Chapter 42

The tomb passage was dim and dark, and Zhao Yun and Niu Hong walked cautiously.

Such a large tomb, if there were no traps, no one would believe it. They had to walk steadily, for a misstep could lead to a fall into a pit. They had considered many possibilities, but never imagined that beneath the Taoist temple lay an ancient tomb.

"The blood trail has ended."

At the front, Niu Hong squatted down, having followed the blood trail all the way here.

Looking at Zhao Yun, he held the small spirit pearl in his hand.

To this day, it had not turned deep green again.

This meant that the distance to the priest was beyond its range of perception.

With no choice, the two continued to walk deeper.

The tomb passage was not short, and it was not straight, spiraling downward. They estimated they had already descended several hundred feet. Such a massive project could have been for a noble or a high-ranking official, or perhaps a predecessor of great importance.

"Little fatty, teach me your sound wave secret technique!"

Zhao Yun, holding a ball of flame, looked at the walls of the tomb passage as he spoke.

"It's a family heirloom," Niu Hong replied.

"I saved you three times, and this is how you repay me?" Zhao Yun pouted.

"I'll teach you when we get out," Niu Hong grinned.

"Stop." Zhao Yun immediately stopped, grabbing Niu Hong, as he heard a rustling sound, like a swarm of insects crawling on the ground.

He was right; it was indeed insects. They were in front and behind, as big as a baby's fist, covering the tomb passage, crawling toward them.

"Corpse beetles?"

"Poisonous insects."

"No, that's not right."

"Bloodthirsty insects."

Both took a step back, their backs against each other.

These insects were not to be trifled with.

Bloodthirsty insects, just by their name, were not something to be taken lightly. If they entered the body, they would not come out until they had drained all the blood. Most importantly, there were so many of them! Zhao Yun's scalp tingled despite his calm demeanor.

"No wonder the priest was in such a hurry to get out."

Niu Hong said, thinking about the many bloodthirsty insects in the tomb, which made him shudder.

Boom!

Zhao Yun summoned beast fire, enveloping his body and Niu Hong.

Bloodthirsty insects were of extreme yin.

Since they were of extreme yin, they naturally feared extreme yang, such as fire.

The elders said so.

However, this was not absolute. Powerful bloodthirsty insects could still be quite stubborn.

Indeed, with the fire, the bloodthirsty insects stopped, but only temporarily. They still blocked the front and back, and would surely attack once the fire went out.

"Go."

Zhao Yun turned first, heading deeper, with Niu Hong closely following.

The bloodthirsty insects made way for the fire.

However, a few stubborn ones were burned to death.

"I think something big is coming."

Niu Hong coughed, swallowing a mouthful of saliva, looking behind him.

"It's quite big."

Zhao Yun also spoke, seeing something big in front and behind, which looked like a spider but was actually a bloodthirsty insect.

One in front, one behind, a male and a female.

As for the smaller bloodthirsty insects, they were clearly their offspring.

"True essence shield."

Zhao Yun's voice was firm, with two flying knives in his hands, he threw them in both directions, reminding Niu Hong to protect himself to avoid being caught in the explosion.

Boom! Bang!

The explosion sounded, and the female bloodthirsty insect was immediately shattered, green liquid splattering.

The male, however, managed to avoid it.

Not only did it avoid it, but it also pounced on the two, opening its blood-red mouth.

"Scram!"

Niu Hong roared, his voice carrying the power of a dragon's roar and a tiger's growl.

Clang!

At the same moment, Zhao Yun attacked with his sword, the blade covered in fierce flames and lightning, enhanced by true essence. With one strike, he split the male bloodthirsty insect in two.

Whine...!

As the bloodthirsty insects died, a whining sound was heard, like the wailing of ghosts.

Then, a poisonous mist filled the tomb passage.

Both held their breath and used true essence to block their nostrils.

Continuing deeper, there were still many traps.

Fortunately, the two were well-coordinated, and they were still alive and well.

"Just the tomb passage has so many traps."

Niu Hong whistled, admiring the tomb raiders who faced such challenges.

Bang!

As he spoke, Zhao Yun hit the wall again.

Again, why say again?

Because along the way, Zhao Yun would hit the wall every so often.

"Are you... sick?"

Niu Hong asked tentatively, his eyes clearly suggesting: if you're sick, get treated.

"Get lost."

Zhao Yun held his forehead, wincing in pain. The reason he kept hitting the wall was to test the wall-penetrating technique, but the tomb passage was peculiar, preventing the technique. He was determined, hitting the wall repeatedly until his nose and face were bruised.

The tomb passage finally reached its end.

To be precise, there was no path ahead, blocked by a stone door.

"I'll handle this, I know how."

Niu Hong volunteered, tiptoeing to turn the stone lamp in front of the door.

Hum!

With a hum, the stone door opened.

Zhao Yun held the door frame, peering inside to ensure there was no danger before entering. On the other side of the door was a cliff, and Niu Hong, walking too quickly, nearly fell off. Some rocks fell, but there was no echo.

"An ancient tomb with so many paths."

Zhao Yun whistled, looking at the opposite cliff. Between the two cliffs was a suspension bridge, and there were three of them.

