In the center of the cave’s bottom, there was a huge altar, but it was completely empty.
Clearly, the ravages of time had destroyed something.
Elder Archibald marveled, “How much manpower must have been spent on this gigantic royal tomb? The Nabatean Kingdom must have been incredibly wealthy and powerful back then.”
Leo nodded, “Indeed, this royal tomb is so large that it probably wasn’t just for the Nabatean royal family, right?”
“Yes, the great nobles and famous monks of the Nabatean Kingdom were also mostly buried here,” Elder Archibald replied.
“So, where exactly is the tomb of Altas IV?” Leo looked at the hundreds of caves on the surrounding walls and felt a headache coming on.
The vampires were also troubled and looked at Elder Archibald.
Elder Archibald quickly checked the documents in his hand and shook his head with a bitter smile, “There are no specific instructions. However, the king’s cave should be the most luxurious and grand. During the time of Altas IV, Petra was very prosperous, so it should be quite impressive.”
Leo pointed forward, and a scorching fireball shot into the air of the huge cave, instantly illuminating it like a radiant sun, making it as bright as day.
The intense light was a bane to vampires, and Prince Devon and several others cried out, shielding their faces with their cloaks.
Leo quickly surveyed the surroundings and then pointed again, turning the scorching fireball into a gentler flame.
The vampires felt much better and lowered their cloaks with relief.
“I just took a look. There are a few caves in the eastern cluster that seem the largest and face the entrance directly. They are likely where the Nabatean kings were buried,” Leo pointed straight ahead.
“Master, shall we go over there then?” Prince Devon’s face grew more respectful.
“Let’s go,” Leo said, summoning a Wind Talisman and swiftly landing on a spiraling staircase to the east.
The vampires quickly transformed into bats and followed.
Leo glanced around with a headache, “Elder Archibald, check out the largest caves first.”
Elder Archibald, in bat form, flapped his wings and began inspecting.
After a while, Elder Archibald transformed back into human form and emerged from a huge cave on the upper right side, his face filled with joy, “Master, you guessed right. This is the tomb of King Altas IV.”
Leo leaped up, and the vampires also transformed back into human form and jumped up.
“Any discoveries?” Leo asked.
“The tomb is too deep. I didn’t fly to the bottom; I just confirmed its identity and came out,” Elder Archibald apologized with a bow.
“Alright, let’s go inside and take a look,” Leo said without further ado and walked quickly inside, followed closely by the vampires.
With the help of the firelight, countless colorful murals appeared on the surrounding cave walls. The vivid and lifelike figures showcased the high artistic achievements of ancient Nabateans.
Leo took a brief look and understood the murals’ content: they depicted scenes from King Altas IV’s life-his governance, hunting, and battles-a portrayal of his entire life.
It was evident that the Nabatean Kingdom was very powerful at that time. When King Altas IV traveled, he was surrounded by armored soldiers and splendid horses, truly a sight to behold.
Unfortunately, times have changed. The Nabatean Kingdom has long since vanished, leaving only remnants for future generations to mourn.
After about a hundred steps, just as Leo was marveling at the length of the tomb chamber, a thick archway suddenly appeared ahead.
Prince Devon stepped forward and waved his sleeve, slowly and heavily opening the archway.
Boom!
The massive sound echoed in the silent cave, carrying an indescribable sense of mystery and danger.
The fireball’s light extended forward instantly, illuminating the area ahead.
Leo found himself in a spacious tomb chamber, spanning several hundred square meters.
Around the flat ground were numerous sculptures-graceful maidens, majestic winged warriors, roaring lions-symbolizing King Altas IV’s glory during his lifetime.
In the center of the tomb chamber stood a high platform with a giant outer coffin lying quietly on top.
As the firelight hit it, the outer coffin emitted a dazzling golden glow, revealing supreme royal honor and luxury.
“It seems King Altas IV’s tomb is well-preserved,” Leo said with some surprise.
“That doesn’t seem possible,” Elder Archibald frowned in disbelief.
“Yes, Petra has been buried for over a thousand years. It resurfaced nearly two hundred years ago and must have been visited by tomb raiders countless times,” Prince Devon also expressed doubt.
“We’ll know once we take a look,” Leo said as he walked up to the high platform and approached the golden outer coffin.
Leo wiped the surface of the outer coffin and said, “It’s gold-plated.”
Elder Archibald examined it carefully and said, “It looks very new. It shouldn’t have been here for long.”
Leo understood what Elder Archibald meant and said, “It seems this tomb has been looted before. This outer coffin was probably made later.”
Prince Devon’s eyes showed disappointment as he said, “In that case, the outer coffin is likely empty.”
“Whether it’s empty or not, let’s open it and see,” Leo instructed.
Prince Devon nodded and signaled Duke Angus and Duke Barlow to proceed.
The two dukes worked together to lift the heavy coffin lid and moved it to the ground.
As expected, the coffin was empty.
Leo sighed in disappointment, “Where could King Solomon’s treasure be?”
“Master, is there any unusual change in your Star of Asia?” Elder Archibald asked.
Leo looked at the Star of Asia in his hand and shook his head dejectedly, “No.”
At that moment, something strange happened. A blinding white light shot out from the coffin.
The white light pierced directly to the top of the tomb chamber. The brilliance it emitted made it difficult for the vampires to adapt, causing them to cry out and retreat.
In his daze, Leo saw that the Star of Asia in his hand seemed to be summoned by some mysterious force. It left Leo’s right hand and flew above the coffin.
When the white light hit the Star of Asia, there was a dull thud from within the coffin.
After the thud disappeared, so did the white light. The Star of Asia fell into the coffin.
Leo and the vampires quickly gathered around and looked into the coffin.
In the center of the coffin’s interior appeared a hexagonal groove where the Star of Asia lay quietly, fitting perfectly into it.
As Leo and others were puzzled by this development, another strange event occurred-the platform holding the coffin began to shake.