I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress-Chapter 182: Going Down

"The flying beasts at the lower levels can’t. As for the ones that can...there’s no point worrying about them." Gao Zhen said with a smile.

"Oh? Do they have a docile nature?" Yi Chen asked with curiosity when he heard this.

’Maybe because they’re higher-level beings, these beasts have developed intelligence and therefore have a much milder nature...’

Yi Chen tried to guess.

Hearing his question, Gao Zhen smiled in an amused manner and said, "Quite the opposite. They’ll tear us apart the moment they catch sight of us,"

Gao Zhen paused for a second and, seeing the worried frown forming on Yi Chen’s face, said with a tone of assurance.

"However, there’s no need to worry. Since the strength of these beasts is equivalent to that of a Heaven Ascension Stage cultivator, they are quite sparse in number. Therefore, the chances that we are going to meet one of them are almost negligible."

When Yi Chen heard those words of assurance from Gao Zhen, the last thing he felt was assured.

’You expect me not to worry after raising such a glaring flag?!’

With creases apparent on his forehead, he asked the next instant, "T-then what if we end up encountering one?"

"Then we will all end up dead," Gao Zhen stated with little to no change in her tone.

Zhou Lan and Xie Rou, who were listening from the side, nodded at those words.

Even a Heaven Ascension Stage cultivator won’t dare to face a Grade Nine beast all by himself and would form groups to take them on.

Even then, the chances of them winning were extremely low as the majority of the time that beast would break through all the binding artefacts and techniques and escape, only to return later when no one expected.

Therefore, if the four of them really ended up encountering such a beast, then hoping for a quick, painless death was the most they could ask for.

’We will all end up dead...’

Yi Chen’s breath stifled as he repeated Gao Zhen’s words in his mind.

The tone of certainty with which she had said those words had truly affected his psyche.

’So, there’s really nothing we can do if we encounter these beasts...’

Yi Chen thought as he sighed internally.

On land, even in the face of despairing odds, he could at least attempt to escape, but in the sky...there was just no place to escape.

A wave of helplessness shrouded his mind the next moment, and at the same time, seeing how casual Gao Zhen and the rest were about it, he became aware of the dangers this beautiful sky contained.

Seeing that Yi Chen had no more doubts, Gao Zhen willed the artefact to move and the next instant it zipped forward with incomprehensible speed.

The barrier around the artefact glowed intensely, clearly indicating that it was doing the work of ensuring the four of them inside were not hit by a blast of air.

’I didn’t even feel the inertia earlier...are the natural laws inside this barrier under aretefact’s control?’

Yi Chen thought, an impressed expression forming on his face.

He was about to sit in a more comfortable position to take in the surrounding view when suddenly Gao Zhen stood up.

"???"

Seeing the inquisitive expression on three of their faces, Gao Zhen smiled and then, particularly glancing towards Yi Chen, asked with a teasing tone, "Young Master Chen, you didn’t think that the four of us are going to sit like this throughout our journey, right?"

"This...are we not?" Yi Chen asked in confusion, as that seemed to be the only option.

"Of course not. It will take a whole week for us to reach that place," Gao Zhen chuckled, and the next instant pointed towards her feet and said, "Let’s go down, then shall we?"

’Down...? Didn’t you say that we were flying up to avoid those beas-’

Before Yi Chen could even finish his first string of thoughts, the carpet beneath Gao Zhen’s feet began thinning and unravelled to reveal a staircase leading to a completely different space underneath.

"So cool..." Yi Chen couldn’t help but say in amazement.

"Cool? Are you feeling cold?" Gao Zhen suddenly asked with a frown.

"Ah...no. It’s just a term I use when I find something amazing," Yi Chen answered, realising that the people of this world naturally wouldn’t be familiar with such terms.

"Cool, huh? Maybe I’ll start using it as well," Gao Zhen mused, liking how short and crisp the word was.

Zhou Lan and Xie Rou also nodded in understanding after hearing Yi Chen’s explanation.

