Chapter 1176: The Strange Mercury Moat

As the last divine sword shattered in the hands of Martial Lord Bi Xuan, the core magnetism in the grand hall seemed to be completely disrupted.
“Boom…”
A deafening roar echoed from every corner of the hall, giving the impression that the entire structure was shaking.
Having just experienced the Tian Gang Sword Formation and losing hundreds of people, those who remained dared not slack off in the slightest. They quickly formed formations, stayed alert, and watched their surroundings closely, fearing more deadly traps might appear.
Even the top experts among them were unsure whether the roar was good news and refused to relax. They anxiously scanned the hall, trying to identify the source of the noise.
“It’s rising!”
Xing Kai was the first to notice the change in the hall…
In the forty-nine large pits throughout the hall, the sunken ground was slowly rising to match the level of the hall’s floor; one, two… More and more people realized that the pits around them were being filled in, turning into smooth, flat surfaces.
Only the tiny sword holes and the corpses of powerful warriors scattered across the ground testified that the Tian Gang Sword Formation was not an illusion.
Boom!!
As more and more pits were filled in, the walls surrounding the hall also rose one by one, lifted high by columns spaced apart.
The tightly sealed hall transformed into a magnificent square composed of forty-nine stone pillars, with dazzling light shining in from all directions…
“This is…”
“The Desert Palace!!”
While marveling at the ingenious craftsmanship of its creator, a group of people passed through the pillars and finally saw what lay outside.
Outside was a circular moat that isolated the hall completely in the center.
Less than a hundred meters ahead stood a splendidly magnificent palace, with white jade steps, emerald railings, and a structure made of gold. At first glance, it seemed like a grand palace forged from gold. Outside the door stood two majestic qilins, also golden in color, guarding the palace’s entrance—exuding an indescribable sense of luxury and nobility.
Although martial artists often dismissed wealth as trivial, witnessing such a scene still filled them with excitement, leaving them unable to calm down for a long time.
“This is the Desert Palace…”
“I’m not mistaken… Even the palace is made of gold… Heaven…” Among the martial world’s masters, everyone had similar expressions—stunned, with eyes wide and shining.
“…”
Not to mention the Thousand-Faced Fox.

As one of the four greatest thieves in the Central Plains, entering such an ancient desert palace filled with gold for the first time nearly made his eyes pop out. Eager and excited, he stared around repeatedly, his breathing growing heavier. If not for He Xian by his side, he might have lost control and rushed forward immediately.

“Venerable!”

“The treasures in this desert palace are astonishing. If we can obtain all of them, advancing with the Khan into the Central Plains will be just a matter of time.”

Bi Xuan’s men were all filled with excitement.

Mr. Qin’s men were equally thrilled…

“Sir!”

“…”

Mr. Qin stared hesitantly at the magnificent palace buildings a hundred meters away, his brows furrowed in silence.

“Don’t get too excited just yet.”

“Look around at what’s here.”

Finally, someone wasn’t entirely focused on the golden palace a hundred meters away. At Ye Gucheng’s urging, the group turned their attention to the strange “moat” around them.

The moat was indeed peculiar!

Although it was over a hundred meters wide, the color of its water was very strange… It wasn’t clear water. Instead, a faint smoky odor hung in the air above the moat, mixed with other pungent smells.

Some people frowned immediately and stepped to the edge of the hall, bending down to investigate…

But as soon as they bent over, they stumbled and fell straight into the moat.

“Be careful!”

It was one of Bi Xuan’s subordinates who acted quickly. Fortunately, his companions reacted in time, reaching out to pull him back.

“What’s going on?”

A master at the peak of the Mythical Realm nearly fell into the moat just by bending slightly, adding a layer of eerie danger to the “moat.”

The crowd gathered around!

“Let me take a look…” Mr. Qin spoke up.

After all, the temporary alliance hadn’t been dissolved, and Mr. Qin had also protected Bi Xuan’s men inside the hall. The Martial Venerable nodded and ordered that the unconscious man be brought before him.

“Mr. Qin…”

“Is he poisoned?” Everyone present was an experienced hand in the martial world, and from the man’s condition, they knew he must be poisoned.

Mr. Qin didn’t answer right away. Instead, he checked the man’s eyes and chest before slowly nodding, “He is poisoned.”

“What kind of poison is so powerful?”

If even a master of the Mythical Realm could be affected silently, it surely wasn’t an ordinary poison.

