The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang

Chapter 21

The muscular man's actions terrified Princess Jenny, who shouted to stop him, "No! Muscular man, do you want everyone to die without a burial place? The Black Vein just cast a dark spell, and we must wait until the spell wears off before we can attack. If you fire now, the situation may change."

The tough guy gritted his teeth in hatred and had no choice but to wildly spray the ice snake with the gun he had raised.

Princess Jenny finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost been scared to death by the burly man. Although the Black Vein only had one percent of its power left, according to the current destruction standards, this power was enough to wipe out the entire Star River Continent. She just didn't have time to finish speaking, and it almost caused a disaster. Hearing what Princess Jenny said, everyone was sweating bullets. Fortunately, Princess Jenny stopped her in time.

Before anyone could think any further, the eldest brother gradually calmed down and collapsed. I quickly went over to support him. It looked like he had been tormented by the evil magic and was now completely exhausted.

Just as we were secretly rejoicing that our leader had been spared, Black Pulse suddenly opened its mouth. The huge, dark hole in its mouth didn't reveal a red forked tongue. Just as we were wondering what trick it was up to this time, Princess Jenny cried out in alarm, "Everyone, scatter! That's a Phantom Flash!"

From the pitch-black cavern, black gas was continuously being drawn out, gradually brewing into a red fireball, and a dazzling red light shot towards us...

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure - Chapter Twenty-Seven: Escape

Chapter word count: 2089 Update time: 08-03-13 17:32

The black veins kept absorbing black energy, and as the flow accelerated, we sensed something was wrong. At the first sign of the fireball and Princess Jenny's shouts, we split up and threw our darts. But the red light came incredibly fast and with tremendous force. Before we had even flown twenty meters, the red light was already shining down. Although we dodged the direct hit from the intense light, the force of the afterglow still threw us violently away.

This jolt felt like a powerful force shoving us, throwing us both over. Our leader was exhausted, and after this attack, the pterosaur was immediately severed and disappeared. Just as we were falling into the air, I grabbed our leader, thinking: Even if I fall from this height of 10,000 meters, I will protect our leader even if it means death.

Suddenly, a shockwave pushed up from the ground, slowing our descent. I turned my head and saw a huge fireball rising below, the heat as intense as if it were burning. This… this Cero is so powerful? If we were hit by it, wouldn't we be ashes? I finally understood Princess Jenny's scream earlier, and I smiled bitterly to myself. This time, we've encountered nothing but terrifying monsters.

In a flash, we were rushing downhill at a speed of 100 meters per second, with ice snakes swarming from behind. I was wondering if we could even protect ourselves when a giant bird appeared. It carried us down a steep slope at an astonishing speed. But even the giant bird couldn't outrun a pterosaur. Soon, the ice snakes caught up. I raised my gun, but at that speed, it was impossible to aim. I could only spray bullets wildly in the direction I was facing.

Fighting under these conditions, my eyesight and judgment have reached their limits, and I am powerless to do anything more. I can only hold my eldest brother's weakened body and hope that we can land safely, but in this situation, it seems that hope is dashed.

Just as I was feeling sorrowful, a clear piano melody came, like the warmth of autumn sunshine rushing into my heart. This time we were saved. As long as Lucy played her piano, we had a glimmer of hope. I saw the strings shoot out sharply, piercing the dark sky and shattering the ice snake that was coming at me. It fell like snowflakes in the cold winter, dancing all over the sky. The scene was simply breathtaking.

The sound of the piano surrounded us, omnipresent.

The sky was filled with countless ice snakes.

This time, it's all about cutting off the enemy's supply lines; success or failure hinges on this battle.

Lucy unleashed her signature technique, "Shadow of the Melodious Piano," filling the air with vibrant light and melodies. The ice serpent's speed was slowed, and the distance between them gradually increased. I cheered! This bought us time to land. In no time, the large bird flapped its wings rapidly and cried out. I knew it was time to land. Once on the ground, we could move freely and unleash even greater destructive power.

Me, Meng Nan, Bai Shi Tong, Shan Ji, and I were full of confidence as we held our guns. In the sky, you protected us; now that we're on the ground, it's our turn to protect you. The four of us stood in a row and fired a barrage of shots into the dim sky. Long tongues of fire spewed out our furious emotions, shattering the ice snake into pieces.

