King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 269

His sincerity was evident, and he paced back and forth with slight anxiety.

I know that Alpha must have its own reasons for deliberately deploying its full strength to prevent the Saturnians from breaking through the "ley lines." The battle has begun, and it certainly won't end easily.

“Feng, you are the only one who can untie this knot. Otherwise, I’m really afraid that after we both suffer heavy losses, the illusion demon will control the situation, and the consequences will be severe.” The great god Tu Liehan sighed. He pressed the switch, and all the images disappeared, leaving only the gray and white walls.

Just a few minutes later, another gray-robed man rushed in, looking disheveled: "The Dragon Control Formation has begun its counterattack! Youlian and the others have temporarily retreated into the earth's veins and are unable to advance. The enemy is using the 'Heavenly Soldier Paper Horse Technique' and the 'Five Thunder Mind-Stabilizing Technique' to attack. The empty courtyard is completely sealed off by fifteen kinds of poisonous insects, and the poisonous gas is filling the sky..."

Sahan's expression changed: "What? So, the opponent's illusions can penetrate all the way into the ley lines? This is a bit troublesome!" He clasped his hands together and bowed to the Earth God, then quickly left with the gray-robed man.

Guiguzi, as the master of Qimen Dunjia, passed down many incredible illusion techniques, almost all of which are captivating and enigmatic.

I really suspect—

"I really suspect that Alpha is either Guiguzi himself or Guiguzi's master. His art of concealment is extremely powerful, and with the huge energy source of the 'Asian Gear' behind him, he can better unleash the essence of illusion. Moreover, he also possesses the power of crystals."

I spoke almost at the same time as the great god Tu Liehan, but in the end, he became a quiet, smiling listener.

If the stalemate continues, the only one who will suffer a defeat is the Earth God, since the world outside the ley lines was created by Alpha. The yin and yang, advance and retreat, changes and transformations within it are all stored in his mind. In the blink of an eye, the great formation can automatically change.

"When necessary, is killing the only way to stop killing? By any means necessary?" He sneered.

That was a situation no one wanted to see, but with Tang Qing's poisonous insects helping Alpha, the Dragon Control Formation had almost no flaws.

"This is our last chance. Between 'falling into the ley lines and escaping into eternal darkness' and 'fighting our way to the light,' I will choose the latter. What about you?" He stared at me, like an untamed eagle gazing at the world in darkness.

"Are you sure?" I calmly reminded him that if the Saturnians' energy was already insufficient, risking their lives to rush out would not be more meaningful than staying in the darkness.

“No—wind, can I trade you a big secret for your help? You lead Sahan and the others to break through the formation and escape the cave. After you succeed, you can get the answer to one question from me, okay? I promise, that's the question you most want to know, and one you've been chasing for a long time.” The light in the room dimmed, but his eyes shone brighter and brighter, like two rising stars.

The surroundings remained deathly silent. Those left outside seemed to be able to easily hold their breath, making no extra sound. I wondered if Suren, on the other side of the crystal wall, was tormented by the enormous noise of the gears spinning. Thinking of Suren, I drifted off again.

The intentions of the great god Tu Liehan are quite clear, and his terms of exchange are even more bizarre. I've been searching desperately for my elder brother Yang Tian, and now I've added Su Lun to the list, but does he know the truth? Or can he give me a clear clue?

"How is it?" he pressed.

I thought for a moment, then shook my head sadly: "No, I'm afraid no one can give me the answer to what I'm looking for."

As a highly influential figure in the martial arts world, Scalpel had tried every method and spent over twenty million US dollars in the fifteen years since his elder brother's disappearance, yet he still couldn't find a single reliable piece of information, and all his efforts had been in vain. I've become immune to the word "information" and will never easily believe it.

"Hehe, nothing is absolute in this world. Both Earthlings and Saturnians believe in this saying. Feng, I originally wanted to save this secret as my most valuable trump card to exchange for something from you at the end, but when it comes to life and death, I can't care about that anymore." He laughed loudly.

