A magical journey of a sharp-tongued woman and a goofy man

Chapter 142 Breaking Through the Formation and Moving Forward

Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye stood before the array of mechanisms. The complex and ingenious structure resembled a giant metal spider web, coiling before them and exuding a cold and dangerous aura.

They both took a deep breath, their hearts pounding, as if they could hear each other's tense breathing.

"Goodness, this thing is even harder than the '53' workbook from my hometown!" Jiang Ye stroked his chin, pretending to be relaxed as he complained, but in reality, he was sweating bullets.

This maze of mechanisms, with its interlocking gears, crisscrossing chains, and lurking arrows, is practically the entrance to a death maze.

Ye Shuli frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping over every detail.

The metal surface of the machine gleamed with a cold, eerie light, and a faint smell of machine oil, mixed with a hint of musty dust, filled the air, giving her an ominous premonition.

This mechanism is no ordinary item.

"Click——"

A soft sound broke the silence of the cave.

The two instantly tensed up, their eyes fixed on the source of the sound—a seemingly ordinary stone brick that had slightly sunken.

"Holy crap, this thing even has automatic sensors?" Jiang Ye exclaimed, quickly taking a few steps back.

After the stone bricks sank, the surrounding gears began to turn, emitting a low rumble, like a sleeping giant slowly awakening.

The chains rubbed against each other, making a piercing creaking sound that echoed through the empty cave, sending chills down one's spine.

Ye Shuli's eyes sharpened, and she grabbed Jiang Ye's arm, whispering, "Be careful, this mechanism array has been activated!"

Before the words were finished, several poisoned arrows whistled through the air, heading straight for the two men's faces.

Ye Shuli reacted quickly, pulling Jiang Ye to the side to dodge. The hidden arrow grazed their sleeves and struck the stone wall behind them with a dull thud.

"Hiss—" Jiang Ye gasped, looking at the arrow that glowed with an eerie green light, and felt a chill run down his spine.

If you get hit by that, it's no joke.

Ye Shuli's expression turned solemn; the power of this mechanism array far exceeded their expectations.

Fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on them; every breath, every heartbeat, was filled with danger and the unknown.

"Li'er, what do we do now?" Jiang Ye's voice trembled slightly as he held Ye Shuli's hand tightly, as if grasping at a lifeline.

Ye Shuli didn't speak, but her eyes were fixed on the array of mechanisms in front of her, her mind racing.

She must find a way out, or they will be trapped in this hellish place forever...

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and a confident smile appeared on her lips: "I think... I've found the pattern."

Ye Shuli's gaze swept quickly across the complex array of mechanisms. The meshing of gears, the direction of chains, the angles at which the hidden arrows were launched—everything became clear to her.

Various mechanical schematics flashed through her mind, and her knowledge of modern technology unexpectedly came in handy here.

"Jiang Ye, look at how these gears rotate. Doesn't it look like a differential gear from our high school physics textbook?"

Jiang Ye looked bewildered: "Li'er, what time is it? You're still thinking about high school physics? All I can think about right now is 'physics salvation'!" Although he complained, Jiang Ye still followed Ye Shuli's train of thought and began to observe.

"You know what, it does look a bit like it! Could it be that this thing also requires calculus to solve?" Jiang Ye exclaimed in exaggerated surprise.

"What are you thinking? It's not that complicated." Ye Shuli chuckled. "Look, these gears rotate at different speeds. As long as we adjust their speeds and make them rotate in sync, we can change the trajectory of the hidden arrow."

Without further ado, Ye Shuli instructed Jiang Ye to move some nearby stones to change the stress point of the gears.

The two worked together seamlessly; a single glance or gesture was enough for them to understand each other's thoughts.

With a "click," the first mechanism was successfully solved!

A dazzling light shone from the center of the mechanism array, illuminating the entire cave.

"It's done!" Jiang Ye jumped up excitedly and hugged Ye Shuli tightly. "Li'er, you're amazing! You're even more accurate than that blessed fortune-telling machine back home!"

Ye Shuli was a little embarrassed by his sudden hug and gently pushed him away: "Keep it down, keep it down, this is nothing."

Just as the two were basking in the joy of their success, Jiang Ye accidentally stepped on a loose stone brick.

"Not good!" Ye Shuli's expression changed, and she pulled Jiang Ye behind her.

Almost simultaneously, several flashes of cold light appeared, and a few tiny poison needles shot towards the spot where they had just been standing.

"Holy crap! This thing has a backup plan!" Jiang Ye was still in shock, but feeling Ye Shuli's protection, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Ye Shuli frowned; this mechanism was more complicated than she had imagined.