After a burst of catharsis, feeling a sense of satisfaction and relief, my chest felt much lighter. I had been holding this in for far too long. I quickly replaced the magazine and fired another burst of bullets. Princess Jenny was already holding down our guns and said, "Quickly help Instructor Henry up. Let's go. We can't linger here."

We were just acting out of momentary anger, but after Princess Jenny's words, we suddenly came to our senses. The enemy is countless ice serpents, and behind us is that extremely monstrous old monster, Black Vein. If we don't leave now, we might not be able to leave at all.

I quickly slung my gun over my shoulder, carried the boss, and followed behind Princess Jenny. Lian and Lucy brought up the rear. Only then did I realize that we had landed on a grassy field. The terrain was uneven and full of potholes. Carrying a large person on my back and running on such a path made me feel like my body was falling apart. The weeds were waist-high, and there was no path at all. Once we landed, we couldn't see the end of the field. All we could see was a dark mass of shadows at the end of the grassland. That must be the towering trees of the Devil's Forest.

Now that we've landed, why not summon the pets on the ground? They're much faster than us on two legs. Just as I was about to ask, Princess Jenny interrupted my thoughts and said, "Tenglong, watch out for me. Which way are you running?"

That's when I realized I had strayed from the group and run in another direction. Seeing everyone staring at me, I felt embarrassed and quickly caught up. It seemed I had been thinking about something and hadn't noticed when the group suddenly turned, so I just kept running forward.

Running on the ground was too slow, and the ice snakes in the sky had covered the entire sky. Even if we ran to the ends of the earth, we couldn't escape the clutches of these ice snakes. I couldn't run anymore, so I plopped down on the grass, panting and saying, "Ouch... I... I'm not running anymore. This... this life of running for my life is just... too unbearable. Anyway, we're going to die anyway, so... let's just fight them."

The eldest brother didn't say anything, he could only lie down next to me, panting heavily. It seemed he didn't even have the strength to speak.

The muscular man patted his chest repeatedly, catching his breath before saying, "That's right! We're not running anymore. Brothers, we don't ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we ask to die on the same day, month, and year."

The pheasant didn't make any grand pronouncements; he simply asked from the side, "Princess Jenny, can't we stop running? Why don't you just get a few horses? They're better than our two legs."

The all-knowing man cleared his throat and said, "I don't think the birds are going to make it. The ice snakes have taken over the best positions. We have the advantage of terrain now. Why don't you get a few cheetahs that are as fast as lightning? Maybe we can save our lives."

Princess Jenny, seeing that everyone was panting heavily and that her own legs were weak from exhaustion, frowned and said, "My summoning power is almost exhausted. The giant bird disappeared the moment it landed. If I hadn't controlled it with my willpower, we probably wouldn't have been able to get back to the ground. Now, the only power I have left is enough to summon a pet for a short time once more. I must not use it unless absolutely necessary."

Hearing Princess Jenny say that, faced with so many ice snakes, our lives are doomed. At this moment, when I think of the beauties in the capital city, I can't help but sigh to the heavens.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure, Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Vein

Chapter word count: 2272 Update time: 08-03-13 17:33

A beautiful night, a perfect time, a passionate night—it's priceless, beyond words.

A powerful flare ripped through the dim sky, its trail of sparks and light tracing arcs that revealed the surroundings before vanishing into the horizon. The environment was now clearly visible: a layer of ice snakes pressed down on the sky, obscuring the sunlight, and the grass and trees behind us were also covered with ice snakes. We had no choice but to run forward; we probably wouldn't have been able to retreat before we reached a dead end.

What should we do? The swarm of snakes was rushing towards us. In the brief moment we hesitated, the ice snakes had already surrounded us. The oppressive atmosphere made us feel a sense of relief.

Without a word, Lian raised her sword and unleashed a burst of light. The light was thin and faint, completely devoid of any killing intent. A sense of desolation filled her heart. Was her power truly gone? Could she no longer exert any of it? Enraged, she refused to admit defeat and continued to slash with her sword. However, she lost her footing and collapsed onto the grass. Her hands gripped her sword tightly, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath. It seemed that Lian had reached the very end.

