Ancient tomb hides shocking secrets, the god of killing finally establishes his own banner.

The patterns had ancient, peculiar lines and strange structures, making Chen Duan recall the talismans drawn by Yun Ruzhou and Yun Qingsu from the Daoist sect, though these were far more complex than ordinary talismans.

The patterns weren't simply carved but outlined with a special pigment. A trace of pure internal energy was hidden within, circulating like a living thing through the pattern's veins, maintaining some profound balance.

Most striking was the round platform, about a foot high, in the center of the tomb chamber.

On its surface, a standard Taiji Bagua Diagram was drawn in two colors, the yin and yang fish chasing each other head to tail. The eight trigrams' positions subtly aligned with the celestial sphere, forming the core of the entire vast system.

"The reason that ferocious entity could be bound here for so long is entirely thanks to the 'Two Forms Demon Sealing Array' I set up back then," Old Feng's voice carried a hint of reminiscence and pride as he spoke.

Swallowing the imposter's brain had brought back many memories.

"With this array as the core, radiating throughout the Kongling Village area, it preserved peace in this region. In a way, this was one of my merits back then. Without it, this Chuzhou region would likely have suffered many calamities."

"Where is the sealed entity now?"

"Hm?" Old Feng's tone sharpened.

"What do you intend to do? Kid, I advise you not to act rashly. What's inside is absolutely not something you can touch right now. Even in my prime, I had to avoid its edge, and in the end, I could only choose to seal it, not kill it. Moreover, if you rashly awaken it, let alone your own safety being uncertain, what if it suddenly attacks and devours the many treasures I left behind? Wouldn't all my efforts be in vain..."

Old Feng's voice abruptly stopped because he saw that Chen Duan's face held no fear, but rather curiosity. He knew the boy's temperament; he wouldn't shed tears until he saw the coffin. After weighing the options, he finally relented, "Fine, I'll let you take a look, so you can give up on this idea. Remember, after you've seen it, leave immediately and seal the entrance." He intended to let Chen Duan witness true worldly terror, so this ignorant youngster would understand what reverence was.

Following Old Feng's instructions, Chen Duan stepped onto the round platform and sat cross-legged in the center of the Bagua Diagram. As guided, he placed his palms into two sunken handprints at the eyes of the yin and yang fish, then circulated his internal energy.

Something peculiar happened. As soon as his internal energy was activated, it resonated with the platform beneath him, and even the entire tomb chamber.

"Concentrate your mind and spirit, feel carefully. First, guide your internal energy, shifting it three parts towards the East Zhen trigram..." Old Feng's voice sounded.

Chen Duan followed his instructions, controlling his internal energy to flow along a predetermined trajectory.

Click~ Click-click~

As internal energy was injected, a series of mechanical grinding sounds came from the platform. The entire platform transformed into a precise lock mechanism. With a dull thud, the entire platform sank downwards, fitting seamlessly into the ground. Chen Duan immediately leaped to the side.

Following this, the Taiji Bagua Diagram in the center of the stone platform split open at the junction of yin and yang. The two halves slid apart like a gateway, revealing a bottomless entrance.

Without any hesitation, Chen Duan's figure flickered, and he leaped directly into the darkness. After falling only a few dozen feet, his feet touched solid ground. It was pitch black and deathly silent all around. Chen Duan was about to light a fire starter.

"No!" Old Feng immediately warned.

Almost simultaneously with Old Feng's warning.

In front of Chen Duan, without any warning, two massive balls of crimson light ignited. Looking closely, they appeared to be a pair of crimson eyes? The pupil of one was so large it was bigger than his entire body.

Plop~

The pair of crimson pupils rotated, finally fixing their gaze on Chen Duan. The next moment, an extreme malevolence washed over him like a colossal tidal wave, engulfing him.

Without needing to think, Chen Duan retreated at his fastest speed, without hesitation, leaving that place. As soon as his feet were stable, he immediately exerted force with both arms, closing the stone platform again. Then, he poured internal energy into it madly, activating the array to operate again, completely sealing the entrance.

After doing all this, Chen Duan slowly raised his hands. Even though his internal energy had calmed, his palms were still trembling slightly.

"Heh heh, kid, now you know fear, right?" Old Feng's voice held a hint of schadenfreude. Seeing this usually fearless youngster finally show such a disheveled appearance brought him an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

"Now you should know there's always someone better, right? When you break through to a higher realm, come back and see it, perhaps you'll have a different feeling..."

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

Old Feng's teasing words were interrupted by a burst of wild laughter. The laughter came so suddenly it startled Old Feng. Had this boy lost his mind from shock? After the wild laughter subsided, Chen Duan clenched his fists tightly in the air, as if trying to grasp the fear that made him tremble.

