the talismans in their hands, illuminating the surroundings and casting a strange hue on their faces.

"It seems that the Ancient Sword Pavillion abandoned this place in a hurry back then..." After walking a few steps further and noticing no signs of any activated traps, Du Fei voiced his thoughts after a moment of hesitation.

"That must be the case... Otherwise, for a sect's sacred ground like this one, it's impossible not to activate any protective mechanisms," Wan Ling, who was walking ahead, responded after glancing back at Du Fei.

"Perhaps when the Ancient Sword Pavillion vacated this location, it was under some extremely strange circumstances. A headquarters that had been operated for countless generations wouldn't be abandoned easily..." Du Fei pondered for a moment, then continued, "Could it be that the sudden fall of the ancient imperial capital was somewhat related to the Ancient Sword Pavillion's downfall?"

"It's likely," Wan Ling's face turned very serious, "According to the vague records of the Wanjian Faction, the collapse of the ancient imperial capital seemed to coincide with some earth-shattering event, causing the once-mighty ancient dynasty to crumble overnight. The sects and powerhouses at that time likely shared the same fate. I suspect only very few managed to escape that calamity, but from then on, they remained silent about whatever transpired in the ancient imperial capital."

Hearing this, Du Fei took a deep breath, murmuring, "I wonder what exactly happened in the ancient imperial capital that caused so many powerful factions and powerhouses to fall at once... I wonder if we made the right decision by entering this place and joining the Palace Contest..."

Hearing Du Fei's words, Wan Ling only chuckled bitterly, shaking his head slightly without saying anything more.

As the two conversed, they eventually reached the end of the winding passage within the underground palace, only to be faced with a vast expanse of darkness before them...

...

At the altar of the Ancient Sword Pavillion, several figures currently stood. Leading them was a burly man with a fierce demeanor. Wearing only a short leather armor, his muscular physique was fully exposed, emanating a powerful presence. On the right half of his body, there was a faint blue tattoo composed of countless fierce wolf heads, making him seem even more ferocious.

"Eldest Apprentice Brother, Wan Ling and that youngster entered from here..." A man standing in front of the burly individual looked back at him with a twitch of his eye, but he still spoke respectfully.

Had Du Fei been present at that moment, he would have recognized this man. He was from the Wild Wolf Palace, someone Du Fei had encountered upon entering the ancient imperial capital. The person referred to as "Eldest Apprentice Brother" was likely the notorious Mo Li from the Wild Wolf Palace.

"They both went in?" Mo Li clapped his hands and chuckled, saying, "That guy from the Wanjian Faction must be searching for treasures. I've heard that their faction is planning something big this time, and it seems their target is this underground palace! We cannot let them succeed no matter what! As for that reckless young man who dared to offend the people of our Wild Wolf Palace, I'll make sure he learns that we always seek revenge... Let's go in!"

"Yes!" Hearing this, the members of the Wild Wolf Palace swiftly entered the entrance of the underground palace, their eyes flashing with determination.

After everyone had entered, Mo Li slowly looked in a specific direction, sneered, and with his robust physique, also swiftly plunged into the underground palace.

Several minutes after the members of the Wild Wolf Palace disappeared, the air above the altar of the Ancient Sword Pavillion subtly fluctuated. Soon after, several mysterious figures emerged from the shadows.

"Eldest Apprentice Brother, it seems that fellow from the Wild Wolf Palace has noticed us!" A shadowy figure remarked with a cold laugh.

"It's just Mo Li... We don't have to worry about him..." The one referred to as "Eldest Apprentice Brother" responded with a leisurely smile, "The Ancient Sword Pavillion was once one of the superpowers in the ancient imperial capital. Their treasures and legacies must be exceptional, so we can't give it up so easily. Let's go in... A mere Mo Li won't cause any significant trouble!"

"Hmm." Hearing this, the others exchanged glances, all breaking into sly grins. Then, in an instant, they darted into the entrance of the underground palace. The Eldest Apprentice Brother sneered before he too entered last.

At this moment, if Du Fei and Wan Ling were present, they would undoubtedly recognize that these newcomers were from the Ghost Faction!

After these two groups entered the Ancient Sword Pavillion's underground palace, the surroundings finally returned to absolute tranquility. However, the circulating air grew slightly chilly. It seemed that with the entrance of various factions, the underground palace would certainly not remain peaceful for long...

What appeared before Du Fei and Wan Ling was a massive underground space. At the center of this space stood a huge palace, silently imposing its presence.

On the stone walls of the underground space, unknown plants emitted a dim, mysterious glow, illuminating the surroundings. This faint light allowed one to see that the immense palace looked somewhat dilapidated. It bore the marks of time, suggesting it had been standing for ages.

