Immortality Cultivation: I can use my clansmen’s energy and blood to add points.

Su Xiaowan's exclamation broke the brief silence in the hall and attracted everyone's attention to the huge black stone pillar.

"Door? There's actually a door here?" Su Xiaowan ran over quickly, feeling around with her hands on the cold, smooth stone wall covered with runes. Her face was filled with excitement and curiosity. "Great! I told you, there's always a way out! Maybe there's an exit behind this, and we can leave this damn place!"

Lin Wan'er and Bai Ling'er, who had recovered some strength, followed and looked at the strange stone wall in front of them with surprise in their eyes. The material of this stone wall was no different from the surrounding ones, but the runes carved on it were much denser and more complex than other places, faintly forming a huge, nested circular pattern. The lines of the pattern were smooth and ancient, emitting energy fluctuations that were the same as the altar but slightly different, like a carefully sealed pass.

In the center of the circular pattern, there is a fist-sized groove. This groove is not a simple circle or square, but an extremely irregular and angular shape, as if it is a mold of a specific object.

Luo Qingchen finally stepped forward, but his expression was not as optimistic as Su Xiaowan's. Instead, he looked more solemn. He carefully observed the runes on the stone wall, and the power of chaos quietly spread, like an invisible tentacle, carefully sensing the flow of energy inside.

"These runes... are closely connected to the altar's forbidden core." Luo Qingchen spoke slowly, his voice was not loud, but it calmed down the excited Su Xiaowan, "This is not just a door, it is more like a part of the entire forbidden system. Breaking it forcibly will have unpredictable consequences."

He stretched out his finger and gently brushed the edge of the strange groove, feeling the energy imprint left in it. "The jade slip says, 'The key is in the eyes'..." He murmured in a low voice, and his eyes involuntarily glanced at the empty altar in the distance and the black crystals scattered around the altar.

The evil eye is the core of the altar and the key to death. So, the key...

“Brother Luo,” Lin Wan’er was sharp-minded and immediately thought of something. “Do you think the key could be… the black crystals left behind after the evil eye dissipated?”

Su Xiaowan's eyes lit up: "Yes! After the eyeball exploded, didn't it leave a floor full of black glass shards? Do we have to use that to open the door?" As she spoke, she wanted to run back and pick up a few pieces to try.

"Don't move." Luo Qingchen stopped her. He had just checked those black crystals. They contained the pure evil power and resentment left by the evil eye. Although the core consciousness of the evil eye had been destroyed, these energy crystals themselves were not safe.

He walked slowly back to the altar, squatted down, and carefully examined the black crystals scattered on the ground. These crystals were of different sizes and shapes, with smooth surfaces and countless fine black threads slowly moving inside. The energy fluctuations emitted by most of the crystals were full of chaos and violence, but there were a few larger crystals whose energy fluctuations were relatively restrained, and even faintly revealed a hint of an ancient and purer aura of annihilation similar to the altar runes.

Luo Qingchen stretched out his fingers, and the power of chaos carefully extended out, touching these crystals one by one. When his fingertips touched the largest crystal, which was about the size of a baby's fist and had the most peculiar shape, something strange happened!

hum!
The black crystal seemed to have received some kind of call. The black threads inside it suddenly accelerated, and a layer of dark and deep luster appeared on the surface. At the same time, the groove in the center of the "stone door" in the distance also lit up a faint light of the same frequency! There was a wonderful resonance between the two!

"Sure enough!" Luo Qingchen's heart moved, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

He carefully picked up this special black crystal. The crystal was icy cold to the bone, and a pure evil force and residual resentment flowed through his fingertips and tried to penetrate into his body, but he easily dispelled and isolated it by using the power of chaos.

"Senior Brother Luo, have you found it?" Su Xiaowan stretched her neck and looked curiously at the black crystal in his hand.

Luo Qingchen nodded, without saying anything, holding the crystal, and walked back to the stone wall. Lin Wan'er and Bai Ling'er both held their breath, staring at him and the crystal. Even Su Xiaowan, who was always noisy, was quiet at this moment, just nervously clutching the corner of her clothes.

