Everyone in the Ling family had heard of the forbidden land. It was their greatest secret, a place no outsider had ever known about.
The forbidden land was located in the back mountains of the Ling family mansion. All members of the Ling family were taught from childhood never to enter it.
They were warned that entering would surely bring misfortune.
Consequently, the Ling family members harbored a deep fear of the place, and no one ever dared to go there willingly.
Even Ling Xinchun's visit was due to him being drunk one day.
If he had been sober, he would never have gone in.
Although the other Ling family members did not approve of Ling Xinchun's actions and did not want to accompany him to the forbidden land, they had no choice. Ling Xinchun was the head of the Ling family.
Moreover, this was a difficult time for the Ling family, and anyone who refused to go would have their loyalty severely questioned.
Therefore, those who went to the forbidden land this time included all of the Ling family's senior management.
The back mountain, having been deserted for so long, was overgrown with wild vegetation.
The path was not only difficult to navigate but also looked eerie, sending chills down one's spine.
Following Ling Xinchun, everyone nervously ascended the back mountain and stopped before a cave.
Ling Xinchun said, "This is it. Turn on your flashlights."
Everyone craned their necks to look into the cave.
But as far as the eye could see, the cave was pitch black, revealing nothing. It was like the gaping maw of a monster.
Anyone who dared to step inside would be crushed to powder, leaving not even a bone behind.
Many were too afraid to proceed further. It was only after Ling Xinchun urged them repeatedly that they hesitantly walked in.
The cave was very cool, and the air was damp. Droplets of condensation fell to the ground, creating a constant "drip, drip, drip" sound that made everyone's scalp tingle and their hearts pound as if they would explode.
Huddled closely together, they followed the passage into the depths of the cave.
Nothing unusual happened along the way, as if the legends of the forbidden land were merely tricks to scare children.
At the end of the cave was a small, open space. There was nothing in this clearing except for a stone platform, about half a meter high, standing in the center.
And Ling Xinchun's words were indeed correct. On the stone platform, there was a black ceramic jar.
However, what was different was that a yellow talisman was affixed to the jar, making it look as if something was sealed within.
"What... is this?"
Ling Tengyun was only in his early twenties and had always lived a pampered life, lacking any real resilience. Therefore, he was quite apprehensive at this moment.
Ling Xinchun said, "This is the jar I saw before. I didn't touch it, though."
A senior executive said, "Patriarch, the more I look at this thing, the more I feel there's something wrong with it."
"Think about it, there's a talisman on the jar. Could there be something strange inside?"
Ling Xinchun said, "What are you afraid of? Is there really a monster inside?"
"I believe that since this was left by our ancestors, it must not be something that harms people."
"What if this contains some divine medicine? Wouldn't that be a tremendous boon for us?"
The senior executive fell silent.
But judging by his expression, he still felt a deep sense of dread towards the jar.
After all, if it were truly something good, why would the ancestors have placed it in such a location?
And why would they insist it was a forbidden land that must not be entered?
It seemed problematic no matter how one thought about it.
Ling Tengyun timidly asked, "Dad, what should we do with this thing?"
"Should we take it back, or deal with it here?"
Ling Xinchun took out a mask from his pocket, put it on, and then donned rubber gloves. He said, "You all wait here. I'm going to open it now. If anything happens, remember to help me."
Everyone was already tense enough.
Upon hearing Ling Xinchun's words, their hearts grew even more anxious, and they couldn't help but swallow.
It was impossible for Ling Xinchun not to be nervous either.
After all, he had heard the legends of the forbidden land since he was a child. How could he not be afraid at this moment?
But even so, he decided to take a gamble.
Only by gambling could he find out the result. Otherwise, how could he seek revenge against Wu Tian?
He gently peeled off the talisman from the jar. At that very instant, a golden light flashed from the talisman, and then it spontaneously ignited!
This scene startled Ling Xinchun greatly, and he quickly threw the talisman to the ground.
The talisman continued to burn until it turned to ash.
Ling Xinchun's eyes trembled slightly, and he said, "What... what is this?"
The senior executives behind him were terrified. Ling Tengyun also said, "Dad, I think we should just forget about it."
"This thing is too scary. Let's not cause any trouble!"
"Shut up!" Ling Xinchun glared at Ling Tengyun and said, "At this point, there's no reason to back down!"
"Besides, what's wrong with me tearing off the talisman? Nothing major has happened!"
After speaking, Ling Xinchun's gaze fell back on the jar, and he forcefully removed the wooden stopper.
Silence.
The entire cave was silent. Everyone dared not speak.
Although the temperature in the cave was so low, sweat was already streaming down their faces.
"Wh-what's happening?" Ling Tengyun stammered.
They all felt that something big was about to happen and were ready to flee.
But after the jar was opened, nothing happened. Wasn't that too strange?
Ling Xinchun was also very puzzled. He peered into the jar, wanting to see what was inside.
All he saw was darkness; he couldn't see anything.
But suddenly!
In the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes lit up!
"Ah!" Ling Xinchun's heart nearly stopped from fright, and he instinctively tried to throw the jar away!
However, at that very moment, a thick arm shot out from the jar and grabbed Ling Xinchun's head!
"Wow!"
Everyone was terrified, their faces completely drained of color.
This sudden turn of events made them want to flee, but their legs felt as if they were filled with lead, making it impossible to run!
The arm was covered in purple skin, with black veins bulging on it.
As the arm tightened its grip, Ling Xinchun felt his skull about to explode, with blood being squeezed out from his seven orifices!
"Ah..." he let out a pained cry, his body convulsing violently.
Soon, all his blood flowed into the jar.
The jar shattered into pieces and then exploded completely!