Chen Fan had never feared heavy crossbows, not since ancient times. What he feared were the stone figurines carved into the rock walls, and he didn't know when they might awaken.
"Swoosh..... swoosh..... swoosh......"
The sound echoed again.
"Swoosh..... swoosh...... swoosh....."
"Two waves of heavy crossbows!" Bai Zhannian, Chen Fan, and Chris spoke in unison.
After all, upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage, hearing and sensitivity were ten times that of Golden Core masters. This advantage could only be amplified at higher realms.
Six crossbow bolts shot towards the crowd.
"Good timing!" Just then, two bolts arrived instantly in front of Chen Fan!
Chen Fan raised his hand and slashed, severing two bolts in a single breath.
But it wasn't over. The remaining four bolts appeared from all directions. Chris and Bai Zhannian also faced two bolts each, which they swiftly cut down.
As for the remaining two bolts, no one expected them to be fired from directly above.
"Bang...."
"Ah...."
One bolt shot down from overhead. Fortunately, it missed everyone, but it smashed a large hole in the ground.
Another person was not so lucky. No matter your level or how heaven-defying your defense, if the powerful impact was directly inserted into your crown, congratulations, you'd won the lottery.
The cry of pain came from within the team. This bolt hadn't killed the Death Knight, but it had certainly delivered a heavy blow to his crown.
"It hurts so much..... Boss Chen Fan!!" The Death Knight curled up on the ground, enduring the intense pain.
Chen Fan sent a strand of true qi into his body, temporarily suppressing his injuries. He was then carried away by his teammates.
Four dead and one injured before even achieving their mission. Anyone would find this unbearable. However, Chen Fan's situation was far better than that of the Left Temple.
At least the Left Temple had lost more than half of their combat strength just by falling into the ancient tomb. While their peak combatants were mostly unharmed, the ordinary armed personnel scouting ahead were a considerable loss to the Left Temple.
Chen Fan's situation grew increasingly dire. The crossbow bolts continued to fire, evolving from a predictable pattern to a frenzied barrage, pinning the Death Knight Legion, Bai Zhannian, and Chen Fan down.
"Damn it, Zhannian, you take the front. I want to see where these bolts are coming from," Chen Fan decided to solve the root problem directly. He would use the sound of the crossbows to locate the firing mechanism and seal it with his sword qi. In ordinary ancient tombs, Chen Fan alone could overcome all challenges. After all, what ancient tomb could withstand the full force of his Sky Profound Finger?
The sounds of "swoosh...... swoosh..... swoosh......" came again.
But this thing seemed to appear out of thin air. Even Chen Fan, a Sub-God, was racking his brain to pinpoint the source of the sound.
"Truly worthy of the traps set by a Supreme expert," Chen Fan still couldn't find the direction from which the bolts were fired.
"Never mind! Everyone, gather close!" Chen Fan announced.
All members of the Death Knight Legion quickly converged towards Chen Fan. After all, at such a critical moment, obeying the orders of a Sub-God expert was always the right course of action.
Seeing everyone within the range of his true qi, Chen Fan unleashed it, forming a semi-circular shield.
"Don't leave this shield, and your lives will be safe," Chen Fan shouted.
Just then, the stone figurines around the passage stirred!
"Damn it, this is a big problem!!" Chen Fan watched as the stone figurines one by one detached themselves from their positions.
At this moment, a Death Knight shouted, "They all seem to be... Golden Core stage stone figurines!!!"
---------
Meanwhile, at the Left Temple's location.
"My time is up. Have you finished?" The Left Temple looked down at the researcher, his voice filled with rage.
"Re... Report, sir. I believe we can use a drill to forcibly break through this large door," the researcher stammered.
"Hmph. I'll give you one more hour. If it's not done by then, you can expect to die," the Left Temple threatened the researcher menacingly.
After hearing the Left Temple's words, the researcher quickly put on his protective gear and began operating the door-breaking machine. However, the barrier door sealed by a Supreme-stage expert was not easily breached. Even with modern technology, it would take some time.
"While the research department members are breaking through the door, all personnel remain on standby and take advantage of this rest time. We may face a fierce battle later," the Left Temple seemed to have a premonition, and quickly ordered his subordinates to rest.
"What am I worrying about? Why do I feel so uneasy?" the Left Temple muttered to himself.
One hour passed by very quickly.
The Left Temple, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and went to the top of the door to check the situation.
"How much longer..." The Left Temple's voice was unusually calm.
But upon hearing this, the researcher's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
"Report, Lord Left Temple, it might take about another quarter of an hour," the researcher replied, trembling.
"Alright, you can leave now..." The Left Temple's tone remained calm, unlike his usual overbearing demeanor.
Hearing that he could stop, the researcher retreated behind the Left Temple.
"I said, you can go now?"
Seeing the researcher's actions, the Left Temple's tone remained calm, but only the two guardians who were familiar with him knew that a raging fire had already ignited within the Left Temple's heart.
In an instant, the Left Temple grabbed the researcher by the throat, slowly lifting him until the researcher was suspended in mid-air from the staircase.
"You can die now..." With that, the Left Temple released his hand.