Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

"Indeed, I know nothing."

"Hehe. Feel your pockets and see if there's anything extra."

As he spoke, Musogen reached into his bag and took out a golden compass.

Zuo Chang was slightly taken aback, and reached into his pocket—

Nothing.

To avoid being discovered by the Divine Sound Society, Zuo Chang deliberately changed into ordinary adventurer attire. A characteristic of adventurer clothing is its many pockets, convenient for storage.

But he searched high and low and still couldn't find any "compass".

After a moment's thought, he closed his eyes and looked at his supply warehouse.

Then I saw it.

In the supply warehouse, a golden compass lay quietly. He put his hands behind his back, avoiding eye contact, and then took it out: "This? What is this?"

Musogen shook his head: "I don't know what this is either. This compass mysteriously appeared after we entered; it miraculously disappeared after we left. If you infuse it with your magic, you can get an explanation of the compass."

Zuo Chang did as instructed.

After the magic power was channeled in, the golden compass beeped, and a piece of information flooded into his mind:

[The Compass of Desire: This is a magical compass, available only 'here'. The compass will point to what you desire; follow the pointer, and it will fulfill your wish.]

The Compass of Greed...

Zuo Chang lowered his gaze, the compass needle in his hand spinning rapidly without stopping.

Zuo Chang was surprised.

He thought to himself, "What does this mean? Does it mean I am detached from worldly desires and have no expectations?"

Musogen glanced at it, shook his head and sighed, "I thought you were lying... I didn't expect you really didn't know where this place was, you're completely clueless now."

No.

Zuo Chang actually knew.

The gods have made it very clear that this is a mysterious underground city, containing information related to the "Promised Day".

only……

Don't I yearn for the truth?

Zuo Chang looked at the compass in his hand, unable to grasp his state of mind.

As an "outsider" who had only been here for a month, he had no feelings for the gods or the ascended world.

More precisely—

The goddess grabbed him without asking any questions, and Zuo Chang was already considered to have high manners by not spitting in her face.

He might not mind solving some mysteries for the gods, or contributing a little bit of his own strength.

However, to expect him to genuinely support the gods, to demonstrate a spirit of dedication and sacrifice by serving them faithfully...

People can hold their noses and force themselves to do certain things.

But one cannot force oneself to love others.

Sincerity is precious precisely because it cannot be faked or forced.

"Sigh, we're both blind here."

Musuogen, of course, had no idea what Zuo Chang was thinking.

He opened the lid of his compass, and his compass, too, was in the same state, its needle spinning rapidly.

Zuo Chang smiled and said, "Don't be discouraged. This looks like a 'ruin' to me. How big can a ruin be? It can't be bigger than the Heavenly King City! We'll explore slowly and eventually flatten it."

Mu Suogen shook his head again: "Mr. Zuo, look carefully. Is there a ring of black ink around the edge of the compass dial?"

Zuo Chang looked down and saw that it was indeed true!

On the surface of the compass of desire, there is a ring of slightly wriggling "black ink".

Within seconds of staring at it, the length of the black ink seemed to change—it shortened a little bit.

Three hours.

Musogen extended three fingers and spoke again.

"This circle of black ink will only last for three hours. When the black ink runs out, we will be forcibly sent to the statue of the Dark God, and we will not be able to enter again until twelve hours later. Moreover... the actual exploration time may be even shorter."

Zuo Changzhen is completely ignorant.

He asked, "Mr. Mu seems to be very experienced."

“I have no experience either. I’ve only been here a few times, but I haven’t made any major breakthroughs. Come with me.”

Mu Suogen waved and, with Zuo Chang in tow, set off on the northern road.

Everything seemed normal at first.

As Zuo Chang walked, his view suddenly opened up. A refreshing sea breeze blew in his face, the azure sea rose and fell, and before him lay a golden beach!

This……

Zuo Chang subconsciously turned around and found that the dark ruins passage was still behind him.

