291: True heroes, incredible underground palace

"Mr. Ye, do you recognize them?" Meng Ziyi asked.

Ye Bai nodded; he remembered seeing an introduction to these Stone Statues in a movie.

"They represent the four great divine beasts—the Dragon, the Phoenix, the Qilin, and the Black Tortoise—and they are the final line of defense guarding the Mausoleum. Legend has it that when the First Emperor of Qin sent troops to conquer Chi You, he led fifty thousand soldiers to slay Chi You and kill his seventy-six sons and daughters, eventually refining them into the God of War, Xingtian."

"So you're saying we've encountered the remains of Xingtian?" Yang Mi swallowed nervously.

"Not remains; he is already dead."

Ye Bai said solemnly, "These are actual remains. Xingtian is a hero of the Huaxia people who fought against extraterrestrial demons for millions of years. His body must never be left outside, or it will cause immense harm to the people of the entire country."

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi exchanged glances, both showing determined expressions. "Alright, we'll go with you."

Ye Bai smiled with relief. "In that case, let's go in together." He took the lead and walked toward the Stone Statue.

As soon as the three stepped past the Stone Statue, the scene around them suddenly shifted, and a magnificent, grand palace appeared before them.

They ascended the Stone Steps and entered the interior of the palace. The palace was exquisitely furnished, with carved beams and painted rafters, appearing incredibly luxurious.

They followed the stone staircase to the top of the palace, where a massive plaque caught their eyes.

Several lines of text were written on the plaque: 'By Grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I am the Lord of Huaxia, burdened with the welfare of all living beings. Now, there are heretics deluding the people and bringing chaos to the state. I am deeply pained and hereby decree that all descendants of Huaxia must be loyal to the sovereign and love the country, protecting the home and defending the nation.'

Yang Mi took out her phone to snap a few photos of the plaque before handing it to Ye Bai. "Mr. Ye, please help us take a group photo. This is a once-in-a-millennium sight."

Ye Bai nodded, took the phone, and aimed it at the plaque to take a few photos as a memento. Just as they were about to turn and leave, a golden beam of light suddenly shot out from the plaque.

Ye Bai was quick-witted and pulled Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi out of the way.

"Watch out!" he barked, pushing the two of them aside.

The golden beam struck Ye Bai's shoulder. He let out a muffled groan, his body swaying as he nearly fell.

"Mr. Ye, how are you?" Yang Mi supported him anxiously.

"Mr. Ye, are you alright?" Meng Ziyi asked with concern.

Ye Bai gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, "I'm fine. Let's keep going upstairs."

The three quickly reached the top floor of the palace. The layout here still followed ancient architecture, with four dragon-coiled pillars supporting the eaves and a fist-sized luminous pearl placed at each of the four corners.

In the center of the palace, a massive stone coffin stood upright.

"Wow, it's actually a real coffin." Meng Ziyi's eyes widened in amazement.

Yang Mi frowned and pointed at the stone coffin. "Mr. Ye, there's something wrong with this stone coffin."

Ye Bai walked over, squatted beside the stone coffin, and examined the patterns on the Coffin Lid.

Densely packed lines were carved onto the Coffin Lid; every single line seemed to contain some kind of mystery, yet it was something Ye Bai couldn't quite grasp.

"I once met an Onmyoji who was knowledgeable in many mysterious arts. I'm certain these patterns are related to Onmyoji," Yang Mi mused.

Ye Bai nodded in agreement and said, "I suspect this stone coffin is the formation sealing Xingtian's remains."

Hearing his words, Meng Ziyi became a bit frightened and hid behind Yang Mi.

"Don't be afraid, Mr. Ye will definitely solve this," Yang Mi comforted her softly.

"We need to find the nodes of the formation. Only then can we dismantle it," Ye Bai said.

He closed his eyes and thought carefully. After a moment, he opened them and pointed at the Coffin Lid. "According to the patterns drawn on the stone coffin, it is indeed a formation to suppress Xingtian."

"Then what do we do?" Meng Ziyi asked urgently.

"We need to find the formation eye and destroy it."

Yang Mi said, "But we don't understand formations. I'm afraid it will be very difficult!"

"Don't worry, I have my ways."

Ye Bai took out the divination compass and began to study the formation.

The needle of the divination compass rotated slowly, flickering between light and dark, rising and falling, until finally, the needle settled into place.

Ye Bai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I've finally found it. You two step back."

"Okay."

The three retreated a few meters.

Ye Bai raised his hand, forming seals and chanting an incantation. In an instant, a majestic and vast power erupted from his body, like a volcanic surge.

Runes shot out from his fingertips one after another, transforming into long swords that pierced through the Coffin Lid of the stone coffin.

Rumble... The stone coffin trembled violently, and then the Coffin Lid shattered into pieces, scattering across the floor. Simultaneously, the entire palace began to shake. Stone Doors rose slowly, revealing an even vaster space.

Ye Bai walked forward and picked up the fragments from the ground.

"Mr. Ye, this place is too eerie. Let's leave as soon as possible!" Meng Ziyi said fearfully.

Yang Mi also urged, "Mr. Ye, let's just leave."

Ye Bai smiled calmly. "No need to worry. This experience is also a form of tempering for you. If you flee because you're afraid, how will you become strong in the future?"

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi looked at each other and regained their spirits. Indeed, to become strong, one cannot fear difficulties.

They followed Ye Bai into the palace and found that the walls of the stone hall were hung with various peculiar objects, including Bronze Tripods, copper lamps, copper coins, and more.

The closer they got to these objects, the more difficult it became to breathe, and their heads felt heavy.

Ye Bai scanned the room, his expression changing slightly.

He walked over to a Bronze Tripod and reached out to touch it, but he was repelled. The Bronze Tripod emitted a faint blue light, and vaguely, it seemed as if something was flowing inside it.

Seeing this, Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi hurriedly stepped forward, only to be repelled as well.

Ye Bai stood straight, stared at the Bronze Tripod for a moment, then suddenly reached out and grabbed its edge, lifting it up with a sudden burst of strength.

Instantly, the previously calm Bronze Tripod began to boil, the sound of splashing water coming from within, followed by a thick, fishy stench wafting out. Ye Bai held his breath and swung the Bronze Tripod, smashing it against the stone wall.

With a bang, the stone wall cracked with numerous fissures, fragments flew, and dust filled the air.

Yang Mi and Meng Ziyi were struck by the flying stones.

Ye Bai rushed over immediately, grabbing the two of them and rolling onto the floor. He kicked the stones aside one by one.

Once the stones stopped falling, the two of them climbed up.

"That scared me to death." Yang Mi patted her chest, breathing heavily. She saw blood flowing from the stone coffin, staining the floor red, and her heart pounded incessantly.

Meng Ziyi's face was pale; he clutched his forehead, grimacing in pain.

Ye Bai sent the two of them out and then returned to the underground Secret Chamber alone. He sat on a prayer mat and began to study the runes on the stone coffin.

"These runes have a hint of a familiar aura, but there's nothing similar in my memories." He fell into distress, muttering to himself.