It was astonishing that someone could penetrate the depths of the Divine Emperor's tomb and even plant explosives. How could he not be shocked? After all, he knew better than anyone what lay within the tomb. A vast labyrinth, capable of holding thousands, filled with countless traps and mechanisms. It was practically impossible to escape alive. Even if one survived the traps and navigated the maze, entering the inner sanctum was out of the question. Three elite guards stood sentinel before the burial chamber. He himself was merely a tomb keeper; the true power resided within. He knew those guards were the core strength of Fuji Country, legendary ninjas, masters of their art. And now, Zhang Tian had reached the main passage. Did that mean the ninjas had already been dealt with? The thought made the old Onmyoji stare at Zhang Tian and his companions as if they were monsters, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"Huh, he's awake. Boss, what do we do with this guy?" Fatty asked, feigning surprise as he gestured to the bound figure on his back.
"Let him watch. I think it will have a significant impact on his psyche. Besides, there are some cultural texts we don't understand, and he might be useful," Zhang Tian waved his hand dismissively. Frankly, the old Onmyoji posed no threat to him. The old Onmyoji felt as if he had been hit by ten thousand critical blows, yet he dared not show the slightest hint of displeasure towards Zhang Tian. He was afraid of death.
"Squeak."
From not far away, Xiao Bie made a sound. Simultaneously, the bell on Xiao Bie's tail chimed crisply.
"Boss, Xiao Bie found something!" Fatty exclaimed excitedly.
Zhang Tian nodded, and the group quickened their pace. After walking for nearly ten meters, Xiao Bie's massive form appeared before them. Its colossal body seemed to obscure the entire tomb passage. In front of Xiao Bie, countless white skeletons were piled haphazardly. These skeletons seemed utterly out of place with the Buddha statues adorning the surrounding walls. The statues bore expressions of compassion, yet at their feet lay piles of bleached bones. The bones carpeted the entire floor, stretching into the deepest recesses of the tomb. The skeletons themselves were peculiar, mostly small, giving off an unsettling aura.
"Buddha's feet resting on bleached bones, this is a stairway to hell."
"Boss, I know where that powder came from. These white bones… they're all children!" Hu Bayi's voice was cold, almost gritted. In any nation, children were virtually sacrosanct. To use so many young lives as sacrifices to construct a tomb, it was evident that the tomb's owner was far beyond mere madness.
"Lao Hu, how can you tell these are all children?" Fatty asked, staring at the ground.
"Second Brother mentioned that the powder could only be made with virgin blood. Combined with the skeletons here, it's easy to deduce," Hu Bayi explained. Fatty kicked the ground.
"Damn! So ruthless even to their own people. Truly a beast." Fatty cursed. In some humanitarian nations, during wartime, elders, women, and children were not harmed and were even treated kindly. But in certain other countries, these were the very first targets. This Divine Emperor was a prime example.
"Old man, speak! Is it as Fatty said?" Wang Bayue pressed the Onmyoji, who was on Wang Kaixuan's back.
"Divine Emperor Lord, in life, constantly studied the writings of Lord Xu Fu," the old Onmyoji began. "He greatly admired Lord Xu Fu, and thus, he also constructed this Myriad Buddha Palace according to Lord Xu Fu's records, in pursuit of entering paradise after death."
Among the group, only Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi could understand the old man. Upon hearing this, Zhang Tian's eyes grew deeper. Xu Fu, a man steeped in superstition, had repeatedly consulted feng shui masters and Onmyoji for divination. Legend had it that after his death, his tomb was filled with countless young boys and girls, meant to provide an unending supply of their vital essence. It was said that his tomb held not only vast amounts of gold and jewels but also the skeletal remains of many children. The current Divine Emperor had likely modeled his tomb after Xu Fu's.
"Oh? So, you mean the Divine Emperor greatly admired Xu Fu? Or was he searching for Xu Fu's tomb?" Zhang Tian asked the old Onmyoji in Fuji language.
The old Onmyoji glanced at Zhang Tian, then at the tomb passage. "If I tell you, will you spare my life?" he pleaded, his eyes filled with entreaty. After all, the ninjas had perished here; what hope did he have? He was ordered to guard the tomb, and it was clearly unguardable now. He'd rather live than wait to die.
A smile touched Zhang Tian's lips. "If your information proves useful, I will spare your life."
The old Onmyoji quickly began. "It is so. Years ago, before the Divine Emperor Lord died, during the war, our people discovered an ancient temple in a remote forest in Xia Country. According to our feng shui masters, they eventually found a remarkably large ancient tomb within the temple. The tomb was filled with treasures, artifacts, burial objects, and even peculiar Buddha statues." The old Onmyoji coughed and continued. "It is said that they only entered the first level of the tomb before an accident occurred. All two hundred people who entered, along with several Onmyoji, perished. It is rumored they witnessed the most terrifying sight of their lives. Only a handful emerged, bringing back hundreds of artifacts. However, during their transport, these artifacts were intercepted, and only a small portion returned to Fuji Country. It was from these recovered items that the Divine Emperor Lord became infatuated with Buddhism and began to learn about Xu Fu's deeds."
The old Onmyoji finished speaking, and Zhang Tian fell into a brief period of contemplation. If this was true, then everything made sense. The Buddha's head and the bloodied Guanyin statue that Captain mentioned before he arrived, as well as the tale of the Fuji Country artifact ship. All of it seemed connected to an ancient tomb in Xia Country. But why would the Divine Emperor suddenly design his tomb based on that ancient tomb and Xu Fu's legends? Were there some strange secrets involved?
"Do you know about the subsequent levels?" Hu Bayi asked from the side. If that ancient temple tomb, as the old Onmyoji claimed, had yielded an entire ship full of artifacts from just its first level, then the subsequent levels would undoubtedly be unimaginably valuable.
"I don't know. I only heard this from others. It is said that the Divine Emperor Lord possessed a map of the entire tomb, and after his death, the map was sealed away. Along with it, Lord Xu Fu's record books were also interred," the old Onmyoji said. Zhang Tian nodded, asking no further questions. It seemed many things would have to wait until they reached the Divine Emperor's tomb to be resolved.
His gaze fell upon the skeletal remains before them. Zhang Tian hesitated to step on them, as they were the remains of children. "If that is the case, let us return them to their original resting place." With a wave of his hand, Zhang Tian tossed a talisman. A gust of wind swept through, stirring the surrounding skeletons. They gradually dispersed into ash, carried by the wind towards the tomb's exit. They would be scattered around the tomb, to remain with it for eternity.