The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

On my retina, the barrage of comments was scrolling enthusiastically.

This place looks suspicious; it feels like a big boss is about to appear.

Look at how leisurely Chen Guan looks. This isn't an adventure; it's clearly a trip back to his hometown to visit relatives.

Is it possible that this site has some connection to the Guiyuan Group? The Chen coffin is Xuanwu, after all.

[Don't forget that Hong Yuan also has Xuanwu bloodline. Yin Chen's relationship is ambiguous, and Long Ao is also a full-time employee. If there's any real connection, they should all benefit from it.]

[Auntie An is going to be worried sick again; everyone in this group except Su is a handful.]

Chen Guan closed the bullet screen and turned his gaze to the darkness ahead.

Long Ao was right; something was indeed approaching.

But those things didn't breathe, didn't have a heartbeat, and didn't even have the savage feeling of a regular monster.

They are like robots from the Spring Festival Gala, which is why other people's senses become dulled until they get close and realize something is wrong.

The black panther stopped, letting out a low growl. It showed no fear, but rather an excited anticipation.

Animals are extremely sensitive; they can sense that the scent of things that come near them is the same as that of their owner.

The darkness on both sides of the stone path seemed to come alive, slowly shrinking inward.

The feeling of being watched became clearer and clearer; it was no longer an illusion, but a real and oppressive force.

"Everyone, back to back, form a defensive circle."

An Changqing's voice was low, but clear enough to reach everyone's ears; he had already held his longsword horizontally in front of him.

Red Kite excitedly licked her lips, then slammed the huge double-edged axe onto the stone slab, making a muffled thud.

"Finally, some work! I thought I'd be wandering around this godforsaken place until dawn. Whatever it is, it'll be good for me to try out my axe!"

Yin Chen ignored Hong Yuan's clamor. The light from the frost crystals at the tip of his short staff brightened, dispelling some of the surrounding darkness.

"Their movements are silent, without any footsteps, which doesn't fit the characteristics of any monster I know. Be careful, lest you be caught off guard."

Long Ao simply adjusted his position silently, standing guard on the other side of the team, forming a pincer movement with An Changqing.

His fists were already covered with a faint red light, his power ready to be unleashed.

Something emerged from the darkness.

Those were not creatures with flesh and blood like leopards, but rather stone statues three meters tall.

They are carved entirely from a type of black rock, with the same material as the stone path beneath our feet.

The stone statue resembles an armored warrior, but its joints are unusually flexible, and it moves without making any sound, like a ghost.

Their faces had no features, only two deep hollows, within which flickered a faint light of the same origin as the gray energy within Chen's coffin.

"A puppet?" An Changqing's brows furrowed even more. "A self-regulating guardian made of stone? It can still function normally after an immeasurable amount of time. What kind of advanced ancient civilization could achieve that?"

"It's not just about puppets."

Su Yuehe looked at the stone statues, her breathing becoming rapid: "Look at the markings on their chests, those are runes, and... they're still active now. What a powerful civilization that must have been."

Hong Yuan didn't care what they were; all she knew was that these big guys looked tough.

"Who cares what it is? We'll find out once we chop it up!"

With a loud shout, her leg muscles bulged, and she charged towards the foremost stone statue, carrying her giant axe, like a cannonball.

"Don't be impulsive!" An Changqing tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Yin Chen sighed, pointing his short staff forward, ready to release ice spikes for support at any time.

However, just as Red Kite's giant axe was about to strike the stone statue, a bizarre scene unfolded.

All the stone statues that were moving forward stopped at the same moment.

The gray light flashing in their eyes swept past the red kite charging at the front, past An Changqing and Yin Chen who were on high alert, and finally focused on Chen Guan at the very front of the group, who had not moved an inch from beginning to end.

Chen Guan kept his hands in his pockets, looking at them calmly.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Hong Yuan stood frozen in place, axe raised high. She could feel the chilling killing intent emanating from the stone statues recede like a tide after they looked at Chen's coffin, vanishing without a trace.

"What... what's going on?"

Hong Yuan turned to look at everyone, her face full of question marks.

"Why have they stopped fighting? Were they intimidated by my domineering aura?"

No one answered her.

Everyone was so stunned by what they saw that they were speechless.

Under everyone's gaze, the stone statues that had originally exuded a terrifying and oppressive aura slowly and uniformly knelt on one knee, as if on a pilgrimage.

They lowered their faceless heads, clenched their right fists, and placed them horizontally on their left chests.

The stone joints made a slight clicking sound as they moved, which was particularly clear in the deathly silent passage.

This is an ancient and solemn ceremony of allegiance, filled with an ineffable sense of ritual.

The object of their worship was Chen Guan.

"Are you... what kind of joke is this?"

Hong Yuan nearly dropped her axe. She rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things: "They... are kneeling before the coffin?"

Has the allure of the ancient coffin been enough to conquer this rocky landscape?

Yin Chen maintained his casting posture, the blue light from the tip of his staff reflecting the incredulous expression on his face.

Wait, wait, wait... he's been under an illusion again? When?

An Changqing was also stunned. He looked at Chen Guan's back, his mind a complete mess.

"Chen Guan, you..."

Su Yuehe adjusted her glasses, her lips slightly parted, as she deciphered more information from the postures of the stone statues.

"This etiquette... I've seen a similar illustration in a fragment of an ancient book about the Lost Era. It's a homage ceremony performed by the Stoneborn Guardians to the highest bloodline holder in the ancient Blackwind Civilization. They... they regarded Chen Coffin as their master, or rather, their king."

"This is the ruins of the Black Wind Civilization."

"king?"

A crack appeared on Long Ao's usually unchanging icy face.

He looked at the coffin, then at the kneeling stone statues, and once again felt his understanding was being challenged.

Aren't we classmates? How come you suddenly became the king of a lost civilization?

No, which dynasty are you from?

Faced with the gazes of the crowd, Chen Guan didn't know how to respond.

Because he himself doesn't know what the situation is.

Deathly silence is the only melody on this black stone road.

The previous sense of oppression vanished completely, replaced by an even more chilling and eerie feeling.