Hu Jiu had just finished marveling at the extremely high level of Supernatural power in the ancient tomb, noting that even the door he had drawn with his Ghost Pen could only be opened a crack.
Just as the door closed, a sense of danger seemed to be about to occur, and a strong feeling of crisis suddenly welled up in my heart.
It was as if he were being spied on, as if the gaze of some unknown being had transcended time and space, casting its shadow upon him. Secret and sinister, a shadow fell over Hu Jiu's heart in the pitch-black tomb.
What is it?
Hu Jiu looked around but found nothing.
My vigilance instantly reached its peak.
For ordinary Ghost Tamers, this Ghostly Ancient Tomb is definitely a den of dragons and tigers. The ghosts wandering around the tomb and the ghosts in the underground palace passage are all difficult to deal with.
Hu Jiu continued forward. So far, he had acquired a Supernatural Item and a Fierce Ghost. No wonder so many Ghost Tamers still wanted to explore the ancient tomb despite knowing it was dangerous. With sufficient strength, good things were like finding treasures.
Bang--
A faint sound, resembling an explosion, drifted from afar Hu Jiu took a few steps toward the sound. The space inside the ancient tomb was chaotic, and soon the scene before him changed. He seemed to have arrived at a cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites.
Hu Jiu spotted a figure in the area—the old man who had left the team earlier and acted alone. He looked quite well, appearing energetic, and the bag he was carrying on his back was more bulging than before, suggesting he had likely made some gains.
Tian Shan greeted Hu Jiu in a seemingly friendly manner, "Young man, did you also hear the noise and come this way?"
Hu Jiu nodded politely. "Are you going that way, sir? It might be dangerous."
Tian Shan chuckled, "There's no safe place in this tomb, so what difference does it make where we go?"
After exchanging a few tentative pleasantries, the two decided to travel together temporarily.
The tomb was dark, so they could only tell time using electronic devices. The two walked for a long time, neither of them intending to stop and rest.
It's clear that Tian Shan is an extremely confident elderly Ghost Tamer. He's fairly satisfied with Hu Jiu's performance as his temporary teammate. Hu Jiu doesn't hold him back when things happen, doesn't yell or shout, reacts quickly, and is very efficient. No one can find fault with such a teammate.
Gradually, Tian Shan became more talkative, and Hu Jiu chimed in with half-hearted responses. As they chatted, the two began to discuss the origins of Fierce Ghosts and the Supernatural.
There are many speculations about the origin of the Supernatural. One theory that Tian Shan personally believes is that there was only one original ghost. It is the Primordial being and the origin of all Supernatural in the world. Its abilities are Omniscience and Omnipotence.
However, due to unknown reasons, the Primordial fragment shattered into different pieces. These fragments, influenced by various external factors, gradually evolved into Fierce Ghost with specific functions.
The Primordial is like an Omnipotence stem cell in the human body, capable of differentiating into any type of tissue cell. The more primitive the Fierce Ghost, the closer its abilities are to the Primordial of "Omniscience and Omnipotence."
"This idea was originally proposed by foreigners. You know, some foreigners have religious beliefs; they believe in one God, so they naturally feel that Supernatural power comes from 'God'."
"Initially, everyone thought they were just trying to link the Supernatural with religion, but the later appearance of some special Fierce Ghosts actually proved that the religious believers' claims had some merit."
Tian Shan rattled off a lot of things, mostly unverifiable speculations. Although the old man was talkative, he wouldn't reveal any useful information easily; it was all just nonsense.
Hu Jiu tentatively asked, "I heard that Headquarters used to have a Fierce Ghost codenamed [Omnipotence], I wonder if it's true."
Tian Shan was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "I don't know, but I do know that the United States once housed a Fierce Ghost with almost 'Omniscience' abilities, codenamed [Ghost Narration]. Once a human stepped into its sphere of influence, all their privacy, secrets, and even their innermost thoughts would be read aloud by that ghost in the form of narration..."
Hu Jiu looked surprised. "The old gentleman even knows this kind of information?"
Tian Shan waved his hand dismissively. "I've handled some private matters in the United States before. Anyway, it's foreign secret, and I don't need to keep it for them."
Hu Jiu laughed, "How many people have you told this to?"
Tian Shan thought for a moment and said, "I can't remember them all. I'll just tell them about the people I know and have met, as if they were stories."
Hu Jiu's lips twitched.