I remained very calm, not wanting my hopes to be stirred up only to be crushed by more disappointment: "Please speak, but we both know very well that what I want you may not be able to give me, and what you want I am not confident I can accomplish, right?"

While observing the "Heaven and Earth Spinning Dragon Control Formation" with Tang Xin on the rooftop, I didn't see any flaws in it. This was because swarms of poisonous insects had filled every inch of the formation with life force, turning the original "Fourteen Death Gates, Nine Empty Gates, and One Life Gate" into absolute "Death Gates." Aside from risking one's life to fight the insects, I couldn't see any better way at the moment.

The great god Tu Liehan frowned: "What you can do, at least in you, I sensed a much stronger power. When you killed the shadow of the illusion demon, the aura you displayed and the way of thinking you used had already surpassed the limits of Earthlings. The reason you are still stuck on Earth now is perhaps because the shackles in your mind have not been completely broken—Feng, believe me, Saturnians do not lie, never."

"I hope so." I didn't want to explain any further.

“I hope so too, otherwise, destruction will become an unchangeable destiny. You know what? I don’t want to die before the mission is completed. If the ‘Great Seven’ catastrophe that will destroy Earth is about to happen, I hope to see it and send a report to Saturn in time, because I am their only hope.” He smiled bitterly, but his face still showed a fearless expression.

"Who—" he suddenly called out behind me.

When his energy was nearly depleted, he was just like any other Earthling, lacking any ability to conceal himself or foresee events; he was simply an ordinary person taking things one step at a time. The transition from god to human was clearly an extremely difficult process to adapt to.

Two gray-robed men with white beards appeared in the corridor outside the door. One of them stared at me intently, his hands gripping his long beard tightly. Their hair was strangely coiled on top of their heads and held in place with a bright silver hairpin, like extras who had stepped out of an ancient costume drama.

"Who are you?" Another arrogant gray-robed man asked, almost pointing his chin at me.

"I am the wind. Who are you two?" I guessed they were martial arts masters who had been persuaded by Elder Sahan to ascend to heaven, but they were too old, probably over eighty.

“You know what? Many years ago, anyone who asked me that question would usually only get to ask it once, say one sentence, and then die by my sword. But after all this time, our temperament has improved a lot, and we no longer kill indiscriminately. Otherwise, with so few people here, wouldn’t we have wiped them all out overnight?” He sneered, revealing his clean, white teeth, not a single one missing.

"Hey, junior brother, why are you so agitated? Do you think getting agitated will help you escape this predicament? Will it help you get back to Lingyan Pavilion? After all this time, you still haven't forgotten these words?" The long-bearded man coughed softly, walked past the door, and headed deeper into the corridor.

“I’ve seen you before, kid! Don’t pretend you don’t know me. That day when I was sharpening my sword at Lingyan Pavilion, you walked past the mirror and kept staring at me, didn’t you? Hehe, my nickname in the martial arts world is ‘Fiery Eyes and Meteor Sword.’ Anyone I see once will be remembered for ten years, understand?”

His chin was held high with arrogance, and he didn't take me or the great god Tu Liehan seriously at all.

“Junior brother, come on, let’s go—” the long-bearded man called out.

The aloof man chuckled, his eyes flashing like two drawn daggers, as if ready to strike at any moment.

I had no recollection of him, nor did I remember ever visiting any "Lingyan Pavilion." I simply smiled faintly, not wanting to cause any trouble.

He took a step back, chasing after me deeper into the corridor, then suddenly turned and asked, "Hey, you asked me last time what you could see in a mirror? Now I've found the answer, want to hear it?"

I was taken aback: "A mirror?"

The great god Tu Liehan whispered, "Ignore them, they're madmen, two incurable madmen, their brainwaves are more erratic than a tiger shark's, they're just madmen."

"Want to hear it? If you do, trade it for that 'Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad,' hehehehe, hahahaha..." The arrogant man laughed wildly and strode away. With a flick of his gray robe, he revealed more than a dozen longswords hanging from his belt, which clattered together.