I touched the ammunition in my equipment bag; a third of it was already used up, and the remaining two-thirds wouldn't be enough to withstand such a large-scale attack. I looked at everyone; the leader was still lying on the ground, and it seemed unlikely he would recover in a day or two. Now, with the addition of Lian, Princess Jenny, and two guards, the only one still capable of fighting was Lucy.

All eyes were on Lucy, who busily and efficiently replaced the three broken strings. She didn't look at us, but simply sat cross-legged, placed the zither flat on her chest and legs, pressed her ten fingers against the twenty-one strings, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

His series of actions were truly admirable. He remained calm and composed in the face of adversity, which is what makes him a person capable of great things.

Just as the music began, Princess Jenny reminded everyone, "Once we break through a gap, we'll rush out. Then everyone will follow my command. Whether we live or die will depend on our own fate."

At this moment, with swarms of snakes pressing in, what grand words could be uttered? Everyone understood that they would advance and retreat together, share life and death, and the opportunity would instantly depend on each individual.

The ice snake was getting closer and closer. I crouched to the east, the tough guy to the south, the know-it-all to the west, and the pheasant to the north. Lucy stood in the middle, surrounding the boss, Lian, Princess Jenny, Xin, and Sally, forming a square. We raised our guns and crouched down, aiming at the approaching ice snake. To my horror, the dim light made it impossible to see far, and the terrain was full of potholes and overgrown with weeds taller than waist-high, making it impossible to see the ice snake under the weeds.

I looked helplessly at the sky, which was gloomy and dark. I didn't know if it was day or night, or if I would ever see the sun rise again. All I knew was that I instinctively pulled the bolt back, preparing for the final shot.

It's here!

Ten meters...

Eight meters...

Six meters...

Just as I was about to pull the trigger, the piano rang out with a loud "hum," and I suddenly felt a powerful force coming from behind like a shockwave, like waves passing through my body without any obstacles. The weeds swayed gently like waves on the sea, and countless ice snakes instantly turned into dust along with the weeds. A scene of luminous light appeared before my eyes.

That's really impressive!

I thought to myself, thinking back to the days when we were in the Kingdom of Kacha, doing those "Robin Hood" things and being chased by knights. Those were already pretty crazy moves, but compared to Lucy's, they were nothing. This time, I really believe that there are always people better than you. It seems that my worldview of looking down on everyone else and only caring about the boss is about to change.

The first move of the Eight Sounds of Heavenly Vein: A Thousand Armies and Ten Thousand Horses.

I didn't turn around; my eyes remained fixed ahead. But I could hear Lucy's voice. I believed that Chicken, Manly Man, and Know-It-All were the same as me. Could it be that Lucy's contract name is the Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Vein?

I remember the boss once said that only Lucy's contract skill hadn't been used yet, so I wonder how powerful it is?

Judging from this, it's an incredibly powerful skill. I was already amazed when I saw Ice Harp String Blood deal with Ghost Mist before, and I really don't know what miracles will happen this time. Which one is the most powerful: String Music, Sword, or Summoning? Or are there other even more powerful schools? Thinking about this, I need to choose the most powerful skill first. If I really survive this ordeal today, and one day enter the Magic and Martial Arts Academy, I can ask Princess Jenny for help. After all, we were once friends who went through thick and thin together.

The string snapped with a "clang," sending a jolt through me and making my blood boil. I cursed inwardly: Damn it! Here we go again.

I remember being badly hurt by it last time, so this time I was prepared. Before the second string broke, I quickly stuffed cotton paper into my ears. Now the world should be quiet.

Hehe… I was laughing triumphantly when the second snapping of the string still made my hands go numb and my vision blur. What… what is going on? I had already stuffed cotton paper in my mouth, so I shouldn't be able to hear it, right? Could it be that the sound produced by the string is based on wavelength vibrations, related to nerve sensation, and not hearing?

This discovery filled me with horror. I didn't know when the cotton paper I had stuffed in my ears had been shaken out. At this point, I was lying on the ground, unable to move, and could only tilt my head and look at the sky.

Countless ice serpents have died or been injured. A giant dragon flies in the dim sky. No! It is not a dragon. Judging from its shape and the way it moves, it is not a dragon at all. The black lines should be the black veins of the giant serpent that is coiled in the sky.

