Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

A black head emerged from the water.

It had no eyes, only two empty holes facing Xie Linyuan. It opened its mouth, and the fleshy red folds writhed inward, making a wet, teeth-grinding sound.

The fishy smell was even stronger.

"Step back."

Xie Linyuan's voice rang out, not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Lin Guoce immediately roared, "Back up! Everyone back to the entrance of the passage!"

The group hurriedly retreated. Chen Man's legs went weak, and Wang Yihan forcefully pulled her backward. Kun Ge slipped, but Jiang Shouyi caught him by the arm. Professor Zhou Xu'an's face turned pale, and Lin Guoce shielded him behind him. Sun Shuanzhu collapsed to the ground, crawling backward on his hands and feet.

Xie Linyuan didn't move.

He stood still, his hand gripping the hilt of the knife behind his back.

The monster seemed to sense the threat, and its huge head shrank back, but the next second, its entire body suddenly rose out of the water!

Water splashed.

Its black body, covered in bluish-black scales, was as thick as an adult man's waist, its length indiscernible as most of it remained submerged. The part of it that rose was three or four meters high, like a fleshy pillar thrust out of the abyss.

The eyeless head turned towards Xie Linyuan, and then, with a speed disproportionate to its massive body, it suddenly plunged down!

A foul stench filled the air.

Xie Linyuan moved.

He turned to the side, drawing his black and gold ancient sword. The blade traced a dark arc, striking the monster's neck.

"clang!"

The sound of metal striking stone.

The scales were harder than I imagined; the blade only cut an inch before getting stuck. Yellowish slime gushed from the wound, carrying a pungent, sour smell.

The monster writhed in pain, its body twisting violently, immense force emanating from the blade. Xie Linyuan released his grip, leaving the blade on the monster, and took two steps back.

The monster shook its head, trying to shake off the knife. But the knife was embedded in its flesh and couldn't be shaken off. It let out a hoarse roar, like a broken bellows, and its body churned wildly in the water, making the entire pool boil.

"Brother, Brother's knife!" Brother Kun shouted.

Xie Linyuan didn't look at the knife.

He stared at the monster's writhing trajectory, and the instant it raised its head again, revealing its relatively soft belly above the water, he rushed out.

He stepped onto the slippery stones at the edge of the pool, exerted his strength, and lunged forward. His right hand was held upright, the fingertips gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the dim blue light.

The term "发丘指" refers to a type of tomb raiding.

Fingers, like awls, pierced deep into the gaps between the scales on the monster's abdomen.

Then, exert force and swipe downwards!

"Sizzle—"

A chilling tearing sound rang out. A nearly meter-long gash was ripped open in the monster's abdomen. More yellowish, sticky fluid mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, drenching Xie Linyuan.

The monster let out a piercing howl, its body writhing wildly as it pounded the water, sending sprays several meters high. It finally shook off the black-gold ancient sword from its neck, which clattered to the rocks by the pool.

Xie Linyuan had already retreated the instant he succeeded, avoiding the tail whip that was powerful enough to shatter bones.

He landed, bent down, and picked up the knife from the ground.

The blade was covered in sticky liquid, but the edge remained jet black and shiny.

The monster was severely wounded, but it didn't die. With its remaining strength, it lunged towards Chen Man and Wang Yihan, who were closest to it! It was incredibly fast, driven by a mad urge to take them both down with it.

"Ah—!" Chen Man screamed.

Xie Linyuan's eyes turned cold.

He pushed off the ground with his feet, lunged forward, and as he swung the black gold ancient sword, he ran his left fingertip along the blade.

Bright red blood beads seeped into the blade.

He leaped up, gripped the knife with both hands, aimed at the center of the monster's eyeless head, and slashed down with all his might!

The blade slices through the air, cuts through the scales, and cuts through the skull.

Like cutting a piece of tofu.

The monster froze.

Then, the hideous head split in two, sliding to either side. The massive body, out of control, crashed into the water with a deafening roar, creating a huge splash.

The black pool water was stained a murky yellowish-green.

The water churned a few times, and then the enormous corpse slowly sank, leaving only ripples in its wake.

Xie Linyuan landed by the pool, the tip of his knife touching the ground. A viscous, yellowish-green liquid dripped down the blade, mixing with the blood from his left fingertip, and onto the stone.

The tattoo on his shoulder blade was shockingly hot.

The images are flashing in my mind again.

—Blood. Lots of blood. But not monster blood. Human blood. Flowing down from a great height, staining the bronze red. He was below, looking up. Above stood a person. He couldn't see their face. The person was speaking, but he couldn't hear them.

He shook his head, pressing the image down.

"Is it... over?" Kun asked in a trembling voice.

No one answered.

Everyone stared at the pool. The surface was returning to calm, but the sunken body and the pieces of entrails floating on the surface served as a reminder of what had just happened.

