Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The temple was eerily dark inside.

When the flashlight beam shone in, it seemed as if most of the beam had been swallowed up by something, illuminating only a range of five or six meters in front of me. There was a strange smell in the air, like a mixture of stale incense ash and rust, with a slightly sweet and fishy odor.

Xie Linyuan stood at the door, not in a hurry to go in.

He first shone the flashlight beam around inside.

The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, and a dark, moss-like substance grew in the cracks between the slabs. Thick stone pillars stood on either side, their carvings illegible. Further inside, there seemed to be a platform, behind which was a wall with huge patterns carved into it.

Lin Guoce followed and stood next to him, also shining his flashlight inside.

"This place... is like a temple, but it's not quite a temple," Lin Guoce said.

The people behind them crowded at the door, afraid to come in. Chen Man held Wang Yihan's hand, Kun Ge swallowed hard, Liu Desheng stared at the ground, Jiang Shouyi wiped his glasses, and Professor Zhou Xu'an craned his neck to try to see the engravings on the pillar.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments:

[ID Daredevil: Why don't you go in?]

[ID: Afraid of the Dark: This darkness is so dark it scares me even through the screen]

[ID Archaeology Fan: I've never seen this architectural style before]

Xie Linyuan stepped inside.

His footsteps echoed solidly on the bluestone slabs, indicating there were no hidden mechanisms. He walked to the nearest stone pillar and shone his flashlight upwards.

The pillars are carved with images of people.

But these were not normal people. They knelt on the ground, their hands raised high, holding something. The object was unclear; it looked like a box, or perhaps a jar. All their faces were turned in the same direction—towards the innermost part of the temple.

Xie Linyuan looked in that direction.

The innermost platform is a stone altar.

The altar was rectangular, about two meters long, one meter wide, and half a person's height. The surface of the altar was black, not the color of stone, but the black of dried blood that had seeped through it.

Behind the altar, on the wall, is a huge mural.

The mural depicts a simple scene: a group of people kneeling before an altar, on which lies a person. Beside the altar stands a person holding a knife, the tip pointed at the chest of the lying person.

"Human sacrifice." Professor Zhou Xu'an walked over, his voice dry. "Large-scale human sacrifice. This scale... is too cruel."

Xie Linyuan remained silent.

He walked to the altar and shone his flashlight on its surface.

The black color wasn't uniform; some areas were dark, others light. In one corner of the altar, he saw a dent—a handprint.

The handprint is very small, like a woman's hand or a child's hand.

The five fingers of the handprint are clearly visible, pressed very deeply, with scratch marks on the edges. The person struggled desperately when being held down.

Xie Linyuan looked away.

Behind the altar, there is a small door on each side of the wall.

The door was made of stone and was closed. There were no handles on the door, only two round indentations.

Xie Linyuan walked to the door on the left and shone his flashlight on the dent.

The dent is clean and dust-free. Someone touched it recently.

wrong.

Not recently.

He crouched down and touched the edge of the dent with his finger. The sensation from his fingertip revealed extremely fine abrasion marks inside the dent, and the way the abrasion was done was peculiar—not by scraping with a tool, but by scratching with his fingernail.

Many people have been stingy.

Many times.

He stood up and walked to the door on the right.

The dent in the door was filled with a thick layer of dust.

He got it.

"Go to the left," he said.

Lin Guoce walked over: "Why?"

"I haven't driven on the right side in a long time," Xie Linyuan said. "I've driven on the left side many times."

"Who opened it?"

Xie Linyuan did not answer.

He reached out and pressed his hand into the recessed area of ​​the left door.

The moment my palm pressed in, there was a click from the indentation, like something snapping shut. It wasn't the sound of a mechanism, but a softer sound, like bones grinding together.

The door slid open inwards.

Behind the door was not a room, but a downward sloping path.

The slope was very steep, with an angle exceeding forty-five degrees. Footprints were carved into the walls, but they were damp and covered with slippery moss. A strong, fishy stench rose from below, ten times stronger than the smell inside the temple.

The smell was like countless corpses piled together and rotting.

Chen Man covered her mouth and gagged. Wang Yihan's face turned pale. Kun Ge took two steps back. Liu Desheng frowned. Jiang Shouyi took out a handkerchief and covered his mouth and nose. Professor Zhou Xu'an tried to hold it in, but sweat beaded on his forehead.

Live stream chat:

[ID olfactory warning: I think I can smell something!]

[ID Horror Movie: What's down there?]

[ID can't take it anymore: Is it going to be another corpse?]

Xie Linyuan was the first to go down.

His feet slipped in the sand, feeling very slippery. He kept his center of gravity low, making sure each step was firm. After descending about ten meters, the slope leveled out, and light appeared ahead.

