CHAPTER 530: CHAPTER 529 TEN THOUSAND YEARS

Before Yu Qingqiu and his men loomed a massive, towering stone door.

This door was covered in dust, larger than any they had previously encountered. It was carved with an intricate, complex, continuous square pattern of coiling serpents. These majestic carvings imparted a profound sense of history. It was as if one could glimpse, through the door’s cracks, secrets sealed for a thousand years.

But no one knew what the words "Do Not Microwave" inscribed on the door meant.

"This is the place."

Yu Qingqiu took a deep breath and carefully observed the stone door. After ensuring there were no issues, he reached out to take two Hook Claws tied with iron chain ropes from his subordinate.

He stomped on the ground, kicked off the wall, and his figure soared, sweeping past the front of the stone door. With one Hook Claw in each hand, he threaded them through two ring-shaped handles on the door, looping them several times, and then landed back on the ground.

Yu Qingqiu tossed the ropes to his subordinates and indifferently uttered a single word, "Pull."

The Wude Army Guards quickly divided into two groups, each grabbing an iron chain and forcefully pulling back.

The stone door emitted a grating, harsh friction sound, as if centuries of dust were suddenly shaken off, shimmering like a cascading waterfall under the light of the flames.

The stone door opened slowly, and a bone-chilling coldness washed over everyone.

Illuminated by the torchlight, they could vaguely make out an Underground Palace.

The Underground Palace covered an extensive area. Its floor was formed of square bluestone slabs, fitted tightly together. Ancient columns, each thick enough for several people to encircle with their arms, rose tall, supporting a hemispherical dome.

Attached to each column were four candle holders, within which small but steady orange flames danced. In the distance, the sound of flowing water could be heard.

Guided by the candlelight, they saw a bright silver stream of mercury encircling the entire Underground Palace. This, combined with the uneven bluestone slabs in the depths of the palace, conjured a miniature landscape of towering mountains, vast seas, and flowing rivers.

At the confluence of the mercury streams, in the center of the Underground Palace, sat a Mayan-style stone Pyramid. Its top was shrouded in darkness. Thick iron chains dangled from the columns, all extending toward the Pyramid’s apex, as if to bind something within.

"Mercury as the rivers and seas, fed by machineries; above adorned with astronomy, below mapped with geography. Using Mermaid Balm as the candle to secure its eternal flame..."

A complex expression crossed Yu Qingqiu’s face.

Weren’t these the descriptions by Sima Qian of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum? Did they really think I haven’t read the history books?

The Wude Army Guards shifted nervously, and one of them whispered, "Lord Yu, could this be Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s..."

Yu Qingqiu answered detachedly, "No."

He gave no reason, but his tone was decidedly certain.

The Wude Army Guards felt slightly reassured. Gathering their courage, they slowly stepped into the Underground Palace side by side. According to the Compass, the cage holding the Auspicious Beast should be nearby...

CREAK—

The grating sound once again filled the air as a stone door on the opposite side of the Underground Palace was slowly pulled open.

The Wude Army Guards felt a shiver run through them, and they raised their Crossbow Arrows toward the source of the sound.

"...which is why, when there’s no time to brew tea with hot water, one could eat the tea leaves and then down some boiling water to quickly brew the tea inside the belly..."

The incessant muttering of Song Jie came from behind that door. Gongyang Han, looking annoyed, led the White Lotus Sect Members rushing out. Their first glance took in the scenery of the Underground Palace; their second caught sight of the Wude Army Guards across the mercury stream, holding torches and staring at them.

Both parties had just endured a long trek through a lengthy passageway. Neither had expected to encounter the other here.

For a moment, they all stared, and the Underground Palace fell deathly silent, save for the whispering flow of the mercury stream.

Song Jie murmured softly to himself, "Fate, truly ineffable." He then broke the silence, shouting across to the Wude Army Guards, "Brothers on the other side! We’ve all come here after much difficulty. How about we don’t fight? Perhaps sing a mountain ballad instead?"

In response, a volley of Crossbow Arrows shot out.

The Underground Palace was vast, and a great distance separated the two sides. Thus, even when the Wude Army Guards used powerful crossbows to loft their Arrows high, they were mere spent forces by the time they reached the ground.

Gongyang Han’s face twisted with determined ferocity. He gestured, summoning a Gale that easily scattered the shower of Arrows.

The white-browed elder silently drew his Dagger. He exhaled heavily, his low, hunched body slowly straightening.

The White Lotus Sect Members on either side, their faces etched with despair, understood that the time for a desperate battle had come. They drew their weapons and formed an Array, bracing for the enemy.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP!

The Wude Army Guards, their expressions solemn, strode across the bluestone floor. They crossed the mercury stream and sprinted toward the White Lotus Sect Members.

Behind them, several flying swords soared upward. Following the charge of the Wude Army Guards, they plunged downward, tearing through the protective Array formed by the White Lotus Sect Members.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, the chains attached to the Pyramid in the middle of the Underground Palace began to shake. A hoarse, deep voice rose from the top of the Pyramid.

"Who dares to trespass into my tomb..."