"This… this…"
Elder Dong and the other two were so shocked they couldn't speak.
None of them had expected that Zhang Daoling's underground palace was hidden beneath them!
If Ying Chen hadn't pointed it out, they might have kept digging forward through the tunnel, only realizing something was wrong after excavating thousands of meters!
This was the power of observing qi.
At a glance, it was more effective than scientific detection instruments!
"Judging by the four characters 'Taiqing Xuan Palace' on the door, this underground palace should undoubtedly be Zhang Daoling's tomb. This is because Zhang Daoling referred to himself as 'Taiqing Xuanyuan,' which perfectly matches the name of this palace," said Wang Zizai.
Being able to confirm it was Zhang Daoling's tomb naturally made the three of them extremely happy.
However, the three soon found themselves in a dilemma: how were they supposed to get down?
They didn't possess Ying Chen's ability to fall dozens of meters without injury.
Unexpectedly, Ying Chen beckoned to the three at this moment: "What are you waiting for? Aren't you coming down?"
The three were stunned.
Ying Chen's intention was for them to jump directly down!
With their old bones, wouldn't they shatter into pieces if they jumped down directly?
"What, afraid of dying?" Ying Chen sneered.
Whether it was the mockery from Ying Chen or their trust in him, Elder Dong was the first to walk to the edge of the rift.
He first looked at the rift with a pale face, then closed his eyes and jumped straight down!
"Elder Dong!" Professors Li and Wang Zizai exclaimed in unison.
Just as the two thought Elder Dong might be smashed to death, a hand appeared beneath Elder Dong. With a gentle pull and guiding motion, Elder Dong instantly landed smoothly, like a gliding kite!
"You can open your eyes now," Ying Chen said, patting Elder Dong.
Elder Dong opened his eyes with surprise and joy, his faith in Ying Chen deepening.
With Elder Dong paving the way, what hesitation could Wang Zizai and Professor Li have?
They jumped down one after another.
Both were caught by Ying Chen.
Thus, all three arrived before the entrance of the underground palace.
They gazed at the palace door, engrossed in discussion and research.
"The entire door should be made of bronze. The craftsmanship of the beast heads on it is exquisite and lifelike, as if the ferocious beast Ya Zi truly existed in this world."
"Look at the cloud patterns on the door; they are typical of the Eastern Han style. The casting technique is also astonishingly skillful. It's hard to imagine how artisans over a thousand years ago achieved such precision."
After much discussion, the three unanimously agreed that the value of this underground palace definitely ranked among the top ten in Longguo.
This was even before opening the door and seeing the interior. If they saw the inside and there were any burial objects, the palace's ranking could further improve, entering the top five!
"Alright, there will be plenty of time to study later. Let's go in first," Ying Chen interrupted their discussion and approached the palace door.
However, Elder Dong and the other two looked at Ying Chen with confusion: "Mr. Ying, even if this palace door doesn't have any dragon-suppressing stones or similar mechanisms, it cannot be opened by human strength."
"Let's wait until the equipment is brought in before opening it!"
Dragon-suppressing stones were a common sealing method used by the ancients to prevent grave robbery. When the artisans closed the door from the outside, a massive stone would descend from the inside, sealing the door completely. It was not just one person, but even ten or a hundred people, who would be wasting their efforts trying to push open such a door. Only large machinery could open it.
"No need." Ying Chen waved his hand, directly rejecting the suggestion from Elder Dong and the other two.
Then, Ying Chen slowly stepped forward. The pores on his body suddenly erupted with layers of golden light, and his skin became as radiant and dazzling as an Arhat's golden body. A powerful and majestic force quietly emanated from within Ying Chen.
In an instant, Elder Dong and the other two felt immense pressure, as if they were facing not a human, but a ferocious beast dormant underground, bearing the weight of the earth!
Elder Dong and the other two's expressions changed drastically, and they instinctively retreated over a dozen steps.
As they retreated, Ying Chen suddenly strode forward with a dragon-like gait and lunged!
*Rumble!*
The air exploded with a deafening roar, and the ground trembled. A terrifying vortex of air instantly formed before the palace door, obscuring it. The vortex spun incessantly, as if tearing the world apart, creating chaos. The vortex lasted for over half a minute before it stopped.
When Elder Dong and the other two opened their eyes and looked at the door, their mouths gaped in disbelief!
Before their eyes, the bronze door, which they believed could only be opened with heavy machinery, had swung open, parting to both sides! Wisps of mist continuously seeped from within the door, accompanied by the howling of wind. It seemed to be welcoming Elder Dong and the other two into the underground palace!
"This…" Elder Dong and the other two looked at each other in silence. Their perception of Ying Chen had ascended another level. Previously, they thought of Ying Chen as human; now, they felt he had surpassed humanity, a new species superior to humans, even if not a god!
"Hoo!" Ying Chen stood before the door, gazing at the mist that filled the entire palace, and suddenly exhaled. What happened next further refreshed the understanding of Elder Dong and the other two. The mist within the palace completely dissipated with Ying Chen's exhalation! It was as if it had been blown away by a strong wind or a tornado, revealing the true appearance of the palace's interior!
The words "exhale to create wind" instantly flashed in the minds of Elder Dong and the other two. This phrase was used to describe dragons; when a dragon conjured rain and clouds, it would exhale a stream of air, instantly bringing wind and rain. Now, such a legendary scene was appearing in reality! And it was emanating from a human!
"Mr. Ying is truly a divine being!" Elder Dong and the other two couldn't help but think.
However, before they could recover from the shock caused by Ying Chen, they were immediately stunned by the revealed interior of the palace. They had initially assumed the palace would be structured like traditional tombs, divided into multiple burial chambers, with Zhang Daoling's coffin hidden in some secret main chamber. But to their surprise, the palace consisted of only one chamber! To be precise, it was no longer a burial chamber, but an underground palace! Its grandeur was beyond imagination! What shocked them most was that within this vast palace, thousands upon thousands of stone figures were placed! They were dense yet arranged in an orderly fashion, stretching as far as the eye could see. Each stone figure had a different expression and face; some resembled humans, some beasts, some a combination of both, and some seemed to be neither human nor beast, but legendary chimaeras! The convergence of so many stone figures generated a terrifying and immense pressure that emanated from within the palace. Even from this distance, Elder Dong and the other two felt breathless! They had a faint illusion that these stone figures would awaken at any moment and devour them!
"This suffocating feeling… it's so real… it's terrifying!"
"Qinling has Terracotta Warriors; Zhangling has demon-ghost figurines. These stone figures should have been carved in the likeness of the monsters and ghosts that Zhang Daoling subdued during his lifetime, to showcase his great achievements," Elder Dong and Professor Li said respectively.
As for Wang Zizai, an expert on Han tombs, after observing the stone figures for a while, he concluded: "These are likely the 'Eight Divisions Myriad Demon Figurines'!"
"According to legend, Zhang Daoling, under the command of Taishang Laojun, cleared the demons and monsters in the Bashu region. These demons and monsters were divided into two groups: the Eight Divisions Ghost Commanders and the Eight Divisions Demon Kings. Zhang Daoling, using the magical artifacts bestowed by Laojun, annihilated them all."
"The number and appearance of these stone figures perfectly match the Eight Divisions Ghost Commanders and Eight Divisions Demon Kings!"