The magnificent seascape in front of me looked unreal, like a picture.

Stop at Musuogen.

He pointed to the sand a few centimeters in front of his feet and said, “If we take another step forward, we won’t be able to return to the ruins and enter the beach. I’ve been to the beach area three times—each time I’ve spent all my time and come up empty-handed. Usually, I’ll choose the other path.”

Mu Suogen turned around, led Zuo Chang back to the original spot, and then walked south along the passageway.

There are no wonders in the southern passageway.

At the end of the road lay a lewd old man. He looked at the newcomers and gave them an ugly smile: "Need to open the door, you two? Just pay 'one hour,' and I can open the door for you."

Zuo Chang looked up.

Behind the sleazy old man was a tightly closed iron door.

Chapter 247 Life Never Ends, Exploration Never Stops

Pay an hour and open the door in front of you?

The event only lasted three hours in total!

Zuo Chang stepped forward and tried to push the iron gate. He clearly felt a restrictive force surging forth, and with his current abilities, he was unable to open the gate in front of him.

He laughed and said, "I could shatter this small iron gate with a single sword strike. And you still want to charge us for an hour?"

The lewd old man closed his eyes: "If you had that ability, of course you wouldn't need me."

"Did I really do it myself?"

"Go ahead, do you think I'll even listen to you?"

cut!

The old man scoffed, his disdain evident in his words.

Zuo Chang didn't need to try; he knew he couldn't break the door. He'd only said those pointless things to try and lower the price.

Musogen said, "Do you see that pool of blood on the ground?"

Zuo Chang looked down and saw a patch of dark brown blood beside the lewd old man.

Musogen continued, "This old man is completely unreasonable. I chopped him in half a day ago, and when I came back the next day, he was still sitting there. It must be some kind of 'mechanism' where if you don't want to enter the beach area, you have to pay for an hour, and then pay again the next time you come."

The old man chuckled, his face repulsive: "It's not that I'm heartless, it's just that there aren't enough of you. I charge per session, not per person—one session is an hour, but if you're a large group of twenty, that's three minutes per person, isn't that enough?"

"Where am I supposed to get twenty sacred artifacts?"

Zuo Chang retorted, but the old man didn't reply.

Old Man Mu advised, "Give it to him. Mr. Zuo, I think the area behind this door is more directional and much friendlier than the beach area. Besides—"

Zuo Chang asked, "And what?"

"Moreover, the beach area is equivalent to a four-digit community, with a cultivation level cap of twelve realms. I spent three days there and encountered several powerful magical beasts, which you might find difficult to deal with; and the rules behind this door are still limited to the seventh realm and below."

"..."

Let's stick to the road in front of us then.

Zuo Chang is invincible in the seventh realm, and he doesn't want to take any risks unless absolutely necessary.

"Thank you, half an hour per person."

The sleazy old man sitting on the ground reached out and beckoned, and a black line shot out from the compass in Zuo Chang and Mu Suogen's hands.

The ink line did not pass through the old man's hands, but went directly into the keyhole.

With a soft click, the iron gate opened wide.

Zuo Chang looked down at the compass and saw that the ink lines on the dial had suddenly shortened by one-sixth.

"Let's go."

Mu Suogen took the lead, guiding Zuo Chang through the gate. Behind the gate was not a road, but a huge platform, about ten meters square.

The two of them were standing on it when the platform shook violently once.

Amidst the rumbling sound of the gears meshing, the platform began to move autonomously and automatically.

The surroundings were completely dark, like the night sky.

The platform moved forward at a steady pace, and amidst the rumbling sound, Zuo Chang put one hand on his hip and his thoughts slowly drifted away.

Right now he……

We must have entered a "mysterious dungeon"?

There is more than one entrance to the mysterious dungeon. If Sakura Karen is not lying, it seems that the Herse family of Community 1 had already mastered the method to enter the dungeon three months ago.

that……

"Is it possible that I will encounter the Hessians here?"