Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

In the early morning, the wind and snow actually subsided a bit.

The sky remained a somber, leaden gray.

But the wind stopped howling, and the snow turned into fine, almost vertical powder.

In the distance, the main peak of Changbai Mountain revealed a clearer outline in the thin morning light.

Above the snow line is a blinding white.

Below the snow line are deep, iron-gray rocks.

Like a huge, silent ink painting.

The campfire in the cabin was reduced to a pile of dark red embers.

It was emitting wisps of blue smoke.

Everyone had stood up and was silently packing their belongings and checking their equipment.

The atmosphere was much more somber than yesterday.

As we venture deeper into truly uninhabited snow-covered mountains, the unknown and dangers increase exponentially.

"Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" were prepared first.

He was still wearing that thin black dress, standing outside the wooden house.

Looking up at the mountain peaks that were faintly visible in the wind and snow.

The snow fell on their shoulders and hat brims, and then quickly melted away.

It left dark water stains.

It was as if even the ice and snow were unwilling to linger on them.

Fatty Wang was the last to crawl out of the wooden house.

He wrapped himself up like a ball, panting heavily.

"This...this awful weather...Let's go, the sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back. I'm really looking forward to the iron pot stew in town!"

A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu led the way, using trekking poles to explore the path.

Struggling forward through knee-deep snow.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu followed closely behind, taking each step with extreme caution.

Wu Xie and Fatty walked in the middle.

The fat man kept nagging, "Watch your step" and "Watch out for stones."

Hei Xiazi followed Wu Xie and the others at a leisurely pace.

He held a withered branch that he had broken off from somewhere and was idly scratching at the snow.

"Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling" walked at the back of the procession.

His steps, however, were unusually steady and light.

In the knee-deep snow, only two very shallow, almost parallel tracks were left.

The levitating live-streaming sphere rose, filming the small team leaving a winding trail across the vast snowfield from behind.

Like a silvery-white eye, it silently watched all of this.

The higher you go, the thinner the air becomes and the lower the temperature.

The wind picked up again, whipping up snowflakes that lashed at my face like cold needles.

The trees became increasingly sparse and shorter, eventually disappearing completely.

All that remained were bare, black rocks covered with a thick shell of ice.

Visibility was intermittent.

All around was a monotonous, despairing white and gray.

We took two breaks along the way to replenish our energy and water.

No one spoke; only heavy breathing and the sound of the wind could be heard.

Wu Xie's face was a little pale, but his eyes were unusually stubborn as he followed the group closely.

Fatty Wang was panting, but he didn't fall behind.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu supported each other.

A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu remained highly vigilant throughout.

Zhang Qiling looked up at the sky and the surrounding mountains.

He said to Aning ahead, "Turn left, behind that rock wall."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the wind and snow.

Without hesitation, Aning changed her route according to his instructions.

We trekked for another hour with great difficulty.

After passing through a narrow crevice in the rock that was half covered by snow, the view suddenly opened up before us.

It is a relatively sheltered platform located deep in a mountain valley.

It's not big, but the ground is flat.

At the end of the platform is a huge, smooth, black rock wall that rises almost vertically upwards.

Towering into the clouds, its top is not clearly visible in the wind and snow.

At the bottom of that black rock wall, there was a door.

Bronze door.

It is taller, larger, and more imposing, ancient, and desolate than the one on the eye-shaped island.

The door was tightly shut.

Its surface is covered with mottled patina and deep marks left by time.

Under the pale light of the sky, it appeared as a somber, almost black, dark blue.

There were no patterns or eye designs on the door.

It has only the most primitive, heavy metallic texture.

It resembles a giant metal tombstone that has stood here since time immemorial.

Silently guarding the secrets hidden deep within the mountain, unknown to anyone.

It appeared abruptly, yet perfectly naturally, among the snow-capped mountain cliffs.

It carries an indescribable majesty and loneliness that makes one's soul tremble.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and stood frozen in place.

He stared blankly at the door.

The wind and snow seemed to quiet down and shrink back in its presence.

Even their breathing became unconsciously held.

There was a brief lull in the chat during the live stream.

Then it surged wildly.

"My God... the Bronze Door!"

"It really exists..."

