Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

After the black mist dissipated, they barely managed to push open the palace door, creating a gap just large enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

The door hinges must have rusted shut long ago, making it impossible to push the door open any further.

An eerie darkness permeated the main hall of the spirit palace; even with the beam of a searchlight shining inside, it was impossible to see anything clearly.

It's as if the darkness shrouding the interior of the Spirit Palace can even absorb light.

Hu Ming and the young man slipped straight into the Spirit Palace, followed by the others who entered one by one.

Upon entering the main hall, the first thing you see is the load-bearing stone piers that stretch across both sides of the central spirit path of the spirit palace.

There is a stone block approximately every five meters.

Judging from the number of stone pillars in sight, the searchlight could only illuminate a space of less than ten meters in front of it.

"Damn, this place is really eerie. Not only is the spirit palace built beneath an ancient glacier, but the interior is also so strange..."

As he spoke, the fat man lit a lighter and went to light the lamp under the stone block.

"Fatty, don't click! The environment here is special. This spirit palace has stood here for hundreds of years without collapsing, and the low temperature is a very important factor."

"If a large number of lamps are lit, generating hot air currents, it could potentially alter the structure here, causing a small-scale collapse."

Hu Ming quickly spoke up to stop the fat man.

"Alright..."

The fat man was taken aback, then remembered that they were still under an ancient glacier.

"Don't worry, like I said, I already figured out the entire structure here before I came down..."

"In short, follow me closely. Do not touch anything here without permission, and do not light any open flames."

"This spirit palace is home to a large number of adorable little creatures. If we awaken them... my brother and I will be fine, but what about you?"

"At that point, we'll really be leaving it to fate!"

Turning his head, Hu Ming glanced at everyone and said quietly.

This isn't him threatening these people; it's a fact.

This sacred palace is home to countless centipedes, or as the locals call them, snow centipedes.

You have to understand, these little creatures are carnivorous. With their overwhelming numbers, they wouldn't even be enough to fill a few of their teeth.

"Hmph! That's alarmist!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Pi subconsciously let out a cold snort.

Even so, Chen Pi became even more cautious in his actions.

While up there, Hu Ming was able to figure out the structure below through the ten-meter-thick ice layer.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Hu Ming could hear what was sleeping in the dark corners of the Spirit Palace.

Moreover, it is quite common for living creatures to be used to guard tombs in many burial sites.

Moreover, Chen Pi was a seasoned tomb raider who had spent his entire life robbing tombs.

He knew very well that inside the tomb, one could never be too careful.

Hu Ming and his colleague led the way, groping their way forward in the darkness by the light of a searchlight.

Under Hu Ming's warning, everyone shut their mouths and stopped talking; even their breathing subconsciously slowed down.

Aside from the footsteps, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Combined with the current scene, it felt like we were filming a supernatural horror movie. And indeed, the work Hu Ming and his friends were doing... really was supernatural!
If Hu Ming could film each tomb raiding expedition, he was confident it would be a box office smash!
Step, step, step
After walking for about five minutes, the group arrived at the center of the main hall.

In front of it is a jade platform, surrounded by nine huge bronze statues.

The strange thing is that these statues are not carved with gods or Buddhas, but rather resemble twisted pillars covered with lichen.

"What the hell is this thing?"

"Did the tomb owner really look like this? Isn't this just a giant leech?"

The fat man circled the statues several times, scratching his head and asking in confusion.

"This may be the alienated Eternal Heaven in the Eastern Xia religion, their main god."

After thinking for a moment, Monk Hua said.

Before coming here, he had done his homework and had a certain understanding of the civilization of Dongxia.

"The Supreme God? Let's call it that for now, but this isn't the so-called Eternal Heaven, but rather... a dragon."

Hu Ming said with a light laugh.

"A dragon? Young Master, that's not quite right. Where in the world does a dragon look like that?"

Lang Feng was taken aback and subconsciously retorted.

"Shut up, no one will think you're mute if you don't speak! Just listen to Young Master Er, why are you talking so much?"

Hua the monk's expression changed, and he slapped Waste on the head.

He remembered—this image was indeed a dragon, but a mutated one!
"This is indeed a dragon, but it is not the coiled dragon that we worship in the Central Plains."

"This is a dragon that evolved from the Dongxia civilization based on local customs, beliefs, and other cultural elements. It's a centipede dragon!"

"This dragon is a variant of a local creature called a centipede."

"Well, to put it simply, you can think of this thing as a centipede dragon; the appearance is roughly the same."

Hu Ming glanced at the embarrassed Lang Feng and snorted.

"But according to the Book of Burial, shouldn't the spirit chamber contain a seated statue of the deceased?"

"Why are there nine bronze centipede dragon statues here?"

"Even if the tomb owner worshipped centipede dragons, would they really put a dragon in this location?"

Wu Xie scratched his head, still somewhat confused.

The so-called burial forms have been strictly regulated since ancient times.

There's a set rule for where to put what.

Under normal circumstances, it would be absolutely impossible for someone to visit other things in the place where the tomb owner or the seated statue is.

"This is indeed the Spirit Palace, but I never said there were people buried here."

"There is no underground palace beneath this tomb, and no so-called tomb owner."

"Of course, don't worry, there is indeed a secret passage here, and if nothing unexpected happens, it is the secret passage leading to the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top."

Hu Ming chuckled, glancing towards the rear hall, and explained softly.