Chapter 129: Ambushed from All Sides

Seeing the hellish path before him, Ye Dong involuntarily took a few steps back. Expecting to bump into someone, he realized instead that they had already retreated more than a meter, leaving him standing foolishly at the front.

"Oh, these old foxes!" Ye Dong cursed inwardly, his eyes widening.

Even the seasoned Huang Wuchang felt a jolt of hesitation upon seeing these strange, elongated iron chains. "When I was here last time, it wasn't just these two thick chains, one above the other!"

He vividly recalled that their last foray, made alongside Yue Lang, had led them to a vast, shimmering pool of fluorescent water. He distinctly remembered several slick, sharp-toothed giant loaches in that pool. Why had everything changed?

"It seems Yue Lang’s intelligence was correct. The scene here shifts periodically. It’s truly eerie and unpredictable." Huang Wuchang muttered to himself, feeling a growing sense of unease.

Master Wei stepped close to Huang Wuchang and whispered, "These chains look quite aged, Master. What should we do?"

"No choice. We have to bite the bullet and cross!" Huang Wuchang whispered back, adding a warning, "If danger arises, you three must protect the 'triggers' at all costs. Understand?"

"Understood!" Master Wei nodded repeatedly. "By the old rules, I’ll have someone test the path first."

"Chen Yong, come here!" Master Wei beckoned, calling over the large man named Chen Yong.

"Master, Boss Wei, what are your orders?"

The tall, brawny man approached quickly. As the leader of the hired hands, he was bold as a bull and agile in his movements.

Master Wei clapped him on the shoulder. "Here is a chance to repay me." He pointed to the two iron chains. "Walk across the top one and scout the path for us. Can you do it?"

"I can!"

Chen Yong agreed without a second thought, which caught Ye Dong off guard. "This man is truly heroic; he acts the moment he’s asked!"

"Well done, young man!" Huang Wuchang, impressed by Chen Yong’s bravery, deftly produced a yellow talisman from his robe and pressed it to Chen Yong’s chest. "This charm will steady your mind and resist external interference. You only need to focus on climbing along the chain and report back once you reach the other side!"

"Thank you, Master!"

After thanking him repeatedly, Chen Yong secured his gear, pulled on a pair of canvas gloves, hooked his belt buckle onto the upper chain, took several deep, centering breaths, and began his trek onto the swaying iron link.

*Can he really just walk across? Is he not afraid the chain will snap? Or of traps? Or of monsters flying out of the darkness?* These questions swirled in Ye Dong’s mind, and only Chen Yong could provide the answers.

The group stepped forward, holding their breath as they watched.

Chen Yong gripped the upper chain with his hands and stepped onto the lower one, inching forward. He hadn't even gone ten meters when a sudden gust of wind erupted from nowhere, causing the chains to whip back and forth, dragging Chen Yong’s body into a violent sway.

*Clang, clang.*

Affected by the bizarre currents, every step he took made the two chains vibrate even more fiercely. It was a terrifying sight for Ye Zhonglin.

Suddenly, after Chen Yong had carefully traversed about a hundred meters, the chains, which had been swaying at a constant rhythm, began to shake violently!

Ye Dong squinted at Chen Yong and noticed that the brave man’s legs were trembling.

"What? Is he scared?" Le Cheng frowned, whispering to Lixing beside him. "His legs are shaking!"

"No, he’s not scared! I’ve known him a long time. Chen Yong isn't the type to turn coward," Lixing, also watching tensely, swallowed hard. "He’s just exhausted!"

"What!?" Le Cheng seemed puzzled. "He’s only gone a hundred meters. Exhausted already?"

"Exactly. In an extreme environment, every step consumes immense physical strength and willpower," Ye Dong added. "Anyone who has done extreme sports knows that high-altitude walking is particularly draining. He’s been tightrope walking for over a hundred meters; how could he not be tired?"

Hearing Ye Dong’s expert insight, Lixing looked at him with admiration. "Brother Tian is truly a veteran; you’re very familiar with these things."

