rustling...
The walls were still shedding dust, and the cracks were widening, raising concerns about possible landslides.
Liu Yuan listened attentively. The vibration sounds around him became louder and louder. It was no longer just the cry of animals, but a mixture of the friction sound of stones like the movement of mechanisms. It was very heavy.
Hong Fu confirmed in a low voice: "It's a mechanism. I can hear it. This palace is layered, like layers of millstones. Now some layers may have been triggered by the running beasts and started to rotate and shift. I don't know what the effect will be."
Tang Yuanhua obviously heard it too, and said, "Now there are noises of strange beasts everywhere. We can't go forward or backward, so we can only go down. Let's go down along the hole hammered by this humanoid strange beast."
He thought to himself that there were so many talented people around Liu Yuan. Although at first glance they looked like his concubines, they were actually more powerful than the other, especially the shadow. The two swords that had just cut off Pang Ying's knees were simply divine skills. He couldn't even see the trajectory clearly.
It seemed that she was so unreserved because of anger, but it was just because Pang Ying called him a bastard... Liu Yuan was really lucky to have such a beauty "get angry for him".
And that dragon...
Tang Yuanhua watched as Chui Chui turned back into an orange cat and jumped onto Liu Yuan's shoulder, his mouth twitching slightly. Even the inner sect disciples of Taiqing Pavilion might not be able to keep a dragon as a pet. What exactly is the identity of this young man?
But no matter who the other party is, if a conflict arises now, our side will definitely not gain any advantage.
Everyone jumped down from the hole. Tang Yuanhua suddenly remembered something and asked, "Daoyou, I just heard you call the leader of Youmingya quite... intimate and cleaned up the mess for her. I wonder what your relationship with that leader is?"
Chapter 194: Just the Eleventh Concubine
Amid the roars of the beasts above and the clattering of the mechanisms, there was also the faint scream of Pang Ying.
In this situation, Pang Ying, who had lost her ability to move, had absolutely no chance of survival. Even if she was given the sword, she did not have the spiritual power to wield it, not to mention that her legs had been crippled by Zhiying.
Everyone entered the lower level together. This was not a passage, but a spacious hall.
The dark space was illuminated by the night pearl, so that the top could not be illuminated and the edge could not be seen at a glance. The gray and turbid air rolled up and down because of the entry of these people, and it looked like it was boiling.
Based on the feeling of jumping down to cover the distance, the height here is about three meters. The white marble slabs on the ground are much cleaner than the passage above, and are engraved with exquisite patterns. Although covered with dust and weeds, they look much more advanced.
The monkey monster that jumped down disappeared without a trace, and only some rotten black stains were seen on the ground, as if it had escaped.
Judging from the height of the exposed part of the palace, they might be in the belly of the palace, that is, the central hall, and the passage just now should be the corridor above.
Because this place seemed to have suffered a landslide, many parts were buried by mud, and the structure of the entire palace was no longer very clear, but one could vaguely feel that it should have been a fairy-like style with criss-crossing structures and shining white jade.
Everyone came down from above and first looked around vigilantly. They were quiet and tense. Tang Yuanhua's question seemed particularly abrupt and immediately attracted everyone's attention.
The two sides unexpectedly developed a little more trust in each other because of Pang Ying's incident. They were much more harmonious than their initial vigilance and precautions. At this moment, the cultivators from the Qingxie Fang on the opposite side couldn't help but cast curious glances at them.
The women around Liu Yuan, behind him and beside him, were all startled and looked at him warily.
If I say she is my wife, do you believe me?
Liu Yuan muttered something in his heart, but even if it was true, saying it out loud in front of the women seemed a bit suicidal, so he could only smile faintly and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you doubting my identity?"
Tang Yuanhua shook his head: "Look at the horrified look on Pang Ying's face just now. If she hadn't really done something to harm someone, she wouldn't have reacted so strongly. It shows that what Daoyou said is probably true. Since she could easily know her dirty deeds, at least she must have a deep relationship with Youmingya to know... I'm just a little curious."
He considered his words for a moment. "After all, I heard that the leader of Youmingya is a foreigner from the Southern Wilds. She seems to be very strict in choosing a Taoist partner. There are also rumors that her body is covered with spells and she is very repulsive to men. If you get too close, you will be disintegrated into dust or die in pain. I have never heard of any male disciples around her."
