227: Chapter 227 The Empress's Relics?

When the light completely dispelled the darkness ahead and illuminated the contours of the entire space, even Su Changge, who was feigning calmness, had his breath hitch.

The scene before him overturned his entire understanding of the word "tomb chamber."

This was no tomb chamber; this was a temple buried deep underground!

The space was grand enough to make one's heart palpitate. The dome hung high like the night sky, embedded with unknown crystals that flickered faintly, actually simulating an incomplete star map. Underfoot were smooth, flawless obsidian tiles, cold and hard, clearly reflecting the glowing white halo emitted by the heart of the realm.

The vastness of the temple far exceeded imagination; one could not see the end at a single glance. The four walls were not made of cold stone but of massive Formations branded with countless blood-colored divine scripts.

Every ancient divine script contained an inexplicable Dao Rhyme. At this moment, they were flickering on and off on their own, emitting a faint red glow like the breathing of a sleeping giant beast, providing the only light source for this dead, underground world.

These divine scripts were not chaotic; they interlinked to eventually converge into magnificent war epics.

On the murals, a woman dressed in mysterious black imperial robes had a blurred face, but her eyes pierced through eternity, revealing a loftiness that looked down upon the world. She stood atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, holding a blood-colored halberd that pierced the heavens and earth in one hand, with war flags that covered the sky and endless soldiers behind her.

Her enemies were gods and demons from the Nine Heavens, and ghosts from the depths of the netherworld; the flash of blades and swords tore the firmament, and the blood of immortals and gods dyed the earth red.

Every stroke was saturated with suffocating Killing Intent and unyielding Battle Intent.

Lin Waner clutched Su Changge's sleeve tightly, hiding behind him. She only dared to peek out half her head. The moment her gaze touched the murals, she trembled all over, her teeth chattering.

"Fellow Daoist... these... these paintings..." Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's, filled with a crying tone.

Su Changge withdrew his gaze from the murals, his expression calm as water, his tone devoid of any ripples.

"Ancient war depictions, nothing to be surprised about."

Yet, his heart was surging with turbulent waves: These are not paintings! This is clearly a corner of a real battlefield, sealed into the walls using supreme Divine Ability! That Evil Qi, persisting across one hundred thousand years of time, was almost becoming tangible, stinging one's Divine Soul!

He steadied his mind and led Lin Waner along the central axis of the temple towards the depths. His footsteps were extremely light, but his spiritual sense spread out, wary of any fluctuation in energy, fearing he might trigger the sleeping Restriction here.

After walking about a hundred zhang, they finally reached the center of the temple.

In the center of the temple stood a solitary stone throne over three meters high. The throne was carved from a single piece of unknown black divine rock. The blood-colored patterns naturally formed on the surface of the rock were like the blood vessels of a living being, flowing slowly within, exuding an eerie vitality.

Sitting on the throne was a complete human skeleton.

The skeleton was not the usual ghastly white but presented a pale golden, glazed texture, as if cast from divine gold. Even though the flesh and blood had long turned to dust, a faint trace of Imperial Might still lingered on the bones, causing the surrounding Void Realm to distort slightly.

Its spine was straight, its head held high. Even though only bones remained, that domineering Aura of ruling the world and holding the power of life and death seemed to be eternally branded into this space.

Below the throne was a half-person-high circular altar. The altar was built from some kind of scarlet crystal, its surface covered in spiderweb-like cracks, as if it had withstood unimaginable power impacts. The altar was long dry, with no traces of blood, but Su Changge could smell that faint scent of blood in the air, and its source was here.

Around the altar were scattered some long-decayed weapons and armor fragments, covered in thick dust, silently recounting the ruthlessness of time.

Su Changge paused and looked around.

The temple was empty and dead silent; apart from this stone throne and altar, there was nothing else. There was no army of walking corpses as imagined, nor was any hidden, lethal Formation triggered.

His tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Fortunately, apart from this unknown entity, there seemed to be no living things here.

