Excessive ferocity due to caution

Ji Chen remained silent throughout the journey.

"Brother, what are you thinking about?"

There were only three people, and they all knew each other, so Ji Pa stopped pretending.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Ji Chen sighed:

"Senior Chao Xian did so much for Wuji, even sacrificing himself without hesitation, and I initially doubted him. I'm truly a scoundrel!"

Ji Pa held his hand and comforted him:

"You are truly worthless."

Ji Chen:

"?"

Ji Pa said earnestly:

"You are a human being."

Remembering that his younger sister had never liked joking and was always very serious in everything she did and said, Ji Chen could only shake his head.

"But since Senior Chao wasn't a member of the church, why didn't he tell us?"

"So much for hiding it..."

Zhao Yidao, walking in front:

"He was worried that our acting wouldn't be good."

"Being an undercover agent is inherently dangerous, let alone being an undercover agent for the church?"

Ji Chen clenched his fists tightly, then suddenly looked up at Zhao Yi's retreating figure:

"Lord Zhao..."

"Why do you all want to go to the other side of the Chaos Sea?"

What lies behind that star gate?

Zhao Yi replied:

Have you ever seen those divine chains of order in the sky?

Ji Chen nodded.

"I know. These chains of divine order are used to stabilize the chaotic laws of the universe. They are made of star-immortal gold, and even a god cannot leave a trace on them."

Zhao Yi smiled and said:

"Who told you that these chains of divine order are used to stabilize the chaotic laws of the infinite space?"

Ji Chen caught up with Zhao Yi and shrugged:

"That's what the elders in the clan all say."

"If it weren't for the protection of these chains of divine order, given the chaotic state of the laws of the Infinite Realm, it would be impossible for any living being to be born."

Zhao Yi, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, said:

"You're half right."

"In fact, these chains of divine order extend all the way to the other side of the Chaos Sea and even into the Star Gate."

"They were locking up a particular corpse."

Ji Chen was stunned and almost tripped and fell because he didn't pay attention to his footing.

"A corpse... a body?"

"Whose body?"

Zhao Yi remained silent for a moment:

"The creator of the underworld."

"If the Church obtains this corpse, not only Avici, but all existing minor worlds will face annihilation!"

"and……"

"The mystery we are in now is also related to that body. If I am not mistaken, the battle of the ancient battlefield was not caused by the church sowing discord in the underworld, but was orchestrated entirely by him."

Ji Chen was deeply shocked and tried to process what Zhao Yi had said.

"That's not right, Lord Zhao..."

"If what you say is true, then since that person went to such great lengths to create the underworld, why did they choose to destroy it through the ancient battlefield?"

Zhao Yi slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke:

"That's something I'm also curious about."

"His behavior makes no sense at all."

"The original staff of the underworld consisted of 36,000 bronze statues, all of which he personally crafted and imbued with consciousness."

"He devoted a tremendous amount of energy and time to this project, yet it ultimately collapsed and was almost completely destroyed under his direction..."

"I don't quite understand the point of what he did..."

"But I'm certain there's a secret here, a big secret!"

As the three chatted, they traversed a path strewn with bones and blood, until a massive sinkhole appeared before them...

In the center of the hollow sinkhole, wisps of eerie green, chilly air drifted out.

The three looked down, but could see nothing below except a huge stone tablet standing on the edge of the opposite bank, with four large characters inscribed on it:

"The Mausoleum of Mount Tai".

This black stone tablet exudes an unfathomable aura and should not be touched lightly.

"It is the power of the underworld."

Ji Pa removed the demon mask and rubbed it gently in her hands.

The power on the black stone tablet and the power on this ghost mask share the same origin.

It is undoubtedly the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak.

Let's go!

Without saying much, Zhao Yi took a step and disappeared below the sinkhole.

Ji Chen and Ji Pa exchanged a glance.

"Brother, are we really going to continue?"

Ji Pa's calm voice trembled slightly.

"This person is far too dangerous; now seems to be the best time to get away from him!"

Ji Chen shook his head, his face extremely grave.

"Xiao Pa, we have no other choice."

