Related to the patterns on the bronze door?
Chen Xiao looked closely. At first, he didn't notice anything, but after a moment, his mind exploded.
He finally remembered why the patterns seemed familiar.
In fact, it wasn't the patterns themselves that were familiar, but the spaces between them.
The shapes of those spaces perfectly accommodated a set of runes—precisely the set of runes that existed within Li Ziqing's meridians.
In an instant, Chen Xiao's mind became clear, and all the questions were answered.
Their ability to enter the palace today had nothing to do with Li Ziqing.
He was able to come here simply because he had gathered the five sacred relics left by the Ancient Immortal Emperor.
And according to Wuxiang, Li Ziqing... was the key to opening the tomb.
So that's how it was, so that's how it was, so that's how it was...
Having figured this out, Chen Xiao suddenly took Li Ziqing's small hand and said, shaking his head, "It seems we can't enter the great tomb. Ziqing, let's go back."
It was a joke. No matter what treasures or secrets the Ancient Immortal Emperor had left in her great tomb, Chen Xiao would not sacrifice Li Ziqing.
Therefore, after understanding the crux of the problem, Chen Xiao immediately made his decision.
Li Ziqing frowned and said, "Why give up so quickly? Husband, this isn't like you!"
"Heh, this is always my way. Since there's no way, why continue? The longer you persist on the wrong path, the more mistakes you make, right?" Chen Xiao retorted with a smile, feigning casualness.
However, Li Ziqing saw through it at a glance. She abruptly pulled her hand away from Chen Xiao's and said with wide eyes, "No, husband, you're lying to me!"
"I'm not lying to you. Why would I lie to you?" Chen Xiao spread his hands and shrugged.
"You're still lying to me. I know you might be doing it for my own good, but I can feel it, you're lying to me." Li Ziqing wrinkled her small nose. "Husband, I don't like this feeling. I want us to be honest with each other. Besides, even if you told me the truth, I might not do anything foolish like you think. I'm a businesswoman, I'm very shrewd!"
"Alright, you guessed right. In fact, this matter is indeed related to you." Hearing Li Ziqing say this, Chen Xiao could only admit it helplessly. "In fact, it's related to the runes in your body..."
Chen Xiao explained his guess to Li Ziqing.
After listening, Li Ziqing blinked her big eyes and said nonchalantly, "So that's how it is... You're giving up without even knowing if this is dangerous for me? You're really something!"
Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback by her words.
What Li Ziqing said seemed to have some truth to it.
Concern had clouded his judgment. The moment he thought that opening the tomb door was related to the runes in Li Ziqing's body, he jumped to the conclusion that it would involve Li Ziqing's safety.
But was that really the case? Chen Xiao had no evidence to support such a conclusion.
"Let's figure it out together. We'll face problems together. You always want to carry all the difficulties on your own, but that was the past. From now on, you are no longer alone!" Li Ziqing took Chen Xiao's hand and said softly.
Chen Xiao, touched by her tenderness, nodded heavily. "Yes!"
The two walked to the bronze door hand in hand, observing and studying it carefully.
The brothers Zhu Jiuyin and Zhu Jiuyang exchanged glances, but ultimately did not step forward to stop them.
Mainly, they dared not.
They could feel that Chen Xiao's strength was hundreds, even thousands, of times greater than when they had faced him before.
To make such a terrifying person an enemy, they probably wouldn't have a chance to get revenge in this lifetime.
Chen Xiao and Li Ziqing tapped and studied the bronze door for a long time, then looked at each other, seeing disappointment in each other's eyes.
"How do we open this darn thing!" Li Ziqing sounded somewhat petulant, but more like she was acting spoiled. "You call yourself my ancestor, but is this how you make things difficult for your descendants?"
"I could kick you to death!" Li Ziqing put her hands on her hips and kicked the bronze door.
'Dong—'
The bronze door emitted a heavy, muffled, and somewhat strange sound.
At this moment, Chen Xiao's eyes lit up, and he urged, "Wife, try kicking it again!"
"Kick it again?" Li Ziqing's eyes widened in confusion, but she obediently kicked it again.
'Dong—'
"Continue, keep kicking!" Chen Xiao said.
Li Ziqing didn't understand, but since Chen Xiao said so, she continued kicking.
'Dong—'
'Dong—'
'Dong—'
...
Muffled thuds echoed one after another, ceaselessly.
Li Ziqing stood with her hands on her hips, kicking the bronze door one after another.
When she got tired, she switched legs.
Not far away, the Fire Phoenix tilted its head and muttered, "What is this foolish woman doing?"
Zhu Jiuyin also looked at Zhu Jiuyang with a dejected expression. "Brother, is this really okay?"
"What if it's not okay?" Zhu Jiuyang glanced coldly at his brother. "Can you stop it?"
"I wouldn't dare!" Zhu Jiuyin's cold, triangular eyes revealed fear.
"Then why are you talking nonsense?" Zhu Jiuyang said disdainfully. This brother of his was utterly stupid, not like me at all!
Li Ziqing's actions seemed like unreasonable behavior, but in reality, Chen Xiao was not acting without reason.
Because he had just discovered that when Li Ziqing kicked the bronze door, the runes within her meridians actually fluctuated.
And as Li Ziqing continued to kick, the fluctuations of those runes became more and more intense.
"Husband, how much longer do I have to kick? My legs are sore... both of them are sore." Li Ziqing cried out in distress.
"Keep going, we're almost there, trust me, it's coming soon!" Chen Xiao's gaze was fervent, because the runes in Li Ziqing's body were about to break free.
"Alright, I'll trust you one more time!" Li Ziqing gathered her strength and kicked the bronze door again.
"Buzz—"
This time, the bronze door emitted a different sound.
Li Ziqing also felt something unusual and was startled.
She looked up, and her entire body froze.
Because she noticed that the bronze door suddenly lit up.
The previously empty spaces in the patterns were filled with something, glowing with radiance and emitting a faint yellow halo.
"Wife, do you see? Those runes are the same ones that were in your body before. They really are the key!" Chen Xiao said excitedly, pointing at the halo.
Li Ziqing squinted and looked closely, only to find that within the faint yellow halo, dense, tadpole-like runes were flowing.
Creak—
At this moment, a grating sound was heard.
The door opened...