Chapter 128: The Path to Hell

Let us rewind the clock twenty minutes and see exactly what transpired with Ye Dong and his group.

"Rumble!"

The group had just finished traversing the stone path and were about to push deeper when a sudden, thunderous roar from behind startled them into turning back.

"Master Wei, did that giant stone lion just move?" Ye Dong squinted, observing that the previously motionless stone lion on their path now seemed to be stirring.

"You saw right; they are moving!"

Master Wei’s eyes widened in alarm. Before he could issue an order, Huang Wuchang, who was behind them, bellowed, "Run! If those stone lions go berserk, this entire General’s Tomb will collapse!"

"My god, how can these giant stone lions move?" Ye Dong’s breathing grew ragged, his heart racing. "I knew the General’s Tomb wouldn't be easy to conquer!"

Seeing that even Huang Wuchang advised retreat, the group scrambled, sprinting inward at full speed.

"As expected of an old fox with top-tier escape skills, he’s trained his disciples to be escape artists as well!" Seeing Huang Wuchang move with such agility, leaving the younger ones in the dust, Ye Dong felt a surge of indignation. "It’s a good thing I have this extraordinary physique, otherwise I’d really have been left behind!"

As they ran, the giant stone lions began spitting out stones the size of centimeters, aiming directly at them. A dense volley of projectiles whistled through the air with a rhythmic thudding.

"An elephant would be crushed to death by these stones!" These were no ordinary projectiles; they were burning!

"Rumble!"

Massive fireballs rolled toward them from every direction, rapidly surrounding the group.

"Good heavens, I’ve only just arrived and I’m already caught in a fireball formation?" Ye Dong vaulted over a stone wall, scrambling to keep up at the rear of the team.

"Keep moving inside!"

Huang Wuchang, leading the pack, flipped backward. "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, grant me the strength of Mount Tai, by the decree of Taishang Laojun, act now!"

Finishing the incantation, he let out a roar, throwing a powerful right hook that shattered the incoming fireball into dust.

"My mother! What kind of divine power is this?" Ye Dong’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Stop staring and run!" Huang Wuchang cursed without looking back. "If you don't run, I’m leaving you all behind!"

"Boom! Boom!" Before he finished speaking, he smashed two more fireballs with his fists and palms.

"This is no time to be shocked!" Ye Dong snapped back to reality and bolted into the stone passage.

After they ran desperately into a narrower path, the strangest thing happened: the stone lions outside seemed to fall silent. The rumbling of shifting rock vanished completely.

"What’s going on now?" Ye Dong asked, gasping for breath. "Why can’t we hear anything anymore?"

Master Wei, also panting, shook his head. "How would I know?" He looked at Ye Dong, his expression one of astonishment. "I didn’t expect your stamina to be so good; you didn't fall behind at all!"

"So the Master possesses innate divine strength?" Ye Dong asked tentatively after catching his breath.

"That is my master's externalized divine power," Master Wei replied with a wry smile. "How could an ordinary person possess such terrifying strength?"

At this moment, Huang Wuchang walked up, dusting off his clothes.

"Master! Great Master!" The others looked at him with reverence. "Are you alright?"

Huang Wuchang grinned. "What could happen to me? It’s just that the sheer number of these boulders wasted a lot of my time."

"No wonder he dares to come to these cursed places alone; his individual combat capability is truly at this level," Ye Dong thought, feeling a mix of awe and fear. "I wonder if my own master can pull off a move like that? If they were to fight, would they tear the building down?"

"Shh!" Li Xing’s ears twitched. He whispered, "Hey, do you hear that strange sound?"

The group held their breath, straining to listen.

"This is bad," Huang Wuchang muttered to himself. "It seems this auxiliary tomb is not as simple as it looks; it’s much more troublesome than the other two. We shouldn't linger here. We must enter the Tomb of Eternal Life as soon as possible. Once we secure that item, these dangers will be nothing to fear."

"Let’s continue forward. I’ve cleared out all the living creatures on this path; whatever remains is inanimate. It would be a great loss to stumble here because of mere dead things." Huang Wuchang made a swift decision and led the group deeper without pause.

"Living things are easier to deal with; it’s the mysterious traps that are the real problem!" Ye Dong felt a surge of gratitude toward Chen Yao and Officer Li. "Thank you for the training you put me through day and night, otherwise I would have perished here!"

"Master is right, let's not fall behind!" Master Wei barked. "Keep the leads tight, don't let anything important drop!"

Le Cheng, sweating profusely, replied, "Understood! You all worked up a sweat fighting those ghost loaches, now it’s our turn!"

