“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is that?!” Suddenly, inside the barrier, a child’s voice rang out—startled and bubbling with excitement.
Both adults turned around to look.
The cave was pitch dark, except for the light inside the barrier holding Lily and Bobby.
It was clear Lily had dug the tunnel even deeper.
At the end of the tunnel, a smooth slab of Celestial Stone appeared.
It was etched with patterns and runic glyphs.
Only part of it was exposed, so its full height and width were unknown.
Divine Lord Tanya Quinn dispelled the barrier, walked over, and asked curiously, “What is this?”
Lily shook her head. “No idea.”
“So this is what you’ve been digging for?” Tanya turned to Noctis.
Noctis put away his weapon, frowned at the stone for a long moment, then barked, “Move aside!”
Lily quickly grabbed Bobby and pulled him back.
Lord Noctis started pushing the dirt away from the stone slab, clearing the area around it.
Finally, the whole wall was revealed—it was actually a Stone Gate.
Noctis tried several methods, but the gate didn’t budge.
Divine Lord Tanya Quinn was just as puzzled. She wanted to open the gate and see what was inside, but no matter what she tried, it wouldn’t move—even though there was no restriction seal.
“It’s a Coiling Dragon Formation,” Lily suddenly said. “We’re standing on a Dragon’s Nexus. This gate has a formation that channels Dragon’s Nexus Energy into it. Unless you break the array, nobody can open it.”
“You’re a Rune Master. You do it,” Tanya said.
But Lily shook her head. “I’ve never seen this kind of formation before. I can’t break it.”
Noctis frowned. “You really can’t break it just because you haven’t seen it before?”
“If—and it’s a big if—I could decipher the runes on this gate, maybe we could open it,” Lily said. “But I don’t recognize a single glyph.”
Neither Tanya nor Lord Noctis could read those characters either.
After fiddling with it for ages, they finally gave up and headed back to the surface.
Once aboveground, Divine Lord Tanya Quinn demanded that Lord Noctis return with her to the Phoenix Dominion to accept punishment. She forbade him from causing any more trouble.
But Lord Noctis flatly refused.
With just a few words, the pair started brawling again.
Their battle in the desert was absolutely earth-shaking.
Lily kept her distance, watching with her heart pounding in fear.
But Bobby’s eyes were full of pure admiration.
Eventually, the two seemed to tire out and finally called a truce.
Lily was still hesitating, but Bobby suddenly wriggled free and dashed over. He threw himself to the ground in a formal kowtow before Lord Noctis: “Lord Noctis! Please take me as your disciple!”
Noctis frowned at the tiny kid, scowling. “Where did this brat come from?”
“Lord Noctis, my name is Bobby Bai! I’m the Crown Prince of the Eastlore Kingdom, and I have a Phoenix Heart—top-grade Spirit Root, super talented!” Bobby said, dead serious. “Plus, I never cry or throw tantrums. I’m really well-behaved! Please accept me as your disciple!”
“Hey! I carried you the whole way. Why aren’t you asking me to be your master?” Tanya asked, sounding wounded. “Do you think he’s stronger than me?”
“Nope,” Bobby said. “You’re a woman. Men and women should keep their distance.”
Tanya burst out laughing. “Wow, you actually know about keeping men and women apart?”
“Of course! My Father Emperor says it all the time.”
“Who does your Father Emperor say it to?”
“To those palace maids.”
Lily clamped a hand over Bobby’s mouth. “Um, sorry! He’s just a kid—doesn’t know any better! Let’s just pretend he’s not here.”
Lord Noctis stepped up to Bobby, dark demonic qi swirling between his brows. “Why do you want me as your master?”