Chapter 1801

Qin Yutong bit her cherry lips, straining to control her emotions, but tears were already swirling in her eye sockets.

Meizhuang said: "Isn't it very moving?"

Qin Yutong shook her head and said: "Don't say it!"

Meizhuang laughed: "Why don't you want to listen? Because you're afraid to know the truth, because you've already guessed it—you are also one of the murderers who killed your mother!"

"Shut up!" Qin Yutong screamed, tears bursting forth like a broken dam.

Hu Xiaotian opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace; Qin Yutong flung herself into his warm hold and began to sob silently.

Meizhuang sighed: "Actually, even I don't understand why your mother had to die; even if she made a mistake, the master couldn't bear to kill her. Though I could deceive your father, I could never fool her—such a smart person, why would she abandon her husband and infant child to choose a path of death?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You say that and claim you have no responsibility at all—is that whitewashing yourself?"

Meizhuang scoffed: "Do I need to do that?" Her gaze fell on Hu Xiaotian's face: "Your engagement back then was actually Qin Se's idea; no one understood why she would help you pick a fool, but now it seems her judgment was indeed exceptional."

Hu Xiaotian silently sighed; Qin Se, this mother-in-law he had never met, must also be a person of extraordinary wisdom. Since Meizhuang denied that so many people were related to her death, perhaps her death is connected to Ling Jiazi; perhaps Qin Se learned Ling Jiazi's secret; perhaps Ling Jiazi, to protect her secret, would not hesitate to kill.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Do you know they are different from you?"

Meizhuang slowly shook her head; if she hadn't personally seen Ren Tianqing's severed arm gush blue blood, she wouldn't have known this senior brother's bodily structure was so strange. Recalling that she had spent most of her life living in deceit, the sense of defeat in Meizhuang's heart was indescribable. She had thought she would be the ultimate victor, but now it seems she was merely a pawn in the master's hand; even though the master has been dead for years, she still cannot escape the fate of being used.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Perhaps we still have a chance to escape."

Meizhuang shook her head: "No, it's impossible. I've searched every corner around here; there is simply no escape route. Have you noticed the walls? They are piled with black gold sand, harder than metal, impossible to break through. Even if someone outside truly came to rescue us, they probably couldn't breach this barrier."

Hu Xiaotian knew she spoke the truth, yet anything is possible. He drew the light sword—this blade originally obtained from Long Ling Shengjing, now returned there. If not at the point of utter desperation, Hu Xiaotian would be reluctant to destroy it, but no matter how precious the light sword is, it cannot outweigh a human life.

Meizhuang didn't know what he intended to do, and assumed Hu Xiaotian wanted to use the light sword to dig a tunnel in the wall; she slowly shook her head, thinking Hu Xiaotian was merely making unnecessary trouble.

Hu Xiaotian did not conceal what he was about to do; he laid out his plan fully to Meizhuang.

After hearing it, Meizhuang felt Hu Xiaotian's plan was very risky, yet it did have some feasibility; however, we lack an estimate of the light sword's explosive power. If the power is insufficient, we may fail to blast a passage; if it's too great, we three might all be annihilated.

Meizhuang said: "During the explosion, we can enter the side chamber; it should be able to withstand part of the blast's shockwave."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "That sounds plausible, but if we enter the chamber, the collapse triggered by the explosion might seal the stone room, meaning we'd go from one tomb into another." He and Qin Yutong had already analyzed these consequences.

Hu Xiaotian pointed at the cavern: "Normally, the shockwave from an explosion would, due to the cavern's orientation, surge upward; our heads are beneath the altar, which is likely to collapse, and even if we find no other exit, we might end up back in the stone room where the altar stands."

Meizhuang said: "Perhaps all the rock layers above will collapse at once, burying us alive here."

Qin Yutong said: "If that really happens, we can only consider ourselves unlucky."

Hu Xiaotian nodded in deep agreement.

Meizhuang silently cursed: the two of you are both wearing armor, while I have no protection at all; no wonder she earlier forcibly took the Phoenix Armor—at a life‑or‑death moment, everyone thinks only of themselves. She also understands that, though she and the two of you have temporarily set aside grudges, if we manage to escape, the first thing would likely be to eliminate each other; no one would care whether the other lives or dies.

Hu Xiaotian said: "What do you think?"

Meizhuang said: "Even if I disagree, you won't change your approach!" From Hu Xiaotian's resolute gaze, she realized this matter was inevitable.

