My Demon Friends-Chapter 621 - 593 There is a Demon King in the Demon King’s Tomb

This place was nothing like Chunming. It was very cold, and one needed to wear a thick coat.

The closer they got to the snow mountain and the higher they climbed, the colder it became.

Zhou Li, wrapped in his down jacket, walked slowly.

Yin Le had warned him so solemnly earlier, making him think they were almost there. However, it turned out there was still a considerable distance to go.

He was truly speechless.

Their current altitude might have already exceeded three thousand meters. Combined with several hours of hiking, the physical exertion had taken its toll; Mr. Jiang and Mr. Shi both developed altitude sickness. Fortunately, only the two of them were affected; everyone else, including Uncle Liu, was fine.

Mr. Shi's altitude sickness was more severe due to his heavier build, manifesting as physical exhaustion, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and dizziness, which slowed their progress.

"How much farther?" Lou Qingqing asked.

"Almost there," said Yin Le, holding a disc formed from six keys. He sounded helpless; the distance indicator showed they were very close, but the device was three-dimensional—it was above them.

"I'm so tired. We're not going to climb all the way to the top, are we?"

"Impossible. If we were going to the peak, we'd have taken the cable car," Yin Le shook his head.

"It's getting dark."

"Hang in there."

Yin Le paused momentarily, allowing Mr. Jiang and Mr. Shi to rest. He pointed to a spot not far above them, saying, "I reckon it's right there, where the mountain's rock face is exposed. Symbol Arrays can only be carved where there's exposed rock. It was also more convenient for ancient Heavenly Masters to excavate there. Furthermore, the snow accumulation and low temperatures on the mountain are beneficial for preserving the materials used to etch the Symbol Arrays."

"I heard that in recent years, the snow line on Yulong Snow Mountain has been rising every year," Zhou Li said.

"That might be related," Yin Le paused. "Should we give it one last push and head straight up now?"

Hearing this, everyone looked toward Mr. Jiang and Mr. Shi.

Mr. Jiang managed a weak smile, indicating he was still okay.

Mr. Shi also gritted his teeth and nodded.

「Half an hour later.」

They stood on a pile of grayish-white rubble, which seemed to have slid down from a landslide.

Just as Zhou Li suspected the entrance might have been covered by the debris and would require digging, the disc Yin Le held flat in his palm began to emit waves of Spiritual Power, even affecting the surrounding air. Simultaneously, Zhou Li felt stirrings from within the snow mountain, as if responding to the disc.

Lights shone beneath their feet, and lights appeared all around in the air, forming individual Runes connected by various lines in an incredibly complex pattern.

Brilliant light erupted!

A circular hole, bordered by white light, appeared on the mountainside ahead. Its interior was pitch-black, seemingly leading into the void. The moment it manifested, an extremely strong suction force erupted. Wind howled into it with such force that the nearby pine trees bent towards the hole.

A moment later, the wind subsided, and everything became calm.

Yin Le turned around and said, "Wait for me."

With that, he stepped resolutely into the circular hole.

A few seconds later, he reemerged and said to the others, "A lot of air just rushed in. That was probably to prevent hypoxia for those who follow. Breathing should be fine; it's just very dark. Remember to be careful when you go in, turn on your flashlights, and enter one by one to avoid falling."

Then he walked back in.

The group quickly followed.

Their vision blurred for a moment, and then they found themselves in a dark passage. The light from their phone flashlights and Yin Le's head-mounted flashlight illuminated their surroundings, providing them with visibility.

According to Yin Le, this was not only the place where the Demon King was sealed but also the tomb prepared by the ancient Central Dynasty for His Highness the Demon King. Many ancient emperors had a habit of building luxurious tombs for their rivals after a change of dynasties or the defeat of a great enemy, to display their own magnanimity.

But this place looked nothing like a tomb.

The passage walls were rough, with chisel marks still visible. They hadn't even bothered to lay bluestone slabs; no tomb was ever this shabby.

Perhaps materials were difficult to transport in?

Yin Le looked back to remind everyone to watch their step, continuing to lead the way. Noticing that some people were very nervous, he explained as they walked, "The Demon King's Tomb has a very strong defense mechanism. It's said the outermost layer is equipped with an unbreakable defensive mechanism capable of counterattacks, and inside, there are guardian mechanisms to block intrusions from all directions."

As the ordinary people became increasingly nervous, he added, "But these are not intended for us; we are considered the master's family. We need to have the right mindset and not be afraid.

"However, the Array has been damaged, so we can't rule out any possibilities. If there's any danger, all of you stay behind me."

"..."

Zhou Li walked expressionlessly behind him.

The passage was long, ascending gradually.

Nothing happened. No mechanisms were triggered, nor did they encounter any Monsters. There was only this rough passage, the dark and cramped space, and the faint sound of dripping water. The people trailing behind began to chatter nonsensically, trying to resist the oppressive feeling in their hearts.

The path ahead grew increasingly damp.

Initially, the ground was merely moist, but soon puddles began to form. At first, water only dripped from the stone ceiling, but later it occasionally streamed down, like passing through a water curtain.

Suddenly, light appeared ahead.

It was two points of light, each the size of a rice grain.

Yin Le looked back, exchanged a glance with Zhou Li, and quickened their pace.

