Treasure Hunting Begins

"This... this Fire Passage is actually a huge circular trap?!" Elder Di Kong exclaimed in shock, his face filled with lingering fear and astonishment.

If it weren't for Sect Master Lin Ming's foresight, they would probably still be wandering around in that damned Fire Passage like headless flies, wasting time and energy!

"Tsk tsk, as expected of Ancient Ruins, this design is absolutely brilliant! They've completely fooled everyone!"

Xiong Zhan stared wide-eyed at the winding, maze-like lava Fire Passage above his head, and couldn't help but grin, revealing a gloating smile.

"Hehe, if those guys, after overcoming numerous difficulties and expending a great deal of Dou Qi, finally reach what they thought was the end of the Fire Passage, only to find that all that awaits them is a cold stone wall, I wonder if they'll be so angry they'll die on the spot? Hahaha!"

Thinking of the humiliating situation that arrogant guys like Chen Tiannan and Huang Xuan might ultimately face, Xiong Zhan couldn't help but want to burst out laughing.

Upon hearing this, the rest of the Five Elements Sect members snapped out of their shock and couldn't help but smile. A sense of superiority, as if they had survived a calamity and gained the upper hand, welled up within them.

Lin Ming smiled slightly as he looked at the excited crowd, his gaze fixed on the end of the passage ahead, where a patch of green exuded an even more ancient and mysterious aura.

Lin Ming laughed and said, "Alright, the real exploration of the ruins is just beginning. Let's go, we can't keep the treasures inside waiting."

Lin Ming's words invigorated everyone, and they all turned their gaze away from the ironic ring of Fire Passage above their heads, their eyes regaining their sharpness and anticipation.

Let's go.

Lin Ming chuckled lightly, then, without further delay, lightly touched the cold ground with his toes. His figure, like a ghost, transformed into a blurry afterimage, and he was the first to rush towards the only conspicuous entrance to the passage at the other end of the square.

Behind him, Zi Yan, Qing Lin, Xiong Zhan, Di Kong, and the other members of the Five Elements Sect followed without hesitation, circulating their Dou Qi and quickly catching up.

This passage wasn't very long; it was a world of difference compared to the outer circular Fire Passage.

The passage was flanked by smooth, mirror-like rock walls, etched with ancient, faded patterns that exuded the aura of Years of Sedimentation. At Lin Ming and his companions' speed, the passage opened up before them in just a hundred breaths.

At the end of the passageway lies a vast and empty Giant Plaza.

The plaza was also paved with some kind of hard, black rock, so smooth that it reflected people's images. Around the plaza stood giant stone pillars that required several people to encircle, their tops carved with various strange Magical Beast Totem. Although dilapidated, they still conveyed the grandeur of their former glory.

The moment Lin Ming and his group stepped into the square, they all stopped in the middle of the square, their eyes drawn to the enormous structure at the far end.

That was a massive Stone Door, hundreds of feet high!

The Stone Door gate is made of neither gold nor stone, and has a dark bronze color. It is engraved with countless complex and mysterious runes. These runes, like breathing, sometimes light up and sometimes disappear, emitting powerful Spatial Fluctuations and an indestructible sense of weight.

Clearly, this Stone Door could not be opened easily by brute force.

However, what is even more eye-catching is not the huge Stone Door itself, but the ten statues standing in front of Stone Door!

Those were ten beings that looked like mummies! They stood straight as spears, motionless, as if they had stood there since ancient times, guarding the gate behind them.

Their skin was an eerie, lifeless, shimmering silver that reflected a cold luster in the dim light of the square. Their faces were stiff, their eyes empty and devoid of any life, exuding only an unchanging stillness and loyalty.

"Earth Demon Puppet!"

Gazing at these Puppet that resembled silver sculptures, Lin Ming's eyes twitched slightly, and he murmured inwardly in shock.

Of all the people in the square, Lin Ming was probably the most familiar with this silver Puppet!

Because he himself had personally crafted three! Although only the first one he crafted was a silver Earth Demon Puppet due to limitations in materials and strength at the time, the other two, after obtaining better materials, directly transcended the Earth Demon Puppet level and reached a higher level— the Heavenly Demon Puppet!

The original Earth Demon Puppet, Kuiyi, was also tempered by his lightning power, and has now evolved into a more powerful Heavenly Demon Puppet.

It can be said that Lin Ming had a thorough understanding of the structure, strength, and even evolution of this kind of Puppet.

The ten Puppet outside the Stone Door were entirely silver, and their energy fluctuations remained at a fixed level, clearly indicating that they were still at the level of Earth Demon Puppet and had not evolved.

According to Lin Ming's estimation, each of these ten Earth Demon Puppet is roughly equivalent to the Peak Dou Ancestor. Individually, they are already quite formidable combat forces, enough to dominate some empires.

However, at present, it seems somewhat inadequate and beyond their capabilities to rely on just ten of them to stop the fierce and powerful forces and Monster Beast Clan from all sides of the Middle Continent who are about to surge in, including many true Dou Venerate.

