Tomb robbing: I was Buried alive in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, I Get Stronger by Looting Corpses

Chapter 28: The Deadly Trap and Terrifying Mechanisms

Yang Yi narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the vast underground plaza before him. “No matter what schemes lie ahead, no one can stop me. Absolute strength is the only true power.” After finishing their meal, he swiftly stored away all the utensils and leftover food, leaving behind only the beds and blankets for later use.

“Will you both stay here or come with me to clear out the other corridors?” he asked.

Meng Jiangnv didn’t hesitate. “We’ll go together.” Qing Lian, now fully awake and grateful, nodded without hesitation. “Wherever you go, I will follow, Master.”

Yang Yi smiled slightly before retrieving the last remaining bed, preparing for his next move. He knew that scavenging the corpses was the key to strengthening himself. If all went well, he would reach the Realm of Astral Qi after eliminating the remaining workers trapped in the tomb. With that goal in mind, he quickened his pace, with the two women following closely behind.

……………………………………………………………………………

The corridor eventually opened into a massive underground plaza. Its sheer scale was breathtaking even in the dim light. Two colossal bronze cauldrons, used for refining elixirs, loomed like monstrous beasts in the darkness. The flickering flames within them cast distorted shadows on the stone walls. “The First Emperor was truly obsessed with immortality,” Yang Yi murmured, shaking his head.

His gaze drifted toward the shadowed city wall on the far side of the plaza, where torchlight flickered faintly atop its towering form. This was the barrier separating the outer tomb from the inner palace, where the concubines were forced to remain.

Something felt off. As he inhaled deeply, he caught the faint aroma of roasted meat. “The scent must have drifted here,” he mused. “It’s likely that those in the other corridors are already restless.” His focus then shifted downward, his eyes scanning the enormous stone slabs that paved the plaza floor. He had been too hasty in assuming the plaza was merely a passageway between corridors.

From this vantage point, he saw the truth. It wasn’t a simple passage. It was a hunting ground, a coliseum designed for slaughter. “This is no mere architectural layout,” Yang Yi muttered under his breath, a chill running down his spine. “This is a death trap.”

Those who stepped into the plaza from any of the nine corridors were essentially caged animals, exposed to a rain of death from the fortress walls. This was a battlefield designed for absolute control, a place where intruders could be annihilated with ease. His expression darkened.

There’s no way this was designed by an ordinary engineer. Someone skilled in geomancy and battlefield design planned this. This has to be the work of a Taoist or a Yin-Yang Clan master. The realization sent a ripple of unease through him.

……………………………………………………………………………

Meng Jiangnv, sensing his unease, stepped closer. “Husband, what’s wrong?”

“This plaza is full of hidden dangers,” Yang Yi explained. “It’s almost certainly rigged with traps and mechanisms.” He turned his gaze to Qing Lian. “How exactly did you walk across this place?” Qing Lian fidgeted nervously under his intense stare. “I… I just ran. I wasn’t thinking.”

Yang Yi’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting,” he mused. “Then it means the traps aren’t set off by just any movement. Otherwise, you’d be dead.”

Meng Jiangnv’s face paled. “So… you mean the plaza is selective about when it triggers?” Yang Yi nodded grimly. “Exactly. The mechanisms are designed to recognize mass movement, not individuals.”

Qing Lian’s heart pounded at the realization. She had walked across this death trap completely unaware of how close she had been to triggering it.

“We need to confirm it,” Yang Yi declared. Turning back toward the corridor, he grabbed an iron shovel, and then smashed one of the stone slabs loose. The massive stone block shattered into several smaller pieces, which he then chiselled into rough spheres.

Meng Jiangnv watched curiously. “Husband, what are you doing?”

“Testing a theory.” With a deep breath, Yang Yi hurled one of the stone spheres onto the plaza floor.

……………………………………………………………………………

The moment the stone ball rolled forward, a section of the floor collapsed, revealing a dark, bottomless pit beneath. A sharp click followed, and suddenly—

SHNK! SHNK! SHNK!

Rows of spears and arrows shot out from hidden compartments in the stone walls. Even more spikes emerged from the ground, forming a deadly forest of jagged metal. Yang Yi narrowly stepped back, shielding the two women behind him.

Meng Jiangnv clutched his arm, shaking. “That… would have killed us instantly.” Qing Lian fell to her knees, staring at the pit. She had walked through here before. If she had stepped just slightly differently, she would have been skewered alive.

……………………………………………………………………………

Yang Yi exhaled slowly, scanning the area. The plaza was a fully fortified kill zone. Even if the workers had revolted, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“This is insane,” he muttered. “And this is only the outer layer.” The real tomb lay beyond.

What kind of horrors wait deeper inside? His mind raced. He needed more power. This wasn’t just about survival anymore. It was about dominating the death trap that was the First Emperor’s tomb.

……………………………………………………………………………

As the deadly mechanisms retracted and the trap reset itself, Yang Yi turned back to the women. “This confirms it,” he said. “We can’t just walk through. We need to outsmart it.”

Qing Lian still looked pale. “How do we do that?”

Yang Yi grinned. “By making sure we don’t play by their rules.” Meng Jiangnv tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Yang Yi tossed another stone onto the floor—this time, aiming at a different section. As the mechanisms sprang into action, he studied them carefully, his mind already working.

“We won’t step into their battlefield,” he said. “We’ll make them step into ours.”