Chapter 343: Chapter 343

Contrary to Ding Fan's expectations, Zhang Kaizhi did not appear to have any intention of taking action; he calmly led everyone towards the palace.

Nevertheless, Ding Fan remained vigilant, unsure of Zhang Kaizhi's plans.

Together they arrived at the palace.

Due to the passage of time, the palace was already a scene of dilapidation and desolation.

Yet, inside the palace, there still lingered an ancient and profound atmosphere, permeating the air.

The palace's heavy doors were forged from Mysterious Iron. Each door was over a meter thick, and it took a considerable effort from Zhang Kaizhi to open them.

The moment the iron doors opened, a musty odor hit them in the face, a chill wind arose, dust fluttered down, and the sound of doors and windows creaking reverberated within the palace.

The group cautiously entered the palace.

In order to prevent any foul play from Zhang Kaizhi, Ding Fan kept his Divine Sense on him at all times.

"Now is the time for free activity," Zhang Kaizhi said with a smile. "This palace is full of Magical Treasures and Medicine Pills. We came here as a team, and whatever anyone finds will belong to them. We've all sworn an oath; anyone who harbors evil thoughts will meet a bad end."

"Brother Zhang, it's a miracle I even made it alive into this palace, I'm not seeking Magical Treasures; I'll just keep watch for you guys here," Sun Qiang said at that moment.

Sun Qiang's thigh had been slashed by the Myriad Forms Behemoth, and indeed, he would not be able to move on his own.

Zhang Kaizhi pondered for a moment. "Brother Sun, in that case, whatever I find, I'll give you a quarter of it."

Sun Qiang's eyes lit up. "Brother Zhang, how could this be fair?"

Zhang Kaizhi smiled indifferently. "We came here as a team, and we should support each other."

"Brother Zhang, you are noble and righteous. In the future, wherever I, Sun Qiang, can be of use, I will not hesitate, even at the cost of my life!" Sun Qiang exclaimed.

Zhang Kaizhi smiled. "Good, from today onwards, you and I are brothers in life and death."

Having settled their agreement, Zhang Kaizhi left Sun Qiang there and went to explore the depths of the palace alone.

"Ding Fan, you should also leave me here," Lady Fang said to Ding Fan as she lay in his arms.

"It's okay, I'll keep holding you," Ding Fan replied.

Up to now, Ding Fan did not know what Zhang Kaizhi was really up to, so he was very uneasy about leaving Lady Fang behind.

Little did Lady Fang know that Ding Fan was on guard against Zhang Kaizhi; her cheeks involuntarily flushed a slight red.

Remembering the awkward situation when Ding Fan had changed her bandages earlier, and now with Ding Fan insisting on holding her, her once-calm heart was beating chaotically.

"Kid, intimacy can wait for a bit; you put Lady Fang down, go look for treasures yourself, and just like with Brother Zhang, give her a quarter of what you find," Sun Qiang, who was clueless about the situation, chimed in.

With that suggestion from Sun Qiang, Lady Fang blushed even more.

"You should still put me down."

Ding Fan was somewhat at a loss for what to do; to just leave Lady Fang there would be far too dangerous, yet to continue holding her might be awkward for both of them.

At that moment, a shrill screeching sound, like metal scraping, rang out.

Ding Fan extended his Divine Sense to investigate, and soon his brow furrowed deeply.

In the once tranquil palace interior, the ground now seemed to sprout many Stone Pillars, standing about as tall as a person and arranged according to the Eight Trigrams, encasing Ding Fan and his companions in the center.

"A bunch of fools, still coveting the treasures up to this point," a low voice came from the shadowy corridor at that moment.

Even without looking, Ding Fan knew whose voice it was. The speaker was none other than Zhang Kaizhi.

"Brother Zhang, what... what is this?" By now, Sun Qiang was dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend why Zhang Kaizhi, who had just appeared so magnanimous, had changed so suddenly.

"We teamed up, but for him, it was just a means to get into this palace, including outside when he trapped the Myriad Forms Behemoth with the Five Desolation Great Formation, and when we used the Explosive Talisman to blast open the Prohibition..." Ding Fan said indifferently.

Lady Fang's brow creased slightly. Afterwards, she glanced at Ding Fan.

"Did you see through his ruse from the get-go?"

"Only when we arrived at this palace did I see through it..." Ding Fan stated calmly.

"Haha, I really underestimated you before; you truly are remarkable. Initially, I wanted you to just be cannon fodder, to delay that behemoth for a moment, but you actually survived... However, what does it matter? Now you are all trapped inside the Eight Trigrams Grand Formation. Even if you grew wings on your ribs, you wouldn't be able to escape from here," Zhang Kaizhi declared.

"You think this Eight Trigrams Array can hold us?" Ding Fan snorted lightly. Read full story at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽

Zhang Kaizhi paused briefly, then began to laugh even more arrogantly. "This Eight Trigrams Array was laid by the sages of Ancient Times. Don't tell me you think you can break this Eight Trigrams Array."

