Banshee Family Training Record

Page 164

The official said, "Nothing is needed, but this secret realm is quite dangerous. Zombies roam freely, and cultivators whose cultivation is not up to par and whose self-defense methods are insufficient are likely to encounter danger there."

"Therefore, for your safety, Lord Chen Shuling has given an order that you are absolutely not allowed to enter."

Yun Chu'an was taken aback, somewhat incredulous: "You should have been there that day, you should have seen me? I am Li Changsheng, the one who wiped out all the zombies in one fell swoop with golden divine lightning. When it comes to safety, no one can guarantee my safety better than me."

Upon hearing this, the official hesitated for a moment, but after thinking it over, he finally shook his head firmly: "That won't do either. Rules are rules, and no one can do them."

Yun Chu'an beckoned to the people around him and took out the magical items they had prepared to suppress zombies from their storage bags: "We have made ample preparations, and we are traveling together, so there will be no danger. Is this still not enough?"

"Sir, what other requests do you have? What procedures do we need to follow, and what conditions need to be met? Just tell us, and we will definitely be able to meet them."

He said this, but the official still shook his head: "No means no. Oh, there aren't that many complicated procedures. It's just that your preparations are not sufficient. Don't talk nonsense. I'm only doing this for the public good. I have no intention of making things difficult for anyone."

Yun Chu'an frowned, not understanding what he was trying to say. The other cultivators who followed him were also quite dissatisfied, and the atmosphere became tense.

Just then, the middle-aged male cultivator who was walking with him suddenly reached out and tugged at him, saying, "Fellow Daoist Li, let's talk over here."

Yun Chu'an looked puzzled but didn't say anything. He followed him to the side and then heard the middle-aged cultivator lower his voice and whisper, "Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but there are deeper unspoken rules behind this: the families behind these official cultivators have also been taking the opportunity to do related business these days. If you don't buy the magic treasures they sell, these people won't let you into the secret realm."

Yun Chu'an was immediately dumbfounded.

"Is that so..." he murmured, then gave a wry smile. "Alright, alright, consider it payment for the ticket. So, where is his relative's stall?"

The middle-aged man took in his expression, smiled slightly, and continued, "I've long wanted to team up with you, fellow Daoist, to slay demons and monsters together. I already bought an extra one of those things for you."

Yun Chu'an exchanged a few polite words, but finally accepted the gift. He then called over the others and told them about it.

Immediately, everyone present felt dissatisfied, complaining that the Zhao state's officialdom was controlled by a few powerful families, and that it was corrupt and dark everywhere.

Despite their complaints, these cultivators still paid out of their own pockets to buy the relevant magical artifacts from the official cultivator's relative's house, and then privately cursed how heartless these guys were.

Those crudely made peach wood amulets are said to be able to ward off zombies, but if they were actually put on the market, they would probably only be worth a few low-grade spirit stones.

But with government officials backing them, these guys dare to sell each mid-grade spirit stone for a thousand. You can't argue with that. Not buying? Then you might as well not even go into the secret realm; all your previous investment will be wasted!

Finally, everyone had bought their things and returned to the entrance of the tomb's secret realm: "My lord, we have made further preparations. Now, do you think we are qualified?"

They all produced the magical treasures they had purchased, including the peach wood talisman, which should have been cheap but was sold at an extremely high price. The official guarding the entrance to the secret realm showed a satisfied expression, nodded slightly, and said, "Ah, that's more like it. I didn't mean to make things difficult for everyone; it was simply for your safety..."

"Once inside, you must proceed with extreme caution and prudence. Do not act recklessly. No amount of wealth is more than a number '0'; without the '1' in front of it—life—it is nothing..."

He kept babbling on and on, as if he were truly a benevolent official who loved his people like his own children, which was utterly annoying.

As he spoke, he didn't delay his work, but stepped aside and loudly chanted incantations towards the canyon in front of him.

A fierce wind swept through the high sky above the canyon, and a purplish-black diamond-shaped crack suddenly appeared in mid-air, from which endless yin energy surged out. Even the cultivators present, who were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, couldn't help but shiver.

This diamond-shaped crack, seemingly an entrance, is actually a seal. This is the result of the recent efforts of many officials and cultivators, whose aim is to seal away the yin energy leaking from the secret realm of the tomb, at least to prevent it from affecting the surrounding environment and causing evil spirits such as ghosts and will-o'-the-wisps in the surrounding mountains.

When someone wants to enter the secret realm, they open the seal to let them in.

"Hurry up and go in," the official urged. "The seal has been open for too long, and the excessive leakage of yin energy inside will also pollute the surrounding spiritual energy!"

