Virtual World.
'Seven Stars Lu King Palace' instance.
In the early morning, the ancient charm of Lin Chuan's antique shop was discernible. The shop door was slightly open, and the sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a faint glow on the shelves displaying various antiques.
A few crisp bird chirps came from afar, adding an extra layer of tranquility and realism.
At this moment.
Lin Chuan had almost confirmed that the map of the Seven Stars Lu King Palace was documented on the Warring States silk manuscript.
Next, it was time for the preparation stage before clearing the instance.
To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools.
Every professional Touch Gold Captain would make thorough preparations before setting out.
Impatient and rash individuals could not engage in the tomb robbing business.
If one entered a tomb without preparation, it was akin to seeking a joint burial with the tomb's master.
Lin Chuan wasn't someone who rushed. His encounters through multiple virtual lifetimes had honed his ability to be calm and decisive in all situations.
This time, whether he could clear the 'Seven Stars Lu King Palace' would actually affect the excitement level of the generated novel and whether he could unlock the next tomb robbing instance.
So, making more preparations had only benefits and no drawbacks.
"Marksmanship, fighting, these two skills should come in handy inside the tomb. However, God knows what lies within the tomb; I still need to integrate some Touching Gold secret skills thoroughly," Lin Chuan murmured softly to himself.
Although Lin Chuan had already mastered the Touching Gold Secret Skill, he hadn't yet applied it in practice, so he intended to practice it.
Let's start with the 'Double Finger Probe'.
Cough, don't misunderstand.
The Double Finger Probe is a bona fide Touching Gold Secret Skill, considered an ultimate technique of the Central General of Prosperity.
In the tomb, there are often some small mechanisms, with some coffins even equipped with mechanisms that leave only a tiny hole.
To crack these mechanisms, one needs to extend a finger into them, probe the situation inside, and exert force in an instant—that is the Double Finger Probe.
Lin Chuan raised his right hand.
The sunlight cast upon this right hand, surrounded by a faint radiance, and Lin Chuan's gaze primarily fell on the index and middle fingers of this hand.
It is the index and middle fingers that are used for the Double Finger Probe.
However, the requirements for the index and middle fingers are extremely high: long, sensitive, hard, and strong.
"'Length' is up to par. I need to practice the sensitivity, hardness, and strength," Lin Chuan whispered.
There are many ways to practice the 'Double Finger Probe.'
In the backyard of the antique shop, Lin Chuan found a large basin and filled it with hot coal slag. A few eggs were buried inside the coal slag.
Being able to swiftly and steadily pick up an egg with the index and middle fingers amidst the scorching coal slag is considered the entry level for this technique.
"Let's give it a try."
Looking at the basin of coal slag, Lin Chuan felt somewhat daunted, but he still decided to practice.
If one wants a smooth sailing in the real world, one has to be tough on oneself in the virtual world!
The virtual world offers chances to make mistakes; the real world does not.
Many Touch Gold Captains have perished due to minor mistakes.
No more hesitation.
Lin Chuan's gaze focused on the coal slag, his expression concentrated and resolute. He slowly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers tensed, and the angle between the fingers was like a pair of iron tongs.
Swish!
Lin Chuan exerted force suddenly, his index and middle fingers as quick as lightning, and plunged into the coal slag in a flash.
A burning sensation instantly radiated from the skin of his index and middle fingers. Gritting his teeth, Lin Chuan made contact with an egg.
Immediately, his fingers pinched together, the strength on them firmly clamping the egg, and he swiftly withdrew.
Phew—
Lin Chuan looked at the egg between his index and middle fingers and let out a long sigh of relief.
After several consecutive attempts, he steadily extracted the eggs each time.
A beaming smile spread across Lin Chuan's face, and he proudly said to himself, "With this talent, it seems I'm really cut out to be a Touch Gold Captain!"
Indeed, to master the art of the Double Finger Probe, one must start training from a young age.
A finger's mastery represents a decade of cultivation.
If Lin Chuan showed such natural talent on his first attempt, it could be said that he was a genius among Touch Gold Captains.
It would be a waste not to rob tombs.
Lin Chuan also guessed that the system probably enhanced his abilities in this regard behind the scenes, for in the virtual world, character attribute values were dictated by it.
