Chapter 805: Please, Step into the Cauldron

## Chapter 805: Luring the Prey into the Trap

Chen Ling walked directly to the front of the platform and looked closely.

Although he was very close, his reflection didn't appear in the mirrors. Instead, they acted like surveillance screens, showing various corridors, rooms, or rooms filled with mechanisms, much like a monitoring room in a television drama. From here, every corner of this "Dark Palace" was visible.

On the control panel, there was a metal object resembling a compass, covered with numerous small, intricate metal sliders. It seemed to contain some kind of mechanism, and although not large, it felt incredibly heavy in his hand.

"A central control panel, then..." Chen Ling examined the disc curiously, casually moving one of the sliders. Simultaneously, some of the previously stationary gears and power rods around him began to rotate with a rumble, as if something was activating within the "Dark Palace"!

Chen Ling heard an unusual sound coming from outside and immediately walked to the central circular hall. In the deep "elevator shaft" leading underground, something was rapidly ascending!

Clang—!!

With a resounding clang, a magnificent display stand rose from the ground into the circular hall, hovering steadily in the very center!

Chen Ling's eyes flashed with surprise as he saw what was on the stand.

"What is this...?"

On the display stand was a crystal-clear glass sphere. Within it, a star seemed frozen, silently shimmering and glowing. Engraved on the front of the stand was a string of text:

Privilege – When the final three-hour countdown begins, the holder of this privilege can designate any location for a Heavenly Star Position to descend.

Chen Ling's eyebrows lifted slightly.

He directly reached out and took the glass sphere, examining it carefully in his palm, as if casually inspecting an ordinary toy.

"This privilege isn't bad."

According to the original rules, once the countdown entered its final three hours, seven thrones representing the Heavenly Star Positions would randomly descend upon various locations in the Old District, triggering the final battle. Possessing this privilege meant gaining control over one of these positions, allowing it to seek him out, transforming the free-for-all into a home-field "defense."

And now, this privilege had fallen into Chen Ling's hands without anyone else knowing.

Chen Ling put the glass sphere away. After looking around, he casually placed his hand on a corner of the display stand, and tendrils of electrical light began to surge across its surface!

Reshape!

A few seconds later, a round, drab gray stone sphere appeared in his palm... and an inconspicuous corner of the display stand was silently missing.

"From now on, you will be the 'privilege' they fight tooth and nail for."

A smile curled on Chen Ling's lips. He placed the ugly stone sphere back on the display stand, then swiped his finger across the control panel, and the entire stand sank back into the ground!

After that, Chen Ling took the control panel and walked behind the six dark, circular arched doors.

Chen Ling realized that the entire "Dark Palace" was a massive mechanism-filled chamber, and the privilege was hidden deep within it. These six arched doors, referred to by Agent 17 as the Six Palaces of Intricate Springs, each represented a different trial and danger. Even with the control panel in hand, essentially playing a "cracked" version, Chen Ling couldn't help but be impressed by some of the insidious and cunning designs within.

The Six Palaces of Intricate Springs, six arched doors—no matter how many entered, only six people could ultimately emerge alive...

But there was only one privilege.

And it was fake.

The moment Chen Ling obtained the control panel, this "Dark Palace" was destined to become a blood-soaked meat grinder, a gaping maw of an abyss from which there was no escape.

Who would live, who would die, who would be left battered and bruised...

The person standing behind the scenes would decide.

After navigating through the Six Palaces of Intricate Springs, Chen Ling unhurriedly returned to the circular hall. His fingers deftly moved across the control panel, resetting all the mechanisms within the "Dark Palace" to their original state!

The flames on the walls extinguished one after another, and darkness gradually engulfed the underground space, finally plunging it into cold blackness.

Chen Ling took out a note from his pocket. On it, the threads of fate began to be woven, line after line of text forming an invisible net that started to draw all surrounding participants towards the vicinity of the "Dark Palace"!

In the darkness, Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly:

"...Luring you into the trap."

***

Old District, Surface.

Two slender figures slowly traversed the desolate land.

"It's already dawn... and we still haven't found this 'Dark Palace'," Fudi said with a frown. "Could someone have gotten here first?"

"No, the manual stated that the 'Dark Palace' appearing would be announced throughout the district. There haven't been any signs yet, which means no one has discovered it."

"But we've almost covered all the surrounding streets and still haven't found an entrance. How much longer will this take?"

"...There's still a lot of time before the final scramble begins. Let's keep looking slowly."

Tu Tian and Fudi both closed their eyes simultaneously.

One seemed to be listening to the sound of the wind, the other sensing the earth's aura. They stood still, like two statues.

Between the distant streets, several pairs of eyes silently watched their direction.

A large number of official members from the five major domains participated in this Heavenly Star Position contest. They possessed comprehensive intelligence on each other: which domain or organization had a prodigy, what their abilities were—everyone was well aware. Tu Tian and Fudi, from the Dragon-Slaying Knights, were undoubtedly the most likely among those present to find the "Dark Palace." Hence, they naturally attracted tracking and attention, as no one wanted to miss out on the privilege.

"Are these two capable? We've been following them for hours, and they still haven't found the entrance to the 'Dark Palace'?"

"I don't know... We've almost covered the area from the east side of the city to the west."

"Keep your voice down, they might hear us."

"Hmph, do you think they can't sense us?"

"Even if they do, what then? We are all top experts in our respective divine paths, and our strength is not inferior to theirs. If they truly want to fight, then let's have a preliminary match."

"We agreed: no attacking each other before we find the 'Dark Palace,' or there will be consequences once we're out!"

"Alright, alright, got it..."

The distant whispers of the crowd reached Tu Tian's ears carried by the gentle breeze. He acted as if he hadn't heard them, continuing to focus on finding the entrance to the "Dark Palace."

Just then, a single withered leaf drifted on the wind, silently swaying and flying in a certain direction.

Sensing the sudden change in wind direction, Tu Tian's mind stirred. He opened his eyes and looked towards a particular spot...