Following Zhao Lei into the passage, Chu Tian felt quite speechless. To believe in such superstitious things, and in a game at that. But there was no other way; at worst, they'd hit a dead end and turn back.
This passage was entirely different from the previous ones. It was quite bright. The only similarity was that the sensory suppression was growing stronger. Chu Tian felt his perception was limited to about one meter around his body. In the game, this feeling was akin to his real-life divine soul. This meant that the soul's abilities were completely restricted here.
Although visibility was clear within the passage, it was even more uncomfortable. The walls of the entire passage were covered in irregularly shaped, sparkling crystals, similar to diamonds. Every facet reflected their shadows. Inside this passage, it was as if they saw countless versions of themselves, creating a dizzying sensation. Chu Tian himself felt a wave of dizziness in his mind.
As they pressed onward for several kilometers, "Brother Tian, we're going the right way!" Zhao Lei suddenly exclaimed.
"Hmm?"
"That oppressive feeling is just ahead, no deviation!"
"Mm," Chu Tian nodded. He too could faintly sense a desolate and ancient aura approaching.
Continuing forward, that desolate and ancient aura grew progressively stronger. At this very moment, the two of them stepped out, and the scenery before them changed once again. However, this time, they felt no danger.
As their vision cleared, they saw a circular domed chamber. "It's a tomb!" Zhao Lei exclaimed in surprise.
"How do you know?" Chu Tian asked softly.
"A circular dome, and this stone chamber is square, symbolizing the roundness of heaven and the squareness of earth! There's a coffin in the center, it must be a tomb!" Zhao Lei, despite being covered in sweat, stared intently at the coffin, proudly showing off to Chu Tian.
"This... you didn't read this in some novel, did you?" Chu Tian rolled his eyes.
"Huh, how did you know?"
Chu Tian covered his face, no longer engaging him. He knew that Zhao Lei, in his past life, had a penchant for tomb-raiding novels. Seeing Chu Tian ignore him, Zhao Lei shifted his gaze back to the tomb.
Ahead of them, over two hundred people were staring at the two of them. Around the tomb, hundreds more were searching everywhere. The entire tomb had been ransacked by these people. Many decorative items lay toppled on the ground.
"Brother Tian, are these guys idiots? The good stuff is obviously in the coffin, and they're rummaging through junk!" Zhao Lei commented, but Chu Tian ignored him, instead focusing on the group before them.
The group of two hundred seemed to be the elite of their team. However, Chu Tian was not looking at them, but at one individual among them. He had unexpectedly encountered an old acquaintance here. When that person saw Chu Tian, he naturally recognized him. However, he gave Chu Tian a few glances, clearly indicating he didn't want to acknowledge him here.
"Lu Fei, do you know each other?"
However, Chu Tian's exchange of glances with that person was noticed by a woman among them, who grew suspicious.
"No!" The speaker was none other than Lu Fei Mei Wo Chang, whose real name was Qiu Shaotian. He was someone who had fought alongside Chu Tian before.
Hearing Qiu Shaotian's denial, the woman frowned and turned her gaze to Chu Tian and Zhao Lei. "You are 'De Shen'? How did you end up on the Slaughterers' side?" Although Chu Tian had killed the two people they had ambushed in the passage earlier, the system would have announced the deaths, and their killer. So, the news must have reached them.
"The people you withdrew from the passage earlier, the ones ambushing it, were you responsible for them?" Chu Tian asked instead of answering.
Seeing Chu Tian not responding, the woman frowned again. "I don't want to be your enemy!"
Hearing her words, Chu Tian smiled. "You want to cooperate? It seems you've encountered a tricky situation!"
At Chu Tian's words, the woman frowned again, her expression turning angry. Every word Chu Tian spoke put him in an advantageous position. There was no semblance of cooperation; he was even suppressing her.
Qiu Shaotian, on the other side, almost burst out laughing. He quickly composed himself, but it looked like he was struggling. He knew this woman too well. She was the guild leader, always with an iron fist. This was the first time he'd seen her flustered. The others beside her also couldn't help but chuckle. The few people with East Asian features remained silent. Chu Tian looked at them curiously. These guys didn't seem to have any intention of becoming his enemies.
At this moment, Qiu Shaotian mumbled something softly. A Western-faced foreigner in front of him, a man with a large nose and a hooked nose, suddenly stepped forward. "What 'De Shen'? To speak so impolitely to such a beautiful woman? I challenge you to a duel..." As this guy stepped out, he drew a rapier with a flourish.
"Good, I accept!"
No one expected Chu Tian to speak without any preamble. As he uttered the word, his figure instantly vanished. When he reappeared, it was the moment the foreigner was knocked unconscious.
When the foreigner emerged, he twirled his sword, intending to strike a pose as soon as he finished speaking. Seeing Chu Tian stealthily move, he was also startled. He reacted half a beat too late and was about to go invisible himself. But that half-beat was fatal. Before he could fully disappear, and as he prepared to move, Chu Tian's claws had already swung above his head. With a slanted strike to initiate stealth, he would be stunned for five seconds. However, it didn't take even five seconds. Chu Tian landed just one "Rend," and the guy collapsed to the ground.
*Clang...* With a crisp sound, the swordlight flashed and plunged into the ground. "Heh, it actually dropped!" Chu Tian, having returned to human form, picked up the rapier. "This item in your hands is truly wasted. I'll keep it safe for you; I'll find a good owner for it later!" As he spoke, he swaggered over to the crowd and put the foreigner's dropped rapier into his inventory.
"Haha, Brother Tian is truly awesome!"
After the foreigner died and his corpse finished its release animation, Lu Fei Mei Wo Chang, or Qiu Shaotian, finally spoke. He strode out from the crowd and gave Chu Tian a hug.
"You rascal, didn't you just say you didn't know me!" Chu Tian punched him.
"Heh heh, it was just an act! But boss, you're really amazing. How did you know we were acting?"
"I didn't at first, but after I spoke my first sentence, I noticed that foreigner acting strangely. You all remained indifferent, only he showed signs of agitation. It's likely he's fond of this beauty?" Chu Tian's gaze shifted to the woman.
"H Province, Q Team's captain, Luo Yixue!" The woman smiled and stepped forward. Her self-introduction caught Chu Tian off guard. "A Luo family member?"
Chu Tian knew that all the members of Luo Luo's generation had names starting with a single character. Although Luo Luo wasn't the eldest of that generation, her name was Luo Yiyi. It was rumored that this name was given by the previous patriarch.
"Yiyi is my sister!" The woman's words seemed to be an indirect answer to Chu Tian, and also a statement of fact. Chu Tian awkwardly rubbed his nose. This was his sister-in-law.