# Chapter 43 â The Hidden Hall
# Eastern Mountains â Lower Underground Ruins
The expedition should have retreated.
Most cultivators agreed with that idea immediately after the corrupted creature disappeared.
The chamber was unstable.
The seals were temporary.
And something far worse clearly existed deeper underground.
Any reasonable person would leave.
---
Unfortunatelyâ
cultivators rarely survived by being reasonable.
---
âThe lower tunnels continue beneath the chamber.â
A formation elder pointed toward a newly exposed crack near the sealed gate.
âThe collapse earlier revealed another passage.â
Several elders immediately frowned.
---
Xu Yuan quietly observed the dark opening.
Cold air flowed upward from beneath it continuously.
Not corrupted air.
Ancient air.
---
Zhao Tianhe made the decision quickly.
âA small group continues downward.â
âThe rest remain above and stabilize the ruins.â
Nobody argued openly.
Though many cultivators clearly regretted joining the expedition now.
---
In the endâ
the descending group included:
* Zhao Tianhe,
* Xu Yuan,
* Xia Yu,
* Lin Hao,
* two formation elders,
* and several elite guards.
A small but powerful team.
---
Lin Hao looked emotionally devastated.
âI should have stayed home and opened a restaurant.â
Xu Yuan glanced sideways.
âYou can still do that if we survive.â
âThat sentence contained unnecessary conditions.â
---
Soon afterwardâ
the group descended through the newly revealed passage.
---
The lower tunnel differed completely from the upper ruins.
The walls here were smooth black stone covered in faint silver lines.
No corpses.
No corruption crystals.
Only silence.
---
Even strangerâ
the spiritual energy here felt incredibly pure.
---
One formation elder frowned deeply.
âThis area was sealed intentionally.â
Xu Yuan agreed silently.
The architecture here looked untouched by time itself.
---
As they moved deeper undergroundâ
the black soul sword at Xu Yuanâs waist occasionally vibrated faintly.
Like it recognized the area.
---
The system screen flickered softly.
> Unknown ancient structure detected
---
The tunnel eventually opened into another underground hall.
And everyone stopped immediately afterward.
---
The hall was enormous.
Far larger than the chamber above.
Massive silver pillars stretched upward into darkness while ancient formations covered the floor in complex circular patterns.
At the center of the hallâ
stood a giant black crystal.
---
No.
Not crystal.
A coffin.
---
The structure floated several meters above the ground while silver chains wrapped around it from every direction.
Ancient symbols glowed faintly across its surface.
---
The atmosphere became suffocating instantly.
Not from killing intent.
From presence alone.
---
Even Zhao Tianheâs expression changed seriously now.
Because everyone could feel it.
Something terrifying slept inside that coffin.
---
Lin Hao quietly whispered:
ââŠCan we respectfully leave?â
Nobody answered him.
---
Then suddenlyâ
Xu Yuan noticed ancient writing engraved beneath the floating coffin.
Most symbols were damaged beyond recognition.
But several words remained visible.
---
> âSealâ
>
> âFragmentâ
>
> âWatcherâ
---
The moment Xu Yuan read the final wordâ
the black soul sword vibrated violently.
HUMMMMMMM.
---
The floating coffin reacted immediately afterward.
---
CRACK.
A tiny fracture appeared across its black surface.
---
Every cultivator in the hall instantly became tense.
---
Thenâ
a cold female voice echoed softly throughout the ancient chamber.
> âAfter all this timeâŠâ
>
> âSomeone finally came.â
---
The entire underground hall froze.