novelhk Chapter 996 The Shocking Underground Heavenly Palace!
Chapter 996 The Shocking Underground Heavenly Palace!
Just as the group was still immersed in Gao Yao's description of the astonishing connection between celestial magnetic fields and immortality, and were trying their best to understand and visualize the incredible scene, the scene before them suddenly became clear!
An indescribable aroma, a blend of earth, metal, and a strange, sweet fragrance, wafted towards them. Then, a breathtakingly magnificent scene, utterly beyond words, unexpectedly unfolded before their eyes—
Light! Unimaginable light!
They were currently deep within the heart of Mount Li, in an underground tomb of unknown depth, yet the entire vast space was as bright as day! The dome seemed endless, inlaid with countless enormous, glittering luminous pearls and various colorful, crystal-clear gems. These treasures were not randomly piled up, but rather seemed meticulously arranged according to some kind of star chart. Their light refracted and reflected each other, forming a simulated celestial dome, emitting a soft and stable light sufficient to illuminate every corner of this vast underground world!
The visual impact was already stunning enough, but even more breathtaking sights were yet to come. Looking out, the underground palace was so vast that it seemed to stretch endlessly before one could see its end!
Contrary to expectations, this was not a gloomy tomb, but rather a magnificent replica of the Xianyang Palace and even an imagined celestial realm, complete with countless towering pavilions, palaces, and corridors. Rivers filled with mercury flowed gently within, simulating vast oceans and rivers. Most astonishingly, however, were thousands of terracotta warriors, clad in black armor and wielding various weapons, not standing on the ground, but… silently suspended in mid-air!
They were arranged in a neat military formation, like an invincible army of ghostly soldiers guarding this eternal underground kingdom, or like suddenly stepping into a legendary celestial realm and encountering heavenly warriors. The entire underground palace was filled with an aura of solemnity, mystery, and transcendence.
Even Gao Yao, who comes from the information-exploding modern era, had already heard about the magnificence of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum and was mentally prepared, was still shocked and speechless when he witnessed this "underground palace" that exceeded the limits of imagination. He could only stare blankly at this masterpiece of craftsmanship that exhausted human, material, and even imagination.
Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Chen Ping, and the others were utterly dumbfounded, as if frozen in place, barely able to breathe. What they saw completely shattered their preconceived notions, making them truly feel that this world might indeed possess some incomprehensible yet undeniably real…mystical power. Gao Yao's earlier remarks about celestial bodies and immortality, in the face of this magnificent, almost divinely inspired underground palace, seemed less unbelievable.
"Your Majesty, is this the magnetic field you spoke of?"
Cao Can's voice rang out in the underground space, silent for hundreds of years, trembling slightly, breaking the heavy breathing among the group. This renowned minister of the early Han Dynasty, known for his composure, competence, and unflappability, could not suppress the overwhelming emotions within him. The shock that came from the depths of his soul was clearly discernible in his words, as if he had witnessed a divine miracle descend upon the mortal world.
They stood beneath a dome of unimaginable size. Before them lay not the cramped tomb passage they had anticipated, but a breathtakingly vast "underground palace." Above the dome, instead of cold rock walls, was a magnificent star map inlaid and outlined with countless luminous pearls, fluorite, and some strange, self-illuminating mineral.
The Milky Way stretches across the sky, its constellations arrayed in a breathtaking array, far surpassing any known star map in terms of precision and magnificence. The stars are not static; they seem to follow some ancient rhythm, flowing and flickering with extreme slowness, emitting a cold and mysterious radiance that illuminates this underground world as if it were daytime, yet carries a dreamlike haze.
Even more astonishing was that the smooth, mirror-like ground beneath their feet was not paved with ordinary bricks and stones, but with a dark, dense material that gleamed with a metallic sheen. Scattered across this ground were metal objects of varying sizes and shapes—bronze swords and halberds, chariot wreckage, and even some strange components whose purpose was difficult to discern.
They were not piled up haphazardly, but rather seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, hovering slightly a few inches above the ground, or tilted and frozen in the air at an angle that defied common sense. Some tiny metal fragments, like duckweed on water, slowly swirled and danced around some unseen center.
Gao Yao stood with his hands behind his back before this wonder. His deep gaze swept over the swirling starry sky and the suspended metal, and upon hearing Cao Can's exclamation, he slowly nodded, his voice carrying a complex and enigmatic meaning:
"Well, I guess so. Even though... before coming here, I had a thousand and one imaginings and speculations in my mind, and I thought I was fully prepared. But when all of this was actually presented before my eyes, I still felt my soul was taken away, and my words seemed so pale and powerless."
He paused, then let out a long sigh, a sigh that was a mixture of awe, emotion, and a hint of barely perceptible relief.
"Cao Qing, do you know what I'm thinking right now? I'm thinking, if that First Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, were still alive, with his unparalleled prestige and absolute control over the Qin army, I'm afraid that the fate of this world... would truly be uncertain!"
Upon hearing this, not only Cao Can, but also the elite guards behind him, showed solemn expressions. Gao Yao's words were not unfounded speculation, but rather based on a profound understanding of this period of history and that great emperor.
"The common people and the elders of the six former states all called the First Emperor a tyrant. This reputation as a tyrant is certainly due to his massive construction projects and harsh laws, but at its root, isn't it also because he single-handedly reversed the established course of life that had existed for hundreds of years? Standardizing writing, unifying cart tracks, establishing ethical norms, and standardizing weights and measures... which of these measures wasn't a fundamental and earth-shattering transformation? It broke the privileges of the old aristocracy, eliminated the cultural barriers between the six states, and suddenly incorporated the common people, who were accustomed to the loose system of state-states, into a highly centralized and massive imperial machine. The resulting pain and discomfort were naturally attributed to tyranny."
Gao Yao's voice echoed in the empty underground palace, as if he were conversing with history.