"The opportunity to eliminate evil and promote good is right before you, brother. Are you truly not going down?"
"I'm not going. The affairs of the living are for the living to deal with, why should I concern myself?"
Xu Qing squinted at the man in the red robe and suddenly asked, "How deep is it down there? If it's too deep, I really shouldn't go down."
The man in the red robe laughed, "Not deep, a total of fifty zhang, and even including the deepest part of the tomb, it's no more than a li."
"If you want to go down, you'd better hurry. If those two get the Immortal remains and find the Immortal fate before you, you won't be able to compete with them."
Xu Qing understood now, this man in the red robe had no good intentions from the start. He was eager for him to go down together.
"Immortal fate?" Xu Qing laughed, "I have no interest in Immortal fate. Even if they obtain relics of the divine, what of it? If anyone could easily gain Immortal fate, then it's not worth seeking!"
The man in the red robe finally frowned and asked again, "You really won't go down?"
"I will go! But not now. I'll go slowly, deliberately, with a plan and order."
"..."
The man in the red robe reached for the hilt of his sword by his waist, not knowing why, he just wanted to strike down the young man before him.
Xu Qing remained calm, without a trace of panic.
Ever since he came to the Yin River, the Corpse-Seeking Compass he carried had been in constant motion, yet it never detected any corpse beneath the Bone Temple.
And now, when he asked how deep the divine's tomb was buried beneath the ground, the man in the red robe answered only a li deep.
A li, while the Corpse-Seeking Compass can search within a radius of about twenty li. Even if he made an error in calculation, considering it covers ten li, it must be an empty tomb underneath!
As for whether there's Immortal fate in an empty tomb...
Xu Qing had seven years until he could perform the Seeking Immortal Technique again, leaving him unable to determine what's beneath. There might indeed be Immortal fate there, but he was unwilling to take the risk now.
Especially after encountering this man in the red robe.
This person looked so much like the Demon Exorcism True Monarch statue inside the Bone Temple, as if they were carved from the same mold. If he truly was the True Monarch, wouldn't that mean the divine is right in front of him, yet he's trying to lure him down with others in search of the supposed Immortal fate...
The whole affair seemed unreasonable.
When something is abnormal, there must be a reason. Xu Qing pondered over it and formed a strategy in his mind...
"Judging by your attire, might you be a man of renown as well? Though unworthy, I too hold a mundane reputation, currently serving temporarily as a military doctor for the Eight Banner Marshals."
Xu Qing used the tiger skin as a banner, "You don't want to get involved in worldly matters? Then let me show you something mundane!"
The man in the red robe furrowed his brow and reassessed the young man before him. Could it be that he's genuinely not interested in the divine relics?
Seeing the man remain silent, Xu Qing continued, "The two who jumped into the pit are wanted criminals by the Marshal, unforgivable treacherous rebels, and as a military doctor, it's my duty to eradicate such maladies!"
"Military doctor?" The man in the red robe was astonished.
Who taught you to act like this as a military doctor?
The man was about to speak when suddenly the sound of drums and horns echoed outside the Bone Temple, followed by the thunderous approach of thousands of troops, causing the Incense Hall of the Bone Temple to tremble.
The man's face changed slightly, and in the next moment, he saw outside the Bone Temple a towering skeleton general clad in golden armor, as tall as a city gate tower.
"I received a message from the paper man and hurried my troops to support, Lord Xu, are you safe?"
"No harm, just happened to encounter a group of rebels supporting the Dark Devouring King. The rebels have been captured, only their two leaders have escaped into the depths of this Bone Temple."
"Marshal, hold this place, and guard the entrance for me, lest anyone takes advantage to strike at us!"
The Eight Banner Marshal, upon hearing this, immediately locked his gaze on the man in the red robe, speaking solemnly, "Who are you? If you're unconnected to the rebel leaders, leave quickly to avoid getting yourself in trouble!"
Leave? Who?
