Above First Rank

Staying here is simple; of course, it's to kill Wen Si.

Although Wen Si Wen Si suicide decisively in the grave, only a corpse was killed; the real body is still hiding in some nook and cranny.

Since the corpse in the tomb is so important to Wen Si, Xu Bai certainly won't let this opportunity pass. He'll wait for her to come to him again. If he succeeds, great; if not, it doesn't matter. He can just recover his strength along the way.

The corpse that remained, shrouded in blood and gore, was already tattered. Its clothes were already in tatters, and neither side held back during the battle. The area was completely bare, with virtually no place left to loot.

Xu Bai was about to drag the corpse away when he was turned to ashes the moment he touched the strangely blood-red body.

This put his mind at ease. With Ye Zi's help, they found a secluded spot and waited quietly.

Time passed slowly, and the white light on the horizon grew stronger, signaling that dawn was approaching.

Xu Bai thought Wen Si wouldn't come back and was preparing to return to the inn with Ye Zi when, unexpectedly, a commotion suddenly came from the woods. A ragged male corpse suddenly emerged from the woods and walked to the entrance of the tomb.

The male corpse was connected by translucent threads, and if you didn't look closely, you would think he was a normal person.

Upon seeing this, Xu Bai narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile of interest on his face.

Sure enough, this guy still came, proving that there was something he needed to get from here.

It's impossible for the corpse with the blood-haired eerie creature to be there. After all, when Wen Si left, she already knew that the blood-haired eerie creature had come out of it, so it's impossible for her to try to obtain it again.

From this perspective, there is likely something new that makes it worthwhile for Wen Si to take the risk.

Ye Zi gently tugged at Xu Bai's sleeve, her expression full of doubt, clearly asking whether they needed to take action now.

Xu Bai shook his head, indicating that they should not make any rash moves for the time being. Since the other party came prepared, they must be looking for a new existence, which is actually a good thing for Xu Bai.

But not taking action didn't mean he wouldn't follow. Xu Bai decided to observe further, so he waved and quietly followed behind Ye Zi.

Wen Si planned to crawl into the hole again, but this guy was particularly cunning. After crawling in, he poked his head out after a short while and tried to look around to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

This counterattack was indeed well executed; after all, who could have imagined that Wen Si, who had just slipped inside, would suddenly pop her head back out?

If we had been even slightly reckless and started chasing after Wen Si as soon as she went inside, we would have inevitably been discovered at that moment.

Wen Si searched left and right to make sure no one was around before crawling back down into the passage. Xu Bai waited until everything was ready before waving and saying.

"Following behind her, I'm curious to see what she's up to."

The two followed behind, walking quietly.

The cave was still dark, but there was only one path through the passage. Xu Bai wasn't worried about getting lost, so he carefully followed behind.

After walking for a while, they came to the second intersection, where the Bronze Coffin was placed in the corner. There was still no trace of Wen Si. Xu Wen and Ye Zi continued from the intersection with the second Bronze Coffin and went straight to the last entrance.

Xu Bai stopped and looked at the huge space in front of him. The enormous Bronze Coffin had no lid and was currently being held by Ye Zi.

Wen Si was not far away, carefully clinging to the edge of the huge coffin and Zhang Wang inside. After not seeing any strange bloodstains, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"He must have run away. Xu Bai is probably already dead. Luckily, I didn't come here in my true form."

The sound of her talking to herself echoed in the empty tomb.

Upon seeing this, Xu Bai thought to himself, "This guy is really convinced that I'm dead, which is why he dared to sneak over here."

That makes sense, after all, he's a Half-Step Transcendent being, how could an ordinary third-rank cultivator possibly defeat him? According to conventional thinking, Wen Si's approach is not wrong.

But Xu Bai is no ordinary person.

He didn't make a move, but continued to observe, because he had a feeling that Wen Si had another move in mind.

As expected, after confirming that there was no bloodstain, Wen Si made a new move: she walked to each coffin and opened the lids.

Not only were all the coffins opened, but all the mummies inside were also dragged out. These mummies were dressed in strange clothes, which were tattered but still showed some of their original appearance. It was obvious that these were people from the Red Wood Tribe.

