Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1148 - 1148 0669 Words Unwilling to Hear_2

Chapter 1148: Chapter 0669: Words Unwilling to Hear_2 Chapter 1148: Chapter 0669: Words Unwilling to Hear_2 Qi Tian asked urgently, “Then how long must we wait? A day, two days, or perhaps ten days to half a month?”

Li Mijia replied, “That depends on the specific circumstances, but based on what this servant has come to understand, the longest wait at this stage at another saint’s tomb was three days. This servant believes it should not exceed this duration this time either.”

Qi Tian furrowed his brow. Three days might not seem long, but if there was no external threat, they could simply wait. However, Qi Tian really did not wish to wait idly for three days.

Qi Tian addressed everyone, “My princes, who among you has a method to extinguish these flames so that we can pass through the slope quickly? Whosoever can achieve this, I will credit them with a merit.”

Emperor Jianwu and several other princes exchanged glances, yet nobody spoke up. Truth be told, each of them had a method to extinguish the flames, but achieving this would require a significant price. In their eyes, the cost was not worth it. After all, exploring the saint’s tomb involved many tasks ahead, each step tremendously difficult. If they could conserve resources at the outset, they would not find themselves so strapped later. According to their usual practice, the most rational action at this juncture was to wait for the flames to die out naturally.

Seeing that the princes were unwilling to speak, Qi Tian’s expression turned somewhat displeased and he said, “It seems none of you are too eager for that small space. Very well, since you are all reluctant, I shall keep it for myself. As for extinguishing the flames, I hardly dare to expect any more from you, my princes. I will handle it myself.”

Upon hearing this, the princes hurriedly broke their silence, each one scrambling to speak, “Master Qi, please don’t rush. We are not refusing to act, but rather considering how to extinguish the flames with the least cost. Just give us a moment, and we will proceed immediately.”

After pacifying Qi Tian, the princes knew they could no longer feign ignorance. Once again, they resorted to drawing lots to decide who would undertake the task.

This time, it was Emperor Yonghe who drew the successful lot.

Emperor Yonghe did not know whether to feel fortunate for securing the task or to inwardly lament his bad luck. The result was set; he could not change it. He could only lead his men forward a few steps. Then, Emperor Yonghe took out a waterskin and instructed his subordinates, “Make way for me.”

Emperor Yonghe’s subordinates swiftly took their positions, quickly forming an array. Together, they forced the scorchingly high temperature near the slope, capable of melting even steel, to the sides, opening a relatively cool passage for Emperor Yonghe.

Carrying the waterskin, Emperor Yonghe followed this passage step by step until he reached the front of the slope. Facing the flames that continued to blaze fiercely, he flinched at the inevitable wastage but still opened the waterskin and then slapped it firmly.

A jet of water shot from the mouth of the waterskin and landed in the middle of the slope. The water jet exploded with a bang, turning into a rain that covered the entire slope, descending suddenly.

Strangely enough, even the flames that could melt pure gold quickly diminished upon contact with this rain. However, when all the rain had fallen, the flames had not been completely extinguished and stubbornly continued to burn.

The pain of resource depletion was still evident on Emperor Yonghe’s face, but he slapped the waterskin again, sending another water jet into the flames, turning into rain once more.

In the end, Emperor Yonghe had to use the waterskin to shoot three water jets before finally extinguishing all the flames. After completing this task, the temperature around the slope became as cool as the surrounding area.

Emperor Yonghe turned around, having collected his water bag, and walked over to Qi Tian’s side, saying, “Master Qi, the fire has been extinguished. Please take a look.”

When Emperor Yonghe spoke these words, the pained expression on his face was still visibly clear.

Qi Tian had no idea what the water sword shot from the water bag was made of, but he could be certain of one thing—that the water inside was definitely not ordinary. Each drop contained extremely pure water-attributed Spirit Force, which was why they could extinguish the Beheading Fire on the slope.

For this task, Emperor Yonghe had paid a considerable price, hence his evident distress.

Qi Tian nodded in satisfaction, saying, “Emperor Yonghe, your contribution this time is significant. I have taken note. I will record your merits in the Merit Book and tally them up at the end; you won’t be shortchanged.”

Receiving Qi Tian’s personal promise, Emperor Yonghe felt somewhat relieved. He clasped his hands in a gesture of thanks towards Qi Tian, then stepped back.

Qi Tian looked toward the slopes where the fire had been quenched. The originally gleaming runes on the stone walls on either side had vanished, leaving the walls bare and lustreless. Down the sloping path, the ground was damp and seemed muddy, making it difficult to traverse.

Qi Tian once again used the sensing feature of the Heavenly Dao Engine for Spirit Qi to conduct a thorough inspection of the entire slope, the sides of the slope, and the exposed tomb door at the bottom.

To Qi Tian’s surprise, he could clearly sense the conditions of the slope and its sides, but the tomb door, made of some special material, seemed like a black hole. The sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine could detect nothing upon reaching the tomb door. In the three-dimensional holographic image the Engine fed back to Qi Tian, the spot where the tomb door was located appeared as a blank absence, revealing nothing—not even what lay beyond the door.

Qi Tian had encountered such a situation before. When he first arrived at the Saint’s Tomb, he had noticed similar circumstances. Standing outside the Saint’s Tomb, he exerted all his effort and employed various methods, continuously changing positions, but he still could not use the Heavenly Dao Engine to scout inside the Saint’s Tomb. Just like now, the area where the Saint’s Tomb was situated was enshrouded in darkness, with only the outermost elements being detectable.

Qi Tian was fairly calm and composed about this, as he knew from the beginning that the Heavenly Dao Engine was not omnipotent. He pointed towards the tomb door and said, “I’m not sure if there still might be dangers here. Please, Princes, be very cautious and careful. Now, whose turn is it to proceed? Draw lots, please.”

Out of the five Princes, two had already taken action, leaving the three remaining to draw lots. This time, Emperor Bahuang was the one who succeeded.

Emperor Bahuang could hardly contain his excitement. Not long before, he had just assisted Qi Tian in taking the Small Space, leaving a strong impression in front of Qi Tian. He hadn’t expected to earn another opportunity to take action so soon. He believed that if he successfully opened the tomb door, he would definitely make a good impression on Qi Tian, laying a solid foundation for acquiring the Small Space.

Emperor Bahuang clasped his hands towards Qi Tian and said, “Master Qi, please wait, I will open the tomb door quickly, and then we can go in.”

Emperor Huoyang and Emperor Wenzhi, who had not yet taken their turns, were displeased with Emperor Bahuang’s smug attitude. Emperor Huoyang said, “Emperor Bahuang, remember what Master Qi has just said. Don’t let success get to your head and suffer a sudden misfortune or become complacent and lose everything.”

Emperor Wenzhi added, “Emperor Huoyang is right. According to my experience, this tomb door is more dangerous than any we have encountered before. With your ability alone, Emperor Bahuang, it’s impossible to open it successfully. I know you might not want to hear this, but if you want to open this door, you can’t go at it alone—you’ll need my help. Ideally, you, me, and Emperor Huoyang should join forces. That would be the safest approach.”