An Expert

The deep, powerful roar echoed in his ears, carrying an intimidating pressure that made Gongsun Xiu tremble and unable to speak.

But her mind was exceptionally quick and her thoughts raced. If she wasn't mistaken, the "he" the zombie was referring to should be the man in blue, or someone with a connection to him, such as an ancestor or a senior member of his sect.

Among the people of this world, only "he" has a pact with the mummified corpse. What is the identity of this zombie, and what is the identity of that man in blue? There must be a great secret hidden within.

Judging from the zombie's posture, it seems to be very interested in something. Does it think the man in blue gave it to me? But... but I didn't. If I tell it the truth directly, will it be considered useless "nonsense" and lead to its death?

Could it, in a fit of extreme rage, kill us all?

Gongsun Xiu thought about many things in an instant, considering how to deal with the zombies and survive this ordeal.

Gongsun Xiangming and the other warriors were unaware of the intricacies of the situation. It was only through a single sentence from his niece (cousin) and the eldest daughter that everyone was saved, and the terrifying zombie exhibited a clear emotional fluctuation.

They stared in astonishment, finding it hard to believe that such a simple sentence could contain such profound mystery.

Gongsun Xiangming looked haggard. After catching his breath for a few seconds, he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the old Daoist Qinggu and the martial artists who had gone boating on the lake at noon.

This sentence seems to have been said by Xiuer, the mysterious master she encountered in the lake.

When Gongsun Xiangming saw the astonished expressions on the faces of the old Daoist priest and the several martial artists, he immediately knew that he had not been wrong.

At this moment, Gongsun Xiu had made a decision. She planned to confess, even though it would immediately highlight their "useless" personas and disappoint the zombies.

But given that it's unclear whether zombies can detect lies, honesty is the best option, at least leaving room for maneuver.

Furthermore, she believed in her heart that since the man in blue only said this sentence and did not explain anything else, he must be certain that this sentence had a special binding force on the zombies.

"S-senpai."

Gongsun Xiu wasn't very eloquent and stammered as he spoke:

"This is a saying I heard today while boating on the lake. I met a wise man who, upon learning that I was going to explore this great tomb, said, 'If I encounter any unavoidable dangers within the tomb...'"

He briefly explained the situation, then cautiously looked at the zombie to observe its reaction.

After hearing this, the mummified corpse's withered face revealed a human-like expression of disappointment.

"That's true. He's been gone for less than a year. Even if he wanted to return it to me, it wouldn't be so soon. It's just wishful thinking on my part."

It paused, then chuckled and said, "He asked you to pass on this message to me to warn me not to try to seize the Essence Blood and break the seal! He sealed me here that day and made a pact with me: either endure loneliness and solitude here, waiting forever."

"Either die or live! Ha, I chose to live."

This terrifying and bizarre zombie has been sealed away? And the person who sealed it away is the man in blue robes whom you encountered in the lake—not an ancestor, not a senior disciple, but that man in blue robes.

And all of this happened in less than a year? Wait a minute. Gongsun Xiu recalled the collapse of this place and the circumstances of her journey, and she suddenly realized something.

There have been no earthquakes in Yongzhou City in recent years, but this large tomb has experienced a massive collapse. Combining this with what the zombie had just said, Gongsun Xiu had a guess in his mind.

During some unknown period of the past year, the man in blue robes visited the underground palace and engaged in an earth-shattering battle with the mummified corpse, which led to the collapse of the palace.

My God! Gongsun Xiu sighed, a storm raging within him.

Who exactly is that person, that terrifying individual? The warrior on the ship at noon stared in astonishment, finally realizing just how formidable the young man from that day truly was.

No wonder, no wonder he can predict the weather; this is just the tip of the iceberg of his unpredictable abilities.

The old Daoist priest Qinggu's expression showed both realization and astonishment. He had assumed that the man in blue was no ordinary person, but he had not expected him to be such a divine being.

We underestimated it.

"You're lucky, so I won't kill you."

"You still came."

