Sarira

Just as Cousin had said, the old monk didn't dare come after them at all.

After resting for a long while, Cousin gradually regained his ability to move. He hurriedly sat cross-legged and meditated for a moment, then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"I can finally move."

With his cultivation fully restored, he couldn't help swinging his stiff arms and legs. Then he clasped his hands gratefully again. "I really owe you for saving me."

Hanyu waved a hand and smiled. "It was just a lucky coincidence. We should focus on figuring out how to get the Sarira out."

"Getting the Sarira won't be difficult."

Cousin confidently pulled a pile of iron pieces from his robe. Before Hanyu's disbelieving eyes, his hands flew as he quickly assembled them into a black Iron Bone Umbrella.

"What's that for?"

Hanyu looked curiously at the black umbrella and asked.

Cousin stroked its ribs and smiled faintly. "I developed it specifically to crack the mechanisms my family designed."

There was no denying that the people of Ziqiang Sect were a little odd. One was Yixian, who liked to wander into trouble wherever he went, and the other was this fellow, who was so keen on cracking mechanisms designed by his own family.

The two leaped down from the high platform and returned to the other side of the Artificial River. The moment they landed, a huge tide of Red Insects swarmed toward them.

Cousin was much calmer this time. He opened the black Iron Bone Umbrella and beckoned Hanyu closer.

The tide of insects seemed to have run into its natural enemy. The moment the Iron Bone Umbrella opened, they trembled and flattened themselves against the ground, not daring to move.

Cousin pointed at the Red Insects on the ground with great interest and explained.

"These things are called Scorpion Tails. My great-grandfather gave them that name, and our family bred them, too. If you ever break into some great power's tomb and run into these things, you can bet our family designed the tomb. They love putting these useless things in tombs."

Hanyu was astounded. What kind of family was this? From the way Cousin talked, it sounded as if they had designed most of the tombs belonging to great powers.

"I've always thought these bugs were useless. As soon as they catch the scent of their natural enemy, they do this. But my family never accepts my suggestions."

Cousin sighed repeatedly.

"Why would the bugs you bred have a natural enemy?" Hanyu asked curiously.

"They always thought these bugs were useful, so I bred their natural enemy."

This really was the genuine article—a wastrel who specialized in cracking all the mechanisms his own family made.

Hanyu secretly grumbled to himself.

As they passed the stone chamber with the well, Hanyu glanced at it from afar. The well's mouth was eerily quiet, but who knew whether some bald old man might leap out of it?

After the two continued straight for several dozen meters, Cousin suddenly stopped him. A Dragon Head Statue stood in the middle of the road ahead, its whiskers streaming and its bloody maw gaping wide.

Cousin raised the umbrella again and took two steps forward. The dragon's mouth abruptly exhaled a wave of scorching air, and a burst of flame erupted in an instant.

The fire snakes struck the umbrella's surface and were absorbed one by one. More importantly, the two people standing behind it didn't feel even a trace of heat. Cousin could even turn around and smile.

"This mechanism's nothing special. It's just a flamethrower with a Spirit Stone shoved inside. Once it senses tomb raiders, it spews out high-temperature flames. You could force your way through, too. You'd just lose a layer of skin."

Though Cousin made it sound easy, Hanyu was secretly impressed. He'd heard of Spirit Stones being used to grow spirit herbs, but this was his first time seeing one used in conjunction with mechanisms.

The two moved forward behind the umbrella. Sure enough, once they passed out of range, the dragon head stopped spewing flames. They went on for a little while and saw the ceiling of the passage riddled with tiny holes.

"This is the real killing move. The moment you step in, corrosive water pours down from above. This stuff can even melt iron. If a person took a thorough bath in it, they wouldn't need a coffin."

Cousin looked up and explained the holes.

Hanyu immediately grew cautious and hurried closer. The two entered slowly, step by careful step.

As soon as they stepped into the area, corrosive water began pouring down from above, like a torrential rain beating against the umbrella. Strangely, the umbrella was completely unharmed by the corrosive water.

"Let's hurry. If the water builds up, our feet won't have an umbrella to protect them."

Cousin turned and reminded him. The two exchanged a knowing nod, quickened their pace, and hurried through the Corrosion Channel.

Looking back at the impenetrable curtain of rain, Hanyu clicked his tongue in wonder. First poisonous bugs, then a wall of fire, and now corrosive water. How much had the old monk paid to force his way in back then?