This place was most likely the destination of Du Fei and Wan Ling's journey – the headquarters of the Ancient Sword Pavillion! The so-called remnants of the Wanjian Jue scroll should also be within this palace.

"Haha, it seems the faction's records did not deceive me this time. Brother Ye, looking at this place, there must be numerous treasures hidden. If you come across something you fancy, go ahead and take it," said Wan Ling, his eyes blazing with excitement as he stared at the vast palace.

Hearing this, Du Fei didn't decline this time, and he only nodded slowly. Clearly, he also realized that the treasures hidden inside the Ancient Sword Pavillion's headquarters would be substantial. If he continued to be too polite, it might seem a bit excessive.

The two exchanged glances, sharing a knowing smile. Then, with a step, they began ascending the long stone steps towards the enormous palace.

As they approached the front of the palace, both paused momentarily. The palace's entrance had a crack just wide enough for a person to pass through, and around it were scattered footprints.

"Could someone have beaten us here?" Seeing this, Wan Ling's expression subtly changed.

"It shouldn't be." Du Fei's gaze was fixed on the ground. After a moment, he slowly said, "If my guess isn't wrong, this was left behind by the people of the Ancient Sword Pavillion. However, there's one thing I find very strange... What exactly happened here back then? Judging by the looks of it, very few from the Ancient Sword Pavillion managed to escape from here."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of both changed slightly. Evidently, Du Fei's guess wasn't far off. After all, if the members of a sect were to flee, they wouldn't open the main door of the palace just a crack. From this, one could tell that very few managed to escape.

Their gazes met for a brief moment before Du Fei smiled and said, "Let's not dwell on this any longer. No matter what happened here back then, any dangers have probably dissapeared after such a long period... At most, a few spectral beings might appear. With our strength, we don't have to fear them."

Hearing this, Wan Ling nodded. They had already come this far, so how could they turn back? Thus, after a brief hesitation, Wan Ling pushed his broken sword forward. Instantly, a surge of Qi emanated, gradually opening the massive doors of the palace. Then, both swiftly darted inside.

Upon entering, the surroundings became even brighter. The interior of the palace was vast, with numerous intertwined corridors extending into unknown depths. Around them, the disorderly footprints became even more prevalent. On the ground lay numerous human skeletons, so decayed they were almost turning to dust. Just witnessing this scene made both gasp. Just how many people had died here back then?

But there was no use being shocked at this moment. Du Fei squinted for a moment and then whispered, "What should we do?"

Wan Ling replied, "It's probably not wise to split up at this point. Let's stay together. However, I'm not sure of which direction to take."

"Let's start this way then." Du Fei closed his eyes for a moment, then looked towards a corridor on his left. With a wave, he took the lead and began walking.

Seeing Du Fei's determination, a hint of surprise flashed in Wan Ling's eyes. However, he quickly followed suit.

The two of them swiftly made their way through the corridor. However, compared to the previous areas, this corridor was noticeably cleaner. Though occasionally they still came across some old remains, they were not as shocking as those at the entrance.

Under Du Fei's guidance, after what felt like a long time, a grand hall finally came into view. As they paused, a strong medicinal fragrance immediately wafted towards them.

"A pill room..."

By then, even Wan Ling recognized the place. He turned to Du Fei, smiling, "Brother Ye, as expected of an alchemist, you could sense from afar that this is a pill room. If it were up to me, I probably couldn't have done it."

"It's just a lucky guess," Du Fei replied with a light smile. After that, he darted into the pill room without hesitation.

Inside the vast pill room, a rich medicinal fragrance greeted them, clearly emanating from the numerous tiny porcelain bottles stacked together.

Wan Ling casually took a bottle, crushed it, and with a frown, he said softly, "Waste pills?"

Upon saying this, disappointment flashed across Wan Ling's face. If they were usable pills, the stash here would be immeasurable. But if they were only waste pills, they held no value.

Despite the initial find, Wan Ling, not entirely giving up hope, picked up a few more bottles from different places, only to discover they too contained waste pills.

Accepting the reality, Wan Ling could only shake his head in resignation.

However, Du Fei's expression was quite positive. At this moment, what he lacked the most were pills. For an alchemist, there wasn't much difference between waste pills and complete ones if he was using the Elixir's Skill.

So, to Wan Ling's astonishment, Du Fei gathered all the porcelain bottles filled with pills with a casual wave of his hand.

After ensuring all the pills were securely stored, Du Fei turned to Wan Ling with a light smile and said, "Let's go."

With that, Du Fei stepped out of the pill room, leaving a stunned Wan Ling behind.