81: Behind the Golden Gate

The moment the massive gate opened, the sound of heavy machinery, powerful enough to crush one's soul, echoed throughout the entire underground space.

Lin Feng did not hesitate for a second; he grabbed Wang Dalong's arm and pushed him toward the gate with all his might.

"Get in!"

Wang Dalong stumbled, propelled into that dazzling golden light by the immense force. No sooner had he regained his footing than he looked back to see Lin Feng flashing in right behind him, while the golden gate, dozens of meters high, had already begun to slowly close at a speed visible to the naked eye.

On the plaza outside the gate, a desperate pursuit was unfolding.

"Quick! Rush through, now!"

The captain of the Scorpion Squad let out a beast-like roar. He and his remaining two subordinates were sprinting desperately from both sides of the plaza toward this sole path to survival. They had witnessed the entire process of Lin Feng and his companion opening the gate, and they had seen the golden world behind it—a sight enough to drive anyone mad with greed.

However, between them and the gate still lay that death zone which had only just fallen silent.

The captain took the lead, moving with a speed that seemed inhuman, his tactical boots drumming a rapid rhythm against the obsidian floor. He chose not to sprint in a straight line, instead following the edge of the plaza in an attempt to bypass the most dangerous central area.

But he had underestimated the wisdom and malice of the maya craftsmen.

The moment he stepped into that hundred-meter zone, the killing intent of the entire plaza was awakened once more!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!—

This time, it wasn't just one area; across the entire front section of the plaza, every hidden compartment sprang open simultaneously! Thousands of poisoned short arrows shot out from the ground, the walls, and every unexpected corner, forming a death net with absolutely no blind spots!

"Defense!"

The captain bellowed as an energy shield instantly flared up from his damaged combat suit, deflecting most of the arrows.

But the squad member following behind him wasn't so lucky. His equipment had already been damaged while crossing the waterfall; his energy shield flickered twice before shattering. The dense volley of poisoned arrows instantly pierced his body. Before he could even let out a scream, he fell stiffly to the ground, his body rapidly turning a bizarre blue-black.

Crack—!

The floor flipped again, but this time it wasn't just one pit—it was over a dozen! The pitch-black pits, like the gaping maws of demons, instantly swallowed the squad member's corpse.

Juan followed closely behind the captain, rolling clumsily through the rain of arrows and narrowly dodging a suddenly appearing pit. However, his arm was still caught by the edge of a swinging axe, opening a wound so deep the bone was visible.

"Captain! The gate is closing!" Juan let out a desperate howl as he watched the gap in the door grow narrower and narrower.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed the captain's eyes. He glanced at the golden gate within arm's reach, then at Juan, who was struggling bitterly amidst the traps.

He did not look back, nor did he reach out to help.

He made a decision that was cold-blooded to the extreme.

The moment the next swinging axe came whistling toward them, he suddenly kicked a statue base beside him. The immense force caused a chunk of stone to break off and fly out, accurately striking the spot where Juan was positioned.

Unable to dodge in time, Juan stumbled right into the path of a giant, sweeping scythe.

"No—!"

Taking advantage of this opening, the captain of the Scorpion Squad pounced forward like a cheetah, physically squeezing his way through at the very last second before the golden gate closed!

Rumble—!

The golden gate shut completely, isolating the two worlds from each other.

Outside the gate, the death plaza returned to silence, leaving behind only fresh bloodstains and the fading echoes of the machinery.

Inside the gate, however, was another world entirely.

The captain knelt on the ground, gasping for air. His expensive high-tech combat suit was completely ruined; the energy shield had fully overloaded during the recent impact, and his chest and back had been grazed by a few stray poisoned arrows, with wisps of black gas spreading from the wounds. Without hesitation, he pulled a silver injector from his waist and slammed it into his thigh. Following a series of muscle spasms, the black gas at the wounds gradually dissipated.

He slowly stood up and looked toward Lin Feng and Wang Dalong standing nearby. The gaze beneath his visor was filled with the relief of a survivor and an even more intense, undisguised murderous intent.

"You... can't run anymore." His voice was raspy and distorted.

Lin Feng shielded Wang Dalong behind him, his expression more solemn than ever before. He knew that the most direct and brutal battle was about to begin.

But at that moment, Wang Dalong seemed not to notice the enemy in front of them. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg, and his finger trembled as he pointed at their surroundings.

"Feng... Brother Feng... look..."

Lin Feng scanned the surroundings following his gaze, and his heart was similarly swept up in a storm of shock.

They were standing in a wide corridor. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all crafted from pure gold. But that wasn't the most exaggerated part.

Stacked along both sides of the corridor were countless golden artifacts.

Golden masks, carved with expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and delight, were piled into a small mountain.

Golden chalices, plates, and scepters were scattered haphazardly on the ground like roadside trash.

There were even life-sized golden statues in various forms—soldiers, priests, and commoners—lined up deep within the corridor as if welcoming their arrival.

This wasn't some mere treasury.

This was a kingdom of gold.

And at the end of the corridor, the light grew even more brilliant, where the silhouette of a city could be faintly seen.

That piercing light was the radiance reflected from countless tons of gold.

"We're... we're rich..." Wang Dalong murmured to himself, looking as if his soul had been snatched away, his eyes containing nothing but that golden ocean.

The captain was clearly stunned by the sight before him as well, momentarily forgetting to strike.

It was in that exact moment.

Lin Feng moved. He didn't charge at the captain; instead, he spun around, grabbed the dazed Wang Dalong, and sprinted toward the depths of the corridor!

"Run!"