The mummified corpse's vocal cords seemed to have rotted, making its voice hoarse and unpleasant, yet it still liked to chuckle eerily, sending chills down one's spine.

"They're here? Who's here?" Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they all turned to look. The fiery light flickered, illuminating a blurry figure covered in mud, carrying a knife.

I was passing through Yongzhou and stopped by to see you.

The figure that had suddenly appeared laughed.

As soon as he spoke, Gongsun Xiu immediately recognized his voice and exclaimed in delight, "Senior Xu!"

Several martial artists who had the good fortune to see the mysterious master Xu Qian at noon were overjoyed. The arrival of this important figure meant that they were completely safe and no longer in danger.

He was the mysterious master Xiu'er had mentioned, the master who sealed the zombie. Gongsun Xiangming suddenly realized something.

Xu Qi'an's figure vanished mysteriously, reappearing among the mummified corpse and Gongsun Xiu, his tone slightly agitated, giving the impression that he was in a bad mood.

"Get out of here right now and wait for me outside."

Gongsun Xiu and his companions felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and had long since lost any interest in treasure hunting. They scrambled away to escape.

The mummified corpse didn't stop them. After everyone left, he looked at Xu Qi'an and asked in surprise:

"That was the Gu God's technique."

"To be precise, it's a method used by the Gu Clan of Southern Frontier."

Xu Qi'an corrected him, then beckoned to the torch at his feet, raised it high, and illuminated the withered and terrifying appearance of the dried corpse.

"I've come to you this time to ask for your help... to get something from you."

He sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a torch, and said, "May I borrow your fingernails, venom, and corpse fumes?"

The mummified corpse asked, "You want to refine Law Artifact?"

Xu Qi'an nodded.

The mummified corpse in its tattered yellow robe didn't answer, but suddenly stared at him, a deep light flashing in its dark eyes:

"You have been sealed away."

Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "You have good taste."

As expected of a body transformed from that of a master of at least the first rank, its rank allowed it to immediately detect the problem with my physical condition.

The mummified corpse's eyes flickered slightly.

Xu Qi'an laughed nonchalantly:

"I attempted to emulate your lord, thus committing regicide and seizing the throne, but was assassinated by the current top-ranking Warlock, the Supervisor. Now my cultivation has been sealed."

As he spoke, Xu Qi'an unbuttoned his shirt to show him the nails embedded in his skin.

"You?"

The mummified corpse's expression changed slightly. "Where is the monster inside you? Why hasn't it come out to see me?"

The mummified corpse truly valued the monk Shenshu, not Xu Qi'an as its host, but upon seeing the nails, it suddenly realized something was amiss.

How did this kid manage to withstand these potentially deadly seals on his own?

"He's asleep. After the regicide, we joined forces to fight a first-rank Warlock, but we were no match. I was sealed away, and he fell into a deep sleep. Oh, right."

Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "I have already advanced to the third rank of Undying Body."

"An immortal body, no wonder."

No wonder he can still be so lively despite being sealed like that.

The mummified corpse's expression suddenly became complicated. Back then, this kid's cultivation was shallow; he was nothing more than an ant.

How long has it been?

He had already entered the realm of a third-rank martial artist, possessing an immortal body.

He considered his current state. Most of his power was sealed, making him unable to deal with a third-rank martial artist. Although this kid was also sealed, the monster sleeping inside him could awaken if it were disturbed.

The Heart Gu's ability is quite useful, although it's only a minor guidance and can't be considered control at all. Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, but remained calm on the surface.

"I won't take your things for nothing. I'll try to help you find that lord. In fact, since that day, I've been keeping an eye on your lord and investigating the Great Liang Dynasty."

Xu Qi'an once again used the Heart Gu to guide the process.

The mummified corpse's eyes lit up; its attention was completely drawn to this topic.

This isn't because the Heart Gu is particularly powerful, but rather because similar topics are precisely what the mummies are most interested in.

The Heart Gu only plays a supporting role, making those who are paying attention pay more attention and those who are concerned care more, so that they will not be distracted by other things, such as betraying Xu Qi'an.

