jdhmnovel Chapter 546
Chapter 546
Not even a trace of heat could be transmitted.
On the throne, the corpse demon, which had been radiating terrifying heat, suddenly shrank the golden-white flames burning in its eye sockets, swaying violently like a candle flickering in the wind.
Its massive body trembled violently, and the charred, hard shell covering its surface cracked under the strain. The magma flowing through the cracks seemed to lose its vitality, rapidly cooling and turning black.
Its enormous head, formed from a lava core, dimmed and went out rapidly under Zhang Hao's gaze, as if it had been plunged into ice water at absolute zero.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no death throes.
It was all because of a single glance and a rebuke from Zhang Hao.
The Ember Corpse Demon, perched atop the lava throne and radiating overwhelming ferocity, shattered and collapsed like weathered rock, eventually turning into a pile of lifeless, charred dust that fell slowly to be swallowed by the magma below.
The terrifyingly high temperature in the rift valley also dropped sharply. Although it was still scorching, it no longer possessed the domineering power to incinerate everything.
Dead silence.
The only sound was the gurgling of flowing lava.
The fat man stared wide-eyed at the pile of powder being swallowed by the lava, then looked at Zhang Hao, whose clothes hadn't even moved, and felt his throat so dry he couldn't make a sound.
This is beyond just being "awesome"... this is divine punishment!
Xie Xiaohua and Huo Xiuxiu silently holstered their guns, their eyes already numb.
Thirty-two floors... No matter how bizarre, powerful, or cunning the zombies are, they are as fragile as paper in front of Zhang Hao.
They even began to suspect that Zhang Hao might have brought them in simply to have a guide and a few spectators.
"Walk."
Zhang Hao's voice broke the silence as he led the way towards the eerie green portal that appeared at the end of the rift.
After passing through the portal on the thirty-second floor, the even more terrifying and bizarre scene I had imagined did not appear.
The light softened and brightened, and a faint, refreshing fragrance filled the air. Underfoot were smooth, warm, and reflective black jade tiles.
The group stepped into an incredibly vast and luxurious space.
Here stands a magnificent ancient palace!
Dozens of coiled golden pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, support the towering dome, which is inlaid with countless pearls emitting a soft white light, like a dazzling galaxy.
The surrounding walls are not ordinary bricks and stones, but a kind of translucent, warm and smooth jade, on which huge and intricate murals are carved, with bright and dazzling colors, still lifelike after countless years.
Deep within the palace, one can vaguely see carved beams and painted rafters, golden and jade railings, and decorations of cranes and auspicious clouds everywhere, exuding an ethereal atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the hellish scene of the thirty-two levels of hell in front.
"My goodness... this... this is the Lingxiao Palace?"
The fat man's eyes widened as he greedily surveyed the magnificent, golden surroundings.
"This pillar...this floor tile...if I could take just one piece back, it would be enough for me to live on for eight lifetimes!"
"Something's wrong."
Zhang Qilin frowned, his black-gold ancient sword still sheathed, as he warily scanned his surroundings. It was eerily quiet here, and he sensed no sign of any zombies.
Having experienced the perils of the previous thirty-two floors, this extreme luxury only made people feel uneasy.
Wu Tianzhen was also shocked by the scene before him, but he was soon drawn to the grand and mysterious murals on the wall.
Those murals do not depict a life of peace and prosperity, but are filled with an ancient, desolate, and even somewhat eerie narrative.
"Uncle, look at these murals..."
Wu Tianzhen pointed to one of the walls.
Zhang Hao also noticed the unusual nature of the mural.
He walked to the largest and seemingly most important mural, which contained information recorded in extremely ancient hieroglyphics and pictures.
"Naiveté, interpretation."
Zhang Hao's words were concise and to the point.
Wu Tianzhen took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and unease in her heart, and approached the mural. Relying on her family's academic background and her years of experience studying ancient books, she began to carefully identify and interpret those ancient symbols and totems.
Time passed slowly, and only Wu Tianzhen's low interpretations and the fat man's occasional exclamations could be heard in the palace.
Huo Xiuxiu helped Ding Yudie sit down to rest, while Yi Sa and Zhang Qilin kept watch over their surroundings.
Jie Xiaohua also moved closer to the mural, trying to understand it.
Finally, Wu Tianzhen's expression turned extremely solemn, even showing a hint of disbelief and shock. He turned his head and said to Zhang Hao and the others in a somewhat hoarse voice:
"Uncle...this mural...conveys a shocking secret!"
"The records above state that the thirty-three levels of the non-human realm we are in are not the end, but a gate of trials."
Only by passing through these thirty-three levels of trials can one reach the true core—the Second Great Tomb Under Heaven!
"The Second Greatest Mausoleum in the World?"
The fat man's eyes lit up:
"That sounds awesome! Even better than number one?"
Wu Tianzhen ignored the fat man's interruption and continued:
"The murals say that those who enter the Second Mausoleum of the World can achieve immortality, and even... ascend to become immortals!"
Immortality?
Ascending to immortality?!
Xie Xiaohua exclaimed, her eyes blazing with an irrepressible desire.
This is the ultimate dream of almost all explorers, all those who seek power and eternity!
Huo Xiuxiu also covered her mouth, and Yi Sa and Zhang Qilin's eyes flickered slightly.
"but!"
Wu Tianzhen changed the subject, her tone becoming even more serious:
"The murals also clearly warn that the Second Imperial Mausoleum in the World is not for ordinary people to enter."
Anyone who forcibly enters will be annihilated, both physically and spiritually!
The only way to enter is within this thirty-third level of the non-human realm!
"What way?"
Zhang Hao asked calmly, seemingly unconcerned about immortality and ascension.
Wu Tianzhen pointed to the last part of the mural, where a strangely shaped, dark red stone, resembling both a heart and a tumor, was depicted, radiating an eerie light.
There are ancient inscriptions next to it.
"We need to find something called 'Stone Hemorrhoids' and...swallow it!"
Wu Tianzhen managed to utter the last four words with difficulty:
"The mural says that only those who successfully swallow and fuse with the 'Stone Duke's Hemorrhoids' can obtain the 'key' to enter the Second Mausoleum of the World. Otherwise, even if they reach the mausoleum, they will be blocked by an invisible barrier, or even trigger a destructive restriction."
"Swallow...swallow hemorrhoids?"
The fat man's face turned green:
"This name sounds disgusting!"
Swallow it?
What kind of twisted sense of humor does this ancient god have?
The palace was completely silent.
The allure of immortality and ascension is within reach, but the conditions for entry are so bizarre and unsettling.
All eyes were involuntarily drawn to Zhang Hao, the figure who had stood like a pillar of strength throughout their journey.