The gigantic fish bone in the center of the lake rotated with the ice, once protruding from the water, now presenting a submerged appearance.
They had stayed in the Ascension Hall for a full six or seven hours. Most of their energy was depleted, and with few monsters along the way, they couldn’t immediately enter a state of tension.
Trapped within the space enclosed by the ice and the serpent bones, there was nowhere to escape. They could only watch the world spin before their eyes.
The coldness around them grew heavier, causing their joints to stiffen, and the visible breaths turned increasingly misty.
Yin Ci wasn’t particularly nervous. Even if everyone died here, he could retrieve the Buddhist beads. But if he was the only one left, the path ahead would be difficult—no one knew if there were any mechanisms that required multiple people to trigger.
If things went wrong and he was trapped at the bottom of the Ghost Tomb for a long time, he wouldn’t be able to endure it.
He needed to find a way to save everyone.
“Shizun, put me down. I can step on the serpent bones.”
Shi Jingzhi squatted down, stroking the white bones a few times. “Hmm, okay… A’Ci, don’t wander around. I’ll figure something out.”
At this moment, the Ascension Hall had rotated halfway, and the lake water surged in large quantities through the gaps in the ice, reaching the same level as the serpent bones. If it continued to rotate for a moment longer, everyone would be forcefully submerged into the water.
The sensation of the world overturning was particularly suffocating, with the air slowly slipping away, driving one almost insane.
Shi Zhongyu remained calm and attempted to break the ice beside her, where there was no water. Meanwhile, Shi Jingzhi ignited his golden fire, bombarding the serpent bones beside him. Yan Qing was quite self-aware—he held onto their luggage and waited obediently, occasionally shifting positions to make room, adopting an appearance as if resigned to fate.
However, he was the first to encounter trouble.
Yan Qing stepped on a piece of serpent bone and lost his balance. He passed right through that bone and, with a splash, fell into the water, sinking into the depths of the lake in front of everyone. Unlike the previous sacrifices, his body wasn’t corroded.
However, the turbulence in the lake water made it too murky, and people couldn’t see where he sank.
“Don’t move. It’s an illusion.” Shi Jingzhi reached out and touched the “serpent bone”, easily passing his finger through the illusion.
People were focused on the maze itself and wouldn’t pay attention to whether the serpent bone was missing a piece—let alone notice such a delicate illusion.
Everyone immediately stopped their movements. Shi Zhongyu unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, breaking the illusion, and the serpent bones slowly vanished, revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through. Shi Jingzhi dropped a piece of jerky down, which instantly dissolved, no different from before.
As the lake water was about to engulf them, Shi Zhongyu anxiously said, “It must be Yan Qing’s bloodline that triggered something. Did anyone see clearly just now?”
Yin Ci raised his hand. “The direction of the sediment is wrong.”
Masters could perceive even the slightest details, and almost simultaneously, everyone looked down at the lake water beneath their feet.
Green water covered the white sand, and their flow appeared somewhat turbid, interspersed with liquid clusters—they were soft and transparent, sharing the same green color as the lake water. At first glance, they were extremely difficult to notice, resembling glass beads in the water.
The liquid blob had a cocoon-like shape, just big enough to fit one person.
Shi Jingzhi took a breath. “These things are floating around… It seems they only actively transport the descendants of the Yan family.”
Given the situation, they had to jump out of the hole in the serpent bones and precisely land in the liquid spheres. If they missed or deviated, the consequences ranged from missing limbs to losing their lives on the spot.
There weren’t many people from the Taiheng Sect, and they were all trusted followers of Shi Zhongyu. They nodded to her and one by one jumped down. The liquid spheres enveloped them and quickly sank into the lake.
However, the liquid spheres moved swiftly, and the thought of not having another chance if they made a mistake weighed heavily on their minds. What could have been accomplished earlier was now seemingly impossible. When it was Jin Lan’s turn, his face turned pale. He shuffled his feet against the ice surface, unable to move forward.
Seizing the opportunity, Shi Zhongyu gave him a push. Jin Lan took a sharp breath and successfully retracted his body, only leaving a corner of his clothing exposed.
The fabric was immediately swallowed by the lake water.
Next were the people from the Rong Palace.
The person inside the sedan didn’t step out. The sedan folded itself into a barrel shape, sealing the person tightly inside. The experts from the Rong Palace simply threw the sedan down the gap, disregarding the liquid spheres, but the sedan didn’t shatter.
