Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

Lin Feng recalled those twelve dog-headed Sword Spirits from earlier and hesitated for a moment before reminding Zhang Ze.

"Won't you play him to death?" Lin Feng wasn't sure about Nameless's cultivation, but he knew how treacherous the Underground City could be.

Zhang Ze was startled, then slapped his thigh, "Thank you for the reminder, Junior Brother."

Earlier, when playing as Black Guide, he got too carried away and almost forgot about the mission.

The source of this heavy snowfall still needed to be found with Nameless.

If they played him to death, the mission clues would be cut off.

Zhang Ze drew the short sword from his waist and woke up Li, who had been dozing off all along.

"Time to get to work."

Li returned to his original form, wiped his drool, yawned, and then climbed onto Zhang Ze's shoulder.

"Coming, Brother Feng?" Zhang Ze asked.

Lin Feng shook his head, "Forget it, I'll wait for you up above."

...

Underground City, Water Snake Palace.

Nameless was momentarily stunned after entering the Underground City and suddenly felt his nose tingle, but he quickly held it back.

He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and leisurely walked deeper into the Underground City.

"So familiar," Nameless sighed to himself.

This Golden Core Stage Underground City was named Water Snake Palace, its archetype located in a large Secret Realm near the East Sea.

And Nameless's hometown was over there.

There were many such caves near Nameless's hometown, though they were not as perilous and mystical as the Water Snake Palace, the scenery was largely the same.

It's all because this Underground City was crafted too realistically, causing Nameless to feel a touch of nostalgia.

Reflecting on the past, his journey had led him from a mortal, to a disciple of a small sect, finally betraying teacher and ancestors and falling into the Demon Path...

Since the day he joined the Hundred Demons Sect, he hadn't returned to that small fishing village in the East Sea.

"So similar," Nameless thought as he looked at the stalactites hanging from above, recalling the scene of him exploring seaside caves with his brother in his childhood.

Looking up, reminiscing about his childhood, Nameless stepped right into the dug-out trench.

Although Nameless fell into the trap, he didn't panic.

On his way to the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, he had already inquired some information about the Underground City from Lin Feng.

He knew that below this kind of pit, there would be a cushion and some mechanisms.

With his Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivation, Nameless naturally wasn't scared of these small Foundation Establishment Stage mechanisms; a fall wouldn't matter, so there was no need to expose his strength.

Moreover, he was now an esteemed lifetime member of Purple Emerald, according to Zhang Yida, he had ten resurrection opportunities to wander freely in this Underground City.

However, there was no cushion.

Nameless just went smack and hit the ground.

It didn't hurt, but it was truly embarrassing.

In the mechanism room of Water Snake Palace, Zhang Ze breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily his hands were quick, disabling most of the mechanisms, otherwise Nameless might have almost played himself to death.

Golden Core stage cultivators had undergone a qualitative change compared to Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

They could fly, use escape techniques, having one foot stepped into the path of Dao.

The same traps that could ensnare Foundation Establishment cultivators could be effortlessly escaped by Golden Cores with just a thought.

But increasing the difficulty made it impossible to ensure the safety of trial takers, which was a hard balance to strike.

Like this trench, during internal testing, it was only because the Inner Sect senior brothers had solid foundations that nothing went wrong. If replaced with some loose cultivator Golden Cores, likely a few would be killed.

Through the Transmission Box, Zhang Ze saw Nameless climb out of the trench.

"What should I do? I can't really let Brother Feng just follow him lurking around, that would take forever."

Zhang Ze sat in the chair, watching Nameless continue wandering, brainstorming ideas.

"Do you need me to make a move, my disciple?" Li's voice suddenly sounded from behind Zhang Ze.

This time Zhang Ze wasn't startled; he was used to it, after all, his mentor's respawn point was always behind him.

"Master, you've come down." Zhang Ze leaned back on the chair, tilting his head to look at his mentor behind him.

Li waved his hand, a breeze lifting Zhang Ze up, "Stand properly, with due decorum."

Zhang Ze obediently stood upright in front of his mentor, formally greeted, "Good noon, Master, what instructions do you have for your disciple."

"You've got mail."

Li handed a Sword Book to his disciple, Zhang Ze unfolded the Sword Book and read the words on it aloud.

"I already know the matter, feel free to use it, that mirror has no issues."

"What is this?" Zhang Ze refolded the Sword Book, then looked at his mentor.

"Regarding your mirror, the Sect Leader says it's fine," Li said.

The mirror naturally referred to the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror.

Although the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror had always stayed quietly with Zhang Ze, he had never used it.

