Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

Darkness rushed in.

The flashlight beam was like a stone thrown into a deep pool; the light was quickly absorbed and diluted, illuminating only a few steps ahead.

The air was thick, damp, and cold, carrying a strong, almost nauseating, sweet, fishy, ​​and rotten smell. Underfoot was a slippery carpet of moss and filth, accumulated over countless years.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" walked one after the other, their footsteps so light they were almost inaudible. The flashlight beam swept steadily across the front and sides.

The interior of the stone house was larger than it appeared from the outside. The passageway wound downwards, and the walls were made of the same dark, massive stones, but the surfaces were covered with more and clearer reliefs.

The distorted eyes, the coiling snakes (or snake-like creatures), and the kneeling or agonizing human figures—the sculptural style is wild and primal, filled with a frenzied religious fervor and a fear of some kind of being.

Zhang Qiling stopped in front of a relief sculpture, his finger tracing the engraving of a giant eye. "Not decoration, but a record. Fear, sacrifice."

"Hmm." Zhang Qiling looked into the depths of the passage. There, the darkness was even denser, and the sweet, fishy smell was even stronger. He could sense many faint but malevolent "auras" writhing and gathering in the darkness.

Footsteps and light came from behind. Wang Cen entered with four men, each carrying a powerful flashlight and a weapon, their expressions wary. Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, and Wu Xie followed behind, while A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu brought up the rear with guns.

The levitating live-streaming sphere hovered above everyone's heads. Its light seemed to be less affected, and although the image was dim, it was still relatively clear, recording the eerie reliefs in the passageway and the tense figures of everyone.

The comments scrolled rapidly:

It's so dark inside!

These reliefs are so distressing to look at.

The atmosphere is so oppressive.

The young man and the spirit-enlightening young man walked very steadily.

The Wang family looked very nervous.

"Have you found anything?" Wang Cen walked to Zhang Qiling's side and asked in a low voice, his flashlight sweeping across the reliefs, his eyes behind his glasses flashing with an unusual light.

Zhang Qiling didn't answer, but just continued walking forward.

Zhang Qiling glanced at Wang Cen, said nothing, and followed.

The passage continued downwards, its slope gradually steepening. The air grew more humid, and a dark red, viscous liquid began to seep from the walls, emitting that sweet, fishy smell.

"Watch your step, it's slippery," Black Bear warned from behind.

Suddenly, one of Wang's henchmen, who was walking in front, slipped and almost fell. His flashlight beam shone wildly and illuminated the bottom of a wall to his side.

There, in the gap where the wall meets the ground, there were countless fist-sized insects with shiny black shells and sharp mouthparts!

The flashlight beam startled them. The swarm of insects emitted a teeth-grinding rustling sound, surging out of the gaps like a tide and rushing towards the nearest person—the Wang family henchman who had slipped!

"Corpse beetle! Retreat!" Black Bear shouted sharply, his short sword already drawn.

But the swarm of insects was too fast and too numerous! In the blink of an eye, dozens of them had crawled onto the man's trouser leg, their sharp mouthparts stabbing down fiercely!

"Ah—!" A piercing scream echoed through the passage. The man thrashed about frantically, but more corpse beetles surged in from all directions, spreading upwards along his struggling limbs and instantly covering most of his body.

His companions tried to help, slashing and killing a few, but more corpse beetles poured out from cracks in the walls, the ground, and even overhead, forcing them to retreat.

The narrow passage instantly descended into chaos. A swarm of insects surged forth, heading straight for the crowd.

"Light the fire! Use the flamethrower!" Wang Cen roared urgently, but his men were separated by the swarm of insects and could not get close for the time being.

Xie Yuchen, Wu Xie, and the others quickly retreated, wielding entrenching tools and weapons to swat away the few remaining corpse beetles that approached. A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu fired their guns, but the insects were too small and too numerous, making the bullets ineffective.

Just as the swarm of insects was about to engulf the people at the front, Zhang Qiling, who had been standing silently at the front, suddenly became active.

Instead of retreating, he took half a step forward.

His left hand still held the flashlight, while his right hand rose, the ancient black gold sword already drawn. He didn't swing the sword at the swarm of insects, but instead swiftly sliced ​​the blade across his left palm.

A bloody gash appeared, and deep red blood gushed out instantly.

Zhang Qiling didn't even frown. With a flick of his wrist, a few drops of scalding blood were flung out, scattering in a fan shape towards the swarm of insects surging forward.

