Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1338: Mountains of Bones
The new resistance army camp was buzzing with activity.
Luozhuo, also known as the Snow Mountain Divine Eagle, stared intently at the impassive mountain range ahead. The peaks stood silent and deathly still, as if no force could ever stir them from their slumber.
However, the anticipation of what was to come sent a shiver through Luozhuo, causing him to inhale a sharp, frosty breath.
"After two and a half long years of waiting, we can finally bring this to an end!"
Drolma approached Luozhuo, her gaze filled with worry.
"Lord Eagle, are you truly set on venturing into the Demon Kingdom? The peril there is immense. And without your presence, relying solely on us, our chances of success might be slim."
Luozhuo had previously informed them that the moment the experts from the Snowy Region departed for the Demon Kingdom, it would be their prime opportunity to strike. During this time, the powerful chieftain families of the West and the Sangha Monastery would be at their weakest.
Despite this, a deep sense of unease gnawed at Drolma's heart.
The resistance army's current strength was pitifully inadequate. Excludingestimating Luozhuo, their combined forces couldn't even stand against a single one of the major families.
A subtle, enigmatic smile played on Luozhuo's lips.
"You believe our strength to be insufficient?"
Drolma instinctively turned her gaze toward the camp, observing the collection of elderly, infirm, sick, and disabled individuals.
A staggering seventy percent of the resistance army consisted of the weak and aged; only thirty percent were physically capable fighters.
Luozhuo let out a low chuckle. "Do not forget, a tiny spark can ignite a vast prairie fire. Throughout these past two and a half years, I have strategically planted numerous seeds of influence, deeply embedded within the Four Great Families and the Sangha Monastery."
"Now, those scattered sparks are poised to erupt into a blazing inferno!"
Drolma gasped in astonishment, "You mean... the sleeper agents you deployed?"
The existence of his network of sleeper agents was a secret known only to Luozhuo himself.
These individuals had remained inactive for an extended period. Some had been loyal followers from the very beginning. However, they had never received any specific directives in the past.
This was because Luozhuo had explicitly instructed them to only reveal themselves when the full-scale war commenced.
Even if they were forced to witness the suffering and death of their comrades on ordinary days, they were to maintain an facade of impassivity.
Luozhuo's eyes narrowed, a surge of exhilarating anticipation coursing through him.
"All of this has been meticulously planned for this very day."
"As long as I can prevent Jue Guo and the chieftains from acquiring the Demon Kingdom's treasure, we shall secure the ultimate triumph!"
He released a long, piercing cry. With a powerful gust, two immense golden wings unfurled from his back. His entire form morphed into a colossal golden-winged roc, which then ascended and soared away, disappearing beyond the distant mountains.
...
Once all the assembled forces were gathered, Deji delivered a perfunctory speech, filled with hollow formalities and platitudes. He implored everyone to unquestioningly obey the commands of the Lord of the Charnel Ground and himself upon their infiltration of the Demon Kingdom.
Following his speech, the grand army commenced its march.
Pagyi Gesang remained behind to safeguard their base. However, with Zhang Yi's presence, his own participation was rendered somewhat superfluous.
Pagyi Gesang addressed Zhang Yi, saying, "Sir, I entrust the team to your care! Should the need arise, they are all expendable. I implore you, do not waver in your resolve!"
Zhang Yi let out a sigh. "While the thought is difficult to bear, for the sake of the greater cause, it appears such a harsh measure is unavoidable."
The formidable procession began its journey, heading resolutely towards the imposing Great Snow Mountain.
Although Pagyi Gesang would not venture into the subterranean Demon Kingdom, he diligently escorted Zhang Yi and the other members of the expedition all the way to the base of the Great Snow Mountain.
On Zhang Yi's inaugural visit, he had directly employed his innate ability—spatial traversal—to pinpoint the location.
Conversely, for ordinary individuals seeking to reach this place, without the expert guidance of the West's great chieftains, locating the entrance proved to be exceptionally challenging.
This was due to the entrance being masterfully concealed and the labyrinthine nature of the underground passages.
This time, following the main contingent, it took Zhang Yi a considerable period of several dozen minutes to arrive at the underground entryway.
