DipNovel Chapter 36 Bronze Divine Tree
Chapter 36 Bronze Divine Tree
Amidst the deafening roar of the water, Qin Yuan clung to the thick iron chain, staring at the chaotic scene in the waterfall pool below.
Wu Xie and the others were swept down the waterfall by the rushing water and plunged heavily into the deep pool. Water splashed everywhere, and their figures bobbed and sank in the churning white foam. Qin Yuan squinted, quickly identifying the position of each person.
Uncle Tai, the leader, and his two men struggled to swim towards the rock wall on one side. Wu Xie and Liang Shiye, who wore glasses and looked frail, were swept to the center of the pool by the current. The two had obviously hit something when they fell and had lost consciousness. Their bodies were drifting helplessly with the whirlpool and were about to sink to the bottom.
Qin Yuan tensed his arm muscles, preparing to leap down to save the person, but just as he was about to give it his all, a sudden change occurred!
On a rocky beach by the pool, which had been empty, the air suddenly began to distort strangely, like a visual illusion caused by the sweltering heat of summer. But the distortion quickly expanded and solidified. In the blink of an eye, a living figure emerged from the void.
With a buzz cut, triangular eyes, and a bell earring, who else could it be but Lao Yang?
He was completely dry, not a single drop of water on his clothes, as if he had never been in the water. Lao Yang's face appeared unusually pale in the dim light, and a fleeting, inhuman emptiness flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He cautiously glanced around, and after confirming that no one else was paying attention, he quickly took off his outer garment and leaped into the pool.
He was an excellent swimmer, his movements unusually agile. In a few strokes, he reached Wu Xie and Master Liang. With one in each arm, he dragged the two unconscious people, struggling but determined, towards the shore.
Upon reaching the shallows, he dragged the two onto the gravel, checked their breathing, and pressed hard on their chests. Wu Xie was the first to spit out a few mouthfuls of water and cough violently, while Liang Shiye also groaned, showing signs of waking up.
Qin Yuan slowly loosened his grip on the iron chain, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. Lao Yang's ability to appear out of nowhere was far from ordinary. Combining the clues in the original work with Lao Yang's previous unnatural behavior, this person indeed harbored a great secret. This was probably not as simple as just an ordinary "materialization" ability.
Since Wu Xie was not in immediate danger, and Lao Yang seemed to be saving someone, Qin Yuan changed his mind. He decided to remain hidden for the time being and continue to observe from the shadows. What exactly was Lao Yang's purpose? Did he really bring Wu Xie here just to save his mother?
Having made up his mind, Qin Yuan used the mist and roar of the waterfall as cover, moved laterally along the iron chain, and circled around to the back of the waterfall's curtain of water.
The rock face there was slippery and covered in moss, but it was like flat ground for him, who could climb as if defying gravity. He quietly climbed ashore from the side of the waterfall, his figure disappearing into the shadows on the bank, as if merging into the darkness.
Instead of looking at Lao Yang, he spread his senses out and simultaneously issued new instructions to the alien squad scattered in the mine tunnels behind him via mental connection.
Send two of the most agile Xenomorphs to lurk in the crevices or underwater near the waterfall pool, secretly monitoring and protecting Wu Xie. They can intervene to save Wu Xie should he face a fatal threat, but must remain hidden and avoid exposure unless absolutely necessary. The remaining Xenomorphs will maintain a perimeter watch.
After making the arrangements, Qin Yuan began exploring the area behind the waterfall. It was more open than he had expected, resembling a huge underground space transformed from a natural cave. He followed the direction with the most obvious artificial traces and the most stagnant feng shui energy, and soon arrived at the edge of a cliff.
Below the cliff, thousands of wooden coffins lay densely packed and neatly arranged! These coffins were of ancient style, their surfaces carved with indistinct patterns, arranged according to a specific rule. The passageways between the coffins were intricate and complex, dizzying to behold. All the coffins were shrouded in a thin, misty, grayish-white aura, exuding a chilling stillness and ominousness.
In the northeast corner of the entire coffin array, there is a noticeable gap. There is nothing there, but instead, there is a dark hole, like the open mouth of a giant beast, with no bottom in sight.
"The coffin array locks the acupoint, and the Yin energy gathers and does not disperse..." Qin Yuan stood on the edge of the cliff, carefully examining the layout of the coffins below.
"The celestial bodies have shifted, and the earth's veins have broken here... The placement of these coffins is not a simple burial complex, but a suppression formation." Qin Yuan muttered to himself, gesturing in the air with his fingers. "The Qian position is missing, the Kun position is full, and the Zhen and Xun positions are intertwined... This is a variation of the Nine Yin Locking Dragon Formation, but with added reversals. If ordinary tomb raiders do not understand the key points and rashly enter the coffin formation, they will inevitably trigger the Yin energy and fall into the maze, where they will be trapped and die."
He carefully observed the empty opening: "The gate of life is hidden within the deadly trap, and the only way out is that opening. However, the opening is located at the pivotal position of the Yin energy flow in the entire formation. Going directly through it will instantly trigger a backlash from all the Yin energy." Qin Yuan pondered for a moment and began to rapidly deduce in his mind.
