Shock! The Tomb's Master Appeared

The moment the bronze coffin was opened, an eerie aura filled the air, the atmosphere inside the main tomb plummeted, and the torches flickered violently.

The group, who were about to turn and leave, froze in place, not because they wanted to stay, but because their blood seemed to have congealed, enveloped in a chilling aura, as if they were in an extremely cold environment where their bodies and blood were frozen.

If Master Jinlian were a cat, he would be furious by now.

Clang!

A loud crash came from behind as the coffin lid slammed to the ground. At the same time, the people with their backs to the platform saw the armored, mummified corpses guarding the steps below. They all twisted their necks, turning 180 degrees against their skeletal structure, turning their faces to their backs, silently staring at them.

The scene was so terrifying and bizarre that an immense fear exploded within them, causing the tomb raiders of the Houtu Gang to display expressions of extreme terror.

Click click click click

Xu Qi'an heard the sound of bones popping not far away, and the armored figures standing at the four corners of the high platform also revived.

He slowly turned his eyes to look at his companions' expressions.

Chu Yuanzhen slightly widened his eyes, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The long sword on his back trembled from time to time, as if it wanted to be drawn, but was suppressed by an invisible force.

Master Hengyuan's facial muscles twitched, his chewing muscles bulged, as he strained to break free from the invisible force and regain his freedom.

Master Jinlian's chest rose and fell, as if he were practicing some kind of breathing exercise. He was the most composed and calm, yet there was a resolute look in his eyes.

Is the Daoist priest preparing a powerful move? Is he planning to cut off his own tail to survive, or sacrifice himself to protect us? Xu Qi'an wondered, his eyes darting around in their sockets as he looked at Zhong Li.

Lina, who was on her back, was still unconscious and was the most "relaxed" one present. As for the unfortunate Zhong Li, her delicate body under her linen robe trembled slightly.

I don't know if it's her fault, or mine, or maybe both! Xu Qi'an thought with a bittersweet smile.

At that moment, an image automatically appeared in his mind: a hand covered in green hair reached out from the bronze coffin and pressed against the edge of the coffin.

The person in the coffin slowly rose. It was a mummified corpse dressed in a yellow robe, with a pure gold crown on its head. The skin on its face was pressed tightly against the bones, and its nose was rotten, leaving only two holes.

The eyeball was stuck in its socket, as if it might fall out at any moment.

The moment his divine sense captured the mummified corpse, Xu Qi'an felt as if steel nails were embedded in his brain, the pain almost causing him to faint, and the image shattered.

The person lying in the coffin was indeed that Daoist priest, a second-rank cultivator who had failed his tribulation. No wonder he was so powerful. Xu Qi'an felt a chill run down his spine.

After a few seconds of silence, the first footsteps sounded, and the mummified corpse left the bronze coffin and slowly walked towards the group.

"Buzzing"

The longsword on Chu Yuanzhen's back trembled violently, but it remained unsheathed.

Finally, beads of sweat rolled down the top scholar's forehead.

Hengyuan's eyes bulged, veins stood out on his cheeks and forehead, and his muscles convulsed violently. Even so, he still couldn't break through the suppression of the invisible force.

Zhong Li trembled like a quail, her head bowed lower and lower.

A stench filled the air; the first few members of the Houtu Gang were so frightened they lost control of their bladders.

But this is not their fault. They are in an ancient tomb from thousands of years ago, and evil creatures are emerging from the coffins and slowly approaching them from behind.

Just thinking about it sends chills down your spine, let alone the fact that it actually happened.

Master Jinlian closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her eyes were clear and bright, as if she had made up her mind.

Just then, the footsteps stopped, and a hoarse, low voice echoed throughout every space and corner of the main tomb.

Welcome back, my lord!

The clanging of armor plates filled the air, and the mummified corpses at the four corners of the platform, as well as those on the steps, all knelt down, worshipping someone in the crowd.

That sinister and terrifying aura quickly receded, like the tide going out.

To everyone's astonishment, they found that they had regained their ability to move.

Don't make any rash moves!

Master Jinlian transmitted her voice to everyone, including the tomb raiders.

"Gurgle."