"You juniors better put some effort in! Once we get out, I’ll reward each of you with half a million!"

Money truly drives strength. Hearing such a generous offer, the helpers surged forward as if injected with stimulants, hoisting their burdens.

"Greed really does lead to ruin; that saying has always held true," Ye Dong sneered to himself. "Truly foolish."

Le Cheng, however, was secretly pleased. "The biggest fool is He Wentian, paying money just to join the fun and seek thrills? Keep looking, and you’ll end up in hell!"

"No time to waste, move out!" At Huang Wuchang’s command, the group pressed on.

"Go a hundred meters left, then turn right. There’s an arrow formation there. Li Xing, you and Chen Yong split up to cover the group!" Huang Wuchang stared intensely at the Eight Trigrams compass in his hand, directing them as they walked.

After passing the arrow trap, Huang Wuchang commanded, "Bypass this path and turn into the one on the left. Do not go into the middle or right paths, or it will be a dead end!"

The group ignored the antique treasures and dazzling jewelry piled in the tomb. No one cast a second glance at the bizarre stone coffins, nor did they show interest in the mummified remains lining the walls. After nearly twenty minutes of frantic travel, they finally reached the end of the mysterious General’s Tomb.

"Here." Li Xing handed a canteen of water to Ye Dong. Ever since Ye Dong had saved him from the giant hammer, Li Xing’s attitude had improved significantly.

"Thanks." Ye Dong took a few gulps before surveying the massive chamber housing the General’s sarcophagus.

To conserve their strength, Huang Wuchang opened the final stone door himself.

"Don't worry, with Master here, opening this door is just a matter of time," Master Wei reassured the helpers. "Once we’re inside, remember not to touch anything unless ordered."

"Rumble!"

A white jade door embossed with dragons finally creaked open, revealing the true face of the final chamber.

"Wow!!!"

As the door opened, a blinding golden light poured out.

"Strange, why is the sarcophagus standing upright?" Ye Dong was surprised, as the coffin was positioned vertically on the ground, defying his expectations.

It was a massive gold-inlaid jade sarcophagus in the center of the room. At each of the four corners of the jade coffin was a sapphire the size of a thumb. The lid was embossed with a dragon, a tiger, and a lion. Notably, the giant jade dragon’s head pointed upward, its body coiled around the entire coffin, while the tiger and lion looked up from beneath the dragon's head.

Ye Dong suppressed his curiosity and squinted at the coffin, noticing two crossed curved-blade patterns beneath the lion and tiger, accented with colorful gemstones.

"This craftsmanship is truly a wonder of the world!" Ye Dong was left speechless.

"I’m more interested in the gems than how it’s placed!" Le Cheng chuckled. "Once we’re done with the main task, these will be our spoils!"

"Master Wei, tell me about the origin of this jade coffin," Ye Dong asked, his face full of excitement. "What’s the story behind this thing?"

"It has quite a history," Master Wei said, stroking his chin with a smug smile. "This is the 'Lion of Dragon and Tiger'. The word for lion here is a homophone for 'master' in 'teacher and student'."

He smirked, "The so-called 'Army of Dragon and Tiger' refers to the most capable generals under an emperor. Look at the gold and jade craftsmanship; this general must have held at least a second-rank title. He was certainly a man of great military exploits."

"So that’s what it means. Master Wei is indeed well-informed!" Ye Dong’s respect for him grew.

Huang Wuchang, hearing Master Wei’s explanation, felt a sense of appreciation. "Although He Wei often thinks he’s smarter than he is, he really did inherit my true expertise in treasure hunting."

"Do not be tempted by the treasures before you. Once the task is done, they shall all be yours!" Huang Wuchang smiled slightly, walked to the sarcophagus, and touched it for a moment. Suddenly, the sound of a mechanism turning echoed from within.

"Click, click, click."

"So there was a secret door hidden here!? Is this another entrance to the Tomb of Eternal Life?" Ye Dong’s heart raced. Once this hidden door opened, he would truly be stepping into the Tomb of Eternal Life!

"Rumble." The five-meter stone door slowly moved, revealing the truth behind it.

"This... this..."

Behind the door were no monsters or bizarre formations, but two iron chains, one above the other, disappearing into a fog and glowing with a faint fluorescent light.

Beneath the chains lay a bottomless abyss. No one knew how many people that darkness had consumed.

The eerie light spread from the fist-sized chains, illuminating the terrifying, dark world. This was no guiding light; it was the road to hell.

"It’s this light! It was the same light beneath the ancient well! There’s no mistake—this is the real Tomb of Eternal Life!" A chill went down Ye Dong’s spine. He was now one hundred percent certain this was the entrance.