Chapter 210: The Black Temple
"Mhm?"
Yi Chen and the others had their attention drawn by Gao Zhen’s words as their eyes followed the direction of her gaze.
A few tattered clothes, which were in much better condition than the ones they had seen earlier, were lying on the ground a few feet away.
However, it wasn’t the clothes that had attracted Gao Zhen’s attention, but the item beside them.
Taking a few steps forward, she picked up a ring that was lying next to one of the robes and said, "It also looks like they were quite affluent."
"Isn’t that just a storage ring?" Zhou Lan asked with a frown.
"Yes, but along with that..." Gao Zhen said with a confident expression and continued, "...It’s also the latest model of the portable storage artefact.
Though it’s not present in our White Jade Kingdom, from my intel, it’s been making waves in the top-ranked kingdoms.
Therefore, from this, it’s evident that the wearer had entered the tomb alongside us."
Both Zhou Lan and Xie Rou nodded in understanding.
Meanwhile, something else entirely was going on in Yi Chen’s mind.
Lifting his right hand, he asked while showing his storage ring, "How different is it from my storage ring?"
Although he had received this ring as a gift, he still vividly remembered Gao Zhen’s words from back then regarding it being very famous in the Jade city among nobles. Along with that, he also clearly remembered that its market price was a full hundred high-grade spirit stones!
Therefore, the desire to know where his storage ring stood with respect to the one Gao Zhen was holding rose in his heart.
"Very different." Gao Zhen answered honestly and explained, "While the ring I gave you is still one of the best we have in the White Jade Kingdom, compared to the ones that get sold in top-ranked Kingdoms, it’s still miles away."
She paused while fiddling with the ring and continued, "Like this model has a capacity of 50 cubic meters, which is ten times the size of your ring, Young Master Chen."
"50 cubic meters...." Yi Chen couldn’t help but exclaim in shock and amazement.
Seeing this reaction, a sudden glimmer appeared in Gao Zhen’s eyes. In the very next second, she asked with a playful smirk, "Is Young Master Chen interested in acquiring this ring? I can give it to you if you want."
Yi Chen immediately wanted to agree and take that ring from her hand. However, realising just how expensive this item would be, he stopped himself from doing so.
’I don’t even have enough high-grade spirit stones to buy one with 5 cubic meter space right now...much less one with ten times that space...’ he thought bitterly.
He shook his head at her words and, with a forced smile, said, "It’s alright, Madam Gao, since you found it, it’s only right for you to keep it."
The smile on Gao Zhen’s face widened as she said, "It seems that Young Master Chen is still the same as before.
Let’s do this then...While we are clearing this tomb, if I find that your contribution in our group exceeds everyone’s, including mine, I’ll give this ring as a reward to you.
With that, you won’t need to feel burdened, as at that time this ring would become something you would have earned with your own hard work. How about it now? Are you up for it?"
Seeing how Yi Chen was easily able to deal with all the ghostly beasts earlier, she had realised that he possessed capabilities far greater than what she could comprehend.
’After successfully entering the temple, he would definitely be of enormous help as we tackle and pave our way through all the uncertain situations...’ Gao Zhen thought to herself.
Therefore, wanting Yi Chen to contribute more actively in the tomb exploration, she added this additional reward.
"Up! Yes, I’m definitely up for it!" Yi Chen exclaimed with glistening eyes.
It’s only after entering this tomb that he had started to realise just how important having a larger storage capacity was.
’If only I had something like this storage ring back then, I could have taken several more pots of water from that mystical pond...’
He sighed internally while his gaze was affixed on the storage ring in Gao Zhen’s hands.
Gao Zhen and the others chuckled, seeing this overly enthusiastic side of Yi Chen.
"You can rest assured, Brother Chen, I won’t be competing with you," Xie Rou joked.
"It’s the same with me. Since you’ve helped us so much, that’s the least we can do for you as Senior Sisters," Zhou Lan snickered the next second.
The jovial environment soon came to an end as the four of them continued on with their journey towards the ruined town.
The worn-down structures made of wood, mud and stones became more prominent to their eyes as the distance separating them lessened.