The sound of swallowing saliva echoed incessantly. The tomb raiders' legs trembled, but they did not lose their minds. Their past experiences played a crucial role, preventing them from collapsing like ordinary people and thinking only of escaping, which would only make things worse.

At the same time, a thought flashed through their minds: Our lord?

Who is our lord? Judging from the posture of that mummified corpse, it seems that our lord is among us?

The tomb raiders looked at each other, desperately searching for their "master" in the crowd. Who could be the master of the mummified corpse? What kind of person must he be?

And that person was among us.

The Sick Man Gang Leader subconsciously looked at the Golden Lotus Daoist. According to the mural, the owner of this tomb was a Daoist priest, and there happened to be a master of the Earth Sect present.

The conclusion is simple: this old Daoist priest was the master of the mummified corpse.

"He... he actually possesses such an identity. So, this master of the Earth Sect didn't come down to the tomb specifically to rescue us. Hmm, the actions of a master are beyond the comprehension of a mere commoner like me."

The sickly leader was trembling with fear.

The wild Warlock Gongyang Su scrutinized Daoist Jinlian with suspicion and uncertainty.

Sensing the unusual behavior of the two leaders, the Houtu Gang members immediately looked at the Golden Lotus Daoist, who best embodied the demeanor of a master, and felt extremely at ease.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society were standing very close together, so for a moment they couldn't tell who the kneeling mummy in the yellow robe was.

Out of habit, Chu Yuanzhen glanced at Daoist Jinlian first.

Master Jinlian shook her head slightly.

Hengyuan is a martial monk, not Daoist School. Although he has good talent, he doesn't have any particularly strange traits. Lina is from the Gu tribe of Southern Frontier and has no connection to this tomb. Miss Zhong from the Bureau of Astronomy can be ruled out. Could it be?!

Chu Yuanzhen suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Xu Qi'an.

He recalled why the group had come to the main tomb; it was Xu Qi'an's three consecutive "coincidences" that led them into the main tomb.

It turns out that nothing was accidental; there was a reason behind it all. Was Xu Ningyan the master of the owner of this great tomb?

This guess surfaced in Chu Yuanzhen's mind, and a wave of fear washed over him, causing his body to tremble inexplicably.

Was he kneeling before me? Calling me "Lord"? Xu Qi'an, the person involved, could intuitively perceive that the "Lord" the mummified corpse was referring to was himself.

A huge sense of shock and bewilderment filled his mind, leaving him unsure of how to react.

For a fleeting moment, he almost blurted out: Why do you call me the lord!

But reason kept him silent, because there were only two possibilities: either he was truly the master of the yellow-robed corpse, and his identity was terrifying beyond imagination.

Second, the mummified corpse may have mistaken the person for someone else for some reason.

Leaving aside the first possibility, if it's the second one—that the mummified corpse has mistaken someone for someone else—then his rash questioning will inevitably expose his identity.

They will be completely wiped out.

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, stared expressionlessly at the yellow-robed corpse, and said in a deep voice:

"Well done."

The mummified corpse's head was buried lower and lower.

The sickly gang leader, witnessing this scene, was almost stunned. His eyes slowly widened. So, the "master" the mummified corpse spoke of was that sixth-rank martial artist, not the Daoist priest from the Earth Sect?

This... this... he's just a warrior.

Gongyang was also deeply shocked. At this moment, he was extremely grateful that he had not secretly activated his Qi-Watching Technique after contacting these "reinforcements".

Otherwise, I would probably die on the spot, the cause of death being seeing something I shouldn't have seen.

The members of the Houtu Gang held their breath, staring blankly at Xu Qi'an.

The mummified corpse, its head bowed, spoke again in a low voice, tinged with doubt. "Why didn't my lord become an immortal?"

Becoming an immortal?!

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears. The weak tomb raiders, the highly skilled Golden Lotus Daoist, and of course Xu Qi'an, all felt their hearts surge with shock.

However, compared to the tomb raiders who had lost the ability to control their expressions, Xu Qi'an and the others remained calm and did not show any emotion.

Xu Qi'an stared expressionlessly at the mummified corpse, but his inner monologue exploded at that moment.

Becoming an immortal? As I understand it, becoming an immortal means transcending ranks, becoming an existence on the same level as Buddha, Gu God, and Witch God.