After doing all this, Wen Si raised her hands, and grayish-white threads appeared on her fingertips. Then she waved the grayish-white threads from her fingertips, and each thread seemed to have a spirit, burrowing into the mummified corpse.

When Xu Bai saw Wen Si's actions, he thought that Wen Si wanted to control the corpses. However, to his surprise, the corpses turned to ashes as soon as they touched the silk threads. Wen Si then withdrew the silk threads and closed her eyes to contemplate.

"It's been too long, and these corpses have retained too few instinctive memories. Fortunately, there are enough to allow me to find clues about them," Wen Si said to herself as she suddenly opened her eyes.

Instinctive memory, clues? Xu Bai stroked his chin and continued to watch patiently.

Wen Si stood up from where she stood, slowly walked to the side of the huge coffin, placed her hands on the edge of the coffin, and pushed it with great effort.

The ground made a scraping sound that made one's teeth ache. Soon, Wen Si pushed the coffin aside, revealing an intricate pattern underneath.

The pattern is circular and not very large. It was completely hidden by the Bronze Coffin. If the Bronze Coffin is not moved, not a trace of it can be seen.

Wen Si walked to the center of the circular pattern, slowly squatted down, and placed her right hand on the circular pattern. Grayish-white silk threads intertwined between her palms and inserted into the ground.

Once the gray-white line of sight penetrated the ground, the circular pattern suddenly bulged out, transforming into a disc that appeared on the surface.

Wen Si began to twist her wrist, and a clicking sound came from it. The disc made of circular patterns actually began to spin.

The rotation arc was very clever, moving left and right, pausing for a while from time to time before continuing to rotate, giving Xu Bai the feeling that it was like a safe combination.

"It seems that instinctive memory told her that," Xu Bai thought to himself.

After waiting for about half an incense stick's time, Wen Si finally stopped what she was doing, slowly raised her right hand, and the grayish-white silk thread was drawn into her body.

Suddenly, the disc in front of them split open from the middle, and then the ground began to tremble slightly.

A crack appeared from the distant edge, spreading rapidly and splitting the tomb chamber in two.

The whole process happened very quickly. After the floor of the tomb chamber was split in two, a brand new passage appeared before Xu Bai's eyes.

"It really is a hidden gem." Xu Bai gleamed with excitement.

Unbeknownst to Wen Si, she was being watched. When the passage appeared, she couldn't help but jump up, appearing very happy.

It took Wen Si a long time to calm down and regain her composure. Then, without lingering, she walked down the passage.

Xu Bai remained hidden in the shadows until several minutes later, when he and Ye Zi finally reached the entrance to the passage.

The two didn't exchange many words and soon walked down the passage.

The passage was very dark, but fortunately Xu Bai was strong enough to walk steadily, so he didn't need a torch for lighting.

After walking for a while, the space ahead suddenly opened up. Xu Bai moved to a secluded spot and heard sounds coming from within.

"Thank you to the ancestors of the Wen Family family. I have finally found the leader of the Red Wood Tribe. As long as I control it, I will be able to truly make the Wen Family rise again. At that time, my status in the Great Yue Kingdom will surely rise accordingly."

"Hmph! Although the Wen Family was unrighteous that day, secretly transporting all the corpses of the Red Wood Tribe here for burial, the emperor went too far."

"A hundred lives were lost in a single memorial from the emperor, even the underage children could not escape your clutches."

"Chu Emperor, one day you will repeat the same mistakes!"

His words were filled with anger and resentment.

Xu Bai thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

How could the resentment of wiping out an entire family be easily erased?

Moreover, from what he just heard, it seemed that the construction of this tomb was related to the Wen Family.

Thinking about it carefully, the Wen Family is indeed suited to do this kind of thing. If they were to move a large number of corpses, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. But if they made these corpses look like people, it would be much safer.

The Wen Family specializes in this kind of business, and they do it with great ease.

That is why the emperor exterminated their entire family.

Moreover, it now appears that Wen Si has sided with the Great Yue Kingdom.

No, to be precise, he was a traitor who served three masters.

