The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

After studying all the inscriptions in the mummy-making room, the two continued forward, their steps slow and deliberate, as if afraid of disturbing this secret realm of the dead that had slumbered for three thousand years.

But before they had gone far, a series of soft, dense rustling sounds suddenly came from the depths of the dark tunnel ahead.

The sound was fragmented, chaotic, and layered, continuous, like thousands of tiny insects crawling frantically in the cracks of the ground, giving Evelyn goosebumps.

Evelyn's heart tightened, and she subconsciously stopped in her tracks. Her body stiffened slightly, and she quickly moved closer to Li Xiao's side, gripping his palm tightly with her small hand as she nervously peered into the dark tunnel.

Sensing the unease of the woman in his arms, Li Xiao gently patted her back and calmly said, "It's alright, don't be afraid, just keep walking with me."

With Li Xiao's words of reassurance, Evelyn's anxiety subsided slightly, and she nodded obediently.

Following the narrow passageway steadily forward, avoiding the core area where the strange noises were most concentrated, a few minutes later, the space ahead suddenly opened up, and a small but well-organized independent stone chamber appeared before us.

Compared to the spacious mummy operating room, this stone chamber is cramped, with a height of only about two meters. I wonder what it was used for.

Evelyn raised her flashlight, and the snow-white beam swept precisely across the northwest wall of the stone chamber, instantly illuminating the entire mottled stone wall.

This wall is not a regular stone surface, but is made up of square, tofu-like stone bricks pieced together. The gaps between the bricks are interwoven, crisscrossed, and of varying depths, giving it a deliberately eerie layout.

What's even more alarming is that every stone brick is covered with densely packed, twisted, and obscure ancient patterns. The patterns are gnarled and bizarre, unlike ordinary sacrificial runes or murals of the dead. The strokes are ferocious and strange, exuding an unsettling aura.

Evelyn, who was obsessed with the study of ancient civilizations, was instantly attracted by these unique and eerie pictures and texts. Her eyes lit up with a spirit of inquiry, and she subconsciously wanted to go forward and take a closer look.

Li Xiao reacted quickly, reaching out to pull Evelyn back.

Evelyn paused, looked up at Li Xiao, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Darling, what's wrong?"

Li Xiao shook his head slightly, his gaze falling on the strange stone wall. He said in a deep voice, "Don't go near there. I have a strong premonition that there is great danger hidden behind this wall covered with strange patterns. You must not touch it."

Having faced countless dangers, Li Xiao's intuition has never been wrong. This sudden sense of crisis is real and intense, and it is by no means unfounded.

Evelyn has always trusted Li Xiao unconditionally and never questions his judgment.

Despite being filled with curiosity about the secrets of these ancient symbols, she nodded without hesitation and said, "I'll listen to you. Let's change direction and not go any closer to here."

The two immediately turned around and walked towards another passageway.

At the same time, a series of hurried footsteps came from the passageway outside the stone chamber, accompanied by Benny's arrogant shouts and the conversations of a group of American explorers, which came from afar and became clearer as they approached.

It turned out that the people outside had been struggling for a long time but were still unable to break the sealed stone door, and they had completely lost patience.

They simply explored the perimeter of the ruins, searching around them, and by sheer chance, they found another passage leading into the interior of the ruins, successfully entering the pharaoh's tomb.

Fifteen well-equipped explorers filed in and entered this underground secret realm. Along the way, the broken sacrificial artifacts they discovered further confirmed that there must be a treasure hidden here.

Before long, the group, carrying torches, arrived at the stone chamber covered with strange symbols and patterns.

When they saw the strange stone brick wall on the northwest side, pieced together from individual bricks, everyone perked up instantly.

In their view, the most precious treasure of the entire site must be hidden behind this tightly sealed stone wall.

"There's definitely something fishy about this wall! There's definitely gold and antiques hidden behind it!"

Benny stepped forward, tapped on the stone bricks, and listened to the hollow echo inside. He became instantly excited and hurriedly called to the others, "Get a crowbar and pry all these stone slabs open!"

Several American explorers immediately stepped forward, took out the metal crowbars they carried, inserted them into the gaps between the bricks, and struggled to pry the stone slabs on the wall.

The heavy stone slab swayed slightly, the gaps gradually widened, and a pungent, eerie, fishy stench could be faintly smelled from the gaps.

Sensing something amiss, the American explorers immediately cowered.

They were inherently greedy yet extremely afraid of death. They knew that such an ancient, sealed secret realm must harbor deadly dangers, and none of them dared to personally pry open the stone slabs and explore the secrets behind them.

After some back and forth, everyone turned their attention to the few Egyptian workers at the back of the group, who had been hired at high prices and had accompanied them all the way.

These locals are familiar with the desert ruins and were specially brought along to help explore the area.

"You three, step forward and pry open the stone slab completely!" a burly American man shouted sternly, his tone domineering. "Double pay after this job!"

Three Egyptian workers dared not disobey their employer's orders, so they had no choice but to step forward, take the crowbar, and work hard to pry open the already loose stone slab.

In a corner about thirty meters away, Li Xiao stood quietly with Evelyn by his hand, coldly observing the scene without intervening.

Behind this stone wall lies not some priceless treasure, but a deadly corrosive gas sealed by ancient Egyptian priests—a deadly trap specifically designed to deter tomb raiders.

The next second, a loud "boom" was heard, and the loose stone slab was completely pried off and landed with a thud.

In an instant, a thick, dark green, corrosive gas erupted out, like a raging torrent of poisonous fog, instantly engulfing the entire narrow stone chamber!

The toxic gas was extremely foul-smelling and corrosive. The three Egyptian workers closest to the stone wall had no time to dodge and were instantly enveloped by the gushing dark green gas.

The agonizing screams lasted only a few seconds before abruptly ceasing. The visible rate of carbonization swept over their bodies, and the three people's flesh and clothing were instantly corroded away by the poison gas. When the toxic smoke dissipated, only three pitch-black skeletons remained at the scene.

In the blink of an eye, the three living people vanished without a trace, leaving only three piles of human skeletons behind. This bizarre and terrifying scene made the group of American expedition members hiding nearby, as well as Evelyn, who was more than 30 meters away, turn pale with fright.

If Li Xiao hadn't covered Evelyn's mouth at that moment, she probably would have screamed out already.

The group of American explorers were terrified. They scrambled back through the tunnel they had come from, covering their mouths and noses with their hands and noses. Their eyes were filled with extreme fear, and all traces of their greed for treasure had vanished.