Chapter 128: Renovation Plans for the Shu King Palace
Chapter 128: Renovation Plans for the Shu King Palace
Whoosh~
Clang!!!
Chen Xiyi watched an endless stream of arrows thud against his Formless Astral Energy. Completely clueless about construction, he had absolutely no idea how he’d triggered the mechanism.
He had just jumped down from the level above when this happened; it made no sense at all.
The clanging lasted about two minutes. Probably the arrows finally ran out, so things quieted down.
“The upper level had no grave goods. Even if there were, those zombie rats probably ruined them all. This level should be the real deal—the actual Shu King Palace.”
This double-layer structure was already impressive enough. If there were a third, Chen Xiyi would start suspecting this ‘Rat King’ really was the king of rodents himself. How else could someone dig such an enormous hole?
He seemed to have come down in a problematic spot, landing straight in the passageway outside the main burial chamber, hence activating the trap.
If anyone else had been here, they might not have survived that.
The real Shu King Palace was far more magnificent than the level above; even the murals on the passage walls screamed opulence.
Chen Xiyi examined the murals with his flashlight. Dragons and phoenixes were carved and painted everywhere, not depicting any grand achievements of the Shu King.
Makes sense. If he actually had any great deeds, history books would have recorded them. Why keep them buried for dead eyes to see?
Yeah, right. The dead can’t climb out of their coffins.
After figuring out where the main chamber was, Chen Xiyi smashed through the stone door with his Alloy Pickaxe. The door was heavy, practically a “dragon-cutting stone”—designed to open only from inside, not outside.
Too bad it was just stone. If it were iron, he might have needed a few more swings. But a stone door couldn’t withstand his Alloy Pickaxe.
For an ordinary person to enter? Short of blasting it with dynamite, there was simply no other way.
Thick, cold Yin Qi poured out from the chamber. Chen Xiyi shone his flashlight inside; the heavy shadows instantly fled from its sun-like brightness.
Like wielding a tiny sun—try it, you’ll get it.
He’d hung many triple-enchanted flashlights inside Shu Lady Mausoleum as lighting, far handier than those lamps he pried out of Dongtai City walls.
“What a scale! Way more impressive than Shu Lady’s lonely bronze coffin.”
“Plus,” he examined the layout, “this looks like a Formation Array.”
Whoa. See? Who’d bother burying themselves all the way in these mountains for nothing? Look at this setup—suspended coffin gathering Yin Qi, perfect balanced surroundings—trying for a second life?”
Eyeing the layout, Chen Xiyi realized the entire main chamber formed the core focal point of this Formation Array.
Combined with the upper level’s array pilfering life energy to nourish the zombie rats and guard the tomb, Chen Xiyi didn’t even need to explore elsewhere to guess the Shu King’s ambition.
“This setup could bring him back… but whether he’d be ghost or corpse? Uncertain.”
“In any case, human? Impossible.”
Personally, Chen Xiyi leaned toward Jiangshi—because if it were a ghost, given all this disturbance, they’d be fighting already.
He was practically demolishing the guy’s house! Any spirit with even a shred of temper would be brawling by now.
“Judging by how things look? I probably got here decades too early. This Shu fellow is still incubating. Whatever juice the Formation Array is pumping into the corpse seems… insufficient.”
With the coffin closed so tightly while being constantly fed Yin Qi, turning Jiangshi couldn’t even happen yet—the suppression of the giant array was too strong.
Since the time wasn’t ripe, short of wrecking the whole formation? Chen Xiyi could dance an “afterlife rave” right here with zero consequences.
He wasn’t a Protagonist; things didn’t conveniently “just happen perfectly” around him.
Sure, there were taboos—no Human Qi, no Yang Qi. Luckily, he carried neither.
If those particular Qi Mechanisms had triggered? Probably instantly disrupted the array, setting off its defenses.
Insta-death, basically.
The place was spotless. Clearly untouched—Chen Xiyi: First Ticket Holder, VIP after hours pass.
“Just like I thought! This Palace is Lady Shu’s luxury remodeled upgrade package. The poor Corpse Demon must have been experimental material for this King before she died.”
Chen Xiyi wondered why Lady Shu Mausoleum lay miles from King Shu Palace—good novel grist, that. But eh. He was more curious: if he hadn’t “redecorated” in Shu Lady’s Mausoleum? Maybe low-spec budget version of that Formation Array would’ve synced with this place, causing both corpses to turn undead decades later.
Meaning Shu Lady + Shu King would rise simultaneously.
Which brought him to the next question: “Were these guys Father-Daughter? Or Husband-Wife?”
“Mother-Son’s even creepier.”
No guesses would uncover truth from dusty remains.
“How about… speeding things up?”
Shu Lady had been “dealt with”—ignoring Shu King felt rude somehow.
Also, embarrassing confession: he was eyeing his “fixer-upper.”
Compared to that sparse single-bedroom tomb he occupied earlier? This Shu King Palace felt like his new penthouse suite.
Occupying tombs long-term—wasn’t pleasant. Say what about seclusion; bad vibes. But this Palace? Genuine basement fortress material!
That suspended coffin hanging ten feet off the floor, chained ceiling to corners? That fixture had to go.
The owner inside might technically be “registered” occupant, but Chen Xiyi felt certain he would be… generous.
As evidenced by handling noisy tenants however Chen Xiyi chose. Complain? He’d silence permanent complaint boxes.
