384: Chapter 384 [Heavenly Treasure Dragon Fire Glazed Top] First Update!
384: Chapter 384 [Heavenly Treasure Dragon Fire Glazed Top] First Update!
The first update!
After the top part of the glazed tiles shattered, the Fire Dragon Oil from the Western Region contained within flowed down entirely.
Whoosh!
This Western Region Fire Dragon Oil ignites upon contact with air, and in an instant, the entire cave was engulfed in flames, instantly incinerating the jewels and accompanying grave goods.
This is the typical tomb defense technique known as the Heavenly Dragon Fire Glazed Roof, a feature of ancient tombs.
The tomb chamber was empty, and the ceiling was first lined with a thin layer of glazed tiles, above which bags of Western Region Fire Dragon Oil were placed.
The slightest external force would shatter the glazed tiles, igniting the Fire Dragon Oil upon contact with air, and burn everything in the tomb chamber, including the bones and grave goods, leaving nothing for the tomb thieves but a fiery grave.
Due to the properties of the Western Region Fire Dragon Oil, the fire spread very quickly, engulfing the entire cave in nearly a second or two.
“Aaagh…”
Two mysterious people who moved slightly slower were caught by the flames as if by venomous snakes spitting their tongues, and in a few moments of agonizing screams, they were burned to a crisp, leaving nothing behind.
Meanwhile, Ye Chenfeng who had jumped into the stone coffin suddenly felt the ground beneath him give way, and he lost control of his body and began to fall.
It turned out that the stone coffin led to stone steps below, shaped like a long dragon and very steep, angling more than forty-five degrees.
“Clatter, clatter…”
Everyone tumbled down the stairs, like soccer balls.
The sound of the wind whooshed by their ears, and a biting cold relentlessly penetrated their bodies.
Not knowing how long they had fallen, they all felt as if their bones were about to fall apart.
And a sense of danger arose deep inside them, as a pulling force from below drew Ye Chenfeng and the other two uncontrollably towards a cavity on the left side.
“Bai Jie!”
Ye Chenfeng suddenly shouted, and Bai Jie threw her Tang sword out, Ye Chenfeng made a sharp turn and kicked out, sending the Tang sword flying.
The Tang sword shot out and forcefully pierced into a crevice of the stone steps.
Ye Chenfeng hung upside down by his feet hooked on the handle of the sword, stopping his descent, while he was still holding onto Bai Jie and Ouyang Qingcheng.
After tumbling for a while, the others also managed to stabilize their descent.
“Click!”
Bai Jie turned on the light, illuminating the area below, revealing that the stone steps extended only a few more meters down, but below them were rows of long spears and Bronze War Swords, their tips darkened with what was clearly a lethal poison, densely packed pointing upward leaving no space to place a foot.
The three of them gasped in shock.
If they had continued to fall, they would likely have been impaled.
“Ye Chenfeng, how dare you deceive me?
Believe it or not, I will kill your woman?” growled the man fiercely.
The instantaneous destruction of his two subordinates by the Fire Dragon Oil from the Western Region had infuriated him.
Ye Chenfeng wore a face of grievance, “I didn’t know this would happen, how could it catch fire!”
The thief explained, “This is a typical ancient tomb defense mechanism, the Heavenly Dragon Fire Glazed Ceiling, which was very popular in tombs during the late Northern Song period!”
“No, no, no, from what I observed, this tomb must have been built during the Qin Dynasty.
How could it have a Northern Song tomb defense mechanism?” Ye Chenfeng immediately countered.
The thief frowned, “That’s also what puzzles me!”
Ye Chenfeng thought for a moment, “Then there’s only one explanation, someone has been here before, and they must have rebuilt the tomb.
I guess what’s above our heads is their masterpiece.”
“Stop playing tricks, or don’t blame me for being rude!” the man said coldly.
The group set off again and reached the lower level through several small steps, where they faced a stone gate and a mechanism millstone nearby.
“Ye Chenfeng, go open it!” the man commanded.
Ye Chenfeng, shaking his head reluctantly, stepped forward to activate the millstone, and the stone gate opened with a rumbling sound.
After hesitating for a while and confirming there was no danger, the group finally entered what seemed to be an underground palace.
It was spacious and complex, with corridors intersecting and stone chambers laid out.
“This doesn’t seem much like a tomb, does it?” Ouyang Qingcheng whispered, cleverly noticing that it seemed more like a place that had been inhabited rather than an ancient tomb.
To everyone’s surprise, there was light inside the underground palace, although it was faint, it was still visible.
“How can there be light?
Shouldn’t we have descended into the depths of the mountain?” The last few people asked curiously.
Ye Chenfeng took out a flashlight and shone it on the protruding parts of the corridor walls, where there was unexpectedly a Luminous Pearl embedded directly in the wall, now emitting a faint glow.
This soft light, after being refracted by the walls, brightened the area; every five meters along the corridor, a gem was embedded in the wall, providing light.
The more jewels there were, the brighter the space became.
“It must be the reflective property of these walls.
The people who built this tomb were really clever, using such a method to obtain light!” Ye Chenfeng commended.
“Exactly, this replaces the Eternal Lamp in the tomb.
The Eternal Lamp might not burn forever, but this will!” The Thief nodded.
Ye Chenfeng smiled, “Alright, everyone, we should be at our destination now.
Let’s quicken our pace and search?”
Everyone here harbored ulterior motives, even Ouyang Qingcheng was always on guard against the Thief, something that Ye Chenfeng could tell.
“Okay, you go ahead!”
Ye Chenfeng’s eyes flashed with a cold light, “The Reincarnation Mirror must be obtained today!”
Soon, several people started searching in the stone chamber, but it felt more like a living space rather than an ancient tomb, as there were various household utensils, stone beds, and even bamboo slips on bookshelves.
The main focus for Ye Chenfeng and Li Yang was obviously on the mirrors, but these bronze mirrors didn’t seem to reveal anything extraordinary, definitely not the Reincarnation Mirror.
Ye Chenfeng couldn’t help feeling anxious, realizing perhaps he was too eager—there might not be a Reincarnation Mirror here at all, maybe it was just a legend, with nothing real existing.
“Boss, don’t worry, we still have time to search!” Li Yang comforted him.
What surprised Ye Chenfeng was that Ouyang Qingcheng and her group also had no finds, nor did the other visitors.
“I want to ask what exactly are you all looking for?” Ye Chenfeng asked with a smile.
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t!” the man said coldly.
Ouyang Qingcheng just smiled and did not respond.
Ye Chenfeng laughed and walked ahead with the Thief.
Suddenly, they came upon two forked paths.
“Go this way, go this way!”
For the first time, Ye Chenfeng and the Thief had different choices.
“Boss, how about this?
I’ll follow the Thief down this path and meet up in front!” Li Yang suggested.