Chapter 863: Gaze

Chapter 863: The Gaze

The snowstorm raged.

Everyone trudged through the accumulated snow, with only the howling wind echoing in their ears.

Approximately twenty minutes had passed since they entered the Ancient Imperial Tomb. All they could see was endless snow and wind; not even a shadow was visible...

The biting cold stimulated everyone's nerves, turning their cheeks a raw red. Coupled with the hunger from their long journey, they felt as though their bodies weighed a thousand pounds... Both their physical and mental states were gradually nearing their limits.

Eventually, even Zhu Chong, the tallest and strongest among them, started to falter.

"There are a few trees ahead that can offer some shelter from the wind... Let's rest there for a while."

Without a word, he immediately took the largest tree and sat down; it offered the most protection from the wind. The others naturally dared not compete with Zhu Chong for a spot, so they quickly scrambled for the smaller trees, some even resorting to fighting for them.

As they fought, some people suddenly froze, staring into the void before them as if something were there.

Meanwhile, a relatively slender girl like Wu Qiong couldn't compete with them. She could only stand by, trembling and watching helplessly.

"If a few of us huddle together, backs facing outwards, we can also get some shelter from the snowstorm," Wu Qiong said, walking over to them.

Under Wu Qiong's organization, the marginalized individuals who dared not compete immediately clustered together. Dozens of them huddled body-to-body, using their backs to shield against the external snow and wind. Within the crowd, it indeed became much warmer.

The linen-clad youth, not wanting to fight Zhu Chong and his group for a tree, brought A Qian and joined them.

"What exactly are you looking at?" the linen-clad youth asked with a frown, seeing Wu Qiong staring blankly ahead again.

Wu Qiong gazed deeply at him, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"You... perhaps, need to be more proactive. After you proactively do certain things, you will also see..."

The linen-clad youth's eyes were filled with confusion.

"Give it to me... I told you to give it to me!!" A quarrel erupted nearby.

Zhu Chong kicked a boy to the ground, his hand gripping the boy's collar as if snatching something. The boy, still struggling fiercely, clung desperately to a half-eaten flatbread.

"It's mine!"

"You're so weak, eating it won't do you any good. Let me eat it instead! I'm strong! I can help you all escape!"

"No!! It's mine!!"

"You're asking for it!!"

Seeing that the boy refused to let go, Zhu Chong became furious. He kicked him violently in the head, directly dislodging his nose. Blood streamed from his nostrils, and several teeth were knocked out.

The kick was truly forceful. The boy's mind went blank, but his hand still wouldn't release the flatbread, as if it had frozen in place.

"I told you to let go! I told you to let go!! Useless trash!! Bitch!!"

Zhu Chong showed no intention of stopping, frantically continuing to kick the boy's head and stomach, his face utterly ferocious!

The others watched this scene with their hearts in their throats. They were, after all, just children, and for a moment they were so terrified they forgot to intervene... Moreover, they had all witnessed Zhu Chong's strength and violence. Who would dare to stop him?

Not far away, the linen-clad youth's brows furrowed tightly...

He glanced at the tall, imposing Zhu Chong, then at the other children who cowered in fear of him. A faint glimmer flickered in his eyes, as if he were deep in thought.

Zhu Chong's kicks grew heavier and heavier, and the boy gradually stopped responding. Just as blood was about to stain the ground, a figure appeared before him.

"Enough!" the linen-clad youth said in a deep voice.

Zhu Chong's foot paused, his angry eyes glaring at the linen-clad youth.

"What are you? You say 'enough,' and that's it?!"

"If you keep hitting him like this, you're going to kill him," the linen-clad youth said, his gaze cold and sharp.

"Don't forget we're all watching. If you kill him, someone will report you for murder when we reach the Tianshu Realm... Either you kill him and then kill all of us, or you can look forward to rotting in a prison in the Tianshu Realm!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chong clearly hesitated.

Even if he was naive about the world, he knew what the word 'prison' meant... He glanced back at the other children, who all lowered their heads, seemingly afraid to meet his gaze.

Zhu Chong remained silent for a long time, then let out a cold snort and withdrew his foot.

"You're pretty arrogant," Zhu Chong said, his eyes narrowed. "Want to fight me?"

"Do you think your strength is so great?" the linen-clad youth said calmly, completely unafraid. "I can drag a several-hundred-pound 'Sacred Corpse,' and I can also smash your head with one punch... Do you want to try me?"

Zhu Chong seemed intimidated by the linen-clad youth's demeanor. Remembering that the youth had indeed dragged the 'Sacred Corpse' by himself earlier, a hint of apprehension clearly appeared on his face.

Hunger filled his body, and Zhu Chong didn't want a full-blown fight with the linen-clad youth at this moment. He simply gave the youth a vicious glare.

"You just wait."

He turned and continued walking into the snowstorm.

After Zhu Chong left, everyone around them breathed a sigh of relief, and a hint of reverence appeared in their gazes toward the linen-clad youth...

Almost simultaneously,

A string of golden text floated before the linen-clad youth's eyes:

Two Emperors have cast their gaze upon you.

The linen-clad youth froze in place.

"So this is the entrance to the Ancient Imperial Tomb..."

Chen Ling and the other two traversed the desolate land, finally reaching the location of the Ancient Imperial Tomb. They descended before the stone gate, looking around in surprise.

"It's truly dilapidated," Jian Changsheng shrugged.

"After being abandoned for so many years, most of the areas inside should have become inactive," Sun Bumian said, pointing to the majestic golden spire at the very top of the Ancient Imperial Tomb. "That's the core of the entire tomb."

"That high? We won't have to climb stairs to get up there once we're inside, will we?" Jian Changsheng asked, somewhat displeased.

Sun Bumian: ...

"Even to 'climb stairs,' you first need to be qualified to enter," Sun Bumian said, turning to Chen Ling. "My words still stand: the Ancient Imperial Tomb isn't something just anyone can enter... Don't blame me if the door doesn't open later."

Chen Ling didn't respond. He walked directly to the magnificent stone gate and slowly placed his hands on its surface...

One second,

Two seconds,

Three seconds...

Seeing no reaction from the Ancient Imperial Tomb, Sun Bumian adopted an 'I told you so' expression and was about to speak when a thunderous roar echoed from behind the gate!

BOOM—!!!

A golden hurricane surged from the gradually widening gap in the stone gate. The mighty imperial power made their clothes whip around. Amidst the gold, Chen Ling's large red opera robe was as vivid as blood!

"This... How is this possible? You're not an emperor, yet you can open the door?!" Sun Bumian exclaimed in shock, bracing against the gale.

Amidst the mighty golden hurricane, a line of text suddenly flashed before Chen Ling's eyes:

Four hundred ninety-four Emperors have cast their gaze upon you.