"Hmph, of course," Ye Dong replied with a smug smile, then shouted to Chen Yong in the distance, "Don't look down! Keep your eyes forward! Don't lift your feet high—slide them!"

Huang Wuchang glanced at Ye Dong, thinking, *He Wentian isn't just remarkably brave; his mind is sharp as well. The sliding method is indeed the best way to conserve energy.*

Hanging in the middle of the chains, Chen Yong followed the advice. As he moved his feet gently, the swaying chains settled significantly. After another hundred meters of sweating profusely, he finally reached the far side.

"Damn, I’m exhausted!" As soon as Chen Yong arrived, his complaints came through Master Wei’s walkie-talkie. "My legs are jelly. Damn it."

"This doesn't make sense. There were no mechanisms along the way?" Ye Dong was deeply suspicious. *Wouldn't someone walking on the chain be an easy target? A single arrow would leave them with nowhere to hide. Perhaps a master could deflect it, but if the target is so obvious and they still don't strike, what is the tomb designer’s goal?*

Despite his hesitation, Ye Dong, in his passive position, had no choice but to follow Huang Wuchang’s orders.

"Did you find anything unusual?" Master Wei asked through the walkie-talkie. "Look carefully, no slacking!"

On the other side, Chen Yong panted as he checked both sides of the chain. After confirming there were no traps, he said, "Everything is safe. Ahead is an open area. No mechanisms found."

"An open area?"

Huang Wuchang wasn't worried about himself—he was too capable for that—but he was concerned for the safety of the three 'triggers.'

Lixing, aware of his master’s concerns, turned to the two remaining helpers. "I’ll carry one cage; you two strong ones take the others. Can you handle it? In terms of guts and strength, you two are the best choices."

"This..." The two looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and agreed.

*They just agree without a word?* Ye Dong mused. *Whether they were hired by Master Wei or Lixing, their absolute obedience is truly admirable.*

Master Wei quickly finalized the plan: the group would move in teams of four, assisting each other in batches to cross to the other side. This way, even if a mechanism triggered, they could minimize casualties. Huang Wuchang, Lixing, and the three carrying the triggers would cross last.

"Ye Dong, you can do this!" Ye Dong encouraged himself, took several deep breaths, stepped onto the chain, and headed toward the far bank.

*Talk is cheap,* Ye Dong lamented inwardly while suspended in mid-air. *The experience of standing here is world’s apart from watching from the outside! I can't let them see my legs shaking!*

"Yes, the Heart-Cleansing Mantra!" Ye Dong chanted silently. Though his clothes were soaked in sweat and his physical and mental energy were draining rapidly, he finally made it across to the mist-covered far bank without incident.

"How is this possible!?" Standing on the boulder that anchored the chains, Ye Dong looked inside. Just as Chen Yong had said, it was an exceptionally vast stone plain. But it wasn't just any plain; it consisted of two large circles, one big and one small, connected like a gourd—or an Arabic numeral '8'.

Even more startling to Ye Dong was that, besides the air, the stone ground was completely empty.

"Something's wrong!" Ye Dong felt a sense of dread. *To think that an empty field could exert such pressure! What is going on? There must be some profound mystery here; otherwise, such an unusual stone ground wouldn't appear in such a critical location.*

The helpers were whispering, waiting for Huang Wuchang and Master Wei to resolve their anxieties. Ye Dong, frowning, asked, "Master Wei, what is this?"

Master Wei, equally troubled, muttered, "This is the legendary 'Void Realm.' We’re in big trouble this time."

"What is the Void Realm?" Ye Dong felt a jolt; the name sounded far too esoteric.

Master Wei whispered, "The name 'Void Realm' is derived from the 'Void' in 'Akasagarbha Bodhisattva,' one of the eight great Bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism." He sighed heavily. "Here, 'Void' does not mean nothingness; it symbolizes that wisdom, merit, and wealth are as vast and boundless as the cosmic void. Tomb raiding's greatest fear is encountering a place with 'nothing'—this type of scene is the hardest to deal with."

