Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of arrows tearing through the air suddenly rang out. Bronze arrows shot explosively from hidden holes in the walls.
Duan Chonghe and the figures behind him sprang into motion at the sound. Their bodies moved like ghosts as they twisted, dodged, and ducked, narrowly brushing past the arrows.
Aside from Duan Chonghe, who was a Fifth Level master, everyone present was a Fourth Level Master as well. They were rich in Jianghu experience and possessed extraordinary skills.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The arrows missed their targets, but when they plunged into the floor tiles, they erupted with blasts of force, blowing several pits into the ground.
Pockmarked face picked up an arrow. It felt icy cold in his hand, and traces of internal force still flowed across it.
"Those fellows from Han Land... A hundred years have passed, yet their internal force still hasn't dissipated..."
He sensed the internal force upon it and felt a lingering fear. If Duan Chonghe had not known about the arrangements here and warned them in advance, these things would have shot out without warning. They would have given them a real headache.
Duan Chonghe's expression was solemn as he looked around and said in a deep voice:
"Keep moving. Don't waste time, and don't let your guard down!"
Only after experiencing it firsthand did he realize that he had still underestimated the danger of this place. It truly lived up to its reputation as the tomb of a Demonic Path Magnate. The mechanisms had been arranged with sinister cruelty, mostly consisting of lethal hidden traps set along the only path forward. They could not be avoided. Only after triggering them would the way ahead appear. The designs were fiendishly tricky, making them impossible to guard against.
He knew his advantage lay in the blessings of his ancestors. Thanks to them, he understood this place extremely well and was familiar with the layout of nearly every deadly mechanism.
But he did not know whether the Kong Family possessed the same advantage. After all, Feng Qu Xian had chosen the Kong Family's ancestral land for this tomb. No one would believe that the two sides had no connection whatsoever.
We must settle this swiftly.
Duan Chonghe made up his mind. Time was of the essence.
He quickly walked to a stone wall and circulated his internal force through his palm, carefully feeling around it. After a moment, his fingertips stopped at a certain spot.
"I found it. Everyone, retreat ten paces. I'll clear it all in one go."
At his words, everyone retreated without hesitation.
Rumble!
The sound of mechanisms operating came from within the wall. On the walls to the left, right, and front, three neat square seams suddenly split open. The outlines of three stone doors slowly rose upward, revealing deep passageways behind them.
The next moment.
A biting Chilling Air spilled out from behind the three doors, and the temperature inside the tomb plummeted.
Crack~ Crack~
One withered, hollow-eyed "cold corpse" after another staggered out from behind the three doors. Their mouths hung open as they continuously exhaled white Chilling Air.
True qi gathered over both of Duan Chonghe's palms. His body turned into several afterimages as he darted between the three stone doors, palm force surging like dragons.
Pillars of true qi blasted toward the cold corpses' heads.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
In no more than a few breaths, all the cold corpses that had poured out from the three doors had been cleared away, leaving only a mess of shattered pieces strewn across the ground.
Pockmarked face looked at a fragment of a cold corpse that had splashed to his feet. His curiosity arose, and he instinctively bent down, wanting to poke it with a finger.
"Don't!" Duan Chonghe caught sight of it from the corner of his eye and immediately shouted a warning.
"Though the cold corpses are dead, the Cold Poison remains. It'll be a great nuisance if it gets on you."
Pockmarked face shuddered in fright, quickly withdrew his hand, took two steps back, and spat.
"Damn it! This cursed place is filled with killing intent at every step, and each thing is more disgusting than the last."
"We've already passed the sixth level. Break through three more, and we'll reach the main Tomb Chamber and obtain Feng Qu Xian's Inherited Treasure!" Duan Chonghe looked at the passage ahead and spoke, giving everyone a boost.
"Good!"
Everyone's spirits were indeed lifted by his words.
Though the journey had been fraught with peril, Duan Chonghe had been there, and they had ultimately made it through without mishap.
Thinking of the Inherited Treasure of Feng Qu Xian, the Demonic Path Magnate from the Previous Dynasty who had stirred the winds and clouds of the world, excitement flickered uncontrollably in everyone's eyes.