First they joined the Great Chu Kingdom, then they allied with the Barbarian Tribe, and after being discovered by the Great Chu Kingdom, they have now allied with the Great Yue Kingdom.

That's really awesome.

In the past, when Xu Bai read novels or biographies, he always thought that such a situation was rare, but now he had actually seen one.

Ye Zi gently tugged at Xu Bai's sleeve, opened her mouth, and mouthed a gesture, as if asking if she should make a move.

Xu Bai held Ye Zi down and quietly peeked out from the exit, where he saw the scene inside.

Inside, there was still a coffin, but this coffin was not made of bronze, but of a kind of stone.

The stone is carved with intricate patterns, giving it a desolate feel.

Unfortunately, Xu Bai did not see the golden progress bar.

At this moment, Wen Si had already opened the coffin lid and carried out the body inside.

The corpse was dressed in luxurious clothes, though they were tattered, but they looked much better than the blood-stained, eerie one outside, and even much more upscale.

Xu Bai guessed that if this was the real leader of the Red Wood Tribe, then the strange-looking man with the bloody hair outside must be one of the leader's confidants.

However, judging from the current situation, the corpse has not shown any strange signs, otherwise Wen Si would not have dared to do such a thing.

After the body was carried out, Wen Si placed it on the ground.

Wen Si's heart was burning with passion.

Finally, finally we succeeded!

Only she knew how heartbroken she was.

It's not that she was safe and sound once she joined the Great Yue Kingdom. In fact, when she joined the Great Yue Kingdom, her own strength was not highly regarded by the Great Yue Kingdom.

The other party took her in only because she wanted to deal with the Great Chu Kingdom, so she was not valued at all in the Great Yue Kingdom.

"It's almost done, time to call the main body over," Wen Si thought excitedly.

In fact, she had already used all the corpses she could find on the previous white mist, and now only this one corpse remained as a last resort.

To take away the corpse of the Red Wood Tribe leader in front of her, she had to come in her true form.

Fortunately, Xu Bai was killed by that strange creature, which is probably heading towards a populated area, since strange creatures are born to kill.

Now, everything belongs to her.

With that Wen Si had already communicated with the main body.

Xu Bai had been hiding, but when he saw that Wen Si didn't make a move, he seemed to have thought of something and turned to Ye Zi, making a gesture.

—Pay attention to what follows.

Obviously, if Xu Bai were in Wen Si's shoes, he would be eager to take action right now. But why hasn't he? Xu Bai thought that it was very likely that the corpse this guy was manipulating couldn't be collected. He hadn't collected the corpse just now; he was just messing with some kind of memory.

If that's the case, then this will be fun.

Xu Bai knew he had to be patient and make sure to capture the real Wen Si behind the scenes, otherwise it wouldn't be good to be constantly targeted.

Thinking of this, he tried to control his breathing, not letting it be too obvious, and waited patiently.

About half an hour later, a series of footsteps sounded in the passage, running very fast.

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the passageway, where a slender figure appeared.

A moment later, the figure gradually became clear, revealing a charming and beautiful woman.

Her clothes were very ordinary, but her appearance added a lot of charm. At this moment, the woman was running excitedly.

But the next moment he stopped, his excitement turning into fear.

"You're not dead!" Wen Si said in fear.

In front of her, Xu Bai leaned against the wall, watching her with great interest, his eyes seeming to say, "Finally caught you."

Ye Zi chuckled, "I didn't expect it to be a woman. Young master, why don't you take her as your maid?"

Xu Bai replied, "I'm not as good-looking as you, why would I keep this? To clean the toilets?"

The two seemed to be joking around, but to Wen Si's ears, their words were as cold as ice.

Wen Si turned her head quickly, wanting to run away immediately, but the next moment, the ground beneath her feet suddenly moved away from her legs, and something wrapped around her body. A pain came over her, and blood flowed from her hands.

The Black Saber Hundred Rends fragments, entangled Wen Si and quickly dragged her to Xu Bai's side.

By this time, Xu Bai's injuries had long since healed, and his True Yuan Power had almost fully recovered.

Although Xu Bai had controlled his strength, the shards were too sharp, leaving horrific wounds on Wen Si's body.

