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Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 651: Secret Treasure of the Dragon Palace
Wang Chongyang didn't know how much time had passed; the enormous pressure had blurred his sense of time.
All he knew was that the two had played games like stick picking, stone grabbing, sheep jumping, and staff bumping in succession... and now they were playing marbles with pearls.
Compared to the little girl's enthusiasm, Wang Chongyang was sweating profusely.
He had played every little game he could think of and was able to play under the circumstances.
Why not play them a second time? Wang Chongyang did want to, but his esteemed opponent wasn't cooperating, and he had no idea what they could play next.
Although these little games had bought him some time, it felt futile; he was still going to die.
While Wang Chongyang was thinking this, a Water Rat scurried in from beyond the water curtain, crying out 'mmm mmm mmm' to the little girl with horns on her head.
The little girl frowned. She first glanced in the direction of the water curtain, then her gaze shifted to the half-played marbles in her hand, appearing somewhat reluctant to leave.
It seemed she wanted to continue playing, but the Water Rat cried out again, its calls more urgent than before.
Finally, the little girl made up her mind. She stood up from the ground, growled at the Water Rat twice in beast language, and then walked out of the palace, leaving Wang Chongyang and the Water Rat staring at each other.
Wang Chongyang reached out to pick up one of the pearls being used as marbles, but the Water Rat immediately made urgent, baby-like 'mmm mmm mmm' noises.
Worried that the noises would attract the little girl with horns back, Wang Chongyang quickly withdrew his hand.
And as soon as he withdrew his hand, the Water Rat stopped crying.
But just sitting there wasn't going to solve anything; he was still doomed when the monster returned.
Pushed to the edge of the cliff, Wang Chongyang tried another approach. While keeping an eye on the Water Rat, he carefully stood up from the ground, and this time the Water Rat was quiet.
Seeing this, Wang Chongyang grew bolder and tried to step forward. The Water Rat paid him no heed and just rubbed its face on its own.
Only when Wang Chongyang approached the pearls used as marbles would it start making 'mmm mmm mmm' noises again.
Wang Chongyang was thoroughly reassured. Before leaving, the little girl with horns must have just instructed the creature to keep a close watch on those pearls, wanting to keep them as they were so she could continue playing with them upon her return.
As long as he didn't touch those pearls, the Water Rat wouldn't sound the alarm.
This was a rare opportunity!
By this point, Wang Chongyang had no trouble guessing the identity of the little girl with horns; if he was not mistaken, she must be the Lord of this catastrophe belt.
This was her lair, and she had a bunch of Water Clan minions at her beck and call, probably not venturing out often.
The fact that she ran off in the middle of playing the game likely meant that something significant had happened outside, something her shrimp soldiers and crab generals couldn't handle, and she had to deal with it herself.
And the only ones capable of that were Principal Ma and his Thick Virtue All Living Beings. With this realization, Wang Chongyang's spirits were lifted, and a surge of excitement welled up within him.
Principal Ma indeed hadn't forgotten him, hadn't forgotten the vow he'd made to them to never abandon or give up on anyone.
But Wang Chongyang immediately became worried for the teachers and students of Hou De, for the opponent they were facing this time wasn't just powerful.
The skill of that little girl with horns on her head far exceeded Wang Chongyang's understanding. To be honest, even when facing Principal Ma's "All Swords Return to the Root," Wang Chongyang wasn't as afraid.
The time he had spent with her wasn't long, but every hair on Wang Chongyang's body, every cell, was telling him that she was not someone he could handle or even comprehend.
No, he couldn't let his presence put Principal Ma and his classmates in danger!
At that moment, Wang Chongyang had cast aside concerns for his own safety, only thinking about how he could get Ma Lu and the other students safely out of the catastrophe belt, even if it meant sacrificing himself.
Wang Chongyang then started to search the Underwater Palace carefully, trying to find clues that might help the Houde group defeat the lord of this place.
Soon, he made another discovery; the palace had seven Big River Clams, similar to the ones he had encountered before, each located in different positions.
This reminded Wang Chongyang of the group of parents they had met before entering the disaster zone, who had lost their children. The number of missing children was exactly seven, the same as the number of clams.
Coinciding the number of children with that of the clams, could it be that they were still alive, just like he was previously, trapped inside the clams?
This was potentially good news, but it didn't do much to alleviate the current predicament.
Wang Chongyang didn't even attempt to pry open the clams because rescuing the children now wouldn't make any difference. Without defeating the lord, no one could leave the disaster zone.
Moreover, they were safer inside the clams than outside.
So Wang Chongyang continued to search elsewhere, this time reaching the largest hall in the center of the palace.
The hall was built with grandeur and splendor; stepping into it, one could feel an inexplicable sense of authority.
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In the very center of the ceiling was a massive carved dragon head with a diameter of over twenty meters, looking down on those who entered, its eyes made of dozens of pounds of gold, shining dazzlingly.
Apart from the imposing dragon head, there were nine stone pillars in the hall, all carved with dragon patterns, showcasing extraordinary momentum.
There were also many clay sculptures in the room. Wang Chongyang found among them the "Dragon Lice" they had previously struggled against and the giant toad that had swallowed him, and even the Water Rat from outside had its corresponding clay sculpture.
In addition to these Water Clan monsters Wang Chongyang had encountered, there were also clay sculptures of many other monsters he had not seen before.
Wang Chongyang didn't know the purpose of these sculptures, but since they belonged to the enemy, he pushed them all over and shattered them.
After doing this, he also left the hall and went back to the area where they had played games before, only to see the Water Rat still standing there, earnestly guarding the remnants of the marbles on the ground, oblivious to the noise of destruction coming from the other side.
Even after the clay sculptures were destroyed, the rat showed no change.
Seems useless? Wang Chongyang scratched his head, then returned to the hall, only to find that the dragon head on the ceiling seemed to have undergone some change.
Its mouth, which had been closed before, was now open.
Looking in the direction of the open jaw, Wang Chongyang found a turtle shell amid the ruins, engraved with dense text.
What's this? It didn't seem to be there just now. Wang Chongyang picked up the turtle shell and looked it over several times, but unfortunately, he couldn't understand the text on it and didn't know what it said.
However, the appearance of the turtle shell made him view the hall with increased importance, and after searching it thoroughly once more, he indeed found more clues.