Chapter 647: Unimaginable infiltrating method
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
A ring-shaped canal encircled this flower terrace. This canal exhibited a rich flare of manmade artifice; forged fully with gold, it emanated an exceptionally vivid golden luster of gems.
One could observe tiny ripples throughout the teurbid liquid coursing through this canal. The liquid was rather special, possessing a bright texture similar to that of mercury. A dim shimmer coated the liquid surface that wasn’t reflected light from its exterior, but a glow originating from within. That glow was starkly different to sunlight, it was gentle, viscous, faint and carried a tinge of violet.
Noteworthily, the source of the canal liquid was the mouths of those closely arranged skulls that enclosed the flower terrace. To explain it further, it could be described as the discharged excrement of the ‘Stairway of the Sun’, or saliva, perspiration in another context.
A tiny walkway similarly constructed with deathly white skulls laid before the flower terrace. It was utterly barren within half a meter radius of those skulls, and clearly segregated away from the various green vines and vegetation of the place.
Upon stepping onto that walkway, unbeknownst if it was the designer’s intention, but the mouths of those skulls would eerily be faced upwards; giving rise to a misconception of being devoured by the deceased at any time. Spineless cowards would shiver uncontrollably at this scene.
Bear this in mind, 99% of humans that entered previously were probably shoeless aborigines…...just setting foot on such a diabolical walkway, would impress a feeling of dread; inducing trembling fear and utmost devotion.
Sheyan stood before the start of a tiny skull walkway, which could be considered the direct periphery of this Sun Altar, and also signified he was mere inches from the ultimate objective of this world; precisely speaking, approximately 33.52 meters.
To a contestant like Sheyan, a maximum speed sprint would eclipse that distance in mere seconds.
Still, he refused to budge but peacefully stood still. His eyes brimmed with prudence and cautiousness. It was as though this walkway of skulls didn’t lead to his ultimate goal, but instead, was leading him to the yellow springs of the netherworld! As though half a step would bring everlasting sorrow.
The sunlight gradually intensified. Sheyan remained unmoving, as though an insurmountable invisible wall was obstructing his path, as though he had morphed into a statue.
At present, the cavern compartment he stood, right before the cavern compartment of the ‘Stairway of the Sun’, was roughly the size of a classroom, and not a single hole could be found at its ceiling.
Although most of this cave was enclosed, where the only exit was that ‘elevator’ stone platform and the winds found it hard to infiltrate, it didn’t release a claustrophobic sensation.
Though the air was moist and humid, it wasn’t polluted with any rotting odor commonly present in moisty caverns. The entire place boasted of a mystical and strangely clean atmosphere.
The peculiarity resided in the complete absence of vegetation, even though this walkway was akin to half a step to reaching the Sun Altar. On the contrary, the vegetation within the Sun Altar was flourishing with vitality; exuberating an unmatched thriving vigor.
Still, Sheyan quietly waited. Gradually, following the increasing temperature of this cave, a unique and unexplainable fragrance wafted into the air.
Upon close inspection, the green plants winding around the Sun Altar had started budding, swiftly producing ravishingly gorgeous flowers. The initial scent they released was sweet, but several breaths later, it would cause dizziness and even one to feel nauseous.
The fragrance was clearly thickening. Sheyan retreated a few steps as he nodded. Then, he hurriedly withdrew from this cavern compartment, distancing away from that walkway of skulls, all the way till his back touched the descending location of that stone platform.
Generally speaking, this entire cave didn’t occupy a very large space. Counting in the Sun Altar, it didn’t have more than five cavern compartments. Except, the atmosphere was truly queer and abnormal. Sometimes warm but not dry, cool but not cold, moist but not flooded, ventilated in the absence of wind, amply illuminated but refusing the scorching entry of the sun. It was truly a supernaturally fine craft of nature. Only with such a mystical environment, could this place give birth to a miraculous plant like the ‘Stairway of the Sun’.
Suddenly, Sheyan raised his thick black brows. An ant had crawled through a crack in the wall and appeared in his vision.
This was a gigantic ant the size that of a human’s thumb. This ant was probably the ant equivalent to a Tibetan Mastiff of the dog species.
The ant crawled randomly around, seemingly attempting to scout out something. Its antennas wriggled, and eventually, it started crawling towards the direction of the Sun Altar. Moreover, it was crawling with exceptional determination.
Sheyan’s attention was fixated onto this ant, alongside his stern and solemn expression. It was as if he wasn’t staring at a trifling ant, but instead brooding over the plans he had devised ever since entering this world; his gains and losses and even….success or failure!