He nonchalantly leaned his back against a massive stone pillar supporting the dome beside him. The cold touch came through, allowing his nearly collapsing legs to find support. His heart was still beating violently in his chest, but his face remained calm and unruffled. With his chin slightly raised, he indifferently scrutinized the skeleton on the stone throne; his posture did not look like he was paying respects to an ancient emperor, but rather like he was judging an incompetent junior.

Lin Waner snuggled beside him. Seeing that there was no immediate danger, curiosity got the better of her, and she looked up at the strange skeleton.

"Fellow Daoist, who is that person? Why can the skeleton still glow on its own after death?"

Su Changge shook his head, his voice as flat as a breeze brushing over an ancient well.

"I do not know; it should be the master of this place."

His internal monologue, however, was: How would I know which deity this is! Stop asking, I can't keep up this act much longer!

He stepped forward, ignoring the invisible pressure, walked close to the throne, and fixed his gaze on the golden skeleton.

Getting closer, he realized that every inch of this skeleton was flawless. Faint golden divine light flowed on the bone surface, like warm, moist jade, containing an indescribable Dao Rhyme. This was definitely not a Physical Body that an ordinary Cultivator could cultivate; its strength while alive likely exceeded his understanding.

Suddenly, Su Changge's gaze froze.

His eyes locked tightly onto the slender, long finger bones of the skeleton's left hand.

On that finger bone wore a ring that was pitch black all over. The material of the ring was neither gold nor jade, simple and unadorned. On the face of the ring, a lifelike Phoenix totem, singing while bathing in fire, was carved using an intaglio technique.

This ring!

Su Changge's Dao Heart experienced a violent tremor at this moment.

The style and Aura of this ring were surprisingly seven or eight parts similar to the Lifebound Treasure that Ye Qingyao never left her side! He had seen Ye Qingyao's ring more than once; it was also black-based, and also had a Phoenix brand!

The only difference was that Ye Qingyao's ring had flowing spiritual light and inner divine radiance, while the one before him was dull and dead; all its brilliance had been worn away by time, leaving only its most original form.

Su Changge moved two more steps forward, almost pressing against the stone throne, staring at the ring without blinking.

That's right! It can't be wrong!

This ring and Ye Qingyao's Lifebound Treasure were almost of the same root and Origin!

Various clues exploded in his mind, stringing together into a truth that made his scalp tingle. The System's previous prompt about the Fusion of Ye Qingyao's Remnant Soul, the Empress Phantom outside the tomb door who looked exactly like Ye Qingyao, plus this ring before him...

This skeleton was Ye Qingyao's past life!

It was that legendary figure from one hundred thousand years ago who suppressed an era with her own strength and made ten thousand races bow... the Blood Abyss Empress!

A drop of cold sweat slid down Su Changge's temple.

He had actually broken into the mausoleum of Ye Qingyao's past life!

Meanwhile, deep in the shadows at the entrance of the tomb passage, when the Old Priest looked through the layers of obstacles and saw from afar the golden figure sitting on the stone throne in the center of the temple, his aged body trembled violently. His knees went weak, and he actually knelt directly on the ground.

"It... it is Her Majesty the Empress! It is that taboo existence from one hundred thousand years ago... the Blood Abyss Empress!"

The Old Priest's voice was hoarse, filled with fear and awe originating from the depths of his Bloodline. He kowtowed heavily toward the direction of the temple in the most pious posture. His forehead collided with the cold ground, and the blood that seeped out flowed down the wrinkles on his face, yet he was completely unaware.

Shadow Kill Prince gripped the pitch-black dagger at his waist with one hand, his muscles knotted. A Killing Intent, condensed to the extreme, emanated from his body, his eyes more solemn than ever before.

"If the Remnant Soul of the Empress awakens, it may be unfavorable to the King! I must go inside to protect him!"

Just as he moved, a steady, powerful hand pressed onto his shoulder. It was Prince Jimie.

Prince Jimie shook his head, his deep gaze piercing through the darkness, landing on Su Changge's solitary, lofty back. He said in a deep voice, "What are you panicking about! Look at the King's Dao Heart; it is as stable as an ancient divine mountain, and his Aura is not in the slightest disarray. This mere skeleton of the Empress is clearly not regarded by the King!"

"If we barge in now, we will only disturb the King's peace and ruin the King's grand plan!"