Of course.
Being able to steadily pick an egg from coal slag using the index and middle fingers was still far from the true Double Finger Probe technique.
The essence of the Double Finger Probe lies in the perfect combination of mechanical techniques and the burst of strength.
It is not as shown in movies and TV shows, where one simply raises a right hand and pierces the mechanism with force.
In practice, one needs to insert a finger inside first, to touch and sense the construction of the mechanism and how to unlock it.
This is a dangerous step.
Because no one knows what lies inside the small hole of the mechanism.
Many Touch Gold Captains who can perform the Double Finger Probe have their index and middle fingers broken off.
Even worse, some have their entire right arm ruined.
This is the price to pay.
It is also one of the reasons behind the saying, 'Among the seventy-two trades, Touching Gold is king.'
In the virtual world, Lin Chuan's family is a lineage of tomb robbers.
Thus, they naturally have plenty of mechanical molds.
Soon, Lin Chuan found a set of stone gate mechanism molds in the storage.
It was a set of stone gate mechanism molds.
In tombs, stone gate mechanisms are very common.
Legend has it.
The renowned Touch Gold Captain, Cao Cao, also installed mechanisms in his tomb.
One such mechanism was hidden behind a large rock, with eight characters carved on it—Touch Gold Captain, Wealth Rolls In.
The switch for this mechanism was hidden behind the rock, and one would need the Double Finger Probe to locate and decipher the mechanism to enter the tomb.
A slight misstep would trigger the mechanism, shooting hidden arrows and causing instant death.
The stone gate mold Lin Chuan found had two doors about two meters high, mimicking a rock-made gate with two parallel small holes on the door. The holes, about one to two centimeters in diameter, only allowed a single finger to enter.
Quickly, Lin Chuan summoned the knowledge related to mechanical techniques from the Touching Gold Secret Skill in his mind, ready to apply it to a stone gate.
Lin Chuan first extended his index finger and middle finger into the small hole.
Since he couldn't see the specific conditions inside the small hole, he had to rely on the touch of his fingers to detect the mechanism.
It was somewhat similar to a lock cylinder.
Inside, it was uneven, many areas resembling the grooves within the cylinder of a lock.
Lin Chuan's heart grew stern.
He treated the mold as if it were the actual mechanism, and the 'grooves' were in fact testing the strength of his mechanical techniques.
However,
Lin Chuan, blessed with the 'Lock-picking' skill as well as the 'Touching Gold Secret Skill - Mechanical Techniques,' found this small hole mechanism not too difficult to handle.
Soon, Lin Chuan touched two firm indentations, confirming they were the key to breaking the mechanism.
Immediately,
Lin Chuan's two fingers, similar to a short punch, exerted force instantaneously, pushing the two firm indentations deep into place with the power transmitted from his fingertips.
Squeak—
The stone gate, about two meters high, slowly opened.
"It's done."
Although it was just practice with a mold, successfully opening the gate still filled Lin Chuan with joy and added some confidence to his eventual tackling of the 'Seven Stars Lu King Palace.'
Before setting off to the 'Seven Stars Lu King Palace,' Lin Chuan repeatedly practiced some Touching Gold Secret Skills.
Such as, the Double Finger Probe, The Skill of Seeking Dragon and Determining the Burial Site.
Of course, equipment was essential too.
For example, Threaded Steel Pipe, Archaeological Shovel Head, Split-type Waterproof Miner's Lamp, Folding Shovel, Short Hammer, Multi-purpose Military Knife, bandages, Nylon Rope, as well as some emergency medicines.
Most importantly, firearms were necessary.
With a gun, one would feel confident when faced with zombies and some other strange creatures.
Yet, this was a troublesome issue.
Fortunately, after hanging around the black market for a few days, Lin Chuan discreetly acquired several Double-barreled Shotguns.
Once the preparations were complete, they set off!
Tomb robbing was a team effort, not something to be attempted solo; hence, aside from Lin Chuan, three others were included.
Da Kui, Veteran Pan, and a young man.
This young man was the one who had previously taken the 'Dragon's Ridge' Ancient Black Gold Saber.
However, he wasn't talkative.