Without saying a word, Yun Chu'an leaped more than ten meters into the diamond-shaped crevice. Zhu Yunqing and Hua Caiyan followed closely behind, followed by the few rogue cultivators who insisted on teaming up with him, all jumping into the secret realm.

After seeing them off, the officials closed the entrance to the secret realm again, immediately cutting off the overflowing Yin energy, and everything seemed as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Yun Chu'an and the others had already entered a massive tomb. Even Nascent Soul stage cultivators lack the ability to create a completely new world on their own; the spaces they create are largely based on existing ones in reality.

So now, they were standing in a passageway made entirely of jade. The floor beneath their feet, the walls on both sides, and the ceiling above their heads were all made of crystal-clear jade, a sight to behold.

"It's so rich."

Following Yun Chu'an, the middle-aged male cultivator who was the oldest and had the lowest cultivation level, yet was the most insightful about the unspoken rules, couldn't help but sigh.

Although these jade pieces lack spiritual power, they can serve as the foundation for some low-level magic treasures. Fortunately, they were all Foundation Establishment cultivators; if it were Qi Refining cultivators, they would probably have to break through the surrounding walls and floors on the spot and dig up all the jade.

Looking at these jades, Yun Chu'an was filled with emotion. Although these jades might not be very valuable in the eyes of a Nascent Soul cultivator, such a large quantity would not have cost a small amount.

Chapter 355 Seduction! Temptation!

Suppressing his emotions, Yun Chu'an continued, "Let's go, let's go take a look."

Behind her, the beautifully dressed female cultivator quickly took two steps and approached Yun Chu'an. As if to prove her worth, she hurriedly said, "To be honest, I have entered this secret realm once before, but I was not strong enough and did not dare to go too deep."

"However, I have done my homework for this. Listen to me, this tomb is divided into inner and outer sides. The outer layer is a cover to deceive those who mistakenly create the secret realm. It is very safe, but the valuables have basically been looted. Even if there are some treasures in some dead corners, it is not worth our time and effort to search for them."

As she spoke, the group had already reached a large door. The woman seemed extremely familiar with it, puffing out her chest confidently: "After going in from here, there's a large hall. The burial goods inside have basically been removed; only the exquisite murals on the walls remain, so you could say they have some artistic value..."

As she said this, the middle-aged male cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage stepped forward and pushed open the stone door.

The darkness ahead did not obstruct the cultivators' vision at all. As the door slowly opened, the hall in front of them came into view.

Indeed, as the female cultivator had said, there weren't many burial items left in the hall. However, the walls were adorned with exquisite and magnificent murals depicting a handsome cultivator in flowing white robes from his youth to adulthood and then to middle age, like a grand and magnificent epic, captivating the heart and soul.

Clearly, this must be the mural autobiography commissioned by the wealthy Marquis of Qin Hai, the owner of the tomb, but no one is in the mood to appreciate it now.

Because right in front of them, three zombies dressed in blue shrouds stood upright, their arms outstretched as if they were foraging for food.

Hearing the door open, the three zombies immediately turned their heads, opened their eyes, and their pupils flashed with a blood-red light that represented killing intent: "Heh—!"

They opened their mouths, revealing sharp teeth, and exhaled a chilling, corpse-like aura. Then, they leaped forward, lunging towards them—

"what--!"

The female cultivator who had just been confidently leading the way for them suddenly let out a piercing scream, as if she was truly frightened by the terrifying faces of the three zombies.

She whirled around and threw herself at Yun Chu'an, her ample breasts pressing against his arms and chest as she clung to him tightly, crying out, "Help—!"

A soft sensation came from his chest and upper arms, and in an instant, Yun Chu'an was certain that this woman not only had large breasts, but was also definitely not wearing a bra!

No, bras hadn't been invented in this era, so aside from the women around him, no female cultivator should wear one...

These strange thoughts were running through his mind, but he wasn't worried about the threat from the three zombies in front of him. He had just scanned them with his Qi Observation Technique, and these three were only early Foundation Establishment stage zombies, quite weak. He didn't need to lift a finger; the others could easily deal with them using their own methods.

"Don't try to succeed!"

With a delicate shout, Zhu Yunqing flicked her hand, and three strands of spider silk shot out from her sleeve, instantly binding the three zombies and rendering them unable to move.

Other cultivators also took action. Today, they were not suddenly affected by the Yin energy that corrupted their bodies, causing them to lose most of their strength before the battle even began.

They each took action, some wielding peach wood swords, some splashing black dog blood, some throwing out soul-fixing talismans, and others brandishing copper coin swords. Like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displayed their unique abilities, smashing and exploding wildly. Instantly, the three zombies fell to the ground, unable to move.