The Succubus Prince nearby also nodded in agreement. She lightly covered her red lips with her jade hand, her charming eyes flashing with brilliance, gazing infatuatedly at Su Changge's back.

"The King's gaze when scrutinizing the Empress's skeleton... how domineering! That is not the gaze of peers interacting; that is the posture of an elder looking down upon a junior!"

In the center of the temple, Su Changge stood before the throne, the scales of his heart swaying violently.

Should he take off this ring?

If he could take it off and find an opportunity to return it to Ye Qingyao in the future, perhaps he could resolve some Karma, or even exchange it for immense benefits.

But... this is the remains of the Blood Abyss Empress. Moving her things, who knows what terrifying consequences it might trigger? This mausoleum seems calm, but who knows if there are thunderous countermeasures?

He was hesitant, caught in a dilemma.

Just then, from deep within the tomb passage behind them, came a dull thumping sound again.

"Thump... thump... thump..."

That sound struck the heavy stone door, and also struck everyone's heart, like the drumbeats of death. The army of walking corpses outside had not given up.

The hesitation in Su Changge's eyes was replaced by a touch of resolution.

Can't care about that much anymore!

Wealth is sought in danger! Since he was already trapped in a desperate situation, what was the use of being overly cautious! If he took this ring, perhaps there would still be a glimmer of hope!

He mobilized all his spiritual power to protect himself, held his breath, and finally made up his mind. He slowly stretched out his hand, his fingertips gently reaching toward the skeleton's shoulder.

The touch was ice-cold and hard as iron, with no sign of bone fragility, but rather like touching a piece of ten-thousand-year black ice.

The moment Su Changge's fingertips touched the golden skeleton—

"Hum—!"

The entire underground temple, no, the entire earth, began to tremble violently!

The obsidian ground beneath his feet groaned under the unbearable weight, and cracks spread out. Above the dome, the crystals simulating the star map shone brightly, and countless gravel and dust fell down with a rustle.

Su Changge retreated in shock, nearly falling down.

What happened! Just a light touch, and it triggered the core Restriction here?

Lin Waner beside him was already pale with fright, hugging his arm tightly, letting out a short scream: "Fellow Daoist! The ground is shaking!"

Su Changge forcibly steadied himself and looked up at the stone throne.

The golden skeleton still sat motionless, but the golden divine light circling around it surged at this moment, the brilliance so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at it.

Meanwhile, on the four walls of the temple, those billions of blood-colored divine scripts seemed to be injected with new life, lighting up one by one, erupting with blinding red light. The entire temple was illuminated into a world of blood!

In the shadows in the distance, The Three Princes' expressions changed drastically.

"Not good! The Empress's Imperial Might has been alerted!" Prince Jimie clenched his fists and shouted in a deep voice.

Shadow Kill Prince had already drawn his dagger, his sharp Killing Intent locked onto the center of the temple: "I must go in! I absolutely cannot let the King suffer any harm!"

The Succubus Prince also put away her seductive demeanor, summoned a pair of blood-colored curved blades, her expression stern and murderous.

The Old Priest was kneeling on the ground, the sound of him chanting the Blood Descendants scriptures becoming increasingly rapid, his body trembling like chaff.

Su Changge stood at the center of the storm, feeling this earth-shattering power, his heart and gallbladder cracking.

Didn't I just touch the shoulder? Is it necessary to create such a big scene?

He looked up at the top of the temple; gravel fell more and more densely, hitting the ground with heavy muffled sounds.

What shocked him even more was that from the entrance of the tomb passage where they came from, a series of sharp, whistling wind sounds came, mixed with a thick, inseparable blood Qi.

Su Changge's nostrils flared; the intensity of that blood Qi was far greater than what he had encountered outside before.

Where did this blood Qi come from?

He turned his head abruptly, looking toward the entrance of the tomb passage. The next moment, his eyes widened.

He saw endless streams of blood-colored Qi, converging into a rushing torrent, surging in from the narrow tomb passage. It was not mist, not gas, but liquefied, most pure Origin blood energy, like a breached sea of blood, roaring and rolling, sweeping toward the stone throne in the center of the temple!