The moment the blood touched the swarm of insects, a strange change occurred!

The dozens of corpse beetles at the forefront were as if they had been doused with concentrated sulfuric acid. Their shells instantly emitted blue smoke and made a hissing sound. Their bodies convulsed and curled up violently, turning into a small clump of charred ashes in just one or two seconds!

The carrion beetles behind them seemed to have encountered their natural enemy, screeching wildly and retreating like a tidal wave, trampling each other and desperately trying to burrow back into the cracks in the wall and underground. Their fearless spirit vanished completely, leaving only instinctive fear.

The passage ahead was cleared. Only the charred ashes of insect corpses remained on the ground, and the faint smell of burnt and blood mingled in the air.

The Wang family henchman, crawling with corpse beetles, lay motionless on the ground, his exposed skin covered in purplish-black ulcers and fine bite marks—clearly beyond saving. His companion, still in shock, stared at Zhang Qiling's retreating figure, then at his companion's corpse on the ground, his face deathly pale.

Wang Cen strode forward, glanced at his dead subordinate, his eyes gloomy, but quickly turned to Zhang Qiling, forcing a complex smile on his face, a smile that contained shock, greed, and a hint of fear.

"The Zhang family's Qilin blood... truly lives up to its reputation. To witness it with my own eyes today is... truly astonishing." His voice was somewhat hoarse. Although he had seen it through a live stream, the impact of watching it on a screen versus witnessing the bizarre swarm of insects vanish into thin air with just a few drops of blood was completely different.

The three remaining men beside him also stared at Zhang Qiling in shock, their grips on their weapons tightening involuntarily.

The floating live-streaming sphere clearly captured the thrilling scene and the display of the Qilin's blood power. The live-stream chat exploded with comments:

Holy crap! Corpse beetle!

So many! I'm terrified!

That person is dead... How tragic.

The guy bled!

The Qilin's blood is awesome! The insects just melted away!

The old man from the Wang family was looking at the young man strangely!

Seeing it in person is completely different from watching a live stream!

Qi Ling watched calmly from the side.

Wu Xie and the others breathed a sigh of relief, still shaken. The fat man wiped away a bead of cold sweat: "Damn it, the bugs in this place are practically sentient! Thank goodness for Xiao Ge!"

Zhang Qiling withdrew his hand, took out gauze from the side pocket of his backpack, and casually wrapped it around his palm a few times to stop the bleeding. His movements were practiced and calm, as if he had only been scratched by a piece of paper.

Zhang Qiling walked to his side, glanced at his bandaged hand, and said nothing, but his eyes showed concern. Zhang Qiling shook his head almost imperceptibly to indicate that he was alright.

"Continue." Zhang Qiling sheathed his sword, not even glancing at Wang Cen or the corpse on the ground, and turned to continue walking deeper into the passage. It was as if he had merely casually cleared away some dust blocking his path.

"Zhang Qiling" followed silently.

Wang Cen's eyes flickered, and he gave a signal to his remaining three men. Two of them stepped forward and quickly dragged their companion's body to a corner, hastily covering it with a waterproof tarpaulin. The third man warily watched for any gaps in the surrounding walls.

"Let's go, stay close." Wang Cen took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions in his eyes, put on a smile again, and said to Xie Yuchen and the others.

The group continued forward. After the earlier attack by the corpse beetles, the atmosphere was even more tense. Everyone was on high alert, their flashlights constantly scanning every inch of the walls and floor.

The passage seemed to have come to an end, and an arched entrance appeared ahead. From inside the entrance, a dim, dark red light shone through, accompanied by a low, rhythmic "thumping" sound, as if countless hearts were beating in unison.

The sweet, fishy smell was so strong it was almost tangible.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stopped in front of the entrance.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

The things inside are not easy to deal with.

"This is it," Wang Cen said, his voice tinged with suppressed excitement. He pointed inside the entrance. "The strongest energy fluctuations and biofield reactions we detected earlier came from inside. The 'answer' must be inside."

He looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," his tone carrying a deliberate sincerity and a hint of barely perceptible coercion: "Gentlemen, I'm afraid we'll still need to rely on your abilities in the future."

Once we get what's inside, our cooperation will be successfully completed. I, Wang Cen, keep my word; you will all receive exactly what is due.

Zhang Qiling ignored him, his gaze fixed on the entrance that was faintly glowing red.

Zhang Qiling also looked inside and slowly uttered a single word:

"cocoon."