"It's different from the ones on the island; it's bigger, more...older."

"The sense of oppression is so strong."

"Are you two here to see this?"

"I feel so heavy-hearted and sad."

Wu Xie's breathing suddenly became rapid.

He suddenly turned to "Zhang Qiling," his voice trembling slightly from the cold and excitement.

"Young man! This...this is...the purpose of your visit? This door?"

Zhang Qiling didn't look at him.

His gaze calmly fell upon the massive bronze door.

It was as if gazing upon a long-lost, silent old friend.

He didn't answer yes or no, he just watched quietly.

Fatty Wang also gasped and stammered.

"This...this door...it looks creepy! Dude, we've come all this way just to see this? What's behind this door...?"

Zhang Qiling's gaze also locked onto the bronze door.

His aura seemed even colder.

His right hand unconsciously clenched slightly, as if to confirm the position of the knife handle.

Hei Xiazi dropped his nonchalant attitude.

He crossed his arms, his eyes slightly narrowed behind his sunglasses.

He looked at the door, then at "Zhang Qiling" and "Zhang Qiling".

His lips were tightly pursed, and he didn't say a word.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu exchanged a glance.

They both saw deep shock and worry in each other's eyes.

A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu subconsciously adopted a guarded posture.

His sharp gaze swept across the surroundings.

Zhang Qiling finally moved.

He took a step, slowly but steadily, toward the massive bronze gate.

The snow crunched under his feet.

The sound traveled far from the silent platform.

Wu Xie's heart clenched.

A huge, ominous premonition gripped him.

He almost staggered as he caught up and grabbed "Zhang Qiling's" arm.

The voice rose in fear, even turning into a sob.

"Hey buddy! Why did you come to this door?! Tell me! Explain yourself! You can't just walk past like this! Come out here!"

Zhang Qiling stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head, his gaze from under the brim of his hat falling on Wu Xie's hand, which was red from the cold and trembling slightly, gripping his arm.

Then it slowly moved upwards again.

He met Wu Xie's eyes, which were filled with panic, fear, confusion, and stubbornness.

The wind and snow howled between them.

Zhang Qiling's lips moved.

The sound was very soft, yet it pierced everyone's eardrums like an icicle.

"I am a person without a past and a future."

He paused, his gaze seemingly passing through Wu Xie and looking towards a more distant, ethereal place.

"If I disappear from this world, no one will notice."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Wu Xie's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up.

He shouted hoarsely, gripping "Zhang Qiling's" arm so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"If you disappear, at least I'll find out! Me! Wu Xie! And Fatty, Xiao Hua, Xiu Xiu, A Ning, the Blind Man... we'll all find out! You at least have to answer one question for me! Tell me, what's behind this door?!"

Zhang Qiling stared at him quietly for a few seconds.

Deep within those calm, still eyes, there seemed to be extremely faint ripples spreading out before quickly returning to silence.

He slowly opened his mouth and uttered two words that carried immense weight.

"end."

It's not the "ultimate" but the "end".

The end of all possibilities, the final chapter of all stories.

The origin and final destination of the annihilation and birth of all things.

This word is more vague and more resolute than "ultimate".

Wu Xie was stunned, muttering to himself.

"The finish line? What finish line? Dude, explain yourself! What do you mean by the finish line?!"

There is no explanation for "Zhang Qiling".

He just stared at Wu Xie intently, deeply.

It's as if they want to etch this face, this person, this moment, into some kind of eternal memory.

Then, in an unusually calm tone, yet seemingly containing a thousand words, he spoke clearly.

"Wu Xie, remember, no matter what, I'm on your side."

These words were like a warm current, instantly breaking through Wu Xie's defenses, which had been frozen by ice and fear.

But it brought with it an even more overwhelming, almost desperate chill.

He understood the farewell meaning in those words.

Zhang Qiling stopped looking at him.

He then took something out of his pocket.

Wu Xie's pupils suddenly contracted.

Ghost Seal.

The dark jade seal was in his palm.

The patterns on the Qilin stepping on clouds gleamed with a cold, eerie luster under the snow.

The massive bronze gate and the swirling snow create a cold and fateful scene.

Zhang Qiling handed the Ghost Seal to Wu Xie.