Wen Si's clothes were torn, revealing her fair skin, but now her fair skin was covered in blood.

Unless you have a really weird taste, this scene would only make you feel horrified.

Wen Si bit her lip tightly until it turned white, her eyes fixed on Xu Bai, seemingly filled with boundless anger.

"A Rank 3 cultivator escaped the pursuit of Half-Step Transcendent and dares to return again? I've lost. I truly didn't expect this!"

She truly hadn't expected it. No one else would have thought of it either. After all, how could a third-rank expert possibly survive Half-Step Transcendent cultivator? This was something that had never happened before.

Having never seen or even heard of Xu Bai before, Wen Si was certain that he was dead.

"Hmm? Escape?" Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "I'll kill it."

Wen Si was stunned, like a wooden sculpture that had been frozen in place.

"Killed... killed?"

She suspected she had misheard, or that the other person had said something wrong.

How could a third-rank official possibly kill Half-Step Transcendent?

Do you think drinking water and eating are as simple as that?

Xu Bai didn't explain, nor was there any need to explain, because he felt that explaining to a dead person was a complete waste of breath.

Suddenly, Ye Zi flicked her fingertips, and a white light shone out, accompanied by melodious music.

Wen Si was completely unharmed, and even her eyes did not change.

"Young master, something is protecting his soul that I cannot control."

By now, Ye Zi has reached the third rank and can use this move at will without much restraint.

Unexpectedly, it failed to work on Wen Si.

"It's no use." Wen Si finally came to her senses from the shock and understood what the other party wanted to do. She sneered, "Who do you think I am? An embalmer. What do embalmers do? They play with the souls of corpses. Our souls have long been indestructible in the process."

"You! You won't hear a single word from me!"

They mocked him while letting out hearty laughter.

Being captured is one thing, being captured with the mindset of certain death is another. At this moment, Wen Si already knew that she was doomed.

Isn't it better to mock your opponent before you die than to remain silent? Xu Bai frowned, raised his hand and gently flicked the fragment, producing a melodious sound.

However, Wen Si's soul was extremely strong and difficult to overcome.

"Stop trying, just give me a quick death!" Wen Si closed her eyes.

"Sigh, I never expected that we would have to resort to such a barbaric method at the end." Xu Bai sighed.

Wen Si suddenly opened her eyes, as if she had thought of something.

"Let me think... how long has it been since I used torture to extract confessions? My hands are a bit rusty now," Xu Bai said, flexing his wrists.

Since Ye Zi came into his life and he also acquired musical skills, he has rarely used torture to extract confessions. So now that he suddenly has to use it, he feels a bit sentimental and nostalgic.

To Wen Si, this expression of emotion and nostalgia looked like the sight of a demon.

"By the way, you didn't cut off your pain receptors, did you?" Xu Bai pinched Wen Si's fair index finger and suddenly tightened his grip.

The next moment, the sound of bones shattering rang out, and Wen Si let out a shrill scream.

Watching a beautiful woman scream in agony can sometimes be a visual treat.

—It's better than a man screaming in agony.

"Don't worry, don't worry," Xu Bai said gently, "I know how to use poison and I also know how to heal people. I have a way to help you recover quickly."

As he spoke, Xu Bai continued, pinching Wen Si's little finger and applying slight pressure.

"Click!"

"Ah—" Wen Si screamed again, her face turning pale.

Cold sweat beaded on her fair forehead, and her snow-white teeth clenched tightly together, trembling from time to time.

"You... are more cruel than the supernatural!" Wen Si cursed, her voice seemingly coming from between her teeth.

"Otherwise, in the martial arts world, I'm known as the Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder." Xu Bai placed his finger on Wen Si's other finger and squeezed it tightly.

The sound of bones cracking rang out again, and Wen Si's eyes rolled back as she fainted.

"I didn't make you faint." Xu Bai raised his hand and slapped him twice across the face.

The next moment, Wen Si, who had fallen into a coma, felt a sharp pain in her cheek and woke up from her coma.

"That's good. Let me explain. Starting from your hand, all the way to your shoulder, your bones will be shattered inch by inch."

"Then start from your feet and go all the way down to your thigh bones, they will be crushed as well."

