"Why is the golden palace on this mountaintop intact while all the other golden palaces have collapsed?"
Shirley Yang looked at the golden palace before her, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Judging by the surrounding situation, since all the golden palaces nearby had collapsed, this one should have too.
However, to everyone's surprise, not only had this golden hall not collapsed, but it was perfectly preserved.
There was no rust, and from a distance, there was no sign of the passage of time at all.
"We'll go to the uppermost golden palace later. Let's clear up the surrounding situation first," Zhang Tian said.
He couldn't discern the situation of that golden palace for the moment.
But Zhang Tian was certain that for the golden palace to have survived over such a long period, it must possess unique craftsmanship.
Therefore, Zhang Tian wanted to survey the surroundings first and only ascend after confirming there was no danger.
The group began to disperse. Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin walked to the right, while the others headed to the left and checked other corners.
Fatty walked alone on the mountaintop.
Beneath his feet were white stone slabs.
From the pristine white floor, faint traces of human habitation could be seen.
There were also cracks on the floor, it was unclear whether they were caused by human activity or by the immense passage of time.
"This vast expanse of ruins is worse than being at the foot of the mountain."
"But the scenery up here is quite nice."
Fatty muttered as he walked.
His gaze drifted towards the swirling clouds before him.
The sun gradually descended, its fiery hues painting the entire sky with rosy clouds.
A faint, almost imperceptible line appeared before Fatty.
The sun seemed to be sinking into this vast line, creating a spectacular sight.
"Is that the horizon?"
"No, it must be the cloud line. It's so beautiful."
Fatty murmured, gazing at the distant clouds. He was truly astonished by the scene.
Golden sunlight streamed onto the sea of clouds. Within the cloud sea, the radiant sun was gradually sinking, painting a breathtaking spectacle.
Time passed quickly.
Nearly half an hour later, the sun had completely disappeared.
Fatty finally snapped out of his reverie.
"Ah, damn it, Fatty forgot the boss's mission."
Fatty smacked his forehead, a hint of panic in his voice.
He quickly scanned his surroundings.
"Ropes?"
Fatty's eyes lit up when he saw the ropes by the cliff edge.
This gave him an excuse!
"Not bad for me, I'm such a smart guy."
Fatty chuckled and hurried back towards where Zhang Tian had been.
By this time, everyone had already regrouped.
"How was it? Where's Fatty?"
Zhang Tian scanned the area and spotted Fatty's figure in a corner.
Fatty was hurrying towards them.
"Fatty went somewhere earlier and didn't come back."
Hu Bayi said. Fatty, smiling, then joined the group.
"Did anyone find anything?"
"Let me go first," Zhang Tian began.
"I examined some of the collapsed buildings on the right. They seem to be empty shells, with no trace of medicinal residue."
"There weren't even any furniture, so it's unlikely they've weathered away over time," Zhang Tian explained.
In half an hour, Zhang Tian had discovered a great deal.
Especially inside those golden halls, they looked as if they had been ransacked; there was nothing left.
Just empty shells.
Zhang Qilin had also found nothing, which left Zhang Tian somewhat disappointed.
After all, not finding anything satisfactory made him feel as if the legendary Medicine King's Tomb he had anticipated for so long was playing a cruel joke on him.
It was like online dating, where you build up immense expectations for the other person, only to find them significantly worse than you imagined upon meeting.
This sense of disappointment was deeply unsettling.
"It's the same on our side. We looked through many collapsed areas, but undoubtedly, there was nothing of use," Shirley Yang shook her head.
Professor Li and the others also shook their heads.
If Shirley Yang found nothing, they were even less likely to.
"However, we did find many ropes on the cliff, which seem to lead to other mountains," Hu Bayi announced.
Fatty's ears perked up.
Good heavens, that was supposed to be his line! How did Old Hu say it first?
"Uh, Old Hu, that's Fatty's dialogue."
"Fatty discovered iron chains over there, which seem to lead to other peaks."
Fatty quickly stepped forward and repeated Hu Bayi's statement.
Hu Bayi gave Fatty a sidelong glance, suspecting the latter was trying to avoid admitting he found nothing embarrassing.
Zhang Tian looked at the two of them. He hadn't seen any iron chains himself.
However, when he was at the foot of the mountain, Zhang Tian had noticed faint, thread-like objects.
Perhaps those were the iron chains Fatty and the others were referring to.
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Tian spoke.
"Although the distance between the two mountains isn't great, ascending from below would be quite a trek. Thus, the ancients used iron chains to shorten the distance."
"This would facilitate travel and also make it easier for disciples of the same sect to gather."
Zhang Tian explained as several people approached the cliff edge.
The sky was gradually darkening.
A blue hue appeared on the horizon.
Zhang Tian looked at the faint black iron line before him.
"It seems to be as I thought, indeed a wire leading to the other two mountains."
"However, there's too much fog, and we can't see the path underfoot. It might be a bit dangerous to go now."
Zhang Tian gazed at the iron wire.
Although the distance wasn't great, due to the extreme height of the mountain and the swirling mist,
the iron wire underfoot might sway, or the path ahead might be obscured.
While Zhang Tian himself wasn't afraid, others might be.
With his Qinggong, Zhang Tian could even glide or hover briefly in the air at his current cultivation level.
But Fatty and the others couldn't.
Zhang Tian didn't know if others at the Inner Core stage could fly, but he knew he couldn't.
And he didn't possess such a technique.
So, to fly, one had to rely solely on cultivation.
"The boss is wise."
Upon hearing that they wouldn't be ascending, Fatty's face broke into a smile.
The man suffered from acrophobia, and walking on iron chains would be more agonizing than killing him.
Moreover, Fatty could already imagine what the iron chains would look like with him on them.
They would undoubtedly sway in the wind.
At that point, not only Fatty, but Zhang Tian himself would likely be startled.
"Then shall we stay here for the night?" Shirley Yang asked Zhang Tian.
She hadn't experienced the night for a long time.
In the Tomb of King Xian, there was no concept of day and night.
It was always pitch black, let alone seeing the sky.
Living in darkness underground for extended periods has a certain impact on the human body, even more so within a tomb.
Zhang Tian nodded.
He then produced tents from his ethereal space.
Zhang Tian had prepared very thoroughly for this expedition.
He had brought everything he could and couldn't bring.
After all, with such a large space, carrying more wouldn't be an issue even if they weren't used.
Soon, rolls of tents were produced.
Seeing items materialize out of thin air, Professor Li and Xiao Guang couldn't help but have their own thoughts.
Their eyes held a hint of curiosity.