"Nine Yin Locking Dragon uses coffins as eyes and corpses as nails. The way to break the deadlock is not to force your way in, but to follow and guide it!" His gaze swept over several key points of the coffin formation. "First, you need to use Yang blood to ignite the darkest main coffin in the southeast Fire position to disrupt the Yin energy circulation. Then, take advantage of the moment when the Yin energy flows and the formation is briefly stagnant, cut in from the Kan Water position, avoid the hidden mechanisms on the ground and the flowing evil energy, and travel in a straight line to the cave entrance. The time must not exceed seven breaths."
Having completed the deduction, Qin Yuan no longer hesitated. He bit his fingertip, squeezing out a few drops of blood. The alien's blood was extremely yin and poisonous, but it also contained a strong aggressive nature, making it perfect for disrupting the yin energy.
He aimed at the stone coffin in the southeast corner of the array of coffins below, a color darker than the others, almost blackish-purple, and flicked his finger. A drop of blood shot out, hitting the lid of the blackish-purple stone coffin.
"laugh--!"
The moment the blood droplet touched the coffin lid, it emitted a piercing screech and billowed a thick plume of black smoke! The grayish-white aura permeating the entire coffin array abruptly halted, then began to surge chaotically, like a disturbed swarm of bees. Countless venomous hisses faintly echoed from the basin, sending chills down one's spine.
It's now!
Qin Yuan leaped off the cliff, landing silently. Without stopping, his movements were like lightning, speeding along the route map in his mind! His first step landed on a blue stone at the junction of the Qian and Kan positions, his second step spun around to avoid the black arrow of energy that suddenly shot out from the gap in a coffin on his left, his third step, his fourth step... He was like dancing on the edge of a knife, weaving through the densely packed coffins, his figure leaving afterimages in his wake.
A slight tremor came from the ground beneath his feet, as if some mechanism had been triggered, but it was always a step too late. The stone coffins on either side made soft "clicking" sounds, and the lids trembled slightly, as if the things inside were about to break out at any moment, but were blocked by the chaotic yin energy and could not cooperate.
Five breaths, six breaths, seven breaths!
Qin Yuan's figure passed through the last few wooden coffins like a ghost, and with a leap, he entered the cave! The moment he entered the cave, the Yin energy of the entire coffin array behind him suddenly surged back, emitting a shrill shriek, but it could no longer affect him.
Beyond the cave entrance lay a narrow, man-made passageway, its air cold and dry, a stark contrast to the damp environment outside. Qin Yuan glanced back and could faintly hear voices coming from the direction of the distant waterfall. Wu Xie and the others seemed to have woken up; their voices were muffled by the layers of rock walls and the sound of water, making them difficult to discern.
"They're so slow," Qin Yuan shook his head. He sensed the two lurking aliens through their mental connection. They were quietly lying in the crevices of the rocks by the pool, their innocent aura steady, posing no immediate danger.
"Keeping them here to provide support is enough," Qin Yuan thought. He was determined to obtain the core of the Bronze Tree and needed to contact and study it before Wu Xie and the others. If he waited for Wu Xie and the others to arrive, there would be too many people around, and Lao Yang wouldn't know the full extent of the problem, making it harder to make his move.
Without further hesitation, he turned and quickly moved forward along the secret passage. The passage wound its way into the heart of the mountain. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a metallic outline, different from the texture of rock, began to appear in the distance. An indescribable energy fluctuation began to permeate the air, faintly resonating with the energy of the meteorite fragments he had absorbed earlier.
Qin Yuan's heart raced slightly; he knew that his target was getting closer.
When he finally emerged from the secret passage and saw the scene before him, even though he was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but feel a sudden tightness in his chest.
It was a vast underground space whose grandeur and eeriness defied description. In the center of the space, a bronze tree, enormous beyond imagination, rose from the bottomless abyss, piercing the endless darkness above.
The trunk is so thick that even a hundred people would have to encircle it. Its surface is covered with intricate and incomprehensible patterns and protrusions, shimmering with a dark bronze luster. Countless thick and thin bronze branches extend in all directions, some even deeply embedded in the surrounding rock walls, as if this bronze tree itself were the support and master of this underground world.
What's even more awe-inspiring is that the entire bronze tree emanates an extremely faint yet pervasive pulse that seems to penetrate the very soul. It's like a colossal, dormant heart.
Qin Yuan's bloodline surged with unprecedented activity, and the tattoo on his left shoulder blade burned with a burning sensation, as if yearning for something. The system's notification also sounded in his mind:
[High concentration of the "ultimate" secondary energy core—the Bronze Divine Tree—detected. Energy field strength: extremely high. Materialization distortion coefficient: extremely dangerous. Host, please handle with caution.]
Qin Yuan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He scanned the surroundings of the bronze tree, searching for possible traps or guards, and where exactly the so-called energy core was located on the tree.