The man in the red robe's eyes widened. I can't stay in my own temple? What sense does that make!
"This is where I reside. If you want me to leave, you'll have to see if my Ghost-slaying Sword agrees!"
The man in the red robe was about to unsheathe his sword but suddenly remembered that although the Marshal before him was a skeleton ghost, he was still linked to the fortunes of the worldly dynasty. Being the owner of this place, he couldn't defy the Yin Law and disrupt the worldly order.
Xu Qing, observing the man in the red robe grumbling yet not truly drawing his sword, instantly confirmed his suspicion.
"If you're leaving, then leave. If not, then let the Marshal go. Is it that hard to choose?"
"..."
The man in the red robe's face, already dark, grew even darker!
The Eight Banner Marshal stepped aside, revealing a path, and the surrounding skeletal soldiers with ghostly flames in their eyes stared at the man as if ready to draw weapons at any moment.
The man in the red robe, too angry not to laugh, said, "This ghost lair has been under my family's watch for generations. Today you force me to leave, but once those two emerge, it will bring devastation. By then, it'll be too late for you to regret it!"
That's quite a heavy accusation. Xu Qing's expression turned cold, clutching on to the man's argument, retorted, "Devastation? Why didn't you say it's a ghost lair when you were coaxing me to go in?"
Indignant and defensive, the man replied, "For a villain like you who wields rampant soldiers and kills as easily as drinking water, what does it matter if I coax you? If you're capable, feel free to try going in!"
"But let me tell you upfront, the seal here has been broken. When they obtain the tomb's fortune, neither you nor this Marshal can subdue them!"
The Eight Banner Marshal frowned slightly, subconsciously looking at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing smiled faintly, unconcerned, "Brother, have you forgotten what I said?"
"What did you say?"
"A benevolent demon is akin to a human, while a wicked person is inferior to a demon. Even animals can change their nature, so in this world, what truly remains unchanged?"
"Take, for instance, the Demon Exorcism True Monarch in this temple. In the past, the emperor judged people by their appearances, stripping him of his titles because he looked monstrous. But was the Demon Exorcism True Monarch truly a monster?"
Xu Qing grinned, baring his teeth, and with an implied meaning, he looked at the man in the red robe and said, "I believe that if the Demon Exorcism True Monarch were here, he would not, like you, make superficial judgments based on appearance!"
"..."
The man in the red robe narrowed his eyes, adopting an unprecedentedly serious tone:
"I've observed countless demons and have never misjudged one. Although you look human, I don't think you resemble one, nor do you seem like a good person, let alone a benevolent demon!"
Xu Qing clicked his tongue and asked, "Aren't you afraid you've misjudged?"
The man in the red robe's eyes flickered. He raised the Treasure Sword at his waist and said, "If I truly have misjudged, I'll give you this sword! But if one day I find out you are indeed a demon..."
"Then this Ghost-slaying Treasure Sword will be your final resting place!"
Having said that, the man in the red robe walked out of the Bone Temple without looking back, and at the same time, the incense remaining in the temple dissipated.
The Eight Banner Marshals suddenly realized. Looking at the now empty shell of the Bone Temple, he exclaimed in shock, "Could that man be the deity of this place?"
Xu Qing looked at the deserted shrine, pondering, "According to him, since the day the Bone Temple was built, he's been concealing his spirit form, lurking in the statue of the Demon Exorcism True Monarch, just to suppress this rumored 'abandoned land of the gods'."
"Today, with his statue destroyed, he can't continue to conceal his form."
The Eight Banner Marshals, knowledgeable and experienced, knew the background of the Demon Exorcism True Monarch. After hearing Xu Qing's explanation, he was even more puzzled.
"In his life, the Demon Exorcism True Monarch hated evil like an enemy, died righteously and tragically, and even in death, upheld the righteous path, slaying monsters in the Nine Netherworld, cleansing evil in the eight wildernesses; punishing the wicked, saving the good, clarifying yin and yang, ensuring peace for eternity...
