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"Wait, what sister, where is she?" Upon hearing that there was someone lurking nearby, I quickly asked.

"It's the sister inside the hairband, she said that Uncle must have died, so Jin Luosha is so scared. Mom and Dad, the housekeeper grandpa, and Ailin are all dead, leaving only Jin Luosha alone. If Uncle doesn't want Jin Luosha either... *sobs*..." The little girl started crying again as she spoke.

Hairband? It just occurred to me, that hairband I got from the deceased Holy Grail Knight Syd has been acting quite peculiar today. It used to be just fine when it taught sacred songs and divine arts in Jin Luosha's dreams, but today it actually opened a protective barrier amidst the "Flame Saint's" sonic attack to shield Jin Luosha. Now it's even communicating with her directly when she's not asleep. It seems that its power or activity has been enhanced after getting close to this Magic Tower. Could it have some connection with the Twelve Sages?

"Here, dear Jin Luosha, don't cry, don't cry. Now, tell uncle, can you speak with that sister now?"

"Well, in the past, sister would only talk to Jin Luosha in her dreams, but now she can speak within Jin Luosha's heart."

"So... could you perhaps inquire with that sister if she has any knowledge about this Magic Tower?" I finally revealed the tail of the gray wolf, hehe, if there's an insider to guide me, I could definitely gain the upper hand in the treasure hunt, and it's not impossible to outmaneuver the other three factions to the point of their total annihilation. Hmm, the gray wolf is a story from the Orc Alliance, about a perverted member of a gray wolf tribe who tried to deceive a fox tribe girl named Little Red Riding Hood, but was discovered because he showed his tail. The details are hazy, but the allusion later became a byword for revealing fraudulent intentions.

"Hmm————My sister said that the top ten floors are guarded by increasingly powerful guards and traps, each more formidable than the last. Hmm————The very top floor is the living quarters of the Magic Tower's master, but there are no treasures there. The real treasures are in the underground laboratory. Hmm————There's a space magic array hidden in the mural on the left side of the hall that leads to the underground area." The little girl was clearly listening to the peculiar wisdom entity in the hairband and relaying its words to me, and the content of which left me utterly astonished.

Oh, come on, this is just too cunning, too shameless. Is this how the wisdom of the Twelve Sages is manifested? Don't all the legends say that heroes win challenge after challenge, overcome increasingly perilous obstacles, and only then reach the demon king's palace or the treasure-filled secret chamber? How has the order been completely reversed? The treasure is hidden on the first level, and after fighting their way through, what the heroes end up with is the bed and pajamas the sorcerer once used. I wonder if such an outcome would make one vomit blood to death.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Exhausted Essence, Depleted Marrow, Unrepentant Heart

"Hmph... Hehehehe~~~ Hohohoho————Wahahahahaha!!!" The hall echoed with my arrogant, wild laughter, a habit and method passed down to me by that thief woman Chaofeng in my previous life. Every time she mastered the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw and the Heart-Crushing Palm, she would laugh uncontrollably, acting as if she were mad. In the end, we became a couple with a shared trait, and I too caught this peculiarity. After my rebirth, although I restrained myself, today's situation made me lose control. First, I was so overwhelmed by the terrifying might of the three Sword Saints that I couldn't raise my head, then I was nearly killed by the "Flame Saint" after a close brush with death, circling the gates of the underworld seventeen or eighteen times before I managed to escape with my life. I was truly feeling very frustrated, but my opponent was just too powerful, and I knew I couldn't immediately rush out to seek revenge.

It was an unexpected turn of events; I had merely intended to play a small trick on the three factions entering the Magic Tower, just to vent my spite. Little did I know that the hundreds of skilled fighters, scheming and fighting hard, were actually aiming for a place of no value, while the true treasure was right before me. Although it's not as satisfying as directly piercing five blood holes in the head of the Flame Saint, Levis, just imagining the faces of the three great sword saints when they emerge empty-handed is enough to make me extremely delighted.

Jin Luosha blinked her azure eyes in my arms, yet she did not understand why I was laughing so wildly.

"Ah, Jin Luosha, could you inquire with your sister once more if there's any way to activate the teleportation array so we can go down and take a look together?" After the laughter subsided, it dawned on me that the treasure hasn't truly fallen into my hands. It would be strange if the relics left by the Twelve Sages were unprotected. I myself am utterly ignorant of magic; the only thing I can rely on is the wisdom within that hairband. Moreover, if the guards above are truly formidable, the Sovereign Dragon and the Chamber of Commerce Alliance might be able to advance continuously, while the dispersed forces of the 16 Kingdoms Alliance might see many princes and princesses withdraw from the ranks first, in order to unleash their maximum combat power. If I stay here, it's inevitable that I'll cross paths with them. Should a conflict arise, it might even summon a Sword Saint into the fray, and then I'd have nowhere to weep.

"Hmm————My sister said that the teleportation array can be activated, but there are still many magical barriers in the underground passage that block the way forward, and she has no way to dispel them."

"Fear not, for I now wield a divine weapon capable of slicing through any obstacle. As long as she can pave the way and indicate the presence of screens and traps, we shall proceed. By the way, may I ask, why does your elder sister have such a thorough understanding of this place?"

"Hmm————my sister said that she was born right here."

Hehe, indeed, if we categorize it, the entity of wisdom hidden within that hairband should also be considered a type of magical golem, so it would make sense for it to be created here.

The "Divine Punishment Thunder" truly lives up to its divine origin. Once the platinum light shines, whether it be magic or iron walls, all are split in two. However, with the Nine Yin True Qi, I wield the thunder with but a fraction of its power, a mere one in ten million, less than half of what the half-elf swordsman at the tower's entrance could muster with his thunder elemental magic. In terms of sheer might, it falls far short of the "Azure Sea Moonlight Dragon-Slayer Blade" wielded by Hu Po. It seems the true technique has yet to be mastered. To restore its legendary power to cleave through all under heaven, much effort will be required.

As the old saying goes, "Guard against a thousand and ten thousand, but it's hard to guard against a thief within the house." No matter how exquisite the magic of the Twelve Sages was, it couldn't stop a guy who knew every nook and cranny leading the way, and another guy wielding an unparalleled divine sword, slashing and hacking behind him. No matter how intricate the defenses were, they were useless. After an hour, we finally saw the laboratory sealed by a blue door.