Chapter 60: Fierce Flames

  The heavy stone gate was slowly pushed open, and a wave of hot air came rushing in from somewhere.

  "Qin Zhiyan, did you come here when you were little?" Qing Xia stared blankly at the incredibly grand hall in front of her, feeling a surge of hot blood rush to her head.

  What meets the eye is a vast and majestic square, with a ground made entirely of black giant stones. On the square, every ten zhang (a unit of length) there is a huge bronze cauldron, arranged in five rows, each row having five cauldrons. The smoke from the cauldrons rises gently, and the fragrance does not disperse. In the center of the square stands a gigantic circular altar, with its base suspended in mid-air, supported by twenty-eight white jade stone pillars that are three zhang high, each pillar requiring five or six people to encircle it.

  Above the altar, a magnificent hall rises, presenting a pagoda shape, with five layers, each one smaller than the next by about half, reaching over ten zhang high, looking very majestic. The most amazing thing is that the entire hall is made of a kind of crimson stone material, with intense heat radiating from it in all directions, making this stone hall look like a giant furnace.

  Looking far away, the entire altar was like a huge burning crimson flame, piercing the sky. Qing Xia and Qin Zhiyan stood under the altar, like two ants, tiny and insignificant.

  Qing Xia took a deep breath, and in front of him was this magnificent building, which could be described as "ghostly axe divine work" without exaggeration.

  Qin's eyebrows slightly furrowed, seemingly also in a state of astonishment. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and said: "Back then, I was young, and from the outer ear chamber, I walked through the eighteen winding rooms, entering the outer fourth circle, which is that passageway we just walked through. I couldn't push open the stone gate, so it's also my first time entering this stone hall. Who would have thought that within the Emperor's Mausoleum there would be such a divine and skillful structure? It's simply unimaginable."

  "Qin Shi Huang was truly a genius!" Qing Xia exclaimed sincerely: "Later generations all said that the Terracotta Army and the Great Wall are rare wonders of the world, but I didn't expect that under Longshou Mountain there would be another underground palace hidden."

  "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Flame Temple in the Four Worship Halls, located at the southwest corner. We just need to head northeast and we can reach the main hall, then find the Ear Chamber from the Ice Temple at the northeast corner, and finally find our way out through the main gate." Qin Zhiyan said in a low voice.

  Qing Xia was taken aback and asked in surprise: "What? Isn't this still the main hall?"

  "Of course," Qin Zhiyan smiled faintly: "The Imperial Mausoleum is divided into thirty-six ear chambers, eighteen disk chambers, four outer circles, and seventy-two interconnected ring roads. The inner four circles are guarded outside, connecting the four temples of worship, and finally, there is the central main hall. The four temples of worship are composed of North Ice, South Fire, West Earth, and East Wood, forming the four energies of white, red, yellow, and green, guarding the main hall. The four divine beasts, North Sea Xuan Snake, South Heaven Zhu Que, West Zei Qiong, and East Heaven Qiulong, together guard the Imperial Main Hall, protecting the Emperor's soul. How can this be the main hall of the imperial mausoleum?"

  Qing Xia's head was big with anger, and he sighed weakly: "For the sake of personal gain, to exhaust the people and waste money to such an extent, this is also a sinful thing."

  Qin's flames paused for a moment, his eyebrows slightly raised, but he didn't say anything.

  With a determined look on her face, Qing Xia followed Qin Zhiyan's back, slowly walking towards the stone gate in the northeast corner.

  As soon as they approached the huge altar, the heat in the air suddenly increased several times. Even Qing Xia, a super agent who had undergone rigorous training, couldn't help but feel a little breathless. Fortunately, Qin Zhiyan was born with a cold body and could withstand the sweltering heat; otherwise, his body might not have been able to endure it.

  In their eyes, a red flame seemed to be burning quietly.

  In the quiet grand hall, two pale blue figures walked on the magnificent altar that was almost comparable to a martial arts arena. The black marble presented an eerie glow, contrasting with the bright red palace above, which had a heavy oppressive feeling that attacked all four limbs.

  At this moment, a dark red breath suddenly rose and spread in mid-air. Qing Xia quickly covered Qin Zhiyan's mouth and nose with her hand, but despite this, she was still one step too late. Her body went limp, and Qing Xia fell to the side.

  At the same time, a loud rumbling sound was heard, and the entire altar seemed to be ignited in an instant. A huge flame rose up, and the originally ancient and desolate building suddenly became furious and violent. The fierce flames shot up into the sky, as if it were hatred from the bottom of one's heart, bursting out all at once.

  "Terrible!"

  Qin's flames suddenly surged, his large sleeve swept across, and Qing Xia was pulled into his embrace. His weak body suddenly burst forth with immense power. With a tap of his toes, his body abruptly shifted, and he floated backwards, dodging a wave of thunderous flames.