Shi Zhongyu coldly watched as those from the Rong Palace departed before jumping into the lake herself. At this moment, only Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci remained on the serpent bones, and the ice surface was about to close completely.
“A’Ci, come. Let me help you find the right timing.” Shi Jingzhi took a deep breath.
Yin Ci shook his head. “No.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
“These pits seem more like traps. If Shizun’s guess is correct, the liquid spheres are attracted by the Buddhist beads.” Yin Ci quickly explained. “I can jump by myself, but if the Buddhist beads aren’t here, the liquid spheres might disappear.”
They had two choices. Either Shi Jingzhi retrieved the Buddhist bead and went first, or Shi Jingzhi went first, and he would jump afterwards.
Since they only had one Buddhist bead, it was considered precious. Yin Ci had just prepared to remove the Buddhist bead to return it—
Shi Jingzhi interjected. “Are you sure you can jump?”
Yin Ci froze in his movements. “What?”
“I’m asking you, are you sure you won’t jump wrong?” Shi Jingzhi tiptoed, afraid that the soles of his shoes would be corroded.
“I’m sure, but…”
Shi Jingzhi interrupted with a smile, “Then I’ll go first. Don’t worry, since you have the Buddhist bead, I will definitely come find you.”
With that, he jumped decisively into the water and quickly sank.
…This guy’s logic is truly strange. Can’t he clearly distinguish what’s more important between an ordinary disciple who’s half-baked and a Buddhist bead that’s a life-saving clue?
Yin Ci fell silent for a moment and eventually jumped into the lake.
In the next instant, the ice surface completely flipped over, and the lake water surged in. The serpent bones, previously submerged beneath the lake surface, emerged on the ice, forming a new maze.
The descent didn’t take long. However, the material of the liquid sphere caused Yin Ci’s ghostskin robe to wrinkle and rendered it temporarily unusable.
The sound of rocks rubbing against each other echoed from above. Yin Ci adjusted his posture, landing silently. He then took off his sect attire and ghostskin robe. Suppressing his aura, he blended into the darkness, surveying the room in front of him.
The room was neither large nor small, unlike a burial chamber. In the center of the room stood a pillar-like device that extended to the ceiling, and at the base of the pillar was a bottomless pit. On the other end of the room lay four members of the Ling Sect and a monk from Jianchen Temple.
Yin Ci licked his fingertips with his tongue—indeed, the liquid spheres were laced with an anesthetic as his tongue instantly felt numb.
Taking a sweeping glance, Yin Ci roughly guessed Yan Budu’s intentions. He leaped lightly and hid behind a ghost-faced sculpture, intending to observe the situation quietly.
Before long, the unconscious people gradually regained consciousness. As if timed perfectly, a fire ignited in the room. The stone pillar was illuminated by the fire, and a line of text slowly became visible.
The members of the Ling Sect stepped forward first.
“Elder* Lu, it says, ‘Dispelling a Thousand Gold, Ascending to Heaven in Five Steps’… What does it mean?”
*[Zhang lao] (长老) Normally used to address an elder/senior of a religious organization.
Lu Fengxi, one of the elders of the Ling Sect, had a sickly crooked donkey-like face. He was known for his sinister and despicable actions, which Yin Ci had heard of. However, his martial arts skills were commendable, and currently, he could fight against two and a half Shi Jingzhi.
Elder Lu took the lantern and carefully inspected the pillar. “According to our records, this object is called the ‘Suffering From Parting’. There is a precious treasure placed at the top of the pillar. We need to throw a heavy object into the sacrificial pit for the pillar to descend.”
He took back the lantern and chuckled dryly. “A heavy object, at least the weight of five men.”
Everyone was taken aback.
The monk from Jianchen Temple spoke. “Can we break the stone sculpture and use the stones as a substitute?”
Lu Fengxi sneered. “Not to mention the stone sculpture; even the walls are made of muyan stone, which is invulnerable. The path we came from has also been sealed off by stone slabs, so we can’t return the same way.”
The monk fell silent and leaned against the wall, silently reciting scriptures. Lu Fengxi paced around the room, and his expression started growing colder. “I haven’t found any other exits.”
“Is—Is the Divine Hierarch* planning to trap us here and let us die?”
*[Jiaozhu] (教主) Founder of a religion (in this case, the sect).
Everyone relied on the liquid spheres to come to this place, so they must not have brought much luggage. However, there were only five people in the room. If no one brought anything, no one would be able to lower the pillar.
Did Yan Budu miscalculate?
