Chapter 370
Li Mo was explaining when he couldn't help but recall the earlier scene.
It was the black year beast again.
And why did it recognize Bing Tuozi?
As he pondered this, a voice called out from not far away:
"Come quick, there's a new discovery here!"
"I'll go take a look," Li Mo said to Heng Yun and the other two, leading Bing Tuozi toward Tian Miao.
Bai Jinghong, Wu Chushu, and Cao Mu watched their bright figures fade into the distance, and the surrounding darkness deepened once more.
They exchanged glances, and without a word, swallowed hard.
When Li Mo was around, it felt like an invisible wing was sheltering them.
Now, with a snap, it was gone.
"Should we go take a look too?" Cao Mu suggested.
Bai Jinghong lifted his chin. "How could Bai Jinghong let others take the lead? Let's go!"
Wu Chushu rubbed his nose. "I've always had a keen interest in archaeology. I'm curious about what they've found."
Cao Mu rolled his eyes. "Stop talking nonsense; they're almost out of sight."
Thus, the group of swordsmen followed suit, stepping in their footsteps.
Finally, they reached the end of the underground palace, where rows of bookshelves stood. Some had already rotted and collapsed, and the ground was thick with ashes, likely remnants of weathered pages, as there were no intact books visible on the shelves.
"This underground palace seems to be a place similar to a library," Li Mo remarked.
"Yeah."
Ying Bing nodded gently, feeling a bit regretful.
At last, they spotted Tian Miao again, standing before a massive mural.
The mural's main characters were still the nine celestial beings descending from the sky, now battling alongside their followers against a horde of terrifying creatures.
These beings resembled mountains, with one massive bull standing tall, cloaked in black scales, snorting winds and thunder.
Some were bodies of raging winds, with heads like lions, leaving trails of black sand in their wake.
Others had bizarre forms, dark red scales, winding for thousands of miles, casting darkness wherever they went; only when they opened their eyes did the sun return to the world.
But that sun was a terrifying crimson.
"Are these real?"
Wu Chushu couldn't help but gasp, unable to fathom it.
Bai Jinghong, Cao Mu, and the other swordsmen looked bewildered; this was beyond their worldview.
Even the demon race...
"As I understand it, the content above should be like this," Tian Miao said, calming the excitement in her voice as she elaborated.
"Legend has it that in ancient times, humanity was incredibly weak. The rulers of heaven and earth were various innate beings, among whom the powerful were akin to gods and demons."
"The divine intent we observe originated from humanity's worship of their strength, leading to imitation and learning."
Li Mo nodded. To this day, the practice of Xiangxing Quan (Form-based Boxing) remains widespread, a mainstream martial art.
Later, the paths of literature and swordsmanship emerged, likely because the innate beings had vanished, and humanity derived their understanding of heaven and earth.
"So, did the nine heavens kill the gods and demons?"
"Innate beings cannot be killed."
Tian Miao shook her head. "They have merged with the 'Dao.' As long as the 'Dao' exists in the world, they will live on eternally. When reborn, they may not even be the same as before."
What she meant was, if you kill a creature symbolizing wind and rain, the wind and rain will persist, and a new creature will be born, just not the original one.
There were many murals in this underground palace. They moved forward, guided by the light, and saw new content.
"These should be records of the temporary extermination of innate beings."
In the images, humanity began to multiply.
Under the guidance of the nine heavens and their followers, humans prayed to the natural world, leading to the birth of new innate beings.
But this time, they lacked their original ferocity and became totems for humanity!
"The power of all beings!"
Four words appeared in Li Mo's mind.
"The power of all beings was initially used by the nine heavens to control innate beings, those shackles of the Dao?"
Ying Bing squinted her icy eyes slightly, also looking at Li Mo.
The two shared a silent understanding.
"Those priests leading humanity in prayer to the heavens, or at least some of them, were the predecessors of the Huan Mo Sect?"
So the ancestral deity of the Huan Mo Sect was indeed the celestial beings of the nine heavens, at least some of them.
The Dream God...
He could traverse the dreams of countless beings, undoubtedly playing a significant role in this.