The live stream chat exploded:

【ID Holy crap!!!】

[ID cut in two!]

[ID Guy's Blood!]

[ID: What kind of monster is that?!]

[Is there still ID in the water?]

Xie Linyuan turned around and looked at the group. His face was expressionless, but when his eyes swept over each person, they all unconsciously straightened up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

The sound was very flat.

Lin Guoce checked the troops: "No. They all retreated quickly."

Xie Linyuan nodded. He walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and used the pool water to wash the filth off the knife. The blood mixed with the water and quickly dispersed.

"Mr. Xie, your hand..." Chen Man whispered.

Xie Linyuan glanced at his left index finger. The wound wasn't deep, and the bleeding had stopped. The regenerative power of his Qilin bloodline was at work. He didn't speak, tore off a piece of his undergarment, and casually wrapped it around his finger twice.

Then he stood up and looked across the pool.

The black altar stood silently in the eerie blue light. The stone casket at its top was indistinct in outline.

"We need to get there," he said.

"But this water..." Wang Yihan's voice trembled as she looked at the still-dark pool, "Could there still be water inside?"

"Yes," Xie Linyuan said with certainty.

The monster's dying struggle had stirred up the water. He sensed something else underwater. More than one. They were awakening.

"Then how do we get there?" Jiang Shouyi asked.

Xie Linyuan did not answer. He walked to the edge of the pool, bent down, picked up a fist-sized stone, weighed it in his hand, and then threw it forcefully into the center of the pool.

The stone traced a parabola before falling into the water with a splash.

Ripples spread across the water's surface.

Then, bubbles began to rise to the surface of the water around where the stone had landed.

One, two, three... a dozen or so black, scale-covered backs slowly rose to the surface. They swam underwater, circling the landing point, then slowly sank and disappeared.

Everyone gasped in shock.

"So many..." Kun's face turned pale.

"We can't swim across," Lin Guoce said in a deep voice. "We can only walk from above."

He pointed above the pool. Among the drooping, blue-glowing stalactites, some thick, beam-like structures spanned the two ends of the pool. But they were too far apart and too slippery to cross.

Xie Linyuan was also looking at the stone beams.

Then he turned his gaze away and looked at the scattered bones around the altar base.

"There is a road," he said.

He walked to the rock wall on the left side of the pool. Near the water's surface, there was a narrow stone platform, less than half a meter wide, carved out by the water flow, that hugged the rock wall and meandered to the other side of the pool.

Most of the stone platform is submerged underwater, with only a few parts above the surface. It is slippery and covered in moss.

Moreover, the stone platform is less than twenty centimeters above the water. Anything underwater could easily bite someone walking on it if it looked up.

"This is the only way." Lin Guoce saw it too, his brows furrowed. "It's too dangerous."

"I'll go first," Xie Linyuan said.

He removed his filthy coat, leaving him in only a black short-sleeved shirt that revealed his well-defined arms. He sheathed the black and gold ancient sword behind his back. He stretched his wrists, then stepped onto the stone platform.

The stone platform was indeed very slippery. The moment he stepped on it, his body swayed slightly, but he immediately regained his balance.

He walked forward.

Each step was firm and solid. The toes touched the ground first, testing the waters, then the entire foot pressed down, lowering the center of gravity.

Underwater, shadows are moving.

Near the stone platform.

Xie Linyuan didn't stop. He continued walking forward, his eyes fixed on the horizon, but his ears listening to the sounds underwater.

Splash!

A black head suddenly burst out of the water and opened its mouth to bite at his ankle, which was standing on the stone platform!

Xie Linyuan twisted his ankle to dodge. At the same time, his right hand shot out with lightning speed, his five fingers forming a claw, gripping the creature's neck. The tentacles were cold and slippery, covered in tiny scales. He exerted force, pulling the creature completely out of the water and slamming it heavily against the nearby rock wall!

Snapped!

The thing crashed into the rocks, slid down, and fell into the water. It was a small, snake-like monster, but it was already dead.

More shadows are approaching.

Xie Linyuan sped up.

He stopped probing, his footsteps lightly touching the slippery stone platform as he lunged forward. Things from underwater kept leaping out to attack; he either parried with his scabbard, crushed their throats with his bare hands, or kicked them back into the water.

The movements were clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary action.

The black figure darted across the narrow stone platform, splashing water behind it as monster corpses fell one by one.

The team on the other side watched with their hearts in their throats.

Live stream chat:

[ID: Wow, that's some serious skill!]

[The ID is like a movie!]

[ID: The underwater area is full of that stuff!]

[Hey there, guy, watch out!]

Xie Linyuan covered the distance of over thirty meters in less than a minute.

He stepped onto solid ground on the opposite bank, turned around, and looked this way.

"One at a time," he said. "Don't stop."

