Chapter 885
After disembarking, they walked for dozens of miles until the sky was completely dark. Finally, the ruins of the Lost Empire came into view. Though it was dark, Shen Lang was stunned by the sight before him. This was a city from another world. The architectural style was completely different, possessing an ineffable mystery and beauty. Tragically, however, the city had been reduced to complete ruins, with crumbling and collapsed structures everywhere.
Even so, Shen Lang's astonishment did not diminish. He was even more amazed than when he had first seen Angkor Wat. For no matter how dilapidated and ruined it was, there was no mistaking how magnificent and immense this city had once been.
First, the city walls, over fifty meters high, were unprecedented. Standing beneath them, Shen Lang felt even smaller. The walls were built of massive stones, each block larger than a cubic meter. They were all made of an incredibly durable black rock. Shen Lang took his hardest steel sword and struck the wall. Sparks flew, but only a faint mark was left on the black rock.
“This rock is harder than steel. Each block must weigh ten thousand catties.”
Shen Lang was shocked by Hella's explanation.
‘Does that mean the density of this rock is over five tons per cubic meter? That's twice as dense as ordinary rock. How did they lift these massive stones, weighing over ten thousand catties, back then? This Lost Empire must have been incredibly powerful. So why did it fall completely? And without leaving a single trace in the world?’
Shen Lang couldn't help but sigh at the rise and fall of civilizations. Hella said to him.
“Our garrison is inside these ruins. You can't even imagine it. Most of the underground storehouses in this city are still usable. Moreover, all sorts of rare items are preserved inside. There are even plants that don't exist anywhere else in the world and various mysterious artifacts. We didn't know their purpose, so we just collected them. Of course, there was also a lot of gold and jewels, which we treated like treasure at first, but we ended up tossing them aside. What's even more astonishing is that much of the food we found here was still perfectly preserved and edible. Can you believe it? Grain preserved for thousands of years without rotting.”
Hella's words were almost unbelievable. According to her, the architectural technology of the ancient Lost Empire was so advanced that its antimicrobial and moisture-proofing techniques were pushed to the absolute limit.
“You said a mysterious power came to this island and took the Lost Empire's mystical and powerful weapons. Where are they?”
Hella pointed to a place far, far in the distance. At least a hundred miles away stood an incredibly high mountain. What was its elevation? It looked to be nearly eight thousand meters. In any case, the mountain was so high it seemed to touch the sky, and from its midpoint upwards, it was entirely covered in snow. The snow itself was no different from that on any ordinary mountain. But the strangest thing about this mountain was that its peak was sheared off, and a pyramid had been built on top, replacing the summit. The pure white snow that covered the mountain up to its midpoint did not accumulate on the pyramid at the peak, leaving its black surface exposed. Furthermore, the apex of the pyramid flashed with light like a searchlight, its beam visible from a great distance.
“Have you tried to climb that snow mountain?”
“We tried countless times. At the time, we were certain the Lost Empire's secret weapons were hidden in the pyramid on the summit. But we never succeeded. Whenever we reached the mountainside, lightning would strike and kill everyone who ascended. Not only that, but the snow on that mountain is poisonous. Just breathing it in is enough to kill you.”
Listening to Hella's explanation, the mountain seemed even more bizarre.
“So, even though we knew that mysterious power existed, all we could do for over a decade was look up at them. We longed for them to appear, to meet us and say even a single word, and we even hoped to kill them. But that never happened. That mysterious power simply looked down on us from their high perch inside the pyramid on the summit.”
As Shen Lang gazed up at the pyramid on the distant snow-capped peak, he was suddenly reminded of the transcendent power from the Eastern world, the Great Calamity Temple. They, too, had built the Great Calamity Palace on a snowy peak. However, this mountain was higher than the Great Calamity Temple's, appeared far more mysterious, and stirred a desire within him to explore it.
Shen Lang widened his eyes, observing the pyramid on the summit, then tried to zoom in on it with his computer. He thought he might find some clues by magnifying it dozens of times with the computer. But just then, the peak of the great snow mountain was shrouded in dark clouds, and a blizzard began, obscuring everything from view. Hella said to him.
“Let's go.”
* * *
“The Lost Empire was once a vast continent, but a great earthquake caused a massive portion of the land to sink, turning much of it into isolated islands. The place we're staying is likely the eastern part of the Lost Empire. It was once part of the mainland but is now an isolated island, about one-third the size of a typical province. It's strange, isn't it? An area this large, and it's all one city. We couldn't even begin to imagine how massive this city once was. But even an empire this great, more powerful than we could ever imagine, eventually fell to ruin. Its secrets are both terrifying and alluring.”
Hella led the group deeper and deeper into the ruins. There was no danger there. Other than the mysterious power in the pyramid on the snow mountain, there were no outsiders in these vast ruins, and all the sea monsters dared not come ashore.