"Nothing is difficult," Ding Fan retorted coldly.

Based on the Eight Trigrams, this Array followed the principles of mutual generation and mutual overcoming. Now, all he needed was to find the Life Gate of the Eight Trigrams Array, and breaking it would merely be a matter of minutes.

"Boy, you sure are arrogant. Very well, then. I shall control the Great Formation and kill you all!" Zhang Kaizhi shouted fiercely.

"Swoosh!" The Array Flag in Zhang Kaizhi's hand was directly raised, fluttering a few times midair.

As Zhang Kaizhi maneuvered the Array Flag, the surrounding Stone Pillars immediately moved as if they were soldiers receiving their orders, acting in unison.

"Kill!" Zhang Kaizhi bellowed.

Boom, boom! The Stone Pillars crisscrossed and alternated their advance, as if they had been given life.

The Stone Pillars were aggressive.

Suddenly, some Stone Pillars soared into the air and smashed towards Ding Fan and his companions. The power of the Stone Pillars was not to be underestimated—if they were to be hit, they would undoubtedly suffer.

"Fuck, are these Stone Pillars alive or what!" Sun Qiang jumped in shock at this moment. He had not expected these Stone Pillars to be so ferocious.

At this time, Ding Fan also dared not be careless, running around amidst the Stone Pillars with Lady Fang in his arms. His Divine Sense fully activated, he used his movement technique to weave through them.

Poor Sun Qiang did not have the same good fortune as Ding Fan. With his right leg already broken, he had no chance of escape and was immediately smashed into mush by the flying Stone Pillars.

Just before, Sun Qiang had been swearing that he would become brothers-in-arms with someone. In the end, not even five minutes had passed before he was turned into mush by a Stone Pillar.

The reality always brutally slaps the face of wishful thinking.

Ding Fan continued to move deftly among the soaring Stone Pillars, never once using his True Qi to repel any of them.

Ding Fan understood that at such a time, the more important it was to remain calm. Only by staying calm could he preserve his life under the attack of the stone pillars and then counterattack.

"Haha, weren't you just bragging about breaking the Great Formation? Why don't I see you breaking the Array, but instead running around like a stray dog!" Zhang Kaizhi laughed unrestrainedly.

Ding Fan could only focus on fleeing for his life. In Zhang Kaizhi's view, it was only a matter of time before Ding Fan would die.

Meanwhile, Ding Fan completely ignored Zhang Kaizhi, continuing his search for the Life Gate of the Eight Trigrams Array.

Ding Fan was not quite fast enough to avoid it and was struck in the back by a Stone Pillar, which made him stumble and spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Haha, Ding Fan, you truly are a sentimental fool. Even now, you're unwilling to let go of the beauty in your arms? Since that's the case, then I will indulge you. Let you two become a pair of lovebirds together in death."

Having said that, Zhang Kaizhi swung his Array Flag even faster, causing the surrounding Stone Pillars to become more fierce than before.

"Put me down. At this rate, we'll both die!" Lady Fang looked up at Ding Fan, her brows filled with concern.

"I never abandon my friends just to save myself," Ding Fan said plainly, yet his tone was filled with resolve.

Anyone Ding Fan considered a friend he would never betray, he simply couldn't leave a friend behind to save his own skin.

Lady Fang looked at Ding Fan's resolute face, her eyes welling up with tears. She gently leaned towards Ding Fan's cheek and softly kissed it.

"Knowing that someone is willing to treat me so, I have no regrets in this life. Let me go..."

Ding Fan was stunned; he had not expected Lady Fang to kiss him. But given the circumstances, how could he possibly let go? The moment he released her, Lady Fang would be smashed into mush by the Stone Pillars.

Having uttered these words, Ding Fan stopped speaking to Lady Fang and concentrated on searching for the Life Gate.

This Eight Trigrams Array was indeed very strange, with the Life and Death Law Gates continuously rotating—one moment, just as Ding Fan had found the Life Gate, it would switch places with the Death Gate.

The Life and Death Gates alternating, Ding Fan's task now was to find the timing and rhythm of their switching.

At this moment, Zhang Kaizhi, who was brandishing the Array Flag, had a grave look on his face as he watched Ding Fan, who was still stubbornly holding on within the Eight Trigrams Array.

He had never imagined that Ding Fan could persist to this extent. This was a Formation laid out by an incredible sage of ancient times. Within this Formation, an Earth Level Martial Artist would be killed in a matter of minutes.

And yet Ding Fan, barely over twenty years of age, had managed to hold out for seven or eight minutes in the Great Formation. This was utterly inconceivable.

Ever since meeting Ding Fan, he had continuously surprised Zhang Kaizhi. First, it was delaying the Myriad Forms Behemoth. Originally, he thought Ding Fan was dead, but he held out for five minutes and didn't die. And now, in the Qiankun Grand Formation, he had toughed it out for seven or eight minutes.

This kid is incredible!!!