Before Jiang Wen stood a majestic golden gate, tens of zhang tall.
The gate was carved with rare and exotic beasts and inlaid with various gemstones. Illuminated by the lights, it emitted a dazzling, multicolored radiance.
It was like a vast sea of stars, overwhelming the senses.
"What is this place?"
Jiang Wen hadn't expected such a peculiar realm behind the gate, featuring a magnificent palace complex and this grand door.
Before the golden gate, countless gold and silver treasures were piled up like mountains. Without a second thought, Jiang Wen collected all of them into his storage bag.
It wouldn't hurt to take these. They might not be useful in Daqian, but they'd be extraordinary in the real world. Things of this value would be worth at least ten figures.
Surveying the surroundings, the tomb was extremely spacious. On both sides were bronze statues several meters tall, with bronze tripods and vessels placed around, along with various uniquely shaped birds and beasts.
Jiang Wen crouched down and casually picked up a bronze artifact. The bronze piece was extremely well-preserved, and the gilding on its surface hadn't faded.
He looked at the inscriptions on the bottom of the bronze piece and realized they were the familiar characters of the Tai Cang civilization.
"It's an artifact from the era of Emperor Tai Cang."
It was the first time he'd seen such a complete Tai Cang artifact. This thing would probably cause a stir if it were outside.
After all, Emperor Tai Cang was too far removed from the present day, and surviving artifacts were truly rare. Many wealthy families in Daqian would pay high prices to acquire these artifacts, often selling a single piece for several hundred or even a thousand taels.
Looking at the mountains of bronze artifacts piled up around, even Daqian's national treasury probably didn't have so many.
These things alone were enough to show that this palace was extraordinary. Looking at the golden gate, Jiang Wen was certain that something even more shocking lay behind it.
"Who could be buried so lavishly?" Jiang Wen muttered to himself.
"If it were the Emperor, the scale here doesn't seem quite right. If it's not the Emperor, then who would deserve such a grand burial?"
After much thought, Jiang Wen couldn't recall anyone in his memory who fit the description.
He walked to the gate and carefully examined it. A golden dragon head on the gate shone brilliantly, its eyes inlaid with fiery red gemstones, as if a true dragon were overlooking the earth.
Jiang Wen couldn't help but reach out and touch it, feeling the dragon head's coldness.
The dragon's red gemstone eyes suddenly emitted intense heat, with faint, shimmering lights visible within.
The gate shook violently, and Jiang Wen felt a tremor beneath his feet. Then, he saw the gate slowly opening.
"Oh? So the dragon head is the mechanism?" Jiang Wen curiously looked at the gate.
He raised his eyes to look behind the gate and froze in place.
"The Nine-Five Burial System, with soldiers and horses alike. Above are the stars, below are the mountains and rivers."
"It seems that whoever is buried here is indeed an emperor."
Everything he saw before him was somewhat beyond Jiang Wen's expectations. The magnificent scene of the sun, moon, and stars all belonging to the mountains and rivers was presented before his eyes.
Looking around, he saw statues of valiant soldiers, tens of meters tall, surrounding him in layers, like towering giants.
He slowly walked down the steps, heading towards the interior of the gate.
The steps were layered upon layered, appearing to be hundreds of steps high. Each step was paved with excellent jade slabs, carved with exquisite patterns. Even lying flat on the steps, there was no feeling of narrowness.
Looking at the scene in the distance, what a magnificent sight it was.
Countless bronze giants, hundreds of meters tall, were neatly arranged like a forest of steles. Several golden roads led to the tiered throne in the center. At the top of the hall, a triangular object slowly rotated, scattering golden light. Countless stars glittered on the ceiling, with a complete map of mountains and rivers imprinted on it.
"This is..." Jiang Wen was somewhat stunned as he looked at the familiar ceiling.
"What exactly is this place?"
Jiang Wen had some ideas in his mind. He slowly walked towards the huge throne on the central platform.
Stepping on the golden road, he looked up and surveyed the surrounding bronze giants. These giants, hundreds of meters tall, held halberds, like pillars supporting the sky, constantly exuding fierceness.
Their bronze bodies were in a form Jiang Wen had never seen before. They were exquisite, slender, and as smooth as mirrors. Huge rings stood behind them, like statues of gods.
"These are..." Jiang Wen frowned, looking at the countless tall bronze giants.
He could even feel the faint spiritual power emanating from these bronze giants. Their bodies must contain infinite power.
Passing through the forest of bronze giants, Jiang Wen safely arrived at the central platform.
He was very curious about what secrets were on the throne surrounded by so many bronze figures, so he stepped up towards the top.
Each step on the stone slab revealed the patterns carved into it. They were things written in countless languages, telling the world the story of a king's life.
The more Jiang Wen looked, the heavier his heart became. He seemed to understand who this burial place belonged to.
"I hope it's not yours, Wenji."
Reaching the highest point, he saw an arm lying there. The arm was wrapped in layers of brocade and pierced with countless sharp golden thorns. But even so, the arm was still as smooth as new, like a washed white lotus root, untouched by dust.
Jiang Wen silently looked at the arm for a long time. He was very familiar with this hand. Even though the memories were distant, they still appeared before his eyes as if it were yesterday.
He reached out to pick up the arm. Suddenly, a cold voice sounded, and the entire space began to shake.
"Warning! Warning! This place is not for you to touch. Do not touch the body of the Heavenly Emperor!"
"Warning! Warning! This place is not for you to touch. Do not touch the body of the Heavenly Emperor!"
"An impious one has entered, kill without mercy!"
Cold voices echoed in his ears. Jiang Wen looked up at his surroundings.
He stood steadily before the throne, his eyes calmly watching the shaking ground.
The scene he saw was enough to shock the world.
Countless bronze giants rose up, the rings behind them emitting a milky reddish-yellow light.
"Kill without mercy."
Red lights lit up in the eyes of the huge bronze figures, and then cyan and yellow colors covered their bodies.