The people from Heng Yun Sword City were left speechless.
The notorious Huan Mo Sect of the nine heavens and ten earths had such origins.
No wonder it has persisted through the ages, still active despite being unaccepted by the Da Yu Dynasty.
It turns out that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse!
Boom—
Suddenly, the entire underground palace shook, the sound thunderous and earth-shattering.
Dust and debris fell from the ceiling.
Something seemed to be happening within the underground palace.
"Is the tomb about to collapse?!"
Bai Jinghong exclaimed.
The others' faces changed in an instant.
This underground palace was vast and magnificent; they had no idea how deep they were underground. If it were to collapse, it would be more terrifying than a mountain crumbling.
Being buried alive inside, even a fifth realm expert would suffer greatly, let alone them.
"It shouldn't collapse."
Li Mo's expression was serious, but he shook his head.
In the Tianming Divine Eye, he had never seen anyone die from a collapsing underground palace.
Ying Bing furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment before softly saying,
"Someone has triggered a killing mechanism on the chessboard."
Some people were completely unaware of the complex layout of this underground palace; they were likely wandering aimlessly, naturally walking into a dead end.
"There are many powerful individuals descending into the tomb. If they triggered the killing mechanism, they certainly won't just sit and wait to die."
What Tian Miao meant was that those people were trying to break through with brute force.
Unable to comprehend the mysteries of the underground palace, they resorted to physical means, which might come at a significant cost, even leading to unimaginable consequences.
"We need to speed up."
Li Mo exchanged glances with Ying Bing and then looked at Tian Miao.
At the very least, Jiang Yu had a master of the Xuan realm behind him, along with the Xun Tian Guards. Tan Zhu Yin had two Law Kings of the Fa Ti realm behind him. If they were truly determined to reach the main tomb, it was hard to say who would be faster.
Moreover, if the underground palace were damaged to a certain extent, the original methods of solving it might fail.
"Are you all leaving?" Bai Jinghong asked hesitantly.
Li Mo nodded. "You all stay here and don't move. This underground palace is safe. If you go any further, I might not be able to ensure your safety."
"What if something goes wrong? The city gate catches fire, and the fish in the moat suffer..."
Heng Yun's three heroes felt a complex mix of emotions, realizing for the first time they were the small fish in this scenario.
But they also understood Li Mo's reasoning, so they decided to stay put.
"You all go ahead; we can manage."
"Yeah, just don't wander off. You've read enough stories, right? Those with too much curiosity often end up as the first to bite the dust."
Li Mo reminded them again as Bing Tuozi adjusted the numbers on the portal.
The three figures vanished into the darkness once more.
The swordsmen, who had been so bold just moments ago, suddenly felt the surrounding silence. The pitch-black, empty environment made them uneasy, as if a few tomb-guarding beasts might spring out from nowhere.
"We can manage."
"Ugh, suddenly it feels so cold."
In the darkness, the swordsmen silently shrank, feeling small, helpless, and pitiful, trembling in the swaying underground palace.
Who among them wasn't a child at heart?
Li Mo led the way, and the three returned to the correct path. As Bing Tuozi opened one stone door after another, they drew closer to the depths of the underground palace.
The sound of thunder continued to echo, maintaining a fluctuating distance from them.
"Bing Tuozi, how much longer?"
Li Mo asked, but there was no response for a long time.
He turned to see Ying Bing squatting in front of the stone door, her gaze slightly dazed, as if lost in thought.
"Bing Tuozi? Are you okay?"
Li Mo held her hand, gently calling out, a hint of worry in his voice.
"The situation in the underground palace is changing. I was just calculating the final step; I'm fine."
Ying Bing shook her head gently, biting her lip.
She adjusted the numbers on the base to the correct position.
"It's open."
This time, there was no sound of the underground palace shaking, only the heavy grinding noise of the stone door.
The soft light of the pearl illuminated the darkness ahead, revealing a deep passageway, clearly carved by human hands.
Li Mo, the strongest in physical prowess, positioned Ying Bing behind him.
"I'll go first; you all follow me."
"Okay."
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