Though there were some things on top of the pyramid, they weren't very clear.
The world below, however, gave Long a sense of unease right away.
It looked just like a massive city, with rings of structures stretching down to the bottom of the deep underground pit. Overall, it felt like a grand tomb.
The buildings inside came in all sorts of styles, as if worn down by countless years, with different eras blending together in one spot to create architecture from various times.
The deeper it went downward, the better the buildings were preserved. The higher up, the more they had collapsed, filled with a sense of decay and ruin brought by time.
At the very bottom, there seemed to be a mysterious bronze door.
The door looked a bit blurry and unreal, covered in countless strange patterns that gave off an indescribable feeling of silence and depth.
In this darkness, a pale glow moved around, sometimes rising and sometimes falling, like a river flowing through the dark world.
The huge stone pillars holding up the pyramid had a strange sense of majesty. They were carved with images like evil spirits, all staring at the entrance as if they wanted to break out.
Long suddenly felt like he was suffocating, because he sensed he had entered a place that wasn't for humans.
The world above was blurry and unclear, while the one below was sharp and visible. For a moment, Long had no idea where Cobra was.
This world was unusually quiet, with no sounds from outside at all.
"I should have asked Cobra where he was first."
Long felt he had miscalculated a bit, but those people were all knocked out by him now, so he couldn't wake them up again. After all, he didn't know the pyramid's inside was laid out like this.
Whatever, head down first.
Compared to the unknown dark depths above, the world below was much clearer, and at least it showed signs of a civilized city. Thinking that, Long was about to step forward, but suddenly his hair stood on end!
The moment he entered, he had already felt a strong killing intent, and now it made him feel like he was dead. A deadly force followed him like a shadow, as if it could pierce his heart at any time.
At some point, a cherry-colored long sword had appeared in front of him, stuck in the ground. Its brilliant color was like a flower, noble and elegant yet mixed with a sharp killing air, as if warning that one more step forward would mean the sword would cut his body in half.
"Who...?"
Long struggled to lift his head and saw that a person had appeared above at some point. He wore black clothes underneath, with a white feathered cloak over them.
His face was extremely handsome, with long hair, light purple eyes, and a strange hair accessory on his head—a tube-like decoration wrapping a bundle of hair. Around his neck was a silver-white windflower scarf.
His face showed calm and coldness. This was a man who didn't fit with the darkness.
A strong pressure came from him, like the aura of an overwhelming king.
In the next instant, he vanished.
!
Long's pupils shrank, because at that moment, the man's figure had appeared behind him.
"You're... a bit too slow, aren't you."
Behind Long, he said it lightly, as if it was no big deal.
What had he just done?
Long couldn't see his movement at all, but he knew that in that instant, he had swung his blade at him.
[Truth be told, lately I've been using Yeguoyuedu to read books and keep up with updates. It lets you switch sources, has lots of reading voice options, and works on both Android and iOS.]
The answer was...
Pfft!
In an instant, a bright spray of blood burst from his chest. Intense pain spread from there to every part of his body, but that pain quickly turned into equal numbness.
His consciousness...
It felt like it was fading!
So scary. What kind of speed was that just now? Who was he? How could he be this strong?
Did Cobra enter this pyramid because of him?
Long's mind was racing, because right now, nothing but his brain could move.
With the corner of his eye, he looked at the man in white, seeing only his indifferent eyes, as if Long meant nothing to him.
"Wait... please wait! Lord Kuchiki Byakuya!"
Suddenly, Cobra's voice came from below. But the man named Kuchiki Byakuya still kept his indifferent gaze on Long.
"I don't recall allowing the Nefertari family to bring in people outside their bloodline to the 'Severed World.' Breaking the pact is the same as betrayal. I think you know that rule."
Kuchiki Byakuya said calmly.
"He is my guard. He must have broken my orders out of worry because I was inside too long this time." At that point, Cobra quickly ran up from underground, climbing the spiral staircase-like path, panting as he reached the ground.
Seeing Long's figure, he said to Kuchiki Byakuya, "He hasn't truly entered the range of the 'Inverted Pyramid,' so please spare his life."
Only then did Kuchiki Byakuya turn his gaze to Cobra. He didn't say a word.
"This soul burial is over. You should leave."
After a while, he said that to Cobra, and in the next instant, his figure vanished.
Just like when he appeared, his speed was way beyond what Cobra or Long could see.
Once he was gone, Cobra let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Long, who was badly hurt and on the ground, he frowned.
"You should be glad you didn't step into the Inverted Pyramid, or you'd be dead for sure. Death gods are all about rules and pacts."
Cobra sighed and then hoisted Long's body over his shoulder, heading for the exit.
"Thanks..."
Long said weakly. Though Cobra said that, from how easily Kuchiki Byakuya had wounded him so badly, it seemed he really did want to kill him.
Cobra opened the pyramid's door and carried Long out. That's when he saw his many guards lying on the ground, and anger surged up. He yelled at Long, "Didn't I tell you? No one is allowed to enter the pyramid!"
He had a good personality and was kind, but seeing his guard team—all who followed him—knocked out by Long got him fired up. Even a clay Buddha has some temper!
"They just passed out."
Long was set down on the ground by Cobra. He said weakly, "But I had important news to tell you, so that's why I went inside to find you."
Though that's what he said, he did have a bit of personal motive too.
These guards might have ways to contact others, even if they couldn't decide things themselves.
While looking for Cobra, Long also wanted to check out the secrets of this Inverted Pyramid, but he nearly lost his life because of it.
----
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