mesbooks Chapter 18: 5 Forward, 1 Against – A Turning Point of Life and Death
Chapter 18: 5 Forward, 1 Against – A Turning Point of Life and Death
The crisis has been temporarily averted.
But new problems also arose.
The stone platform can be rotated, but how do you rotate it?
Should we turn left or right?
How many times should it spin?
The scene of Lin Mu instantly killing the little snake and directing Wang Meng to break the deadlock with a flashbang has completely won over everyone.
At this moment, everyone's eyes were subconsciously focused on Lin Mu.
"Lin Mu..."
Professor Zhou's voice carried a hint of pleading and expectation: "This stone platform... do you know how to turn it? What if I turn it wrong and trigger an even more terrifying mechanism?"
Chen Wentao also looked at Lin Mu nervously. Although he didn't speak again, the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.
He has completely given up on the idea of using science to solve problems.
Now, Lin Mu is the only hope.
Lin Mu did not answer immediately.
He walked to the stone platform, squatted down, and extended his uninjured right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together to gently brush over the cold markings on the surface of the stone.
In his mind, Zhang Qiling's template knowledge base and fragments of memories from his past life were rapidly operating, piecing together, and recombining.
After a moment, he stood up, turned to Professor Zhou, and said calmly:
There's a mnemonic.
Lin Mu's three simple words were like a reassuring pill, instantly calming all the commotion and unease at the scene.
Professor Zhou's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up with a brilliant light. He rushed to Lin Mu, his voice trembling with excitement: "The incantation? What incantation? Lin Mu, how...how do you know the incantation?"
Chen Wentao, Su Nianwei, Ye Zhiqi... all eyes were fixed on Lin Mu.
If what Lin Mu had previously demonstrated was physical strength, combat skills, and wilderness survival knowledge far exceeding those of ordinary people...
Now, he is about to touch the most crucial secret of this ancient ruin that has been sleeping for thousands of years—the mechanical code.
This has completely gone beyond the scope of explanation that can be given by family background.
This is practically a divine decree!
After a brief pause, the live stream chat was completely flooded with a series of question marks and exclamation marks.
Holy crap! They even know the code to the mechanism? That's like cheating!
I take back what I said earlier about him being a descendant of a family of tomb raiders; he's clearly a descendant of the ancient Jingjue Kingdom!
[Stop arguing! Everyone stop arguing! Let me listen to Lin Shen's boasting in peace!]
Faced with Professor Zhou's almost out-of-control questioning, Lin Mu did not answer immediately.
He walked to the slowly rising white jade platform and squatted down.
With his uninjured right hand, he gently brushed his index and middle fingers together across the intricate, clock-like markings on the stone surface.
His gaze calmly swept over the ancient symbols carved in the Ghost Cave script between the markings, each representing a different meaning.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Everyone held their breath, watching nervously as the young man squatted in front of the stone platform, seemingly conversing with the souls of the dead from a thousand years ago.
A moment later.
Lin Mu stood up.
He turned his head to look at Professor Zhou, his deep eyes calm and still, as if he had just been confirming something trivial.
"It happens to be recorded in an ancient book."
That same phrase again.
It was that same understated answer again, yet it was enough to send everyone wildly into imagining all sorts of scenarios.
Professor Zhou was too lazy to ask what ancient book it was; he simply asked in an almost urging tone, "The incantation is...?"
Lin Mu's gaze swept over the sixteen enormous black stone pillars around him, and he uttered eight words indifferently.
"If you follow the five in sequence and reverse the one in sequence, then the gate of life will open."
Turn it clockwise five times, then counterclockwise once.
"Five in order, one against order..."
Professor Zhou muttered to himself, completely unable to understand the underlying principles, but that did not prevent him from choosing to believe unconditionally.
"Lin Mu, then hurry up..."
Before Professor Zhou could finish speaking, Lin Mu had already placed his hands on the white jade platform in the center of the temple.
"Everyone, retreat outside the stone pillar."
Lin Mu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable tone.
As if granted a pardon, everyone scrambled back to the safe area beyond the sixteen stone pillars.
In the center of the temple, only Lin Mu remained, standing quietly before the enormous white jade platform.
He took a deep breath and exerted force with both hands.
"Crunch—"
Accompanied by a dull, metallic sound like gears turning, the massive white jade platform began to slowly rotate clockwise.
First lap!
"boom--!!!"
The first black stone pillar directly in Lin Mu's direction suddenly emitted a muffled roar!
Immediately afterwards, the dense eye totems on the pillar seemed to be injected with energy, instantly lighting up and emitting an eerie, ghostly green light!
Second lap!
"boom--!!!"
The second stone pillar lit up in response!
Third lap! Fourth lap! Fifth lap!
Lin Mu's movements were not fast, but each one was full of power and rhythm.
As he turned, one black stone pillar after another was activated, and the eerie green light connected in the dim temple, forming a light and shadow array that exuded an ominous aura.
When Lin Mu finished his fifth clockwise rotation, he stopped.
Then, he exerted force in the opposite direction, turning the stone platform counterclockwise by one revolution.
At the very moment this rotation is completed!
"Boom—Boom—Boom—!!!"
The remaining eleven silent black stone pillars seemed to receive some kind of command at this moment, and simultaneously emitted a deafening roar!
Immediately afterwards, eleven eerie green beams of light shot into the sky!
The entire temple was instantly illuminated by this eerie green light!
The snakes that had been lurking in the corner of the dome were startled by the sudden burst of light and began to hiss in terror, frantically retreating into the darker crevices.
The archaeological team members standing outside the stone pillar were so shocked by the miraculous scene before them that they were speechless.
Su Nianwei covered her mouth with her hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling with excitement.
Ye Zhi Qiu even took out his phone and, disregarding the signal strength, frantically recorded this moment that would go down in history.
After a ten-second flash of pure white light, the live stream chat was completely flooded with a series of "Holy crap!" and "miracle!" comments.
[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! What is this? Is it a formation?]
All sixteen stone pillars are lit up! This scene is absolutely breathtaking! I've never seen anything so amazing in my life!
[Five in order, one against! Lin Shen is awesome! He really opened the mechanism leading to the tomb of the Queen of Jingjue!]
Stop spamming! Record it! Record it now! This is absolutely the best variety show of the year... no! It's the greatest miracle of the year!
Amidst this shock and jubilation, Lin Mu slowly released his grip.
The light from the sixteen stone pillars reached its peak, and then began to flicker at a specific frequency.
Immediately afterwards, the entire temple floor began to tremble violently!
"Boom—!!!"
The sound was like an ancient behemoth awakening deep underground.
Under everyone's horrified gaze, the white jade platform beneath Lin Mu's feet, along with the surrounding ground, slowly cracked open to both sides, creating a huge fissure!
The gap grew larger and larger, eventually forming a huge opening three meters wide.
Below the gap is a bottomless stone staircase paved with black rocks, spiraling downwards.
A chilling wind, seemingly emanating from the deepest depths of the stairs, howled and surged upwards.