Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Underground Palace
Ji Chen also arrived at the front of the cave entrance, gazing inside.
It was pitch black in there, nothing could be seen.
But it was clear that this entrance had a path extending downward.
The bold ones walked directly into the cave, following the ancient ladder downward, eager to explore.
Ji Chen didn’t hesitate for long and soon moved along with the crowd.
The ancient ladder stretched downward, with no end in sight, and visibility was extremely low. The unknown ahead instilled a nameless fear in people’s hearts.
Fortunately, the ancient ladder wasn’t very long.
After about half an hour of walking, finally, everyone reached the bottom of the ladder.
Looking around, they could see that this place had been crafted into the semblance of an underground palace.
Ancient giant pillars supported the ceiling.
"Could this be where the Emperor’s Tomb is!" someone exclaimed, their eyes flashing with fervor and a hint of greed.
"Swish!"
At these words, many people immediately moved, wanting to venture inside the underground palace to seek the treasures buried here.
"Creak!"
"Creak!"
"Creak!"
However, before they could take a few steps, a series of clear sounds came from within the palace, startling everyone.
"Crash!"
Looking ahead, within moments, everyone’s faces showed a look of horror.
Countless skeletons surged out from the depths of the underground palace, a field of white, far too many to count.
"Not good!"
"Corpse puppets! So many corpse puppets! Run!"
Shouts of alarm rang out, and everyone moved backward at once, trying to escape the palace.
But some weren’t fortunate enough to escape, being overwhelmed by the sea of corpses in an instant, their screams continually echoing.
Earlier, Ji Chen had always been at the back of the group, and now, seeing this sea of corpse puppets appear, he immediately fled towards the cave entrance.
In just a moment, Ji Chen returned to the surface.
Aside from him, many cultivators also safely retreated, but nearly a hundred still perished within the underground palace.
"Creak!"
"Creak!"
"Creak!"
A multitude of corpse puppets surged forth like a tide, chasing relentlessly.
But it seemed some force restrained them; they only reached the cave entrance and then stopped, retreating back into the palace swiftly.
"Were those... corpse puppets just now?"
"It’s terrifying! So many of them, at least ten thousand, right?"
No one could hold back their astonishment, their hearts filled with extreme fear.
This was staggering, ten thousand buried together, transforming into corpse puppets, guarding the Emperor’s Bone. What astounding identity and background did the tomb master have in life?
It’s known that typical Emperor’s Tombs, while having corpse puppets, rarely exceed hundreds.
Yet now, the number here far exceeded everyone’s imagination.
Especially with the previous encounter with those three Great Saint level corpse puppets, it deepened everyone’s curiosity about the tomb master’s identity.
"Swish!"
Amid their astonishment, from the crowd’s rear, over a dozen figures approached quickly.
These people, more or less, bore some injuries.
They had earlier stayed in the valley, engaging those Great Saint level corpse puppets. Now they had finally arrived here, indicating that the Great Saint level puppets were mostly subdued by Holy Weapons.
"Ten thousand corpse puppets?"
Upon hearing what everyone had seen below the palace, the elder strong men frowned.
One person said, "It seems, this place below the underground palace is most likely where the Emperor’s Tomb is, but such a number of corpse puppets is beyond imagination..."
"Though troublesome, it’s not unsolvable, as long as everyone agrees to join forces," an elder from a Sacred Land said.
From the Ancient Race, someone also stood forth, "In this exploration of the Emperor’s Tomb, the Human Race and Ancient Race collectively brought over a dozen Holy Weapons. If united, these corpse puppets are indeed not a threat. My Demon Race is willing to ally with you."
Following the Demon Race, others from Ancient Races also declared their willingness to temporarily ally with the Human Race to explore the Emperor’s Tomb.
After all, the Emperor’s Tomb is perilous; only by truly joining forces can they better ensure safety.
Soon, after deliberation, they decided to directly assault the underground palace, using over a dozen Holy Weapons to clear the myriad of corpse puppets, directly probing the depths of the Emperor’s Tomb.
When the experts from these great forces entered the underground palace, Ji Chen and other loose cultivators quickly followed.
In no time, they reached the underground palace again, everyone treading cautiously, their eyes examining the surroundings.
"Creak!"
"Creak!"
"Creak!"
Clear sounds emerged, and moments later, from the depths of the palace ahead, a field of white corpse puppets surged forth, their numbers astonishing, densely packed, making it impossible for one’s heart not to shiver.
"Kill!"
In the blink of an eye, everyone clashed with the sea of corpses.
The scene immediately turned chaotic to the extreme.
Although cultivation couldn’t be used here, everyone carried magical treasures, barely managing to maneuver against these ordinary corpse puppets.
Furthermore, at the front of their ranks were over a dozen experts wielding Holy Weapons, greatly alleviating their burden.
"Boom!"
"Crash!"
Ji Chen also mingled among the crowd, besieged by numerous corpse puppets.
But in the face of his Hongmeng Body, these corpse puppets posed no threat to him.
With powerful fists, every punch Ji Chen threw blasted apart numerous puppets, shattering them, leaving shattered bones scattered all over.
Apart from him, many Ancient Race experts were the same.
Their physical power far exceeded ordinary people; in close combat, these puppets couldn’t stand a chance.
However, twin fists cannot match four hands, as the puppet numbers were too overwhelming, impossible to kill entirely.
After a bitter struggle, within moments, at least a hundred were killed here.
Thankfully, at the very front of the line, there were over a dozen Holy Weapon wielding experts paving the way. Despite the endless wave of corpse puppets, they battled forward, making their way deep into the palace.
It’s unknown how long had passed.
Finally, numerous puppets were obliterated, countless shattered bones covering the ground.
After a grueling half-hour battle, the corpse puppets in the palace were eventually annihilated.
However, in this battle, many cultivators also lost their lives.
Compared to the number of people who initially ventured into the mountains, those still standing here now were less than a tenth, the casualties tremendously heavy.