“It seems to be mercury poison based on the circumstances, but mercury vapor poses almost no threat to those at our level. There must be some other type of poison mixed in, making its effect extremely potent…” At this point, Old Qin grew serious. “I can’t confirm what poison has been used on this person yet, but it’s definitely related to this mercury moat!”
“A mercury moat?”
Everyone looked at each other in shock.
Old Qin nodded slowly. “That’s right!” He stroked his long beard and continued, “Imperial tombs usually employ deadly mercury as traps to prevent anyone from entering or escaping. Although this Desert Palace isn’t a tomb, since it houses treasures worth nations, the ruler who built it surely didn’t want his wealth to be taken easily…”
“This old man is quite interesting,” the Faceless Fox silently transmitted to Happy. “Mercury traps are indeed common in many imperial tombs, but I’ve never seen such a large amount used to create a moat. The treasures inside must be extraordinary.”
“You’re one of the four greatest thieves in the Central Plains. You must have visited many imperial tombs, right?”
Happy’s heart stirred.
Thinking of his career as a tomb raider, the Faceless Fox felt proud. “Of course. If you’ve never been to an imperial tomb, you can’t even claim to be in this business…”
“Enough, stop bragging. Since you have experience, you must have seen this strange poison before, right?” With a professional commentator like him, Happy didn’t need to listen to Old Qin and asked the Faceless Fox directly.
The latter smiled slightly. “You’re right. Once, when I was in an imperial tomb, I encountered a similar poison—exactly like what’s happening now.”
“What exactly is this poison? Why is it so deadly?”
“Things used by the royal family are inherently lethal and incurable. If they weren’t ruthless, how could they demonstrate the inviolability of imperial power?” the Faceless Fox explained calmly.
“You mean that person is hopeless?”
Happy’s heart tightened.
The Faceless Fox nodded slightly and whispered, “If it weren’t for that person trying it himself, I wouldn’t have guessed there would be such a massive mercury moat in the Desert Palace, with Abyssal Incense scattered all over it.”
“Abyssal Incense?”

“Well, Renming Xiang is non-toxic on its own, but when mixed with mercury, it produces a continuous stream of poisonous gas. Those who inhale it will immediately lose consciousness and then die,” explained the Face-Shifting Fox. “Fortunately, though this gas forms quickly, it disappears just as fast. Unless one gets close to the surface of the moat, it’s hard to inhale it.”
The Face-Shifting Fox’s explanation finally relieved Happy. Otherwise, he would have really worried that he might have inhaled this incurable poison as well.
……
“……”
In less than half a moment, the peak Mythical Realm expert who had inhaled the poison and fallen into a coma took his last breath in front of Mr. Qin.
Mr. Qin frowned deeply and sighed, “What a domineering poison…”
“Everyone, stay further away from the moat.” Bi Xuan, seeing one of his subordinates die inexplicably, was naturally in a terrible mood as well.
For a while, everyone in the hall became wary of the moat.
However…
The heroes watched helplessly as the magnificent palace lay across the moat. Even though the air above the moat was dangerous, they still didn’t want to miss the treasure right in front of them.
“As long as we hold our breath and avoid inhaling the poisonous gas in the air, we should be fine…”
“Ali, you’re the best at lightness skills! Here… the two of us will cover for you while you fly over!”
Bi Xuan’s warriors all had a fearless spirit. Their companion’s death didn’t fill them with fear; instead, they quickly thought of a solution and put it into action.
“Okay!”
With the mindset of letting others take risks for them, everyone watched Bi Xuan’s warriors approach the edge of the moat.
A few Heavenly Dao experts said nothing, standing aside and watching closely.
Only the Green-Armed Fanged Man remained calm, occasionally glancing at Happy, Osaaya, and the Face-Shifting Fox, seemingly more interested in their actions.
At that moment, Happy and the Face-Shifting Fox were discussing whether there was any way to counteract Renming Xiang. Seeing that Bi Xuan’s warriors could no longer hold back and took action first, the Face-Shifting Fox felt a hint of schadenfreude: “Heh… Bi Xuan is about to give away someone else again.”
“You said just now that the gas produced by mixing Renming Xiang with mercury doesn’t last long and has a limited range. As long as one is careful not to inhale it, it poses no threat… Bi Xuan isn’t stupid. From the fact that we haven’t been poisoned for so long, he must have figured it out. If he succeeds, he’ll be the first to gain the right to claim the treasures in the Desert Palace. Do you really think he’s that foolish?”
Happy saw through Bi Xuan’s plans.

“Master, do you really think this is just an ordinary mercury moat? If it only contained a thin layer of poisonous gas, you’re underestimating the person who created this trap… With such a massive moat, embedding a few deadly traps is child’s play.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the warriors from the Wu Zun clan flew out from the edge of the moat, heading toward the distance…
But less than ten zhang away, the man suddenly cried out in shock: “No!”
The heroes in the hall still didn’t understand what had happened when they saw the man force himself to turn in mid-air, his face filled with utter terror, as if he had witnessed something extremely frightening! Yet as soon as he spoke and turned around, his vital energy drained instantly, and he plunged into the moat, instantly swallowed by the mercury.