"The history of the Great Liang Dynasty dates back to ancient times. The era of gods Gods and Devils ended, and the Gods and Devils races rose to power. The descendants of gods and demons wreaked havoc across the land. That period of history was full of turmoil and chaos. Confucian School did not emerge, and no conventional, detailed historical records have been left behind."

Xu Qi'an spoke eloquently, "However, we can still deduce many things from the side. For example, after your lord shed his old body and reconstructed a new flesh, there are only two possible outcomes."

"First, he has already perished. Second, he has changed his identity."

The mummified corpse frowned. "An alias? What do you mean?"

"A pseudonym means to change one's identity. For example, Xu Qian is my pseudonym. Sometimes, Xu Erlang is also my pseudonym," Xu Qi'an said.

"Are you aware of the rule that those who possess great fortune cannot live forever?"

"Those who possess great fortune cannot live forever," the mummified corpse muttered, shaking its head.

"You don't know, which means that when your lord murdered the emperor and usurped the throne, he didn't know this rule either. Later, he failed to transcend the tribulation and thus learned about this rule. That's why he shed his old body and severed ties with everything from the past, including you and the Jade Seal of Destiny."

Xu Qi'an laughed, "This is very interesting."

Those who possess great fortune cannot live forever; this is a rule known to everyone at the pinnacle of the Nine Provinces.

But in ancient times, very few people knew this rule. Why?

Because the human race had just risen to prominence at that time, the entire race had not yet accumulated a vast fortune, and fortune was an unfamiliar concept to human cultivators at that time.

The ancient Daoist who seemed to follow the path of the Human Sect realized that luck could help him cultivate, so he slew the giant serpent, became the national teacher, and gained great prestige and luck. In the end, he simply killed the king and ascended the throne.

Just like when he beheaded Empress Joan of Arc.

However, he later discovered that as his cultivation level increased, he could no longer escape the shackles of destiny and could not achieve immortality.

Thus, by taking advantage of the heavenly tribulation, he shed his skin like a cicada shedding its shell, separated a portion of his soul, exchanged it for his old body, and severed all ties with the past.

Based on the content of the mural, this reasoning aligns with logic and facts.

"This Daoist is quite something. He is also surrounded by good fortune. Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wuzong, both first-rank martial artists, have passed away, as has the Confucian sage. None of the founding emperors with superb cultivation in history have been able to live forever, but he is able to forcibly sever everything."

"How did he do that? There must be a crucial step I don't know about."

Xu Qi'an gathered his scattered thoughts and continued:

"He left you and the Jade Seal of Fortune here, proving that he has successfully severed ties with the past. Therefore, with his cultivation level, time cannot destroy him. He must still be alive."

"If he later becomes a Super Rank, then, excluding the Gu God, any Super Rank could be his alternate identity; an alternate identity means a new identity."

"If he hadn't become a Super Rank, he would probably be lying low, perhaps plotting something, but ultimately he didn't die."

It wasn't dead, it wasn't dead. The mummified corpse's eyes flickered with human emotions, a mixture of sorrow and joy.

Seeing his intense emotional fluctuations, Xu Qi'an chuckled and said:

Are you satisfied with this result?

The mummified corpse nodded slowly.

Xu Qi'an was also very satisfied. He lightly tapped the surface of the Earth Book fragment and summoned the Taiping Blade.

He held a knife in one hand and pulled up the mummified corpse's hand with the other, clicking his tongue and saying, "Your fingernails haven't been cut for thousands of years. Aren't you afraid of poking your nose and getting a bloody nose when you pick it?"

The mummified corpse's fingernails were jet black, unlike human fingernails. They resembled the claws of some large, ferocious beast, hard and sharp, but not very long.

Xu Qi'an gripped the knife and hacked away, sparks flying everywhere, finally managing to cut off a piece.

If it were just for crafting Law Artifact, a fingernail would suffice. However, materials from mummified corpses are rare, so Xu Qi'an deliberately didn't specify the quantity, adhering to the principle of taking as much as he could.