How could such a person be content to stay in one corner?"
The Eight Banner Marshals didn't believe the story about suppressing the ghost den at all. Since there were ghosts everywhere outside, and he himself was a skeleton ghost incarnate, the Ancient Yin River Dao was essentially a massive ghost den. Unless the other party claimed it was a 'Ghost Realm', none of the ghosts present would be afraid!
Xu Qing also didn't believe it. The oppression from this ghost den was not even as great as the Ghost King of Many Calamities.
He even felt a sense of returning home. This ghost den was like a paradise for ghosts, ideal for zombie retirement.
"I will go down with Lord Xu!"
Xu Qing shook his head and said, "This ghost den leads to unknown places. If the Yin-erosion Dharma King attacks the base during this time, how would the Marshal respond?"
"It is better for me to go down and explore."
The Eight Banner Marshals reluctantly agreed. As Xu Qing said, he couldn't leave the base, just as the Yin-erosion Dharma King wouldn't dare leave the Southern Army of Ghost Soldiers without permission.
If he weren't present and allowed the Yin-erosion Dharma King to take advantage, an entire army could be lost to the Nan Cuo Army.
"Lord Xu, please be careful."
Seeing Xu Qing jump into the ghost den, the Eight Banner Marshals stood for a long time before returning to his senses.
He didn't know Xu Qing's venture this time was to retrieve the bodies of two masters from the Cangyi Group and the Celestial Heart Sect. In the eyes of the Eight Banner Marshals, there must be another reason why Xu Qing was going to capture the leader of the thieves.
Just like when Xu Qing promised to send Zuo Zixiong out of the Ancient Yin River.
"I am alone, apart from this skeleton, I have nothing else on me. What on earth did Lord Xu see in me that makes him so determined..."
...
The ghost den was pitch black. Xu Qing used the Gecko Wall-Climbing Skill to move slowly. When the light from the opening above was barely visible, he placed one hand on the wall and took out a Paper Crane with the other to explore downward.
However, the Paper Crane lost all contact after descending about ten yards.
Xu Qing furrowed his brows slightly and then took out a white paper lantern, throwing it straight toward the center of the ghost den.
As soon as he released the lantern, Xu Qing snapped his fingers.
In the next moment, the lantern emitted a hazy candlelight, illuminating the surroundings for several yards.
Yet, with the dark wind swirling inside the den, the lantern stayed alight for only a breath before being extinguished by the gloomy wind.
Xu Qing remained unhurried, rhythmically snapping his fingers, and every time the lantern went out, a crisp snap would echo inside the den.
Even at around ten yards, no matter how Xu Qing employed the Lighting Technique, the lantern's light was never visible.
The ghost den not only blocked the sense of Dharma Artifacts but also severed the influence of magical techniques.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing suddenly had an idea.
If magical techniques didn't work, what about Divine Techniques?
His body made contact with the stone walls, with the Heaven Pillar spine connecting to the earth's veins, and in the next moment, the entire layout of the ghost den vividly appeared in his mind.
Thirty yards below, there were three tunnels, and at the fork, an extinguished lantern lay quietly on the ground.
Xu Qing finally revealed a relieved smile.
Before refining the Heaven Pillar spine, he had no innate Divine Techniques. Those demons, though slow in progress, would naturally comprehend their own innate Divine Techniques with each breakthrough.
But zombies, no matter how long they cultivated, could only rely on their numerical strength, using their physical strength or corpse poison to defeat enemies.
During this time, they might awaken some instincts like feeding on energy or predation, but these are just instincts, not valid as magical techniques, let alone Divine Techniques.
Now, having evolved to the Undying Bone stage, Xu Qing finally acquired a practical innate Divine Technique through refining the main bone.
Xu Qing sensed the varying density of the surrounding earth's vein yin energy and the 'treasure energy' flowing beneath the ghost den, effectively possessing a speedrun map for the ghost den.