“We're almost there. We found a relatively intact castle and made it our base. If our guess is correct, it was once the residence of a noble of the Lost Empire.”
* * *
The castle before them was, as Hella had said, relatively intact, further showcasing the architectural style of the Lost Empire. It was truly a mysterious and magnificent structure. Arriving at the base of the castle, Hella stopped. She had to prepare herself. Because she still hadn't forgiven the Skull Gang. If it weren't for Shen Lang, she would never have faced the Skull Gang again.
“Let's go in!”
Having quickly composed herself, Hella grabbed Shen Lang's hand, walked to the castle gate, and kicked it forcefully.
“Open the gate! I'm here!”
Hella's voice was brazen, but inside, there was only silence. Hella shouted again.
“Open up! I said I'm back! If you don't open this gate, I'll break the gatekeeper's hands!”
But still, there was no response from within. The color drained from Hella's face. She shoved the gate with all her might and rushed inside.
“Second Brother! Big Sister! Fourth! Where are you? Where is everyone! Uncle, where are you all?”
Who were this Second Brother, Big Sister, and Fourth Sister Hella spoke of? Perhaps they were her sworn siblings? Pirates, especially the higher-ups, often formed such bonds.
Hella shouted desperately for her sworn siblings, but the vast castle was completely empty. A chill ran down her spine.
‘Where did everyone go? Where has the Skull Gang gone? Why can't I see a single person? They couldn't have all died, could they?’
In the three months she was gone, could it be that tens of thousands of them couldn't bear it and committed suicide?
‘No, that can't be.’
Hella's head spun. Before she left, the atmosphere in the Skull Gang had been so bleak and despairing that people were taking their own lives every day. Shen Lang said to her.
“Don't panic. It seems they haven't committed suicide, but have left. If they had committed mass suicide, surely they would have left some kind of note, wouldn't they? Think carefully. If they left this place, where would they have gone?”
“Empress Bay. Our fleet is there. Hundreds of warships.”
Hella grabbed Shen Lang's hand and broke into a mad dash. After running frantically for a while, she simply scooped up Shen Lang and ran even faster.
As Hella sprinted madly toward the Lost Empire's Empress Bay, she prayed incessantly.
‘They have to be there. They can't have killed themselves. The Skull Gang cannot perish. What I said before... I just said it in anger.’
Empress Bay had been a massive harbor in the ancient city, capable of docking thousands of ships. Not only that, but a colossal seawall stood at the harbor's entrance, allowing it to be completely sealed off in critical moments. The seawall stretched for more than fifteen thousand meters, an architectural marvel.
The castle where the Skull Gang had been stationed was about a hundred miles from Empress Bay. But Hella, running at a desperate pace, was so fast that she arrived in less than two hours. As soon as he reached the harbor, Shen Lang witnessed another incomparably magnificent architectural miracle.
This harbor was far larger than the one in Goldfall City. The seawall at the harbor entrance, in particular, looked like a giant with its arms outstretched. But there was no time to admire the magnificent and beautiful scenery. Just as Hella had said, the Skull Gang was right here in Empress Bay. Though they were still quite a distance away, Shen Lang could hear a tremendous clamor, and the entire harbor was brightly lit with lanterns. Looking closer, it seemed the Skull Gang was celebrating wildly, holding a massive party. Hella breathed a sigh of relief. It was a blessing they were still alive.
Shen Lang stood on high ground, looking down at the bay. On the truly vast bay, the massive ships of the Skull Gang's fleet were lined up in tight formation. Every ship flew a skull flag, and with the area lit by torches, Shen Lang could clearly see the design.
‘What a powerful fleet. Not only are they all large ships, but their hulls are clad in iron?’
All other ships in this world were made of wood, but the Skull Gang's fleet alone was ironclad. Furthermore, their prows were fitted with astonishingly sharp rams. Shen Lang did a quick count. The Skull Gang's fleet had dozens of two-thousand-ton warships, with over three hundred other ships of various sizes. It was an indescribably magnificent fleet. The dozens of two-thousand-ton warships, in particular, could be fitted with dozens of cannons with only minor modifications. Though they couldn't match the warships of the 17th century, they were more than capable of slaughtering and crushing any enemy on the seas of this world. Moreover, these ships were clippers, their sailing speed far exceeding that of ordinary sailing vessels. This was the invincible fleet Shen Lang had dreamed of possessing.
And on top of that, there were tens of thousands of Skull Gang pirates with formidable combat prowess. They needed no training; they were already the strongest warriors of the sea. The saying about a navy taking a hundred years to build was no empty phrase. If Shen Lang were to train a navy himself, it would take at least a decade to create one this powerful. But here, before him, was the most powerful navy in the world, and he truly salivated at the sight. As if to display his greed, Shen Lang spread his palm and made a gesture of grasping the entire harbor in his hand, wanting to claim the entire Skull Gang fleet for himself.