Firstly, because the mirror was grafted onto him; secondly, because the Dharma Method of the Profound Identification was somewhat miraculous, even able to hold prominent figures like the reincarnation cycle monk.

Additionally, upon unearthing Xiaoxuan, it was discovered that the mirror was related to Dongqi.

Before Zhang Ze figured it out, he hadn't planned on using it.

The Sect Leader's letter was probably thanks to the Junior Sister's effort to have him back for a meal.

Zhang Ze trusted the Sect Leader's knowledge, but he was stuck on how to use the mirror.

Zhang Ze took the mirror out of the Hundred Treasures Bag and fiddled with it repeatedly in his hands, not saying a word.

Li saw this and asked, "Is there any problem?"

Zhang Ze scratched his head, "Apart from knowing this mirror can perform Profound Identification and ask questions, I don't know any other Dharma Methods."

"Didn't you say the mirror has already acknowledged you as its master?" Li was surprised.

"Yeah." Zhang Ze nodded.

Artifacts of such rank usually have an Artifact Spirit. After acknowledging a master, it communicates seamlessly with its owner, so there should be no difficulty in using it.

Li was confused.

"Do you know what it means for an artifact to acknowledge a master?" Li suddenly had a bad premonition.

Li was quite clear about the peculiar habits of this apprentice of his.

Although Zhang Ze knew many random things, he lacked foundational knowledge at the same level as Qiao Lezhi.

"Isn't it like this?" After saying this, Zhang Ze demonstrated to his master what Zhang Family artifact acknowledgment meant.

Zhang Ze put the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror on the ground, then stepped back a few paces and squatted down.

He clapped his hands and said to the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror, like teasing a puppy, "Come here."

The Profound Identification Treasure Mirror obediently flew up, circled in the air, and then flew into Zhang Ze's arms.

"Isn't this acknowledgment?" Zhang Ze asked.

Li had a bit of a headache, he sighed and began to explain to his somewhat specialized apprentice the process of an artifact acknowledgment ceremony.

It was a complex ceremonial procedure, and just listening to it tired Zhang Ze.

He looked at the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror in his hand and said to himself, "Do we have to go through such trouble?"

Apparently, the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror also found it troublesome; it jumped out from Zhang Ze's arms to the ground.

With the raised decorations on its mirror edge, it carved words into the ground.

[No need for so much hassle]

"?" Zhang Ze was stunned, "You can communicate with me?"

[Yeah]

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

[You didn't ask either]

Zhang Ze resolved that whenever he found any precious artifacts in the future, he would chat for a two-hour period first.

"So how do I become your acknowledged master?"

[Wait a moment]

[Done]

"?"

Zhang Ze felt a faint connection form between him and the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror, similar to his connection with Li.

Though the process seemed rather casual.

[The purpose of the ceremony is to please the Artifact Spirit; if the Artifact Spirit is willing, no ceremony is needed]

The Profound Identification Treasure Mirror thoughtfully explained to Zhang Ze.

"So, do we have any synergized communication or similar types of functions?" Zhang Ze felt a bit sorry for the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror.

The floor quality of the mechanism room was quite good, and with each character the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror wrote, sparks scattered everywhere.

[I can't speak, only write]

Helplessly, Zhang Ze took a charcoal pencil and a thin cord from the Hundred Treasures Bag, tied the pencil to the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror, and laid out a white sheet of paper on the ground.

Just as Zhang Ze was about to ask the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror if it had any Dharma Methods, he suddenly remembered something important.

"Do you remember anything from before?" Zhang Ze asked.

And as expected, the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror's answer met Zhang Ze's expectations.

[I don't remember]

Zhang Ze sighed and began to have the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror outline its special talents.

The Profound Identification Treasure Mirror obediently started writing on the paper.

After the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror filled two sheets, Zhang Ze took a sharp breath, realizing he had been holding a treasure without realizing it.

"Why didn't you say you were so amazing earlier?"

[You didn't ask before either]

Li quietly watched from the side, his gaze wandering between Zhang Ze and the Profound Identification Treasure Mirror repeatedly.

He always felt that anything in contact with his apprentice would take on a peculiar nature.

At that moment, Li's head popped out from the ground.

"Greetings, Master Zhang Ze," it first greeted Li, then said to Zhang Ze, "That person surnamed Wu is almost at Joyful Cave."

Li frowned slightly upon hearing the words Joyful Cave, "You included that place in the Underground City?"

Zhang Ze nodded, "Yeah, but I've made a billion little modifications."