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Chen Qian did not approach rashly, but like a ghost, he silently made his way towards the light source, using the surrounding jagged rocks as cover.

What this group of people were holding were all specially made windproof fireproof folding cloths.

The faint, bluish flame was partially enclosed in the copper pipe, illuminating only a foot-square patch of the ground beneath their feet, with not a single wisp of light leaking out.

"This kind of caution..."

Chen Qian's gaze narrowed slightly.

The group consisted of about twenty people, all dressed in ordinary gray cloth clothing, and seemed inconspicuous.

But Chen Qian immediately noticed something was wrong.

Fifteen of them walked in perfect unison, with almost identical weight and spacing between each step.

They walked with their backs ramrod straight, their hands always resting lightly on the hilts of their knives, their eyes cold and wary.

They maintained a perfect tactical formation that allowed them to both support and defend against each other.

This air of absolute discipline is even more menacing than that of a desperate outlaw.

This is no ordinary gang, nor could it be cultivated by a local powerful family like the Wang family.

"They're either government officials... or fierce soldiers from the army!"

He preferred the latter, because they were superior to the Zhao family.

Chen Qian made his judgment.

Among these fierce soldiers were five other incongruous individuals.

The five men were hunched over, with shifty eyes, and carried heavy bags of tools such as Luoyang shovels and claws on their backs.

Although they also looked terrified, their eyes as they gazed at the surrounding rock walls revealed a mixture of greed and professionalism.

The leader was an old man with a goatee, who held an extremely exquisite purple-gold compass in his hand. He muttered something under his breath as he walked, occasionally directing the group to stop or turn around.

"A professional tomb raider."

Chen Qian squinted.

This team has an extremely high level of talent.

They were protected by fierce soldiers, guided by professional guides, well-equipped, and extremely cautious.

They moved very slowly, checking each intersection repeatedly.

Clearly, their journey has not been smooth sailing; they have likely already clashed with the skinner.

Having learned my lesson, I didn't dare light a torch, fearing it might attract the monster that could locate things by sound.

"This is a truly ruthless character."

Chen Qian was secretly alarmed.

This group was also a regular army heading towards the core of the tomb.

Logically speaking, when encountering such a tough opponent, the best option should be to hold one's breath and concentrate.

Once they've gone far away, slip away quietly via another route, keeping to your own devices.

But Chen Qian did not move.

His gaze was fixed on the old man holding the compass.

The old man stopped in front of a rock wall that seemed to be a dead end. He tapped the rock wall a few times with his fingers, and then the compass needle stopped. The group actually found a very hidden passage at one of the many intersections.

"They know the way!"

Chen Qian's expression changed instantly.

What is his biggest disadvantage right now?

It wasn't that his martial arts skills were weak, nor was he alone.

Instead, they got lost.

In this intricate underground animal tunnel, he was like a headless fly.

If they continue to wander aimlessly like this, even if they are not eaten by monsters, they will be trapped here and die from exhaustion and lack of food and water.

"The greatest taboo in military strategy is not knowing where to go."

Chen Qian took a deep breath and made a decision in an instant.

Since we don't know the way, let's find someone to guide us!

This group of people clearly possess these abilities, which means that the old man definitely has something real.

"May I ask for directions?"

A cold smile curled at the corner of Chen Qian's lips.

"Since you are so well-equipped, I would like to trouble you all to scout out the dangers ahead for me."

Having figured this out, Chen Qian no longer hesitated.

He adjusted his breathing, using a health-preserving technique to suppress his breathing to the lowest level, his whole being like a shadow melting into the darkness.

The footwork and footwork were constantly being adjusted.

He didn't get too close, but always maintained a safe distance of about thirty paces.

At this distance, he could see the faint light of the enemy's fire with night vision and hear the enemy's movements with his hearing. If he encountered an enemy ahead, he would have enough time to react and escape.

The line of soldiers ahead moved slowly in the darkness.

Chen Qian, like a patient ghost, silently lingered behind them.

The mantis catches the cicada, and the oriole is behind.

After about fifteen minutes, the terrain became increasingly rugged.

The group finally stopped after passing through a narrow pass shaped like the mouth of a gourd.

This is a naturally formed rock cavity, surrounded by jagged rocks, with countless stalactites hanging overhead.

"stop."

The leader of the fierce soldiers simply raised his hand, and the dozen or so men behind him instantly scattered, silently occupying every blind spot in the defense, their powerful crossbows held horizontally, aimed at all the dark gaps around them.

This almost instinctive tactical skill left Chen Qian, who was watching from the shadows, speechless with astonishment.

In the center of the group, the tomb raiders huddled together at a corner of the rock face.

The old man with the goatee who was leading the group pressed the purple-gold compass in his hand tightly against the rock wall.

With his other hand, he grabbed a handful of soil from the ground, brought it to his nose and took a deep sniff, even sticking out his tongue to lick the foul-smelling mud.

His movements were extremely strange, but in the eyes of experts, this was called "asking the earth".

Chen Qian held his breath and concentrated.

In the silent cave, even the sound of clothes rubbing together was amplified, and the whispers of the group penetrated his ears clearly.

"Old Ge, how is it? Have we arrived at our destination?"

A man carrying a Luoyang shovel lowered his voice, his tone anxious: "This place is too eerie. Third Brother was almost dragged away by that skinless monster. We need to find a place quickly."

The old man, referred to as Elder Ge, did not answer immediately.

He frowned, staring at the wildly trembling pointer on the compass, his withered fingers rhythmically tapping on the rock face.

The sound was hollow, yet it seemed to carry a certain echo.

After a moment, Old Ge let out a long sigh.

His voice was hoarse and deep as he recited a mantra:

"Da Yu is buried on the mountain ridge, Da Jing is hidden in the water bay, the former dynasty of Daye hangs upside down in the clouds."

"That's the usual rule."

He paused, his tone turning somewhat sinister:

"But it's different here. Yin and Yang are reversed, and the Five Elements are in disarray."

"Look at this soil, it's blackish-red, and slippery to the touch like oil. This is corpse-soaked soil. And listen to the wind, it howls like ghosts, yet it doesn't seem to turn back, which means there's a vast space below."

"What do you mean?" The man didn't understand.

Old Ge turned around, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy old eyes, and pointed to the ground beneath his feet:

"It means we're still in the sky."

"What?"

The people around were all startled, and even the guards couldn't help but turn their heads.

"Old Ge, you must be joking. We've been descending for almost half an hour now. This abyss is at least a hundred feet deep, how could it still be in the sky?"

"idiot!"

Old Ge scolded in a low voice:

"The so-called 'heavenly realm' refers to the layout of this great tomb!"

"The great tomb in Niushou Village is a rare multi-layered pagoda structure. We are currently only on the outermost layer of this tomb, the so-called 'corpse-nurturing layer'!"

He pointed to the surrounding area, which was a network of thoroughfares:

"Who do you think built these roads? A person? They were carved out by those creatures kept by the tomb's owner!"

"This isn't a tomb at all; this is their den!"

"The real tomb is right beneath our feet!"