The black veins spread rampantly, and the heavens were filled with fear.

Streaks of lightning were reflected from the dark veins' scales in the sky, their dazzling light illuminating the heavens and earth. Yet, it represented an evil force. Lucy shouted:

"The Fifth Form of the Eight Sounds of the Celestial Vein: The Azure Sky of the Sea!"

Before my eyes, the sea surged and rose to the sky. Black veins flowed in the water, and blue and ghostly lights appeared side by side, tearing at each other. A series of hissing sounds came. The sea boiled as soon as it saw the light. The sound of strings evoked thousands of winged fish. The black veins snaked, and a howling wind suddenly rose. A tornado like a mountain collapsing and the sea crashing down came. With a loud "boom", the thousands of winged fish disappeared completely, and everything returned to normal.

"Well!"

Lucy, unable to contain her surging blood and qi, opened her mouth and spewed out a torrent of hot steam, filling me with a salty, metallic scent that I could smell as fresh blood. Oh no! Was Lucy seriously injured? I tried to get up to help, but my body was firmly held in place by the music, and I couldn't muster any strength. Just as I was filled with anxiety, Lucy cried out in anguish:

"Sixth Form of the Eight Sounds of Heavenly Veins: Heavenly Sound Subduing Demons!"

A powerful and intense piano melody rang out, followed by a series of broken piano notes, "clang, clang, clang..." I knew that Lucy's final strength was also nearing its end.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure - Chapter Twenty-Nine: Skeleton Armor

Chapter word count: 2336 Update time: 08-03-13 17:33

This time was different from the past. The melody was layered with peaks and valleys, taking a completely powerful approach. Although I am very knowledgeable about music, what I saw before my eyes told me that the heavenly music had begun to subdue demons.

Although I was extremely anxious and hated myself for not being able to do anything, I didn't turn back. I didn't want to see Lucy fighting like she was dying for us and for everyone. That feeling was worse than death.

The Heavenly Sound Subdues Demons, formed from the opening of heaven and earth and the laws of nature. In my eyes appeared three huge skulls, shining with white light, as sturdy as warriors, wielding large swords. Could they be skeleton soldiers?

I once heard the boss mention the contract of the laws of nature, which can be arbitrarily bound to a powerful spiritual belief, such as darkness or light. As long as you can find the proof of the ancient contract, you can have great power. Generally speaking, pets have standards for choosing people, and the proof of this ancient contract is not so easy for one person to see. It has an invisibility technique.

Skeleton Armor is a puppet manipulated by the spirit through the influence of stringed sounds in the Illusionary Law. It has great destructive power. It is worth mentioning that it is an immortal and indestructible consumable, capable of enduring prolonged battles until the opponent is exhausted and killed.

I don't know if it actually works. After all, I heard it from the boss. I've admired the boss since I was a child. If he said so, it can't be wrong. But I've already opened my eyes wide to look. It's said that there are threads to control the puppet. Why can't I see any?

The silk threads are used to control the puppet's movements, giving it a complete human-like thought and intention. If you say it's a cold-blooded machine that kills without blinking an eye, you're wrong. Under its master's control, it's a weapon with its own thoughts, changing with the master's emotions.

As for what era these skeleton armors belonged to, that remains unknown. The boss didn't finish his story, so I treated it as just a story. I guess even the boss himself didn't know. I thought it was just nonsense. Now it seems that stories can become reality.

The skeleton armor was five zhang tall, its entire body based on a human skeleton, without any flesh or expression. With a skull, ribs, and two bone legs, it was thick and huge, with white bone material, becoming a highlight in this dim world.

Holding a single sword, they stood before me like three towering silver mountains. I lay on the ground, desperately trying to look up at the extraordinary sight before me. Such an unprecedented battle—to miss it would be a lifelong regret.

I don't know if Chicken, Manly Man, or Know-It-All saw it, but I think they felt the same way I did about such a spectacular fight.

As soon as the skeleton armor appeared, the Black Vein roared. Judging from its aura, the Black Vein was not only cold-blooded but also belligerent. It had already launched the first attack. A breath of air rapidly spewed from its gigantic black maw, sweeping in like a Category 12 typhoon. The tornado was so large that it reached from the heavens to the earth's veins, as if it wanted to devour everything. The skeleton armor opened its mouth, baring its exposed teeth, and roared wildly. The sound was so violent that it felt like I was being violently squeezed. I opened my mouth and roared along with it...