The surrounding environment remained unchanged, still a stalactite forest. The two walked for an unknown amount of time before entering a new area.
It was a plaza-like area surrounded by several towering stone pillars, each requiring several people to encircle it. The plaza itself was also constructed of stone. Hu Jiu glanced at it a few more times and remarked, "This style doesn't feel like something from China; it looks more like a dilapidated foreign temple."
"That's normal. Ghostly Ancient Tombs might randomly overlap with any other tomb in the world, and they might take some with them when they leave, so naturally there will be all sorts of scenery," Tian Shan said.
In the center of the square, there was a stone statue, crooked and twisted, and it was unclear what it depicted. Upon approaching it, no unusual phenomena were observed or any Supernatural occurrences were reported.
The two passed by and then left.
But as you walk on, the exact same scene appears ahead: stone pillars, a plaza, and crooked statues.
Hu Jiu Tian Shan stopped in their tracks simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and knew without a doubt that they had encountered something unusual.
"You stay where you are and don't move. I'll keep walking forward and see if I can get back to the starting point from another direction later." Tian Shan immediately came up with a plan of action.
Hu Jiu nodded. This was indeed a good way to verify whether it was a case of being lost in Ghost Wall or simply two identical buildings.
Tian Shan walked forward, while Hu Jiu looked around the stone sculpture square, searching for clues that might be related to vengeful Fierce Ghosts or Supernatural Item.
I looked around, and everything seemed ordinary, including the statue.
About ten minutes later, Tian Shan still hadn't returned, which was beyond their expectations. The time between their first encounter with the statue and their second encounter with it was less than ten minutes.
After waiting a few more minutes with no further movement, Hu Jiu stopped waiting and activated his Ghost Domain. His Ghost Domain had no special features; it silently invaded reality, and the stone pillars and statues were rapidly eroded by the Supernatural, turning into Phantoms in Mirage.
The Ghost Domain receded, leaving the surroundings empty; still, nothing resembling Fierce Ghost or Supernatural Item was found.
Bang--
Another explosion rang out. Hu Jiu thought for a moment and decided to give up if he couldn't find it; it wasn't anything that important anyway. He then rode his Ghost Domain toward the direction of the explosion.
This time nothing unusual happened, and he quickly found the source of the explosion.
It was a huge pit, with holes of varying sizes scattered along its inner walls, and something seemed to be wriggling inside.
Standing at the edge of the pit was a group of people, or more accurately, a group of Ghost Tamers. They were not members of the Ghost Tamer exploration team that He Ming had led today, but rather an unfamiliar and highly disciplined group.
"The Bronze Tree has retreated back into the pit; we must find a way to lure it out!" said a man who appeared to be the team leader.
Bronze Tree?
As soon as Hu Jiu arrived, his keen ears caught this key word.
He minimized his presence, hiding in the shadows of a corner.
Then, the group of Ghost Tamers began to act, using not only Supernatural powers but also high technology.
A specially designed missile was launched.
Hu Jiu realized that it wasn't an ordinary missile, but one with Supernatural elements added. Specifically, the missile exploded almost silently, but the flames that followed spread rapidly. It was an ominous blue-green flame, clearly not an ordinary flame, but probably something like Ghost Fire.
In a very short time, the Ghost Fire spread, seemingly intent on burning everything in their path, instantly transforming the deep pit into a fiery Hell.
However, the thing in the pit quickly retaliated, releasing a powerful Supernatural force that even caused ripples in the surrounding space. The will-o'-the- Ghost Fire that had been burning brightly just moments before instantly turned into a flickering candle in the wind, on the verge of being extinguished.
"Even the passive counterattack of the Bronze Tree is so fierce, how did Headquarters manage to bring it back in the first place?" a Ghost Tamer muttered to himself.
"It hadn't recovered yet at that time," the captain said, only uttering that one sentence.
Based on the information revealed in the occasional conversations among these Ghost Tamers, Hu Jiu confirmed that the pit contained the ancient Bronze Ancient Tree that had disappeared from Headquarters!
Although it's unclear why the tree has returned to the ancient tomb, this is undoubtedly a great opportunity for Hu Jiu. He was originally looking for this piece of the puzzle, but now it has unexpectedly come to him on its own!
Could there be better news?
Perhaps it was because the pieces of the puzzle of Fierce Ghosts from the same source could attract each other, Hu Jiu felt an irrepressible impulse welling up in his heart at this moment, but fortunately he still had his rationality and did not act rashly.
