I nodded. “Indeed, the tomb’s owner is truly mysterious. If I get the chance, I must investigate his identity thoroughly.”

Xiao Bai said, “Forget about that for now. The Toad King seems to be brewing something. We haven’t seen him for months; I suspect he’ll make a move any day now. If we arrive too late, we won’t be able to control the situation.”

Hearing this, I fell silent, merely following him forward with a determined pace.

As we walked, I suddenly noticed that some of the crystal ice lamps ahead were already damaged, with shards of ice scattered across the floor.

The vegetation had grown even more rampant; the entire area looked less like a grand hall and more like a dense jungle.

At this point, Xiao Bai warned me, “Be careful. We are entering the Toad King’s territory ahead. We maintain a division of labor—never the twain shall meet—but he is extremely wary of me, and the insects in this thicket are not to be trifled with. So…”

I paused, asking, “So what?”

Xiao Bai replied, “So you go first!”

I was momentarily speechless, thinking, Fine, I guess I’m just a mobile bug repellent.

Scouting ahead wasn’t a new task for me, so I didn't mind.

To prevent any insects from crawling onto my body from the undergrowth, I used my telekinesis to part the foliage ahead and ventured in.

Xiao Bai showered praise upon my superpower. “Although we Il’hreiz are one of the most intelligent races in the universe, we lack inherent superpowers—a true pity. Your ability to control objects with your mind, even in this era of universal psionics across the Galactic Civilization, ranks among the elite. Atlantis must truly be an extraordinary race.”

I smiled faintly. “Thank you for the compliment.”

Pushing the grass aside, I discovered that the crystal ice pillars ahead were either obscured or completely destroyed; there was no light whatsoever.

The first ball of Karmic Fire given to me by Number 2 had long since extinguished itself; it was timed. I wasn't ready to use the Karmic Fire stored in the vial yet, as that was reserved for life-or-death emergencies.

But this left us without any source of illumination. How could we navigate through grass taller than my waist without light?

Xiao Bai seemed to read my mind. “That magic flute you are holding—press the third and fifth holes simultaneously, and it will emit light.”

I nodded. “So this thing really is called a magic flute. It’s not strange for a flute to make sound, but this is the first time I’ve seen one that glows.”

Xiao Bai explained, “It’s not actually producing light. It emits sonic waves that alter the sensory responses of living beings. Your eyes can receive these waves and form images, much like how bats on your Earth use ultrasound to map the size and shape of objects.”

I expressed my surprise. “That’s quite high-tech.”

Saying that, I followed Xiao Bai’s instructions and tried it out. Sure enough, there was a loud whirring sound in my ears, and my vision blurred momentarily.

When my sight cleared again, everything before me was perfectly visible, just like daylight.

I thought to myself that if I made it out of here, I absolutely had to take this magic flute. It was incredibly practical. While my Night Eyes allowed me to perceive objects in darkness, the range was short and the image fuzzy. This thing was far superior.

However, once I could see clearly, I realized things weren't necessarily smoother, because I spotted a swamp not far ahead.

I nodded. “Indeed, the tomb’s owner is truly mysterious. If I get the chance, I must investigate his identity thoroughly.”

Xiao Bai said, “Forget about that for now. The Toad King seems to be brewing something. We haven’t seen him for months; I suspect he’ll make a move any day now. If we arrive too late, we won’t be able to control the situation.”

Hearing this, I fell silent, merely following him forward with a determined pace.

As we walked, I suddenly noticed that some of the crystal ice lamps ahead were already damaged, with shards of ice scattered across the floor.

The vegetation had grown even more rampant; the entire area looked less like a grand hall and more like a dense jungle.

At this point, Xiao Bai warned me, “Be careful. We are entering the Toad King’s territory ahead. We maintain a division of labor—never the twain shall meet—but he is extremely wary of me, and the insects in this thicket are not to be trifled with. So…”

I paused, asking, “So what?”

Xiao Bai replied, “So you go first!”

I was momentarily speechless, thinking, Fine, I guess I’m just a mobile bug repellent.

Scouting ahead wasn’t a new task for me, so I didn't mind.

To prevent any insects from crawling onto my body from the undergrowth, I used my telekinesis to part the foliage ahead and ventured in.

Xiao Bai showered praise upon my superpower. “Although we Il’hreiz are one of the most intelligent races in the universe, we lack inherent superpowers—a true pity. Your ability to control objects with your mind, even in this era of universal psionics across the Galactic Civilization, ranks among the elite. Atlantis must truly be an extraordinary race.”

I smiled faintly. “Thank you for the compliment.”

Pushing the grass aside, I discovered that the crystal ice pillars ahead were either obscured or completely destroyed; there was no light whatsoever.

The first ball of Karmic Fire given to me by Number 2 had long since extinguished itself; it was timed. I wasn't ready to use the Karmic Fire stored in the vial yet, as that was reserved for life-or-death emergencies.

But this left us without any source of illumination. How could we navigate through grass taller than my waist without light?

Xiao Bai seemed to read my mind. “That magic flute you are holding—press the third and fifth holes simultaneously, and it will emit light.”

I nodded. “So this thing really is called a magic flute. It’s not strange for a flute to make sound, but this is the first time I’ve seen one that glows.”

Xiao Bai explained, “It’s not actually producing light. It emits sonic waves that alter the sensory responses of living beings. Your eyes can receive these waves and form images, much like how bats on your Earth use ultrasound to map the size and shape of objects.”

I expressed my surprise. “That’s quite high-tech.”

Saying that, I followed Xiao Bai’s instructions and tried it out. Sure enough, there was a loud whirring sound in my ears, and my vision blurred momentarily.

When my sight cleared again, everything before me was perfectly visible, just like daylight.

I thought to myself that if I made it out of here, I absolutely had to take this magic flute. It was incredibly practical. While my Night Eyes allowed me to perceive objects in darkness, the range was short and the image fuzzy. This thing was far superior.

However, once I could see clearly, I realized things weren't necessarily smoother, because I spotted a swamp not far ahead.