Chapter 1464: Not You Still There?

"I obtained it by chance from Heichi Gu," Zu An thought to himself, feeling a surge of relief. He was fortunate to have discovered earlier that even the White Lotus Holy Flame couldn't damage the key, which was why he had kept it.

He hadn't expected it to be useful here; everything seemed incredibly coincidental, as if an unseen hand were orchestrating it all.

"The Heichi family are truly treacherous!" The Demon Emperor's face darkened with displeasure. The imperial treasury had originally been entrusted to the Heichi family's care, yet now items from it were found on Heichi Gu. What was that if not embezzlement and betrayal?

Crown Prince Jinwu's heart pounded furiously. The Heichi family were his maternal uncles, practically his most steadfast allies and staunch supporters.

From his perspective, a little greed on the Heichi family's part was acceptable; such a minor loss was insignificant compared to the support they provided.

Besides, his uncles' family weren't outsiders; as the saying goes, "don't let good water flow into other people's fields."

However, the Demon Emperor viewed it differently. He wasn't on such intimate terms with the Heichi family, and this behavior was an obvious act of disloyalty.

Frightened, Crown Prince Jinwu quickly changed the subject, sternly rebuking Zu An: "No wonder the investigation into Heichi Gu's disappearance at the royal court yielded no results! It turns out you murdered him!"

Rage points from Crown Prince Jinwu: +110110110...

Zu An said calmly, "You can eat anything you want, but you can't say just anything. Be careful, or I'll accuse you of slander."

"Hmph, this key was clearly on Heichi Gu. How did it end up in your possession?" Crown Prince Jinwu sneered.

"Speaking of which, if this key could travel from your imperial treasury to Heichi Gu, why couldn't it end up with me?" Zu An replied with a knowing half-smile. After all, Heichi Gu had tried to murder him back then, and his actions were merely self-defense. However, he certainly wouldn't admit that directly.

Of course, the Demon Emperor and the others surely knew he was the one who killed Heichi Gu. He had already offended them beyond repair anyway, so adding one more grievance wouldn't make a difference. His main concern was not leaving them any tangible evidence.

Crown Prince Jinwu was about to retort, but the Demon Emperor cut him off: "Let's set aside past matters for now. The crucial thing is to open this great door."

Zu An flicked his finger, and the key neatly inserted itself into the circular hole in the center.

He didn't contend for the privilege of opening the door first; on the contrary, he suspected that doing so might even be dangerous in this situation.

The Demon Emperor, possessing both great skill and courage, showed no fear. He gripped the tail of the key and slowly began to turn it.

When it turned to a specific angle, a crisp click echoed. The four gems that had been there previously glowed anew, and the surrounding lines illuminated like intricate circuits, eventually converging into four beams of light that streamed into the key's central position.

The key, once dull and dark, now glowed with vibrant, multi-colored light. Immediately afterward, these lights fanned out, following the intricate patterns on the gate and disappearing deep into the mausoleum.

A series of deep rumbling sounds followed, as if the entire mausoleum were stirring to life.

Zu An mused to himself, why would such a unique key end up in Jinwu's possession?

He presumed it must have been passed down through generations by the Jinwu clan since ancient times.

But the era of Yu the Great came after Hou Yi shot down the sun...

The more he pondered, the more confused he became, so he simply gave up trying to figure it out and focused instead on the great door before him.

A scattering of sand and small stones fell. The massive door split in two, slowly swinging inward to reveal a deep, dark tomb passage.

The Demon Emperor, his face alight with eagerness, strode directly inside.

Crown Prince Jinwu quickly followed him. In this secret realm, where terrifying beings roamed freely, he felt a greater sense of security by his father's side.

Wu Liang's face registered a moment of internal struggle. The Demon Emperor was now completely engrossed by the contents within and hadn't noticed him, making it the perfect opportunity to escape.

However, having spent his entire life plundering tombs and seeking treasures, how could he possibly resist the allure of this ancient, grand tomb right before his eyes?

Gritting his teeth, he followed them: "So be it, even if it means death!"

Zu An and his companions exchanged glances, then leisurely followed behind.

They had originally expected the interior to be shrouded in darkness and even planned to conjure a torch using fire. To their surprise, however, it was remarkably bright inside.

Lamp-like objects hung on the surrounding walls, interconnected by various circuit-like patterns. It appeared that the light from the four gems and the key had flowed into this space, providing illumination and power for the entire underground palace.

Zu An was secretly astonished, wondering why something created in such an ancient era possessed such a strong sense of technological advancement.

Could there truly have been extraterrestrials back then? No wonder the ruins of the Xia Dynasty were never discovered in his previous life, despite so much time passing...

The entire group was equally amazed by the tomb. As they ventured deeper, they encountered numerous mechanisms, but with a tomb-raiding expert like Wu Liang among them, overcoming these traps was always eventful but ultimately safe.

Wu Liang could even forcibly locate hidden mechanisms and open passages in areas where no clear path existed.

"This fat guy is quite a talent," Zu An mused to himself, thinking that next time they encountered an ancient tomb, he should invite Wu Liang along, as it would significantly increase their chances of success.

And so, after Wu Liang activated another mechanism and opened a large door, the group found themselves in a spacious tomb chamber.

"This must be the main burial chamber," Wu Liang said, swallowing hard. He gazed at the very center of the room, where a rectangular stone platform stood, covered in dense runes that looked like a powerful seal.

Zu An, meanwhile, noticed two enormous statues, dozens of meters tall, standing on either side of the room. One statue depicted a giant serpent with nine heads.

At first glance, he thought it was Jiuying, but a closer look revealed the difference.

While both had nine heads, Jiuying's were nine snake heads, whereas this statue's were nine human heads, making it resemble an ancient demon god and exuding an inexplicable sense of deterrence and oppression.

The other statue resembled a colossal, vermilion-colored bear with a ferocious expression, looking far from a benevolent figure.

Zu An wondered if these two statues were meant to suppress the central stone platform or if they were guarding something else entirely.

At that moment, the Demon Emperor squeezed the Danzhu in his hand. "Didn't you say Emperor Yao knew about the immortality elixir? If such a elixir truly existed, why would he be lying in a coffin?"

The rectangular platform in the center strongly resembled a coffin. The mere thought that Emperor Yao might be interred within it caused the Demon Emperor's composure to falter.

His lifespan was nearing its end, and his deepest desires were the immortality elixir and higher-level power. However, at present, neither seemed likely.

Zu An's heart stirred. Had the Demon Emperor also obtained information about the immortality elixir?

If this spirit truly was Emperor Yao's son, then both father and son were figures from ancient times, so it wasn't surprising that they would possess such knowledge.

At this, Danzhu quickly interjected, "He was sealed... sealed away here. He definitely isn't dead; he must know information about the immortality elixir."

Hearing this, the Demon Emperor fixed his gaze on the rectangular stone platform, seemingly swayed by the suggestion.

Zu An quickly stepped forward to intervene: "If a great ancient emperor is truly sealed within, do you believe you can defeat him once he's unsealed?"

What if releasing a terrifying entity led to the complete annihilation of everyone present?

The Demon Emperor also hesitated. He had previously clashed with the Four Fiends multiple times, sustaining severe injuries. Although the Jinwu Holy Flame had aided his recovery, it had its limits, and he was currently not in his peak condition.

Nevertheless, his longing for immortality solidified his resolve. "Don't we still have you?" he countered.

Zu An was speechless.