Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

Open the door.

Zhang Qiling's two simple words sounded exceptionally clear in the silent stone chamber.

"Why open the door? There's only one door here; we're already inside, aren't we?"

Fatty Wang scratched his head and looked around. The stone chamber was completely visible; apart from the stone door that led in, there were walls on all four sides. Where were there any other doors?

Wu Xie immediately realized, "Brother, you mean there are other doors? Down here?"

He looked down at the smooth, mirror-like black stone floor beneath his feet.

Huo Xiuxiu and Xie Yuchen also looked at the ground, especially at the huge, illusory eye pattern formed by the refraction of light from the top crystal.

Just now, Zhang Qiling only lightly stepped on the pupil area, which caused a slight reaction in the jade cong.

Zhang Qiling walked to the edge of the eye pattern, squatted down, and extended his right index finger, gently touching a spot of light on the ground—a point of light that formed the outline of the eye pattern.

He closed his eyes, as if sensing something.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, looked at Zhang Qiling, and nodded: "It's moving, but very slowly."

"Alive," Zhang Qiling added, walking over to the pattern and fixing his gaze on the illusory pupil.

"Alive?"

Wu Xie leaned closer to examine the ground more closely. The black stone slab was smooth and flat, reflecting the faint light from above and their figures. The eye pattern made of dots of light seemed to be blinking slightly as they moved, creating an indescribable eerie and vivid feeling.

"Are you saying...this pattern is alive? Or that there's something alive beneath the ground that formed this pattern?"

“It’s not about the patterns,” Zhang Qiling stood up, pointing to the eye symbol on the jade platform, then to the stone gate and the stele, “it’s about the meaning. The remnants flow below. The patterns are the display.”

He meant that the eye pattern formed by light and shadow was not accidental, but a manifestation of some faint but persistent "intention" or "energy field" that still lingered underground, used to indicate location.

"You need a 'key' to open the door."

Zhang Qiling's gaze fell on the dark blue jade cong held in the hands of the jade figurine.

Wang Cen, who had been staring intently at the jade cong, immediately said upon hearing this, "This jade cong is the key? Then what are we waiting for? Take it out and try it!"

He spoke urgently, almost reaching out to touch the "amber" covering the jade figurine.

"Don't move!"

Xie Yuchen coldly shouted, blocking his way. "Mr. Wang, what's the rush? The situation is unclear. Do you know what will happen if you rashly touch this jade cong?"

Hei Xiazi also took a half step with a half-smile, just enough to block one of Wang Cen's men from reaching for a gun.

"Exactly, Boss Wang, we should see the good stuff, but our lives are more important. This thing has been lying here for who knows how many years; who knows if it will jump up and bite if we touch it?"

Wang Cen's expression shifted, barely suppressing his urgency, and he forced a smile.

"I was too hasty. But didn't Mr. Zhang Qiling say that a key is needed to open the door? This jade cong looks like the key no matter how you look at it."

"A key is needed," Zhang Qiling said calmly, but his gaze remained serene. "I don't know how to use it."

He neither said that I couldn't take it, nor did he say that I could take it.

The meaning is clear: the item is crucial, but how to use it and whether there are any dangers are uncertain. Rushing to touch it might not open the door, but rather court death.

"Zhang Qiling" walked to the other side of the jade platform. This time, instead of sensing from a distance, he stretched out his right hand and hovered it about an inch above the jade cong, moving it slowly as if tracing the trajectory of the runes on the surface of the jade cong.

His movements were slow and gentle, and his expression was focused.

Zhang Qiling then walked back to the pupil of the eye pattern on the ground, knelt on one knee, gently placed his right palm on the black stone slab where the light was strongest, and closed his eyes.

The two stood one above the other, one still and one moving, as if engaging in some kind of silent communication or probing.

The stone chamber fell silent, with only the soft breathing of the group and the almost inaudible hum of the suspended live-streaming sphere at work.

The camera switches between Zhang Qiling's hand pressing on the ground to sense the ground, the illusory eye pattern on the ground, Zhang Qiling's hand drawing runes in mid-air, and the jade cong.

The comments section was less noisy and more speculative:

Is the mute Zhang in the underground sensory system?

What is the spirit medium doing? Is he drawing talismans in the air?

There's definitely something wrong with that jade cong.

Old Man Wang's eyes widened in astonishment.

This eye pattern looks really creepy.

What's down there? Another secret room?

About two or three minutes later.

Zhang Qiling withdrew his hand, looked at Zhang Qiling, and said three words: "There is a connection."