Everyone present had ancestors with countless connections to Feng Qu Xian.
Duan Chonghe's ancestor had been Duan Tiangang, one of the five Demon Generals under Feng Qu Xian, known as the "Greedy Demon." The ancestors of the others had mostly been trusted aides under Duan Tiangang as well.
When Feng Qu Xian, that towering tree, fell back then, their ancestors were naturally hunted down and purged by the orthodox forces. Over the course of a century, their lineages withered, and each family fell into decline.
Now, Feng Qu Xian's Inherited Treasure was their hope of rising again.
Duan Chonghe's heart was even more stirred. So far, aside from the threat the Kong Family might pose, no other unexpected variables had appeared.
The odds of successfully obtaining the Inherited Treasure were extremely high!
Feng Qu Xian had been an unparalleled expert who had achieved Break Apex. His Inherited Treasure was highly likely to contain a legacy related to Break Apex. This was no groundless rumor, but a secret passed down by their ancestors.
Although Duan Chonghe was already a Grandmaster of the Fifth Level, he still seemed insignificant when looking across the entire world. If he could use this opportunity to glimpse the path to Break Apex, or even break through in one stroke, establish his own sect, and restore Feng Qu Xian's glory, that would hardly be an absurd dream.
The world's balance of power was turbulent now. It was an age of great struggle, when heroes emerged in droves and dragons and snakes rose together.
There was no reason Duan Chonghe could not become the one who held the pieces.
Carrying such excitement and ambition, everyone followed closely behind Duan Chonghe and entered the passageway on the left.
Yet among this group, only one person carried a trace of worry in her heart amid the excitement.
Before leaving, Xu Miao glanced back.
Behind them, aside from the cold corpse fragments covering the ground, there was nothing at all. No abnormality could be seen.
Yet for some unknown reason, ever since she had entered Kongling Village's territory—especially after entering this tomb—she had always felt as though something was watching her.
It was not that she had noticed any clue. It was more like an instinctive, groundless warning, just as a child walking alone at night always felt there was a ghost behind them.
Precisely because this feeling had no evidence behind it, she had swallowed the words back several times when they reached her lips. She found it difficult to explain clearly to her husband and companions.
Perhaps the yin energy here is too heavy. I'm only frightening myself and letting my imagination run wild...
Xu Miao could only forcibly suppress that inexplicable unease in her heart, quicken her pace, and hurry to catch up with the group.
After the sound of their footsteps faded away.
Crack.
A crisp sound rang out.
A cold corpse's arm was crushed beneath a foot. Chen Duan looked toward the three passageways ahead, deep in thought.
"That woman's instincts are quite sharp."
Of course, it was not because she had sensed Chen Duan's presence. Chen Duan prided himself on his superb movement technique and would not be discovered so easily.
What Xu Miao had sensed was not Chen Duan's presence.
It was something else.
Chen Duan swept his gaze across the surroundings.
Just like Xu Miao, he had sensed an extremely obscure "feeling of being watched" ever since entering Kongling Village's territory.
The feeling had been so faint that at first, even someone like Chen Duan had wondered whether it was merely an illusion caused by the oppressive environment.
But as he ventured deeper into this underground tomb, that feeling of being watched seemed to have become slightly clearer. Only then did he confirm that he was not imagining things.
"That thing is hibernating..."
Chen Duan recalled the earlier conversation between Duan Chonghe and the others.
"Kid, stop spacing out. Hurry and take out the map."
A voice came from the collar of his clothes. Feng Qu Xian crawled out and urged him in a lowered voice.
Chen Duan took out the tomb map he had obtained from the senior brother of Qingzhou.
Feng Qu Xian immediately jumped onto the map and walked to the three places marked with an "×." He widened his single eye and stared at them.
"Mm, the route is correct. Hurry and catch up with them..."
Chen Duan suddenly raised a finger to his lips. His eyes sharpened.
The next moment.
His figure vanished from where he stood. In the blink of an eye, he was clinging like a gecko to the layer of earth at the top of the tomb. He brought two fingers together and activated the Crimson Profound Divine Finger, stabbing toward a certain spot.
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