She gripped the dagger tightly, her gaze resolute: "It seems the real show is just beginning..."

"Wow, this mechanism is like it's cheating!" Jiang Ye exclaimed while dodging the poison needles shooting from all directions.

Those poison needles were not only fast, but also had a strange arc, making them a 360-degree attack with no blind spots.

Ye Shuli also felt the pressure. The frequency of the attacks from the mechanisms was increasing, and several slow-moving but incredibly strong mechanical puppets appeared, wielding huge iron fists and approaching step by step.

"Watch out!" Ye Shuli shouted, her figure flashing like a ghost as she dodged the puppet's attack. The dagger in her hand flashed coldly and accurately struck the puppet's joint, slowing its movements slightly.

Jiang Ye was not to be outdone, wielding his longsword with great skill. Although not as sharp as Ye Shuli's, he managed to barely withstand the puppet's attacks.

During the battle, he gradually found his rhythm, and his swordsmanship became more and more fluid. As if he had suddenly gained enlightenment, he went from dodging awkwardly at the beginning to being able to counterattack. Every swing of his sword was filled with fierceness, and he was clearly fighting with real passion.

"Hey, this kid's got some interesting skills!" From the darkness, a pair of eyes watched their battle, and a slightly surprised whisper came over the louder side before falling silent again.

While fighting, Ye Shuli observed the changes in the mechanism array. She discovered that the mechanism's operation did not seem to follow the predetermined rules completely, but rather had some subtle deviations. This made her realize that if she solved it step by step, she would probably only get deeper and deeper into trouble.

Her eyes narrowed, and she made a bold decision.

She ignored the still-operating gears and rushed straight towards the core of the mechanism array.

"Li'er, what are you doing!" Jiang Ye exclaimed. He couldn't understand Ye Shuli's actions and felt that she was like a gambler who had gone all in, which made his heart jump to his throat.

Ye Shuli dodged the puppet's attack, leaped up suddenly, and thrust her dagger into an inconspicuous groove in the core mechanism like lightning.

With a crisp "click," the entire mechanical array seemed to be paused. All the gears stopped turning, a burnt smell filled the air, and the once menacing mechanical puppets instantly collapsed to the ground.

"This...this is it?!" Jiang Ye's mouth gaped open, staring at the scene before him in disbelief, as if he were dreaming.

Ye Shuli didn't answer, but wiped the sweat from her forehead, a smug smile appearing on her lips, while her eyes looked into the depths of the cave, where it seemed someone was watching them.

She spoke slowly, her tone carrying a hint of meaning: "Now, the main event begins..."

"It's done!" Ye Shuli cheered, holding a jade slip that emitted a faint glow in her hand, which was the key evidence to prove her innocence.

The final step in this maze was solving a calculus problem. Luckily, she got a perfect score on her college entrance exam in mathematics, or she would have been done for today.

Jiang Ye jumped up excitedly and hugged Ye Shuli tightly, so excited he was almost incoherent: "Li'er, you're amazing! You even solved this, you're practically a walking calculator! We'll call you whenever we need someone for mahjong from now on!"

Ye Shuli was almost suffocating from his choking, so she quickly pushed him away: "Alright, alright, stop joking around, hurry up and go find the Iron-Faced Venerable and resolve this matter."

Holding the jade slip, the two rushed towards the Iron-Faced Venerable's residence. The oppressive atmosphere in the cave vanished, replaced by the joy of surviving a calamity and anticipation for the future.

However, fate always seems to like playing jokes.

Just as they were about to reach their destination, several figures suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their way.

These people were dressed in black, and their aura was chilling; they were clearly not good people.

"Ye Shuli, Elder Wang has ordered you to hand over the evidence and surrender!" The leader's tone was icy, and his eyes revealed murderous intent.

Jiang Ye's expression changed, and he subconsciously shielded Ye Shuli behind him, gripping his longsword tightly: "Elder Wang? He hasn't given up yet? It seems we'll have to 'work overtime' today!"

"

Ye Shuli's eyes narrowed as she looked at the man in black before her, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Trying to steal evidence? Let's see if you have the ability." With that, a flash of light appeared in her hand, and a sharp dagger materialized.

A tense atmosphere filled the air; a major battle was imminent.

Jiang Ye took a deep breath and said to Ye Shuli, "Li'er, back to back, this time, let's fight our way out together!"

"Just what I wanted!" Ye Shuli

"Wait," Ye Shuli suddenly spoke up, her gaze sweeping over the men in black, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, "Are you sure you want to make a move here?"