"Finally, don't worry about it causing disability. I will cure you with medication, and it will be very quick. Then we will repeat the previous process again."

Xu Bai spoke in a gentle, soothing voice, as if whispering sweet nothings in a young girl's ear.

But to Wen Si's ears, it sounded like Death-Calling Demonic Melody, every word making her tremble. As she trembled, she felt an even more intense pain coming from her previously crushed fingers.

This is a terrifying demon who can inflict excruciating pain with ease, as Buddhists.

Wen Si understood; at this moment, death was a swift and easy way for her.

"I said..."

All those words could be summed up in two words: Teacher Wen compromised.

She had to compromise. She knew she wouldn't survive, but she didn't want to die in such agony. Instead, she wanted a quick death. Since she was going to die anyway, saying a few words wouldn't hurt. This was the reason she changed her mind.

"I know what you want to ask, but I don't know the secrets between the Great Yue Kingdom and the Barbarian Tribe. You know that my strength is nothing to them."

Wen Si said painfully.

Xu Bai stroked his chin and asked, "What exactly did you intend to do by building this tomb here in the first place?"

Indeed, given Wen Si's abilities, she wouldn't be able to achieve a good position at all.

"Luck!" Wen Si said, "After the Great Chu Kingdom was established, it has always lacked luck. Although there is a thin layer of it, it is almost non-existent in the end. Building a tomb here can slowly devour their luck, after all, this is a tomb of the Barbarian Tribe."

"Unexpectedly, because of you, the Great Chu Kingdom suddenly seized the fortune of the Great Feng Kingdom. Now this place is no longer of any use, but we should make the most of it. They know you are Upper Capital, so they want to use this to kill you. Unexpectedly, the gravedigger became greedy and wanted to take over this place."

Xu Bai frowned.

Was the restoration of the Great Chu Kingdom's fortune due to him?

Oh right, it seems there was such a thing. On the way here, there was a battle related to destiny.

What a loss! Xu Bai suddenly realized that he had lost money on this deal.

Once we get to the Capital City, we need to have a proper discussion to see if we can add a little more.

Seeing that Xu Bai looked deep in thought, Wen Si shut her mouth.

"Why did you stop? Keep talking," Xu Bai said.

Wen Si asked bitterly, "What else do you want to know?"

"What's the story with the corpse inside? Is there any secret behind it?" Xu Bai asked.

Wen Si shook her head and said, "No, there's nothing unusual or secret. I just want to take it back to improve my strength so that I can gain a foothold in the Great Yue Kingdom."

"That's all?" Xu Bai asked.

Wen Si nodded and said, "They're definitely gone."

Xu Bai paced back and forth, pondering Wen Si's words.

This interrogation seems to have yielded some results, as it revealed the cause and effect of the matter and many past events, such as the origin of this type of tomb.

Moreover, he didn't come away empty-handed; on the contrary, he gained a great deal: the progress bar for the coffin lid.

It was alright, I gained a lot.

Xu Bai smiled.

Wen Si shuddered, looking terrified. "Can... you kill me?"

She never imagined that seeking death would be so difficult, and that it would have to be done through such a begging method.

"Whoosh!"

The Black Saber Hundred Rends fragments, and the next moment, Wen Si lost all signs of life.

"Let's go take a look." Xu Bai snapped his fingers and walked into the huge tomb chamber.

The tomb chamber was exceptionally large, and since there was only one coffin inside, it felt unusually empty.

After entering, Xu Bai looked around but didn't see anything related to the progress bar. All that remained was a dried-up corpse on the ground and the corpse that Wen Si had controlled earlier.

"What a pity, there's no progress bar," Xu Bai thought to himself.

Although he felt a little dissatisfied, who would complain about having too much of this? Unfortunately, the progress bar he had imagined did not appear.

Ye Zi gently tugged at Xu Bai's sleeve and asked, "Young Master, should we keep this?"

Xu Bai's gaze shifted to the corpses not far away, and he said, "No need to keep them, burn them all."

Keeping it is useless; this thing is unusable to look at. It's better to burn it for peace of mind.

Next, without waiting for Xu Bai's instructions, Ye Zi took out a tinderbox, walked over, and burned the corpse to ashes.

