Alarm

Looking at the stone steps descending downward, Dustin took a deep breath and slowly stepped in.

The tunnel was rather long, but there was light within. After descending for a while, it began to level out, and the deeper he went, the more spacious it became.

He proceeded forward, encountering no abnormalities and triggering no traps.

Before long, Dustin followed the passage into a hidden chamber.

The chamber was quite spacious, filled on all sides with all manner of rare treasures.

There were divine weapons, secret manuals, and some rare spiritual herbs and precious artifacts.

Dustin carefully inspected the room but did not see the jade box containing the Dragon Source Qi.

Eventually, his gaze locked onto the deepest part of the chamber.

There stood a large gate made of refined steel, covered in intricate runes.

Dustin took out his compass and observed it closely. The needle pointed unwaveringly toward the gate, showing no sign of movement.

“Looks like it’s hidden inside this vault.”

Putting away the compass, Dustin began to study the densely packed, mysterious runes on the gate.

He knew well that these runes were surely tied to the mechanism for opening the door.

After a short while of observation, Dustin quickly noticed something unusual.

Although there were many runes on the gate, only six showed signs of wear, with faint fingerprints still visible on them.

Most likely, the password was made up of these six runes. As long as he figured out the correct sequence, he could unlock the gate.

After thinking for a moment, Dustin began pressing the runes in a pattern based on his deduction.

Once all six runes were pressed, the vault door emitted a sharp "click."

In an instant, countless poisoned needles shot out from holes in the gate.

Dustin pushed off with his feet and leapt into the air, clinging to the ceiling of the chamber.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”

The needles missed their mark, embedding themselves into the opposite wall, leaving behind a dense array of holes.

Their sharpness was evident.

“As expected, there’s something fishy.”

Dustin gently descended, focused for a moment, and resumed trying different rune sequences.

The second attempt was also wrong.

This time, it wasn't needles that emerged, but a cloud of pungent green toxic liquid.

Dustin had anticipated it and dodged in advance.

The ground where he had just stood was now pitted by the corrosive liquid, the holes still growing in size.

They dug more than a meter deep before finally halting upon hitting a steel plate beneath the floor.

If the poison could eat through stone, it would surely reduce a human to bones in seconds.

One has to admit that the hidden weapon traps set up by Juntang are really vicious.

Even a grandmaster-level expert wouldn’t dare face them head-on. A single misstep could be their undoing.

Without wasting time, Dustin continued testing combinations.

Each failure triggered another assault.

Sometimes it was hidden weapons, sometimes toxic fog, poisonous insects, or strange and unpredictable attacks.

There were sudden trap formations underfoot, iron cages dropping from the ceiling --- countless hazards impossible to predict.

If not for Dustin’s high cultivation and swift reflexes, he would’ve fallen long ago.

Attempt after attempt, failure after failure, Dustin began to grow anxious.

Though the traps hadn’t injured him yet, things would only get worse the longer this dragged on.

The guards outside, knocked out by the sleeping gas, would wake up in less than two hours.

If they regained consciousness before Dustin opened the vault, the mission would be a complete failure.

Dustin had considered brute-forcing the door open, but that would surely alert Li Juntang.

They could surround the area before he even got the Dragon Source Qi.

At that point, even if he escaped, his identity would be exposed.

He wasn’t willing to go that far unless absolutely necessary.

For now, he could only keep gambling on luck.

Unconsciously, sweat began to bead on Dustin’s forehead, and his mood grew heavier.

Finally, after numerous failed attempts, the vault door let out a deep hum and slowly opened.

“Finally!”

Dustin exhaled deeply, feeling a few shades lighter.

The password trials had pushed him to the brink --- he’d nearly resorted to forcing the door.

Thankfully, he had succeeded in the end, and the traps were now all spent.

Stepping into the vault, Dustin’s eyes quickly scanned the dazzling array of treasures.

Soon, he spotted a protective glass case, within which sat two jade boxes.

He strode over, opened the case, and carefully lifted the jade boxes.

The familiar aura of Dragon Source Qi wafted out.

“It’s really here!”

Dustin beamed, storing the boxes away.

Despite the setbacks, he had completed the mission.

Just as he was about to leave, the vault door slammed shut behind him.

Thick red poisonous gas spewed from vents all around the vault.

Next came the shrill wail of an alarm, echoing throughout the entire estate.

Dustin frowned, his face darkening.

He had been cautious enough, but Li Juntang still had one more trick up his sleeve.

Now things were complicated.

At the same moment, in another courtyard room, Li Juntang was lying in bed, dreaming peacefully.

Suddenly, the piercing alarm shattered his slumber like a thunderclap.

He leapt from the bed, not even bothering with his clothes, and rushed outside.

“Men! An intruder! After me --- catch the thief!”

With a loud shout, he gathered his guards and charged toward the secret vault, anxiety written all over his face.

The alarm was only installed in the vault. If it had been the secret chamber, it wouldn't have alerted him. Though the items there were valuable, they weren’t crucial.

But if the vault was breached, it was a different story --- every item inside was priceless. Losing even one would be a devastating blow.

At that moment, he didn’t have the luxury of pondering how a thief had gotten into his well-guarded estate.

He had only one thought: get to the scene fast, catch the intruder, and stop the loss. - Ton