  The next moment, a sudden change occurred!

  In the grand hall, from the depths shrouded in darkness, a desolate howling sound suddenly echoed, spreading far and wide, surrounding the ears of the two, emitting an earth-shaking screech, as if some monster was about to burst out. The ground instantly began to shake violently, and the red giant stones of the entire palace emitted a red glow, lighting up in large patches. Crimson gas wildly gushed out from the grand palace, spreading faster and faster, also causing the wind speed on top of the hall to accelerate.

  In the center of the storm, Qing Xia and Qin Zhiyan's clothes were charred, their faces pale, and their breathing was getting more and more urgent.

  "Bad! The Divine Beast Vermilion Bird is going to awaken!" Qin Zhiyan said with a furrowed brow.

  "What a divine beast, the Vermilion Bird!" Qing Xia's entire body was held in Qin Zhiyan's arms, his pale face furious as he shouted: "Your ancestors were crazy to build their tombs at the mouth of a volcano!"

  "What volcano?" Qin Zhiyan furrowed his brow and asked in puzzlement.

  "At this time you still have the leisure to ask this, hurry up and run!"

  Qing Xia's mouth was dry, and he shouted loudly. Qin Zhiyan held Qing Xia horizontally in his arms, and his body suddenly jumped up, rushing quickly towards the northeast corner gate.

  A dull sound suddenly rang out, and countless red lights burst forth, with inky black smoke shooting up into the sky, as a gigantic temple emitted eerie multicolored glows.

  Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the sky, followed by a rumbling sound that pierced both ears. The entire palace shook violently, and all that could be heard were thunderclaps. The altar, which had been grand in scale just moments before, disintegrated under the impact of scarlet magma.

  The heat in the air suddenly rose to its highest point, and beads of sweat trickled down the foreheads of the two people, wetting their entire clothes.

  A loud rumbling sound, a huge pillar suddenly collapsed, crashing down, and a vast amount of smoke and dust rose into the air, almost crushing the two people in front.

  Qin's agile body dodged to the side, pinning Qing Xia's head tightly under his own.

  The two of them had already arrived at the side of the corner gate, under the rain-like downpour of stone and fire flames. Qin Zhiyan covered Qing Xia with his body, when suddenly a severe pain shot through his back, Qin Zhiyan's eyebrows furrowed, and his throat instantly felt sweet.

  "Qin Zhiyan!" Qing Xia shouted loudly, but her voice was as small as a mosquito in the midst of chaos. She only felt the warm blood slowly flowing down her neck, Qing Xia's face turned pale with urgency, and she stretched out her hand to push Qin Zhiyan's body.

  “Cough, cough…” A hoarse coughing sound suddenly rang out. Qin Zhiyan's face turned deathly pale as he quickly scrambled to his feet and scooped up Qing Xia, carrying her on his back. At this moment, the entire Flame Temple had truly become a sea of flames. Qin Zhiyan rapidly ran forward, leaping over several broken walls that blocked their path. The temperature in the air was almost unbearable, Qing Xia's hair was dry and curled from the heat, and the hem of her clothes had already caught fire.

  "Qin Zhiyan! Be careful!" As soon as the words fell, Qin Zhiyan suddenly jumped up and drew out the long sword from Qing Xia's waist with a backhand. With a slash of his hand, the huge flame was actually cut off in mid-air, making a loud crashing sound as it hit the ground.

  "Ah! Behind!" Qing Xia turned around, only to see the bright red magma rapidly spreading towards the two of them from behind. The speed was so fast that it was unbelievable.

  Qin's flames didn't even glance back, his face gloomy, using all his strength to rush forward. The sword flowers on his hands danced wildly, their power unmatched, and all the flames that came rushing towards him were actually blocked by him.

  "Be careful!" Qing Xia suddenly shouted in a sharp voice, her body soft and pressed against Qin Zhiyan's, staring at the hem of his clothes which was burning fiercely.

  With a loud creak, Qin Zhiyan tried to push the stone door with all his might, but unfortunately it seemed to have been rusted in place for years and didn't budge no matter how hard he pushed.

  "Qin's flame, I'm here!" A small eight-trigram lock was prominently printed on the stone gate. Qing Xia's heart was burning with anxiety as he took out a thin iron wire from his waist pocket and inserted it into the keyhole.

  The fierce flames burned fiercely, and in the blink of an eye, Qin Zhiyan's thick down jacket was already ablaze. Qin Zhiyan swung his sword to cut off the burning fabric. Just then, the crimson lava slowly approached. Qing Xia's forehead dripped with sweat as the eight trigrams lock, which normally took only two seconds to open, seemed to be deliberately malfunctioning and refused to budge.

  "Bang!" Qin Zhiyan swiftly picked up Qing Xia, pressing her body against the stone gate while shielding himself outside. A pair of white soft-soled boots had already turned slightly red.