Stretching fully its 6 long limbs, that ginormous black ant swiftly scurried towards the cavern compartment that housed the Sun Altar. Then, without a trace of hesitation, he climbed onto that walkway of skulls, bypassing the boundary where the hesitant Sheyan had been. With a rude and impetuous nature, it intruded into the area where the sun shone the brightest; the area of thriving vitality, and also the area of strange malevolence.
Serenity ensued as Sheyan fixated himself onto that ant. Even the sound of his breathing could be distinctly heard.
At present, the sun had risen substantially, yet the sunlight unchangingly occupied that single spot. The current air of aromas has since transformed into an assortment of assailing fragrances, an unspeakable richness that could completely rob one of his senses; because the fragrance released heavily sweet scents that would utterly please the soul.
The grey feelers of the ant twitched incessantly. After affirming its target, it corrected its direction. Looking at the frequency of its swaying feelers….suddenly, the keen compound eyes of the ant could behold, a greyish object rising in spirals into the air before falling down!
That was indeed the feelers on its head!
Following that, its legs and head were corroded away....until an utterly dissected and disintegrated body laid atop the moisty walkway. At this moment, even if the ant wished to obstinately struggle and continue advancing, it no longer had a body to do so.
Sheyan vividly observed as its coelom inflated into the size of an irrigated balloon.
Pu! The balloon ruptured, spewing out insipid blue mist rapidly into the air. The entire process resembled a human exhaling out cigarette fumes from his lungs, as the fumes slowly dissipated.
No wonder Sheyan didn’t dare to enter that cavern compartment of the ‘Stairway of the Sun’.
That entire compartment actually permeated with rich corrosive toxins that were seemingly undetectable.
To everyone’s knowledge, a plant normally has a usual process of photosynthesis – absorbing in carbon dioxide and then releasing oxygen. Likewise, the ‘Stairway of the Sun’ was a plant. However, it was a unique plant. It absorbed both oxygen and carbon dioxide, but in turn, discharged that incomparably horrifying toxin! Those toxins had a density heavier than air and were colorless. As a result, it settled within that cavern compartment. For anyone unclear of such inside information, an impulsive infiltration would result in a consequence not worse off than that ant.
Furthermore, it was as though the death of that big black ant then heralded a call to assault.
Out from a crack in the wall, another long queue of big black ants started blatantly streaming towards the direction of the Sun Altar. Those ants were incredibly resolute; as though viewing death as a return home, they charged towards the Sun Altar!
Next, naturally a string of ‘Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!’ cracklings proceeded, akin to the frying sounds of popping oily fats in an iron cooking pot. Obviously, those ants had perished from the deadly toxins. Nevertheless, when they died, the formic acid in their bodies would burst forth; thereby catalyzing a bizarrely astonishing chemical reaction, emitting strands of insipid blue fumes into the air.
Slowly, Sheyan noticed a key matter – the following big black ants were unexpectedly crawling deeper and deeper!
In the beginning, that sole big black ant had exploded after reaching mere centimeters into the Sun Altar. Yet after hundreds of ants had perished, the present foremost ant managed to infiltrate a meter deep into the Sun Altar, before experiencing a tormenting struggle and having its body exploding and disintegrating.
This sufficed to explain one fact – the toxins that had settled inside that cavern section was gradually diluting.
Only now, did Sheyan understand that whatever exhortations Mbenga had naggingly repeated, was not to make things unnecessarily complicated. Earlier on, the powder he set ablaze with his lighter, was a special herb medicine the Ndipaya High Priest had placed, to prevent those big black ants from invading.
After removing that herb medicine, the bodily fumes from those big black ants would neutralize the acute toxins fumigated from the Sun Altar. This was the only way to safely intrude into the cavern section of the Sun Altar, and subsequently, acquire the ‘Stairway of the Sun’.
Actually, this procedure assured by Mbenga was something he knew it was so but not why it was so. In addition to him speaking in a drunken stupor, his exhortations were tremendously baffling and sounded just like drunk talk.
Fortunately, Sheyan could perceive this logic – sometimes, great intelligence may appear stupid, while massive opportunities may appear clumsy. Though he harbored doubts in his heart, Sheyan followed Mbenga’s warning completely. Sure enough, it was effective!
Sheyan silently observed those big black ants. Those little bugs truly demonstrated overbearing courage, charging forth inexhaustibly as they drilled into the interior of the Sun Altar.
5-6 meters later, they reached the end of that walkway of skulls.
Evidently, it wouldn’t take long for all the toxins to be neutralized. When that time comes, Sheyan would seize the chance and have his wish fulfilled. However, his countenance abruptly turned sullen.