Xiao Guang’s eyes widened as well.
This had been a large doorway before; how could it be gone, replaced by a solid wall?
“This is what you call a passage?”
The captain looked at Professor Li and the others.
Professor Li was also completely bewildered.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I can confirm that this was a passage when we came here before.”
Professor Li’s aged voice carried.
The captain nodded and looked at the surrounding team members.
“You, take the explosives and blast this open. We can’t let our two comrades die in vain. Even if we have to dig three feet down, I will find that so-called palace.”
As the captain spoke, the team members on the side quickly took out the explosives they carried.
The captain had not forgotten about the two comrades lost on the way up the mountain.
Bringing it up again now was also meant to put Professor Li in his place, to make him understand that they had also lost lives. If this matter was not handled properly, it would be difficult to account for upon their return.
Professor Li understood this.
However, he looked at the comrades who were deploying the explosives and quickly spoke.
“If explosives are detonated here, there’s a high risk of collapse. I don’t recommend this.”
Professor Li said.
“We’ll just blast a passage open. No need to worry.”
The captain appeared quite calm.
As he finished speaking, the explosives were ready.
“Professor Li, come with me to a safe location.”
The captain said, pulling Professor Li and walking in another direction.
Seeing that they couldn’t stop it, Professor Li and Xiao Guang could only follow closely.
Soon, Professor Li and the others took shelter in a safe spot, and then two groups of team members began to detonate the explosives.
“Boom.”
As the sound of the explosion echoed, the entire mountain began to shake.
“Crack.”
Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard.
It seemed a mechanism had been triggered.
In the next moment, iron spikes plummeted from the ceiling.
Immediately after, several pits appeared on the ground.
The team members who were still taking cover were instantly killed on the spot.
For a moment, no one spoke. Their gazes fell on the captain.
The captain, in turn, looked at Professor Li.
“Professor Li, do you know the mechanism here?”
The captain spoke through gritted teeth.
Professor Li should have known the mechanisms here, having been here before. If he genuinely didn't, then he was purely causing harm.
Professor Li quickly shook his head.
He didn’t want to be blamed.
“I don’t know anything about a mechanism here. Before, I saw them open the gate because of some symbols on the ceiling and combined patterns.”
“It looked like some constellations.”
Professor Li pointed to the ceiling.
The captain looked bewildered.
“Professor Li, are you out of your mind? We are citizens of the New Xia Nation; we don’t believe in superstitions.”
“If you know the mechanism, open it quickly to cooperate with our investigation.”
As the captain spoke, Professor Li looked at the ceiling for a long time, not knowing what to say.
He didn’t know how to decipher it.
As for Feng Shui, he was completely clueless.
“I really don’t know, Captain Huang. Please find someone else.”
Professor Li decisively declined.
He truly didn't know.
The captain looked at the site of the explosion.
The wall remained motionless.
Not even a crack appeared.
He looked up at the ceiling.
“Place small explosives on the ceiling and on the ground.”
“I refuse to believe we can’t deal with a small mechanism.”
He said, intending to place more explosives.
But in the next moment, the surrounding scenery changed instantly.
The captain and the others didn’t realize that their explosives had already triggered the mechanism here.
The mechanism was not just ordinary; it was also a formation mechanism!
“Roar!”
Instantly, the surrounding scenery transformed.
Countless roaring sounds emerged.
The captain looked around in panic.
“Whoosh.”
Following that, gusts of wind blew.
Then, the already bewildered team members let out screams.
Wind blades, one after another, pierced through their bodies.
Their bodies were cut in half.
The captain had never witnessed such an effect or such a bizarre scene.
“Professor Li, quickly! Professor Li, what is happening?”
Captain Huang anxiously grabbed Professor Li’s hand.
“I don’t know either. It seems the mechanism has been activated. I told you this place was very dangerous and warned you not to come.”
Professor Li was also a little anxious.
He fumbled inside his clothes.
Suddenly, he felt a yellow talisman.
His heart instantly settled.
This was a talisman that Zhang Tian had given them, saying it could save their lives.
Clearly, Xiao Guang also found such a yellow talisman.
His heart was filled with excitement.
“Professor Li, we’re saved!”
Xiao Guang said excitedly.
The captain quickly looked over.
“Then save us quickly!” Captain Huang shouted.
He couldn’t bear to watch his comrades die one by one.
But after he spoke, Xiao Guang shook his head.
“Sorry, this item can only save one person at a time.”
Xiao Guang said, quickly dripping his blood onto the talisman.
In the next moment, a golden light burst forth.
Xiao Guang was already standing outside the formation.
He couldn’t help it; he only had one, so he couldn’t selflessly give it to Captain Huang.
At this moment, Captain Huang’s gaze fell on Professor Li.
Fear flickered in his eyes.
Honestly, he hadn’t been this scared even on the battlefield.
But at this moment, he was afraid. It wasn’t the fear of gunfire, but these things were too bizarre.
Wind blades that appeared inexplicably.
And an invisible force that could kill a person instantly; any of these would put him under immense pressure.
“Professor Li, if I die, tell them I sacrificed myself to protect you.”
Captain Huang looked at Professor Li. He knew that no one would sacrifice their life for him to live.
Therefore, he no longer held any hope.
Professor Li, however, shook his head and offered him a talisman with his aged hand.
“Captain Huang, you are younger than me, and you have more potential. This talisman is for you. I hope you can survive.”
“Then, tell others not to come to this place to avoid further deaths.”
As Professor Li spoke, he pressed the yellow talisman into Captain Huang’s hand.
“Slash.”
In the next moment, after Professor Li finished speaking, his body was already cut in half by a wind blade.
Watching Professor Li die before his eyes, Captain Huang clutched the talisman.
He bit his finger.
A golden light erupted.
Captain Huang also exited the formation.
Inside the formation, it was a scene of devastation, with countless casualties.
When the formation finally stopped, there was no life left on the ground.
Xiao Guang, with tears streaming down his face, looked at the deceased Professor Li in the distance. He dared not approach.
Because he had no more talismans, he also worried about triggering another mechanism.
“Professor Li, you…”
Xiao Guang choked.
His body trembled.
Captain Huang, however, looked solemn.
“Professor Guang, this is not the time for grief. We must explain this to our superiors, and we cannot tell them the truth.”
Captain Huang suddenly spoke with seriousness.
Xiao Guang looked at Captain Huang.
His expression was one of silence.