Corpse Nest

Martial Uncle said to go in and take a look, so we crawled over the Stone Door and walked inside.

The further we went, the more we noticed a green glow. Eventually, we could see our surroundings clearly without a flashlight.

After walking for a while, we arrived at a place that resembled a tomb chamber.

The space here was exceptionally large, and there was an Eight Trigrams Array on the ground, made of stone.

This Eight Trigrams Array was so massive that I was a bit confused and asked Martial Uncle what it was for.

Martial Uncle looked at the Eight Trigrams Array before him and said, "This looks like a Daoist sealing formation.

If I'm not mistaken, there must be Four Symbols around here."

After Martial Uncle finished speaking, he walked further away. Sure enough, about two hundred meters from the Eight Trigrams Array, there was a statue carved from stone. Martial Uncle said it was a 'Vermilion Bird' statue, and there were definitely others around.

We walked around the Eight Trigrams Array. Although there was a green glow in this place, beyond tens of meters, we couldn't see the surrounding environment clearly.

Then we saw the remaining statues: a Black Tortoise, a White Tiger, and an Azure Dragon, placed around the four directions of the Eight Trigrams.

Martial Uncle looked at these statues and said, "That's right, it's the Daoist 'Four Symbols Sealing Array.'

He then muttered to himself, "But formations of this caliber are usually used to seal very powerful demonic creatures or ghostly creatures. Why would it be here?"

I had no idea about these things, so I couldn't respond to Martial Uncle's words at all.

Martial Uncle surveyed the surroundings while saying to me:

"Find a way to activate the formation and go down to take a look. I feel that Master sent me and your Grandfather here back then.

It wasn't just about that incident that happened in this village before; there must be something else."

Then we walked to the side of the Eight Trigrams Array. Martial Uncle stood on it and looked for a long time before saying.

"This Eight Trigrams Array has two Yin-Yang Fish. Let's each stand on one and inject our cultivation into them."

Martial Uncle and I stood on the Yin-Yang parts of the Eight Trigrams and injected spiritual energy into them together.

We saw the two Yin-Yang stones in the center of the Eight Trigrams slowly separate.

I stood on it, swaying precariously. I looked at Martial Uncle; he was standing steadily.

Slowly, the Eight Trigrams opened up a hole leading downwards, and a blast of cold wind blew out from the hole.

How to describe it? It was like standing in a place below minus ten degrees Celsius, and someone splashed a basin of cold water on you.

There's no need to describe that feeling in detail, right?

Then a gust of cold wind hit my face, and my body immediately stiffened. My movements felt like they were in slow motion.

Following that, a burst of white smoke shot up into the sky, and then there was silence.

I told Martial Uncle that I was extremely cold and my legs and feet felt like they weren't obeying me.

Martial Uncle came over to take a look and said it was due to the heavy yin energy. When the seal was opened, we were hit by the accumulated yin energy.

He then took out a Talisman, and with a flick of his hand, it ignited without fire.

He casually placed it on my head. I thought, "Won't it burn me?"

After a while, I didn't feel any burning sensation. Instead, my body slowly regained sensation.

I had seen this in the 'Maoshan Talisman Compendium' that Martial Uncle gave me.

This seemed to be called a 'Sun Suppressing Talisman,' which has the effect of dispelling yin energy.

I could draw it, but at the time, I felt it was useless and didn't pay attention to it.

I thought I must study it properly after we get out. After a while, I felt like my body was fine.

I walked to the side of the opened Eight Trigrams Array and peered inside. I saw a dirt tunnel sloping downwards.

Martial Uncle and I exchanged a glance, and then Martial Uncle went down. I followed closely behind.

We walked all the way down to a small platform. To the right of the platform, there were steps leading further down.

We stood there and looked down. The entire space was a dim, greenish color.

I could vaguely see some small black dots moving around below.

I asked Martial Uncle if we should go further down. Martial Uncle said to go down and take a look.

Then we walked step by step down the stairs on the right side.

Halfway down, I glanced below. That one glance almost scared me to death.

These were not small black dots moving around at all. These were clearly "human heads."

No, they should be the heads of corpses. I saw those corpses standing in place.

Their upper bodies swayed back and forth, left and right. When their upper bodies moved, their heads would also move.

So, when looking from above, the heads of those corpses looked like small black dots moving around.

At a glance, the corpses were a dense, black mass.

I was thoroughly scared, then I looked at Martial Uncle and asked in a low voice, "Martial Uncle, what do we do?" My voice was trembling.

Martial Uncle also frowned and said, "Let's first try to get a view of the entire place. The situation is unclear right now, don't go down yet."

I asked Martial Uncle how we were supposed to see the whole picture. Martial Uncle hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and a stack of Talismans flew out.

They flew all the way above the corpses and then ignited.

As the Talismans burned in the air, the light they cast illuminated the space below, revealing that the entire area was filled with corpses.

They were densely packed, stretching as far as the eye could see. Thousands? Tens of thousands? In any case, I couldn't estimate the number.

There were too many, truly too many. Even Martial Uncle couldn't help but gasp.

As for me, my legs went weak, and I felt like I was about to wet myself.

Looking closely, these corpses were from modern times, from ancient times, some were wearing shrouds, some were in burlap.

Some were clad in tattered Armor, and some were barely covered by a few rags.

What was even more terrifying were those gaunt, emaciated corpses with only skin stretched over bone.

Their eye sockets were sunken, their noses caved in, and their gums protruded – this was truly what "skin and bones" meant.

Martial Uncle said with a grim expression, "This is serious. We might not make it out of here, uncle and nephew."

Then he told me to pull myself together, saying that if I stayed in this state, I would surely die facing these things.

I asked if we could go back. Martial Uncle said it was too late.

The burning of the Talismans just now had alerted these corpses, and they were now moving towards us.

I came to my senses and looked carefully, only to see those things slowly moving towards us.

I told Martial Uncle that they were so slow they couldn't possibly catch us. If push came to shove, we could just run for it.

Martial Uncle shook his head and said, "What would happen if we let them out? They would wreak havoc for a hundred miles around.

Besides, this is what my Master entrusted me with. I've been here for decades, waiting for this day."

Hearing Martial Uncle's words, I remembered what had happened in the village.

I said angrily, "Then where were you on the day of the incident in the village?"

Martial Uncle looked at me and said slowly, "Someone came to find me that day and asked me to do something for him.

It was because of a past debt of gratitude, so I had no choice but to go. Now that I think about it, it seems I was set up."

He then added, "Never mind that for now. The priority is to deal with these things in front of us.

When we get out, I'll explain everything to you from beginning to end."

I took a few deep breaths, then shook my head vigorously.

My legs were still trembling, so I pinched the flesh on my thigh. Instantly, I felt much calmer.

A look of determination appeared in my eyes. I knew the principle that the brave prevail in narrow passes.

Then I said, "Alright then, let's do it. It's just death, after all."

Martial Uncle looked at me and said, "Finally, you show a bit of your Grandfather's spirit."

With that, he reached into his robe and pulled out a thick stack of Talismans, handing them to me.

He gestured for me to take them. I took them and looked. They were all attack-type Talismans.

Fire Talismans, Lightning Talismans, Explosion Talismans, Sword Talismans... a thick stack, heavy in my hands.

I looked at Martial Uncle in surprise. Martial Uncle said, "This is my life's savings.

Take it to protect yourself. Later, when we fight, stay close to me or find a place to hide."