The Ultimate Evolution - Chapter 647

Chapter 647

A ring-shaped canal encircled this flower terrace . This canal exhibited a rich flare of manmade artifice; forged fully with gold, it emanated an exceptionally vivid golden luster of gems .

One could observe tiny ripples throughout the teurbid liquid coursing through this canal . The liquid was rather special, possessing a bright texture similar to that of mercury . A dim shimmer coated the liquid surface that wasn’t reflected light from its exterior, but a glow originating from within . That glow was starkly different to sunlight, it was gentle, viscous, faint and carried a tinge of violet .

Noteworthily, the source of the canal liquid was the mouths of those closely arranged skulls that enclosed the flower terrace . To explain it further, it could be described as the discharged excrement of the ‘Stairway of the Sun’, or saliva, perspiration in another context .

A tiny walkway similarly constructed with deathly white skulls laid before the flower terrace . It was utterly barren within half a meter radius of those skulls, and clearly segregated away from the various green vines and vegetation of the place .

Upon stepping onto that walkway, unbeknownst if it was the designer’s intention, but the mouths of those skulls would eerily be faced upwards; giving rise to a misconception of being devoured by the deceased at any time . Spineless cowards would shiver uncontrollably at this scene .

Bear this in mind, 99% of humans that entered previously were probably shoeless aborigines… . . . just setting foot on such a diabolical walkway, would impress a feeling of dread; inducing trembling fear and utmost devotion .

Sheyan stood before the start of a tiny skull walkway, which could be considered the direct periphery of this Sun Altar, and also signified he was mere inches from the ultimate objective of this world; precisely speaking, approximately 33 . 52 meters .

To a contestant like Sheyan, a maximum speed sprint would eclipse that distance in mere seconds .

Still, he refused to budge but peacefully stood still . His eyes brimmed with prudence and cautiousness . It was as though this walkway of skulls didn’t lead to his ultimate goal, but instead, was leading him to the yellow springs of the netherworld! As though half a step would bring everlasting sorrow .

The sunlight gradually intensified . Sheyan remained unmoving, as though an insurmountable invisible wall was obstructing his path, as though he had morphed into a statue .

At present, the cavern compartment he stood, right before the cavern compartment of the ‘Stairway of the Sun’, was roughly the size of a classroom, and not a single hole could be found at its ceiling .

Although most of this cave was enclosed, where the only exit was that ‘elevator’ stone platform and the winds found it hard to infiltrate, it didn’t release a claustrophobic sensation .

Though the air was moist and humid, it wasn’t polluted with any rotting odor commonly present in moisty caverns . The entire place boasted of a mystical and strangely clean atmosphere .

The peculiarity resided in the complete absence of vegetation, even though this walkway was akin to half a step to reaching the Sun Altar . On the contrary, the vegetation within the Sun Altar was flourishing with vitality; exuberating an unmatched thriving vigor .

Still, Sheyan quietly waited . Gradually, following the increasing temperature of this cave, a unique and unexplainable fragrance wafted into the air .

Upon close inspection, the green plants winding around the Sun Altar had started budding, swiftly producing ravishingly gorgeous flowers . The initial scent they released was sweet, but several breaths later, it would cause dizziness and even one to feel nauseous .

The fragrance was clearly thickening . Sheyan retreated a few steps as he nodded . Then, he hurriedly withdrew from this cavern compartment, distancing away from that walkway of skulls, all the way till his back touched the descending location of that stone platform .

Generally speaking, this entire cave didn’t occupy a very large space . Counting in the Sun Altar, it didn’t have more than five cavern compartments . Except, the atmosphere was truly queer and abnormal . Sometimes warm but not dry, cool but not cold, moist but not flooded, ventilated in the absence of wind, amply illuminated but refusing the scorching entry of the sun . It was truly a supernaturally fine craft of nature . Only with such a mystical environment, could this place give birth to a miraculous plant like the ‘Stairway of the Sun’ .

Suddenly, Sheyan raised his thick black brows . An ant had crawled through a crack in the wall and appeared in his vision .

This was a gigantic ant the size that of a human’s thumb . This ant was probably the ant equivalent to a Tibetan Mastiff of the dog species .

The ant crawled randomly around, seemingly attempting to scout out something . Its antennas wriggled, and eventually, it started crawling towards the direction of the Sun Altar . Moreover, it was crawling with exceptional determination .

Sheyan’s attention was fixated onto this ant, alongside his stern and solemn expression . It was as if he wasn’t staring at a trifling ant, but instead brooding over the plans he had devised ever since entering this world; his gains and losses and even… . success or failure!