Despite their various tricks, the group of Ghost Tamers failed to see the true form of the Bronze Tree. Hu Jiu pondered for a while and suddenly remembered the sense of crisis he had felt when he used the Ghost Pen to draw the door. A plan immediately came to mind.
Normally, Hu Jiu keeps his supernatural Supernatural hidden and concealed. Since it's a puzzle piece, he's deliberately releasing the aura of the Ghost Book; surely the Bronze Tree will sense it, right?
Without hesitation, Hu Jiu stretched out his right hand, his arm deforming into a bizarre, proliferating mass of flesh.
The lump of flesh gradually grew larger, with prominent blood vessels on its surface, revealing an eye. Hu Jiu then reached out his left hand, grasped the lump of flesh, and with a gulp, removed it from his arm. His right arm returned to normal without any marks. He then held the pulsating lump of flesh in his left hand and gently squeezed it.
Hiss--
Like a deflated balloon, the fleshy mass slowly shriveled up and turned into a tattered rag. Hu Jiu then gave it a hard shake, and the rag immediately transformed into the shape of a book.
This is the real Ghost Book, deeply hidden within Hu Jiu's body. Normally, Hu Jiu only uses the Ghost Pen to scribble and draw casually, but now he has to get serious!
In fact, the moment the Ghost Book was exposed to the air without any cover, Hu Jiu didn't need to do anything extra; the Bronze Tree couldn't hold back any longer.
The Ghost Tamer standing beside the deep pit tried everything he could to get the Bronze Tree to show itself, but the Bronze Tree seemed rather impatient at this moment.
Creak creak --
Accompanied by strange noises, something resembling tree roots and vines began to spread out of the pit.
"The Bronze Ancient Tree has appeared! Everyone, prepare to contain it!" the Ghost Tamer's captain said solemnly.
The moment he finished speaking, a tree root suddenly emerged from the ground, wrapped around his body, and tightened its grip, tearing him to pieces before he could even scream.
The captain's death was so sudden that everyone was startled, but they did not back down. The vice-captain immediately took over the captain's duties and seamlessly continued the work.
He took out a bowl with a purplish-gold luster from the Golden Container...
With Hu Jiu's limited cultural knowledge, he could only call it a "bowl," but it was actually a "jar."
The Supernatural atmosphere in the vicinity grew stronger, and the surrounding space seemed to become unstable. Ever since the vice-captain took out the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, although the Bronze Tree was still restless, its roots no longer attacked the group of Ghost Tamers.
If that were all, the Ghost Tamer team would only be protecting themselves, not capturing the Bronze Tree. However, they soon produced another Supernatural Item.
--A Wooden Fish.
The sound of the Wooden Fish drum has a Buddhist quality; those who hear it seem to become more Buddhist, shedding worldly desires. Listening to it for too long might even lead one to see through the illusions of the world.
The echoing sound of the Wooden Fish soothed the roots of the Bronze Tree that had just emerged from the pit.
"Something's not right. According to Headquarters' data, once this Wooden Fish is struck, the Bronze Tree should fall completely silent within a minute. Why is it still moving now? Its activity is abnormal." The vice-captain's expression was calm and indifferent.
The Wooden Fish's power was extremely domineering, and the team was obviously severely affected by it. The whole team turned into Kapibala who thought "It's good to be alive, and it's okay to die." However, they did not forget their important task. The vice-captain, holding the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, pointed the bowl at the exposed roots of the Bronze Tree.
In an instant, the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl seemed to turn into a black hole, possessing endless suction force, and the tree roots were uncontrollably sucked into the bowl.
However, this suction force only applies to objects with Supernatural properties; it seems to have no effect on ordinary objects that are not tainted by anything Supernatural.
The Headquarters always has a lot of trump cards up its sleeve. Whether it's the Wooden Fish or the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, they are powerful Supernatural Items that Hu Jiu has never heard of before.
However, judging from the speed at which the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl absorbs the Bronze Tree, there will probably be some further strife.
This was a good opportunity. Hu Jiu activated his Ghost Domain and silently invaded the bottom of the pit.
As soon as he entered, he heard one of the members of the Ghost Tamer team say, "I just saw something strange run into the pit. I can't tell if it was a ghost or Ghost Tamer."
This team's overall strength is indeed remarkable. Hu Jiu used Ghost Domain to teleport here, which is generally undetectable by Ghost Tamer, but that member immediately noticed the anomaly.