Volume Two - The Map of the Nine Provinces Appears, Entering the Spirit Ruins Chapter 92: The Conspiracy of the Burial Mounds

This tomb chamber was not large. Chen Yu swept his gaze around, searching with care. Nothing appeared suspicious, nor did he find any exit leading to another place.

“How odd,” Chen Yu thought to himself. “Could the path be in another chamber? Or perhaps hidden within the coffin itself?”

He stepped closer for a better look, but found nothing unusual—just emptiness.

Chen Yu shook his head helplessly, deciding to check the other tomb chambers instead. As he was about to leave, a flicker in his peripheral vision caught his attention: the ashes on the floor were gently stirred by a breeze. He paused, thinking, “There’s airflow—is it coming from the door, or is there another exit?”

Closing his eyes, he focused intently.

“No, it’s not coming from the entrance—it’s over there.” Chen Yu strode to one side of the wall, carefully feeling for the source. His suspicions proved correct.

“There’s a door here!” Chen Yu exclaimed in excitement. Yet after searching the wall, he still couldn’t find a switch. At last, his gaze fell on the coffin. “Could it be there?”

He felt around the coffin, inside and out, but found nothing.

“How strange—why can’t I find it?” Chen Yu muttered in frustration. He tried to move the coffin, only to realize it was pressed firmly against the floor, impossible to lift.

“There’s something wrong here!” Chen Yu tried rotating the coffin. Sure enough, it didn’t take much effort; as the coffin shifted with a grinding sound, the sealed stone door opened, revealing a dim passage ahead.

Without hesitation, Chen Yu darted through the stone door and pressed forward. As he left, the stone door closed itself behind him.

Passing through the long corridor, Chen Yu could feel it sloping downward, deeper into the earth. At the same time, the sinister, chilling aura grew more intense.

He frowned, not yet out of the corridor, when he heard the sounds of battle below.

At once, Chen Yu unfurled the talisman banner he’d acquired from Du Yu. Gray mist rose, blending his figure into the surroundings.

Suppressing his own aura, Chen Yu proceeded cautiously. Before long, he found himself in a cavern.

With a mere glance, he recognized many faces. Aside from Wu Yue and her group, Wang Ji and Liao Kai were present. Zhao Ying, Chu Shu, and Li Qing were there as well, along with cultivators from other sects. Most bore wounds.

Their opponents were all Ghostshade Sect cultivators. But as Chen Yu observed closely, he couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath—these Ghostshade Sect disciples had transformed themselves into corpses. Their skin had shifted from purple to pale, nearing the level of white zombies.

“So it was all your scheme,” Zhao Ying said coldly, “Ghostshade Sect, you’re ruthless enough to slaughter your own disciples. Truly merciless.”

“Ha ha ha… If they can aid us in our path to immortality, that is their honor,” one Ghostshade elder replied with a wicked smile. “We only meant to lure you here, using the sinister aura to drive you to slaughter each other. But we underestimated you—you managed to find this place.”

“No need for words. You’ve come at the perfect time. We’ll use your blood to help our sect master ascend.”

“Kill them!”

“Arrogant fools! Even if you succeed in becoming a green zombie, so what? Such evil must be destroyed!” Zhao Ying shouted in fury, sword raised as he charged forward.

Zhao Ying’s prowess was evident; with the strength of the Yin-Yang realm, he fought two foes at once, holding his ground. Two disciples from the Spirit Ruins sect also displayed impressive power, both in the Yin-Yang realm. Chu Shu as well possessed formidable strength. There was also an elder from the Heart Sword sect, equally skilled.

Their combined might was not inferior to the nine nearly-advanced white zombies.

The battle was fierce. Wang Ji and the others could hardly intervene. The oppressive aura weakened everyone’s abilities; otherwise, even the nine purple zombies would have fallen long ago.

Of course, such a battle was beyond Chen Yu’s capacity to join.

He hid himself in a corner, avoiding detection. Now, he cautiously surveyed the cavern.

A strange, sinister energy permeated the space. The most striking feature was a pool emanating white mist. Upon it lay a figure—undoubtedly the Ghostshade Sect master. Above him, nine statues of human-faced serpents loomed, each spewing mist into the pool, all condensed from the sinister aura.

Chen Yu, though not widely experienced, couldn’t help but speculate.

“These serpent-faced statues resemble the nine-headed serpent outside. Could it be that this entire tomb is constructed atop a massive formation, meant to gather resentment and sinister energy for cultivation?”

His gaze grew cold. “The Ghostshade Sect truly is evil.”

Though Chen Yu had entered the path of cultivation, and knew anything was possible, such practices remained unacceptable to him.

“Surrender peacefully, and you may have a chance at reincarnation. Otherwise, you’ll never ascend to the heavens nor descend to the underworld,” Zhao Ying threatened.

“Ha ha ha… You think you can stop us?” The Ghostshade elders shrieked as they lunged, corpse aura coalescing into nine-headed serpent monsters that pressed down upon the cultivators.

“Beware—use thunder arts!” Zhao Ying commanded.

Bolts of thunder magic flashed, talismans unleashed, and they battled the nine-headed serpent monsters to a standstill.

“Brother Zhao, open a path for me!” Chu Shu called.

“Very well!” Zhao Ying replied, and he and his fellow disciples slashed fiercely with their swords.

Where the sword energy struck, the serpent monsters howled in agony, half their bodies scattered. The nine Ghostshade elders suffered backlash, crying out in pain as if their bodies were being torn apart by invisible forces.

“Taishang Pure Spirit Sutra—kill!” Chu Shu leaped forward, wielding terrifying sword power against the nine Ghostshade elders.

The sword’s might was overwhelming. The elders, reeling from the backlash, could not even react before their heads were severed. With their deaths, the nine-headed serpent monsters vanished.

“Well done!” Zhao Ying and the others exclaimed, exhilarated.

“The Taishang Pure Spirit Sutra is indeed formidable. If I’m not mistaken, Chu Shu must be the Spirit Ruins sect’s prodigy, a true disciple,” remarked the Heart Sword elder.

Though the nine Ghostshade elders lay slain, Chu Shu’s expression grew heavier. He stared anxiously toward the pool, his face shifting as he cried, “Quick, leave now!”