It wasn't the light from a flashlight, it was natural light.

A pale green, faint light shone through from the front.

He walked to the end of the slope.

Before us was a huge natural cave.

The cave is about half the size of a football field, with a very high ceiling covered by countless glowing moss—the pale green light comes from the moss. In the center of the cave is a pool.

Blood pool.

The liquid in the pool was dark red and thick like paste. A layer of oil floated on the surface, shimmering with an eerie iridescence. The pool was edged with bluestone, the stones covered with black scabs of blood.

Something was soaking in the pool.

Dead body.

Dozens, even hundreds of corpses.

Some had already decomposed into bones, while others still retained flesh, but the flesh was bluish-black and swollen like puffed-up buns. The corpses were dressed in tattered clothes of an ancient style, not modern.

The corpses were all face down in the pool of blood, with only their backs exposed.

In the very center of the pool, there is a protruding rock.

A person was sitting on the rock.

With their backs to this side.

The person was dressed in black, the style of which was strange, resembling an ancient robe, yet somewhat different. Their hair was long, cascading down their back. They remained motionless, like a sculpture.

Xie Linyuan stopped at the edge of the pool.

Lin Guoce followed down and gasped when he saw the scene in the pool.

As the others came down one after another, upon seeing this scene, Chen Man vomited, Kun Ge's legs went weak and he sat on the ground, Liu Desheng's eyes widened, Jiang Shouyi's handkerchief fell to the ground, and Professor Zhou Xu'an leaned against the rock wall, his face pale.

The live stream chat exploded:

[All IDs: Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!]

[Number of corpses: How many people must there be?!]

[ID History Truth: This is a burial pit! A large-scale one!]

[ID experiencing physical discomfort: I can't take it anymore]

Xie Linyuan stared at the person in the center of the pool.

The person remained motionless.

But Xie Linyuan sensed that the thing was alive.

It's not the kind of life that living people have.

It's another kind of life.

The qilin tattoo on his shoulder blade was burning hot, as if it were on fire. The hilt of the black gold ancient sword was also slightly hot, as if warning him of danger.

Just then, the system's voice rang in my mind:

【Ding】

The host's behavior closely matches the character "Zhang Qiling's" taciturn nature.

[Current role-playing level: 15%]

[Reward: Zhang Qiling's Disguise Technique (Beginner Level)]

A stream of unfamiliar information flooded my mind.

It's about controlling facial muscles, subtly adjusting bone structure, altering skin tone, and modifying voice. The techniques are complex, yet they seem innate. Disguise isn't just simple disguise; it's about transforming into another person from the inside out—at least superficially.

Xie Linyuan processed this information, his eyes fixed on the center of the pool.

That person moved.

very slow.

First, its head turned, little by little.

Its face was pale and bluish, like a corpse that had been soaking for a long time. Its eyes were a cloudy yellow, without pupils. Its mouth was open, and the inside was black.

It looked at Xie Linyuan.

Then open your mouth.

No sound.

But the blood in the pool began to churn.

The corpses that had been lying face down were turned over one by one.

His face was revealed.

Every face was rotting, but the eyes were all open, all the same murky yellow.

Their hands emerged from the bloody water, gripped the edge of the pool, and began to crawl out.

One, two, ten, twenty...

Corpses crawling out of the pool of blood.

Lin Guoce drew his sword: "Prepare for battle!"

But there were too many corpses.

The entire pool was moving.

Xie Linyuan stepped forward and stood in front of the group.

He drew his black gold ancient sword.

The first body crawled ashore and lunged at him.

Xie Linyuan slashed horizontally with his blade.

The body was cut in half at the waist, the upper body lying on the ground, while the lower body was still crawling. The liquid flowing from the cut was not blood, but a thick, black liquid.

The second and third pounced.

Xie Linyuan drew his sword with both hands, the blades flashing.

The corpses fell one by one, but more kept climbing up. They moved stiffly, but there were so many of them that they surged forward like a tide.

Lin Guoce and the others also joined the battle.

The knife struck the corpse with dull thuds. Kun Ge used his hiking stick to smash it, Liu Desheng threw stones, Jiang Shouyi hid behind, and Professor Zhou Xu'an was protected in the middle.

But there were too many corpses.

A corpse grabbed Chen Man's ankle.

Chen Man screamed.

Xie Linyuan turned around and severed the hand with a single stroke.

But more corpses surrounded them.

In the center of the pool, the figure in black stood up.

It was very tall, over two meters. It raised its hand and pointed at Xie Linyuan.

All the corpses turned at the same time and surged towards Xie Linyuan.