Everyone has a gossipy heart. Not only Tang Yuanhua was curious, but everyone else was also curious about the relationship between Liu Yuan and the leader of Youmingya.
Just as Liu Yuan was trying to decide what to say, Zhiying said calmly, "She's just the eleventh concubine. The leader of Netherworld is only at the Refining Void stage. She's just the right person to be a concubine for father."
"...?"
Tang Yuanhua slowly typed a question
"Aunt...mother?" The outer disciple of Taiqing Pavilion hesitated for a moment, making sure that he had not heard wrong. He looked at Zhiying and then at Liu Yuan, and fell into a mood of doubting his life.
That shouldn’t be the case... No matter who sees it, their first impression would definitely not be that they are a father-daughter relationship!
No, wait! The problem is not this, but this is not just one concubine, but eleven. Eleven is fine, what do you mean by "only at the Refining Void Stage, just good enough to be a concubine"? !
It turns out that the leader of this faction is only fit to be a concubine. What's your father's background?
Tang Yuanhua twitched his lips, looked at Liu Yuan incredulously, and said, "Daoyou, this..."
Although Youmingya is far away from the center of Zhongzhou, it is at least one of the well-known neutral evil sects in the east of Zhongzhou. In terms of it, it is only slightly lower than Biluo Mansion. It is basically a huge force that runs rampant in the east of Zhongzhou.
This kind of force in the east is equivalent to Taiqing Pavilion in Zhongzhou.
Now if someone suddenly comes out and says that the Pavilion Master of Taiqing Pavilion... Oh, the current Pavilion Master of Taiqing Pavilion is a man, this is not quite right - if he says that the Qinglian Swordsman of Taiqing Pavilion is his concubine, any cultivator on the street will be beaten up to see if he can wake up.
Liu Yuan clearly felt the lukewarm jealousy in Zhiying's tone. She would never say a word before, but now she has learned to be sarcastic.
All kinds of insults that she herself didn't even notice were like old vinegar that had been frozen in the refrigerator for several months, sour and cold...
"Children should not be afraid of what they say, children should not be afraid of what they say." Liu Yuan coughed twice and said seriously, "It's like this, Jiang Lian and I did know each other when we were in the Southern Barbarians, but she is in a high position now and has many inconveniences, so I can only help her privately... Concubines and the like are all nonsense from children. I am just an independent cultivator now, how can I have such a big face."
Liu Yuan's words were vague, but they made these people imagine a lot.
Seeing Zhiying's strength in front of us, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would talk nonsense. Also, just because he is "a casual cultivator now" doesn't mean he was one in the past.
Tang Yuanhua's mind suddenly changed. They all found the tomb of Emperor Wu with the help of the mission information from Qingfengfang. How did Liu Yuan find the secret realm of Emperor Wu's Cave?
And the two little foxes from Tushan are from the demon tribe in the west. In this way, he actually spans the east and west sides of the entire Central Continent and has close relations with the two major forces.
The eleventh concubine and the saying that those in the Void Refining Stage can only be concubines may not be a joke...
Tang Yuanhua was shocked, but he changed the subject calmly and said, "Let's explore this palace first. In my opinion, the secret of Emperor Wu's inheritance may be hidden in this palace."
Liu Yuan suddenly remembered that Xun Jianglian was best at curse spells, which were comparable to Vihuan Luo's poison, whether it was to find someone or control someone...
But then he put these worries behind his mind. She hasn't come for several months, so there's no point in worrying now. He should just make the best of it. What he should worry about most now is Zhiying. This child is a real jealous kid now. He will have to have a good talk with her when he gets out.
The raised night pearl illuminated the surrounding environment which gradually became clearer.
Liu Yuan's eyes fell on the pool on the ground, a huge round pool made of Tokachi stone. With the white jade structures all around, this dark pool was particularly conspicuous. It actually looked like a garden. When he walked over, he could see many exotic flowers and plants, but most of them were growing wildly now, covering the walls and the ground.
"There is a mechanism here."
