249: Chapter 249 The Underground Vault, Treasures Appear

Chapter 249: Underground Vault, Treasure Appears

The fog was thick, and the lights were dim.

Deep within this smoke-filled manor, a gray circular building stood alone.

There were no windows around, and rough cement walls completely sealed off the inside of the building.

The iron gate was tightly closed, engraved with intricate giant tree patterns; the branch lines wound and coiled, resembling some sort of totem symbol.

The entire pattern exuded an ancient and majestic aura, making people unable to help but stop and gaze, filled with awe and speculation about the space behind the door.

It was as if stepping across it would lead into a completely different and mysterious world.

At this moment, more than twenty people had gathered here, all of whom were treasure hunters who had fought their way into the manor.

The crowd gathered in front of the iron gate, impatiently trying various methods, wanting to achieve a Breakthrough against this obstacle.

Someone reached out and forcefully pushed the door, but the thick iron gate did not budge at all.

Someone crouched down, narrowing their eyes close to the door crack, trying to peek at the situation behind the door, but only saw pitch black.

Someone even rummaged through their backpack for lock-picking tools, reached into the keyhole, and fiddled with it with complete Focus.

However, the lock was obviously extremely exquisite and complex, and no matter how they tossed about, it didn't produce the slightest reaction.

"How do we get in?!"

The crowd's faces were filled with eagerness.

According to the mysterious person's intelligence data, the golden bumpa bottle should be hidden inside the Underground Vault located within this building.

But now this iron gate had become an insurmountable obstacle between them and the treasure.

"All of you step aside, let us do it!"

At this moment, a rough voice suddenly sounded, breaking the deadlock.

The crowd looked towards the source of the voice and saw two stalwart men taking large strides forward—they were none other than the Heihe Twin Heroes.

The two of them exposed their chests, and beneath their bronze skin, muscles bulged chunk by chunk, vividly resembling two fierce Vajras.

Arriving in front of the iron gate, the two of them didn't waste words, simultaneously swinging their bowl-sized fists in full circles, exerting all their strength, and smashing fiercely toward the iron gate.

"Bang!"

The first punch landed, the impact sound making everyone's ears buzz, as if it really wanted to smash a hole in this iron gate on the spot.

Following closely, the second punch, the third punch...

Every punch carried the force of a thousand jun, and where the iron gate was smashed, even shallow marks appeared.

However, that was limited to just that.

No matter how much brute force and violent attacks the Heihe Twin Heroes used, that iron gate still stood firmly there.

At most, it trembled symbolically a few times.

Those few tremors, however, felt more like displaying its unimaginable sturdiness and thickness with a disdainful posture.

The Heihe Twin Heroes' faces flushed red, their chests heaving violently, gasping for heavy breaths.

Gazing at the iron gate that was still holding its ground, their eyes were filled with a sense of frustration.

The others looked at each other, also showing expressions of helplessness and unwillingness.

Time ticked by second by second.

Everyone knew in their hearts that the longer they were blocked here, the more competitors there would be, and the smaller the chance of seizing the treasure would become.

Looking around the entire building, the thick walls appeared stern and majestic under the foggy lights, and the sturdy structure exuded an unshakeable aura.

This fucking thing was simply a military fortress.

Someone even secretly speculated, could it probably even defend against missile attacks?

No wonder the Lu Family people were confident and fearless, safely hiding the golden bumpa bottle here.

Fang Cheng glanced at Nailhead.

Seeing him with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against a stone pillar nearby, his face wearing a spectator's expression.

It was as if the tightly closed iron gate before him and everyone's anxiety had nothing to do with him at all.

As for everyone else around, they all stared blankly, seemingly having no viable method.

Fang Cheng secretly considered whether he should make a move and try.

Perhaps using the charged attack of the Qilin Arm could break this specially reinforced iron gate.

Just at this moment, accompanied by noisy footsteps coming from far to near, another group of treasure hunters rushed over.

In the crowd, that mysterious man whose appearance was utterly ordinary and who had once appeared in the Secret Realm was particularly eye-catching.

And another middle-aged man closely followed behind him.

These newcomers, seeing the awkward appearance of everyone being blocked outside by the iron gate, couldn't help but be slightly startled.

Exchanging glances quickly, they also blended into the current situation, sizing up this seemingly indestructible fortress.

"Professor, why don't I go and give it a try?"

Li Dingjian chanted silently in his heart through their mental connection, his tone carrying a bit of eagerness to try.

"Don't rush, it's not time yet."

The Professor's thought came steadily, vetoing the suggestion: "It's more appropriate to make a move when there are more people participating in the treasure hunt."

Hearing this, Li Dingjian nodded gently, temporarily suppressing the thought, and patiently awaited the best timing.

He had full confidence in his "Perception Pulse" ability.

This ability was like a precise detector, capable of acutely perceiving the internal structures of electronic and mechanical equipment, exploring subtle changes within them.