Lin Chuan felt he was dull, but since Third Uncle wanted to bring him along, Lin Chuan didn't ask any further questions. After all, he was new to tomb raiding, just a greenhorn himself.
According to the 'map' — a record on a Silk Manuscript from the Warring States period — 'Seven Stars Lu King Palace' was located near Linyi in the Qilu area.
Linyi was where the State of Lu was located during the Warring States period.
Lin Chuan's group took a long-distance bus, jolting for over a dozen hours, finally arriving at Linyi, then ventured deep into the Taiyi Mountain Range.
After several setbacks, the group reached a village deep in the mountains.
"Discover Tomb Touching Gold, Move Mountain Hill-Unloading, Marking Spells on Armor, Chiseling into the Desolate Tombs."
Whether it was Discover Tomb, Touching Gold, Move Mountain, Hill-Unloading from the four major schools, or split into the southern and northern factions, their method of tomb raiding could all be boiled down to "observe, smell, ask, cut".
Upon entering the village, they had to ask around and gather information.
This was the 'ask' in the Four Gates and Eight Methods.
This was a key area on the Silk Manuscript map from the Warring States period — Seek the Dragon and Determine the Burial Site, start digging!
In this era, there was a basic move away from the use of Luoyang Shovels.
Lin Chuan used an Archaeological Probe Shovel, with its handle made of Threaded Steel Pipe, which could be screwed together section by section to make it longer or shorter, conducive to the performance of the Touch Gold Captain.
Third Uncle, Da Kui, and Veteran Pan were all skilled at tomb robbing; the dull youth and Lin Chuan, young and strong, dug out seven to eight meters in no time.
What puzzled them was a brick wall that appeared beneath the soil.
Da Kui wanted to strike at the brick wall but was loudly stopped by the dull youth, for inside the brick wall lay an anti-theft compartment. Hence, bricks from the wall could only be pulled out, not pushed inward.
The dull youth had unusually long middle and index fingers, which he placed on a brick and suddenly applied force.
Whoosh!
He actually pulled a brick out from the wall.
"He's also quite good at the Double Finger Probe."
Lin Chuan couldn't help but look up to the dull youth, thinking to himself that the system had arranged several strong teammates for this instance.
Immediately, Lin Chuan began to work as well, removing the bricks.
Before long, Lin Chuan discovered that the exterior of the ancient tomb, this brick wall, was covered with a layer of a strong acid-filled wax wall, which would pour over a person if rashly disturbed.
The acid had extreme corrosive properties, capable of causing severe corrosion if poured over the body.
Clearly, the dull youth had far more experience than Lin Chuan.
He promptly asked Da Kui to dig a straight well downwards, then connected an injection needle and a plastic tube, heated the needle red-hot, inserted it into the wax wall, and the red strong acid flowed through the plastic tube into the well.
"I see."
Lin Chuan, with a learning mindset, understood the dull youth's methods.
He had been an assassin and an antique maker.
So his knowledge of chemistry was spot-on.
This plastic tube was made of polytetrafluoroethylene, resistant to strong acids, perfect for draining the strong acid from the wax wall.
Tomb robbing tip +1.
Before long,
Lin Chuan, Third Uncle, and the dull youth finished dismantling the wall, breaking through to the burial chamber.
The ground of the burial chamber was a stone slab, arranged in a pattern similar to bagua, inscribed with ancient characters.
Around were eight Everlasting Lamps, all extinguished.
In the center of the burial chamber stood a Four-legged Square Cauldron, with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars engraved on its top.
Lin Chuan, a master at appraising antiques, took only one glance to confirm: This Four-legged Square Cauldron was authentic, dating back to at least the Warring States period.
Warring States denoted not just the era but also the minimum sentence if caught.
Of course, Lin Chuan estimated that this Four-legged Square Cauldron could serve as the centerpiece of a museum, worth billions.
No wonder so many were drawn to tomb robbing.
Tomb robbing, it's a real crime!
However, this was a virtual world, and Lin Chuan could be a bit more daring.
He then turned his attention to the south side, where there was a Stone Coffin and beyond it, a path leading downward, seemingly to a deeper Underground Palace.
"So this is the Seven Stars Lu King Palace!" Lin Chuan marveled to himself.

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