Quickly descending, they arrived before the elder, just to find that two black-robed and masked enforcers were accompanying him.

Seeing them arrive, Elder Chen quickly motioned to the enforcers who disappeared into the hole, then turned to them and said

"They will scout the parts that Head Enforcer Zhen could not, as he seems to have located the warrior and will wait for me there. He will also monitor the experts present. As for Lang Zheng, he is still missing, but the guards may provide clues. We three are first going to the place where the young clansmen are imprisoned. It will be dangerous, so stay behind me. When we reach the place and free them, both of you will escort them here. Let's go"

Elder Chen took the lead and jumped inside the hole, both Xiao Feng and Wu Guang following him. After a brief fall, they safely landed in the tunnel. From what could be seen the tunnel was about two feet in width, and the ceiling was low enough as to be touched.

There was no light more than the one coming from the Bathroom so except the walls nearby, nothing could be seen. Without saying anything, the elder took a small stone from his Holding Pouch and activating it with qi a small bluish light illuminated their surroundings. With this light, they saw that the tunnel was dug out in the earth, with wood planks on the walls and ceiling for support.

Motioning to them to look at their back, he showed them some steps that were built into the tunnel wall and could be used to reach the pool's bottom. After this, Elder Chen started walking forward.

A hundred feet later the group reached the end of this narrow earth tunnel. This exit brought them to a small edge located ten feet above the ground, strangely located in the middle of a wall. This edge was on the sidewall of a long twenty feet tall and about thirty feet wide corridor fully built in stone.

The small dug-out corridor from which they exited didn't look like part of the original, most probably made later, about the time the Tower was transferred to the Sect. It was dug out inside a side arch, most probably a side tunnel that was later filled with earth.

Enormous rails were seen in the middle of the stone corridor they had appeared into, Wu Guang quickly guessed that this was the method that the founders used to transport the stone. Entering this majestic tunnel, everyone would feel the weight of age, after all, these tunnels were built right at the same time as the city walls, and judging from the historic documents it had happened almost four hundred years ago.

From this, it could be guessed that they were mistaken about the tunnel entrance in the tower, but right to suspect the people currently controlling these tunnels of having an agenda that required spying the tower.

Without speaking, only by using a slight nod for them to follow, Elder Chen started walking the tunnel, going northeast. After walking a slightly curving to the north tunnel, they arrived at some ruined mechanisms and a set of stone stairs leading to the ceiling.

The stairs weren't ruined, but with some effort, it could be seen that their supposed end was covered with a steel plate. After passing this zone that was at least twice the size of the tunnel. Continuing north, the new tunnel was a bit narrower, being about twenty feet wide. The rails were still present, but from the single set present before it now became two after a circular area.

Here Elder Chen stopped and signaling them to listen used some of his qi to send them a silent message

"We just passed the North Wall. The young Clansmen are being imprisoned in a small service room a quarter of a mile from here. Now stay here for a few breaths and then follow me, I can't risk sending my senses ahead as they would be easily sensed by an expert, so I will approach covertly. Be prepared to hide if a fight begins, if not, escort them to the tower"

Elder Chen turned off the light stone, passing it to Xiao Feng. Then started from the spot, seemingly disappearing into the darkness, only a slight movement could be discerned if someone concentrated on following his white robes.

After waiting for a bit, Xiao Feng turned on the light stone and motioning to Wu Guang started walking forward. When they saw Elder Chen again, he was standing near a small wooden door built in the east wall of the tunnel. Two men could be seen lying near his feet, both of them without moving. Seeing them arrive, the elder spoke in a low tone

"These guards are only of the Body realm. Xiao Feng bind them and take them with you to the tower. Wu Guang, enter the room and explain the situation to the young Clansmen. I will continue forward to reunite with Zhen Mang and try to rescue the Clan's warrior after you leave"

Saying this, the Elder closed his eyes, spreading his senses to protect against sudden reinforcements.

While Xiao Feng proceeded to take out the rope and bind the two unconscious Body realm cultivators, Wu Guang neared the door, after moving the heavy iron bar that was barring the door he opened it. Right as the door opened, he suddenly jumped back to evade a fist that was directed to his face. While jumping back, he quickly said in Wildlands language

Stolen novel; please report.