"The Church is right behind us... Moreover, Senior Chao and his forces have angered the Church. Even if they don't send their entire force this time, they will definitely send a terrifying large force!"

"There's no way we can escape!"

"Right now, the only one who might save us... is Zhao Yi!"

Ji Pa took a deep breath and put the demon mask back on her face.

"I'll listen to you, bro."

The two held hands and took a step towards the sinkhole.

Swish!

An incredibly powerful, mysterious suction force came from below, instantly pulling the two of them into the sinkhole...

When they regained consciousness, they found themselves in a spacious, square, enclosed room.

The place was bitterly cold and indiscriminate, and even Ji Pa, with her divine body, could not resist it.

She shuddered and took out a torch from her storage pouch.

These are the Netherworld torches specially issued by the Underworld to these arresting guards.

A pale blue glow spread along with the will-o'-the-wisp, and only then could Ji Pa see the scene around her.

"elder brother?"

"Lord Zhao?"

Ji Pa tentatively called out.

Suddenly, someone behind her abruptly covered her mouth. Ji Pa froze, about to resist, when she smelled a familiar scent near her nose.

It's Ji Chen!

The thought of Ji Chen holding her from behind made Ji Pa feel weak all over.

"Xiao Pa, don't make a sound!"

Ji Chen whispered in her ear, in a voice almost inaudible.

Ji Pa nodded.

Ji Chen released her grip, and by the light of the Netherworld Torch, she was shocked to see that a rusty bronze spear was already aimed at her throat!

This bronze spear was hidden in the darkness, and even her divine sense could not detect it!

At the end of the bronze spear was a tall bronze statue in iron armor.

It turned its head to look at the two of them, its lifeless face twisted with the ferocity of death!

On the other side, stood a blurry black figure.

Ji Chen carefully led Ji Pa through the area and arrived not far behind the dark figure.

Ji Pa then realized that the dark figure was Zhao Yi!

"Lord Zhao!"

Ji Pa clasped her hands in a fist salute to Zhao Yi, and looking into his deep eyes, she felt a little guilty.

After all, I was just thinking of running away...

"Can you feel your power being restrained?"

Zhao Yi asked softly.

Ji Pa nodded after a moment's thought.

Her divine power was completely sealed away at this moment!

It's completely unusable!

Both the divine mark and the physical strength and power of the body were greatly suppressed in the mausoleum beneath this sinkhole!

Right now, their power has been almost completely suppressed to the level of a great ferocity!

"I have a feeling that if we go any deeper, our power will be suppressed even more."

Zhao's eyes were bloodshot.

The power of his evil eyes was unleashed, allowing him to see more clearly in the darkness.

He used his "Silent Mind" supernatural power to establish a spiritual connection with the two, telling them not to use their divine sense to probe freely in this mausoleum, nor to speak lightly.

The three of them fumbled around for a while.

"It's a mural..."

Zhao's eyes flashed, as if he had seen something, and he told Ji Pa to take the torch and walk closer to the wall.

As the light of the Nether Torch dissipated, the eerie murals on the massive wall before them were fully revealed.

Zhao Yi had seen part of this mural somewhere before.

That was when he entered the instance [Chaotic City Bandits] and arrived at the Divine Tower with Nan Jia. There was a bronze cauldron there, on which were painted many strange creatures, feasting on meat and wine, and slaughtering other living beings. Humans were also among them! (Chapter 305)

When Zhao Yi first saw the painting, he found it quite strange.

He wondered what the painting depicted, and it was left on the cauldron that guarded the tower of the divine tower.

At that time, the young monk Nanjia was still unconscious, and he even asked the old monk about it.

The old monk Fahua told Zhao Yi that the cauldron that guards the pagoda has a very ancient origin, which can be traced back to the last era.

As for what the painting on the tripod represents, no one knows anymore.

At this moment, in the mausoleum of the Eastern Peak Emperor, Zhao Yi saw this painting again.

And it... is part of the entire mural.

In other parts of the mural, the scenes are even more terrifying and grotesque.

Picking ears and gouging out noses, chopping off heads and limbs, removing bones and gouging out hearts, pulling out intestines and livers...

"What the hell is this?!"

