Grace perked up, her spirits high, and hurried forward.
The corridor was dead simple—just one straight shot.
At the end, she found herself in a circular gallery.
Strolling along the gallery, she bumped into a Portal Array right away.
A bit further, there was another Portal Array on the other side.
She kept going and ended up back where she started—classic gallery loop.
The gallery was flooded with light.
Instead of tiny corridor holes, the gallery walls were carved stone with fancy openwork—big enough to stick your whole arm through.
Peeking out through the carvings, Grace could spy a slice of the outside world.
It looked like a valley out there.
She realized she was standing on one side of the valley.
Looking out, she could see the opposite side.
Back then, the mountain was covered in flowers, grass, and trees, but now only dead branches and withered grass clung to the cliffs—motionless, as if petrified.
It all looked so desolate now, yet standing here, Grace could almost feel what it was like for that ancient deity who once stood in this very spot.
The view from here must have been breathtaking in those days...
Grace checked out the two Portal Arrays. The first one was shaped like an octagram.
The second was totally different, with a blazing flame pattern in the center.
And right in the middle, there was a phoenix-shaped cutout.
After studying them for ages, Grace was sure: both Portal Arrays needed an Array Core key to activate.
Her only way out was to either use the Portal Array or try smashing through one of those openwork walls and crawling out.
But she was getting ahead of herself.
Every stone here was made of Celestial Stone.
With no magical power left, Grace couldn't budge a single one.
After trying everything, she slumped down next to the second Portal Array and closed her eyes.
She slipped into her Sanctum.
Inside, Grandpa Gene the High Saint was still in his golden thread form, not even close to turning human yet.
Ray was also sound asleep and looked super weak.
Grace sighed helplessly.
She could only wait for Grandpa Gene the High Saint to recover a bit, then maybe cast a spell to get them out...
All this running around had left her exhausted—and starving.
She hurried to the lakeside, caught a fish, cooked it, and ate. Then Grace decided a nap was in order.
She drifted off, not sure how long she’d slept, when suddenly—voices.
"...Princess, where are we?"
"This is her Hidden Manor," someone else replied.
Grace snapped awake, quietly crawling up and listening in.
On the other side of the circular gallery, it was Princess Luminia and Wendy Zhu talking!
It looked like they’d come in through one of the Portal Arrays!
"Let’s check over there," Princess Luminia said, heading Grace’s way.
Grace hurried around the gallery.
But Princess Luminia was Divine Race.
Grace made a move, and Princess Luminia noticed instantly.
"Who’s there?" Her voice was full of caution.
Detecting a living soul in this abandoned Hidden Manor after eons, even she was startled.
Grace rolled her eyes, glanced in their direction, stayed silent, and kept moving.
But there were two of them.
As she circled around, she ran straight into Wendy Zhu.
Wendy Zhu had flanked her from the other side.
"Grace Zhu! You again?!" Wendy Zhu shrieked, like she’d seen a ghost.
Grace lashed out with a palm strike, sending Wendy Zhu crashing into the wall, then bolted back the way she came.
Wendy Zhu scrambled up and gave chase.
But Princess Luminia barked, "Wait!"
Wendy Zhu stopped in her tracks.
"Watch out for traps. Stay behind me," Princess Luminia said, cool and collected as ever.
Wendy Zhu nodded and dutifully followed Princess Luminia.
Grace ran as fast as she could.
But to Princess Luminia, she was moving at nothing but mortal speed.