"It seems that the true core of the ruins lies beyond this Stone Door." Zi Yan gazed at the heavy Stone Door that emanated Spatial Fluctuations, blinked her amethyst-like eyes, and said softly.

Qing Lin nodded slightly, her emerald green eyes carefully scanning the entire plaza. She found that apart from the ten Puppet and the Giant Gate, there were no other passages or clues. So she turned her attention back to the cold Silver Puppet and calmly analyzed the situation.

"Hmm, the Stone Door is tightly closed, and the Spatial Fluctuations above it are stable, so it obviously cannot be opened by brute force. In that case, the method to open it should most likely lie with these ten guardian Puppet."

Her analysis was accepted by everyone. Usually, this kind of design either requires defeating the Guardian or finding a specific mechanism, which is often connected to the Guardian.

"We don't need to rush into action yet."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ming smiled faintly, put his hands behind his back, and looked like he was watching a good show.

"There will naturally be people more anxious about this than we are. Let them test the waters first."

Shortly after Lin Ming finished speaking...

"Pfft... Pfft..."

Behind them, in the passage they had come from, came a series of soft sounds, like bubbles bursting. It was the sound of someone successfully breaking through the magma Fire Passage, passing through the spatial barrier, and arriving here.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the once empty and quiet square began to become noisy.

One after another, slightly disheveled figures, their breaths fluctuating, emerged from the passageway like dumplings being dropped into a pot, landing on the vast plaza.

Most of these people were among the fastest and strongest who had charged forward, including top forces such as the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, the Nether Python Clan, the Blazing Flame Valley, and the Starfall Pavilion. Of course, Chen Tiannan and others from the Profound Nether Sect were also among them, but their faces were even more gloomy, clearly indicating that they had expended a great deal of energy in the Fire Passage.

As soon as these forces landed, before they could even catch their breath, they immediately began to warily survey their surroundings.

When they saw the huge Stone Door at the end of the square, and the ten Silver Puppet in front of the Stone Door radiating the aura of the Peak Dou Ancestor, their eyes all blazed with intense light.

"Entrance to the ruins!"

"Those Puppet are Guardian!"

"Charge! The treasure is behind the door!"

Having endured the torment and mockery of the Fire Passage, they finally saw their true target. Greed once again overwhelmed reason in many people. Some lone strongmen or members of small and medium-sized forces could not contain their excitement and, with bloodshot eyes, burst out with speed and rushed towards the Stone Door!

"Idiot."

Seeing these guys blinded by desire, Lin Ming shook his head slightly and muttered something under his breath.

As if to confirm his words, just as those dozens of figures rushed into the area within a hundred feet in front of the Stone Door—

"Buzz!"

The ten Silver Earth Demon Puppet, which stood motionless like sculptures, suddenly shone with crimson light from their empty eye sockets!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The next moment, a piercing sound of wind breaking rang out! Ten silver figures, like killing machines imbued with life, instantly activated! Their speed was astonishing, leaving streaks of silver afterimages in the air, as they charged directly into the group of intruders!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dull thuds of flesh colliding and the piercing screams echoed throughout the entire square almost instantly!

Earth Demon Puppet have no Dou Qi, no sense of pain, and are tireless. Their power originates from their core and the inscribed arrays within them; their physical bodies are their most powerful weapons! Those fists, gleaming with silver light, contain terrifying power capable of shattering mountains!

A Five-Star Dou Ancestor expert, whose powerful Dou Qi Armor was as fragile as an eggshell in front of the Earth Demon Puppet's fist, was directly blasted apart by a single punch. His chest collapsed, and blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out. It was clear that he was not going to survive.

Another Dou Zong, relying on his agility, tried to bypass the Earth Demon Puppet, but was caught up by an even faster Earth Demon Puppet. Its silver palm, like the sharpest longsword, cut him in half at the waist!

Massacre! A one-sided massacre!

These Earth Demon Puppet worked in perfect harmony, their movements concise and efficient, as if they were born only to kill. In less than ten breaths, the twenty-odd Dou Zong powerhouses who had charged forward first were all lying in pools of blood, not a single one alive! The thick stench of blood instantly filled the plaza.

This bloody and cruel scene was like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, instantly sobering up those who were itching to go forward. They turned pale with fright, stopped in their tracks, and dared not go any further.

"Hmph, ten mere Puppet at the Peak Dou Ancestor realm dare to block our path?"

Just then, a cold shout filled with arrogance and disdain rang out. A Grey-robed Old Man slowly stepped out, and a vast Dou Qi swept out like a storm.

Judging from his vast Dou Qi, it was clear that his aura was similar to that of the Profound Nether Sect's Great Elder, Elder Xuan Gu, whom Lin Ming had casually crushed to death, indicating that he was a One-Star Dou Venerate.

Seeing this scene, Lin Ming, standing at the edge of the square, curled up a meaningful smile.

The real show is just beginning.