The scene was one of stark familiarity: the colossal bluestone gate stood as before, while the entire open area preceding it had been ominously transformed into a vast pool of blood.
A putrid, sickening stench assailed their senses, causing everyone to involuntarily wrinkle their noses.
The smell was not that of ordinary blood, but a grim amalgamation mixed with the foul odor of decay.
A lama from the Sangha Monastery stepped forward confidently. Raising his hand, he unleashed a searing torrent of flames, and soon, the intense heat vaporized the entire pool of blood, dissipating the foul miasma.
Deji led the way, with the other three chieftains in close pursuit.
Each of them produced a stone slab from their person and carefully inserted it into the almost imperceptible grooves found on the bluestone gate.
"These must be the keys that Pagyi Gesang spoke of," Zhang Yi mused to himself.
He vividly recalled his previous visit, during which the Lord of the Charnel Ground had harnessed the combined power of the five of them to activate the bluestone gate.
"It appears that to breach this gate, in addition to possessing the correct keys, one also needs a significant reserve of formidable power."
"And it's quite evident that the Lord of the Charnel Ground alone could not accomplish this feat."
Yang Xinxin's voice echoed through the communication channel.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi commented, "This stone gate appears to be a type of seal, imposing severe restrictions on supernatural abilities. Since we cannot breach it with our individual strength, the power behind the gate likely cannot either."
However, at this precise moment, Yang Xinxin delivered a chilling statement.
"Perhaps a thousand years ago, the one who erected this bluestone gate intentionally established such stringent conditions for its opening, precisely to prevent future generations from overestimating their capabilities and forcing it open."
"In other words, only those possessing sufficient strength to open the gate are deemed worthy to confront the so-called power of the Demon Kingdom that lies beyond it."
"But now, even the Lord of the Charnel Ground required your assistance to accomplish this task."
Yang Xinxin's words struck at the very heart of the issue.
The power lurking behind the stone gate had to be formidable. Even the legendary hero King Gesar, a millennium ago, could only utilize the gate to segregate the two realms, falling short of completely eradicating the Demon Kingdom.
Yet, each individual present harbored their own hidden agendas, still engaging in their own private struggles.
Once inside the stone gate, if they were incapable of uniting their hearts and efforts, could they truly succeed in obtaining the treasure of the Demon Kingdom?
Zhang Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he subtly shifted half a step backward.
Following the insertion of the stone slabs into the bluestone gate by the four chieftains, the Lord of the Charnel Ground, Jue Guo, approached.
He placed his potent palm upon the bluestone gate, an intricate and profound glint flashing within his eyes.
There was a fleeting trace of dazed confusion, yet concurrently, a sense of profound familiarity.
But soon, his gaze solidified with determination.
"Rumble, rumble!"
As he applied force with his palm, the colossal gate, standing fifty meters tall, actually began to move, inching open as it was pushed aside.
Shortly, a gap was formed.
But with the appearance of this crack, everyone immediately discerned a sinister and terrifying laughter echoing from beyond the stone gate.
Zhang Yi fixed his gaze intently on the stone gate. His ability, 'All Things Follow Traces,' was locked onto the space behind it. The instant any danger manifested, he would immediately lead his people away.
"Whoosh—"
A sound akin to rushing water emerged, as if this torrent carried countless small stones within its flow.
A blinding flash of white light materialized before the Lord of the Charnel Ground's eyes, preceding a skull that hurtled directly towards his face.
His figure retreated with remarkable speed. In the subsequent moment, a surging white tide erupted from behind the stone gate!
Universal horror ensued. Over two thousand individuals were tightly packed into the restricted area, rendering a swift retreat exceedingly difficult. Many were instantaneously consumed by the white wave.
Zhang Yi, positioned at the rear and managing to evade in time, was not swept up in the onslaught.
However, they soon clearly perceived the composition of the white tide.
It was, in reality, an immense accumulation of ghastly white bones!
The bones cascaded from behind the stone gate, rapidly forming a mountain before the entrance.
Deji addressed the assembled crowd, "Do not descend into panic! These bones, along with the preceding pool of blood, are merely the remnants left behind from the time King Gesar and Master Padmasambhava sealed away the Demonic People."