Xie Linyuan was surrounded.

Lin Guoce tried to rush over to help, but was entangled by several corpses.

Xie Linyuan took a deep breath.

Hold the knife with both hands and rotate your body.

The blade traced a circle.

The surrounding corpses were cut in half.

But the gap was immediately filled.

The thing in the center of the pool was laughing—though it made no sound, its mouth was stretched open, revealing its black gums.

Xie Linyuan glanced at it.

Then I did something.

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the knife.

Qilin blood.

The moment the blade was stained with blood, it emitted a low hum.

He leaped up, stepped on the head of a corpse, used the momentum to leap again, jumped over the horde of corpses, and rushed straight to the center of the pool.

That thing raised its hand to block.

Xie Linyuan slashed down with his blade.

The knife struck its arm, making a metallic clanging sound.

Its arms are hard, like bronze.

But it was still shaken back a step.

Xie Linyuan landed, his blade flashing upwards, aiming for its neck.

It dodged to the side, its claws reaching for Xie Linyuan's chest.

Xie Linyuan did not retreat. He grabbed its wrist with his left hand and rammed its abdomen with his right knee.

It groaned—finally making a sound, like a broken bellows.

Xie Linyuan's blade spun around and pierced its chest.

The knife tip penetrates three inches into the flesh, then stops.

Something is jamming the knife.

The thing looked down at the knife in its chest, then looked up at Xie Linyuan.

A look of confusion appeared in his yellow eyes.

Then it opened its mouth and exhaled a breath of black gas.

Xie Linyuan drew his sword and retreated.

The black mist sprayed into the blood pool, causing it to boil even more violently.

The corpses began to melt, turning into a black liquid that flowed back into the pool. The thing in the center of the pool was also melting, starting from its feet, gradually dissolving into black water that merged into the pool.

In the end, only that black garment remained, floating on the surface of the blood pool.

Then it sank.

The blood pool returned to calm.

Only the sound of panting could be heard in the cave.

Everyone collapsed to the ground.

Xie Linyuan stood by the pool, the tip of his sword pointing to the ground, looking at the blood pool.

The blood in the pool is slowly receding.

It felt like it had been sucked away by something.

The water level dropped, exposing the bottom of the pool.

The bottom of the pool is not stone, but bronze.

The bronze plate is engraved with a huge pattern: a circle with intersecting lines inside, exactly the same as the pattern on the black stone slab, but dozens of times larger.

There is a groove in the center of the pattern.

The shape of the groove is exactly the same as that of the complete black stone disc.

Xie Linyuan understood.

The Blood Pool is part of the seal.

Those corpses are the "fuel" that keeps the seal going.

The thing in the center of the pool is the guardian of the seal.

Now that the guard is dead, the seal has loosened.

He sheathed his knife and turned to look at the group.

"Take a rest," he said.

Then he walked to the side, sat down against the rock wall, and closed his eyes.

He was processing the battle he had just fought, and also the new disguise technique he had acquired.

Many images flashed through his mind: Zhang Qiling disguising himself as different people, blending into the crowd, and completing his mission. The technique was exquisite, requiring long-term practice to fully master.

At his current level, he can only perform simple disguises.

But that's enough.

Lin Guoce walked over and handed him a water bottle.

Xie Linyuan took it and drank a sip.

"What was that just now?" Lin Guoce asked.

"The one who guards the seal," Xie Linyuan said.

"Seal what?"

Xie Linyuan looked at the bronze plate at the bottom of the pool.

"The things below."

Lin Guoce remained silent.

After a while, he said, "Should we continue?"

Xie Linyuan nodded.

Why?

"We're already here," Xie Linyuan said. "We won't get out until we see the end."

This is true.

From the moment you enter the bronze gate, this path only leads forward. Turn back? Spiral staircases, underground lake, swarms of black snakes, and this pool of blood. Even if you wanted to go back, you might not be able to.

Lin Guoce sighed and sat down next to him.

"Mr. Xie, who exactly are you?"

Xie Linyuan glanced at him.

"The gatekeeper," he said.

Then he closed his eyes and stopped talking.

Lin Guoce didn't ask any more questions.

Inside the cave, glowing moss provided a faint light. The water level in the blood pool was still dropping, revealing most of the bronze slabs. At the edge of the pool, piles of partially melted corpses emanated a foul stench.

The team was resting, but no one could sleep.

In the live stream, the chat was still flooded with comments, but at a slower pace. Many viewers were still recovering from the shock of what had just happened.

Xie Linyuan sat in the darkness, feeling the temperature of the Qilin tattoo slowly decrease.

He practiced the techniques of disguise repeatedly in his mind.

He might need this skill.

soon.