Lu Fengxi clicked his tongue. “Since the pillar can descend, there must be an exit at the top. It seems that this ‘Suffering From Parting’ is crucial.”
Pausing for a moment, he raised his staff and continued, “The Divine Hierarch never makes mistakes. There must be someone hidden in the room… Who dares to play tricks in front of me?”
With a chuckle, Yin Ci descended barefoot.
He took off his ghostskin robe and didn’t put on shoes. He was dressed in a white undergarment from head to toe, resembling a ghostly figure. With his long, ink-black hair flowing down, his face revealed a captivating allure, turning even a ghost into a charming specter. In this eerie tomb, he exuded an atmosphere that was both ethereal and alluring, like wisps of smoke around a warm jade.
The five people on the opposite side fell into silence—this person definitely concealed his identity. Otherwise, no one would forget that face.
Seeing that he was unarmed, Lu Fengxi relaxed a bit and asked, “Who are you?”
Yin Ci smiled and replied, “A dead man.”
Unfortunately, this person wasn’t like his cheap master. Lu Fengxi showed no fear and charged forward with his staff, shouting, “I’ll take you out first!”
The other disciples of the Ling Sect were still in a daze. “Wait, Elder. With such an appearance, he might be an immortal…”
Lu Fengxi was furious. “Immortal, my ass! Look at his eyes. He’s more like an evil spirit!”
“A pity.” Yin Ci easily evaded the attack. “If you had a little less killing intent, maybe I would be willing to use some immortal techniques to save you all.”
“You don’t even dare to reveal your name—what kind of immortal are you?” Lu Fengxi shouted angrily.
Yin Ci chuckled but remained silent. He quickly moved his feet and positioned himself next to the monk from Jianchen Temple. Before the monk could react, Yin Ci struck his forehead with a palm and pressed several acupoints.
The monk immediately slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Three disciples of the Ling Sect immediately surrounded the monk, attempting to throw him into the sacrificial pit. Yin Ci curled his lips, and with a sweep of his palm, the three disciples crashed into the wall, spewing out blood.
Lu Fengxi grinned wickedly. “Well done! I’ll throw them in together later!”
Although Elder Lu smiled, he knew he was no match for Yin Ci. His offensive gradually turned into a defensive stance as he darted around the room. Yin Ci effortlessly got rid of the cumbersome encumbrance and chased after him, emitting a strong killing intent.
Unfortunately, Lu Fengxi’s escape was too cunning, turning the scene into a cat and mouse game.
Strangely, Lu Fengxi’s martial arts were extremely mediocre, quite different from the rumors. Yin Ci furrowed his brow and became more cautious in his attacks.
Lu Fengxi had previously killed top-notch masters like Snow Spear Cui Wen and the Old Broken Mountain Feng Yishan. He must have concealed some killer moves. Despite being battered and injured by Yin Ci, he showed no intention of retaliating.
His weapon was coated with poison, but the toxicity wasn’t high. It was just that the material of the weapon was somewhat rare. The only problem was that the firelight was dim, and the staff was covered in blood, making it difficult for Yin Ci to see clearly for a while.
Lu Fengxi escaped panting for breath, as if he had truly reached a dead end, while Yin Ci became even more cautious, only using palm winds to attack, always maintaining a distance.
He couldn’t die, but he also didn’t want to be thrown into the sacrificial pit after being hit. Once it reached enough weight, the sacrificial pit might be sealed by the muyan stone, trapping him deep in the tomb.
Just the thought of it made Yin Ci’s internal organs feel a chill.
Seeing that the other party didn’t want to get close, Lu Fengxi grinned, revealing his rotten black and yellow teeth. He split the blood-soaked staff into two pieces and suddenly struck out without warning. “Fall!”
Yin Ci could withstand the poison but couldn’t defend against the curse that entered his mind. Using blood to perform sacrificial rituals was originally an evil art. Upon hearing this malicious sound, he stopped his actions.
Elder Lu continued to strike vigorously with a pleased expression on his face. “Even if you’re a great immortal, as long as you have ears, you’ll fall under the terror of my sound. Kid, keeping your distance won’t help. Dying instantly is more merciful than suffering.”
As he said this, Lu Fengxi’s face turned dark green, and blood started flowing from his seven orifices. This move obviously harmed the enemy while also hurting himself.
“With this move, cough, I’ve never spared anyone. Fall for me—”
The author has something to say:
Yin Ci: Shizun’s = unit of combat power (?
Lu Fengxi is roughly equal to 2.5 on the power scale √
Shi Jingzhi: This evil disciple! (T^T)
