383: Ancient sealing spell, mechanism activates automatically

Xin Xin was trembling all over from fear: "Oh my god, this place is really terrifying! Why would anyone be buried in this hellhole?"

Fatty couldn't help but ask: "Third Uncle, what do we do now?"

Yang Mi said: "Since we know it's dangerous here, let's go around it."

Third Uncle said: "Alright! Let's go this way."

Everyone slowly moved forward along the Passage they had come from. No one dared to wander off, because they truly couldn't judge what they might encounter at the other end of the Passage.

Unknowingly, the group had already bypassed the so-called "haunted house" from before. Suddenly, a burst of noise came from around the corner; it sounded like the clamor of people.

"What's going on up ahead?" Yang Mi asked curiously.

"I'll go take a look," Wu Xie said as he walked forward.

Ye Bai raised an eyebrow but didn't interfere, even though he knew what would happen next.

Wu Xie cautiously felt his way toward the source of the noise, and his figure soon disappeared around the corner.

Xin Xin nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting toward the direction Wu Xie had left from time to time as she whispered, "He won't get into trouble, will he?"

Fatty lightly tapped her head: "Don't jinx it. That kid Xie-zi is sharp as a tack."

Third Uncle, meanwhile, frowned, his hand resting on the weapon at his waist as he kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings.

Yang Mi was also somewhat uneasy. She looked at Ye Bai and found that he still looked calm and indifferent, as if everything was under control.

"Ye Bai, aren't you worried?" Yang Mi couldn't help but ask.

Ye Bai glanced at her briefly: "Is worrying useful?"

Those four simple words left Yang Mi speechless for a moment.

After a while, Wu Xie ran back, his face showing a mix of excitement and surprise.

"It's a group of Tomb Robbers, but they seem to be trapped by something and are arguing over there."

"Then what should we do? Should we go take a look?" Fatty was eager to try.

Third Uncle thought for a moment and looked at Ye Bai: "Ye Bai, what do you say?"

Ye Bai was silent for a moment, then said: "Let's go take a look and see what they're arguing about."

Everyone nodded and followed Wu Xie toward the noise.

As they approached, they saw a group of people dressed in tattered clothes gathered in front of a massive Stone Door.

The Stone Door was covered in strange runes, and there were some small hidden mechanisms and traps around it.

One of them, a burly man with a full beard, was shouting loudly: "It's all your fault for insisting on this path! Now look, we're trapped here!"

A thin man next to him retorted: "If it weren't for your greed, wanting to grab more treasure, would we have triggered these mechanisms?"

The appearance of Ye Bai and the others instantly put the Tomb Robbers on guard. The bearded man bellowed: "Who are you?"

Third Uncle stepped forward: "We're just passing through. We saw you were trapped and wanted to see if we could help."

The man sized them up: "Hmph, don't try any funny business."

Ye Bai ignored his hostility and walked straight to the Stone Door, carefully observing the runes on it.

Everyone's gaze focused on him, and the Tomb Robbers also quieted down, wanting to see what this man—who didn't look simple—could do.

"These runes are an Ancient Sealing Incantation. If touched, the surrounding mechanisms will activate," Ye Bai said coldly.

"Then what should we do?" Xin Xin asked.

Ye Bai took some tools from his backpack and began to fiddle with a small mechanism beside the Stone Door.

His movements were swift and precise, his fingers operating with a dexterity that left everyone dazzled.

The Tomb Robbers also showed looks of surprise; they hadn't expected this young man to be so skilled.

"You guys, go over there and collect those hidden weapons. Be careful."

Ye Bai instructed Fatty and the others.

"Quick, quick, quick! Hurry up and help the master collect the items!"

Those Tomb Robbers were very good at reading the room; they could tell at a glance that Ye Bai was no ordinary person.

By following him, they might even get to share some of the leftovers.

Under the bearded man's signal, the Tomb Robbers hurriedly helped collect the hidden weapons.

With a loud boom, the Stone Door slowly opened.

A stale air rushed out, and there were faint flickers of light inside.

"Wow, it looks like there's treasure!" Fatty shouted excitedly.

But Ye Bai's brow furrowed as he sensed a dangerous aura.

"Don't go in yet. There's a problem."

Just as he finished speaking, countless arrows suddenly shot out from inside.

Fortunately, because of Ye Bai's warning, everyone was prepared and quickly dodged.

"Damn, I almost bit the dust here," the bearded man said with lingering fear.

Ye Bai looked into the Stone Door, his gaze inscrutable.

"This is only the first line of defense. There are even more powerful mechanisms inside."

"Then what do we do? Are we still going in?" Yang Mi was somewhat hesitant.

Ye Bai pondered for a moment: "I'll go."

After saying that, he tied a rope around himself and made full preparations before stepping into the entrance.

As soon as he entered, a cold, bone-chilling wind began to blow.

Yang Mi and the others stood pressed against the wall, while Xin Xin and Fatty hid behind Third Uncle.

Ye Bai looked around but didn't find any mechanisms. He only saw various eerie and terrifying patterns painted on the surrounding walls—some looked like dragons, tigers, or lions, others like snakes, and there were even hideous-looking insects. It was a hair-raising sight.

Ye Bai walked to the deepest part, where he saw a circular Sacrificial Altar.

Many black jars were placed on the Sacrificial Altar. The lids of the jars were already open, emitting a thick, foul stench.

"Could... could there be corpses inside?" Xin Xin asked doubtfully, covering her nose.

Ye Bai shook his head: "I'm not sure."

"I bet it's poison!" Fatty said with certainty.

"No way? These jars are filled with such disgusting stuff. Is it meant for zombies to eat?"

Fatty rolled his eyes: "Zombies don't eat this kind of thing!"

Xin Xin continued: "Then what could it be? Could it be funerary objects for the deceased?"

Fatty curled his lip, too lazy to respond to her.

Ye Bai didn't say anything. He reached out and grabbed a jar, intending to lift the lid.

Bang! Just as the jar touched the lid, it suddenly exploded, sending countless glass shards flying in all directions.

Fortunately, Ye Bai dodged in time; otherwise, he would have been in trouble.

His brow was tightly knit as he checked the surrounding jars again. He discovered that the bottom of each jar was carved with dense patterns.

Ye Bai crouched down to investigate and finally found the clue.

Although the patterns carved on each jar were different, they were all based on the Eight Trigrams, which was what caused the jars to explode.

He tried to operate the Eight Trigrams according to this formation, and immediately, the entire Stone Chamber began to vibrate.

The carvings on the stone walls suddenly lit up, and then sharp blades fell from the ceiling like a torrential rain, with terrifying force.

Fatty and the others screamed in terror, huddling together for fear of being hit.

Ye Bai gave a cold snort, his fingers dancing rapidly as the Bagua Formation shifted its orientation on its own.

A powerful suction force emanated from the Bagua Formation, and all the sharp blades were sucked into it.

At that moment, a red light lit up in the center of the Sacrificial Altar, and Ye Bai lunged toward it.