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The ruins in Xibona Valley were exactly the cover Chen Xuanfeng needed.

In truth, this scheme was not fundamentally different from when he disguised himself as the "Holy Grail Knight" to ascend Saint Spirit Mountain. Given his current status, using such cunning to plot against others, even forbidden spell casters, seemed excessive. However, setting aside Chen Xuanfeng's inherent rogue nature and cruel disposition, as well as his alliance with the elves, the mere goal of eliminating these potential threats was enough to drive Chen Xuanfeng to employ any means necessary.

Forbidden spells have always been a terrifying force that transcends ordinary strategic constraints and must be eradicated first. As one of the few beings in the world today who has personally witnessed the power of a forbidden spell, Chen Xuanfeng harbored an unwavering resolve. Just thinking about the ice-based forbidden spell "Tears of the Firmament," which once turned all living beings within a hundred kilometers into icy dust, sent a bone-chilling cold through him. "Such a thing must never appear in the world again," was the werewolf lord's most instinctive conviction.

Thus, on the third day after emerging from the forest, Chen Xuanfeng and his two companions followed the map provided by the adventurers' guild and arrived at the valley.

This valley was hidden deep within towering mountains, surrounded by magical beasts and monsters summoned by magic, along with the various biological communities they had spawned. Such a place was enough to deter even the most skilled human masters. Moreover, the entrance to the underground palace still resembled an ordinary cave in its upper layers, so it was understandable that it had remained undiscovered for centuries.

As Chen Xuanfeng made his way through, he didn't find the beast hordes troublesome; instead, they evoked a sense of familiarity, reminding him of his days before fifteen when he hunted magical beasts in the Never-Setting Mountains to train his martial arts. So, he didn't summon his ghost wolves but instead wielded a blade in his left hand and a sword in his right, cutting a path forward. With his current supreme cultivation, even without unleashing the full power of the Sword Emperor, he was still terrifyingly powerful. The demonic blade "Emperor's Wrath" cast shadows like ink and clouds, shrouding the sky and howling with fierce winds, while the demonic sword "Star Calamity" radiated sword energy as brilliantly as the midday sun. Within the range of his blade and sword energy, everything in his path—magical beasts, monsters, vegetation, or boulders—was utterly obliterated. The remnants of his slaughter didn't even have the chance to spurt blood before being annihilated by black flames and sword energy, reduced to ashes.

The trio faced almost no resistance along the way. Or rather, after witnessing the killing intent and strength of their leader, the native inhabitants, whose intelligence generally surpassed that of ordinary beasts, clearly understood the danger of staying and promptly scattered like birds and beasts. By the time Chen Xuanfeng reached the entrance of the underground palace, the surroundings within several kilometers had fallen silent.

This abandoned underground palace, known as "Filo Forest Palace" in the memory banks of the artificial human Li Jia, meant "Frost Leaves of Short Life" in the elven language. Its original purpose was to study the transformation of plants into magical beasts, targeting the elven "Golden Tree" and "Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Tree Demon." Due to various reasons, this research was eventually abandoned. However, when Chen Xuanfeng stepped into the middle and lower levels of the palace, he could still see the walls, floors, and ceilings densely covered with intricate, winding plant roots that followed a mysterious and harmonious pattern. The lower half of the palace seemed to be built within the roots of a massive plant.

"Ah, how fascinating! Li Jia, what are all these?" Jin Luosha tilted her beautiful face upward, marveling at the vine-like roots that coiled like elven carvings. Through the dense network of roots, countless glowing specks twinkled like stars, casting a phosphorescent glow over the ancient, dark palace.

"Although the experiment was abandoned, it was not entirely without results," Li Jia explained, noticing the curiosity of Chen Xuanfeng and Jin Luosha. "The research was led by the 'Earth Sage' and the 'Light Sage.' They had already created a magical tree species similar to the 'Golden Tree,' capable of endlessly absorbing the essence of the earth's veins to grow and transform into magical energy. However, they could not use this species to produce plant warriors akin to the 'Golden Tree Demon.' Nevertheless, after abandoning the research, they utilized the magical plant known as the 'Black Gold Tree' to sink the original above-ground research facility a hundred meters underground and constructed a multi-layered maze defense system. What remains here now is the body of that 'Black Gold Tree.' However, the lower half of the palace was originally sealed by the tree's walls. The fact that it is now open suggests that the tree may have withered. After all, the two sages once mentioned that this tree had many inherent flaws and could not compare to the perfect plants derived from the World Tree."

"Wow, even a failed experiment can be so powerful. I wonder what would have happened if they had succeeded?" Jin Luosha couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

Chen Xuanfeng pondered for a moment before replying, "Perhaps... the elves would have been wiped out. After all, if combat magical beasts like the 'Golden Tree Demon' could be mass-produced, the forests would no longer be the domain of the elves."

As the trio conversed, they continued to advance. Although the palace was filled with traps and mechanisms, and they frequently encountered powerful magical beasts, these posed no significant challenge to the three who had even breached Saint Spirit Mountain. Leaving behind shattered remnants of traps and countless corpses, their footsteps did not falter.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, another group of adventurers arrived.

"Strange, why are there no beasts here? When we came before, the mountains were teeming with monsters. Hey, Xi Luo, Morova, what's going on?" A young girl dressed as a thief in the adventuring party looked around in confusion and couldn't help but speak up.

"Roland, you, the Berry brothers, Anter, and Batu should stay here. Morova and I will handle what's below," said the young man carrying the "Hero's Sword," Xi Luo. Beside him stood the red-haired youth, Morova, who had recently ascended to the Saint Realm.

"Why?" The thief girl named Roland immediately protested, "Whether you're Sword Masters or Sword Grandmasters now, you're still members of our adventuring party. Do you think we're just dead weight now? Don't forget, even as Sword Saints, you still don't know how to disarm traps in a maze or navigate the paths."