Following the little turtle, the group moved at a slow pace.
"Hey, boss, I've noticed that our little turtle comrade is really well-nurtured by the organization. Its physique is getting sturdier and sturdier," Fatty said, looking at the small turtle crawling on the ground.
To be honest, the little turtle's physique was indeed growing larger. It even exuded a faint aura of a turtle king. Yes, the organization's cultivation was truly excellent.
The little turtle glanced disdainfully at Fatty. Did Fatty think he, the turtle, was easily discussed?
"It's probably because it ate a Kantogun officer's corpse before," Zhang Tian said. He wasn't very familiar with the little turtle's growth path, but it would likely become stronger in the future.
Soon, they reached the outside of the tomb on the east side.
Looking at the tomb's distinctive blue brick wall, the group exchanged glances. Hu Bayi turned on his searchlight. The surroundings became very bright. They slowly walked inside.
Upon entering the tomb door, they were greeted by a qilin head, slightly red, with its mouth agape, appearing quite fearsome. In ancient times, most people didn't worship lions or tigers, but qilin and azure dragons.
Seeing the guardian qilin, Zhang Tian waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop. He then took out a stone and tossed it forward. The qilin's mouth suddenly spewed flames. The stone instantly turned to dust. If they had rushed forward rashly, they would have likely been roasted.
"This is the Guardian Red Qilin, a symbol of power. It seems this place has more traps than we imagined," Zhang Tian said, looking at the tomb passage ahead. There was a deep passage inside, likely filled with more mechanisms.
Hu Bayi nodded. He then casually gestured at the qilin's head, and its slightly red body turned dim. "There's a mechanism inside that can be closed, but it will automatically open again after an hour," Hu Bayi said, appearing very familiar with it.
They entered the tomb passage. Inside, it was a maze of multiple passages, likely a confusion array.
"You old rascal, Wangzi! Fatty admits defeat. Your own house, why did you design it to be so big? And a maze, who are you guarding against!" Fatty cursed loudly. After a while of venting, he fell silent.
Zhang Tian looked at the tomb passage walls, observing a white, unidentified substance. He guessed it was poisonous gas. If anyone passed by, these substances would be triggered, forming a poisonous circle.
Hu Bayi surveyed the options and finally chose the right-hand passage. "Everyone put on your gas masks, let's go in and take a look," Zhang Tian said, putting on his mask and stepping into the passage.
In the dim, dark passage, it was somewhat damp, with signs of water on the ground. They proceeded with great caution. After traversing the entire passage, a wall appeared before them.
Hu Bayi was stunned. "Impossible. Following the Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Secret Art and combining it with the strategist's 'Ghost Valley Secret Art,' my conclusion was that this is definitely a real passage." He looked at the wall with a serious, questioning tone.
"It seems the true main chamber is inside," Zhang Tian said, running his hand over the wall. Confirming it was not poisonous, he punched it, shattering it. Indeed, behind the wall was a large space.
"Boss, your strength is no less than mine," Fatty's eyes gleamed.
"Tch, don't bother. Let's go in," Zhang Tian said. The little turtle led the way. After confirming it was safe, Zhang Tian and the others slowly entered the tomb.
"I'll go see if there are any torches around," Hu Bayi said, scanning the surroundings with his searchlight. His gaze finally fell on the ceiling. "Boss, the fire source is overhead."
Hu Bayi finished speaking, and Zhang Tian nodded. He lit the torch he was carrying, then leaped up. Four meters high, Zhang Tian ignited the brazier. The surroundings gradually brightened. Now they could clearly see the true appearance of the place.
Around them were large carvings of ancient architecture. On both sides, there were burial goods, mostly weapons. In front of the rightmost wall, there was a weapon rack. It was filled with weapons taller than Zhang Tian. Zhang Tian was already 1.8 meters tall, so anything taller than him indicated the prince's immense physique in life.
"Boss, I'm truly impressed. Not a single piece of jade, why are they all weapons? This guy must have been a violent maniac," Fatty grumbled, dissatisfied. Weapons, and such large ones, who could carry them away?
"These should be the favorite weapons of the Jin Dynasty prince during his lifetime. He must have been a martial arts fanatic," Zhang Tian said, his gaze sweeping around. Besides weapon burial goods, there was a huge throne. The space was vast, yet the coffin was nowhere to be seen. Above the throne were some sheepskin scrolls, and Zhang Tian even spotted five or six spiritual jade pendants. This excited Zhang Tian, but he didn't rush to take them. After all, in such a large tomb, confirmed to be a prince's, why was there no coffin? This didn't make sense.
Zhang Tian looked up at the ceiling. Besides the hanging lamp, there seemed to be nothing else.
"Boss, the coffin is gone," Hu Bayi frowned slightly. It was as if there was no place to put a coffin in the surroundings. Everyone wore serious expressions, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
"Boss, is it possible that the prince knew we were coming and ran off with the coffin overnight?" Fatty chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
Zhang Tian gave him an exasperated look, this guy really couldn't say anything valuable. "It must be hidden. Let's first look for anything special." Zhang Tian thought for a moment and said, "Now, the only way is to search for clues."
Speaking of which, a massive mural on the wall immediately caught the attention of Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi. This mural seemed to have been specially carved, and it was colored, giving it a hazy appearance.
"Heirloom Mural: Mid-grade Illusory Artifact." "Item Effect: Allows one to enter the painting and experience a millennium of prosperity!" "Item Description: A test set up by the Jin Dynasty prince. His soul resides here. He has never been defeated by anyone in his life, seeking defeat alone."
A description appeared before their eyes, and Zhang Tian understood. So, if you wanted to rob someone's tomb, you could. He clearly let you rob it, but the prerequisite was to defeat him. Hearing such an arrogant description, "seeking defeat alone." Zhang Tian was somewhat speechless. This guy was indeed a martial arts fanatic, evident from the tomb's structure and its burial goods.
"I should have realized it earlier..." Lin Tian felt a bit frustrated, but fighting in a painting was better than facing a powerful zombie in reality. After thinking it over, Lin Tian felt that fighting within the painting was safer.
"This painting is problematic," Zhang Tian said. Hu Bayi, holding his torch, looked at the painting confidently. "This painting is likely a product of some secret art combined. Looking at it for too long can cause hallucinations," Hu Bayi said. Zhang Tian nodded; Hu Bayi was absolutely right.
"I don't recommend you look at it any further," a voice said. At this moment, the usually silent Princess consort spoke. Fatty was startled. It was as if ghost language was popping out of his chest, which was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. But he soon realized it must have been the Princess consort. Seeing the gradually appearing shadow of the Princess consort before him, Zhang Tian asked, "Why?"
"There is a very powerful soul inside, a thousand times stronger than mine, and this soul possesses killing intent. If you stare for too long, your soul might merge into the painting, and then..." The Princess consort did not finish her sentence.
Zhang Tian understood what the Princess consort meant. However, without defeating the prince, it would be practically impossible to take anything. Zhang Tian was not a timid person. Since deciding to enter the tomb, he had not been afraid.
"How about this, you stay outside to guard our bodies, and I'll go meet this prince," Zhang Tian became even more resolute.
"That, Princess, Princess, Princess, Princess, Princess, exceptionally beautiful Princess, you are as beautiful as in my dreams," Fatty said, seeing the Princess consort for the first time in a truly significant way. He looked a bit infatuated.
Zhang Tian smacked his forehead. Couldn't this guy be more positive?
"Old Hu, confirmed, the painting is problematic, the prince's soul is inside, and we must defeat him to obtain his belongings," Zhang Tian said. At this, Hu Bayi fell silent.