Hong Fu's voice was heard suddenly. Liu Yuan turned around and saw her squatting beside the pool, moving something with her arms.
Then, a gurgling sound of water suddenly emerged from the bottom of the long dusty pool. The dust stains then floated up, and in the blink of an eye, half of the water in the pool rose to the surface.
It was a scene like running water, obviously the work of Yanshi, who was proficient in mechanical engineering.
Chapter 195 I know!
Liu Yuan's attention was immediately drawn to him. He walked over and looked curiously at the water surface that was approaching the pool mouth. He felt that it was like turning on a faucet, but he didn't know if it was the same principle.
The pool had long been covered with thick dust, and the rising water had a rotten smell, but judging by the carvings and inscriptions around the pool, it must have been exquisite and elegant in the past.
It feels like this place is a bit like the private palace of Emperor Wu of Han, with a garden, a pool, and an exquisite white jade palace.
As for the strange beasts before, they all looked like ordinary species. Maybe they were originally kept as pets on the island, and later they were used by He Junhao and Yanshi as experimental materials, which is why they became like this...
But no matter what it was like in the past, the entire palace is now very dilapidated and overgrown with weeds, and it doesn't look very good.
If Yanshi's exquisite mechanical technology could be passed down and popularized to mortals, Zhongzhou would probably be a better place now.
Hong Fu turned the mechanism beside the pool on and off several times, and the water in the pool with the dirt was drained away. After new clean water was poured in, the pool looked much better.
Amid the rippling water, the dark and smooth stone wall with some lines seemed to be shining, looking very beautiful.
Liu Yuan was just about to tell Hong Fu to stop playing and focus on the important matters when he saw Hong Fu showing a thoughtful look, then raised his head and said seriously: "I know!"
What else do you know?
Liu Yuan wanted to say this subconsciously, but suddenly he remembered that Hong Fu was the last work of Yanshi, and he had been active in Emperor Wu's tomb for many years. He was very familiar with the mechanisms in the tomb and might really know something.
He swallowed his words and watched Hong Fu groping on the wall next to him for a while. Then he heard a "click" and a brick on the wall next to him flipped over, revealing a small eternal lamp, which was lit up in an instant.
Then, a circle of lights in the entire hall were lit up as Hong Fu moved. The little puppet quickly passed by the four walls, opening a mechanism wherever it passed.
Finally, the entire palace was illuminated by the dim light of fire.
"This is... the same eternal lamp as the one I encountered in the armored puppet formation before." Liu Yuan's pupils shrank, and he knew what this thing was.
In Emperor Wu's tomb, most of the mechanisms are controlled by eternal lamps.
Because lights are very common in tombs and are most easily overlooked, like before, if the control hub is not cut off, it will basically be a dead end.
He took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "Could there be any mechanical puppets here? This bunch of strange beasts is already enough to deal with. If another robot army comes, will I be able to survive?"
Liu Yuan felt his scalp tingling just thinking about it.
Tang Yuanhua and others also stared at the scene in front of them in amazement, becoming alert, wondering what this eternal lamp mechanism was used for.
But at least the whole hall is now clearly visible.
The pool in the center reflected the flames, and it was surrounded by flowers, plants and trees of various colors. Not far ahead was a pavilion and corridor, with red gauze curtains hanging around the pavilion and corridor. Many puppet parts were placed on the ground in no particular order, but the back was buried in mud and the bricks and tiles had collapsed, as if it was the main entrance of the hall.
Hong Fu turned on the last ever-burning lamp and said, "This is a defensive formation. Don't be nervous."
There is no way to not be nervous...
Liu Yuan laughed dryly twice. After she turned on all the eternal lamps in a specific order, some golden rune-like patterns appeared on the surrounding white jade walls and the pool water in the center. After extending upwards, they filled and repaired the holes above.
In this place where spiritual power is completely suppressed, perhaps only the original owner of this place is qualified to use the formation constructed by spiritual power.
Privileges are privileges.
I suppressed you, but I can still use you. In this secret realm, if Emperor Wu He Junhao and Yanshi were still there, then for the intruders, they would be like gods, manipulating life and death at will.
This is the power of the martial arts Nine Cauldrons artifact.