Stretching fully its 6 long limbs, that ginormous black ant swiftly scurried towards the cavern compartment that housed the Sun Altar . Then, without a trace of hesitation, he climbed onto that walkway of skulls, bypassing the boundary where the hesitant Sheyan had been . With a rude and impetuous nature, it intruded into the area where the sun shone the brightest; the area of thriving vitality, and also the area of strange malevolence .

Serenity ensued as Sheyan fixated himself onto that ant . Even the sound of his breathing could be distinctly heard .

At present, the sun had risen substantially, yet the sunlight unchangingly occupied that single spot . The current air of aromas has since transformed into an assortment of assailing fragrances, an unspeakable richness that could completely rob one of his senses; because the fragrance released heavily sweet scents that would utterly please the soul .

The grey feelers of the ant twitched incessantly . After affirming its target, it corrected its direction . Looking at the frequency of its swaying feelers… . suddenly, the keen compound eyes of the ant could behold, a greyish object rising in spirals into the air before falling down!

That was indeed the feelers on its head!

Following that, its legs and head were corroded away . . . . until an utterly dissected and disintegrated body laid atop the moisty walkway . At this moment, even if the ant wished to obstinately struggle and continue advancing, it no longer had a body to do so .

Sheyan vividly observed as its coelom inflated into the size of an irrigated balloon .

Pu! The balloon ruptured, spewing out insipid blue mist rapidly into the air . The entire process resembled a human exhaling out cigarette fumes from his lungs, as the fumes slowly dissipated .

No wonder Sheyan didn’t dare to enter that cavern compartment of the ‘Stairway of the Sun’ .

That entire compartment actually permeated with rich corrosive toxins that were seemingly undetectable .

To everyone’s knowledge, a plant normally has a usual process of photosynthesis – absorbing in carbon dioxide and then releasing oxygen . Likewise, the ‘Stairway of the Sun’ was a plant . However, it was a unique plant . It absorbed both oxygen and carbon dioxide, but in turn, discharged that incomparably horrifying toxin! Those toxins had a density heavier than air and were colorless . As a result, it settled within that cavern compartment . For anyone unclear of such inside information, an impulsive infiltration would result in a consequence not worse off than that ant .

Furthermore, it was as though the death of that big black ant then heralded a call to assault .

Out from a crack in the wall, another long queue of big black ants started blatantly streaming towards the direction of the Sun Altar . Those ants were incredibly resolute; as though viewing death as a return home, they charged towards the Sun Altar!

Next, naturally a string of ‘Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!’ cracklings proceeded, akin to the frying sounds of popping oily fats in an iron cooking pot . Obviously, those ants had perished from the deadly toxins . Nevertheless, when they died, the formic acid in their bodies would burst forth; thereby catalyzing a bizarrely astonishing chemical reaction, emitting strands of insipid blue fumes into the air .

Slowly, Sheyan noticed a key matter – the following big black ants were unexpectedly crawling deeper and deeper!

In the beginning, that sole big black ant had exploded after reaching mere centimeters into the Sun Altar . Yet after hundreds of ants had perished, the present foremost ant managed to infiltrate a meter deep into the Sun Altar, before experiencing a tormenting struggle and having its body exploding and disintegrating .

This sufficed to explain one fact – the toxins that had settled inside that cavern section was gradually diluting .

Only now, did Sheyan understand that whatever exhortations Mbenga had naggingly repeated, was not to make things unnecessarily complicated . Earlier on, the powder he set ablaze with his lighter, was a special herb medicine the Ndipaya High Priest had placed, to prevent those big black ants from invading .

After removing that herb medicine, the bodily fumes from those big black ants would neutralize the acute toxins fumigated from the Sun Altar . This was the only way to safely intrude into the cavern section of the Sun Altar, and subsequently, acquire the ‘Stairway of the Sun’ .

Actually, this procedure assured by Mbenga was something he knew it was so but not why it was so . In addition to him speaking in a drunken stupor, his exhortations were tremendously baffling and sounded just like drunk talk .

Fortunately, Sheyan could perceive this logic – sometimes, great intelligence may appear stupid, while massive opportunities may appear clumsy . Though he harbored doubts in his heart, Sheyan followed Mbenga’s warning completely . Sure enough, it was effective!

Sheyan silently observed those big black ants . Those little bugs truly demonstrated overbearing courage, charging forth inexhaustibly as they drilled into the interior of the Sun Altar .

5-6 meters later, they reached the end of that walkway of skulls .

Evidently, it wouldn’t take long for all the toxins to be neutralized . When that time comes, Sheyan would seize the chance and have his wish fulfilled . However, his countenance abruptly turned sullen .