Chapter 118: The Nine-Tiered Terrace, the Ice Coffin (Gentle Smile, Light Veil, and the Jade Heirloom)

Even if she guessed the other party's intentions, what Sui Yi found most helpless was that she had no choice. To die here, or to die after entering the true underground palace—she would rather choose the latter. At the very least, the latter would allow them to see the palace in its true form, so they could die without regret. Of course, she also felt that the time gap might change everything. She had never been a person who believed in fate. Therefore, she opened the door, watched as the crowd swarmed inside, and as Gong Jiu grabbed her and pulled her in, she cast a deep, lingering look at the ghost-masked man.

King against King, then? It was about time.

At the entrance, Leng She and his men had actually teamed up with Brother Ma’s group, joining forces to fight off the monsters. In this small doorway, slaughter spread. Sui Yi had entered relatively early because Gong Jiu’s speed was so great that she had scooped her up and brought her into the palace as soon as she reached her side, leaving Brother Ma and the others to frantically hack and slash at the monsters.

"Quick, hold the door!" Brother Ma, quick-witted and fast-handed, intended to seal the gate, but... "Damn it! Why is there no lock?!" This design was not scientific! Brother Ma’s face turned green; he could only order the taller men like A-Hai to push against the door with all their might, shouting, "Push! Yes, push!"

Sui Yi and the others, leaning against the wall, were speechless. Was this some kind of childbirth? However...

"Oh my god," Hua Yaofei gasped in astonishment. Sui Yi turned her head at the sound. They were standing on a platform in front of a corridor; looking forward, a vast space opened up. This was a massive underground palace, and judging by its scope, it seemed to be the combined area of the nine palaces above.

In this underground palace, all six sides—up, down, left, right, front, and back—were made of perfectly smooth stone walls. The four side walls were gargantuan relief carvings of immeasurable length and width, with thousands of patterns so intricate they made one’s eyes swim. Directly opposite them, at a great distance, the stone wall appeared to be carved with a multitude of people, though it was hard to see clearly. The left and right sides, however, were clearer: the left depicted a magnificent ancient battlefield, with thousands of troops galloping on the ground, and beings both running across the earth and hovering in the sky. To the right, thousands of giant beasts roared, with evil spirits swarming across heaven and earth.

These two walls alone were enough to leave everyone present breathless, let alone the wall closest to them—the one behind their backs. Everyone turned around and saw the stone wall behind them. On such a massive wall, a glorious royal court was carved. Lining the path on both sides were many, many people in fine silks and brocades: palace maids, officials, warriors, consorts... But what filled Gong Jiu and the others with deep dread was that all the figures in the reliefs were headless!

"Headless?"
"They’re all headless! Heavens, what does this mean? Could it be the headless people from before..."

The headless figures on the wall, the headless people encountered in the corridor... The implications were too ominous, reeking of a bloody, deathly stench.

"No, there is one person who has a head," Hua Yaofei pointed to a spot. It was a man. He stood silently in the center of the wall, dressed in rich brocade robes, hands behind his back, walking down the path with his hem trailing on the ground. Although carved from stone, he exuded a heart-stopping presence. In fact, he was a very handsome man, noble and extraordinary, with a cold expression, gazing into the distance as if he had been waiting for something for an eternity.

That place... Everyone followed his gaze toward the central area, which was, in fact, what had drawn their attention from the start. Unlike the nine palaces above, this vast area was merely a flat, empty expanse of stone. The floor was as smooth as a mirror.

"This isn't ordinary stone..." Gong Jiu lowered her head to look at the floor, which was paved with seamless, jade-colored tiles. Could it be jade? That seemed impossible; if such a vast space were made of jade, how terrifying would that be? The people present were struck with shock, for the value of this place far exceeded their estimations; they even began to think it was a miracle. Perhaps only a miracle could result in such a place. This caused Gong Jiu and the others to simultaneously suppress their greed for looting. After all, both the black-robed Dharma King and the green monsters had told them that this was certainly not something that could be explained by recorded history.

Sui Yi kept her eyes on one spot. In the center, there was a giant platform a hundred meters high. The base was a square about five hundred meters wide, stacked in nine layers like a pyramid. On the ninth layer sat a giant ice-white coffin, radiating a chilling, bone-deep cold. Because it was so far away, it was hard to see clearly.

The group was suspicious.
"Is that an ice coffin?"
"Impossible. The temperature here isn't that low. If it were an ice coffin, it would have melted long ago. It’s not like the 'Millennial Profound Ice' from martial arts novels..."
"Are you talking about the one Little Dragon Maiden sleeps in?"

Although the crowd was stunned, they were more eager to investigate. They figured that even if the place was empty, the giant ice coffin surely held many treasures. Leng She, Lin Feng, and the other agile members of the group had already dashed out, and Hua Yaofei, Shen Di, and the others were not to be outdone.