For some reason, when they saw this mural, both Ji Chen and Ji Pa felt extremely immersed, as if they had been drawn into the mural and become cattle and sheep waiting to be slaughtered!

The two men's legs went weak and they were covered in cold sweat.

"It's a banquet..."

Zhao Yi's calm voice echoed in their minds, pulling the two, who had been distracted, back to reality.

"A banquet?"

"What kind of feast... would use all living beings as food?"

Ji Chen trembled, and even when communicating with his mind, he could not speak clearly.

Zhao Yi didn't answer, but took the torch from Ji Pa and walked forward along the mural.

Finally, he reached the end.

At the head of the banquet was a special throne, entirely made of piled-up bones, and these bones were not the same as those of the spirits, but rather resembled those of the creatures feasting at the banquet…

The throne, built of bones, stood with its back to the revelers at the banquet.

A pale hand emerged from the armrest of the throne.

He raised his index finger, as if he wanted to tap the armrest gently.

Nobody recognizes this hand.

Except for Zhao Yi.

"They feed on the flesh and blood of all spirits, and take pleasure in the wronged souls of all spirits. Wherever they go, they bring destruction and despair."

"This painting depicts the chaotic era... the banquet of the gods!"

thump!

Ji Chen lost his footing and fell to the ground, pulling his sister down with him.

"Do the gods... really exist?"

"The elders in the clan all say that the gods perished long ago, along with the previous era!"

Zhao Yi stared intently at the mural and said:

"The passing of the previous era certainly brought them unimaginable and immense trauma, but I can assure you that the gods have not truly died..."

"Perhaps their physical forms have been destroyed, but these beings left behind a spark."

Ji Pa's beautiful eyes flickered with an unusual light.

"Lord Zhao, what do you mean by 'fire'?"

Zhao Yi:

"Belief."

"The Church of the Skull preserves the embers of the gods from the previous era. Once the time is right and they have gathered all the necessary conditions, they will bring back the gods who have already perished!"

The two were stunned by Zhao Yi's words and sat motionless on the cold ground for a long time.

"Now you know, once the Skull Church gets what they want, all the minor worlds centered on the Chaotic Realm will be destroyed, including the Avici!"

"The door is over there, come with me."

Zhao Yi led the two to the entrance of the empty, painted chamber. He gently reached out his hand, but before he could even touch the door knocker, the bronze door opened by itself…

"How interesting, is it because it sensed my access permissions?"

Behind the door is a passageway.

Ancient and silent, pitch black as ink.

The walls on both sides are decorated with Ming stone and jade carvings. The three people passed through two doors, and the ground shook seven times, changing their position four times and their height three times.

"Lord Zhao, have we stepped on some kind of trap?"

Ji Chen looked around anxiously and asked.

"I don't know."

Zhao Yi quickened his pace, seemingly unconcerned about the traps.

Soon, the three large doors appeared before everyone.

Zhao Yi pushed him away without hesitation.

A strong smell of dust hit me.

Ji Chen was caught off guard and choked on his food several times.

When I looked up again, I was stunned by what I saw inside.

Inside the main tomb chamber, many luminous stars floated in the void, like fireflies.

At the center of these fireflies was a jade coffin, the lid of which had been opened by someone.

"Strange, who opened the coffin lid...?"

"Has someone already beaten them to it?"

Ignoring Ji Chen's rambling, Zhao Yi stepped into the coffin and peeked inside.

The coffin was empty.

Zhao Yi quickly inspected the inside and outside of the coffin.

"No one has been here."

"The coffin was forced open from the inside."

As Zhao Yi spoke, to the astonishment of the two men, he lay down in the coffin, followed the marks left inside, and slowly crawled out, heading towards a corner of the tomb.

But when they arrived at a corner of the tomb, they found the place completely empty.

He turned his gaze and found the mechanism nearby.

A hidden passage leading deeper underground appeared before them.

As the passage opened, countless fireflies in the tomb chamber rushed towards it.

The three of them floated up uncontrollably, surrounded by fireflies, and flew into the passage.

A deep, steady voice drifted faintly over...

"You've finally arrived."

P.S.: Second update, 6000 words completed today.

Goodnight, my darlings.