Zhang Qiling opened his eyes, withdrew his hand from the ground, and stood up: "It's connected."

The two exchanged a brief conversation, leaving the others completely confused.

Wu Xie couldn't help but ask, "Brother Qi, what meridians? What's open?"

"Zhang Qiling" pointed to the jade cong, and then to the position of the pupil in the eye pattern on the ground.

"Inside the jade cong, there's something connected to what's below. And what's below is also connected to this place. Like a... cycle. Very weak, but not broken."

Zhang Qiling took over and explained in more detail.

"There is space below. Energy, or something else, connects to this ground through the jade cong. The jade cong is the hub, and also... the lock. The pattern is the keyhole."

"keyhole?"

Fatty Wang's eyes widened. "Stuff it in with this jade cong? But the pattern is smooth, how can we insert it?"

"It's not about blocking," Zhang Qiling shook his head, "it's about matching. The runes on the jade cong and the 'patterns' on the ground must match. Once they match, the lock opens and the door appears."

Huo Xiuxiu suddenly realized.

"I understand! The runes on this jade cong are a kind of energy spectrum or code."

The eye pattern on the ground, which appears to be a reflection of light and shadow, may actually be a projection of an underground energy field or some kind of pre-designed structure.

Only by placing the jade cong in the correct 'state' or 'orientation' and in the position corresponding to the pattern—that is, the 'keyhole'—can the mechanism be triggered, opening the true entrance to the below!

"But the jade cong is sealed inside 'amber,' how can we get it out?"

Xie Yuchen frowned. "Besides, even if we take it out, how do we know its correct 'status' and 'location'?"

This is also a key issue.

Should we forcibly break through the "amber" to retrieve the jade cong? Nobody knows what this encasing material is, and breaking it might trigger changes in the jade terracotta warrior or even cause it to attack. Even if we manage to retrieve it, the runes on the jade cong are complex; how can they correspond to the light and shadow patterns on the ground?

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" looked at the jade cong again and exchanged another glance.

"No need to take it out," Zhang Qiling suddenly said.

"Move them one after another." Zhang Qiling nodded.

"Moving both platforms?"

Wu Xie was taken aback and looked at the half-meter-high milky white jade platform and the "amber" that sealed the jade figurine on it.

The jade platform appears to be carved from a single piece of jade, so it must be quite heavy. However, with the strength of Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," along with Hei Xiazi and Wang Pangzi, moving it shouldn't be a problem.

The problem is... "Move it to the pupil's location? But this 'amber' is attached to the jade figurine; wouldn't it be dangerous to move them together?"

"Give it a try."

Zhang Qiling's words were concise and to the point. He seemed to have already made a judgment.

Zhang Qiling said to Wu Xie, "Step back, everyone."

Upon hearing this, the others immediately retreated to the edge of the stone chamber, near the stone door.

A Ning, Jiang Xun Gu, and Hei Xia Zi formed a triangle, subtly separating Wang Cen and his men in the middle, while warily watching Yu Tai.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood on either side of the jade platform. Instead of immediately moving it, they stretched out their hands again, their palms hovering on either side of the platform without touching.

A few seconds later, the two nodded at the same time.

"lift."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them, with their four hands, steadily supported the bottom edge of the jade platform. The jade platform felt warm to the touch, but it wasn't cold.

With the two of them exerting their strength simultaneously, the jade platform, along with the jade figurine and "amber" on it, was lifted steadily about an inch off the ground.

Nothing unusual occurred. The eye symbol on the jade platform and the jade cong in the jade figurine's hand remained unchanged.

The two carried the jade platform and walked steadily toward the center of the stone chamber, toward the huge, illusory eye pattern on the floor.

As the jade platform moved, the light refracted from the crystals at the top seemed to undergo a subtle deflection, making the outline of the eye pattern on the ground appear clearer and more solid as the jade platform approached.

Everyone held their breath and watched.

The jade platform was placed firmly in the very center of the "pupil" of the eye pattern.

The moment the bottom of the jade platform touched the black stone slab—

"Buzz..."

A deep, resonant hum, seemingly emanating from the depths of the earth, echoed throughout the stone chamber. Though not loud, it sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

Immediately afterwards, the eye symbol on the surface of the jade platform suddenly lit up with a soft, milky-white light, echoing and blending with the light and shadow of the illusory eye pattern on the ground.

The dark blue jade cong held in the hands of the jade figurine suddenly accelerated, its brightness increased sharply, and it emitted a faint, hazy blue halo.

