I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Chapter 143: Ancient City Organs, Crisis at Every Step

"Be careful!" Lei Yi's cry echoed in the empty hall, but it seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to reach Dongfang Liuli's ears. In the critical moment, Dongfang Liuli seemed to have eyes on his back, and he slightly turned his body, barely avoiding the fatal blow from the Dark Night Master.

The dagger stabbed into the air, creating a gust of wind that ruffled the hair by her ears. Dongfang Liuli's eyes flashed, and she drew the soft sword from her waist with a backhand. The sword danced like a spirit snake, and it rushed straight to the face of the Dark Night Master.

Young Master Dark Night snorted coldly, clearly not expecting Dongfang Liuli to react so quickly. However, he remained calm, his figure flashing like a ghost once again, easily avoiding the sword's edge. The two of them engaged in a fierce battle in the hall.

"Despicable villain!" Lei Yi was furious when he saw this. He raised his fist and was about to go forward to help, but was stopped by the Holy Maiden Lingxin.

"Young Master Lei, he's your opponent!" Saint Lingxin shook the whisk in her hand, blocking the attack of the iron-faced man, and said anxiously, "Miss Liuli is a martial arts expert, you don't have to worry, just deal with the enemy in front of you first!"

Lei Yi then realized he had been impulsive. Although the Iron-Faced Man had been injured by the trap, his strength should not be underestimated. If he were careless, he might put the Holy Lady of Spiritual Heart in danger. He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and focus on the battle at hand.

On the other side, the master of mechanisms turned a blind eye to the fight in front of him. He concentrated on studying the mechanism in front of him, trying to find a way to crack it.

"The mechanisms in this ancient city are indeed ingenious, interconnected and full of hidden dangers. They are much more advanced than anything I've seen before!" The master of mechanisms sighed as he carefully fiddled with the parts on the mechanism.

The fight between Young Master Dark Night and Dongfang Liuli gradually became intense. Dongfang Liuli's swordsmanship was light and graceful, and every move was deadly, while Young Master Dark Night's body movements were strange and unpredictable. It was difficult to tell who was better between the two for a while.

Young Master An Ye was anxious. He had originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos to eliminate Dongfang Liuli, but he unexpectedly got into a tough fight. He caught a glimpse of Lei Yi and the others fighting with the iron-faced man, and with an idea in mind, he deliberately exposed a flaw to lure Dongfang Liuli into attacking.

Dongfang Liuli fell into the trap and thrust her sword forward, but Young Master Dark Night dodged it and slapped her chest with his backhand. Dongfang Liuli groaned, staggered back, and bumped into a stone pillar.

"Liuli!" Lei Yi's eyes were bloodshot, but he was held tightly by the iron-faced man and could not escape.

"Haha, you guys really want to fight me?" Young Master Dark Night laughed triumphantly, "Today I'll let you see what true despair is!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground in the center of the hall suddenly began to shake, and the bluestone slabs slowly sank, revealing a pitch-black abyss. At the same time, countless crossbows shot out from the surrounding walls, blocking all escape routes.

"Oh no, this is a death mechanism!" The mechanism master's face changed drastically and he exclaimed in surprise.

Lei Yi's heart sank, knowing he and his companions were in dire straits. However, at this moment, he suddenly noticed that the sunken bluestone slabs were not random; their shapes, sizes, and positions seemed to hold a hidden meaning...

Lei Yi's heart moved, his eyes fixed on the bluestone slabs, his mind quickly calculating, and a bold idea gradually took shape in his mind.

He took a deep breath, his gaze determined, and shouted to Dongfang Liuli, "Liuli, believe me, I can break this mechanism!" Lei Yi's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, scanned the sinking bluestone slabs. These slabs weren't randomly arranged; their size, shape, and even the subtle differences in pattern suggested a pattern. He noticed that the patterns on several of the slabs vaguely formed a strange pattern, resembling a formation he had once seen in an ancient book.