Gong Jiu’s gaze followed their movements, but she did not move herself. Sui Yi saw her turn her head, paused, and then gave a faint smile: "Go ahead."

Gong Jiu looked at her silently, her eyes deep. Suddenly, she knelt, tore off the bandages wrapped around her own wounds, and—thankfully, because Sui Yi’s waist was slim—she quickly wrapped the cloth strips twice around Sui Yi’s waist. Pressed against Sui Yi, their breathing was audible.

Gong Jiu’s voice sounded somewhat melancholy. "Before coming here, and until now, I never told you my true purpose."
"So, you are going to tell me now?" Because of her serious injuries, Sui Yi’s voice was weak, soft, and graceful.
"No, I won't tell you." Gong Jiu shook her head.
"..."

After securing the bandages, Gong Jiu stood up and looked down at the stooped Sui Yi. "This matter is my mission as a member of the Gong family; I must complete it... Of course, if we both make it out alive, I will tell you..."

With that, she hugged Sui Yi, held her for a moment, then decisively let go and turned to leave. Her figure moved like lightning, and behind her, Zhang Wei followed swiftly. Both charged toward the high platform.

Sui Yi’s eyes were shallow. She covered her abdomen; the blood had slowed to a trickle, but her entire body was filled with pain. In her left hand, she gripped a map, hiding it against her waist. Gong Jiu had just given it to her. What did it mean? A final thought? Did she think she could escape?

*Hoo...*

Breathing out gently, Sui Yi slowly began to circulate her magnetic sense...

Just then, before Gong Jiu and the others could reach the high platform, Brother Ma let out a wail.
"Damn! We can't hold it!"
*BANG!*

The door was smashed open, and A-Hai and the others were sent flying by the impact! *Whoosh!* A massive wave of "people" surged in, and the eight monsters also leaped inside.

Seeing these ugly, grotesque things crawling on the holy, magnificent floor within such a glorious space, Brother Ma and the others felt a sense of profound desecration. To the side, Sui Yi leaned against the wall, quietly restraining her aura.

At this moment, Brother Ma and his men were stunned, because neither the monsters nor the "people" were moving. It was eerie. Brother Ma immediately shouted toward Gong Jiu: "Quick!! Miss, these monsters have gone stupid! Keep going!"

No sooner had he finished shouting than those "people" roared and charged forward...
Sui Yi: "..." Didn't they say these monsters reacted to sound waves? Brother Ma, there was really no need for you to be so loud!

*Whoosh!* Brother Ma was startled and hurriedly blocked the monsters. Both they and the subordinates like Leng She and Lin Feng were engaged in defensive efforts. Fresh blood soon began to flow across the white jade floor.

Meanwhile, Gong Jiu and the others had already charged toward the high platform like madmen, heading for the very top!

*Whoosh!* Lin Feng reached the eighth level first, only two meters away from the ice-jade coffin. He spread his hands, his eyes burning with frantic ambition. Treasures, infinite power—they were his...

*BANG!*

A gunshot rang out! Zhang Wei’s bullet flew past; Lin Feng dodged to the side, and nearby, Leng She drew his long sword, leaped into the air, and slashed at Zhang Wei!

*Swish!* The air was sliced with a sharp, whistling sound. Gong Jiu seized the opportunity to strike at Lin Feng!
"Ha, you really think I'm no match for you?" Lin Feng sneered, snapping a kick at Gong Jiu; the wind of his leg was like a blade!

On the other side, Hua Yaofei and the others were intercepted by Cadis and his group. On the high platform, fighting broke out in the blink of an eye. Down below, Aguna and the other tribesmen were murderous; some raised their bows and arrows, firing indiscriminately!

"Damn it! Why are you attacking Miss Nine!" Feng Sha and the others were furious!
"Anyone who touches the Master’s jade coffin shall be executed without mercy!" Aguna nocked an arrow, aiming it at a man’s head!

*Swish!* It whistled through the air! The arrow grazed past the side of Gong Jiu’s head... *CLANG!* The long sword in Leng She’s hand vibrated violently, the tip twisting and recoiling... Undoubtedly, between Gong Jiu and Leng She, the first person Aguna wanted to kill was Leng She!

"Ignorant fool, instead of attacking us, why don't you deal with the monsters below?" Lin Feng felt that Aguna and his people were a major threat, especially now that they were nearly out of ammunition; the combat power of these tribesmen was undoubtedly the strongest! And those arrows could even be retrieved and reused!

"Them? They naturally have people to deal with them," Aguna nocked a second arrow, aiming it at Lin Feng’s head...

Lin Feng was horrified and quickly sprinted along the platform toward the other side. The arrows couldn't reach him there!

Seizing this moment, Gong Jiu climbed up to the ninth tier, arrived in front of the white jade coffin, and placed her hands on the lid. The jade coffin—the goal she had strived for—was she finally about to achieve it?