Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

Two jade cicadas.

It lies in two outstretched hands.

They are almost the same size, about the length of a palm, and carved in the shape of cicadas. The one in Zhang Qiling's hand is a warm, lustrous green, like a pool of still spring water. The one in "Zhang Qiling's" hand is a darker color, a deep green that has been tempered by time, with a restrained luster.

Under the cold light of the green stone wall, the surfaces of the two jade cicadas were covered with a very faint, almost living halo.

Everyone was stunned.

Kun Ge's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. Chen Man and Wang Yihan gripped each other's arms, their eyes wide with disbelief. Wang Lei, Liu Min, and Zhou Ting forgot to cry, staring blankly. Professor Zhou Xu'an was so excited that his beard was trembling, pointing at the jade cicada: "This, this... exactly the same? No, that's not right, the color, the patina, the subtle carving... there are differences! But the shape, the size, that kind of charm..."

Jiang Shouyi helped the professor up, himself shocked: "Two? Does that mean we need two tokens to open the door?"

Lin Guoce frowned, glancing at Zhang Qiling and then at "Zhang Qiling." These two silent and powerful men not only shared similar appearances and demeanors, but even their belongings were strikingly alike. This was no coincidence.

The ten "Vulture" team members exchanged glances, their hands unconsciously reaching for their waists again, but quickly lowering them. The incomprehensible scene before them made them hesitant to make a move.

Wu Xie and Fatty squeezed to the front. Fatty clicked his tongue: "My goodness... Little Brother, you guys... have the same design? Or are these jade cicadas mass-produced?"

Wu Xie examined the two jade cicadas more closely, then looked at the cicada-shaped groove on the altar, and murmured, "They're the same size... There's only one groove. Should we put one in, or both? Or is there a specific order?"

Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, and Huo Xiuxiu also came over. Hei Xiazi pushed up his sunglasses and grinned, "Oh, two tokens. Dumb Zhang, is this an heirloom from your family?"

Zhang Qiling ignored Hei Xiazi's teasing. He looked at Zhang Qiling calmly: "Where did you come from?"

"Huo Yun's tomb," Zhang Qiling replied.

Zhang Qiling nodded almost imperceptibly: "Mine comes from the ruins of an ancient kingdom in the Western Regions. According to records, it is related to 'guarding the gate' and 'immortality'."

The dialogue was simple, yet packed with information. The two jade cicadas, from ancient tombs in different times and regions, both pointed to the same core secret. Moreover, both ended up in the hands of the "gatekeeper."

The levitating live-streaming sphere zooms in, giving a close-up of the two jade cicadas.

The chat exploded:

[ID Prophet: I told you! Two! Not one less!]

[ID Specializes in Curing Disagreements with Experts: Where's Expert Sun? Get up and see what a real antique looks like!]

[ID Guy Fan Club: My husbands even have matching outfits!]

[ID: Chicken You're So Beautiful: This jade cicada looks incredibly valuable!]

[ID: Innocent and Unfettered: An ancient kingdom in the Western Regions? A gatekeeper? The connection is growing stronger.]

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" looked at the groove on the altar again.

There is only one groove.

Zhang Qiling crouched down, his fingers carefully touching the edge of the groove, feeling its curvature and depth. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them: "There's a hidden compartment at the bottom of the groove, a double-layered structure. It should be one above the other, or one inside and one outside, with both placed together to trigger it."

Zhang Qiling also crouched down, using his "Tomb Raider Finger" to probe the inside of the groove. The extremely subtle difference in tactile sensation transmitted through his fingertips confirmed "Zhang Qiling's" judgment. "First or last? Or simultaneously?"

Zhang Qiling pondered for a moment, then pointed to a tiny, almost invisible arrow-shaped marking on the side of the groove, pointing southeast: "This is the main one. The other one should be the secondary one." He then pointed to the bottom of the groove, "The hidden compartment is below; it will only be revealed after the main jade cicada is activated."

"Primary and secondary..." Zhang Qiling looked at the emerald green jade cicada in his hand, then at the dark jade cicada in "Zhang Qiling's" hand. The two jade cicadas gave him slightly different feelings; his own aura was "newer" and "sharper," while "Zhang Qiling's" was more "ancient" and "stable."

"Your master is mine." Zhang Qiling handed the jade cicada to "Zhang Qiling." It wasn't out of modesty, but based on his perception and judgment. This jade cicada from Huo Yun's tomb might be closer in time and have a deeper connection with this Warring States period Lu King's Palace.

Zhang Qiling glanced at him, accepted it without refusing. There was a kind of unspoken trust between the two.

Zhang Qiling, holding two jade cicadas, walked to the altar recess. He didn't put them down immediately, but looked up again, surveying the four walls of the circular stone chamber. His gaze slowly moved across the glowing minerals and ancient murals, as if making a final deduction and positioning in his mind.

Everyone held their breath and watched him.

He held the dark jade cicada in his left hand and the emerald green jade cicada in his right, aligning it with the main groove and slowly placing it in.