Luo Qingchen took a deep breath and adjusted the chaotic power in his body to the most peaceful state. Then, slowly and with incredible precision, he embedded the black crystal in his hand into the groove in the center of the stone wall.

Click!

A slight but clear crisp sound was heard. The black crystal fit perfectly into the groove, fitting in seamlessly, as if it had always belonged there.

The next moment, a sudden change occurred!

With the groove as the center, the huge circular rune pattern on the entire stone wall suddenly burst into a dazzling blue light as if it was injected with energy! Countless rune lines seemed to come alive and began to flow and reorganize rapidly!
Rumbling--

A dull sound of mechanism turning came from inside the stone wall, and the ground shook slightly. The stone wall that seemed indestructible actually began to slowly move to the sides, revealing a deeper and darker passage that was only wide enough for one person to pass through!

A completely different aura from that in the hall permeated from the depths of the passage. It was not simply a sinister aura, but mixed with a kind of... extremely ancient, desolate and dead silence that seemed to come from the source of the long river of time, and even a faint trace of... the power of the stars?
"It's open! It's really open!" Su Xiaowan was the first to cheer, almost jumping up with excitement, "I told you! I'm so lucky! Let's go! Get out of this damn place!"

As she spoke, she was the first to rush into the passage.

"Wait!" Luo Qingchen grabbed her and stared sharply at the entrance of the deep passage, looking more vigilant than before.

The door opened too smoothly, so smoothly that it was a little abnormal. Moreover, the strange smell emanating from the passage was both familiar and strange, which not only did not eliminate the uneasy feeling in his heart, but made it even stronger.

He clearly remembered that when he analyzed the altar runes before, in the information fragments he captured, in addition to "the key is in the eyes" and "the altar demands life", there seemed to be the words "the soul returns to the ruins". The ruins...it usually refers to the end of all things and the place where everything returns to nothingness. Is the path behind this door really the way to life?
Lin Wan'er also noticed Luo Qingchen's doubts. She walked to the entrance of the passage and carefully felt the breath coming from inside. She frowned slightly and said, "The breath in this passage... is so strange. Although it is also very cold, it seems... that it does not have the pure silence and malice outside. Instead, it has a kind of... indescribable emptiness and... oldness?"

Bai Ling'er also timidly moved closer, sniffed gently with her little nose, and a confused expression appeared on her little face: "Yes... It feels... It seems... It smells like... It's a long, long time ago... There's a little bit... Like... Like..." She seemed to have thought of something, but couldn't say it. She just instinctively felt awe and curiosity about the depths of the passage. Luo Qingchen's eyes flickered, and he pondered in silence. He probed the power of chaos into the passage and extended his perception. The interior of the passage did not seem to go straight down, but was winding. No obvious danger was found within the range of perception. But the desolate and ancient breath, like a substance, constantly washed his perception, as if warning outsiders that this place was not a good place.

"No matter what, it's better than staying here and waiting to die, right?" Su Xiaowan stamped her feet impatiently, "Brother Luo, think about it, we've blown up that eyeball and extinguished the altar, and that big black gravekeeper must be furious, and he might chase us soon! We can't stay here anymore!"

Su Xiaowan's words were reasonable. Although they were safe for the time being, the energy fluctuations here and the removal of the evil eye crystal that served as the "key" would likely lead to greater trouble.

Although Su Xiaowan's words were impatient, they also awakened the hesitant Luo Qingchen. It is true that the road ahead is unknown and may even be more dangerous, but staying here is almost a dead end. The gravekeeper is definitely not a good person, and his strength is unfathomable. If he comes back, they may be unable to resist him in their current state.

"Xiao Wan is right. We can't stay here for long." Luo Qingchen finally made up his mind, his eyes became firm, "No matter where this passage leads to, we must go in and try it out."

He turned and looked at Lin Wan'er and Bai Ling'er: "Can you still hold on?"

A trace of determination appeared on Lin Wan'er's pale face, and she nodded slightly: "No problem." She adjusted her breathing for a moment. Although the vitality of the Linglong Grass mark was consumed greatly, its recovery speed was also extraordinary, and it was barely able to support the action.

