diskusbooks #455 - The secret that has been hidden for many years (2 in 1 order)
#455 - The secret that has been hidden for many years (2 in 1 order)
Amidst a scene of ruins, the imperial palace was faintly visible. Zhong Wuye, accompanied by Tana and numerous warriors, followed hidden clues, searching for concealed mechanisms within the debris.
"Although the palace has been destroyed, there should still be remnants of trapdoors," Zhong Wuye said, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. Suddenly, his gaze lit up. "Look over there!"
Part of a carved stone brick was visible in a pile of broken walls, its aura ruined, yet still faintly revealing the noble bearing of yesteryear. Zhong Wuye quickly ran over, carefully examining the brick.
"This carving technique... it's clearly the style of the imperial architect!" she murmured, then looked around. "Logically, as long as we find a few more similar bricks nearby, we should be able to open a secret door."
The warriors were immediately invigorated, quickly splitting up to search every part of the ruins. Tana didn't hesitate either, rolling up her sleeves and joining the search.
After some effort, they finally found four uniformly styled carved stone bricks among the palace foundations, pillars, and even the cliff faces of the city walls. Each brick was carved with a unique pattern symbol.
"These are the keys to opening the secret door," Zhong Wuye said with a smile. "But the question is, how should we arrange these four symbols?"
As she spoke, she picked up the four bricks, temporarily arranging them in combinations in her hands. The warriors were bewildered and confused.
"Wait!" Just then, Tana suddenly spoke, stopping her and carefully examining the stone bricks.
"I think I know the answer." She opened her lips slightly, saying each word carefully, "These four symbols are actually the four auspicious meanings recorded in the *Zizhi Tongjian* that I was often taught in my childhood."
"They are 'Fu' (福, good fortune), 'Lu' (禄, prosperity), 'Shou' (寿, longevity), and 'Xi' (喜, happiness)," she continued to explain. "If we arrange them in order of increasing auspiciousness, it's very likely that we can open the secret door here."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Wuye immediately applauded. "Excellent, Tana! It seems your erudition has come into play again!"
Thus, she arranged the four stone bricks in the order of "Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi." With a "click" sound, a staircase appeared in the palace ruins!
"This is it!" Zhong Wuye jumped down happily, with Tana following closely behind. The other warriors also followed.
The staircase spiraled downwards, deeper and deeper, almost submerging into the ground. Just as the surrounding darkness was about to swallow everything, Tana suddenly noticed a glimmer of light ahead!
Sure enough, as the staircase turned, a majestic and vast space appeared before everyone's eyes.
This turned out to be the largest royal library in the empire! The exceptionally large space was filled with dense bookshelves, display shelves for treasures, and niches, seemingly used to store various books and cultural relics.
Countless gems were embedded in the huge dome, shining brightly under the projection of a ray of sunlight, like a sky full of stars; thick marble pillars supported this narrow world, and the heavy atmosphere was awe-inspiring.
Not far away, a magnificent half-length stone statue sat at the main seat of the library, with its hands clasped together and a solemn expression, like a generation of literary masters. Below the statue were engraved eight large characters: "博观而约取，厚积而薄发" (Bó guān ér yuē qǔ, hòu jī ér bó fā - Acquire widely, select judiciously; accumulate richly, release sparingly), the best portrayal of the empire's emphasis on scholarship as a national priority.
"Here... this is the legendary royal treasure trove of books!"
Zhong Wuye couldn't help but sigh, "Such a vast scale, gathering the wisdom of countless diligent scholars throughout the empire for thousands of years, is simply the epitome of the royal collection!"
"That's right," Tana took a deep breath, her eyes seeming to flicker with a charming light of wisdom. "When I was a child, I was often brought here, learning about the empire's rise and fall through the bits and pieces scattered in this treasure trove... until later, my father ordered it to be permanently sealed."
As she spoke, she slowly walked towards the central main statue, her eyes filled with tears. "I never thought I would see this scene again today, and I have indescribable feelings in my heart."
Zhong Wuye looked at her lover with pity, then turned to face the depths of the treasure trove, full of pride:
"Alright, everyone, now that we have entered the underground heart of the palace, we have gained the advantage in scouting the road for a surprise attack on the Nightmare Clan! Next, let's work harder, follow this path, break through to the top in one go, and completely crush the Blood Rose's conspiracy!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The warriors behind them shouted majestic slogans, their sharp blades clashing, sparks flying!
At this moment, a thunderous roar suddenly came from the front, shaking the ground! It turned out that the long-sealed library also contained many hidden levels and mechanisms, waiting to uncover the final mystery...
...
Passing through the entrance of the library, a wide and straight road stood in front of them, leading to the interior of the imperial library. The stone road was so smooth it reflected light, showing its former glory.