"Although the designs are very traditional, the streets and the buildings are well laid out..."
Yi Chen muttered in an impressed tone, glancing at the approaching town from afar.
Since they were currently at a subtly higher ground, the grid-like pattern of the streets which covered a part of the town became clearly visible to them.
Hearing those words, the others nodded in agreement.
"Even some mortal towns in our kingdom are not so neatly arranged." Xie Rou added.
"Indeed. It’s really an impressive design thinking that this was made several thousands of years ago..." Zhou Lan mused.
"Keep your guards up, everyone. We are almost at the town’s entrance," Gao Zhen reminded them while pointing towards the two stone pillars, one of which was broken in half.
Next to the pillars, long walls stretched far and wide and covered the entire town. However, because of the town’s state, the walls were riddled with holes and gaps in several places.
The three of them stopped interacting, hearing those words, and a few moments later, with focused gazes, made their way into the town.
A grid-like street pattern entered their vision the next instant.
’So, in which direction is the black temple?’ Yi Chen thought as the four of them came to a stop, a little confused as to in which direction he should turn.
However, before he could pose that question to Gao Zhen, the entire ground started shaking.
"THIS!"
"Just what is going on?!"
Zhou Lan and Xie Rou exclaimed in panic.
"Stand still! It will be over in a few seconds!" Gao Zhen calmed them down as she raised her neck a little to look for something at the far end of the town.
Seeing these actions, curiosity rose in Yi Chen’s heart as he too followed the direction of her gaze in an attempt to understand just what she was looking for.
He immediately got his answer.
As the ground kept shaking, a huge piece of land began rising from the ground at the far end of the town.
It kept rising higher and higher and finally stopped at a point where its top portion was clearly visible from all sides of the town.
When the entire ground stopped shaking, a variety of questions welled up in Yi Chen’s mind as he glanced at the small hill which had formed at the far end of the town.
The topmost part of it was a flat piece of land, while the other part was just a slope that connected the town with the hill’s top.
"What is this raised platform?" Zhou Lan asked in confusion.
"I don’t know..." Xie Rou answered in similar confusion.
Yi Chen was also about to state his confusion, but just at that moment, he noticed a strange anomaly in the dark sky above the raised platform.
A huge circle of white light, which encompassed the entire hill, formed in the sky, and the next instant, a beam of white light fell straight down at it.
"Just what..." Yi Chen muttered in confusion.
Meanwhile, an expression of seriousness mixed with that of anticipation had appeared on Gao Zhen’s face when she witnessed this scene.
"It has descended...the black temple..."
As those words left her mouth, a cylindrical dome-shaped building materialised on top of the hill.
It was entirely black in colour, and under the beaming white light, the black surface shone with a great glimmer that could even be sensed from dozens of miles away.
"The black temple..." Yi Chen muttered as he glanced at the structure, which perfectly matched its name, with awe evident in his eyes.
As if its appearance was a signal, the very next instant, terrifying howls echoed in unison in the entire town.
"The skeletons...they are coming!" Gao Zhen said with a serious countenance and ordered, "Stick to the pre-decided formation! We’ll start our advance upon their arrival!"
Her commanding voice gave a sense of direction to their chaotic hearts as they soon stood in formation alongside her.
Yi Chen stood right next to Gao Zhen in the front, while Zhou Lan and Xie Rou were standing behind them to take care of attacks coming from both sides and the rear.
Hearing the howls coming closer and closer, the four of them gulped their saliva and prepared their minds for contact.
Suddenly, a horde rushed from the right side of the street and bashed straight into the walls in the front before they could come to a stop.
BOOM!
Angry howls echoed from the dozens of skeletons as they reoriented themselves and the next second turned towards the four of them on their right.
KAAHHHHHHHH!
Another heart-racing howl escaped from them, and with that as a signal, they all rushed towards them like a zombie horde.
’So that’s how they look,’ Yi Chen tightened his grip on his sword as he glanced at their appearance.
Black bones tattooed with golden symbols that were shining with a dangerous glimmer.
"ATTACK!"
Gao Zhen roared the very next instant, and the four of them charged forward with merciless glints in their eyes.