The light gradually grew larger as they drew closer, and the end of the passageway came into view—

A stone door.

The stone door itself was well-carved, possessing a certain air of nobility. Two openwork lanterns were embedded on either side. The lanterns, originally empty, now each held a suspended point of white light. The white light spilling onto the ground illuminated a small area before the door, but instead of bringing any sense of reassurance, it made people feel even more uneasy.

White lanterns…

Zhou Li found it somewhat eerie.

But he also knew that white light was the most common and simplest light emitted by Spiritual Power.

If only Brother Nan or Huai Xu were here. Those two goofballs would definitely point to the lanterns by the door and say, "Look how considerate ancient people were; they even lit the lanterns for you!" The creepiness would surely be dispelled.

As the group approached the stone door, after taking just a few steps, they felt a blast of cold air wash over them.

It was like an apocalyptic cold wave from a disaster movie. The moist ground was quickly covered with white frost, then froze solid. The temperature dropped further the closer they got to the stone door, as if trying to prevent them from advancing.

The ordinary people among them were frightened and retreated repeatedly.

Only Lou Qingqing did not retreat but moved forward instead. "The elder of the observatory said that each door has mechanisms set up by our ancestors, which only their descendants can open. This door must have been set by my ancestors; the engravings on it are the same as the keys our family holds. You all step back and let me try..."

"Huh, look! See?"

As soon as Lou Qingqing approached, the door opened automatically.

The remaining five doors behaved similarly.

However, some Arrays were in disrepair due to age. The lanterns beside them either flickered, with one lit and one dark, or only one lit up at all. The doors would only rumble loudly without opening, requiring a manual push.

Aside from that, everything went smoothly.

Perhaps the long corridor they had traveled should have been fraught with peril, but because it was them, their journey had been calm.

The last door had been set up by Mr. Jiang's ancestors; it was instantly recognizable without needing to examine any patterns—

Two statues stood on either side of the gate.

Both were human figures.

One was burly and clad in heavy armor, holding a long spear. The other was slender and dressed in plain clothes, with a straight object at his waist—it was unclear if it was a sword or a saber. At first glance, it looked like a somewhat flattened stone stick, but a closer look revealed a faint line separating the hilt and the sheath.

As the group approached, the stone statues showed signs of awakening. They only settled down, returning to their original inert state, when Mr. Jiang stepped forward.

Zhou Li quietly observed them and said, "You could consider moving them back to your place. Anything capable of guarding this place must be stronger than the stone lions at your home. They might even be the peak creations of your family."

BOOM!

Gray stone dust trickled down as the gate slowly opened.

Zhou Li fanned the air before him with his hand and looked up. Inside was a huge, brightly lit space. It resembled a massive plaza, a hundred meters high and shockingly vast.

Light emanated from all directions.

The stone walls, the dome, and the floor were all glowing.

In the center stood an altar about ten meters high, the white light at its heart even more dazzling.

Zhou Li mentally retracted his earlier assessment; this tomb wasn't shabby in the slightest—it was, in fact, magnificent to the extreme.

As he stepped forward through the gate, he soon realized that the light in this vast space was uneven. Some areas were bright, others dark, with no apparent pattern. The patches of light and darkness formed an image resembling a map.

After stepping fully through the entrance and into the space, the first thing he did was look down at the floor.

The area by the door was dark, not glowing.

The stone slabs of the floor seemed ordinary, untouched by the ravages of time. However, as soon as one crouched down, with Zhou Li's eyesight, it was immediately apparent that they were covered in countless, tiny, dense Runes.

These Runes were so minuscule that ordinary people, even up close, would struggle to notice them, likely mistaking them for the stone's naturally textured surface.

"This…"

He moved to several different spots to check, then examined the walls; they were all the same.

Some Runes were glowing, rendered almost invisible by their own light, while others were dim. The dim ones accounted for roughly forty percent of the total.

Such tiny Runes, covering such a vast space, in every direction, so densely packed… The power required for this was almost beyond his imagination.

Just then—

"Hey!"

A startled cry came from the side—it was Mr. Jiang.

The others either jumped in fright or instantly turned their heads to look in the direction he was pointing.

Not far from them stood a slender figure with its back to them, facing the central altar. It was motionless, and it was impossible to tell how long it had been standing there.

They hadn't noticed the figure at all before.

As if hearing the sound, the figure slowly turned, its expressionless face looking towards them—

It was a woman of breathtaking beauty, so exquisite she hardly seemed human!

SSS...

Yin Le sucked in a sharp breath, his heart pounding and his expression stiffening; his legs felt weak.

He had never imagined that the legendary Demon King, sealed for so long, would not only be awake in here but also seemingly free to move about. Had she awakened after the Arrays were damaged? The door was still open; could she escape right now? Or was she perhaps still suppressed—able to move, but unable to muster any of her original power? Perhaps she couldn't leave this space?

Numerous thoughts flashed through Yin Le's mind in an instant.

Although his legs felt like jelly, he still forced himself to step in front of the others, facing the figure directly. His voice was low as he asked, "Your Royal Highness, the Prince of Yu?"

The figure paused upon hearing this. Her eyes shifted, and then she too spoke in a deep voice, "Why do you mortals disturb my peaceful slumber?"

Zhou Li: ...