The sound was so steady that it was completely calm.

"Take this to the bronze door, and it will open."

He looked at Wu Xie's face, which had turned deathly pale, and continued speaking.

Every word was like a shard of ice, striking Wu Xie's heart, and striking the hearts of everyone present.

"Long afterward, if you still remember me, you can use this to open this bronze door."

He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick bronze, reaching the endless, cold space and time beyond the door.

"You might see me inside again."

"No--!!!"

Wu Xie let out a near-collapse-like roar.

He suddenly waved his hand, trying to knock the ghost seal out of Zhang Qiling's hand.

"I don't want it! I don't want your Ghost Seal! I don't want any promises for the distant future! I want you to come back with me right now! Brother! Don't go in! Come back with me! Let's go home! Fatty is still waiting for his stew, Xiaohua and Xiuxiu still have a lot of ancient books to organize, and A-Ning's security system hasn't been upgraded yet... Let's go home! Please!"

Tears mixed with snowmelt, blurring his vision.

He gripped Zhang Qiling's arm tightly.

Like a drowning person grabbing onto the last piece of driftwood.

Zhang Qiling let him grab her, his hand holding the Ghost Seal steadily suspended in mid-air.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Wu Xie finally revealed a very subtle, almost pitying, fluctuation.

"It is Zhang Qiling's responsibility to protect this door."

His voice was low, but it carried an undeniable resolve.

"It's a promise that every generation of 'Zhang Qiling' must fulfill. Now, it's my turn."

Wu Xie suddenly raised his head.

Her tear-filled eyes were filled with disbelief, shock, and pain.

"An agreement? Who made the agreement? By what right?! If... if it wasn't you, then who should have gone in?!"

Zhang Qiling stared at him silently for a long time.

The wind and snow swirled wildly between them.

Then, he spoke slowly and clearly.

"It's you."

These two words struck Wu Xie like a thunderbolt, and also struck everyone's hearts.

Wu Xie froze completely, his mouth agape, unable to utter a sound.

Wang Pangzi, Xie Yuchen, Huo Xiuxiu, A Ning, and Jiang Xun Gu all looked at Wu Xie in shock, and then at "Zhang Qiling".

His face was filled with horror.

"What...did you say?"

Wu Xie's voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

"Originally, you should have been the one to go in."

Zhang Qiling repeated himself, his tone as calm as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

"So, now, I'll take your place."

He paused, then added one last sentence.

It was also the final sentence that severed all of Wu Xie's hopes and illusions.

"I'll take your place and guard the gate."

Once he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated.

She gently but firmly broke free from Wu Xie's hand.

Amid Wu Xie's desperate, heart-wrenching cries of "No—".

Turn around and face the silent, massive bronze door.

He raised his hand, the dark ghost seal in his hand, and aimed it at the center of the bronze door.

A deep, resonant sound, as if emanating from the depths of the earth, arose.

The accumulated snow on the bronze door fell down in a soft rustling sound.

On the mottled patina, a faint and mysterious dark golden light began to flow.

Like the pulse of a sleeping behemoth awakened.

The massive bronze gate had been closed for countless years.

Under the power of the Ghost Seal, it emitted a heavy, teeth-grinding "creaking" sound.

Slowly, very slowly, a crack opened inward.

Within the cracks lay an endless darkness, more intense and pure than the deepest night.

There was no light, no sound, and no sign of any matter.

There was only a cold, all-consuming "nothingness".

The wind and snow intensified, relentlessly pouring into the doorway.

But it seemed to be swallowed up by the darkness in an instant, without causing the slightest ripple.

Zhang Qiling, holding the Ghost Seal, stood in front of the open door.

The figure appeared unusually frail against the backdrop of the massive doorway and the boundless darkness behind it.

Yet it is also incredibly resolute and upright.

He didn't turn around.

The door opened.

But no one has entered yet.

Combat Strength: 100%

[Performance Ratio: 100%]

[Character compatibility: 100%]

[Current Location: Changbai Mountain, in front of the Bronze Gate]

[Current Status: Farewell at the door, the door is open]

[System Status: Silent (Final Moment)]

[Note: Host, the door is open. Have you thought about your last sentence?]