Hearing this professional explanation, memories surfaced in Ye Dong’s mind of Master Jingxin, Chen Yao, and Daoist Kongming discussing Buddhism with the younger generation. He remembered Master Jingxin explaining that Akasagarbha Bodhisattva was so named because his wisdom, merit, and wealth were as boundless as the void, capable of fulfilling the virtuous wishes of all who practiced the precepts, granting infinite benefit to all beings.

*So this empty stone field is a symbol! And if you stand this gourd-shaped field upright, it’s clearly the halo behind a Buddha statue!* Ye Dong sighed. *It seems you really can't raid tombs without a bit of culture!*

At this moment, Lixing and Huang Wuchang also reached the boulder.

"Master, look, this is actually the 'Void Realm'!" Master Wei said, his tone heavy with worry.

"Mm," Huang Wuchang groaned. "I never expected to encounter the 'Void Realm' here."

Seeing the change in Huang Wuchang’s complexion, Ye Dong knew that whatever could make this old fox look troubled was definitely beyond the reach of ordinary people. Huang Wuchang made a quick calculation on his fingers and shook his head, then pulled out his Bagua compass, only to find the needle spinning like a headless top, faster and faster.

"Damn, the Grandmaster really knew how to play games, creating something this formidable!" Huang Wuchang was truly distressed. "If my master hadn't disappeared with the 'Secret Scroll of Tomb Spirits,' I wouldn't be in this mess today. Bad luck!"

Anger aside, the path had to be crossed. But before Huang Wuchang could devise a strategy, a faint, imperceptible sound of something piercing the air entered his ears—*ssshhh!*

"Hah!" Huang Wuchang looked up abruptly and gasped!

Ye Dong followed his gaze into the dark heights. He couldn't see anything with his naked eye, but he could hear it!

*Sssh! Sssh! Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!*

The sounds came one after another, faster and more piercing, striking everyone’s ears and shattering their nerves!

"What is that!?" Ye Dong had already guessed: something truly devastating was coming!

"Shine your lights upward! Watch out for falling stones!" Huang Wuchang shouted. "Spread out! Spread out! Do not run into the open area, scatter to the sides!"

*BOOM!*

Before Huang Wuchang’s words had finished echoing, a giant boulder smashed a helper into a pulp! Shattered stone flew, blood splattered, and those nearby were gashed, their wounds bleeding uncontrollably.

*BOOM!*

One after another, giant boulders crashed down with lightning speed, crushing another helper who couldn't dodge in time. A severed limb flew and landed at Ye Dong’s feet.

*So that’s it! Damn, that’s ruthless!* Ye Dong finally understood why the tomb designer hadn't set traps on the chains. *The designer knew we would cross in batches, so they waited until we were exhausted to wipe us out with boulders! This scorched-earth tactic is truly vicious!*

*This person must also be a master of psychology and strategy!*

Before Ye Dong could wipe the blood and flesh from his face, more boulders slammed into the ground like artillery shells. In an instant, the surrounding people were either dead or injured, and the scene descended into chaos!

"My god!" Ye Dong scrambled to dodge a boulder, only to see the person carrying the trigger lose their head to a rebounding shard of stone!

*If I didn't have this extraordinary physique, I would have died long ago!* Ye Dong was anxious and furious. *These tomb raiders deserve their fate, but the triggers are innocent!*

Gritting his teeth, he dodged the flying debris and yanked the cage containing the trigger away!

*BOOM!*

The moment he moved the cage, a boulder smashed into the exact spot where it had been, leaving a massive crater.

"I'll carry her on my back," Ye Dong decided. He couldn't abandon an innocent life, so he hoisted the cage onto his back!

Some who regained their senses tried to flee in all directions, but with the boulders raining down in such a confined space, three people panicked and ran toward the "Void Realm" empty area.

"Don't go in there!" Huang Wuchang shouted in alarm, but it was too late.

*Poof! Poof! Poof!*

The moment the three panicked people touched the air of the "Void Realm," their bodies instantly turned into red smoke, vanishing into thin air under the shockwave of the falling boulders!