Coupled with the Professor's powerful mental energy amplification, it was like equipping this detector with a super-powered engine.

Even complex and precise electronic monitoring devices could be easily cracked and destroyed.

Let alone a mere lock.

While the two of them were communicating with each other using consciousness.

Fang Cheng, standing at the edge of the crowd, also quietly observed their movements with the corner of his eye.

At this time, Lord Bao beside him suddenly spoke:

"Forget it, Ah San, you make a move!"

Hearing this, Black Wolf couldn't help showing doubt, turning his head sideways and asking softly:

"Isn't Ah San good at bone-shrinking techniques? How come he also knows how to pick locks?"

Lord Bao slightly narrowed his eyes, his expression revealing a bit of helplessness as he explained:

"This is his life-saving ultimate move, which he originally didn't plan to use easily, but now look, there are more and more people. If this drags on any longer, the golden bumpa bottle will really fall into someone else's hands."

Receiving the order, Ah San immediately stepped forward, reaching out to push away the few people who were still tinkering with the door lock.

Many teams at the scene specially brought professionals with lock-picking skills precisely to deal with the current situation.

Unfortunately, earlier everyone exhausted all their tricks, yet failed to shake this iron gate by even a fraction.

At this moment, everyone's gazes converged on Ah San.

Seeing him stare at the keyhole, he took a deep breath, and then slowly extended his right index finger.

Beneath the skin of that finger, it seemed as if a living creature was surging; the fingertip actually softened and deformed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In an instant, it was as soft as plasticine randomly kneaded in a child's hands.

Then, it actually directly inserted the finger into the keyhole just like that.

Ah San's expression was full of Focus, just like a surgeon performing a delicate operation.

As soon as it reached inside, a slight friction sound quietly sounded, and his finger turned flexibly inside the keyhole, with a "click" sound coming out from time to time.

After turning back and forth a couple of times, with another crisp "click" sound ringing out.

As if declaring success, the heavy iron gate slowly moved inward, emitting a low "creak" sound.

In just over ten seconds, this iron tiger that had left everyone helpless was finally breached.

Everyone present instantly held their breath, staring at the scene inside without blinking their eyes.

After the door opened, the first thing that came into view was a secluded, long, and deep passageway.

The walls were built of bricks and stones, time leaving mottled traces on them, and moss grew wantonly between the gaps, adding a bit of gloomy greenery to this passageway.

Seemingly triggering a sensor, dim lights leaked out from the lamps spaced out along the top of the passageway.

The light appeared very weak, as if it would be swallowed by the darkness at any moment, casting patches of eerie light and shadow on the ground and walls.

On both sides of the passageway, fierce beast patterns of various shapes were also carved, some with wide-open angry eyes, some baring fangs and brandishing claws, just like guarding some unspeakable secret.

The crowd widened their eyes, the greed in their hearts instantly ignited, like starving wolves seeing a plump lamb, and they all rushed forward to take the lead.

For a moment, shouts and shoves intertwined, turning into a mess.

Their eyes were filled only with the Treasure Trove behind the door; they couldn't care about thanking the person who picked the lock, nor could they care about what potential dangers lay inside, rushing impatiently toward the depths of the passageway.

"Let's go!"

Lord Bao gritted his teeth, waved his arm, and greeted Fang Cheng, Black Wolf, and the others to follow.

Relying on his fat body, he aggressively squeezed a few people in front of him to the side, squeezing out a broad and smooth road for himself, provoking a chorus of curses all around.

Although the others were so angry their faces turned red, constrained by the previously made oath, they couldn't very well swing their fists to beat this damn fat man, and could only mutter in their mouths to vent their dissatisfaction.

Li Dingjian, standing outside the door, looked at the swarming crowd and couldn't help asking in a low voice:

"What do we do now?"

The Professor furrowed his brows slightly and replied in a deep voice:

"Follow them inside, and adapt to circumstances."

Having said that, he also unhesitatingly followed behind the main force.

At this moment, there were about thirty or forty people entering the Underground Vault together, accounting for almost half of all treasure hunters.

Within this short period of time, being able to have so many people smoothly arrive here.

Besides the leading roles of Fang Cheng and Nailhead, those two fierce warriors charging forward, the Professor and Li Dingjian also made indispensable contributions.

Previously, the two of them ran all around, assisting other teams to suppress guards and break through defense lines, which consumed a lot of time, which was why they arrived a little late.

The crowd walked along the winding downward direction of the passageway, their hasty footsteps carrying a bit of vigilance.

Although this Underground Vault hiding the treasure had many mechanism devices set up to guard against thieves.

Yet this bunch of treasure hunters possessed special abilities; who among them wasn't bold with high skills and seasoned in hundreds of battles?

Whether relying on exquisite skills or keen intuition, coupled with the records from the intelligence data obtained earlier, they easily cracked those hidden dangers one by one.

