"What are you talking about? Who are you calling a loser?"
Professor Li didn't react much, but Liang Yu was indignant and defended him.
Elder Dong looked at Liang Yu and laughed contemptuously. "If I recall correctly, your name is Liang Yu, isn't it? Honestly, not many young people these days are worthy of being remembered by me. You are one of them. Unfortunately, the reason I remember you is because you are about to become a textbook example for this circle."
"A negative example."
Liang Yu spat viciously at Elder Dong, "Bah! If I had known that the circle was full of despicable scumbags like you, I would never have chosen this major! I should thank you for making me see the true nature of this circle and for strengthening my resolve to disassociate myself from it!"
With that, Liang Yu reached to tear off the identification badge that signified her status as an archaeologist.
However, she was only halfway through when a large hand pressed down on hers.
It was Professor Li!
"Teacher?" Liang Yu looked at Professor Li in confusion.
Professor Li gazed at her with gentle but firm eyes. "Don't rush. Please give this circle one last chance. Perhaps it's not as unbearable as you imagine, and there is still hope!"
After speaking, Professor Li walked directly towards Bai Qi's sarcophagus.
As if unwilling to give up, he intended to personally search the sarcophagus for the You Xi precious sword!
Seeing Professor Li's actions, Elder Dong laughed heartily. "Li Junru, Li Junru, you were always stubborn and single-minded from your school days, and you still are! Fine, since you choose to struggle a bit longer, I'll humor you!"
"That way, I can witness your utter despair!"
With that, Elder Dong gestured to someone beside him to bring a chair.
He then leisurely sat down at the edge of the pit, quietly watching Professor Li's final struggle.
The people around them remained silent.
Their gazes towards Professor Li held not only sympathy but also a hint of unbearable sorrow and anguish.
They saw in Professor Li the integrity and perseverance befitting an archaeologist.
At the same time, they also witnessed the tragic fate of an archaeologist.
Such individuals were a mistake in this corrupt era!
Professor Li's actions were less a struggle of unwillingness and more a silent defiance against the times!
Many had tears welling up in their eyes, finding Professor Li's solitary and majestic figure as he approached the sarcophagus inexplicably profound!
But when Professor Li reached the side of the sarcophagus, his next move made everyone gasp in astonishment.
Professor Li did not look inside the sarcophagus at all. Instead, his gaze was fixed intently on the lid!
Then, with effort, he lifted the lid and flipped it towards the ground!
Boom!
The sarcophagus lid crashed down from the sarcophagus, hitting the ground with a tremendous thud.
Dust billowed throughout the entire tomb chamber.
The tomb walls trembled repeatedly.
"Professor Li, what are you doing?"
Everyone was startled.
They thought Professor Li was in a fit of impotent rage, wanting to destroy the entire tomb to vent his frustration.
But with many people still inside the tomb, was Professor Li disregarding their safety in his fit of anger?
Elder Dong, watching from above the pit, smiled at this scene.
It was worth staying for.
Otherwise, he would have surely missed this exciting and rare spectacle.
A moment later, as the dust settled, Professor Li's figure, almost possessed, was revealed.
Everyone instinctively took a few steps back.
Fearing that Professor Li might do it again and bury them all within the tomb.
However, one person did not retreat but advanced!
Liang Yu!
"This master and disciple have both gone mad... sigh!"
Seeing this, the crowd couldn't help but shake their heads.
"After all, they are two lives. Get a few people to help carry them out!" someone suggested.
Just as everyone was preparing to step in and forcibly escort Professor Li and Liang Yu out of the tomb,
they heard Liang Yu's voice, filled with disbelief, suddenly ring out.
"This is... a sword?"
"The You Xi precious sword?"
Whoosh!
Hearing the words "You Xi precious sword," everyone erupted in a clamor.
With a mix of doubt and belief, their gazes turned to where Professor Li was standing.
Then, their expressions all changed!
For there, lying on the ground, was indeed a bronze sword!
Only half of its blade was exposed, the other half still hidden within the sarcophagus lid!
It turned out that Professor Li flipping the lid was not an act of impotent rage, but rather that he had long suspected a sword was hidden within the lid!
"Impossible!"
Elder Dong, who had been sitting in his chair, shot up and exclaimed in disbelief.
"It's definitely not the You Xi precious sword! The You Xi precious sword disappeared into the river of history long ago!"
"Quick, help me down. I must expose him personally!"
Elder Dong shouted urgently.
Immediately, two attendants helped him down into the pit and into the tomb chamber.
Meanwhile, Professor Li was crouching down, quietly cleaning the remaining half of the blade within the sarcophagus lid with a small hammer.
As the entire sword was revealed, everyone let out a collective gasp.
Two ancient seal script characters were clearly visible on the sword's blade.
They were "You Xi," written in the Grand Seal script!
Before the First Emperor unified the six states, the state of Qin used Grand Seal script, not Lesser Seal script.
It was only after the First Emperor unified the six states that he ordered Li Si to "standardize writing" and create Lesser Seal script, also known as Qin Seal.
As Bai Qi was a historical figure before the unification of the six states, his sword would naturally have used Grand Seal script.
"The You Xi precious sword, it's truly the You Xi precious sword!"
"My goodness, am I dreaming? Bai Qi's You Xi precious sword has actually appeared?"
"Professor Li is amazing! This surely confirms beyond a doubt that this tomb belongs to Bai Qi, right?"
The onlookers exclaimed with uncontrollable excitement.
At this moment, Elder Dong also arrived nearby and saw the characters "You Xi" on the sword.
He felt his vision go dark, his body swayed, and he almost fell to the ground!
He could never have imagined that this long-lost precious sword would actually be found by Professor Li!
"No, it's fake, it's absolutely fake!"
"You absolutely forged it! Otherwise, how could you have known the precious sword was hidden in the gap of the sarcophagus lid?"
"From beginning to end, this was all an elaborate scam you designed!"
Elder Dong roared hoarsely.
Facing Elder Dong's questioning, Professor Li merely smiled faintly.
Then, he picked up the You Xi precious sword, formed a hand seal with his left hand, and softly uttered a strange syllable towards the sword.
The next second, as if the You Xi precious sword had awakened, a brilliant sword radiance erupted from its tip.
It soared upwards, piercing straight into the clouds!
The radiance of the sword eclipsed the starlight, making it appear utterly dim!
It seemed as though only this single light existed between heaven and earth, and nothing else!
Everyone involuntarily thought of an idiom.
An idiom specifically used to describe a precious sword.
Qi Chong Niu Dou!