Bailing'er also nodded vigorously, with trust on her little face: "I will listen to Master Luo." The leaves of the Nine-Turn Resurrection Grass were still continuing to work. Her soul trauma was slowly healing and her physical strength was gradually recovering.

"Okay!" Luo Qingchen no longer hesitated, "I will continue to explore the way ahead, Lin Wan'er will cover the rear, Xiaowan and Bailing'er will be in the middle. Stay alert and pay attention to your feet and surroundings. The aura in this passage is very strange, and there may be unexpected dangers."

He took out a few more night-shining pearls and distributed them. Although there seemed to be a faint light deep in the passage, it was always better to be more prepared.

"I know, I know. I'll be careful." Su Xiaowan responded, but her eyes were already impatiently glancing into the passage. It was obvious that she was filled with curiosity about the unknown world that was stronger than fear.

Luo Qingchen took a deep breath and circulated the power of chaos around his body to form an invisible protective shield. At the same time, he tightly grasped the Black Dragon Sword and was the first to step into the dark passage that exuded a desolate and ancient atmosphere.

Unlike the previous passage into the underground palace, this passage did not slope downward, but extended forward smoothly and was wider, enough to accommodate three people walking side by side. The ground underfoot was no longer smooth black jade, but a rough, naturally formed rock with a texture that had been polished by time.

The stone walls on both sides of the passage were also made of natural rock. There were no artificially carved runes on them, but they were covered with countless naturally formed, strange lines. These lines were twisted and deep, like claw marks left by some ancient creatures, or like traces of the natural evolution of the laws of heaven and earth. Under the light of the night pearl, they reflected faint, star-like broken lights.

The desolate atmosphere in the air became stronger, as if he had stepped into an ancient tunnel forgotten by time. The evil spirit had obviously weakened a lot, replaced by a purer, more vast, but also colder and more empty power. This power made Luo Qingchen feel very uncomfortable. It seemed to be subtly stripping away the breath of life, trying to assimilate everything into eternal deathly silence.

"It's so quiet here..." Su Xiaowan couldn't help but whisper, breaking the silence in the passage. Her voice echoed slightly in the empty passage, seeming particularly abrupt.

"Hush." ​​Lin Wan'er immediately signaled her to be quiet. In this unknown environment, any sound could cause unnecessary trouble.

Su Xiaowan stuck out her tongue and quickly covered her mouth.

The four of them moved forward cautiously. The passage was winding and twisting, like the belly of a giant snake, and no one knew where it led to. The surrounding scenery was monotonous and depressing. Only the ever-changing patterns on the stone wall and the ever-changing desolate atmosphere reminded them that they were in a very special place.

After walking for about an incense stick of time, they still didn't encounter any living creatures, nor did they find any traps. This made everyone feel a little relieved, but Luo Qingchen didn't relax his vigilance at all. The calmer it is, the greater the hidden danger.

Suddenly, Luo Qingchen, who was walking in front, paused, raised his head abruptly, and looked sharply at the corner of the passage ahead.

"What's wrong, Senior Brother Luo?" Su Xiaowan asked nervously, her little hand subconsciously reaching for the storage bag.

"Something is coming." Luo Qingchen's voice was low and solemn. He could clearly feel that an extremely obscure but strongly malicious aura was approaching quickly in front of him!
That aura was different from the previous bone puppet, the evil eye, and even the gravekeeper. It was more erratic and weird, as if it had no entity, like... a cold shadow.

Lin Wan'er and Bai Ling'er also became nervous instantly, and they tightened their weapons. Bai Ling'er even subconsciously moved closer to Luo Qingchen, with uneasiness written all over her face. She was particularly sensitive to this invisible malice that targeted the soul level.

In the silent passage, the only sound that could be heard was the four people's slightly rapid breathing.

A moment later, a faint, almost transparent shadow, like water waves, "floated" out silently from the corner in front!

The shadow showed a vague human outline, but the facial features were unclear, and the body was constantly twisting and changing like smoke. (End of this chapter)