Movie variety show soul travels between two worlds to become a rich man

Chapter 865 Heavenly Palace Relics: Retirement After Success
Silent all night.

The next day, after waking up and having breakfast, everyone packed up and set off.

Zhang Qiling walked silently at the front, his figure standing out exceptionally tall in the deep corridor. The others followed closely behind, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. They passed through layers of tomb passages and finally stepped out of the heavy underground palace gate of the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds, returning to the realm of the imperial mausoleum above ground.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur, mixed with the biting chill of snow. Wu Xie instinctively tightened his collar, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily. They both knew that the danger was never truly over; the man-faced owls could launch a sneak attack at any moment.

"Be on guard." Zhang Qiling's deep, clear voice broke the surrounding silence. "Watch out for the human-faced owl."

Upon hearing this, everyone tensed up, gripping their weapons even tighter. As they passed through the Hall of Rebirth, danger lurked behind every stone pillar and in every shadow. Gao Dongxu narrowed his eyes slightly, his divine sense spreading outwards like an invisible spiderweb.

The moment Gao Dongxu entered the spirit hall, his divine sense detected five figures hidden in the darkness, like cheetahs lurking in the shadows. They were the five female assassins from the Yamamoto Group who had escaped earlier. Their figures were still graceful, and their faces were still as beautiful as summer flowers, but the chill in their eyes was enough to freeze the air.

A barely perceptible sneer curled at the corner of Gao Dongxu's lips, but he made no sound. He continued walking as if nothing was amiss, seemingly oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows.

Inside the shrine, the feathers of the human-faced owl were scattered all over the ground, and the air was filled with the distinctive fishy smell of birds. Occasionally, the sound of flapping wings could be heard from afar.

"Watch out—" Sheng Sheng Man suddenly exclaimed, her extraordinary hearing being the first to detect the approaching danger.

Before the words were even finished, a cold light shot out from the shadows, heading straight for Wu Xie at the front of the group. It was a beautifully crafted Japanese sword, its blade tracing a deadly arc in the dim light.

Zhang Qiling's pupils contracted sharply, and almost instinctively he pushed Wu Xie aside, simultaneously drawing his black-gold ancient sword. The clang of clashing blades echoed through the hall, sparks flying. Seeing that her attack had missed, the girl who had launched the sneak attack immediately changed her move, raising her blade to aim directly for Zhang Qiling's throat.

"Clang—" The sound of metal colliding was so loud it made one's eardrums go numb.

"Ah—" Panzi's scream rang out immediately, clearly indicating that he had been injured in the chaos.

"Someone's attacking!"

"Da da da—" Gunshots rang out in quick succession.

In the flickering beam of the flashlight, four dark figures moved like ghosts, their movements superhumanly agile as they nimbly dodged through the barrage of bullets, constantly seeking an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow. The darkness became their best cover, and bullets often only struck the afterimages they left behind.

Gao Dongxu coldly smiled as he took out several cold fireworks from his backpack, lit them, and tossed them into various corners of the hall. The blinding white light instantly dispelled the darkness, illuminating the entire spirit hall as if it were daytime. The four girls in black had nowhere to hide and finally revealed their true forms.

They wore form-fitting black combat uniforms that accentuated their graceful curves, yet their faces remained icy cold. The Japanese swords in their hands gleamed menacingly in the dim light of the fireworks.

"Capture them alive!" Gao Dongxu gave the order, and everyone immediately put down their backpacks, took out their weapons, and surrounded the four girls.

Hei Xiazi was the first to rush forward; though his figure appeared clumsy, his movements were as swift as lightning. Jiang Zisuan and his companions worked in perfect harmony, blocking the girls' escape route. Fugui, Erpang, Fusheng, and Tingfeng each displayed their skills, their swords flashing and weaving a deadly net within the hall.

"Clang—" Zhang Qiling kicked a girl's long sword away. She staggered back, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes remained fierce as she stared intently at her opponent.

Gao Dongxu slowly stepped forward, carefully examining the subdued girl. It must be said, the Yamamoto Group had a truly discerning eye for selecting assassins—these girls were all exceptionally beautiful, with stunning figures, beauties anywhere. But the coldness and murderous intent in their eyes, so incongruous with their age, sent chills down one's spine.

Faced with the girl's hostile gaze, Gao Dongxu knew he wouldn't get anything out of her, so he gestured to the Ruxin and Ruqing sisters: "Tie her up."

