Chapter 804: Internal Test Players

"Understood," Chen Ling replied calmly. "But Director, Lin Yan just ambushed me, and I got a bit injured... I'm worried about an accident happening later, so could you send someone else to go with me?"

After a brief pause, Chen Ling adjusted the walkie-talkie's frequency and voice, then spoke in the Director's tone: "You're injured? Do you need to come out for treatment first?"

"No, it's just a minor injury."

A faint aurora flickered in Chen Ling's eyes.

Chen Ling had now completely infiltrated the referees' communication system. This system was divided into two parts: one for the referees overseeing the old district, and the other for the organizing office outside the old district.

The referees briefly summarized information from within the old district and transmitted it in real-time to the organizing office via walkie-talkie. The organizing office was responsible for compiling and organizing this information, and dispatching ambulance teams...

Now, Chen Ling had inserted himself between these two parts.

He acted as a relay station. Any communication from the old district had to pass through him to be sent out, and any orders from the organizers needed to go through him to reach the old district. Only messages he deemed non-threatening were transmitted correctly; otherwise, they were intercepted or altered.

At this point, Chen Ling wielded immense power.

Using the communication network, Chen Ling sensed the current locations of the referees on the field. After randomly selecting one who was relatively close to him, he continued speaking in the Director's tone:

"Alright, Number 17, go ahead and open the 'Dark Palace' for a preliminary check."

"Understood."

Referee Number 17 immediately responded.

Soon, Chen Ling sensed Number 17's signal moving rapidly, heading towards a corner within the old district.

Chen Ling calmly put away the walkie-talkie and unhurriedly walked towards the same location.

About ten minutes later.

Chen Ling slowly came to a stop on a desolate stretch of land.

"The referee's signal is here... So the 'Dark Palace' is hidden within this?" Chen Ling's gaze swept across the surroundings. All he could see was scattered rubble, nothing else.

Chen Ling walked a circle around the rubble-strewn ruins, then deliberately used his secret vision to carefully examine the details of the ground. Finally, he found a faint set of footprints in a certain area.

As if discovering something, Chen Ling used his Cloud Steps to ascend into the air. From that vantage point, he finally spotted some clues...

"The arrangement of the rubble subtly aligns with the Bagua... and the footprints disappear at the edge where yin and yang converge. It seems the entrance is there."

It must be said, the "Dark Palace" was extremely well-hidden. Although the organizing office of the Tower of Babel had left the Bagua arrangement as a clue, everyone else was busy hiding or fighting at that moment. Who would notice such a layout in the wilderness?

It was no wonder that no participant had actively discovered the "Dark Palace" entrance until now.

Chen Ling returned to the ground and followed the footprints forward. At the intersection of the Bagua layout, he finally found a corridor leading underground. Without much hesitation, he descended.

The corridor floor was paved with marble, and intricate patterns were engraved on the walls. It was not dark and narrow like a tomb passage but rather elegant and grand. Lights on both sides of the walls were on, making it bright and clear. It was unclear if this was its original setting or if Referee Number 17 had simply turned them on when entering.

After walking along the corridor for a short while, a vast circular hall, resembling an underground palace, opened up before Chen Ling.

At first glance, Chen Ling was reminded of the Floating World Painting's art sanctuary. However, compared to that, this circular hall clearly lacked some artistic flair, yet it possessed a monumental grandeur, appearing almost supernaturally crafted.

"This is..."

Entering the circular hall, Chen Ling saw six dark, arched doorways standing in different directions around the hall.

In the center of the hall, a passage resembling an elevator shaft extended deep into the ground. Even now, one could see its intricate tracks and mechanical devices, a dizzying sight.

As Chen Ling peered down into the shaft, a figure slowly emerged from one of the arched doorways:

"Number 6, you're here? How's your body?"

The person was none other than Referee Number 17, who had picked up Chen Ling and the others at the station, and also Chen Ling's "chosen" maintenance personnel for the "Dark Palace."

"Ah, it's nothing serious, just a bit of a headache after that kid ambushed me with a sneak attack." Chen Ling imitated Referee Number 6's tone, smiling wryly.

"That kid's name is Lin Yan, right? I remember him." Number 17 nodded slightly. "The 'inhumane path' indeed leads to inhumane actions."

Chen Ling was speechless.

"Right, how was your inspection? Any problems?" Chen Ling changed the subject.

"I've basically looked everything over. The mechanisms of the Six Palaces of Qiaohuang are all functioning normally." Number 17 pointed to a half-open hidden door at the edge of one of the six arched doorways.

"However, I'm not as familiar with this as you are. It's best if you check it again later. I've placed the central control panel on the stand for you... But if you have a headache, it's fine not to check it. Don't worry about old Chang; he's naturally bossy."

This "old Chang" mentioned by Number 17 was likely the Director currently on the communication channel. It was clear that he didn't have a very good reputation among the referees.

"It's alright, I'm fine," Chen Ling replied with a weak smile.

He secretly touched the walkie-talkie in his pocket with his right hand.

Now that Chen Ling had assumed the appearance of Referee Number 6, he naturally had both arms. However, since he was inherently one-armed, his left hand merely existed in form; it couldn't perform complex movements or be used in combat. It was more like a natural-looking prosthetic.

As a shimmer of aurora flashed deep within his eyes, Referee Number 17's walkie-talkie suddenly buzzed.

"The fighting in the west city has intensified, and we're short-staffed. Hurry and help out."

Director Chang's voice rang out, and Referee Number 17's face immediately soured. He let out a cold snort and reluctantly said, "Alright, I'll go take care of that. After you're done with your check and everything's okay, remember to restore this place to its original state."

"No problem." Chen Ling offered an earnest smile, like an honest man.

As Number 17's figure gradually disappeared down the corridor, the smile on Chen Ling's face faded. He calmly walked to the half-open hidden door and pushed it open.

Behind the door lay a dazzling space, filled with countless gears and rods that looked like perfect works of art, occupying every inch. As Chen Ling walked through it, it felt as though he were inside the heart of some colossal steel beast.

"This is... the Tower of Babel's creation?"

Chen Ling looked down into what seemed like an abyss, densely packed with various mechanical parts, a flash of shock in his eyes.

But soon, his gaze settled on the center of the hidden chamber, on a seemingly ordinary central control panel... where several mirrors, glowing with a mysterious radiance, were placed.