Bai Ye quickly reached the end of the passage. Looking up, he saw a vast, brightly lit hall, bustling with activity as many people were already inside.
He wasn't particularly surprised by this. He had eliminated everyone on the same route, allowing him to face the tomb guardian spirits alone and complete the task of killing fifteen of them at the fastest pace.
However, the speed at which Bai Ye cleared the tomb guardian spirits alone couldn't possibly match that of a group.
Thus, there were about twenty people in the hall.
The entrance to the next area was directly ahead, but these people made no move to proceed. This was because two tomb guardian spirits stood guard before the entrance.
These two guardian spirits were desiccated corpses, positioned to the left and right of the passage. The left one wore golden armor and clutched a golden dragon mace, while the right one sported silver armor and a pair of sabers at its waist.
At the feet of the two desiccated corpses lay two other bodies. One had its head smashed in, blood and brains splattered everywhere. The other had its limbs severed, reduced to a mere torso.
"So, it's these two..."
Bai Ye took one look and understood the situation.
The Golden Armored Warrior and the Silver Armored Warrior!
Bai Ye remembered them vividly. They were the gatekeepers on the path to the tomb in Huai Nan, quite troublesome and difficult to deal with.
However, to pass this hurdle, one didn't necessarily have to defeat the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors; one could simply enter the passage on the opposite side. Once they left the hall, the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors would not pursue.
Thus, the problem arose...
Bai Ye glanced at the surrounding crowd. Who would be the sacrificial lamb?
The first person to charge forward would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors, creating an opportunity for those behind to rush into the passage.
Therefore, everyone wanted to enter the passage, but no one wanted to be the first.
"Everyone, please lend me your ears. Lingering here is not beneficial for anyone. Think about it: if we continue this stalemate, more and more people will arrive, and the situation will only worsen..."
"Moreover, shouldn't we consider our advantage? We are the first to arrive here. We are faster than everyone else. So, as long as we can press forward, we can maintain this lead. But if we continue to delay, this advantage will be constantly eroded. Are you willing to let that happen?"
"Therefore, I believe we should unite and overcome this challenge together."
The speaker was a man in his early twenties, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. He might have come from the same world as Bai Ye, or if not, he was likely a chosen one from a modern world.
The man was clearly trying to rally the crowd, but Bai Ye found him not very clever.
Firstly, the man's analysis was sound. The current situation was indeed a stalemate that benefited no one. As more people gathered, the deadlock would only intensify. Secondly, the first group to arrive naturally had an advantage, but as more people joined, this advantage would be gradually diminished.
The reason Bai Ye considered the man not very clever was that many people understood the logic. But why wasn't anyone stepping forward to speak?
Because the nail that sticks out gets hammered down!
"Since you say we should unite..." someone suddenly shouted, "If you charge first, we will surely follow close behind. How about that?"
The man immediately became awkward. This was a direct blow to his intentions.
Although he wanted to incite the crowd, he didn't want to be cannon fodder himself.
However, when you're out and about, being thick-skinned is important.
The man pretended not to hear and continued his speech, moving past the crowd. If he couldn't convince this group, he would find another.
"Brother, trust me, this can't go on like this. Are you willing to just stand by and watch the path before you, yet be unable to pass?"
"If we unite, we can definitely break through."
"Besides, it's only difficult to gather strength when starting from scratch. Once we have enough people, I believe others will be willing to participate."
The man soon approached Bai Ye, his expression sincere. "Little brother..."
"You don't need to say more!" Bai Ye interrupted him directly. "You're absolutely right, I'll do it!"
"Little brother, you can't be too one-sided. Actually..." The man tried to persuade him further but suddenly felt something was amiss, and asked uncertainly, "What did you just say?"
Wasn't the expected response: "You're absolutely right, don't say it again next time"?
Bai Ye grinned and charged straight ahead. Upon reaching the center of the hall, he spread his hands and produced his deck of cards.
The next moment, Bai Ye flicked his wrist, unleashing his flying cards. A dense flurry of cards shot towards the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors.
Suddenly, the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors, who had been with closed eyes, abruptly opened them.
The Golden Armored Warrior raised its golden mace and swung it forcefully forward. A terrifying gust of wind surged forward, blowing away the incoming cards.
The Silver Armored Warrior, meanwhile, immediately grasped its twin sabers.
With a clang!
The Silver Armored Warrior drew its sabers and began to wield them rapidly. A dense shield of silver light appeared before the Silver Armored Warrior, impenetrable and watertight, deflecting all the flying cards.
After intercepting all the cards, the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors attacked simultaneously, heading straight for Bai Ye.
Seeing this, the others finally snapped back to reality.
"Did a fool actually fall for it?"
This thought crossed many minds. Then, led by someone, they took off running towards the front, intending to rush into the passage.
The man who had been trying to persuade everyone was also overjoyed. Was his eloquence really that good? He had just tricked a fool?
On the other side, Bai Ye was already locked in combat. Seeing the Golden and Silver Armored Warriors closing in from left and right, he immediately drew his high-frequency serrated blade and swung it forcefully forward, clashing with the Golden Armored Warrior's mace.
After the initial impact, both sides separated.
Bai Ye watched as everyone took the opportunity to rush past him. He suddenly shouted to the man who had been persuading them, "Brother, didn't you say everyone would help?"
"Ah? Yes, of course, we will!" the man shouted as he ran forward, "Trust me, I'll come back to help in a bit."
After saying that, the man silently praised himself. He was truly a good person, leaving a glimmer of hope for this fool at the last moment, and then...
The man sprinted even faster!
Bai Ye simply watched as the surrounding crowd dashed past him. Soon, the once bustling hall became deserted. A smile played on his lips, and then...
Bai Ye's high-frequency serrated blade began to vibrate!
...