Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The pulsation of the stone pillar suddenly stopped.

It's not exhaustion, it's not disorder.

It is the absolute stillness of a bowstring that has been fully drawn and stretched to its limit just before being released.

Zhang Qiling opened his eyes.

Zhang Qiling also opened his eyes at the same time.

The two did not look at each other or say a word.

He simply stood up slowly from his cross-legged position.

The movements were very light, with a coordination that had been cultivated over ten years, almost becoming one with this dark space.

The hem of my clothes brushed against the cold stone slab without making a sound.

They stood before the stone pillars, now calm and shimmering with a pale golden light.

But his gaze passed over the stone pillar and landed on the smooth, mirror-like rock face that had isolated the inside from the outside for ten years—

The actual location of the bronze door.

The smell in the air has changed.

That stagnant aura, which had persisted for ten years and was a mixture of the coldness of rocks and the unique energy of the seal, was being permeated and dispelled by another, fainter but incredibly clear "scent".

It's the sea breeze.

Salty, damp, carrying the vibrant scent of the distant tides, the very essence of the sea breeze.

There's also the warmth of the sunlight, the dampness of the moss in the crevices of the rock face, and even...

The faint sound of waves crashing against the rocks in the far distance.

The aura of the "outside" world, which had been isolated by the bronze door and thick rock layers for a full ten years, was now seeping into this absolutely dark realm, thread by thread, with unmistakable realism, through the still-unopened door.

Zhang Qiling tilted his head slightly, as if listening.

He heard it; beneath the backdrop of the sea breeze and waves, there was a closer, more familiar "sound".

It's not a physical sound.

It is a resonance of a certain sense of existence, a melody that can only be heard by those who share the same origin, when the bonds imprinted deep in the soul are drawn closer.

Someone has arrived at the door.

more than one.

There are many.

He remembered the scent of each one.

【Ding. 】

The system's voice rang in my mind.

It was no longer the languid or teasing tone of the past decade, but rather a kind of "solemn" calm.

[Host, the countdown of 300 days has ended.]

[Confirmed coordinates outside the gate: East longitude XXX, North latitude XXX, below the cliff on the east side of Eye-shaped Island, in front of the Bronze Gate.]

[Personnel confirmed: Wu Xie, Wang Yueban, Xie Yuchen, Huo Xiuxiu, A Ning, Jiang Xun Gu, Hei Xiazi. Everyone is present.]

[Items carried confirmed: Ghost Seal (100% energy activity), Floating Live Sphere (operating), several standard and special equipment.]

[Current Status: Bronze Gate Seal (Reinforced), External Energy Field Stable, Lunar Phase: Full Moon, Tides: Receding to Lowest Point.]

[Conditions met.]

The ten-year promise is fulfilled now.

Zhang Qiling quietly listened to the system's broadcast.

His face showed no excitement or emotion, remaining as calm as it had been for ten years.

But deep within those eyes, as calm as an ancient well, a faint glimmer of light flashed, so faint as to be almost imperceptible.

Like a small pebble thrown into a deep pool, the ripples it creates disappear in an instant into the endless darkness.

He looked at "Zhang Qiling" beside him.

"Zhang Qiling" was also looking at him.

In the darkness, their eyes met silently.

There is no information to be exchanged.

Because all the preparation, waiting, and sensing were completed in that brief moment of stillness and awakening.

Extremely faint footsteps came from outside the door.

Stepping on the damp rocks and gravel.

The footsteps were steady and light, carrying a deliberately suppressed urgency and solemnity.

More than one pair of feet.

Then came the rustling sound of fabric rubbing against the rock wall.

The gentle clinking of metal equipment.

Suppressed, heavy breathing.

Finally, all the noise stopped.

The area outside the door became completely quiet.

Only the waves sighed endlessly in the distance.

An absolute, tense silence stretched across the heavy bronze doorway.

Outside.

Below the cliff on the east side of Eye-shaped Island.

The moonlight, as clear as if it had been washed, illuminated the jagged reefs and slippery rock walls exposed after the tide receded, giving them a cool, silvery white glow.

The surging waves rolled dozens of meters away.

The tide receded to its lowest point, revealing the familiar hole with the giant eye pattern carved into it.

Not far inside the cave entrance lies the massive bronze gate that has remained silent for a full ten years.

Seven people stood quietly in front of the door.

Wu Xie stood at the very front.

He held an open brocade box in both hands.

Inside the box, the dark Ghost Seal gleamed with a restrained, warm luster under the moonlight, and the Qilin stepping on clouds pattern on its surface was clearly visible.

His hands holding the box were steady, but his fingertips were slightly white, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

He's thinner than he was ten years ago, and his features are more defined.

The lines between his brows are etched with the steady marks left by the passage of time and deep contemplation.

