Bai Ye lay in the cloth bag for a while.
Initially, Bai Ye could still hear some noisy sounds, but soon, the surroundings became silent, and nothing could be heard.
"Is anyone there?" Bai Ye shouted, "God is fine, or ghosts will do!"
After Bai Ye shouted, the surroundings remained quiet.
Bai Ye could only turn around helplessly, and then...
"Huh!"
As Bai Ye turned, he suddenly found that the tightly bound cloth bag seemed to have loosened a bit. He couldn't help but look down towards the back, only to discover that the mouth of the cloth bag had actually come undone.
Bai Ye was stunned for a moment, then quickly scrambled out towards the back.
After exiting the cloth bag, Bai Ye looked around. His first reaction was that it was magnificent, and his second reaction was that it was peculiar.
This was a grand hall, and the entire arrangement within the hall was made of crystal.
The ground beneath Bai Ye's feet was crystal, the surrounding pillars were crystal, the ceiling was crystal; in short, everything was crystal.
Up to this point, one might think they had arrived in some magical land, but that was not the case. Within those crystals, there were densely packed mechanical devices and various kinds of parts. The most common were gears, which rotated continuously within the crystal, constantly turning.
Every single crystal was imbued with a mechanical feel.
After a slight gasp of amazement, Bai Ye walked forward.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...
The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. Apart from the sound of rotating machinery, the only sound was Bai Ye's footsteps.
Passing through the hall, Bai Ye ascended the crystal staircase. Ahead, there was an open grand door.
After walking through the door, Bai Ye saw a corridor.
The corridor looked more normal. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs. Then, Bai Ye walked forward along the corridor and discovered...
Normal my foot!
The walls on both sides of the corridor were hollowed-out cabinets, and what was hanging inside the cabinets were...
Robots, one after another!
These robots were clearly unfinished products. Many parts of their bodies were missing, and they were hung there like clothes.
Even some robots only had torsos, with their lower halves being entirely made of cables.
At the same time, Bai Ye noticed that the robots here seemed a bit different. This was because these robots could not be considered purely mechanical creations.
Or, to put it more accurately, it was a combination of mechanics and immortal arts.
In front of Bai Ye was a semi-finished robot. Its outer shell was only half-installed. The chest casing was open, revealing very intricate formations etched onto the casing.
Furthermore, the power core at the heart's position was designed in the shape of a Bagua, with spirit stones of different colors embedded in the various Bagua positions.
It was clear that compared to ordinary robots that used energy blocks as their power source, these robots were powered by spiritual energy.
Moreover, their energy conversion was also very novel.
These robots had no circuit boards. The so-called circuits were connected through formations, but it wasn't purely so. There were many cables around. Judging by the wiring, Bai Ye discovered that those cables were not connected to the power unit but only to the limbs.
This was vastly different from the robot structures in Bai Ye's memory, making this a very novel type of robot for him.
And it was at this moment...
"Are you interested in these?"
A voice suddenly sounded in Bai Ye's ear.
Startled by the sudden voice, Bai Ye immediately went on guard and cautiously looked around.
"No need to look, I'm in front. Come over here."
The voice sounded again. Bai Ye then realized that the voice seemed to be speaking directly into his ear.
Bai Ye hesitated for a moment, then walked forward.
Soon, he reached the end of the corridor and saw a slightly ajar vermilion door.
Bai Ye pushed the door open, and what appeared before him was a hall filled with a strong sense of machinery.
The style of the hall was still very retro, but there were many hollowed-out areas on the surrounding floor. Looking down into these hollows, one could see wooden mechanical devices below, though their purpose was unknown.
And in the center of the hall was a giant alchemy furnace. There were also large hollowed-out areas around it, with mechanical devices below.
Bai Ye guessed that these devices were related to the alchemy furnace, as the furnace was precisely located in the center of all the mechanical devices.
And at this moment...
From behind the alchemy furnace, a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe walked out.
Bai Ye showed a look of vigilance and instinctively retreated a couple of steps.
"Don't be afraid," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "As long as you stay here obediently, I won't do anything to you."
Bai Ye pondered for a moment, then said, "May I ask your name?"
"He is Taiyi Zhenren," another voice appeared behind Bai Ye. "Some people also like to call him Tai Er Zhenren!"
Almost instantly, Bai Ye transformed into lightning, moved ten meters sideways, and then reappeared.
At the entrance, an old Taoist priest in white robes sat, holding a whisk in his hand. He turned his head to look in Bai Ye's direction.
Taiyi Zhenren smiled and said, "Mortal, you must have heard of him. He is the renowned Taishang Laojun."
Bai Ye felt cold sweat breaking out on his back. How could he not have heard of them? These two were far more formidable than the two fighting outside.
One was one of the Three Pure Ones of Taoism.
The other was the Lord of Qingwei, the first immortal to commit a karma of killing.
Taishang Laojun withdrew his gaze from Bai Ye and looked at Taiyi Zhenren, saying, "There was a bit of a disturbance. It's happening a bit earlier than we anticipated, but the problem doesn't seem to be significant."
Taiyi Zhenren nodded and said, "Since there's no problem, you should go attend to your business."
Taishang Laojun asked, "And you?"
Taiyi Zhenren replied, "I'll chat with this young friend."
"Are you really going to leave all the work to an old man like me?" Taishang Laojun waved his sleeve and said, "Fine, fine, I'm going."
After speaking, Taishang Laojun waved his sleeve and turned to leave.
Bai Ye was completely bewildered. What riddle were these two playing?
Taiyi Zhenren smiled at Bai Ye and said, "Come, sit."
As Taiyi Zhenren spoke, he casually waved his hand, and a tea table with two meditation cushions appeared before him.
On the tea table, the small red clay stove was already hot. Taiyi Zhenren casually picked it up and poured tea into the cups.
Bai Ye thought for a moment, then walked to the tea table and sat down, saying, "Um... Great Immortal? I don't know if you believe me, but I really just stumbled into this place. I have no ill intentions."
Taiyi Zhenren smiled and said, "Whether you stumbled in or not, what does that have to do with me?"
"Ah?" Bai Ye was taken aback. "Then why did you, venerable sir, capture me?"
Taiyi Zhenren said, "You possess something that ordinary people cannot, which makes this venerable greatly wary. Hence, I invited you for a chat."