"This is the secret passage leading to the palace," Zhong Wuye pointed forward with her jade-like wrist, her eyes as firm as fire. "All opportunities lie here. Everyone follow, and be sure to proceed with caution!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a huge gust of air suddenly rushed towards them, almost blowing Zhong Wuye and the others off their feet! Then, an extremely magnificent gate stood before them, blocking their way.
"The scale of this gate is simply unexpected!" Tana was stunned by the sight before her, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
The massive gate was cast from two bronze doors, each tens of feet high, almost blocking out the sky. A giant dragon with its claws and fangs bared, its eyes fierce and terrifying, was carved on the door, lifelike. Two fiery red gems were inlaid in the dragon's eyes, shining brightly in the dim environment. Even more terrifying was that the beast had signs of breathing; whenever Zhong Wuye and the others approached, it would roar violently.
"This... this is truly unprecedented!" Tana leaned on Zhong Wuye's arm, her soul still shaken.
"That's right, the defense design of this stone gate can be described as extremely ingenious," Zhong Wuye pondered for a moment, then added, "I heard that behind this gate is hidden a huge space, containing the supreme secrets of the royal family. To break through, I'm afraid we'll have to use all our skills."
"Otherwise, we will have no chance to move forward and uncover the mystery that has puzzled you for many years."
"What?" Tana's eyes lit up. "What do you mean by that, Wuye?"
"I vaguely saw some words carved on the door in the dim light just now," Zhong Wuye recalled. "Why don't we light torches and take a closer look at what it is."
Soon, Zhong Wuye's wisdom was put into practice. Everyone lit torches and gathered in front of the door to examine it carefully. Sure enough, a line of small characters was carved above the lintel of the bronze gate:
"Secrets of the King's Enlightenment!"
Tana was immediately intrigued and couldn't help but turn to ask her lover's opinion. Zhong Wuye then solemnly opened her mouth:
"Tana, I know you've always had doubts about your origins since you were a child. And this door gives me a bold guess—you may have some kind of secret different from ordinary people!"
"No way?" Tana was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth, her eyes full of disbelief.
"Time is of the essence. While there's still time, why don't we explore it now!" Zhong Wuye's eyes were firm and energetic. She raised the steel sword in her hand and slammed it hard against the door.
"Gigglegiggle" A violent metal friction sound rang out, actually making the stone dragon gate tremble a bit. Zhong Wuye had a whim and struck several swords in a row, each sword landing on the dragon's eyes!
At this moment, a violent shaking came, and the stone dragon suddenly opened its eyes! Zhong Wuye and the others were blown off their feet by the strong airflow and almost fell to the ground. After taking a closer look, the two bronze doors slowly opened!
Inside was a magnificent and vast space, so grand that it was heartbreaking. What permeated it was an eerie Nightmare energy!
"Look there!" Zhong Wuye signaled Tana to pay attention to the center of the square. A three-person-high stone platform was placed with an incomplete ancient book. Following Zhong Wuye's finger, Tana saw the words "Human-Nightmare Symbiosis Ritual" written on the cover of the ancient book.
Tana's gaze seemed to be nailed to those four words, unable to move her eyes for a long time, and her breathing became heavy. She seemed to be touched by something, her expression sometimes trance-like, sometimes dull.
Seeing this, Zhong Wuye quickly grabbed Tana's arm and pulled her to the stone platform. After getting closer, the contents of the ancient book were not complete, but from the scattered words and incomplete illustrations, Zhong Wuye could roughly understand some of the content.
"Human-Nightmare Symbiosis... Ritual?" she murmured, "This seems to be a secret technique to fuse human and Nightmare bloodlines, aiming to create a new life form. However, this process seems to be extremely cruel and bloody, requiring the lives of many innocent people as sacrifices."
"No," Tana's body began to tremble, her beautiful eyes full of horror and sadness. "This... this is simply... an evil crime!"
Zhong Wuye nodded, then frowned, gently stroking Tana's cheek, and slowly said word by word:
"Tana, it seems that your origin has some unspeakable connection with this evil 'Human-Nightmare Symbiosis' ritual."
"How could I be related to such evil things?" Tana subconsciously took a few steps back, almost collapsing.
...
Just as Zhong Wuye was embracing Tana, a strong airflow suddenly came from the depths of the library, rotating to form a huge vortex.
"Careful!"
Zhong Wuye put Tana in her arms, her eyes fixed on the wild energy vortex. At this moment, a fully armed figure flashed out of the vortex, it was the tyrannical emperor who plunged the entire empire into riot and turmoil!
"Fath... Father?" Tana immediately recognized the figure, and her face was covered with horror.
"Oh? It seems you have discovered the secret here," the tyrannical emperor smiled grimly, coldly looking at the two lovers. "It's really commendable that you have the courage to take the initiative to step into this Human-Nightmare Symbiosis ritual altar!"
"What?" Zhong Wuye was stunned, and her eyes couldn't help but glance at the edge of the altar, where it was actually covered with pentagrams and other evil magic patterns!
