Grave Robbing

One of Li Yunyan's virtues was that she worked more and talked less.

Without asking further questions, she began digging as Fan Lang instructed. He had bought the digging tools before coming to Demon Claw Forest—iron shovels, pickaxes, everything they needed.

The two moved swiftly. Two ever-growing mounds of dirt rose beside them, while a large pit three meters wide on each side appeared beneath their feet.

The pit grew deeper and deeper—one meter, three meters, five meters, ten meters!

Looking up, it had nearly become a well.

Li Yunyan set down her iron shovel, wiped away her sweat, and asked, "Isn't it deep enough yet?"

"Hang in there. Dig down a little farther and it should be enough." Fan Lang did not stop, still full of energy.

After digging down a short distance further, Fan Lang's iron shovel struck something beneath the ground with a crisp clang, sending sparks flying. His eyes lit up. He bent down and brushed aside the loose dirt, revealing a piece of iron buried underneath, covered in carvings.

They had finally reached it!

Fan Lang perked up and continued digging. He cleared away another layer of earth beneath his feet, exposing the iron to sunlight. It turned out to be a complete iron gate, carved with a ferocious flying dragon: deer antlers, a serpent's body, eagle claws, and two long, winding whiskers.

Li Yunyan leaned over to look and asked in surprise, "Is this a door? Where does it lead?"

"There's a tomb beneath it, one related to dragons," Fan Lang explained.

"Could there be a dragon buried down there?" Li Yunyan's eyes widened.

"Not that. It only contains something related to dragons." Fan Lang turned his head, looked at the sweat-drenched Li Yunyan, and asked with a smile, "Have you ever heard of grave robbing?"

"I've heard a little about it."

"Today, we'll be grave robbers too. Afterwards, we can write some notes or something."

"Why write notes?"

"To record evidence of our crimes."

"..."

Fan Lang had not expected someone from another world to understand his joke, so he refocused on the iron gate.

How to open this iron gate was a problem.

There was no keyhole on the gate. It was almost completely sealed, so they could only force it open.

Fan Lang took out an iron sword, raised it above his head, and poured all his strength into it. He hacked and slashed at the iron gate, leaving scar after scar across its surface. When he felt it was about enough, he kicked the gate hard, sending the damaged iron gate flying open.

A whole new world lay below. Fan Lang fell together with the iron gate and only hit the ground heavily several seconds later. He struck a flamboyant pose to steady himself, then took out Beacon Fire and created a swirling ball of light that illuminated the surroundings.

Below was an underground chamber forged from iron. It was neither large nor small. Across from them was a long, narrow passage whose end could not be seen at a glance.

Li Yunyan dropped down after him, moving lightly and swiftly. She looked around, then fixed her gaze on the passage ahead and asked, "Is it dangerous?"

"Yes! The passage is filled with mechanisms above, below, left, and right. Be careful when you walk through it. I'll take the lead. Watch how I get through, then follow my example. The passage itself is not too dangerous, but after we get through it, an even greater danger will be waiting for us. Stay sharp. Don't let the boat capsize in a gutter." Fan Lang said solemnly.

"Alright, understood."

Fan Lang led the way ahead, moving slowly with his eyes and ears alert in every direction.

Li Yunyan followed behind him, watching his back as her thoughts churned. After spending these days together, she had come to understand Fan Lang better and better.

Whenever danger arose, Fan Lang always took the lead and charged in first, rather than ordering Li Yunyan, his "slave," to rush forward.

That was only one aspect. In other ways, Fan Lang respected Li Yunyan as well. He did not treat her like a slave at all; it felt more like a partnership, and that moved her deeply.

If Fan Lang had treated her as a slave, she might have run away the first chance she got.

Heart for heart, Fan Lang's respect had earned Li Yunyan's loyalty. From the bottom of her heart, she was willing to help Fan Lang fight and wield the twin blades in her hands!

Fan Lang stepped into the passage, slowing down even further as he advanced one cautious step at a time.

On his fifth step, he triggered the first mechanism. A metal spike suddenly shot up beneath his foot, but he reacted in time. The instant he sensed something wrong underfoot, he stepped back.

The metal spike was a full twenty centimeters long. If it had pierced through his foot, it would have hurt badly.

Fan Lang kicked it, bending the metal spike into a hook that caught on the ground. The spike had originally been able to retract, but once hooked in place, it could no longer withdraw. The hidden mechanism below would be affected as a result.

This was only the first trap.

Fan Lang continued onward, triggering more and more traps. Nowhere around them was safe; the slightest lapse in attention could lead to being struck by a trap. Li Yunyan followed behind, remembering Fan Lang's footholds and the locations of each trap. With his example before her, she had a much easier time walking behind him.

Along the way, Fan Lang often took opportunities to damage the traps, leaving those dangerous hooks and spikes twisted every which way.

The mechanisms below began operating poorly, producing strange rumbling sounds. Then, with a sudden boom, the entire mechanism broke down.

"Broken?"

A delighted look appeared on Fan Lang's face. He walked forward for a while, but nothing happened. No traps were triggered.

That made the rest of the path much easier.

The two reached the end in one go, saving themselves quite a bit of trouble. At the end of the passage stood another iron gate, carved with a dragon opening its mouth. When Fan Lang came within ten meters of it, the dragon head's eyes lit up, and it spat a fireball from its mouth.

Whoosh!

The fireball tore through the air, radiating scorching heat.

Although the mechanisms in the passage had broken down, the mechanism in the iron gate could still function. The two were unrelated.

Fan Lang had come prepared. He struck out with a Water Cloud Palm, and water and fire collided before scattering apart. The iron gate would not relent, spitting out several fireballs in succession. Fan Lang could only keep striking with his palms, meeting the incoming fireballs head-on. He advanced as he attacked, and eventually, his Water Cloud Palms began landing on the iron gate itself.

After taking seven or eight blows, the iron gate finally broke. It caved in and could no longer spit fireballs, at most spraying out small flames.

Fan Lang walked up to the iron gate and shattered it with a palm strike.

Beyond the gate was a place resembling an underground altar. Numerous Coiled Dragon Iron Pillars stood throughout it. At the center was a high altar, atop which coiled an exquisitely carved metal dragon. Its left eye was metal, but its right eye was set with a gleaming yellow gemstone.

Fan Lang's gaze fell upon the gemstone, and his eyes burned with greater intensity. This was his target!

The gemstone was not merely a gemstone; it concealed a hidden mystery within.

Though the gemstone was right before them, obtaining it would not be easy. They still had to overcome the final obstacle.

Fan Lang took a deep breath, steeled himself, summoned the Flame Blaze Sword, and gripped its slightly warm hilt.

"Be careful. Big trouble is coming," Fan Lang warned.