"Liuli, help me protect the Dharma!" Lei Yi said in a deep voice, a hint of excitement in his tone, as if he had grasped a glimmer of hope. Dongfang Liuli stood in front of him without hesitation, the soft sword in her hand dancing with a silver light, blocking all the incoming crossbow arrows.

Lei Yi ignored the danger around him, completely absorbed in deciphering the mechanism. Based on the pattern on the stone slab and his memories of the formation, he began to deduce a solution. He alternated between pensive thought and gestures, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.

The master of mechanical engineering initially disdained Lei Yi's actions, but as Lei Yi got closer to the truth, the contempt on his face gradually gave way to surprise and jealousy. He couldn't believe that a young man who knew nothing about mechanical engineering could find a solution so quickly.

"Young Master Dark Night, this guy seems to have some skills!" The Master of Machinery said with a hint of sourness in his tone. Young Master Dark Night's face darkened. He certainly saw Lei Yi's potential, and a murderous intent suddenly rose in his heart.

"Hmph, even if he can crack the mechanism, so what? Don't forget, I have the final say in everything here!" Young Master Dark Night snorted coldly and winked at the Master of Mechanics, "Go and help him, 'help' him get rid of it sooner!"

The master of mechanisms understood what he meant, smiled sinisterly, and while no one was paying attention, he secretly walked behind Lei Yi and took out a small hidden weapon from his sleeve.

Lei Yi was completely absorbed in deducing the secrets of the mechanism, completely unaware of the danger behind him. He reached out and gently pressed his hand against a piece of bluestone, when a sudden chill struck him from behind...

"Be careful!" Dongfang Liuli keenly sensed something was wrong and cried out in alarm, but it was too late...

"Be careful!" Dongfang Liuli's cry echoed throughout the tomb, but the soft sword in her hand was too late to stop the sudden attack. The master's hidden weapon accurately hit the bluestone slab behind Lei Yi, triggering the hidden mechanism within.

"Swish, swish, swish—" Several sharp crossbow arrows shot out from the cracks in the stone slabs with a piercing sound, aiming directly at Lei Yi's back. In the critical moment, Lei Yi felt a chill run down his spine, and the instincts honed over years of life-and-death struggles made him subconsciously lunge forward.

"Puff! Puff!" Two crossbow bolts flew past Lei Yi's back, nailing the stone slab in front of him, the tails still buzzing. Several other crossbow bolts flew over his head and embedded themselves deeply in the opposite wall.

Lei Yi, still terrified, stood up and looked behind him in a mixture of shock and anger. He saw the Master of Machinery with a sinister sneer on his face, while Young Master Dark Night looked as if he was enjoying a good show.

All of this was witnessed by the Holy Maiden of Spiritual Heart, who was standing not far away. She was instantly filled with anger and fear. She was angry at the despicable actions of the Master of Machinery and the Young Master of Dark Night, and she was terrified of the consequences she would face if she exposed them.

She bit her lip and clenched the staff in her hand, wanting to stand up and reveal the truth, but when she saw the cold eyes of the Young Master of Dark Night, she hesitated again.

"Miss Lingxin, what's wrong with you? You don't look well." Young Master Dark Night noticed the strangeness of Saint Lingxin and asked with pretended concern.

The Holy Lady of Spiritual Heart suppressed her inner fear and forced a smile: "No, nothing, it's just that the light here is too dim and I feel a little uncomfortable."

Young Master Dark Night walked up to her and whispered, "Miss Lingxin, I know you are kind-hearted and can't bear to see others suffer. But I advise you to mind your own business, otherwise..."

He deliberately left his words unfinished, but the threat was clear. Saint Lingxin's face paled. She knew that Young Master Dark Night was ruthless and ruthless. If she really meddled, her life would be in danger.

At this moment, Lei Yi suddenly spoke: "Thank you for the reminder, Master. This mechanism is really powerful. I almost fell into your trap!"