As they went deeper step by step, they were getting closer and closer to their longed-for goal.

Everyone looked into the depths, faintly able to see a tall arched gate, with faint light flickering inside the gate.

It seemed to be tempting them to continue quickening their pace forward.

Located more than ten meters underground, inside an arched hall.

Only a few wall lamps emitting dim light were struggling to dispel the darkness, making the entire space hazy and indistinct.

In the center of the hall, an antique stone platform stood quietly, like a silent guardian.

Placed upon the stone platform was the golden bumpa bottle that everyone desired at all costs and dreamed of.

This bottle was only about thirty centimeters high; although small in form, it seemed to contain endless power, faintly having the momentum to prop up the heavens from the earth.

It had a slender neck, a thick and sturdy round belly, and was adorned with ruyi cloud patterns as its garment.

Those cloud patterns unfolded layer upon layer, like surging auspicious clouds on the horizon, giving people a dreamlike and illusory feeling.

Various patterns such as conches, prayer wheels, treasure umbrellas, and lotuses were engraved upon it, adding a bit of Buddhist charm and Spiritual Qi.

The body of the bottle seemed to be forged from pure gold, flashing a brilliant golden light.

Several gemstones were inlaid within it—translucent beeswax, bright coral, and deep lapis lazuli—resembling scattered stars in the night sky, further ornamenting the golden bumpa bottle to be extraordinarily luxurious.

Making it bloom with its unique dazzling light in this dim hall, appearing extremely extraordinary, mysterious, and profound.

At this moment, surrounding the stone platform were four people dressed in black robes.

Their figures were emaciated, and their sleeves were wide.

All four of them had their hands folded in prayer, their eyebrows lowered and eyes cast down, standing solemnly.

It seemed they were immersed in some mysterious ritual, turning a deaf ear to the faintly transmitted shouts of killing and gunfire from the outside world.

Looking closely, their faces were painted with eerie incantations.

Those incantations seemed to possess life, actually winding and twisting on the skin like tadpoles, exuding an indescribable evil nature that filled people with awe and dread.

Suddenly, one of the black-robed people slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep, murmuring to himself:

"It came a bit faster than expected..."

Pausing for a moment, he turned to the side again, his tone carrying a bit of dissatisfaction:

"Lu Tao, the batch of guards you trained don't seem very good."

As the voice fell, a burly-figured man hurriedly took a step forward.

He was dressed in a gray uniform, outlining his stalwart figure to the fullest.

Facing this emaciated black-robed person who seemed as if he would fall at a puff of wind, he appeared extremely respectful, quickly bowing and lowering his head:

"Replying to the Second Elder, it is this servant's incompetence."

While speaking, his face was full of shame, and a thin layer of sweat quietly oozed from his forehead.

He hurriedly raised his hand to wipe it away gently, fearing that this slight lapse in composure would be noticed by the Second Elder who had his back turned, immediately assuming an even more submissive posture.

This also couldn't be blamed on him for being so cautious and careful.

Because the old man before his eyes who looked like a candle in the wind was the Second Elder of the entire Lu Family, Lu Shihua, rumored outside to have been dead for more than ten years, and second only to the Family head in terms of strength and authority.

This person had previously been in seclusion within the Family's Secret Realm, living in seclusion, and only suddenly appeared half a month ago, fully presiding over this Heaven-Defying plan to alter fate.

As a "Family-born servant", Lu Tao had always held deep awe and respect toward him, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Lu Shihua pondered for a moment, then issued an order:

"You go out now and temporarily block them for a moment. Once I finish the sacrificial ritual, you and I will evacuate together."

"Yes, Second Elder."

Lu Tao responded in a low voice, then his face showed hesitation: "What about the remaining security personnel?"

A flash of cold light instantly crossed Lu Shihua's eyes, his voice carrying not a trace of temperature:

"As guards of the Lu Family, having received the nurturing grace of the Family and dutifully performing their duties, now that the critical moment has arrived, sacrificing their lives for the Family is dying a rightful death and an supreme honor."

Having said that, he slightly raised his head, his gaze revealing a desperate and reckless determination.

"The Lu Family has laid out its plans for decades, and all its efforts are poured into this. Tonight is the time to close the net, and this old man absolutely will not allow any mishaps to occur. Do you understand?"

Hearing these words, Lu Tao's heart felt as though it had been blown through by a cold wind, and he involuntarily shivered.

He hurriedly lowered his head even further, responding in a loud voice:

"This servant understands, and will definitely do my utmost without a fraction of mishap, hoping the Second Elder can rest assured."

Lu Shihua paid him no more attention, immediately closing his eyes, murmuring words in his mouth, seeming to chant an ancient blessing.

The black robe around his body trembled slightly, faintly surrounded by a mysterious force.

At this time, the golden bumpa bottle on the stone platform flashed with light, appearing increasingly dazzling and eye-catching, as if echoing this mysterious ritual.