The two searched the area again, but found nothing else, before leaving the tomb.

Before leaving, Xu Bai blocked the exit with something to prevent unsuspecting people from finding it and going into danger.

Now the sky is fully bright, the sun has replaced the moon, and birdsong fills the woods, sounding extremely peaceful.

Apart from the devastation all over the ground, it looks no different.

Holding the coffin lid and bundle, Ye Zi followed behind Xu Bai, gradually moving away from this desolate area.

They didn't stop along the way and soon returned to the inn, causing quite a stir along the way.

After all, a woman with a stunning figure wearing a veil, carrying a coffin lid, following behind a man, would naturally attract a lot of attention.

After returning to the inn, Xu Bai was helped to wash and dress by Ye Zi before lying down on the bed and letting out a long sigh of relief.

This battle was truly fraught with danger and breathtaking.

Especially that guy with the bizarre blood-red hair, whose strength was truly formidable, almost at the level of Half-Step Transcendent. If I hadn't had so many unimaginable methods, I would have really been defeated there.

Ye Zi had finished washing up and was lying down next to Xu Bai, resting her head on Xu Bai's shoulder.

The surroundings became quiet.

Xu Bai squinted, his sudden relaxation making him appear somewhat tired.

"Young Master, when will we set off for our next destination?" Ye Zi asked, resting her chin on Xu Bai's chest.

Xu Bai didn't open his eyes and replied, "Let's hold off for a while and set off later."

He had made up his mind. There wasn't much time left, so he shouldn't rush things for now. He needed to work on a few more things first.

After all, today's battle made Xu Bai realize that there are still many dangers in this world.

For the sake of your own life, you can't be too hasty.

Xu Bai also had his own plans: he would at least finish grinding the progress bars for the Bronze Gate and the Heavy Sword Method before making any further moves.

Once he finishes those two progress bars, he'll have a solid foundation and can continue on his journey. Of course, it will take some time, but that's okay, as long as it doesn't take too long.

"Mmm," Ye Zi responded softly, without saying anything more.

The young master's words are the truth. If the young master says he wants to stay here, she will stay here with him. If the young master says he wants to leave, she will leave with him.

Ye Zi has a gentle exterior but a strong interior, but when facing Xu Bai, she always shows her gentle side.

"By the way, young master," Ye Zi said, "Your puppets are gone, and you're in dire need of materials. Why don't you ask the Jiang Family to collect some?"

Xu Bai nodded; he did indeed have this plan for tomorrow.

Although Fourth-Rank Puppet is not a high-level weapon, it can sometimes produce great results. For example, in this battle, the Fourth-Rank Puppet paved the way first, which made things much easier for him.

Why not take advantage of free materials? After all, the emperor will be the one to receive the reward, not me.

"I've made up my mind, I'll do it tomorrow!" Xu Bai had already decided after making up his mind.

Ye Zi stood up, preparing to blow out the oil lamp and get some rest.

Xu Bai suddenly remembered something and abruptly jumped out of bed, startling Ye Zi.

"Ye Zi, do you know what the differences are between the realms after the first rank?"

He had planned to come back and ask about this matter. He originally thought that the level from the ninth rank to the first rank was the limit, but he didn't expect there to be a higher level Above First Rank.

Ye Zi was slightly taken aback, then realized what was happening.

Our young master is incredibly powerful, but he doesn't understand many things. He's only been in this circle for a short time and is still a very inexperienced newcomer.

Thinking of this, Ye Zi took a few light steps and sat down by the bed.

"Young master, Above First Rank, there are four major realms, each divided into nine ranks: Transcendent, Transcendent, Sainthood, and Exiting Sainthood."

Xu Bai stroked his chin and asked, "What are the differences between each realm?"

There are four realms, and each realm is further divided into nine grades. It seems that the classification is quite extensive.

If even the Transcendent Realm is this abnormal, then the later realms must be even more terrifying.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zi took Xu Bai's hand and said softly with a smile, "Of course there are many differences. For example, the Transcendent Realm is symbolized by the ability to roam the sky, but other than that..."

"There is another characteristic, which is what truly sets it apart from other brands."