I was stunned again: "How did he know I had the 'Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad' on me?"

The Earth-Cracking God raised his voice with delight: "Wind, I knew you had a way! Where's the 'Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad'? It can ward off evil and kill poison; it's the nemesis of earth's poisonous insects. Give it to me quickly! There's hope of breaking through the formation! Give it to me now—"

For a highly advanced extraterrestrial civilization to lose control of its emotions so desperately in order to survive on Earth is perhaps unprecedented in Earth's history. In tens of thousands of science fiction films worldwide, aliens are always portrayed as powerful, brutal, and vicious, capable of manipulating and tormenting humanity at will. Those ignorant screenwriters should really have a talk with the great writer, Tu Liehan; perhaps they'll be more realistic in their future writing.

"Who are they?" I avoided asking the question posed by the great god Tu Liehan.

“I told you, they’re two lunatics. They’re not the ‘mutated’ material that Sahan found. They just suddenly appeared here. Never mind them. Get the ‘Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad’ out. Hurry, hurry—” He was impatient once again.

Suddenly, I realized that these two gray-robed men did look somewhat familiar. The arrogant man carried so many longswords at his waist, and judging from his haughty demeanor, he must be a top-tier swordsman obsessed with sword practice and addicted to killing. When he coldly yelled at me, his whole being was as chilling as a longsword pressed against someone's neck.

The "Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad" resides within me, but I've developed extreme doubts about the fervent attitude of the Earth-Cracking God. His eagerness to rush to the surface—is it merely to kill the six-armed monster, the Illusion Demon, and rid humanity of this scourge? At the same time, a more acute and realistic question arises: "If all forces join forces to kill the Illusion Demon and break the seal, to whom will the 'Asian Gear' ultimately belong?"

If this problem isn't resolved, there will likely be another fierce battle between Alpha and the god of war, Turkmenistan.

"I want to know the details of how they appeared. The Night-Shining Toad is on me, so there's no need to worry." I hope that the Great God Tu Liehan can calm down, clarify the issue, and then plan the next steps.

"Wind, give it to me—" he snapped, suddenly lunging forward and grabbing at my chest with his right hand.

He was clever, because the glowing toad was in my chest pocket, so it bulged out slightly and was quite noticeable from the outside.

I swiftly retreated, leaping across the doorway and bracing my back against the corridor railing, but he moved even faster, his hand still in the same position, following me like a shadow. This was our first encounter, but it unfolded under completely unfair circumstances, because he was now just an ordinary person, not the lofty and supreme God Tu Liehan.

"Give it to me!" He grabbed my clothes, but I shrank back and snapped his fingers away. Before he could strike again, I grabbed his elbow and squeezed hard enough to make half of his body numb and unable to move.

He staggered back, frowning as he supported his right arm: "You—I told you before, the growth genes in Saturnians are exactly the same as those in Earthlings. I've lost the energy I depend on for survival, and I'm not even as useful as an ignorant warrior from Earth. Wind, give me the Night Toad. I need your help, just like when I defeated the Shadow of the Illusion Demon last time."

In the shadows of his grey robe, he appeared forlorn and desolate, like a beautiful woman in her twilight years.

Part Two, "Asian Gears," is now complete. Please read Part Three, "Mirror Illusion."

Part Three: Mirror Illusion Void, Chapter One: The Mirror Polisher and the Sword Polisher

“I will give you the glowing toads, but I must first know who they are?” As his emotions became increasingly volatile, I felt it was even more necessary to clarify all the issues before deciding what to do.

“There are many people outside, all of them are masters from the era of cold weapons. Feng, do you understand what I mean?” He lowered his thick eyebrows and kept shaking his right hand, indicating that the pain of half-paralysis was not pleasant.

"Rob?" I asked back, unable to suppress a smile.

“Yes, when faced with life and death, we have no other choice but to take the most radical measures. I hope you can forgive us.” His attitude gradually hardened.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and a crisscrossing cross appeared on the chest of his gray robe. It was a precise and effortless strike from me, one that he could only watch helplessly, unable to dodge it.