“Should pose no issues. Accelerate growth → Evaluate final product effect? Big setup → Bound to have special exotic traits?”
Unique = valuable experimental animal capture.
Not. One. Loss. Possible.
“Still—caution wins. Stabilize Formation Array first! After I renovate, then activate King Shu Limited Edition Speed-Up card I prepared. Otherwise entire underground condo collapses?”
Plausible. They had arrow traps; could easily have self-destruct mechanisms too.
Better excavate whole Palace first.
Sandbox Player habit: Impulse Action Mode activated: ON.
Immediately summoned one Home Protector. Once estimating coverage radii, he focused its energy to fortify Formation Array core stability signal anchors.
Stabilization active → Digging Action commenced. Up → Inventory slot loaded → instant Homesteading magic → Onto next dig site.
Coverage limitation: Each Home Protector capped at 1000 square units. Whole Palace escapade demanded multiple Protector placements. Each Protector +1000 coverage → Two Protectors = Entire shelter quadruple Homesteaded → Besides, “Shelter” stats allowed stacking installations.
After third Home Protector secured approximately half the zones… Chen Xiyi poised Pickaxe for downward swing—right ear shivered violently.
[Zhangliu sensed danger → issued urgent alert.]
“Whoa! Serious trouble!”
Hand froze mid-air. Rifle snapped into defensive grip.
Hazard indicator level unprecedented. Entire militia battalion = [Uncomfortable] → This alert → [RUN] status.
Three minutes vigilance → Nothing. Suspicion grew.
Map screen… empty? Weird.
‘Stealth ambush approach? Okay then—bait tactics.’ Mentally strategizing, he mocked nonchalant Pickaxe stance—precisely → Right ear trembled again.
Same warning message.
“……”
Realization dawned. Danger warning ≠ hidden attacker prep → Specific dig location == catastrophic trigger!
“So this wall segment’s untouchable? Testing nearby spot.”
Relocated roughly ten feet → action → Extraction Process went smoothly.
Proven, he returned → Origin hazard coordinates → poised Pickaxe → Message reappeared.
“Whatever’s hidden behind ≤ That point == instant doom signal → Ridiculous.”
Statement + Instant wall solution: Thick-slab Alloy barrier erected over the spot. Finalized. Later problem.
Finished swapping entire Shu King Palace → resolved bedrock issues permanently.
That Alloy barrier mattered: When erected → instantly ≡ Home Protector Interface loaded → generated Air Wall shield barrier. Harming Chen Xiyi → Required penetrating said barrier first.
Thus far → No entity detected ≤ Breaking Strength 1000-Air Wall threshold.
Chen Xiyi himself—couldn’t crack it either.
Bonus layer? Alloy wall Durability stats remained high—secondary defense line formed.
Operation → Rear → Multiple alerts → Locations triggered—typically symmetric structural reinforcement pillars.
Hammering support zones = Removal before Homesteading swap-back → Load calculations failure → Complex collapse cascade. Some points → Integrated mechanical sabotage triggers → Designed to annihilate invaders with structure.
Solution = Homestead Entire Palace → Area Home Protector spheres deployed → Entire floor/ceiling/wall anchor space → Homestead Transformation status → Maintained → Physical integrity → Magically unbreakable regardless damage.
Complete after → Foundation physics → ignored → Floated unsecured platforms → Gravity suspended → Then reconstructed → Overloaded unsupported structure → Newton if witnessed → From coffin, rising → Screamed: “Game Engine Physics = Broken!”
Task completed: Central chamber → Side chambers → Passageways → Dome vault ceiling → Entire Shu King Palace Homesteaded → Protected by nested concentric Air Wall shields → Cave-in risk escaped consequence calculation network.
Settled Palace → Focus returned → Accelerating Shu King corpse-decomposition stage → Trigger early Jiangshi transformation arrival.
Access operation displayed → Easy → Entire infrastructure formed Shelter under Chen Xiyi’s claim → Beyond troublesome.
Remaining countdown → Seconds unwound → Processing time required still → Contemplated utilizing empty period → Renovate upper zombie-rat-layer simultaneously → Consolidate architecture → Dual-layer vertical basement complex → Maintenance tunnel connection → Traditional Qi Refiner inspired conveyance system → Talisman-etched lift platforms → Exciting hypothetical!
This innovation → Upgraded = Single-floor hideout conversion → Prestige enormous underground lair estate.
Thought regretfully: “Shame though… Surface living access preferable. Efficiency blocked → Any dimwitted Military Warlord warlord passage = Annoyance endless.”
Peaceful dimension → Modern era → Ground villa primary choice → Not this gloomy cavern block.
However → Temporal mismatch → Conflict minimizing → Forced short-term compromise.
Underground status → Environment atmospherics → Surprisingly acceptable.
True priority → Growth → Not property glorification → Hermit quiet always dominated preference → Isolated terrain accommodation triumphed.
Project setback: Chang Ghost derived spirit-craft technique → Experimental timeline prolonged → Correction: Uncritical now. Future possibilities → Jiangshi Shu King outcome → Useful modification insights → Combat capability inventory ≠ Urgent deficit → Decelerate → Incremental improvement foundation preferred.
Life economically stable → Allowed systematic > Careful progression speed.
Mad-dash rushed → Counterproductive inconvenience.