Weng Zhong…
Could this really be a tomb?
Suspicion arose in Zhang Kui's heart. Unfortunately, these giant stone men blocked his view, and further back was a netherworld-like scene, seemingly obstructed by something, even his Cave Abyss Skill couldn't see through it.
Meanwhile, Elder Huayan beside him had a discernible smile on his face, "Not bad, it seems we're certain to gain something this time."
Zhang Kui turned around and asked:
"Elder, have you seen something like this before?"
Elder Huayan stroked his beard and nodded,
"Indeed, while Ancient Secret Realms are mysterious, they are not entirely without patterns."
"Most of the ones I've seen over the years are places of worship, cave dwellings, and tombs. These places usually hold Ancient Artifacts or Scriptures. The worst are city-states, often yielding nothing."
"This place is clearly the tomb of some ancient personage; judging by the looks, they must have been someone significant, with no shortage of burial items."
Upon saying this, he turned to look at the Daoists, "The Yin Qi here has been sealed for a long time, which surely breeds many oddities. Without my permission, do not touch anything."
"Yes, Lord."
The Daoists cupped their hands in agreement, and then leisurely, they took out Compasses, Measuring Rulers, small shovels, and other items, methodically setting to work.
The more Zhang Kui watched, the more familiar it felt,
This was clearly a well-trained Court archaeology team.
Just then, a sudden change occurred.
A massive shadow abruptly leaped out from behind a stone man, lunging straight at them.
"Watch out!"
Zhang Kui warned, drawing the Lu Li Sword with a backhand move.
However, these Daoists paid no mind, continuing their work with heads down.
Only to see Elder Huayan glance indifferently, and the shadow seemed gripped by a giant hand, immobilized mid-air, and began to emit flames.
As it was accompanied by a pained chirping sound, a strange venomous insect, seven to eight meters long and somewhat resembling a centipede, appeared, quickly turning to charred ash and falling to the ground.
Seeing Zhang Kui somewhat embarrassed, Elder Huayan smiled, "The Yin Qi and Spiritual Qi in this place are abundant, it's inevitable some ancient venomous insects survive, though most have degraded into ordinary bugs, better to be cautious."
"However, the greatest danger within Ancient Secret Realms is this…"
Elder Huayan blinked and waved a hand, a piece of brick on the ground soared into the sky and then disappeared as if it never existed.
"Ancient Secret Realms have boundaries, usually highly irregular, even for an old Daoist like me, falling out would mean never returning."
Zhang Kui shivered, "Thank you for the lesson, Elder."
It seemed the trip was worthwhile; lacking these experiences could mean great trouble in similar places in the future.
Subsequently, under Elder Huayan's guidance, the group began to pass through these giant stone men.
Some Daoists lit lantern-shaped Magical Artifacts, but the darkness deepened beyond a hundred meters, shadows flickering as rustling sounds continually came through.
The glowing moss seemed like the blood oozing from the stone men, while the group appeared like tiny people trespassing amidst the corpses of giants, everything seeming bizarrely grotesque.
Luckily, perhaps sensing Elder Huayan's aura, not many venomous insects attacked.
Zhang Kui also struck down one.
Regrettably, these venomous insects, despite their enormous size, were only mundane creatures, providing no experience.
Finally, after marching for several kilometers, the team emerged from the Stone Man Path, into a sudden openness.
What lay before them was a river; its black water was tranquil like a mirror, with a faint white mist drifting above, and on the opposite bank, a massive tombstone over a hundred meters high could be seen looming.
As a few people watched in concentration, a white-clad Daoist suddenly spoke with a trembling voice behind them:
"L- Lord, Shouxun is missing."
Elder Huayan furrowed his brow and turned around, after scanning with narrowed eyes he asked, "When did you notice?"
"He was just here, as we exited the stone forest he was gone."
This Daoist was ashen-faced, looking around in panic.
Everyone was alarmed, even with Elder Huayan in the Celestial Tribulation Realm presiding, something had happened, evidently big trouble.
"There he is!"
Someone suddenly pointed forward with a cry.