Clearly, only one was real.

Choosing the right one would lead to safety; choosing the wrong one would likely lead to death.

"This one won't work, it's toxic."

Niu Hong said, sniffing around the left suspension bridge. His posture made him look like a pug, and a very sensitive one at that.

"Is it?" Zhao Yun squatted down but couldn't smell anything.

"Trust me, if it's wrong, it must be toxic." Niu Hong pointed to his nose, as if to say: it's a family heirloom, very sensitive.

Then, he sniffed the middle one.

No abnormalities, he then sniffed the right one, which made his eyes water. Who knows what he smelled, but having a sensitive nose wasn't always a good thing.

"Come, this one."

Niu Hong, holding his nose, walked onto the middle suspension bridge.

"What did you smell?" Zhao Yun followed, curious.

"Dog poop."

"How big a pile?" Zhao Yun said casually, holding the iron chain and looking down. It was pitch black below, and the more he looked, the more he felt his mind being consumed. At this height, even a Xuan Yang realm practitioner would be smashed to pieces if they fell.

Niu Hong was reliable.

This suspension bridge had no issues, and they walked across easily.

On the opposite cliff, another stone door blocked the way.

"Got it." Zhao Yun looked at the small spirit pearl, which glowed deep green.

This meant the priest was inside.

"This time, I'll finish you off." Niu Hong muttered, pulling out his weapon.

Hum!

With a hum, the stone door opened, and light shone through.

Both rushed in.

This was the main tomb. In the center was a coffin on a platform, and around it were burial goods, mostly gold, silver, and porcelain.

"What a large coffin."

Niu Hong whistled, noting that it was a stone coffin, much larger than a regular one.

"Predecessor, you've made us search hard!"

Niu Hong looked at the coffin, while Zhao Yun looked at the person below it.

Indeed, the person was sitting there, healing.

Seeing the two enter, he quickly stood up, his heart burning with anger, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in a grotesque manner, and his state was pitiful. He had not been far enough away from the previous explosion, and had been caught in the blast.

"Do we have a grudge?" the priest asked through gritted teeth.

Upon reflection, it seemed Zhao Yun had provoked him first, by taking someone from him.

"Master, you have a poor memory. It's only been three years, don't you remember me?"

Zhao Yun said calmly, his deep eyes flashing with a cold light as he approached with his sword.

As he spoke, the priest narrowed his eyes.

He could not deny that Zhao Yun looked increasingly familiar.

"You..."

As he looked, he took a step back, his expression one of disbelief.

"It seems you remember me." Zhao Yun smiled.

"It's impossible." The priest roared, "I clearly disabled you."

"Unfortunately, I have a strong constitution."

"Good!" The priest laughed viciously, "I regret not finishing you off."

"Can you tell me who you're working for?"

Zhao Yun stepped closer, this was what he most wanted to know, to find out who had plotted against him. He believed he had no grudge with the priest, and it was likely that the priest was doing it for money.

The priest remained silent, suddenly throwing three talismans.

Clearly, it was a diversion. After throwing the talismans, he tried to escape, knowing that with his severe injuries, he was no match for the two. He also feared Zhao Yun's explosive talisman.

"Can you escape?"

Zhao Yun coldly hummed, his Wind God Step was faster, and he slashed the priest with his sword.

Before the priest could get up, Zhao Yun stepped on him.

This step was powerful, causing the priest to spew blood.

"Speak." Zhao Yun said coldly.

"I don't know." The priest coughed up blood, "I only know he has six fingers on his left hand."

"Six fingers."

Zhao Yun murmured, his eyes flashing.

His memory was like flipping through pages of a book.

However, even after searching his memory, he could not find anyone with six fingers.

As he thought, the priest tried to run.

Indeed, people like him were not skilled in combat, though they had many tricks, their physical bodies were weak. Zhao Yun's step had nearly crippled him. Three years ago, if not for a sneak attack, he would not have been able to sever Zhao Yun's spirit veins.

"Old dog, let's settle our accounts!"

The priest escaped the initial attack but could not escape the final one. Stumbling, he did not run far before being finished off by Niu Hong, who struck him down with a powerful sword.

The priest died in frustration.

Or rather, in regret, regretting having provoked Zhao Yun and Niu Hong.

"Six fingers."

Zhao Yun, hands in his pockets, paced around, still thinking about the culprit.

"Come, choose one of these!"

After dealing with the priest, Niu Hong came over, holding the priest's soul-capturing bell in one hand and an ancient book in the other. As spoils of war, they should be divided equally.

Zhao Yun regained his focus and looked up.

The soul-capturing bell, he had seen before, was made of a special iron and imbued with witchcraft, its sound capable of disrupting the mind.

The ancient book was titled "Talisman Record."

As the name suggested, it was a manual of talisman patterns, such as the yellow talismans used by the priest.

He was very interested in this.

He only knew how to draw explosive talismans, and had not seen any others.

"I want both."

"Then where will you go to cool off?" Niu Hong glanced at Zhao Yun.

"Talisman Record."

"Alright, the bell is mine." Niu Hong chuckled.