His eyes held no trace of fear, but rather a surge of excitement.

"Even death can't make me afraid, yet this thing can make me instinctively feel dread. Truly..."

"Delightful!"

Old Feng's heart immediately sank with a bad premonition. "Kid, you're not thinking of...?"

Chen Duan waved his hand, looking at the now restored Bagua stone platform. His gaze seemed to pierce through the stone layers, as if to lock eyes with those crimson pupils once more.

"I understand. In my current state, I am absolutely no match for it. But this is only currently."

"One day, I will personally conquer this beast and avenge today's humiliation."

Upon hearing this, Old Feng let out a sigh of relief, but he was also shocked by Chen Duan's declaration.

Even in his prime, he had only thought of how to seal and suppress such a being, never daring to speak of conquest.

The formation that sealed this thing back then had cost the lives of countless people. Even recalling it now sent shivers down his spine.

Chen Duan said no more, casting one last deep look at the secret chamber before sealing it.

He then went to Duan Chonghe and Kong Mingcheng, who had been waiting outside.

He crossed his arms and looked down at them.

"I've decided to build a stronghold here and make it my base of operations. Are you two willing to stay and help me?"

Duan Chonghe hesitated for almost no time. He immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his hands over his head, and said with unwavering resolve:

"Duan Chonghe is willing to serve you, my lord, to the death!"

Compared to Duan Chonghe's decisiveness, Kong Mingcheng's expression shifted, showing hesitation.

"And you?" Chen Duan's gaze fell upon Kong Mingcheng like a sharp blade.

Kong Mingcheng felt the pressure of that gaze, gritted his teeth, and though he knew the situation was beyond his control, he still tried to negotiate.

"My lord... we are not lone wanderers of the martial world. We belong to families. If we don't return for too long, it might draw suspicion from our clans, which could bring unnecessary trouble to you."

He attempted to use his family background as his final bargaining chip.

"Oh? Are you threatening me? The Kong family? Are they very powerful? How much trouble can they cause me?"

"I have no intention of threatening you, I am merely stating facts..." Kong Mingcheng broke out in a cold sweat.

"Second Brother!"

Kong Tianpeng, standing beside him, tugged urgently at Kong Mingcheng's sleeve and whispered in a hurried voice.

"We brothers are already limited by those stuffy clan rules, making it hard to achieve anything. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to break free from our cage? This Senior Chen's strength is unfathomable, and his future is boundless! Following him is a hundred times better than talking about reviving our great cause!"

His eyes sparkled. Initially, he was impressed by the strength Chen Duan displayed, but after seeing Feng Qu Xian's vast hidden treasures, he had this idea.

Following Chen Duan would be profitable!

"We can figure out a way later to secretly bring Father and our wives and children out..."

Kong Mingcheng looked at his third brother's eyes and felt Chen Duan's gaze. His heart was torn, and he finally sighed, bowed, and clasped his fists.

"Kong Mingcheng is willing to take orders."

Duan Chonghe watched from the side, scoffing inwardly.

These scions of noble families ultimately couldn't see the situation clearly.

Did this lord ever give them a choice? That question earlier was merely to save face. Did they really think they had a choice?

At this moment, Duan Chonghe had completely adjusted his position. Now, he sincerely wanted to pledge his allegiance to Chen Duan and seek a future.

After all, Feng Qu Xian's possessions, including Feng Qu Xian himself, were entirely in Chen Duan's hands.

Chen Duan nodded with satisfaction at their final answers.

His own force, its first batch of core members, was taking shape at this moment, in this place.

As for loyalty? Under the deterrence of absolute power and the drive of sufficient benefits, those would naturally follow.

This Kongling Village was located in a remote area, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, it had the ancient tomb as a ready-made base, making it a good place to establish a foothold.

Although that guy was sealed underground, according to Old Feng, as long as the formation was maintained properly, there would be no major issues.

The gains from this trip far exceeded expectations. For the next period, he needed to properly settle down and digest everything. The matter of breaking through the apex should also be put on the agenda.

Afterward, Duan Chonghe advised Chen Duan to give the organization, and Chen Duan himself, a resounding title to clarify matters and spread their prestige.

Chen Duan hadn't paid much attention to this matter initially, but after it was brought up, he took it to heart, especially regarding his own title.

Recalling past titles like Butcher of the Rainy Night, Soft Tiger, Arm-Stealing Demon, Hand-Eating Monster, Severed-Hand Ghost...

They were all undignified, or filled with the flavor of common rumors, and sounded utterly low-class.

Although this matter wasn't urgent, it indeed required careful consideration.

Thus, Chen Duan and his group temporarily settled down in the Kongling Village area.

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