I just wanted to tell him that no one could dodge this strike unless he could suddenly disappear into thin air, turning into wisps of smoke and a gentle breeze. After the "Blade of Transcendence" once again traversed spatial distance, slashing at him before abruptly retracting, he had completely given up on continuing his threats: "Feng, we can talk this over. Besides, I have the secret you need, right?"

His words stung me once again, because so far, no one's "information" had been of any use in the search for my brother, and I didn't hold out much hope.

"Tell me, but you might not be able to move me." I turned to look at the spot where the two gray-robed men had disappeared.

"You're searching for someone whose essence is similar to yours. Both of you are different from Earthlings, yet outwardly appear completely human. Yes, he came incredibly close to me—I've said it before, in the desert, many Earthlings with my mystical powers could hear my African drumming and follow them. He came too. Most recently, he was less than five kilometers away, almost captured, but then suddenly vanished. You know, even when someone dies, they leave behind traces of residual energy, at least proving they were once somewhere. But his disappearance was sudden, without a trace. Wind, when you appeared, I even thought you were him, suddenly disappearing, then suddenly reappearing. Without a doubt, the person you're looking for is him—"

I gave him a polite smile and responded.

"You don't believe me? You think I'm lying?" He widened his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with my cold reaction.

I shook my head: "No, I believe you, but without geographical coordinates, even if we are only five meters apart, it's like two different worlds, and we'll never see him."

From another perspective, regardless of whether Tu Liehan's feeling was correct, Scalpel was stationed in Cairo year-round. He was extremely familiar with the vegetation and landscape of the desert, even knowing every sand dune, every ridge, and every oasis in that vast expanse of yellow sand dotted with pyramids. If his elder brother had disappeared in the desert, wouldn't Scalpel have received absolutely no news? That's absolutely impossible.

I believe in the extraordinary capabilities of the scalpel. Of course, Suren, having studied far and wide under the tutelage of Master Goro Kannan, has the potential to surpass his master. What they, brother and sister, cannot do, no one else in all of Africa can.

The words of the great god Turkham were so vague that finding a person in the Egyptian desert was no easier than finding a needle in a haystack.

"Of course, as long as my spacecraft is fully charged, there's nothing on Earth that can't be accomplished. Wind, help me break through the ley lines, and the world will be yours and mine." He finally smiled.

"I need to talk to those two. The variations of the Dragon Control Formation will eventually come to an end. Let Youlian and the others come down. There's no point in fighting head-on."

I ignored the answer from the great god Tu Liehan and walked straight into the deep darkness.

He called out "Feng" behind me, and then there was no more.

He is very wise; once he discovers another way to peacefully resolve the dispute, he certainly won't risk attacking again. Cooperating with such a person is indeed very worry-free.

The corridor was deep and winding, seemingly endless even after three days and three nights. If this were truly a Saturnian spacecraft, I couldn't see the purpose of such a long and flat building structure, so different from human spacecraft design. Life's encounters are truly unpredictable; I thought that parting ways with the great god Tu Liehan in the desert would be a permanent separation, yet now I'm truly standing on the same spacecraft.

"What a painful end it would be if their energy were exhausted and they were forever trapped in the dark ley lines—" To be forever stuck on an alien planet, until they turn into silent dust fragments, would be an utter failure in anyone's eyes. Suddenly, I was filled with sighs and pity for the future of the Saturnian spacecraft.

On the other hand, isn't Alpha the same? Returning from space, he finds his Earth completely changed, and the appearance of his fellow humans has also changed drastically. What will be his fate?

"What are you looking for?" Someone appeared silently in the darkness, only their eyes gleaming coldly, filled with an extremely hostile murderous intent. Usually, those with that kind of gaze are either butchers or assassins.

"Looking for you." I stopped and slowly leaned against the railing, watching the aloof gray-robed man slowly stroll out. About thirty paces behind him, there was a brightly lit wall, emitting a faint silver light.

