Bai Ye quickly reached the end of the passage. Looking up, he saw a vast, brightly lit hall, buzzing with activity as many people were already gathered inside.
He wasn't particularly surprised. He had eliminated everyone on his route, allowing him to monopolize the tomb guardian spirits and complete the task of killing fifteen of them at the fastest possible speed.
However, logically, Bai Ye alone couldn't clear the tomb guardian spirits as quickly as a group.
Thus, there were about twenty people in the hall.
The entrance to the next area was directly ahead, but these people showed no intention of moving. Two tomb guardian spirits stood guard before the entrance.
These two guardian spirits were desiccated corpses, one on each side of the passage. The one on the left wore golden armor and held a golden dragon mace, while the one on the right wore silver armor and had a pair of twin sabers at its waist.
At the feet of the two corpses lay two other bodies. One had its head smashed in, blood and brain matter pooling on the ground. The other had its arms and legs severed, reduced to a mere torso.
"So, it's these two..."
Bai Ye recognized them immediately.
The Golden Armored Warrior and the Silver Armored Warrior!
Bai Ye remembered them vividly. They were the obstacles on the path to the tomb chambers in Huai Nan, quite troublesome and difficult to deal with.
However, to pass this point, it wasn't mandatory to defeat the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors. One could simply enter the passage opposite. Once they left the hall, the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors wouldn't pursue.
Thus, the problem arose…
Bai Ye glanced around at the assembled crowd. Who would be the sacrificial lamb?
The first person to charge forward would undoubtedly be targeted by the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors, while those behind would get the chance to rush into the passage.
Therefore, everyone wanted to enter the passage, but no one wanted to be the first.
"Everyone, please listen to me. Lingering here benefits no one. Think about it; if we continue this stalemate, more and more people will arrive, and the situation will only worsen…"
"Furthermore, shouldn't we consider our advantage? We are the first to arrive here. We are faster than others. So, as long as we can move forward, we can maintain this advantage. But if we keep delaying, this advantage will be constantly eroded. Are you willing to let that happen?"
"Therefore, I believe we should unite and overcome this challenge together."
The speaker was a man in his twenties, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. He might have been from the same world as Bai Ye, or at least a chosen one from a modern world.
The man was clearly trying to rally the crowd, but Bai Ye found him somewhat unwise.
Firstly, the man's analysis was sound. The current situation was indeed a stalemate, detrimental to everyone. As more people gathered, the deadlock would only intensify. Secondly, the first group to arrive did have an advantage, but it would be gradually diminished as more people arrived.
The reason Bai Ye considered the man unwise was that many understood the logic. But why wasn't anyone stepping up to say it?
Because the nail that sticks out gets hammered.
"Since you suggest we unite..." someone suddenly shouted, "If you charge first, we will definitely follow closely. How about that?"
The man's face immediately fell into an awkward silence. This was precisely the kind of pointed question he wanted to avoid.
Although he wanted to stir up the crowd, he didn't want to be the cannon fodder himself.
However, in this world, thick skin was essential.
The man pretended not to hear and continued his speech, moving among the people. If he couldn't persuade this group, he'd try the next.
"Brother, believe me, this can't go on. Are you willing to just watch the path before you and be unable to cross?"
"If we unite, we can definitely break through."
"Besides, it's just difficult to accumulate numbers. Once we have enough people, I believe others will be willing to participate."
The man soon approached Bai Ye, his expression earnest. "Young man…"
"You don't need to say any more!" Bai Ye interrupted him directly. "You're absolutely right, I'll do it!"
"Young man, you can't be too one-sided. Actually…" the man tried to continue his persuasion but suddenly felt something was amiss. He hesitantly asked, "What did you just say?"
Shouldn't the response have been: "You're right, don't say it again next time"?
Bai Ye grinned and charged forward. Reaching the center of the hall, he spread his hands and produced his deck of cards.
In the next instant, Bai Ye flicked his wrist, unleashing a flurry of playing cards towards the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors.
Suddenly, the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors, who had been with closed eyes, snapped them open.
The Golden Armored Warrior raised its golden mace and swung it forcefully forward. A terrifying gust of wind surged, blowing away the incoming playing cards.
The Silver Armored Warrior immediately gripped its twin sabers.
Clang!
The Silver Armored Warrior drew its sabers and began to wield them rapidly. A dense net of silver light appeared before it, impenetrable, blocking all the flying cards.
After intercepting all the cards, the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors attacked simultaneously, heading straight for Bai Ye.
Seeing this, the others finally snapped out of their daze.
"Someone actually fell for it?"
Many had this thought. Then, led by someone, they started sprinting forward, intending to rush into the passage.
The man who had been tirelessly persuading everyone was overjoyed. Was his eloquence really that good? He had managed to dupe a fool!
Meanwhile, Bai Ye was now engaged in combat. As the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors attacked from either side, he drew his high-frequency serrated blade and swung it forcefully forward, clashing with the Golden Armored Warrior's mace.
After the initial blow, both sides separated.
Bai Ye watched as everyone took the opportunity to rush past him. He suddenly called out to the persuader, "Brother, didn't you say everyone would help?"
"Ah? Yes, of course, we will!" the man shouted while running forward. "Believe me, I'll come help in a bit."
After speaking, the man silently praised himself. He was truly a good person, leaving that sucker a sliver of hope at the last moment, and then…
The man sprinted even faster!
Bai Ye watched as the surrounding crowd bolted past him. Soon, the once lively hall became deserted. A faint smile touched his lips, and then…
The high-frequency serrated blade in Bai Ye's hand began to vibrate!