"Ugh, Oozha—" The other four girls who were fighting hard exclaimed in unison, their voices full of anxiety.

Having spent years in Japan, Bai Qiangwei immediately translated, "It means 'Pisces'." A glint flashed in Gao Dongxu's eyes as he instantly recalled the image of the white-haired, perverted Japanese man played by Tong Dawei, and the twelve zodiac witches beside him.

Despite their rigorous training and exceptional skills, these four female assassins were ultimately outnumbered by Hei Xiazi and his men. In a short while, their longswords fell to the ground, and they were all knocked down and captured.

Gao Dongxu had no time to deal with them for the time being. He simply put away the five high-quality samurai swords and ordered his men to escort the five resentful female assassins on their way.

Stepping out of the shrine, a pungent smell of sulfur assaulted their senses. Ahead lay a zone of toxic gas formed by volcanic activity, and everyone donned gas masks, cautiously navigating through it. Zhang Qiling, as always, led the way; his sense of direction had never faltered in the intricate mountain maze.

When everyone finally emerged from the mountain's interior and stepped back onto the snow-covered slopes of Mount Sansheng, they couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. The pristine white snow shimmered dazzlingly in the sunlight, and the fresh air filled their lungs, as if they had been reborn.

Gao Dongxu ordered everyone to disperse and find suitable open spaces for camping and helicopter landing, while he took out his satellite phone and contacted Director Luo.

"Mission accomplished, results exceeded expectations," Gao Dongxu reported succinctly. "We need to send a few more helicopters for support."

Upon learning that the team was safe and sound and had made a great harvest, Director Luo on the other end of the phone couldn't hide his excitement: "Great! I'll make the arrangements right away and personally lead the team over there."

Soon, the group found an ideal campsite in a flat, open valley. Everyone immediately got to work, clearing the snow, setting up tents, and waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

Gao Dongxu then led A Ning and the other women away from the camp quietly and found a secluded spot not far away.

He took out two giant centipede carcasses, each about five or six meters long—the smallest of all the specimens he had collected—along with five human-faced owl carcasses and several strangely shaped bronze artifacts. After carefully covering them with a canvas, he nodded in satisfaction—this was enough to report to Director Luo without revealing his true haul.

Four hours later, the roar of propellers echoed across the sky. Three transport helicopters, like giant steel birds, slowly descended onto the snow, kicking up a flurry of snowflakes.

Director Luo was the first to jump off the helicopter. Upon seeing Gao Dongxu, he immediately strode forward and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Good lad, you always manage to surprise me!"

Gao Dongxu smiled slightly and introduced Director Luo to the team members. Director Luo curiously observed this peculiar group—there were elegant women with different styles and temperaments, as well as professional elites like Hu Bayi, and mysterious figures like Hei Xiazi Zhang Qiling. However, due to the presence of outsiders, Gao Dongxu did not introduce each person's background in detail.

After briefly reporting the situation inside the underground palace, Gao Dongxu arranged for all members to leave by helicopter. Director Luo naturally had no objections and immediately directed his subordinates to arrange boarding.

After the last helicopter carrying everyone disappeared into the distance, Gao Dongxu led Director Luo to the pile of spoils covered with canvas.

The moment the canvas was lifted, Director Luo gasped. Even though the two giant centipedes were dead, their ferocious appearance was still chilling, and the human-faced owl's face was neither human nor inhuman, exuding an indescribable eeriness; while the patterns carved on the bronze artifacts were filled with an ancient and mysterious aura.

"These... these were all brought out from the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top?" Director Luo's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

Gao Dongxu nodded and led Director Luo into the tent: "There are still survivors."

The wounded human-faced owl lay listlessly on the ground, while in a transparent container on the other side, dozens of fire centipedes, each as thick as an arm, were wriggling, the patterns on their shells gleaming strangely in the sunlight.

Director Luo's eyes gleamed with excitement. He understood the significance of these discoveries—not only were they major academic breakthroughs, but they could also unveil the mysteries of ancient civilizations.

He patted Gao Dongxu on the shoulder again: "Well done! We must give you a big celebration this time!"

"I'm glad you're satisfied, Director Luo. Here are some images from this expedition; please take a look." Gao Dongxu took out a digital video camera and handed it to Director Luo.

(End of this chapter)