Chapter 152: Tomb of a Vassal King

"Brother Qin, is... is what that old geezer said true?" Long Xiaotian couldn't help asking.

"Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we go inside and see for ourselves."

Qin Feng didn't answer directly. Instead, he lifted his foot and continued walking forward.

Long Xiaotian and A-Biao exchanged glances. Though still feeling a bit spooked inside, they ultimately gritted their teeth and followed.

Professor Zhao wore an expression of sheer excitement, closely tailing Qin Feng for fear of missing a single detail.

Bronze lamps grew increasingly numerous along the sides of the corridor, their eerie blue flames flickering and stretching everyone's shadows long and short. An uncanny atmosphere permeated the entire passage.

Using his penetrating vision, Qin Feng discovered a stone door at the end of the left-hand passage that seemed to lead to the main burial chamber, so he led the group onward.

After walking for about ten minutes, the group finally arrived before the stone door.

This stone door stood approximately three meters high and two meters wide, constructed entirely of bluestone.

Its surface was carved with numerous bizarre patterns, among which some grotesque creatures were faintly discernible, looking utterly eerie.

"How do we open this door?" Long Xiaotian asked.

Qin Feng said nothing. Instead, he stepped forward and gently stroked the patterns on the stone door with his hand, a sensation of icy chill instantly spreading through his entire body.

Qin Feng removed his hand from the stone door, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed the tactile feel radiating from the door alongside the flow of energy contained within the carvings.

"What is this brat playing at?"

Long Xiaotian couldn't help muttering under his breath, and A-Biao nodded along, wearing a puzzled expression.

Professor Zhao, on the other hand, watched Qin Feng with rapt interest, seemingly anticipating something.

A faint energy fluctuation emanated from the stone door, as if responding to Qin Feng's probe, yet carrying a distinct trace of resistance.

Qin Feng furrowed his brow slightly; this energy was profound and ancient, by no means ordinary.

He attempted to probe it using the spiritual qi within his body, but it was like running into an invisible barrier, rebounding back instantly.

"Interesting."

A playful smile curved the corner of Qin Feng's lips. It seemed the things behind this stone door were no simple matter.

"Young man, have you discovered something?"

Seeing the change in Qin Feng's expression, Professor Zhao asked excitedly.

"The patterns on this stone door are very likely some kind of ancient formation!"

Long Xiaotian and A-Biao also crowded closer, watching Qin Feng nervously in hopes of getting an answer from him.

Qin Feng opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "The Eight Trigrams of the Mystic Gate are indeed inscribed on this stone door. To open it, we must find the Gate of Life within, and I'm afraid that won't be so easy."

"The Gate of Life?" Long Xiaotian scratched his head. "How do you find a thing like that?"

"The Arts of the Mystic Gate and Escaping Techniques are profound and vast—how could mortal fools like you possibly understand them?"

Professor Zhao adjusted his glasses, looking immensely smug. "This is a subject I've researched for many years!"

Qin Feng glanced at him sideways and said indifferently, "Professor Zhao, if you truly have the skill, hurry up and find the Gate of Life instead of spouting nonsense here."

Professor Zhao was choked red in the face by Qin Feng's remark.

He gave a light cough to mask his embarrassment, then put on a show of walking around the stone door a few times while chanting under his breath.

"Qian is three unbroken lines, Kun is six broken lines, Zhen is an upward-facing bowl, Gen is an overturned bowl..."

Long Xiaotian and A-Biao watched in utter confusion. Was this old man reciting scriptures or something?

Ignoring Professor Zhao's performance, Qin Feng placed his hand back onto the stone door and closed his eyes. This time, rather than probing gently, he mobilized all the spiritual qi within his body and smashed it fiercely toward the energy field on the stone door.

"Boom!"

A muffled explosion echoed through the corridor, and the patterns on the stone door suddenly lit up with a dazzling glare.

Immediately following that, the entire passage began to shake violently!

"What's going on?!" Long Xiaotian cried out in alarm, losing his footing and nearly tumbling to the ground.

"Is there an earthquake?!" A-Biao's face turned pale with fright.

Professor Zhao was startled by this sudden turn of events, dropping the luopan compass from his hand onto the ground.

Too busy to pick it up, he panicked and yelled, "Not good! The mechanism on this stone door has been triggered!"

Qin Feng opened his eyes, a brilliant flash of light shimmering within them. Sure enough, this stone door was extraordinary, possessing such a powerful defense mechanism.

Right at that moment, a crack suddenly appeared on the stone door.

Following that, the crack grew larger and longer until, with a thunderous crash, the entire stone door collapsed completely!

Qin Feng felt a powerful blast of air rush toward his face, instantly flipping him backward onto the ground while his ears were filled with a deafening roar.

When he struggled to his feet, he discovered that the original stone door had vanished, replaced by a pitch-black opening.

"Cough, cough..."

Long Xiaotian and A-Biao also clambered up from the ground, covered in dust and looking utterly wretched.

"Darn it! What is the meaning of this?" Long Xiaotian cursed and grumbled as he brushed the dust off his body.

"Stop wasting breath, hurry up and go inside!" Unable to care about his own aches and pains, Professor Zhao urged excitedly, scrambling into the opening first.

Qin Feng and Long Xiaotian exchanged glances and followed him inside.

Beyond the entrance lay a vast subterranean space, and by the faint light, the group was finally able to clearly make out the scene before them.

It was a colossal underground palace, far more magnificent and grand than they had imagined.

The entire palace was constructed from bluestone, with walls carved with various grotesque patterns, exuding an aura of heavy mystery.

At the center of the palace rested a massive bronze coffin, its surface carved with lifelike dragon motifs that looked solemn, dignified, and awe-inspiring.

"Good heavens! This... this is too magnificent!" Long Xiaotian widened his eyes in involuntary exclamation.

Even Qin Feng, usually so composed, could not help being awestruck by the sight before him.

Professor Zhao was trembling all over with excitement. Adjusting his glasses, he muttered to himself, "I never expected... truly never expected that an ancient tomb actually existed here!"

"Professor Zhao, what's the background of this place anyway?" Long Xiaotian couldn't help asking.

Professor Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart, and explained, "According to historical records, this tomb is very likely the mausoleum of a feudal lord from the Warring States period! Look at the scale of this palace and this bronze coffin—every single detail demonstrates the noble status of the tomb's occupant!"

"A feudal lord?" Long Xiaotian was dumbfounded. "Doesn't... doesn't that mean there are lots of treasures inside?"

Professor Zhao gave him a sideways look and retorted ungraciously, "Treasures? I wouldn't be so sure! Based on my experience, this tomb has likely been visited by tomb robbers, and the funerary objects inside have probably been completely cleaned out."

Hearing this, Long Xiaotian instantly deflated, wearing a look of deep disappointment.

Qin Feng, meanwhile, surveyed his surroundings, his brow furrowed slightly.

He noticed that apart from the massive bronze coffin, there were no gold or jewels to be seen anywhere in the palace. Instead, scattered wooden coffins dotted the area, looking thoroughly eerie.