Three skeletal armored soldiers swung their swords, slashing directly at the oncoming tornado. Powerful, lightning-fast blade shadows shot out and disappeared into the black, misty wind. A series of hissing sounds followed. Just as the tornado was about to reach me, suddenly, beams of bright light burst forth from it without a sound. A blinding white light filled my vision, and I quickly closed my eyes. When I opened them again, everything had returned to calm.

sharp!

I couldn't hide my excitement, my face beaming with joy. If I could shout it out, I would have yelled it out loud. Leaping through the air, that move was just too cool. That knife must have weighed at least tens of thousands of pounds. To be able to draw and swing it so quickly was truly astonishing.

Princess Jenny saw it clearly, but she didn't speak. Unlike us, who are completely powerless, she wasn't stunned by the music. She just frowned, which didn't seem like a good omen.

Regardless of what everyone else is thinking, just being able to witness such a spectacular scene makes my death worthwhile. A surge of emotion welled up inside me. To survive in this world, one must possess such absolute power. I envy them, my blood is boiling, and a restless feeling makes me forget all thoughts of death. When will it be my turn to take the stage?

Black Vein was furious at failing to land a single blow. He had never felt anything like it before, seeing the three skeleton soldiers standing with their swords drawn, looking down on him with disdain. After being trapped for thousands of years, he had finally managed to escape. How could he possibly swallow this humiliation? Black Vein roared, and hundreds of thousands, even billions, of ice snakes coiled up from the sky and the ground, like ants swarming across the mountains and fields.

It seems that Black Pulse is not planning to do it himself this time, but has handed it over to these ice snakes. I find it strange. Black Pulse is cold-blooded and combative, how could it let these little snakes take the field? This is inconsistent with its personality and does not make sense. Does it have some kind of secret operation?

Before I could think any further, I saw three skeleton soldiers plunge their large swords into the ground. I was shocked: What were those?

The exposed half of the blade emitted a circular wave of light that shot out in all directions, instantly brightening the entire space as if it were daytime. I saw the ferocious ice serpent rushing towards me with its eyes wide open, and then it paused slightly before its slashing motion was obscured by the wave-like light.

A crisp "thump" rang out, forming a chaotic symphony of emotions. I felt a surge of heat slowly crawling from my dantian, as slow as a snail, making me feel as hot as if I were in a volcanic river. I was in agony! I was going crazy! My eyes shot out two beams of red light. What...what...what's wrong with me? Could it be that I, like the boss, have been possessed by this evil black vein magic?

Just when I was feeling so bad I could barely stand it, my whole body felt light and I suddenly felt normal again. Huh! What happened to me? I don't feel uncomfortable at all now. I shook my head, and apart from not being able to move my whole body, it was as if nothing had happened. It was as if I remembered rolling around, going crazy, and being burned.

The flash of light interrupted my thoughts, and the silence returned to darkness. The ice serpents that had pressed in earlier were nowhere to be seen. Had they all been eliminated? I peered out suspiciously, only to hear a series of sinister laughs coming from the air, like the chilling breath of winter. My teeth chattered.

My body was trembling uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, my hair was completely white, even my eyebrows were white, and my lips were purple. When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a snowdrift. How... how did this turn into a snowy winter? What surprised me even more was that the three skeleton soldiers in front of me, along with their swords, had turned into three ice sculptures. Behind the ice sculptures were countless thin ice threads. Could those be the threads that control the puppets?

I stared in disbelief as I saw the three ice sculptures crack open with tiny fissures, then burst open with a series of cracking sounds, instantly turning into three piles of snow dust. How... how could this be? I simply couldn't believe it. Didn't our boss say the skeleton armor was immortal and indestructible? But here it was?

Hehehe...

The sinister laughter echoed through the sky once more, and I felt as if I were witnessing a dark hell.

The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang (Side Story): The Dragon's Treasure of Heaven, Chapter Thirty: Bloodshed in the Frozen Sky

Chapter word count: 2089 Update time: 08-03-19 17:48