"The Human-Nightmare Symbiosis ritual, you should also know it?" The tyrannical emperor paced slowly and continued to speak: "As long as the life energy of you believers is injected into it, a new demonized human race can be finally born, and they will become the most powerful undead legion in my hands!"
"It's really crazy! Do you want to threaten the entire empire and even all mankind with this?" Zhong Wuye was annoyed and protected Tana behind her with both hands.
"Hahaha, speaking of this, I have to thank my pedantic daughter," the emperor said strangely, nodding at Tana. "She contains the most precious Nightmare seed, and I have strictly protected her since she was born, waiting to become the last straw in the ritual!"
Tana's face was as pale as paper, almost fainting. Zhong Wuye hugged her shoulder, her expression equally dignified.
"It seems that everything has been discovered by you, so it doesn't matter," said the tyrannical emperor, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth. "Anyway, I had expected you to appear here! Come on, let me personally sacrifice you two to this ritual now!"
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his hand, and the formation around the altar lit up with dazzling purple light! A huge energy tension instantly enveloped Zhong Wuye and Tana, and the two were instantly bound in place!
"Ah—" Tana screamed heartbreakingly, her eyes constantly shedding tears due to pain. Zhong Wuye struggled desperately, but could not escape from the energy bondage at all.
"Hahahaha, let this ritual energy slowly devour your consciousness! Soon you will be reduced to my most powerful magic seed!" The tyrannical emperor's grin was particularly frightening in the darkness.
At this critical moment, Zhong Wuye suddenly noticed a figure flashing past on the other side of the altar! Then a lazy female voice came over:
"Yo, it seems that you old guy has been plotting for a long time. I didn't expect you to drag your own daughter into it!"
Then Wu Ya's figure slowly appeared, she looked at Zhong Wuye and the two in bondage with a playful expression, her eyes showing a trace of pity.
"Wu Ya! Are you also plotting in it?" Zhong Wuye roared, wishing to swallow her alive.
"Don't be so nervous, I don't mean that," Wu Ya pretended to be innocent, but a trace of cunning suddenly appeared in the corner of her eyes. "But today your good fortune may come to an end."
After saying that, she waved her hand and suppressed the tyrannical emperor aside. Then, Tana was lifted by a force and suspended in the center of the altar.
Zhong Wuye's eyes widened, helplessly watching her beloved lover being bound in mid-air by suction. Tana lost consciousness, her face showing an ominous blue-purple color. Her body was constantly being introduced into the altar by a distorted magic power, and the magic circle on the altar also began to shine with strange light.
At this critical moment, Wu Ya's blue eyes suddenly showed a cold light. She slowly stretched out a finger and pointed to the center of the altar.
"Change! Become a real Nightmare!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a gorgeous purple magic power burst out from Wu Ya's fingertips! The magic power rushed to the altar and slammed into Tana's body. Then a fiery reaction stirred in the air, and Tana's body was shrouded in a dazzling light mist!
"Tana Tana Tana!" Zhong Wuye shouted in horror, watching her lover's figure being transformed by the twisted magic power.
Finally, the light mist dissipated. A new Tana appeared before everyone.
Her hair was no longer golden but cascaded over her shoulders in a bewitching, deep purple; her skin had become deathly pale, extraordinarily alluring and eerie. Most striking were her once-clear eyes, now seeming to burn with two clusters of purple demonic flames, fiercely blazing with untamed power!
“Ah ha ha ha ha!” Wu Ya erupted in a fit of crazed laughter. “Excellent! This is the result that mad emperor always dreamed of! A human-nightmare hybrid, a fusion of human and Nightmare Race! It's just a pity that this body is far too precious for me to personally refine.”
“You... what exactly do you want to do, you succubus?” Zhong Wu Ye was on the verge of tears, his heart filled with despair.
“Of course, I'm going to use this unique human-nightmare body to devour all of humanity, including you!” Wu Ya licked her lips, her eyes flashing with fervent light. “Once I achieve that, the entire empire, even the whole world, will submit beneath the Nightmare Race's iron heel! Ha ha ha ha!”
At that moment, the demonized Tana suddenly opened her eyes, revealing a twisted and malevolent smile, and sneered at Zhong Wu Ye:
“Heh heh heh, look, I have obtained supreme power! Don't blame me for not warning you, next, you will all die without a burial ground at my hands!”
With that, an astonishing surge of demonic energy erupted from her body! The potent power churned within her, causing her originally delicate body to tremble violently! Zhong Wu Ye stared wide-eyed as his beloved lover was gradually transformed by the demonic power, morphing into a demonic beast on the verge of breaking free!
“Awoo—”
Tana let out a heart-wrenching roar, and then her wings suddenly unfurled, transforming her into a dragon-like form, roaring and howling furiously at Zhong Wu Ye!
“Tana! Wake up, Tana!” Zhong Wu Ye cried out in despair, but he could only watch as she completely lost her mind and launched a fierce attack against him.