"call……"

Zhu Yunqing stopped her actions, turned around, and saw that the woman was still on top of her man. She was so angry that her pretty face turned pale.

Suppressing the urge to lash out, she said coldly, "It's all right here now, let's keep going!"

Over there, the woman who had been clinging to Yun Chu'an like an octopus slowly climbed down, her face flushed as she straightened her disheveled clothes: "I'm sorry, I was so scared just now, I couldn't help but want to throw myself into the strongest support. Fellow Daoist Changsheng, your chest is so warm..."

whoosh-

A throwing knife suddenly grazed her temple and embedded itself in the jade wall behind her. Hua Caiyan clapped her hands with a cold face and said stiffly, "Sorry, my hand slipped. I hope I didn't scare you. I'm so sorry."

As she spoke, she walked over, put away her throwing knife, and glared fiercely at Yun Chu'an, the warning in her eyes clear.

Yun Chu'an gave a wry smile. He hadn't realized it yet. He hadn't expected the female cultivators from Zhao to be so enthusiastic. Last time, the female cultivator had warmly invited him to stay at her house, and this time, this one had practically snuggled into his arms.

This is blatant and overt seduction, and could even be considered sexual harassment.

Noticing that both of his beloved wives were in a bad mood, Yun Chuan quickly distanced himself from her and became more vigilant. He then said, "Please have some self-respect, young lady. If you are afraid, just walk behind. If you react as you did before, it's a small matter if it causes misunderstandings, but if it interferes with my spellcasting and delays our battle, it could endanger the lives of all of us!"

The female cultivator thought to herself, "Of course I know. I only dared to pounce into your arms because I realized that those three zombies weren't very strong."

But her words remained obedient: "Okay, Brother Changsheng, I'll listen to you, I'll hide in the back."

Without realizing it, she even changed how she addressed Yun Chu'an. After speaking, she glanced at Hua Caiyan and Zhu Yunqing, the latter disguising their faces to make them appear quite ordinary, which made her even more confident.

Just kidding, I don't believe any young, vigorous man can resist being lecherous. I'm prettier than both of you, and I have a better figure. Just you wait and see, even though he won't say it out loud for the sake of his pride, he definitely likes me more in his heart!

With this thought in mind, she smiled, proudly raised her head like a victorious rooster, and walked to the back.

Yun Chu'an looked guilty and shook her head slightly as she glanced at her fourth sister in front of her, indicating that she really didn't mean it.

Zhu Yunqing frowned, secretly making up her mind that she would never hide her appearance again unless absolutely necessary. She was not satisfied with Chu An's charm, which easily attracted unwanted attention, and she couldn't stop such troubles along the way.

Bad women outside, stay away from my man!

The atmosphere between the three women became quite subtle, a feeling that the male cultivators in the group could also sense. Each of them wore a subtle expression, silently distancing themselves from the women to avoid provoking them and protect themselves.

Despite saying that, the group still went into the hall together, burned the corpses of the three zombies, and continued their exploration.

There is a door on each of the left and right sides of the hall, plus the one they just came through, making a total of three doors.

Seeing that the surroundings were indeed safe, and that there was no point in hiding in the back, the female cultivator took the initiative to step forward and stand in front of the group, saying, "Both of these doors lead to other tomb chambers, but they are both located in the outer area, which is relatively safe. However, the treasures here were probably all looted during the first round when Chen Shuling led his people in to explore."

Hua Caiyan suddenly spoke up: "Fellow Daoist, you just said that this place is relatively safe, but we just opened the door and encountered three zombies."

The female cultivator smiled, not feeling embarrassed at all: "This shows that there have been too many cultivators going in and out of the inner layer recently, so much so that some zombies that should have been sealed in the inner layer are now wandering out to the outer layer, making the outer layer both devoid of resources and full of danger."

"Killing zombies here is a thankless task. Let's hurry up and go to the inner layer. Although there should be more traps there, there are also more treasures there."

As she spoke, she quietly moved to stand in front of the crowd again.

Yun Chu'an nodded slightly, looked at the woman, and suddenly said, "In that case, you should lead the way. Don't worry, we will provide support immediately if there is any danger."

As he spoke, he glanced at the doors on either side: "Which of these two doors leads to the inner area?"

The female cultivator said, "No, the entrance to the inner layer is beneath our feet."

As she spoke, she walked to the center of the hall, extended both hands, closed her eyes, and began to chant a lengthy incantation.