"Ah!" A wailing sound suddenly came from the flowers and grass on the left, which was very shrill.
Everyone turned around and saw that it was the monkey monster that had escaped below. Its body was pierced by countless sharp spikes, one of which pierced its head. It struggled twice and died instantly.
Hong Fu nodded and said seriously: "There can't be any unclean garbage here either."
Tang Yuanhua looked at the delicate girl who was as delicate as a doll. Her face did not look real in the light of the fire. He felt a chill running down his head as he listened to the words. He wondered why there were so many ruthless characters around Liu Yuan.
Liu Yuan's expression was subtle and the corners of his mouth twitched.
He naturally knew that Hong Fu was probably just used to cleaning the tomb of Emperor Wu...
"Fellow Daoist, your cough... this kid seems to know a lot about mechanical devices?"
Tang Yuanhua forced a smile, sighing in his heart that it was a good thing that the two sides were now in a cooperative relationship.
Liu Yuan nodded and said seriously, "She has admired that Yanshi since she was a child and is proficient in mechanical engineering, so I want to try to find out if there is any inheritance from that Yanshi here."
"I see..." Tang Yuanhua said, "It should be safe for now."
As soon as he said this, everyone noticed that the roars of beasts coming from above had become much smaller, as if they couldn't find anyone, so they temporarily retreated, and they immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Yuan pondered and said, "It seems that this is where Emperor Wu lives every day. It may be a cave or something like that. We have come to the right place."
He patted Chui Chui's back, and the orange cat meowed, jumped down and walked in front, still acting as a pathfinder.
-
On the upper floor of the palace, many strange beasts gathered in the passage and surrounded Pang Ying, whose face was pale and almost collapsed.
Pang Ying held the sword tremblingly, trying desperately to move his blood-covered body, but there was no way at all. Despair immediately appeared in his eyes.
She had already tried her best to resist, but just as expected at the beginning, she was just struggling in vain...
Pang Ying looked pale and finally gave up resisting.
However, she soon discovered that they were growling softly, but had no intention of moving forward. Instead, they made way for them.
Heavy footsteps sounded from behind, and a huge, half-rotten beast that looked like a lion or a tiger but with scales slowly came over. It had three heads and six blood-red vertical pupils. It looked at her with a strange smile and said in human language, "Fresh flesh..."
The sounds superimposed together sound like magic.
Chapter 196: No Compensation for Killing Someone
The space on this floor is very spacious from top to bottom and from left to right. It should be similar to the layout of Lanfang Garden, the mansion of City Lord Duan Lanruo. A small garden with a pond as the center was built inside the palace.
The edge of the pool was carved with auspicious cloud and lotus patterns. In addition to a layer of dust that floated up at the beginning, there was thick silt at the bottom, as if plants such as lotus or water lily had been planted there in the past.
All that remains of the entire garden are now broken walls and ruins. The yellow earth has buried the white jade, turning the once magnificent scenery into ruins.
Chui Chui took the lead, and seeing the cute orange cat walking in front with its short legs, Tang Yuanhua and others felt relieved immediately.
Are you kidding? A dragon is leading the way. In this state where everyone's spiritual power is sealed, it really makes people feel too safe.
Hong Fu ran over and held Liu Yuan's hand. As they walked forward, a serious look appeared on their face. They said, "This pool is arranged in the shape of the Eight Diagrams. There was originally an eye in the center of the pool, but now it seems to have lost its function due to the long time. It cannot be activated spontaneously, so I have to open it manually. The eternal lamp is the control hub. There are sixty-four of them in total. The bricks and stones on the ground and walls are all movable, and there are different mechanisms hidden underneath..."
She pointed to the corpse of the ape beast in the distance and said, "That's one of the mechanisms over there. It's exactly the same as the one in the tomb. I'm familiar with the other half, but I won't touch the rest for now."
Liu Yuan nodded. Now the whole space was illuminated by the eternal lamp. Complex and mysterious gold thread patterns bloomed on the white jade walls and floor, flickering with light. The water in the injured pool was sparkling, and exotic flowers and plants were blooming luxuriantly. It was simply dazzling.
But despite the gorgeous special effects, it is absolutely dangerous, and the corpse over there is the best proof of that.