"Looking for me? You want to exchange the 'Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad' for an answer?" He smiled maliciously, making me feel vaguely uneasy.

"Snap, snap," he slowly tapped his nails, his eyes constantly scanning me out of the corner of his eye, filled with contempt and greed.

"Have you really seen me? Where? When?" As I traveled, I kept searching my memory for the name "Lingyan Pavilion," which must have appeared in some famous historical site in mainland China. As a temple dedicated to praising the achievements of the Tang Dynasty after its founding, the three characters "Lingyan Pavilion" represent a glorious moment in the long river of history. The images of hundreds of meritorious officials of the Tang Dynasty were depicted on it, making it the most longed-for place for patriots throughout the ages.

"I've already told you, Lingyan Pavilion. It's adjacent to the Imperial-built Xiangguo Temple on the left, the Invincible General's Mansion on the right, and directly opposite the Temple of Mountains and Rivers. Lingyan Pavilion is unique in the world. Kid, stop playing dumb. For so long, every time I close my eyes, I see the look in your eyes when you're staring at me in the mirror. There's no mistake, that's you." He pointed triumphantly to the silver wall behind him.

It turned out to be a mirror, but not a mercury glass mirror; it was a bronze mirror that could only be seen in ancient historical dramas.

I walked toward the mirror, where another long-bearded man was carefully wiping the bronze mirror with a white cloth in his hand, meticulous and cautious.

There wasn't much light around me, and as I approached, I could vaguely see my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't remember the last time I'd looked in a mirror; it seemed like ever since I took off from Hokkaido, I'd stopped caring about my appearance and only thought about the person and name "Suren."

The mirror is approximately three meters high and five meters wide. Such a large bronze mirror was extremely rare in ancient times, as the casting technology of that era was insufficient to produce such a large-scale work of art. Its frame is engraved with complete animal head patterns, all polished to a gleaming shine by the long-bearded man.

"A perfect mirror, isn't it?" The long-bearded man coughed lightly, straightened up, and let out a long sigh. He reached out and stroked the patterns. "The casting techniques of the Western Region craftsmen are said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother of the West of the Candle Dragon Spirit Mountain. They are exquisite and ingenious, something that mirror casters in the Central Plains can never achieve."

His words were profound and strange, and I couldn't quite understand them. I followed his example and stretched out my hand. The bronze mirror was chilling, and the patterns on it felt very delicate. It was indeed a rare and exquisite antique.

The mirror was embedded in the wall, covering the entire surface, fitting perfectly against the stone wall on all four sides. To this day, I still can't understand what material the great god Tu Liehan's flying machine is made of. Last time in the desert, we used the world's top drilling rigs to barely open a passage. That thing that looks no different from the stone wall might be some kind of unknown high-strength metal.

"Senior brother, I told you, this kid is the one we met before. If we capture him and torture him for three days and three nights, we'll find out exactly where we are, okay?" The aloof man stood at a 45-degree angle behind me, forming an encirclement with the long-bearded man, blocking all my escape routes.

His malice was obvious, but the long-bearded man kept shaking his head: "Him? So young, what could he know?"

The arrogant man was about to shout again, but the long-bearded man stopped him with a wave of his hand: "Ao Bai, you have delayed Qiu Ran Ke's plan to restore the country and have already lost the trust of the world. What's the use of shouting and making trouble for others here? Why don't you go back and reflect on your mistakes?" The melancholy on his face vanished, and he suddenly revealed an aura of dominance over the world and control over the universe.

"It's not my fault! It's not my fault—" The aloof man stamped his foot, and the long sword at his waist began to clang. "We were all prepared, just waiting for the King of Qin to appear. Yes, yes, I shouldn't have opened that door, I shouldn't have touched that mirror. It's all my fault, but how could I have known it would end like this? The memories our master passed on to us were clearly divided. I sharpened the sword, you sharpened the mirror. No one in the world understands the secrets of mirrors better than you, right? Now the problem lies with the mirror, and you blame me and scold me?"

I stepped aside, because I could already feel the immense killing intent emanating from his eyes.