The jade cicada fits perfectly into the groove.

Just as the jade cicada was completely embedded—

"Buzz..."

A deep, resonant tremor emanated from within the altar, as if a colossal beast, dormant for millennia, had been awakened. The luminous minerals embedded in the surrounding stone walls suddenly brightened, their eerie green transforming into a chilling, deathly white. The floor of the entire circular stone chamber began to tremble slightly.

A slight "click" sound came from the bottom of the groove. Immediately afterwards, the center of the groove dropped down by about half an inch, revealing a smaller and shallower auxiliary groove underneath. It was exactly the same shape as the main groove, but smaller and slightly skewed.

Zhang Qiling remained expressionless as he gently pressed down on the dark jade cicada in his left hand, aligning it with the groove in the auxiliary position.

The second jade cicada returned to its place.

"boom--!"

An even greater tremor followed! The altar itself rumbled loudly, dust falling from its surface. The pale light flickered wildly, illuminating the entire stone chamber in an unpredictable dance, casting ghostly shadows on the stone walls. A heavy, teeth-grinding metallic scraping sound came from the direction of the bronze door.

"Back off!" Lin Guoce shouted.

People hurriedly scattered in all directions, away from the shaking altar.

Only Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" remained standing by the altar, their figures as steady as mountains. Zhang Qiling's hand was already on the hilt of his sword behind his back. "Zhang Qiling" narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at the changes on the altar.

The vibration lasted for about ten seconds.

Then, it stopped abruptly.

The light returned to its eerie green. The tremors on the ground ceased.

In the center of the altar, two jade cicadas were quietly embedded in the groove, emitting a soft and stable halo, as if they belonged there by nature. Even more strangely, the halos of the two jade cicadas merged with each other, their emerald green and pale green mingling to form a hazy, slowly rotating mist above the groove.

"Click...click..."

From the direction of the bronze door came a loud crash of chains breaking and heavy objects being moved.

Everyone turned to look.

The heavy, rusted bronze door slowly slid open from the center to both sides! Behind it wasn't the expected dark passageway, but a far deeper, seemingly all-absorbing darkness. An aura far older, colder, and heavier than anywhere before surged forth from behind the door, carrying with it the scents of aged spices, decaying wood, and an indescribable sense of majesty.

The door opened.

The door leading to the true core area of ​​the Seven Star Lu Palace opened.

A brief silence.

Then came heavy breathing. They had succeeded. But no one felt joy, only a deeper fear and bewilderment. What lay behind the door? The Seven Star Coffin? A jade terracotta warrior? The Iron-Faced Gentleman? Or some other unimaginable horror?

Zhang Qiling reached out, seemingly wanting to retrieve the jade cicada. But the moment his fingers touched the halo, it rippled slightly, gently pushing his fingers away. The jade cicada seemed to have become one with the altar, impossible to retrieve easily.

He withdrew his hand, looked at Zhang Qiling, and shook his head.

Zhang Qiling nodded, indicating that he understood. The token had been used; the journey home might take him elsewhere.

Lin Guoce took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and began to deploy: "Check the equipment, check the wounded. In five minutes, we'll prepare to enter. Wang Lei, Liu Min, Zhou Ting, you three stay in the middle of the group. Kun Ge, Chen Man, Wang Yihan, you also stay in the middle. Jiang Shouyi, protect the professor. Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, Huo Xiuxiu, Wu Xie, Wang Pangzi, you follow behind the two Mr. Zhangs, stay alert. The rest of you, proceed in the original order. Those ten... from the exploration company, go to the middle and back of the group. Understand?"

"Understood!" The voices were uneven and trembling.

The fat man sidled up to Wu Xie, staring at the open bronze door that seemed to lead to the underworld. He swallowed hard. "Tianzhen, why am I so uneasy? I've been through my fair share of tombs, but this is the first time I've encountered anything this eerie."

Wu Xie was also flustered, but when he saw the two black figures standing side by side in front of the bronze door, observing the situation behind it, he felt inexplicably calmer. "They're here."

"That's right." The fat man puffed out his belly, regaining some energy. "Our Iron Quadrangle... ugh, should we call it the Iron Pentagon now? Anyway, with these two guys holding the fort, even if the sky falls, the tall guys will carry it!"

Black Bear strolled over and patted Fatty on the shoulder: "Fatty, don't be too sure of yourself. The stuff inside might be a struggle even for these two 'tall guys' to carry."

Xie Yuchen looked into the darkness behind the door and said calmly, "Now that things have come to this, there's no turning back. Stay close and be careful."

Huo Xiuxiu nodded and gripped the dagger in her hand tightly.

Five minutes passed quickly.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" exchanged a glance, then stepped across the threshold of the bronze door, venturing into the unfathomable darkness.

The figure was instantly swallowed up.

The people behind them had their hearts in their throats.

Lin Guoce gritted his teeth: "Keep up!"

The procession slowly made its way towards the deepest part of the Seven Star Lu Palace.

Unknown dangers lie ahead.