A row of steps inside the passageway leads to another main hall.
At the very center of this hall is a pyramid-shaped stone platform, about ten meters high, constructed of stacked stones.
The table was painted white, with wild animal patterns drawn in black lines, and each layer was decorated with bronze artifacts and various gems.
At the top of the stone platform is a huge blue stone coffin.
Besides the coffin in the very center of the hall, there is also a huge statue inside.
The statue reaches all the way to the top of the cave. Although the carving is simple, it is clear that it depicts a woman holding a torch.
The statue's facial features are simple, but it doesn't depict the ugly love triangles often seen elsewhere. Instead, it portrays a normal woman, likely the first female leader of the church tribe depicted in the murals, lighting fires and building houses.
The hall was brightly lit, with the light source emanating from the torch in the statue's hand.
Looking down from the internet, I could only see the blindingly bright light emanating from the top of the stone torch, but I couldn't make out what was emitting the light.
Song Laosan followed closely behind me, climbing up the stairs. Looking at the coffin in front of him, he exclaimed in astonishment, "Is this the main burial chamber of the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace? There's not a single spark of fire, yet it's so bright?"
"The problem lies above!"
I pointed to the torch in the statue's hand: "That thing on it is very likely that radioactive meteorite!"
"when!"
Just as we were talking, a sound suddenly came from the direction opposite the stone platform, which sounded like metal tools were hitting the stone.
Upon hearing the sound, Qu Ruilin immediately drew his knife: "Let's go, let's go take a look!"
"etc!"
I reached out to stop Qu Ruilin and whispered, "There's the only coffin we've seen along the way in this main hall. It must be the location of the main burial chamber. It's understandable that Duan Jinyan and the others didn't leave anyone behind the passage, but it's impossible that they didn't leave anyone at the entrance and exit of the passage either. So there's probably something wrong here."
"We're here to arrest people; we can't hide even if there's a problem."
Qu Ruilin, carrying the knife in his hand, walked directly towards that direction: "The men in black robes have guns. Only by closing the distance can we have a chance of winning!"
When the others saw Qu Ruilin set off, they followed him in a group.
As we walked toward the stone platform, the sound of metal clanging kept coming from ahead, making me feel very uneasy.
If I were part of the team that entered first, I would definitely send people to guard the entrance and place people on the stone platform to keep watch from above.
But at this moment, there was no one in the hall. Judging from the sounds, Duan Jinyan and the others must be on the other side.
It felt like they were deliberately creating noise to lure us in, but given our combined firepower, they didn't need to resort to this tactic at all.
Unable to see the other person, I was momentarily confused about the situation and could only tiptoe over.
Song Laosan approached the stone platform and saw that it was filled with various natural gemstones. He put a few amber pieces in front of him into his pocket.
Seeing Song Laosan's actions, I whispered a reminder: "The meteorite in front is highly radioactive. We don't know if the things inside are safe. If you take these things with you, be careful not to get into trouble."
Song Laosan dismissed my words: "According to you, this meteorite has been here for thousands of years. If there is radiation here, whether I take this stone or not, the result will probably be the same."
Hearing what Song Laosan said, I caught a glimpse of a copper plaque about the size of a cigarette box, inlaid with jade, on the stone platform. I casually stuffed it into my pocket, then moved to the edge of the stone platform and looked across.
At this moment, Duan Jinyan and his group of four were gathered around the statue. One of them had already climbed up the statue to a height of more than ten meters and hammered the iron rod in his hand into the stone pillar. He also had a rope tied around his waist.
Seeing the actions of those people, Wei Shengnan whispered, "It seems that Duan Jinyan didn't believe you before, didn't believe that the glowing stone was a meteorite, and was preparing to take it down."
"No, they probably don't just want to take something."
At this moment, Song Laosan also came over: "Look at that person climbing up the statue. He is quite agile. If they just want to take something, this person can just go up by himself. Why bother to break the iron bar?"
"Indeed, it looks like they want to build a rope ladder."
I looked up at the statue built against the mountain and nodded, saying, "Based on our previous experiences, I discovered that most of the secret passages in this tomb are located on the body of the giant statue. Could it be that Duan Jinyan has also discovered something and is planning to take the items and leave directly from there?"
“They’re tying ropes together, so they’re definitely going up. The terrain ahead is open, and if we rush up rashly, we’ll definitely be spotted. The best option is to make our move while they’re climbing.”
After explaining his thoughts, Song Laosan turned to me and asked, "Xiao Duan, you said before that the meteorite up there has strong radiation and that people who get close will have their flesh and blood dried up. Is that true or false?"
"What I saw was also a record in the murals. I don't know if the content on it is an exaggerated metaphor or if it really has that effect."
I turned my gaze away from Duan Jinyan and the others in the distance and looked around the hall: "The murals record that the monsters created by radiation are immortal and were suppressed by the Xia Dynasty wizards and sent to this tomb! But there is not a single skeleton in this hall except for a coffin, which is very different from the content of the murals, so I also doubt the authenticity of the murals."
After listening to my words, Song Laosan said in a low voice, "If you really want to arrest them, then everyone should be prepared. After they make contact with the meteorite, if Xiao Duan's information is correct, there will definitely be a commotion when they touch the meteorite. That will be the best time for us to make our move."
"What if the intelligence is false?"
Qu Ruilin objected without hesitation: "What if the meteorite has no radiation, or what's on it isn't a meteorite at all? Once Duan Jinyan and the others climb up, it will be much more difficult for us to capture them than on land."
“I also think we shouldn’t let them go up. Since everyone has already decided to take action, let’s try to do things as well as possible.”
Wei Shengnan looked at the group of people in the distance and said in a low voice, "Making a move while they are climbing is the wisest choice. That way, even if we fail, we will have a way out."
Qu Ruilin nodded, his eyes fixed on Duan Jinyan's figure: "When Duan Jinyan climbs halfway up, we'll rush out and catch him!"
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