"Wait! We are from the Three Hills Sect, we are here to help"

The person that had attacked him did not react to the voice and shot out the room, only to suddenly rush towards him. Before he could reach Wu Guang tough, he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck by Xiao Feng who had just finished binding the guards, and noticed the sudden jump of Wu Guang. The person he had caught was a teen similar to them in age. With a height of slightly over five feet and almost the same width, he looked like a square made of muscle. His short and brown hair, hide armor and the tusk hanging from his neck indicated his identity as a member of the Brute Boar Clan warrior caste. He tried to free himself, but the difference in cultivation between him and Xiao Feng was a full minor realm, so the latter fully ignored the former's struggle.

Wu Guang again spoke in Wildlands language while pointing to Elder Chen who opened his eyes and was smiling while looking at him

"Cease your struggle, Boar Warrior. We are from the Three Hills Sect, the elder here is the Wisdom Palace Master"

The teen heard this and looked at Elder Chen, then at the bodies bound and lying on the floor. After seemingly arriving at some conclusion, he slowly raised his hands to signal surrender. And when Xiao Feng let him go, quickly made a salute towards the elder and spoke in Wildlands language

"May powerful Elder forgive me for my transgressions. I planned to attack the guards or whoever opened the doors, but I didn't expect to attack a rescue team from the Sect" Then he turned towards Xiao Feng, and nodding his head said in a decent common language with a slight accent

"You are powerful, when I reach your level let's spar"

Only after this, he turned to Wu Guang and after some close inspection, nodded to him as a salute.

Wu Guang wasn't surprised, it was customary for the Clansmen to speak to the powerful first, and they never spoke first with people weaker than them, except if they were from their close family. A spar invitation while acknowledging that one was weak for it at the moment was one of the highest praises by a Clan's warrior.

He also noted that Elder Chen understood the Wildlands language and there was no need to translate, but he still introduced himself while adding that he will act as a translator shall the need arise. Then after a nod from Elder Chen, he asked

"Boar Warrior, are you Duqi?"

"Yes"

"Where are the ones who were accompanying you?"

"They are inside, but they were put to sleep with something. I wasn't affected, but I can't explain why"

Hearing this, Elder Chen moved to the room, intending to check the condition of the people. Wu Guang was a bit surprised when he heard this. Negating poisons or drugs was something that only bloodlines could do on their own.

But if he has the Brute Boar bloodline, and it's active enough to protect him, would not that make him a totem warrior candidate? And none of them are allowed to leave the Clan until they complete their training. After this mix of inherited and original memories explanation and question flashed across his mind, Wu Guang mentally shrugged it off "Why I should care about his bloodline? The most important part is to finish this matter and continue cultivating. I have to leave this island and search for the Astral Gate. To start my journey I will have to reach the Soul Stage. I also should attempt to join that Pocket realm exploration, I may get lucky and find something useful if it's unexplored as Elder Chen said" Any expert would be shocked that he spoke of reaching the Soul Stage so easily, but somehow in Wu Guang's mind, this wasn't even a serious goal.

When Wu Guang finished the latter thought, Elder Chen had already checked all the five teens lying on the floor of the small and not illuminated room. He walked out and said

"They used some unknown sleeping drug, so I can't risk using the antidotes that I carry. It will take them several hours to awake but I am afraid we don't have the leisure of waiting"

Elder Chen was currently deciding to move them himself or leave them here while he goes to help Zhen Mang. Any of these two ways were accompanied by risk for the other part, so it didn't have an easy way out.

He was brought out from his thoughts by Wu Guang who called to the elder

"Elder Chen, I remember seeing a cart on the rails inside this tunnel, maybe we can use it to move them near the Tower tunnel? While elder goes to help the Head Enforcer?"

"That would be a good way, where did you see it?"

"About two hundred feet from here, near the room under the North Wall"

"Xiao Feng, go bring it here. It should be rune activated, if it's not, your cultivation should be enough to move it" Right after these words, Xiao Feng nodded and rushed back the way they came from.