The other side of the great hall was basically the same as the one they had just left.
Not only was the design identical, but even the decorations at the entrance were the same.
This led everyone to believe they were still in the previous side hall.
"Boss, Fatty seems to smell something foul again."
"This place isn't another trap, is it?"
Fatty covered his nose and said.
After Zhang Tian approached, he also caught a whiff of the stench of decay.
Zhang Tian began to harbor doubts as well; could this entire side hall be filled with the corpses of these priests?
Zhang Qilin suddenly thrust his hand forward, and in the next moment, the previously sealed door was blasted open.
The layout was identical to the side hall they had just left.
There was still a blocking wall that they had to navigate around.
And behind the wall, an even stronger stench of decay assailed their nostrils.
Zhang Tian frowned slightly.
He could already imagine the scene inside.
The group proceeded further in.
The next moment, Zhang Tian took a deep breath again.
The entire side hall was filled with corpses, but this time they were not from Yaowang Valley.
They were all female corpses. Their fate was similar to that of the people from Yaowang Valley, though their suffering was not as extreme.
They were unclothed, but judging by their physique,
they had not been abused in life, nor were their stomachs excessively gaunt. Even in death, their skin appeared to have been well-preserved.
Shirley Yang gritted her teeth.
"These should be the accompanying burial maids,"
Shirley Yang said through clenched teeth.
Judging by the number of these maids, there must have been over a hundred, a considerable number.
With the King of Xian ascending to immortality, having ministers, and even sacrifices, how could there be no maids?
It seemed King Xian's preparations were truly thorough.
"These were likely women plundered from local barbarian tribes or other regions. A pity, though,"
Hu Bayi shook his head, sighing.
Shirley Yang took a breath and said nothing more.
Zhang Tian turned to look outside.
"Let's go, there's nothing else to see here."
"We need to descend to search for the true tomb,"
Zhang Tian stated.
He held a flame in his hand.
Zhang Tian could not bear to see these corpses exposed to the elements, preferring to let them burn.
Shirley Yang nodded and was the first to exit the hall.
As a woman herself, she could empathize with the helplessness of women in that era.
But there was nothing she could do; she could only witness the tragedy of the past.
Professor Li looked at the scene before him without any particular reaction.
After all, it was archaeology, and he possessed extensive historical knowledge.
He had seen much.
Some kings were even more depraved, demanding that thousands of maids be buried alive with them in death.
This was, in essence, a form of feudal superstition.
After everyone had exited, Zhang Tian unleashed a torrent of fire, and the entire side hall erupted in fierce flames.
His gaze shifted to the other side hall.
Without hesitation, Zhang Tian hurled another fireball.
As they smelled the burning odor, a sense of relief washed over the group.
"Young Master Zhang, where are we going now?"
Xiao Guang asked Zhang Tian curiously.
In his opinion, the best treasures would undoubtedly be in that grand hall.
Zhang Tian was leaving without even finding the sarcophagus.
"To search for the true tomb of King Xian."
Zhang Tian's voice was soft.
It startled Professor Li and the other two.
They hadn't seen Shan Po earlier, and while Zhang Tian was deducing, they were examining artifacts, so they were unaware of the reasons.
"The true tomb chamber? Isn't this it?"
Xiao Guang asked, confused.
"This is merely a trap designed by King Xian. The true tomb chamber lies outside the Lingyun Palace."
Zhang Tian explained.
Xiao Guang and Professor Li exchanged glances, both looking surprised.
"How is that possible? With such a grand hall, why wouldn't they place the tomb chamber here, but rather outside?"
"Moreover, these burial goods inside don't seem fake,"
Xiao Guang murmured, his face filled with questions.
He couldn't understand it. He had excavated so many tombs, but this was the most bizarre he had ever encountered.
Professor Li also frowned slightly.
Even if he racked his brains, he would never have conceived that the tomb chamber was not within Lingyun Palace at all, but elsewhere.
In all his years of tomb excavation, Professor Li had never encountered such a situation.
And, to be honest, if he had led his team here, no matter how many people there were, they would have all perished.
That was beyond doubt.
Thinking of this, Professor Li was even more grateful that he hadn't allowed the remaining five people to accompany him when they passed through the water channel earlier, otherwise they would have been in grave danger.
Walking along the long passage, Zhang Tian glanced back and saw that the two side halls behind them were already engulfed in roaring flames.
This time, Zhang Tian had started the fire, but he hadn't touched the main hall.
These flames would at most only destroy the two side halls.
"Alas, what a pity."
Looking at the flames consuming the two side halls, Professor Li sighed.
In his eyes, it was a marvel of craftsmanship, an ancient relic comparable to the Old Summer Palace, and it was a shame Zhang Tian had burned two of them.
What Professor Li didn't know was that while ancient relics were abundant, many were also destroyed, not just by Zhang Tian, but by others as well.
Emerging from the passage, they were once again met with the same precipitous cliffs.
Xiao Guang rubbed his eyes from the side.
"This is ridiculous. We were just in the sky, and now we're suddenly in a mountain ravine. It's so strange."
"Does this door have the ability to teleport?"
Xiao Guang wondered internally, his mind full of confusion.
He scrutinized the surroundings for a long time, but found nothing peculiar.
"Rumble."
As Zhang Tian and the others exited, the tomb's entrance closed once more.
The surrounding stone pillars began to rearrange themselves in a haphazard pattern.
Zhang Tian touched his cheek. They hadn't noticed the door closing automatically when they entered. Could it be a personnel restriction?
"Boss, uh, I think I stepped on a mechanism."
As Zhang Tian pondered, Fatty's voice came.
Zhang Tian took a deep breath.
As expected of you, Fatty.
"It's fine. We weren't planning on going back in anyway,"
Zhang Tian waved his hand.
Professor Li took one last look at the tomb door before them. He etched the location into his memory.
He would definitely return to investigate after Zhang Tian had left.
At that time, he would report this to China.
This would undoubtedly become the world's greatest wonder!
Professor Li thought, a sense of anticipation growing in his heart.
Zhang Tian and his group walked along the path back.
Of course, the "path" was actually climbing the cliffs.
Just like when they arrived, Zhang Tian helped two, Hu Bayi helped two, while Zhang Qilin easily moved forward alone.
Soon, Zhang Tian and his group reached the previous cliff passage.
Since the mechanisms had been triggered several times before, this time it was smooth sailing, and no traps were activated.
"Where is the tomb chamber located?"
Professor Li asked, puzzled.
Zhang Tian's gaze fell upon the rushing river.
"At the bottom of the river!"
Zhang Tian declared, causing Professor Li's eyes to widen.
"This, Brother Zhang, this river is full of poisonous insects. Isn't it a bit dangerous for us to go in rashly?"
"And how are you so sure there's a tomb chamber in there?"
Professor Li asked with concern.
Zhang Tian didn't elaborate, but rather looked into the depths of the river.
"You can choose not to go. We will go in."
Zhang Tian finished speaking and remained silent.
Professor Li fell silent, unsure of what to say.