"Alright, let's keep moving deeper inside," Zhang Tian said softly, clapping his hands.
Since the alchemy furnace had been collected, there was no need to linger.
Zhang Tian was quite pleased, finding a top-grade magical artifact just by walking. If it were any higher, it would likely be an ultimate magical artifact, which were extremely rare.
"Wait, could this be the auspicious omen I divined earlier?"
Zhang Tian suddenly remembered the divination he had performed when they first arrived. The first omen had proven accurate, and now he had obtained the alchemy furnace for free. Wasn't that like getting a treasure for nothing? He'd be a fool not to believe it was auspicious.
"It seems I need to be more careful from now on," Zhang Tian thought, his gaze drifting to the distance. The dark palace seemed to have no end in sight.
"I feel a bit cold up ahead," Shirley Yang remarked, looking forward. A chill had emanated from the area after Zhang Tian collected the incense burner. It made Shirley Yang and the others feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
Zhang Tian felt it too, but he sensed more than just cold; there was also an aura of Yin. He then scanned his surroundings, noticing that the pure spiritual energy that had been abundant earlier seemed to have diminished significantly. He looked at the jade pendant on his chest; the jade eye was emitting a strange light.
Zhang Tian hadn't stopped absorbing the surrounding energy. Clearly, he had depleted the pure spiritual energy, and now only the overwhelming Yin aura remained.
"It's a miracle that this spiritual energy could be absorbed for so long," Zhang Tian muttered. A single second of absorption by his jade eye brought in an immense amount of spiritual energy. To have continued for so long, over an hour from the start, was astounding.
"My spatial realm should be brimming with spiritual energy by now," Zhang Tian thought, a smile forming on his lips. In the future, his realm would be a sacred place for cultivation. He could bring Zhang Qilin and the others there to cultivate together, ensuring both safety and convenience. Drinking spiritual water when thirsty, wouldn't their cultivation skyrocket?
"Such potent Yin energy. The auspicious glow all around seems to have vanished," Hu Bayi commented from the side.
Zhang Tian nodded. The auspicious glow had been so strong that it had masked the Yin aura.
"Hmm? What is that?" Zhang Tian said, his eyes drawn to something in the distance. On the nearby wall, a long mural, several meters in length, caught his attention. It seemed to depict everything that had happened during the lifespan of the Xian King.
Shirley Yang also gazed at the mural with keen interest. Professor Li and Xiao Guang crowded closer. The three of them began to interpret the mural.
"Boss, this mural is so big and long, longer than any other mural Fatty has seen," Fatty remarked, examining it. Finding himself unable to understand it, Fatty shifted his attention, searching for useful clues elsewhere. Hu Bayi also looked over, and the group gathered before the mural.
"This pattern seems to be about divination," Shirley Yang said, shining her flashlight on a specific depiction. The image showed an elder sitting cross-legged on the ground, seemingly performing a calculation. Above the elder's head was a flower-petal-like pattern. Many people were kneeling below, appearing to be in the midst of a ritual. On either side of the mural were depictions of the Xian King, inscribed with ancient seal script that looked quite strange.
"What is the Xian King offering sacrifices to? Or did the worship only begin after his death?" Shirley Yang mused. Professor Li and Xiao Guang were analyzing the surrounding seal script.
"The one being worshipped is likely that Blood Coffin Priest," Hu Bayi stated after a quick review. They had encountered the blood coffin before, which contained tentacles formed from intestines—truly disgusting. Seeing the mural now, it wasn't hard to infer that the priest involved might have been the same one they met earlier.
"Look at the Xian King's mural!" Shirley Yang exclaimed. Everyone turned their gaze to the Xian King's depiction. Above the Xian King's head, a red pearl shone exceptionally brightly. The Xian King also wore several skulls around his neck. According to the mural, he was adorned with a jade belt, a golden crown, and sacred armor, supported by numerous ministers. He stepped onto a dragon's body, slowly ascending to the realm of immortals. This mural vividly illustrated the Xian King's dream of becoming an immortal.
"This Xian King really knows how to flatter himself," Xiao Guang commented, looking at the Xian King's mural. "After killing so many people, he depicts himself as an immortal."
Zhang Tian remained silent, his eyes fixed on the red pearl within the Xian King's golden crown. If the supplementary mural was accurate, the Mu Chen Pearl should be within this golden crown.
"We are likely in the Hall of Meeting Immortals, commonly known as the Divine Hall. This is also the hall where the Xian King achieved enlightenment and ascended," Hu Bayi stated, looking around. From the mural, the Xian King's ascension, supported by his ministers, along with the various rituals, all served as a prelude to his ascent.
"The scale of this tomb is truly vast," Professor Li exclaimed again. Keep in mind, this was only the main hall; there were two side halls on either flank. This indicated the immense human and material resources the Xian King must have expended.
Zhang Tian shook his head. "Not all royal tombs are as grand as the Xian King's tomb. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the pursuit of immortality and alchemy was prevalent, and the Xian King's lifelong pursuit was to achieve enlightenment and become an immortal. Look at this mural, with tens of thousands of people felling trees, exhausting the populace and wasting resources, burying the bones in the water dragon's vortex. The Xian King clearly made no provision for his descendants," Zhang Tian said, pointing to the mural.
The mural depicted the Xian King's politics and military affairs during his reign. It showed that while he was alive, oppression was rampant, and he treated human lives as mere grass. More disturbingly, a single human life was worth less than a wooden stake. It even indicated that the Xian King enjoyed using human oil to light lamps and make incense burners.
"This is too horrifying," Professor Li gasped, a shiver running through him. Those times were truly chaotic. Although King Qin ruled the land, the world was still in disarray. Professor Li felt a sense of helplessness; these were just historical facts, and he could not change them.
"Quick, Boss, there's another incense burner here!" Fatty's voice suddenly called out from the side. Fatty, unable to understand the mural, had gone to explore elsewhere. To his surprise, he had found something. As Fatty's voice reached them, Zhang Tian and the others turned their gazes in his direction. They saw Fatty standing a short distance away. Before him was an incense burner similar to the one Zhang Tian had encountered earlier, but this one was completely different from the alchemy furnace Zhang Tian had found. It had a skull for a lid and three legs, resembling a small oval stove.
Zhang Tian flashed over to the incense burner and saw that some materials had not been completely burned inside. Zhang Tian's gaze fell upon the lid of the incense burner. A thick layer of oil was smeared on it.
"There are people inside!" Shirley Yang exclaimed, coming closer. She immediately recognized the material within. Professor Li and Xiao Guang's eyes widened. They had seen mass graves before, but never anything this disgusting and terrifying. This truly exceeded their expectations.