In some isolated areas of Shaanxi, detonators with a 9.5 rating were used for mining purposes, but they have been largely banned due to their small size and disproportionately large destructive power, coupled with low safety and stability. They posed a potential threat to society, which is why their production and use were halted, and any existing stockpiles have been uniformly surrendered for destruction.

Fearing the excessive force might collapse the underground palace, we deliberated and decided to test with just one to start.

After securing the detonator in a corner, we stretched out the fuse. The boss stayed behind to light it while, for safety, the rest of us retreated fifty meters away.

The fuse was short, less than thirty centimeters. Once lit, the boss had to run for it. If he was slow or stumbled, it wouldn't be a laughing matter; coming out of it with just an injured arm or leg would be considered lucky.

The fire starter wasn't windproof, and I could tell he was nervous—it took him several attempts to get it lit.

As soon as the fuse was ignited, the boss sprinted towards us like his life depended on it.

The brief fuse burned out in an instant.

Boom!

Dust billowed, and fragments of stone scattered as the ground shook. The detonator had not failed; its power was immense, enough to cause a painful ringing in our ears.

Once the dust settled a bit, we rushed over to inspect the damage.

The diamond wall we envisaged blown wide open remained largely intact, save for a meter-wide area riddled with fine cracks from the detonator's impact, while the rest of the wall was unscathed.

"This is a 9.5 detonator! Damn it, I knew it was tough, but this is something else! If we were to dig by hand, we wouldn't break through it even by the time monkeys evolve into men!" The boss was flabbergasted by the sight.

"Big Brother, let's tie two detonators together and blast it!" The third brother suggested fiercely upon seeing that one wasn't effective.

This wasn't as simple as one plus one equals two. When two detonators are linked, their power increases exponentially—it's a method used for moving mountains.

Following the same procedure, the boss once again took the risk to light the fuse.

We stood at a safe distance.

Perhaps out of nervousness, the boss's hand trembled several times, and the fire starter wavered off target.

As the fuse began to smoke, the boss yelled and bolted, as if chased by a tiger.

Red Sister and I crouched down, covering our ears with our hands.

Another thunderous boom!

The noise was even more deafening than the first blast.

Debris and clods of earth rained down from above, shaken loose by the force.

A gunpowder scent permeated the air.

It took nearly ten minutes for the dust and smoke to clear.

The blast had created a crater in the ground.

Our efforts had paid off. The Six-Element Soil Diamond Wall had not collapsed entirely but was breached by the 9.5 detonators, leaving a hole about sixty-seven centimeters wide.

The hole was dark, and the third brother crouched to peer in with a flashlight. In the dim light, it seemed something was there—a secret chamber lay beyond the wall.

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"Coffin and outer coffin!"

"It's the coffin and outer coffin! I see the coffin and outer coffin!" The third brother suddenly shouted in excitement.

"Damn it! The main tomb chamber was hidden inside this turtle shell all along. Everything we saw before was just an illusion!"

"I'll go in first and take a look; you guys follow behind," said the third brother, agile in form. He took the lead, the first to slip through.

With my arms lacking strength and injuries on my legs, it was Red Sister who pushed me from behind, forcibly shoving me through.

"So cold... it's so cold, Third Brother. Why is it so cold in here?" I realized something was amiss as soon as I entered. I hadn't expected that just beyond a Diamond Wall, the temperature difference could be so drastic.

"Achoo!"

This cold seeped into the bones, cold enough to make Red Sister sneeze.

Then, our attention was captured by something laid out in the center of the Secret Chamber.

It was a massive white Coffin and Outer Coffin.

A white Coffin and Outer Coffin...

On either side of the Coffin and Outer Coffin stood two bronze statues of soldiers, each about one meter eighty in height. The statues were clad in Chain Mail Armor, topped with bronze helmets, and wielding long bronze swords. Their faces were carved so exquisitely they seemed almost alive. The bronze swords showed signs of corrosion, a layer of green rust forming on the blades.

The two bronze soldiers, one on each side, were like sword-bearing guardians, tall and imposing. For centuries they had maintained their sword-wielding stance, as if protecting the Coffin and Outer Coffin before them, deterring anyone from drawing near.

Coffin and Outer Coffin, there was both the coffin and the outer enclosure.

The Coffin alone was not large, but with the Coffin and Outer Coffin, it was sizable, extending over five or six meters in length and width. Only the core area in the middle of the Outer Coffin would be used to inter and house the Tomb Owner's Coffin.

What shocked me, aside from the bronze soldiers, was the white Coffin and Outer Coffin before us.

Fortunately, as we approached, the bronze soldiers remained still, seemingly there to serve as deterrents, much like Tomb-guarding Beasts.

Third Brother touched the white outer enclosure of the Coffin and suddenly exclaimed, "Damn, Big Brother! From the outside, this Coffin and Outer Coffin... it looks so much like White Giant Clam!"

"White Giant Clam! How is that possible?"

"A Coffin made from White Giant Clam??" I had never even heard of such a thing, let alone seen it.

In ancient times, how was this craft achieved? For what purpose did the person lying in the Coffin choose such material for their Coffin and Outer Coffin...

Even Eldest Elder Sun was startled.

Then, as if struck by a thought, his eyes widened, and he said, trembling, "Old... Third Brother, I suddenly recall something. It was mentioned by Fu Sheng of the Eastern Han Dynasty in the 'Great Commentary of the Classic of Documents.' It's recorded that after Ji Chang (King Wen of Zhou) was imprisoned by King Zhou of Shang, a Nobility of the Shang Dynasty attempted to rescue Ji Chang by presenting King Zhou with a Treasure of Giant Clam. Unexpectedly, after receiving the treasure, King Zhou immediately reneged on his promise and even had the nobleman tortured. This is recorded by Fu Sheng of the Eastern Han Dynasty."

Upon hearing the explanation, Red Sister furrowed her brows and said, "Boss, are you implying that the nobility of the Shang Dynasty, in their effort to rescue Ji Chang, King Wen of Zhou, presented to King Zhou the so-called 'Treasure of the Giant Clam,' which is this white coffin and its outer casing we see before us?"

The Boss's complexion turned pale, and through gritted teeth, he replied, "There's no way to verify it; these are all conjectures. But this underground palace dates back to the early Western Zhou period, and Ji Chang lived during that era. Setting other matters aside, at least the timeline matches."

Gazing at the massive white coffin and its outer casing before us, my thoughts drifted back to a scene when we first entered and encountered the Yellow Intestine Assemblage. I had seen a similar white coffin depicted on the stone mural, surrounded by many ancient figures kneeling as if engaged in some kind of sacrificial ritual. I later thought it might have been a hallucination induced by the scent of the Yellow Cypress Old Face.

"No, no, this can't be right," Red Sister vehemently objected. "The White Giant Clam, Dragonfly Eye, Floral Glaze, Cat's Eye Stone, Turquoise, White Crystal, Sapphire—these were once the Eight Treasures of Buddhism. Among them, the White Giant Clam is organic and notoriously difficult to preserve. It's rare even to find one from the Ming Dynasty, let alone from the Western Zhou. It couldn't have lasted this long without some special preservation method!"

Listening to Red Sister's argument, the Boss nodded in agreement. "Little Red, you're correct. But we've been in this business long enough to have seen our fair share of anomalies, haven't we?"

"Let's not dwell on how it was preserved for now. There's one thing to consider—if what Fu Sheng of the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded in his book is true, then it might illuminate one fact."

"This nobleman, the Marquis of Mustard Seed, had a connection with King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang." (To be continued)

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