Zhang Kui looked and saw, by the Black Water River, a white-clad Daoist facing the water, combing his hair while humming an unknown tune, with a coquettish expression like a young maiden.
He was obviously possessed by a spirit.
"Humph!"
Elder Huayan's face filled with anger, he grabbed and the Daoist was dragged into the air.
Yet the elder immediately frowned.
That Daoist didn't have a trace of ghostly aura on him…
Zhang Kui, too, was puzzled and uncertain, he had seen many ghosts but never discovered such a situation.
"Hehehe…"
The Daoist emitted a girlish giggle, smiled slightly at them, then his head twisted with a crack, and he slumped lifelessly to the ground.
Zhang Kui looked serious,
"Elder, have you seen something like this before?"
Elder Huayan coldly surveyed the surroundings,
"Never, there's something wrong with this place."
At that moment, Zhang Kui's scalp tingled because his Protective Golden Light suddenly lit up, indicating an attack.
But where did the attack come from?
The other Daoists suddenly turned blank, with some starting to show seductive smiles on their faces.
"How dare you!"
Elder Huayan shouted angrily, a lotus lamp-shaped Ancient Artifact appeared in his hand, emitting a faint red light with a hissing sound.
It seemed a woman's wailing was heard, the Daoists were suddenly awakened, looking terrified as they formed a huddle.
"Divine Slave…"
Elder Huayan suddenly recalled something, speaking with a grim expression.
Zhang Kui's Protective Golden Light stopped shining, and he let out a small sigh of relief, "Elder, what is a Divine Slave?"
Elder Huayan surveyed the area with a grave look.
"Over a hundred years ago, the Court discovered an Ancient Secret Realm at the Nine Bends River, it was a barren ancient temple. According to records, at that time they suffered invisible attacks, with chanting voices of monks heard, leading to severe casualties."
"Someone called it Divine Slave before dying, and later the Secret Realm closed, leaving no findings. This place isn't right, we should withdraw!"
No one hesitated, and under Elder Huayan's lead, they promptly retreated towards the original path.
However, upon returning the group's expressions changed drastically.
The Sky-Breaking Sect had vanished…
Elder Huayan's expression was uncertain,
"Do not act recklessly, wait for rescue on-site."
The Daoists nodded in agreement, immediately setting up a Defense Array on-site, uncertain whether it would help.
Elder Huayan sighed,
"The eras of ancient ruins vary greatly, some ancient forces are still beyond our knowledge, this time the old Daoist has bitten off more than he can chew, dragging the young friend down."
Zhang Kui shook his head and looked around,
"My own choice, not to blame the Elder."
Meanwhile, chaos reigned outside of Ting Mountain.
The Immortal Crane flapped its wings in frustration,
"What's happening, why is it not opening for so long!"
An elderly white-clad Daoist responded with a bitter expression, cupping his hands, "Lord Crane, the Spirit Veins here suddenly changed unpredictably, we lack the means to stabilize it."
"Fools!"
The Immortal Crane scolded without mercy, "What now, are we just going to let the old drunkard die in there?"
The white-clad Daoist, sweating profusely, suddenly had a light in his eye, "Lord Crane, in Qingzhou, the National Guardian True Man Tianji Zi is also in the Celestial Tribulation Realm and an Array Master, we could request his assistance."
The Immortal Crane retorted,
"Tianji Zi is closing the life and death pass, the mess in Qingzhou means he's not managing anything, who would dare come here!"
The old Daoist's face fell,
"Should we request help from the Capital City?"
"It's too late…"
The Immortal Crane twirled around, "Never mind, even if it means tearing down his hole, we'll drag that old Tianji here!"
With that, it flapped its wings, whipping up a gale, and soared into the sky, vanishing in an instant.
Within the Ancient Secret Realm…
The Daoists wore troubled expressions, frequently glancing toward where the Sky-Breaking Sect had been.
It hadn't reopened for so long, clearly, something went wrong outside too.
At this moment, Zhang Kui's expression changed drastically.
His Protective Golden Light lit up again…
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