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Since we all agree, then it's settled."

Meizhuang originally wanted to join them, but then she thought: if the explosion truly causes a collapse, hiding anywhere would be useless; if the blast fortuitously opens a passage, after escaping we would immediately face being killed by the two of them joining forces, so it's better to stay away—seize any chance to flee quickly; today we must not linger in battle. With that thought, she did not approach them but chose a corner far from them.

Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong had already guessed Meizhuang's thoughts, but neither exposed it, nor was there any need to; Hu Xiaotian put his arm around Qin Yutong's slender waist and whispered: "Are you ready?"

Qin Yutong nodded, her eyes gazing at Hu Xiaotian with tender affection; though she spoke no words, her feelings were already fully reflected in her look—death together, life together; whatever happens, she will stand beside Hu Xiaotian to face it.

Hu Xiaotian held Qin Yutong's delicate form, went to the pre‑chosen hiding spot, twisted the light sword, and without hesitation hurled it into the cavern, then used his body to shield Qin Yutong.

Meizhuang watched, feeling a surge of envy; at this life‑or‑death moment, Qin Yutong at least had a man protecting her, whereas she herself had been alone from start to end—how pitiful her life is.

After a brief silence, a thunderous explosion rang out; a shockwave surged upward from the depths of the cavern, shaking the entire Long Ling Shengjing.

The whole Dakang palace trembled; many palace servants, unprepared, were knocked to the ground by the sudden jolt. Dawn had just arrived; Qiqi, in the morning light, was watching the progress at the Jade Pond—so far half its water had not been drained, and the work to excavate Long Ling Shengjing and open its interior had not begun. She leaned on the pavilion's columns; without their support, she would likely have fallen as well.

The guards nearby, Mu Rongzhan and others, rushed over in panic; Qiqi raised a hand to stop them advancing further, coldly saying: "I'm fine."

Everyone, still shaken, looked toward Mount Piaoxiang; they saw the dragon's tail clinging to the mountain's side detach from the body due to the tremor—like a palace‑sized dragon tail plummeting from the peak of Mount Piaoxiang, crashing into the Jade Pond, sending spray flying everywhere, even splashing onto the pavilion where Qiqi stood, as if it were rain.

Qiqi also could not escape; she was drenched, and the nearby palace servants hurried over to shield her from the water, but it was already too late.

Qiqi took a handkerchief from a palace servant, wiped the water from her face, but her gaze never left Mount Piaoxiang; her heart filled with worry, for the tremor clearly came from that direction—what had happened there? It had been a full day and night since Hu Xiaotian and Quan De'an sneaked into Long Ling Shengjing, yet still no word of them. Qiqi felt an unprecedented longing and anxiety; she had already regarded Quan De'an as family, and though she refused to admit it, Hu Xiaotian's appearance, voice, and smile were etched deep in her heart, his importance to her even surpassing that of Quan De'an.

Qiqi forced herself not to dwell on the worst outcome; since the two had been together, she had done everything possible to rescue them, but judging from the present situation, not only is progress slow, things are actually heading toward an even worse state.

Although Hu Xiaotian had braced himself mentally, he still underestimated the power of the light sword's explosion; silently counting to thirty in his heart, a massive force from deep underground erupted instantly, like a subterranean beast roaring, the earth shaking, mountains trembling, the explosive roar transmitted through the cavern shaking this dark, confined space; a powerful shockwave surged along the cavern straight upward, striking the ceiling of the stone chamber, then like an untamed horse it surged and squeezed in all directions.

Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong's bodies were like autumn leaves in the wind, and also as if an invisible giant hand had gripped them, slamming them hard against the stone wall; they clung tightly to each other, determined to die together if death came.

Hu Xiaotian somewhat regretted his decision; he had not anticipated that the light sword's explosion would be so powerful. Had he known, he would have first drained some of its energy, but regret now is useless. Even with their armor, they could not fully withstand the blast's impact; Hu Xiaotian seemed to see himself and Qin Yutong shattered by the shockwave, their bodies broken and bloody, after which they would be forever fused in flesh and blood.

Just as Hu Xiaotian braced himself to smash into the stone wall and be pulverized, the wall itself burst open ahead of them from the explosion's shockwave; though the explosion was merely an instant, in that brief time myriad changes occurred. Their surroundings were filled with flying huge rocks; they tumbled through the crevices between stones, then fell straight down like rocks themselves.

First update posted; there will be a second update tonight! (To be continued~^~)