Lin Guoce took a deep breath: "I'll go first. Jiang Shouyi, you're second, protect the professor. Wang Yihan, Chen Man, you're in the middle. Kun Ge, Professor Sun, you're last. Keep your distance, don't crowd together. If you fall into the water, no one can save you."

He took off his backpack, carrying only the necessary equipment, and then stepped onto the stone platform.

He had served in the military and had better physical fitness and balance than the average person. But walking on the slippery stone platform, facing the monster that could pounce out of the water at any moment, his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

A shadow underwater followed him.

He gritted his teeth and sped up.

"Captain Lin, to the left!" Kun shouted from the other side.

Without a second thought, Lin Guoce leaned to the right and simultaneously slammed his entrenching tool to the left!

Snapped!

A monster was swatted away.

He seized the opportunity to rush forward and reached the other side without any danger. Panting, he nodded to Xie Linyuan.

Xie Linyuan stood on the shore, his gaze sweeping across the water as if on guard.

Next, Jiang Shouyi protected Zhou Xu'an. The professor was old and walked slowly, nearly slipping several times, but Jiang Shouyi held him firmly. The underwater monster lunged, and Xie Linyuan threw a stone, hitting the monster precisely on the head and knocking it back into the water.

Then came Wang Yihan and Chen Man. The two women supported each other, walking with trepidation. Chen Man's legs went weak, and she stepped on a particularly slippery spot, nearly falling. Wang Yihan screamed and grabbed her, losing her balance in the process.

On the opposite bank, Xie Linyuan flicked his finger, and a pebble flew through the air, striking the stone platform at Chen Man's feet. The pebble shattered a patch of slippery moss, revealing the rough stone surface beneath. Chen Man steadied herself, but Wang Yihan pulled her back. Both of them were pale-faced, and they scrambled over the last few meters.

Kun helped Sun Shuanzhu up. Sun Shuanzhu was terrified and Kun was practically dragging him along. Halfway there, three monsters suddenly leaped out of the water! Kun swung his entrenching tool wildly, driving one away, but another lunged at his calf.

Xie Linyuan moved.

He rushed to the stone platform and, before the monster could bite Kun, grabbed its neck and clenched his fist. With a snap, the monster went limp. He tossed it aside and looked at Kun.

"quick."

Kun Ge felt a chill run down his spine. He used all his strength to drag Sun Shuanzhu through the last section.

Everyone crossed the river.

Looking back, the narrow stone platform and the faint shadows underwater were frightening.

"Thank you so much, bro..." Kun said, panting.

Xie Linyuan didn't respond. He turned around and looked at the black altar that was so close to him.

The altar had three tiers, each over a meter high, with intricate patterns carved into the stone steps along its edges. The cold blue flames flickered in the lamps, illuminating the altar in a mysterious and eerie light.

Around the base, there were even more human bones scattered around. Some bones were intact, while others were broken. Among the bones, one could also see some rusted weapons, fragments of jade, and rotten cloth.

"These people..." Professor Zhou Xu'an squatted down to examine a relatively complete skeleton. "Judging from the clothing, they're from the Ming Dynasty. This one... is from the Tang Dynasty. And there are even earlier ones..."

"Are they all here to seek immortality?" Wang Yihan's voice trembled.

"It seems so." The professor stood up, his face grave. "They're all dead here."

Xie Linyuan has already stepped onto the first step.

He walked steadily, his gaze sweeping over the enormous cicada-shaped relief on the altar wall. The cicada's eyes, dark red gems, seemed to come alive under the blue light, staring at him.

The tattoo on his shoulder blade looked like it was burning.

The system's voice sounded in my mind:

[Contact with the Altar of Longevity]

[Key token detected]

[Acquire unlockable hidden memories and significantly enhance role-playing experience]

[Warning: This place is entangled in deep karmic connections; danger.]

He didn't stop and went up to the second floor.

At the top of the altar, the stone casket sat quietly.

The stone box is about one meter long and half a meter wide. It is entirely black with a smooth surface and no decorations. There is only a recessed pattern in the center of the lid.

The pattern was a cicada.

It is exactly the same size and shape as the jade cicada.

Xie Linyuan walked to the stone box.

He reached out and touched the surface of the stone box.

It's cold.

He moved his finger to the cicada-shaped indentation in the center of the box lid and paused for a moment.

Then, he took out the jade cicada he had obtained from Huo Yunyu's coffin from his inner pocket.

The jade cicada gleamed with a warm, green light in his palm.

On the altar, all the blue cold flames flickered simultaneously.

The cicada-shaped indentation on the stone box seemed to resonate with the jade cicada, emitting a very faint buzzing sound.

Xie Linyuan picked up the jade cicada, aimed it at the indentation, and pressed it down.

Perfectly fitted.

"Click".

A soft sound came from inside the stone box.

Then, the lid automatically slides open backward.

The contents are exposed.