  "Qin's Flame!" Qing Xia was shocked and lost color, her eyes frantically looking at this calm man.

  "I'm fine," Qin Zhiyan suddenly turned his head, facing Qing Xia, with the fiery glow and volcanic ash behind him, the sky was a sea of fire, the pale man wore a long green robe, his face calm, his eyes serene, filled with soothing tranquility and warmth, his voice exuding great determination and composure: "Don't be afraid!"

  "Crack!" A faint sound, yet it was like a thunderclap that struck both of their minds.

  A scorching heat wave followed, and it seemed that the two were about to be engulfed. The heavy stone gate burst open with a loud crash at the last moment!

  The escape door burst open with a huge gap!

  A loud rumble, the stone gate behind her was heavily closed. Countless flames and heat waves instantly pounced on the stone gate, Qing Xia's palm felt a wave of scorching pain, only to see that the originally grayish-white stone gate had turned crimson in an instant, as if it were an iron plate scorched by fierce flames.

  "Run north! That's where the ice room is!"

  Without needing Qing Xia's guidance, Qin Zhiyan had already sprinted towards the northern path.

  They had only run for about ten steps when they heard a loud "whooshing" sound. The stone gate behind them suddenly became soft and melted like paper, and a fierce flame of molten rock burst out, roaring towards the two of them.

  Qin's flames carried Qing Xia on his back, using all his strength to sprint forward, his eyes calm and his eyebrows tightly locked. Qing Xia turned her head around on his back, only to see the sky filled with flames that had engulfed the entire corridor behind them, roaring and devouring everything in their path at a speed that was countless times faster than theirs.

  With a splat, a mouthful of warm fresh blood suddenly spurted onto Qing Xia's pale hands in front of Qin Zhiyan's body. The bright red blood flowed slowly down her pale palms, sprinkling along the scorching path, and before it even hit the ground, it evaporated cleanly. Qin Zhiyan's feet suddenly stumbled, and he knelt down on one knee, Qing Xia was shocked, turning around to look at the terrifying lava behind him in horror.

  "Don't be afraid." The hoarse and low voice rang out clearly amidst the thunderous roar, Qin Zhiyan's hand tightly grasped Qing Xia's palm, and in this sweltering stone hall, his palm was still icy cold, devoid of any temperature like a dead person.

  "I'll definitely take you out." A firm voice slowly sounded, Qin Zhiyan struggled to get up, but as soon as he moved, a big mouthful of blood spurted out again. Qing Xia was shocked and pale, and cried out in surprise: "Qin Zhiyan!"

  "Qin Zhiyan, hurry up and leave!" Qing Xia's voice was almost trembling with despair, her entire heart filled with desperation as she loudly shouted into Qin Zhiyan's ear: "You escape on your own!"

  A frail man suddenly got up from the ground, but after running for only a few steps, he fell to the ground again. He struggled to get up once more, only to fall heavily again. Large amounts of blood gushed out, and the man's face turned deathly pale, almost without any blood color. A fierce flame burst forth from behind him, and Qing Xia tightly grasped Qin Zhiyan's clothes, her face a deep red under the fiery light.

  "Please," Qing Xia said with a tightly furrowed brow, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice trembling. "Please, leave! Just go!"

  Qin's face suddenly stiffened, and he abruptly sat up straight, throwing out the long sword in his hand. Along with a mouthful of blood that spurted out, the sword was fiercely inserted into the northern corner gate opposite him, and a small gap appeared on it in an instant.

  "Go!"

  It's unimaginable how such a frail person could muster such enormous strength. Qing Xia only felt himself flying swiftly, Qin Zhiyan's figure getting farther and farther away, with scarlet flames rising menacingly from his back like a gigantic fire dragon opening its red mouth wide to swallow him in an instant.

  "Qin's flames!" A heart-wrenching cry echoed through the air, and Qing Xia pulled out a long sword from the northern corner gate, then pushed open the heavy stone door with all his might.

  A loud rumble, icy cold water poured down from the sky, gushing out of the open stone gate and surging towards the raging flames!

  "Qin's Blaze!" In the midst of darkness, a massive power suddenly surged forth, and Qing Xia's weak body instantly sprinted towards the raging inferno. She stumbled two steps before falling to the ground, her pale face deathly white, with a pair of jet-black eyes shining like night pearls, radiating an otherworldly beauty. With all her might, she stretched out her hand, behind her was a boundless deluge of water, desperately reaching towards Qin's Blaze in the flames.

  Under the impact of ice and fire, a loud rumbling sound shook the sky, and large tracts of white smoke billowed through the air, hissing sounds echoing throughout the entire corridor. The line of sight was completely blurred, and only countless white misty vapors could be seen stretching between the two people, in the underground imperial mausoleum that had been silent for thousands of years, two pale hands were tightly clasped together.