As she chanted her incantation, the once neat jade floor in the room suddenly split open. A chilling spiritual energy surged through the crack, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

As she finished her incantation, a downward-spinning tunnel appeared on the floor directly in front of the room. A chilling aura emanated from it, hinting at what terrifying things lurked beneath.

“It’s down there.” After finishing, the female cultivator said, “This mechanism will automatically reset, so it has to be restarted every time you come in. If you don’t know the mechanism and just enter from the left or right entrance, you’ll probably be going around in circles all day, wasting your time and effort, and in the end you’ll get nothing.”

After pausing, she began to emphasize her contribution: "These spells are not easy to understand. Before we came here last time, my teammates and I consulted many ancient texts and tried countless times before we finally cracked the spells."

Yun Chu'an nodded slightly, looked at her, and smiled: "Understood, thank you, fellow Daoist. We will remember your contribution."

The female cultivator smiled and didn't say anything more. With his words, she felt that was enough.

“It’s very dangerous going down from here; there are even more traps inside,” she said. “Who should go first?”

Chapter 356 Deep Within the Tomb

Just as Zhu Yunqing was about to say that her cultivation was high and that she should let him do it, a figure suddenly stepped forward and said, "Let me do it."

It was that tall cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

He also wanted to demonstrate his worth, so he was the first to rush into the downward spiral staircase. Yun Chu'an followed behind him, and the others followed one after another, descending the staircase.

As they descended, the temperature gradually dropped lower and lower. The yin energy was so dense that it almost turned into a purplish-black substance, eroding their flesh and bones and making them feel uncomfortable.

On this point, it must be said that Chen Shuling was right. Cultivators in the Qi Refining stage should absolutely not come down into this tomb. They have no chance of resisting the erosion of this Yin energy. Just standing here could quickly turn them into corpses and turn them into their enemies.

They continued downwards, the passage seeming exceptionally long. In some places, they could see arrows stuck in the walls, stained with blood.

Clearly, those were all triggered mechanisms; it's unclear what unfortunate souls fell into them. Luckily, they arrived late; all the mechanisms had already been triggered once, so they didn't need to worry too much about their safety as they descended.

However, there were certainly no treasures to be found.

After walking for a long time, the group finally reached the bottom. Here, it was no longer as magnificent as the top, with walls and floors made of jade.

On the contrary, the walls and ceilings here were made of black bricks and stones, and there was hard rock underfoot, which made Yun Chuan wonder where they had descended to.

Perhaps even for Nascent Soul stage cultivators, opening up a space so deep underground is a strenuous task. In any case, the ceiling above them was very low, and the taller cultivators in the group had to bend down slightly, otherwise they might bump their heads.

The passageway was also extremely narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass at the same time. Combined with the already dim and eerie environment, everyone felt unbearably cramped and unable to breathe.

"Isn't this place a little strange?"

The middle-aged male cultivator frowned and said this. Although he was also in the Foundation Establishment stage, he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment at an advanced age, which meant that his talent was limited and his strength was the weakest among them. At this moment, he was naturally the most uncomfortable facing the erosion of Yin energy.

Yun Chu'an frowned, carefully sensing the surrounding spiritual energy, and then said in an uncertain tone, "This is... the Nine Yin Soul-Locking Formation?"

Qi Qiao had explained this formation to him before, and now, sensing the flow of Yin spiritual energy around him, he felt it was somewhat familiar and unconsciously spoke it out loud.

Ahead, the female cultivator leading the way had her eyes light up: "Brother Changsheng, you also know about this kind of formation?"

Yun Chu'an nodded: "I've heard of it. It seems this fellow Daoist also knows about it?"

The female cultivator nodded: "Yes, some of the seniors who have entered this secret realm before have also recognized this formation. This is a formation specifically used to trap people's souls. If a cultivator dies here, their soul cannot escape and can only become nourishment for these zombies with yin energy."

"This is also a tactic of the Corpse-Driving Faction. They often use this as bait: luring people in to explore the tomb, but in reality, anyone who enters becomes food for the zombies."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. The chubby Taoist gave an awkward laugh and stammered, "Ah ha, thankfully the Corpse-Driving Sect has been wiped out, otherwise... haha, with our limited cultivation, we probably wouldn't have escaped their clutches!"

Yun Chu'an didn't say much, but glanced at Zhu Yunqing out of the corner of his eye. The latter had been helping him spread the word these past few days, and now that he knew the time was right, he said, "What does it matter? If we're not strong enough and die in this tomb secret realm, even without this Soul-Locking Array, with our cultivation level, do you think we can just have our souls leave our bodies and escape?"

The group exchanged glances, and the chubby Taoist priest gave an awkward laugh: "Ha, that's true."