’So that’s what it meant.’

’Cool, I see...’

Gao Zhen didn’t let their thoughts linger for long, as the next second, she gestured them to follow after her as she took the lead and started descending those stairs.

Zhou Lan and Xie Rou followed soon after, and with a similar expression of anticipation, Yi Chen too descended.

Step.

Step.

Step.

The initially dark surroundings brightened to a pleasant yellow light as they descended a few steps.

It was also at this moment that Yi Chen noticed just how massive this space was. The whole structure inside resembled the insides of a large house.

The stairs guided them to a fully furnished hall which had enough space for five people to comfortably sit and spend time with each other.

Various texts and board games were also available on the shelves and low tables, respectively, if one wanted to relax and kill time.

"This is the recreation room. It’s here where we’ll be spending our time when we are not in our rooms. As to where your rooms are,"

Gao Zhen said with a smile and gestured at one end of the hall.

In the centre of a wall, a brightly lit hallway was present. Four doors could clearly be seen on one side of the hallway.

"Each of these doors is a separate room, and they are all large enough to comfortably accommodate an adult. So, we have enough room for all of us."

Gao Zhen finished, and a playful idea suddenly entered her mind.

Meanwhile, Xie Rou and Zhou Lan’s eyes had brightened after hearing Gao Zhen’s words, and a similar expression had also formed on Yi Chen’s face. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"We will also be getting separate rooms..." he muttered under his breath.

He had previously thought that it would be difficult for him to make use of his 10x buff, and it would end up getting wasted...but now that he would be getting a separate room, he could utilise that buff to its limit!

"So, what are you three waiting for?" Gao Zhen asked and, with a wide grin, stated, "The first one gets to take the best room."

The next second, her figure disappeared like a flash and appeared right next to one of the doors, which was closest to the hallway’s entrance.

"Oh, and I also forgot to mention it earlier," Gao Zhen said with a thoughtful expression, "The last room in this hallway has its bedsheets stained."

With an anticipatory glint in her eyes, Gao Zhen pushed open her room’s door and left the three of them standing at their places the next second.

"Good luck~"

Her fleeting voice entered their ears as the door to her room slammed shut.

The very next second, all three of them glanced towards each other, the tension around them intensifying.

"This..." Seeing the competitive look in both Zhou Lan and Xie Rou’s eyes, Yi Chen gestured with his hand and said politely, "Senior Sisters can comfortably choose their rooms without worry.

Since I’ll mostly be engrossed in comprehending my martial techniques, the stained sheet won’t make much of a difference."

Although Yi Chen possessed the capability to easily beat the two of them using his movement technique, he still decided not to do it in this situation.

The two women were bound to become his seniors at the Heavenly Azure Dragon Sect, so being on their bad side, even subtly, was the last thing he wanted.

Moreover, if such actions from his side would be able to earn some goodwill, then he would be more than just happy...and apparently that’s what it did.

"This..."

Initially, an uncomfortable expression had appeared on both Zhou Lan and Xie Rou’s faces when they heard his words.

They had clearly expected him to compete against them, so such feelings were natural. However, at the same time, a sense of relief and gratefulness also rose in their minds.

"Junior Brother Chen is really considerate. If there’s something you require help with in the future, especially at the sect, you can freely approach us," Xie Rou stated the next moment.

"Indeed," Zhou Lan nodded and said, "You can also ask us if you come across any doubt while comprehending your martial techniques later."

"Then I’ll keep Senior Sisters’ words in mind," Yi Chen said with a bright smile and clasped his hands towards them.

His respectful actions until the end succeeded in raising his evaluation in the eyes of the two of them, as with a smile on their faces, they nodded towards him and then went forward to pick the second and third rooms simultaneously.

’Let’s see how the room is then,’ Yi Chen thought while moving towards the fourth room the next moment.

’...Tch, he spoiled all the fun,’ Gao Zhen, who was observing everything with her spiritual sense, clicked her tongue in mild annoyance and soon directed her attention to arranging her room.