The runes on the surface of the jade cong seemed to come alive, each one lighting up with a faint light, flickering like breathing.

"Click, click-click..."

A faint, mechanical sound came from underground.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the black stone slab ground, about three meters square around the jade platform, began to slowly sink!

It wasn't a single piece, but rather like a precisely square lifting platform, with perfectly fitted edges, carrying the jade platform and jade figurine, descending smoothly!

The descent was slow but steady. From the gaps between the stone slab and the surrounding ground, a faint, bluish-green light, the same color as the jade cong, seeped out.

"The door...it really opened!"

Fatty Wang muttered to himself.

As the square piece of ground sank, a dark, vertically downward-facing hole was revealed below.

The cave entrance had neat edges and distinct steps leading downwards. An aroma, more ancient and colder than that inside the stone chamber, carrying a faint, strange fragrance (rather than the previous sweet, fishy, ​​or burnt scent), rose from below.

The levitating live-streaming sphere immediately lowered its height, and the camera was aimed at the sinking jade platform and the exposed opening.

After sinking about two meters, the jade platform stopped, just level with the edge of the cave entrance.

The light from the jade platform and the blue glow from the jade cong illuminated a short section of spiraling stone steps below the cave entrance, while deeper inside lay a profound darkness.

The live chat exploded instantly:

Holy crap! It's really open!

The operation is underground!

The jade platform is a key slot!

This design is amazing!

What's below?

A fragrance? Are there spices underneath?

After Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stopped at the jade platform, they released their grip, took a step back, and observed the cave entrance below and the jade cong emitting light.

The blue light of the jade cong and the white light of the jade platform intertwined, forming a soft halo at the entrance of the cave, barely illuminating the few steps below.

The steps are made of the same black stone slabs, spiraling downwards, with no bottom in sight.

"Go down?"

Black Bear peeked out and sniffed. "This scent... is a bit strange. It doesn't smell like sandalwood, nor does it smell like medicine. I've never smelled it before."

Huo Xiuxiu also used an instrument to test the rising air.

"The composition is complex, with many unknown organic molecules, but... no obvious toxicity or harmful substances have been detected so far. However, caution is still advised."

Wang Cen was already impatient, but dared not walk in front, and could only watch Zhang Qiling longingly.

Zhang Qiling ignored him, nodded to "Zhang Qiling", and then walked to the edge of the cave entrance first. Instead of going down immediately, he took out a glow stick from the side pocket of his backpack, lit it, and threw it down.

The glow sticks spun as they fell, illuminating an area approximately ten meters deep.

The stone steps spiral downwards, flanked by smooth, undecorated rock walls. The glow stick eventually landed on what appeared to be a relatively flat area below, bounced a few times, rolled to the side, and illuminated a limited area—it seemed to be a larger space, but its specifics were unclear.

"I'll get off first."

"Zhang Qiling" said, walking to the other side of the cave entrance.

"Be careful." After saying that, Zhang Qiling leaped down the cave entrance and landed on the edge of the sunken jade platform before stepping onto the downward stone steps.

Zhang Qiling followed closely behind and jumped down as well.

The two walked down the stone steps one after the other, their figures quickly swallowed by the darkness, with only the beams of their flashlights and the faint blue light of the jade cong flickering below.

"Let's go down too."

Xie Yuchen said to Wu Xie and the others, then looked at Wang Cen, "Mr. Wang, please."

Wang Cen didn't bother with formalities at this moment and quickly led his men, along with Wu Xie, Huo Xiuxiu, and Fatty Wang, down the stone steps from the edge of the jade platform.

Hei Xiazi, A Ning, and Jiang Xun Gu were behind the palace.

As everyone descended the stone steps and left the sunken platform area, the square stone slab above, along with the jade platform in the center, slowly rose again with a soft "rustling" sound, returning to its original state and resealing the cave entrance.

Only the bluish light emanating from the jade cong on the jade platform, filtering through the cracks in the stone slabs, left a small, hazy halo at the pupil of the eye pattern on the ground, marking that this place had once been opened.

The stone chamber returned to silence, with only the jade figurine sealed in "amber" still lying quietly on the jade platform, holding a jade cong, as if waiting eternally, or... guarding.

Below, the winding stone steps seemed very long, and the strange, sweet fragrance in the air became increasingly clear.

The beam of a flashlight swayed along the narrow spiral staircase, illuminating the rough rock face.

After walking for about two or three minutes, Zhang Qiling's calm voice came from ahead:

"That's it."