Who exactly was the lord of this yellow-robed mummy?

After Gods and Devils, there have only been a handful of beings who have surpassed that level. This great tomb is over two thousand years old. In those two thousand years, has anyone become an immortal?

No, it's also possible that it failed to become an immortal, but the mummified corpse doesn't know.

Holy crap, I ran into someone of this level while tomb raiding! It must be Zhong Li's fault, it's definitely her fault. What should I do? How should I answer?

The mummified corpse's head hung low, and its eyes, which looked as if they might pop out of their sockets, moved slightly, seemingly scrutinizing Xu Qi'an.

Noticing the mummified corpse scrutinizing him, Xu Qi'an's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he slowly said, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

The mummified corpse lowered its head in fear, its body trembling slightly. "My lord, please forgive me, my lord, please forgive me."

As he spoke, he untied his yellow robe, revealing his withered body underneath. His chest was sunken, and the outline of his ribs was visible beneath the thin skin.

In addition, Xu Qi'an noticed that the mummified body appeared to have been burned.

"Puff"

Suddenly, the mummified corpse did something no one expected: it raised its hand and plunged it into its own chest, digging out an object—not its heart, but a translucent jade seal.

"My lord, have you come here for this jade seal? You left it inside me years ago, instructing me to take good care of it. I... I have kept it safe and sound ever since. Now, I return it to you."

The mummified corpse presented the jade seal with both hands, and spoke in a hoarse, low voice. "Now, what year is it?"

"The current dynasty in the Central Plains is called Great Feng," Xu Qi'an said calmly.

"Great Feng," the mummified corpse murmured, humbly asking, "How many years have I slept?"

"How the hell should I know? Why don't you come with me first, and I'll hand you over to the government so the researchers can tell you the answer," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, cursing incessantly.

His mind raced, but he didn't answer the mummy's question. He simply said, "Time has no meaning for us, does it?"

Excellent answer!

Master Jinlian inwardly encouraged him, thinking, "Xu Ningyan is truly steady."

He gave Xu Qi'an a subtle look, signaling that it was about time and he should find a way to escape.

Xu Qi'an got it. As he reached for the jade seal, he said, "Go back to sleep."

He didn't say much, partly because he was afraid of saying too much and making mistakes, and partly because he was currently cultivating a persona as the lord, and reclaiming what was his, so he didn't need to explain to his subordinates.

He didn't actually want the imperial seal, but judging from the mummified corpse's attitude, it seemed very important. Not taking it might arouse the corpse's suspicion.

The jade seal was hard and felt like warm jade. Xu Qi'an turned the jade seal over without making a sound and saw the words engraved on the bottom. He only had time to write down a few words when suddenly the jade seal turned into white sand and flowed through his fingers.

An indescribable, ineffable force, like a tidal wave, surged through his arm and into Xu Qi'an's body.

He felt the blood rushing wildly to his brain, causing intense dizziness, as if something inside him was awakening.

"You are not the lord"

The mummified corpse suddenly raised its head, and blood began to gush from its eyes.

A hoarse, low voice echoed in the tomb, laced with intense anger and murderous intent.

"Walk!"

Master Jinlian reacted the fastest, waving her sleeves to create a gust of wind that sent the tomb raiders from the Houtu Gang and Chu Yuanzhen and his group flying off the platform toward the main tomb's gate.

At the same time, he grabbed Xu Qi'an's shoulder and tried to throw him off.

He stayed behind to bear the wrath of the mummified corpse.

However, Xu Qi'an shook his shoulders, shoving his hand away, and pressed his palm against his chest, whispering, "Daoist, take them out."

I stayed."

Bang!

The energy in his palm suddenly erupted, and Master Jinlian shot out like a cannonball.

During the tossing, Master Jinlian saw the mummified corpse grab Xu Qi'an by the neck and lift him high into the air. The armored soldiers at the four corners of the platform charged forward, brandishing their weapons, ready to tear this ant who was impersonating his lord to pieces.

"Xu Qi'an," Master Jinlian murmured.

PS: The burning time of the candle in the previous chapter was correct. It could burn for decades, but the oxygen in the tomb is limited, and as it burns, the oxygen runs out, and the candle goes out.