The passage ended ahead, where a Stone Gate stood. Cousin closed the umbrella and strode forward, then pushed the Stone Gate open.

As it swung open, a cloud of dust billowed out, choking them both for a while. Once the dust settled, Hanyu looked inside.

Beyond the Stone Gate was a very large room, about as big as White Bone Temple. Many boxes lined the wall on the left, likely burial goods. He wondered what a great monk from an earlier generation—and a high-ranking cultivator, at that—would have been buried with.

Cousin didn't seem interested in the burial goods. Instead, his attention was caught by the murals on the right.

Hanyu followed his gaze. His mind suddenly swam, and his expression changed. The mural could actually affect a person's mind.

The mural depicted a White Bone Diagram: a pile of bones amid a twisted, chaotic space where nothing else existed. A group of skeletons were devouring one another.

"This is the most valuable thing here—the Hungry Ghost Path Contemplation Diagram!" Cousin said with a smile, pointing at the mural.

The old monk must have come here for this contemplation diagram.

Hanyu's heart tightened. The mural alone possessed such power. How terrifying would it be once the divine ability was fully mastered?

"As long as you contemplate this image in your mind constantly, and imprint the Hungry Ghost Diagram onto your Sea of Consciousness, you can begin cultivating it. Once you've mastered it, it can be considered a divine ability. Do you want to try?"

Cousin suddenly suggested.

Hanyu froze, seeming a little tempted.

"Why not give it a try?" Little Glazed's voice sounded in his mind.

Try it and die! If contemplating it counts as cultivation, wouldn't I drop dead on the spot? Hanyu's face darkened as he replied in his mind.

After looking at the mural for a while, Cousin lost interest and turned away.

Hanyu was curious. "Why aren't you learning it?"

Cousin casually waved a hand. "My family has another copy, personally drawn by an elder."

"Besides, if you cultivate this without a compassionate heart that pities all living beings, you'll end up like the old monk, falling into demonic ways."

Hanyu couldn't help wondering about Cousin's background. He had an endless supply of mechanisms and all kinds of secret knowledge at his fingertips.

Neither of them seemed interested in the contemplation diagram anymore. In truth, just the requirement of a compassionate heart was enough to keep most people from trying.

At the very center of the room stood not a coffin, but a stone bed. A skeleton sat on it in a cross-legged meditative pose.

The two approached and saw that the skeleton wore a pale yellow monk's robe that glimmered faintly. It must have been the light from the Sarira.

Pfft—spit!

A pill suddenly popped out of the Glazed Bottle in Hanyu's mind.

Hanyu looked baffled and secretly turned aside to communicate with it.

"What are you doing? Why spit out a pill for no reason?"

Little Glazed's aggrieved voice came through. "It wasn't me. The Glazed Bottle spat it out on its own. It seems to have its eye on the Sarira."

This was getting more and more outrageous. Ever since he'd taken thirteen years of luck from Young Master Xiao, it had been bad enough that the bottle had produced an Artifact Spirit. Now even the bottle itself was developing ideas of its own.

Muscle Strengthening Bone Fortifying Pill: The person who consumes it will gain a strong physique. Side effect: No self-control around food; they will feel compelled to eat.

Hanyu stared blankly at the pill. So, in the Glazed Bottle's eyes, this skeleton was malnourished!

And the pill's effects were, as always, absolutely ridiculous.

Hanyu was about to take the Sarira when Cousin stopped him with a shake of his head. "He was an old friend of my family. Let me do it."

With that, he faced the skeleton on the bed and bowed slowly. In a low voice, he said, "A descendant of your old friend has come to trouble you. We're in a bind today, so I ask to borrow your Sarira."

Only after bowing three times did Cousin rise and walk toward the skeleton. He gently lifted its monk's robe and reached inside, soon drawing out something that glimmered faintly and was shaped like a quail's egg.

It was neither stone nor jade. Cousin held it for a moment, then handed it to Hanyu.

"I saw how fast you were in the Dungeon. When we go down in a moment, I'll take the lead with my mechanisms. You wait for an opening, and the moment one appears, hit that old bald donkey with the Sarira."

Cousin thought Hanyu's cultivation was low, so he took it upon himself to draw the enemy's attention from the front.

The moment the Sarira entered Hanyu's hand, the Glazed Bottle in his mind became so excited it seemed about to fly out of his body.

Hanyu's expression changed. He hurriedly shouted in his mind at Little Glazed, "Hold it down for me..."