Chapter 142: The Origin
The moment Aldrian, Xin Haotian, and Duke Valiard entered the cave, it was as though a transparent shield blocked the wind. The strong gusts couldn’t penetrate inside, and the terrifying sound of slashing wind also stopped. The three of them glanced back at the entrance, noticing an invisible barrier that allowed them through while blocking the external disturbances. Aldrian was curious about how it worked, wondering what mechanism allowed them to enter while keeping other elements out.
He then walked deeper into the cave, and as they took a few steps, the crystals on both sides of the path began to emit light, illuminating the road ahead. The path was quite long, and they remained cautious, wary of potential traps or signs of living creatures. Despite the serene and silent atmosphere, they knew better than to let their guard down.
After about 30 minutes of walking, they came upon a set of double golden doors, each 10 meters wide and 4 meters tall, with a symbol engraved in the center.
"This is the same symbol as the one on the box," Duke Valiard remarked. They attempted to push the doors open, but they wouldn’t budge. They searched for clues to unlock the door, but their efforts were fruitless. They didn’t want to force the doors open with destructive techniques, fearing it could trigger something dangerous.
As they continued searching for a solution, Aldrian examined the symbol on the door again, connecting the dots in his mind.
"If Mardred managed to pass through these doors without forcing them open, there’s only one possible ’key’ he could have used—the blueprint," Aldrian deduced.
"Mardred Valiard was able to overcome many obstacles on Dragon Back Mountain alone, and the blueprint is the most suspicious item connected to his success. That the blueprint has a special feature that allows the one carrying it to bypass the formations here. No wonder the Badin family couldn’t figure out how Mardred managed to climb all the way up."
Aldrian released his golden energy and stepped closer to the door. "If the blueprint and my golden energy have the same effect, then what about this?" He placed his hand, now glowing with golden energy, on the symbol etched into the door. The symbol glowed for a moment, followed by the sound of cracking stone as the doors began to open slowly.
"It worked!" Aldrian smiled.
Xin Haotian and Duke Valiard, initially stunned, quickly moved closer to the now-opening door. To their surprise, beyond the door wasn’t a room but a vast hall. Both men were awestruck at the sight of such a grand structure hidden within the harsh mountain. It raised a question in their minds: who built this? And for what purpose? They glanced at Aldrian, only to see him deep in thought.
"What’s wrong, young master?" Duke Valiard asked.