After severing five fingernails, the mummified corpse clenched its fist, somewhat unaccustomed to the "empty" fingers. Seeing Xu Qi'an then take its other hand, the corpse's expression immediately changed:

Don't go too far.

Xu Qi'an stopped there, and with the mummy's permission, he used his knife to cut open the flesh at the mummy's neck, taking out about ten milliliters of thick, bluish-black liquid, which he then sealed in a small jade bottle.

At this point, two of the materials needed for Wei Yuan's resurrection had been gathered.

Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a great sense of peace and joy deep within his heart.

Finally, one uses the corpse's energy to nourish the corpse gu.

Two plumes of black smoke billowed from the mummified corpse's mouth, swirling and lingering in the air, clearly indicating a highly poisonous substance.

Xu Qi'an contracted his lower abdomen, inhaled, and wisps of black smoke billowed into his nostrils.

In an instant, he became like someone who was drunk; his pupils dilated, and dark veins bulged on his cheeks, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

This process lasted a full twenty minutes before he completely digested the corpse energy, the black blood vessel network faded, and his pupils regained focus.

He closed his eyes and sensed the changes in the Seven Deadly Gu, which symbolized a qualitative leap in the power of the Corpse Gu, making it the strongest Gu technique below the Heavenly Gu.

He is now able to control three seventh-rank masters from different systems quite perfectly.

"Relatively perfect" means that it can reproduce more than 80% of their combat power and skills.

The mummified corpse suddenly frowned and said, "Why are you staring at me?"

Xu Qi'an said sincerely, "Suddenly, I think you're quite handsome."

"?"

The mummified corpse stared at him expressionlessly.

Xu Qi'an smiled nonchalantly, stood up, bowed, and said, "Farewell!"

He turned and left without looking back.

He walked out of the underground palace and through the stone gate, holding a torch, and stopped by a wall. He lightly tapped his head against the wall and muttered curses:

"This is so damn embarrassing."

"This is so damn embarrassing."

After a while, having calmed the goosebumps in his skin, Xu Qi'an returned to the ground with practiced ease.

The autumn rain was continuous and chilly, hitting his face, shoulders, and neck. He glanced around and saw that Gongsun Xiu and the others were still waiting outside the cave.

Some wore raincoats, some wore straw hats, and some had no rain gear at all.

Upon seeing Xu Qi'an emerge, Gongsun Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior."

The warriors beside her bowed, clasped their hands, and said in unison:

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "It's a small matter."

He paused, and before Gongsun Xiu and the others could speak, he instructed them:

"The ancient corpse in the tomb is ferocious. Anyone below the third rank who enters will surely die. At its peak, even a third-rank martial artist might not be its match. From this day forward, the entrance is sealed, and no one is allowed to enter."

"If the ancient corpse were to recover by consuming Essence Blood, Yongzhou would be transformed into a hellish inferno. The Gongsun Aristocratic Clan must take full responsibility for this matter."

Even a third-rank martial artist might not be its match. The crowd's pupils dilated uncontrollably, their hearts raced, and a strong sense of lingering fear surged within them. They had not only narrowly escaped death, but had practically had a wild goose chase with the King of Hell.

The fact that he was able to return to the mortal realm is purely because Yama, the King of Hell, was drunk.

"Yes!"

Gongsun Xiu clasped her hands in a fist salute, her red lips pursed, her beautiful face filled with seriousness. "This junior will certainly guard this mountain to repay the life-saving grace of my senior."

After a pause, she mustered her courage and asked, "May I ask who this esteemed master is?"

This question is somewhat offensive, but given the great favor received, it's reasonable to inquire about the identity of one's benefactor.

Xu Qi'an didn't answer, waved his hand, and walked straight down the mountain.

Just as Gongsun Xiu and the others were feeling disappointed, the figure in blue robes, gradually disappearing into the darkness, called out loudly:

"Having attained enlightenment for eight hundred years, I have never taken a head with my flying sword."

"The Jade Emperor has not yet issued a heavenly decree, and the black gold is being traded among the common people."

P. S.: There are typos; I'll correct them later.