books44 Chapter 139 An Altar Appears Underground
Chapter 139 An Altar Appears Underground
"This isn't like you at all! What's going on... Could it be that you've actually backed down?" Gouzi stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of him with a face full of suspicion, finding it hard to believe that someone as stubborn and strong-willed as her would ever back down.
"Hmph! Come on! If you're so capable, why don't you go and do it yourself? If you're so tough, go and pull that person down from the throne, and then sit on it yourself and see what happens!" Yun Juan retorted irritably, feeling as if the space she was in was filled with an aura of stupidity.
With more than half the time already gone, Yun Juan was unwilling to waste any more time in this endless cycle.
Moreover, after some investigation, Gouzi discovered another passage nearby, which led to the water prison.
Yun Juan quickly adjusted her backpack, and the exquisite Martin boots on her feet made a screeching sound as they rubbed against the smooth jade ground.
In the blink of an eye, she had nimbly stepped into the depths of that dark and mysterious passage.
As soon as you enter, a chilling, dark wind howls and clangs, like the wails of evil spirits.
The strong wind made Yun Juan's long, flowing hair dance wildly, constantly obscuring her vision.
She frowned, gently tucking her messy hair behind her ear, her beautiful eyes scanning her surroundings warily, not missing any possible signs of danger.
"Hmm, there's a breeze here! We must be close to our destination!" Yun Juan thought to herself.
Since prisoners are held in the water dungeon, a ventilation shaft must be installed to ensure air circulation; otherwise, the people inside would likely die from lack of oxygen very quickly.
Thinking of this, Yun Juan quickened her pace and became even more careful to observe her surroundings.
Upon entering the cave, a square altar suddenly appeared before us.
This altar resembles an exquisitely crafted flowerbed, supported high by four enormous and ancient bronze tripods, as if bearing some mysterious and solemn mission.
A strong, pungent smell of blood hit me, making me want to vomit.
Yun Juan frowned and looked at the bronze cauldron in the center of the altar.
She could vaguely hear gurgling sounds coming from inside the cauldron, as if something was bubbling and churning.
"Is...is boiling blood being cooked in this cauldron?" Gouzi felt a chill run down his spine, finding the place extremely eerie and terrifying.
At that moment, the strong smell of blood was like an invisible force, rushing straight to his palate, making his throat dry and his stomach churning.
Even Yun Quan, who had been through countless battles, could not bear the intense smell of blood. She felt nauseous and almost vomited.
You must know that she had experienced countless life-and-death battles in the apocalypse and personally killed countless mutants, but she had never seen any battlefield exude such a chilling bloody smell.
At this moment, Yun Quan stood still, not daring to approach the bronze cauldron rashly.
Because it was nighttime, and the place was a dark and damp dungeon with dim lighting, she could not see the specific situation inside the cauldron.
However, just from the incessant bubbling sound and the pervasive stench of blood, she could imagine how many innocent lives would be tragically lost if the cauldron were truly boiling with blood—a truly horrific sight.
"Oh no! This is..." A chilling thought suddenly flashed through Yun Quan's mind like lightning. She couldn't help but tremble and subconsciously shook her head violently, as if trying to shake the terrifying idea out of her mind.
However, the more she tried to get rid of it, the clearer and stronger the thought became, filling her with fear and disbelief.
Gou Zi, who was standing nearby, keenly noticed Yun Juan's hesitant words and the strange expression on her face. He could no longer suppress his curiosity and worry and asked urgently, "What's wrong? What... what is it?"
Although a terrifying thought also surfaced in Gouzi's mind at this moment, he suppressed it with his strong willpower and maintained a calm and composed demeanor on the surface.
After all, that conjecture was far too cruel and heartless; if it were to be proven true, it would likely bring unimaginable consequences.
At this moment, Yun Quan was also brewing a bold guess in her mind.
Her beautiful eyes were fixed intently on the mysterious altar in the center, her gaze like two torches trying to pierce through the layers of mist and uncover the truth hidden within.
Especially when she saw the lifelike dragon on the ground, a sense of déjà vu arose spontaneously.
She frowned slightly, pondering, "Where have I seen this pattern before? Why does it feel so familiar?"
Time passed second by second, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze, with only Yun Juan's thoughts racing.
The dragons on the ground are meticulously and vividly depicted, as if they could break free from the ground and take flight at any moment.
However, unlike common dragons, this dragon's eyes were painted with reddish-brown pigment!
Moreover, the color of that pigment was close to the color of fresh blood!
Yun Juan felt like she had seen those eyes somewhere before; they seemed very familiar!
This sense of familiarity feels like it's etched into my bones!
Yun Quan was certain she had never seen those eyes before!
Moreover, the dragon's eyes in the painting are already abnormal!
It is known that an ancient and mysterious legend has been passed down in the Tianyuan Kingdom.
It is said that dragons, being sacred creatures, should never have their eyes painted on.
Once a dragon is given eyes, it ceases to be an auspicious omen and transforms into a fearsome and malevolent dragon.
In folk tradition, there was once a painter who became famous for his superb dragon-painting skills.
But what's strange is that every dragon he drew had no eyes.
Some people curiously asked the artist about the reason behind it, but the answer they received was chilling.
It turned out that the painter had received a request from an immortal in his dream. The immortal told him that the Dragon God's eyes had been lost for some reason, and if anyone dared to add eyes to the Dragon God, the Dragon God, who now possessed eyes, would instantly fall into evil and bring disaster and calamity upon the world.
Since then, Tianyuan Kingdom has developed a unique tradition of drawing dragons without drawing their eyes, which has been passed down from generation to generation to this day.
However, at this moment, Yun Juan was surprised to find that the dragon carved on the ground of the altar not only had eyes, but those eyes also exuded an indescribable damp aura, which made her feel a chill.