Only those eyes, when looking at the bronze door, shone with an astonishing light, as if burning with the light of ten years.

Fatty Wang stood right next to him.

He was carrying a huge, bulging backpack and an insulated box in his hand.

His usual cheerful smile was gone; his lips were tightly pursed, and his cheeks bulged slightly from the effort.

His gaze was fixed intently on the door, as if he wanted to stare it through.

Time has left its mark on him.

Her waistline seemed rounder, and there were also some gray spots at her temples.

But that fierce spirit has only become brighter with the passage of time.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu stood to the side and behind Wu Xie.

Xie Yuchen was wearing a neat dark windbreaker, and his posture remained upright.

However, the fine lines around his eyes and his slightly pale complexion revealed the wear and tear of years of hard work.

He held a palm-sized instrument in his hand, with complex energy readings displayed on the screen.

His gaze remained calm as he stared at the Ghost Seal and the bronze door.

Huo Xiuxiu stood beside him.

Her long hair was neatly tied back, her face was thin, but her eyes were more determined and wise.

He held a thick, encrypted folder in his hands, which contained the final conclusions of ten years of research.

A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu stood guard on either side of the rear of the group, like vigilant sentries.

Ah Ning was dressed in professional outdoor gear and had a tall and agile posture.

His skin was a wheatish tan from years of outdoor activity, and his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings to ensure absolute safety.

Jiang Xun Gu is like a military knife that has been fully sheathed.

He held his breath in complete restraint, standing silently in the shadows.

Only when his gaze occasionally swept across the dark sea outside the cave entrance did he ensure that there was no way to retreat.

Hei Xiazi did not stand with the group.

He was alone, leaning against the damp rock wall on one side of the cave entrance.

He had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, arms crossed, and head tilted slightly.

His gaze fell on the bronze door, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his lips.

Ten years seemed to have stood still for him.

He still had that lazy yet cynical look.

But those eyes hidden behind the sunglasses were now as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless, icy pool.

The levitating live-streaming ball hovered silently above the crowd.

The silvery-white sphere reflected the moonlight slightly.

The camera quietly recorded all of this.

After a brief explosion of comments, the live stream fell into an eerie silence.

Then it flows slowly.

"We're here...we're really here..."

"ten years……"

"Are Wu Xie's hands shaking?"

"The fat guy brought a big suitcase!"

"Everyone is here..."

"Blackie is still so handsome..."

"Open the door! Open the door now!"

Time seemed to stand still.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept through the cave entrance and brushed against everyone's faces.

Wu Xie took a deep breath.

He took a deep breath, as if he wanted to inhale all the longing, waiting, and preparation of the past ten years into his lungs and transform it into strength.

He stepped forward, getting closer to the cold, silent giant door.

He lowered his head and looked at the Ghost Seal in the brocade box.

The black jade seal lay quietly on the silk cushion, and the eyes of the Qilin seemed to be looking at him as well.

Then he extended his right hand.

His fingers trembled slightly, but he gripped the Ghost Seal with unwavering determination.

It feels warm and heavy to the touch.

A strange, faint pulse, as if connected by blood, emanated from the depths of the Ghost Seal, flowing along his arm and reaching his heart.

He raised his head and looked at the bronze door again.

The densely packed eye patterns on the door, which had been closed for ten years, seemed to show signs of awakening under the combined influence of moonlight and the aura of the Ghost Seal.

Wu Xie held the Ghost Seal and slowly raised it, aiming it at the center of the bronze door.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

My throat felt like it was blocked by something.

Over the past decade, he had imagined this scene countless times and rehearsed what he was going to say countless times.

But when the moment actually arrived, a thousand words were stuck in my chest.

In the end, only one sentence came out.

With an almost uncontrollable tremor, yet with crystal clarity, it echoed through the silent cave:

"Brother..."

The sound emanating from the outlet seemed to have opened a floodgate.

He paused, then steadied his breathing.

Every word echoed the words that person had left him ten years ago when they left:

"Ten years from now... if you still remember me..."

His eyes instantly reddened.

Her voice was choked with emotion, but she enunciated each word with great force:

"...Bring the Ghost Seal here and open the door."

After saying that, he no longer hesitated.

He poured all his spirit, along with all the emotions and beliefs he had accumulated over the past ten years, into the Ghost Seal in his hand.

Then, gently and solemnly press it onto the smooth, cold surface of the bronze door.

"Buzz—"

A deep, resonant sound seemed to come from the depths of the earth, from the end of time.

The moment the Ghost Seal made contact with the bronze door, its dark body suddenly burst forth with a brilliant yet not dazzling dark golden light!

The light, like living vines, instantly covered the entire bronze gate.

Every tightly closed eye pattern on the door slowly opened in this light!

