C737 The Ancient Teleportation Formation
"Did you find a way out? Where is it?" Bing Yue eagerly asked upon hearing Woo Zhengyang mention a clue.
"I've only found some hints. I'm not sure what they mean yet," Woo Zhengyang replied, his gaze returning to the tomb of the Emperor Qingyang.
"The clue you mentioned, is it this tomb of Emperor Qingyang, also known as Patriarch Fuxi?"
"Do you really think this is Patriarch Fuxi's tomb? That he built a mausoleum for himself?"
"Well... according to legend, Patriarch Fuxi found another path, supposedly shattering the void with his mastery of formations. He shouldn't be buried here, but legends are just that—legends..."
"Even if it's a legend, there's usually some truth to it, especially concerning such a monumental figure like Patriarch Fuxi. It's hard to dismiss," Woo Zhengyang said, having even visited the legendary Profound Mountain. What was there not to believe?
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"Looks like... I'll have to play the part of a grave robber," Woo Zhengyang said with a wry smile.
There was no need for further words. The two first paid their respects to the mother of Fuxi. Regardless of what lay inside, the name Fuxi alone commanded respect.
Then, they slowly unearthed the tomb of Fuxi. Inside was a simple stone coffin. When they opened it, they found it completely empty...
"What's going on here?" Bing Yue asked, puzzled.
Woo Zhengyang shook his head, a bitter expression on his face. They had long accepted that the tomb of Patriarch Fuxi wouldn't actually contain the patriarch himself, but finding nothing at all was hard to swallow. Zhengyang had hoped it might offer some clues.
"Should we dig up the other tombs to take a look? We can always bury them again later."
"No need for now. I can't believe Patriarch Fuxi would go through the trouble of creating an empty tomb for himself."
"Exactly! Even if it's just something random, you'd expect to find something, right?"
"Something random?" Woo Zhengyang mused over Bing Yue's words.
"Yeah, that's what most people would think. If you're going to all the effort to build a tomb, even if there aren't any treasures, you'd expect something as a memorial. Plus, in our tradition, leaving an empty coffin is considered a bad omen, like inviting spirits."
"You're right; that's what a normal person would do. But if that's not the case, maybe Patriarch Fuxi was truly extraordinary, or perhaps... nothing could be placed in here at all!"
"Nothing could be placed in here?" Bing Yue asked, confused.
Woo Zhengyang smiled slightly, not explaining further. He walked straight to the open stone coffin and tossed in a Heavenly Essence Stone. As soon as the stone landed inside, something extraordinary happened. The plain inner walls suddenly revealed mysterious patterns, weaving together and bursting into a radiant display of colors that shot up into the sky.
The brilliant colors in the sky appeared for just a moment before vanishing. Along with them, the Heavenly Essence Stone that Woo Zhengyang had dropped was also gone.
"What... what kind of formation is this? It's not another killing array, is it?"
"If I'm not mistaken, this isn't a killing array but a teleportation array!"
"Teleportation array?"
"Exactly. I just sensed how it operates. It's different from a regular teleportation array—much more complex. But because of that, I'm certain this was built by the ancestor of array techniques, the legendary Fuxi. He invented the teleportation array, and this must be its original form!"
"So where does this teleportation array lead?"
"There are three possibilities! The first, and best, is that it leads outside, and we can just walk out. The second possibility is that it takes us to the core of this tomb, where everything is unknown. The third possibility is that it leads to a deadly place."
"A deadly place?"
"Yes, if that's the case, with Patriarch Fuxi's mastery of arrays, we wouldn't stand a chance. Entering would mean certain death! And..." Woo Zhengyang hesitated, choosing not to continue.
Bing Yue now trusted Woo Zhengyang completely, even if it was just his speculation. Woo Zhengyang initially wanted to share all his thoughts but then decided against it. He didn't want to shake Bing Yue's confidence or have them both take unnecessary risks.
"What else?"
"Nothing much. Once we enter, everything becomes unpredictable, so we can't both go in. You stay here and wait. I'll go in first to scout, and if..."
"No way!" Bing Yue interrupted Woo Zhengyang before he could finish. She hugged him tightly and said, "Are you planning to leave me here alone? Absolutely not. Wherever you go, I go."
"But..."
"No buts. If you dare go in alone, I'll follow right after you," Bing Yue insisted firmly.
"Alright," Woo Zhengyang sighed, giving in.
"So, can you tell me what you were about to say earlier?" Bing Yue asked, now completely trusting Woo Zhengyang and sticking close to him like a shadow. She wasn't naive, though; she knew there was something important in what Woo Zhengyang almost said.
"Actually, it's nothing much. It's just about the three possibilities I mentioned earlier. The first one is the least likely."
"The first one is the least likely? The one leading to the outside world? Why?"
"First, if Patriarch Fuxi wanted to set up a portal to the outside world, he would have placed it in a prominent location and marked it clearly. Those who would be deterred would naturally leave. Second, although I sensed the portal's operation, it's not like any portal I know. It's complex and intricate but not particularly powerful. It seems to be an early form of a portal, and such a portal likely doesn't have the strength to send us to the outside world..."
"Does that mean we have only two possibilities? One is entering a deadly zone where there's no chance of survival, and the other is entering a core area that might be safe, or perhaps even more terrifying than the deadly zone..." Bing Yue said, feeling utterly helpless after hearing Woo Zhengyang's analysis.
"I'm afraid that's exactly the case," Woo Zhengyang replied with resignation. As Bing Yue mentioned, even though they had found a clue, the situation was far from optimistic.
"Then why did you just... knowing how dangerous it is, still want to go down there yourself?"
"One person taking the risk is better than both of us, right?"
"That's not happening. If we die, we die together! We promised to stick together, and if you ever think of leaving me behind again, I'll bite you!" Bing Yue threatened fiercely, and to prove her point, she actually bit Woo Zhengyang's arm...