His tone was calm, as if the previous dangerous situation was just a minor incident. He was not frightened by the mechanism, but instead became calmer and continued to search for a way to break it.

Young Master Dark Night looked at Lei Yi's back, a sinister smile curling up at the corner of his mouth. He thought to himself, "Boy, do you think this can stump me? I still have plenty of ways to deal with you!" He waved to a man in black behind him and whispered a few words...

Lei Yi crouched down, carefully observing the locations of the crossbow bolts and the patterns on the surrounding stone slabs. He discovered that the bolts weren't fired randomly, but rather arranged according to a pattern. He extended his finger and gently touched the patterns on the stone slabs, trying to find a way to decipher the code. Dongfang Liuli also stepped forward to study with him.

"These patterns look like some kind of ancient formation." Dongfang Liuli frowned slightly and said in a low voice.

Lei Yi nodded in agreement. He had seen a similar formation in ancient books, called the "Tian Gang Bei Dou Formation." It was extremely powerful, but the method of breaking it was also extremely complex.

"It seems we are in trouble this time." Lei Yi sighed lightly and said to himself.

However, he didn't give up. He knew that in this ancient city teeming with dangers, any moment of complacency could lead to utter destruction. He had to decipher the trap as quickly as possible to move forward and find what he wanted.

At this time, Young Master Dark Night was hiding in the dark, observing Lei Yi's every move.

"How is it? Did that guy fall for it?" he asked the man in black beside him in a low voice.

The man in black replied respectfully, "Sir, that guy seems to have discovered the secret of the mechanism and is trying to crack it."

Young Master Dark Night sneered, "Hmph, even if he finds out, so what? I've already ordered people to tamper with the mechanism. If he dares to act rashly, it will trigger a more powerful mechanism. Then, he'll be dead!"

The man in black showed a cruel smile on his face: "My lord, you are wise. That kid can't escape this time even if he has wings!"

Young Master Dark Night waved his hand, signaling the men in black to continue monitoring Lei Yi. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and his heart was filled with pride and satisfaction.

Unaware that he had fallen into a greater crisis, Lei Yi concentrated on studying the formation before him, trying to find a way to break it. He tried to inject spiritual energy into the stone slab, but found no reaction. He then tried to touch the patterns in different ways, but still could not decipher the mechanism.

Time passed by minute by minute, and beads of sweat appeared on Lei Yi's forehead. He knew that he could not delay any longer.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused all his attention on the formation before him. He recalled the records of the "Tian Gang Beidou Formation" in ancient books, and continued to deduce the method of breaking it in his mind.

Suddenly, he felt something in his mind, as if he had grasped something crucial. He opened his eyes abruptly, and a gleam of light flashed in them.

"I know!" He growled, stretched out his finger, and quickly tapped the stone slab a few times.

As he moved, a dazzling light suddenly appeared on the stone slab, and the entire tomb began to tremble violently.

"Oh no, he is about to break the formation! Stop him quickly!" Seeing this, Young Master Dark Night's face changed drastically and he shouted loudly.

However, it was too late.

The light on the stone slab grew brighter and brighter, eventually forming a pillar of light that shot up into the sky. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli were startled by this sudden change and instinctively stepped back.

At this moment, Lei Yi suddenly felt a powerful force surging out from the light column, enveloping him. He felt dizzy and everything in front of him became blurry.

"Liuli..." He subconsciously reached out to grab Dongfang Liuli, but found that his hand actually passed through her body.

"What's going on?" Lei Yi was startled and turned around suddenly, only to find that Dongfang Liuli was looking at him in astonishment, with eyes full of strangeness and... fear?

"You... who are you?" Dongfang Liuli's voice trembled, as if she had seen something terrible.

A strong sense of uneasiness suddenly surged in Lei Yi's heart. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but found that he could not make a sound.

At this moment, he felt his consciousness gradually blurring, and everything before his eyes began to turn dark...

"no, do not want……"