Vertical pupils, swirling patterns.

One after another, they lit up with a dark golden light.

The entire door seemed to come alive, exuding an aura of vastness, antiquity, and majesty.

The camera lens of the suspended live broadcast ball trembled slightly.

The chat room went completely crazy.

"It's lit up! The door is lit up!"

"The Ghost Seal! It's the power of the Ghost Seal!"

"It's open! It's about to open!"

"Ten years! A full ten years!"

Black Bear leaned against the rock wall, looking at the giant gate that shimmered with light, and the smile on his lips deepened.

He took the unlit cigarette out of his mouth and twirled it between his fingers.

In a voice only he could hear, he said lazily, with a smile:

"Hey, Zhang Men the Mute...long time no see."

The moment the words fell.

On the bronze door, all the open eyes suddenly shone brightly!

"Rumble, rumble—"

A deep, slow, resounding thud, as if propelled by a thousand pounds, came from behind the door.

The heavy bronze gate, enveloped in a dark golden light, slowly and steadily opened a crack inward.

The sea breeze suddenly became fierce.

It whistled out from the crack in the door, carrying with it an incredibly dense aura of darkness and coldness that had accumulated within for ten years.

But it also carries...

Those two familiar, ingrained presences that had haunted everyone's dreams for a full decade!

The gap is getting bigger and bigger.

Moonlight shone through the increasingly wide crack in the door, plunging into the boundless darkness behind it.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the ever-expanding boundary between light and darkness.

The first thing that catches the eye is two black silhouettes standing side by side, as upright as pine trees.

Standing on the dividing line between light and darkness.

Standing before the open bronze door.

He was still wearing that same black hoodie, cargo pants, and high-top boots.

The shadow of the hat brim covered half of his face.

But everyone can see it and feel it.

They stood there, their posture unchanged.

It was as if ten years had lost their power behind that door.

Cold and silent, like two ancient mountain peaks.

However, the aura emanating from him was deeper, more restrained, and more...real than it had been ten years ago.

The door was wide open.

Inside the door lay endless darkness and a newly solidified seal core.

Outside the door was the cold moonlight, the surging tide, and seven faces etched with ten years of hardship, excitement, anticipation, and tears.

Wu Xie held the Ghost Seal, whose light was gradually fading, and stared blankly at the two figures inside the door.

Tears finally broke free and streamed down her face.

But he was laughing, crying and laughing at the same time.

Fatty Wang suddenly wiped his face.

He grinned, as if about to utter some grand pronouncements, but only managed to utter a sound with a heavy nasal tone:

"Damn it..."

Xie Yuchen let out a long, long sigh of relief.

As if a tremendous burden had been lifted, the instrument in his hand quietly slipped from his grasp.

Huo Xiuxiu covered her mouth, tears silently streaming down her face.

Ah Ning stood ramrod straight, her eyes red-rimmed.

But he revealed a relieved smile that he hadn't seen in ten years.

Jiang Xun Gu's tense body finally relaxed slightly.

His usually cold and hard lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

Black Bear put the cigarette back in his mouth.

His eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, narrowed slightly as he looked at the two people inside the door.

In the end, he just clicked his tongue softly.

A smile spread from the corners of his mouth to his entire face.

The suspended live-streaming ball slowly adjusted its angle.

The camera captured the entire reunion, spanning ten years, both inside and outside the gate.

There were no comments or sounds in the live stream.

It was as if the entire world's audience was holding their breath at this moment, witnessing the end of this long wait.

Before the bronze gate, Zhang Qiling's gaze slowly swept over every familiar yet weathered face outside.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Wu Xie's face, which was streaked with tears yet smiling.

The light swept across Fatty Wang's excited face.

I watched Xie Yuchen, Huo Xiuxiu, A Ning, and Jiang Xun Gu in that order.

Finally, the object landed on Black Bear, who was leaning against the rock wall, smoking and laughing.

Then, he turned his head slightly and glanced at "Zhang Qiling" beside him.

Zhang Qiling was also looking out the door.

His austere profile looked like a stone carving in the moonlight.

But deep within his eyes, something quietly melted away.

Zhang Qiling turned back and looked at the door again.

He lifted his foot, stepped forward, and stepped out of the bronze door.

The soles of my boots made their first real sound in ten years as they stepped onto the damp, rocky ground outside the door.

"Zhang Qiling" followed closely behind, stepping out side by side.

The two stood completely in the moonlight, before everyone.

Zhang Qiling's gaze finally settled on Wu Xie's face.

He looked at the other person's face, streaked with tears, and their eyes were red.

And there was that hand, tightly clutching the Ghost Seal, its knuckles white.

Then, he nodded very lightly and very slowly.

"Um."

He said.

A ten-year promise.

We're back.