Chapter 245: 7-Star Treasure, Mysterious Palace
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After briefly identifying the direction, Ji Chen and his group headed towards the location marked on the map.
Two days later, at noon, the group arrived at a seemingly ordinary desert. The surroundings were filled with rolling sand dunes, with nothing else noteworthy.
Ji Chen looked at the map and rubbed his chin, confirming that this was the designated spot. He spoke loudly, Spread out and search this area!
Upon his command, the hundreds of Crown of the Oceans soldiers dispersed in all directions, initiating a thorough search.
Two hours later, the troops searching in the southeast discovered something unusual.
It was a stone platform mostly buried under gravel, with a rectangular indentation on top.
After pondering for a moment, Ji Chen inserted the Sword of Warlords into the crevice. The blade seamlessly fit, creating a perfect match.
A rumbling sound reverberated as the ground shook intensely, creating whirlpools on the gravel surface, sucking in the surrounding debris.
Ji Chens expression changed slightly. He attempted to pull out the Sword of Warlords, but it was as if the blade had been glued in place, not budging at all.
He had no choice but to temporarily lead the troops away from the area.
Just as they retreated to a safe distance, the grounds shaking reached its peak. The surface was filled with countless sand whirlpools, as if gigantic beasts were turning their bodies underground.
Amidst the groups astonishment, towering spires and halls emerged from the ground. Gravel flowed down the angled roofs and gaps, creating colossal sandwaterfalls that descended from the sky.
Half an hour later, the commotion around gradually subsided.
Before them stood a colossal palace crafted from rock, with towering spires and halls casting expansive shadows, reaching hundreds of meters high.
Tall, brown stone columns lined both sides, extending all the way to the grand entrance of the palace, adorned with exquisite stone carvings on the columns, gates, and outer walls. Bas-reliefs and sculptures depicted the extraordinary nature of this palace.
It resembled a palace that a t.i.tan giant would inhabit.
There was such a grand structure hidden beneath this desert?
With just a glance, Ji Chen knew that this had no connection with the Skeleton King Solin or the skeleton race.
If someone possessed the ability to construct such a palace, how could their strength be so meager!?
Dont stand there staring, quickly go over and examine this palace.
Ji Chens voice snapped the group of heroes out of their daze. Seeing him already walking forward, they quickly followed suit.
Ascending a pathway paved with rocks, towering stone columns stood on either side, adorned with diverse and grotesque statues.
The only similarity was that these statues were all bound by chains, as if they were forcefully imprisoned here.
The statues depicted various raceshumans, dwarves, elves, orcs, and other less recognizable beings, such as winged serpents with multiple tails, nightmarish insects with hundreds of legs, and even one-legged bovine creatures treading on lightning.
None of these seemed ordinary.
Gazing upon the statues, each revealing expressions of resentment, anger, despair, or numbness, Ji Chen contemplated silently.
The group arrived in front of the ma.s.sive gate.
On the left side of the gate, there was a stone platform where the Sword of Warlords had been placed. Ji Chen gently removed it, freeing the sword.
Observing this, Ji Chens curiosity heightened even further.
Utilizing a 7-star treasure as the means to unlock this palacewhat a remarkable display.
Didnt this indicate that there might be even more precious items inside?
Within this grand creation, there might be immense surprises that he couldnt even fathom.
However, the towering gate, dozens of meters high before him, resembled an insurmountable obstacle. How could they possibly open it?
Creak-
Just as Ji Chen raised his head to contemplate, the gate slowly swung open on its own, revealing pitch-black darkness within.
Logically speaking, since the Sword of Warlords was a key, there shouldnt be any danger for those who opened it with the key.
Moreover, Solin, the previous bearer of the sword, must have known about the existence of this palace. If he could live up until a few days ago, there should be no issue.
After realizing this, Ji Chen felt more rea.s.sured. He led the troops inside.
Once all the soldiers had entered, the gate behind them closed automatically, as if isolating the s.p.a.ce. The outside winds, which had been whispering, vanished completely, leaving the surroundings in utter silence, where only the sound of ones own breath could be heard.
As Ji Chen was about to take out some torches for illumination, a burst of light suddenly illuminated the surroundings, making it as bright as day.
It was a s.p.a.cious circular hall with towering walls forming a ring around it. Colorful paintings adorned the walls, and above was a circular dome that reached several hundred meters high, revealing a vast expanse of stars.
Ji Chen gazed at the colorful paintings for a while before realizing the true nature of this palace.
This was a prison!
A prison for incarcerating powerful individuals from various races!
This matched with the exterior stone columns; the statues of different races on the columns were bound by chains, implying imprisonment.
This conclusion left Ji Chen even more astonished.
Such a grand palace turned out to be a prison.
At this moment, a question arose in his mind: who was responsible for constructing this prison?
However, the paintings within the hall didnt reveal any information about the prisons owner. Ji Chen temporarily set aside this question and looked around.
This hall had only one pa.s.sage connecting to it.
Without pausing, Ji Chen led the group into the pa.s.sage.
Though it was called a pa.s.sage, it was dozens of meters high and several dozen meters wide, as if designed for some colossal being to traverse.
After walking through the pa.s.sage for a while and seeing that there was no end in sight, Ji Chen furrowed his brows. He raised his hand to signal the troops to halt and turned to question a few of the heroes.
How far have we walked along this pa.s.sage?
Reporting, my lord, weve covered about three to four kilometers.
Seven to eight kilometers?
The furrow between Ji Chens brows deepened.
Although the palace was grand and immense, it shouldnt be as long as seven or eight kilometers.
Could it be similar to the high tower in the ancient land of the divine realm on King Kong Island?
In fact, as soon as they entered the hall earlier, they had stepped into a different s.p.a.ce. Therefore, they couldnt use the exterior to gauge the s.p.a.ces size.
The interior might be of normal size, or it could be several times larger than its exterior, perhaps even a hundred times larger.
The person who built this prison clearly possessed a power as vast as the cosmos.
Continuing through the pa.s.sage, they arrived at the end after more than ten minutes.
This s.p.a.ce was even more towering and ma.s.sive than the previous hall, with a dome of stars stretching hundreds of meters high.
As Ji Chens gaze s.h.i.+fted to the interior, his pupils contracted, and his heart started pounding wildly.
The scene before his eyes left everyone in a state of stupor.
Within this s.p.a.ce, near the walls, stood over a hundred birdcage-like metal enclosures, varying in size from large to small. Some reached up to a hundred meters, connecting the heavens and the earth, while others were only a few meters tall.
And within these metal enclosures were dozens of prisoners.
As Ji Chens vision focused on these prisoners, his astonishment deepened.
Arent these the same races as the statues outside?
Humans, dwarves, elves, orcs
The winged serpents with multiple tails
The nightmarish insects with hundreds of legs
The one-legged bovine creatures treading on lightning
Some were of normal size, but others were enormous, resembling hills or even canyons.
For example, the nightmarish insect looked like a centipede but had numerous legs extending in all directions, reaching hundreds of meters in length.
And the one-legged bovine creature, unintentionally flas.h.i.+ng with lightning, had a leg that seemed to support the sky itself, bearing a hill-sized body. It was the largest among these prisoners.
What the heck!
Could this be real?
Does this world really have such bizarre races?
Perhaps sensing their presence, two prisoners within cages slowly opened their eyes, awakening from a slumber that had lasted for who knew how many years.
Upon seeing Ji Chens group, they too fell into a stupor.
However, their faces soon displayed a hint of wild joy.
It was the expression of those who saw hopea chance to be rescued and to gain freedom..