Li Yanchu’s keen eyes immediately noticed something: faint, intricate runes flickering to life on Wang Yunting’s arm. A pale, ghostly glow shimmered especially around his fingers. As the bronze gate creaked open with an ear-piercing screech, everyone instinctively took a step back with a tense look. After all, Wang Yunting’s retreat just now had looked way too dramatic, so they couldn’t help but think something was wrong. Follow current novᴇls on noⅴelfire.net But Li Yanchu noticed something deeper: Wang Yunting was now kneeling on one knee with his fingers buried deep into the stone floor, and the aura of yin qi surrounding him had visibly weakened. It seemed that opening the tomb gate was far from as simple as it appeared. At that moment, Wang Yunting seemed to be forcing some invading power out of his body. Once the bronze tomb gate fully opened, it revealed a deep, shadowy tomb chamber. But it wasn’t shrouded in darkness, a faint light glimmered from within, illuminating a flight of steep stone steps leading upward. Just then, Wang Yunting walked over calmly, but as he passed by Li Yanchu, he subconsciously shifted away and kept some distance. Seeing this, Li Yanchu immediately raised an eyebrow. What’s with this guy? “Amitābha,” Master Shenshan said solemnly. With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the six-character Buddhist mantra, and the brilliant golden letters instantly vanished into thin air. The once vicious and sinister carvings on the bronze gate now remained inert, as if they’d lost all sentience. Exactly as expected... Master Shenshan nodded slightly, silently affirming Wang Yunting’s earlier judgment. Bringing Wang Yunting along had indeed proven to be a crucial decision. Though infamous across the jianghu as a tomb raider, Wang Yunting had looted many great tombs, some even belonging to kings, nobles, and high officials. These acts were, in fact, illegal under the laws of the Kingdom of Qian, and he had stolen from many important Qian officials’ burial sites. Though young, he had followed his elders across the country, navigating mountains and rivers, locating dragons and determining burial sites. Thus, he had gained a wealth of experience along the way. There had been a time during one tomb expedition when Wang Yunting’s grandfather encountered a powerful evil spirit. Though he eventually destroyed it, the battle left him seriously injured. Now, among the current generation of Mojin Xiaowei, the most skilled was none other than Wang Yunting. He possessed a unique natal horoscope, one that gave him an exceptional sensitivity to yin qi and evil forces. However, he was not like those of the Southern Sect, where tomb raiders fed children human flesh from a young age. Because of that, they looked like living corpses. As they grew up, their bodies would accumulate vast amounts of deathly and yin qi, making even malevolent spirits in ancient tombs regard them as their own kind. That granted them a significant edge over ordinary tomb robbers. Just then, Wang Yunting tossed a torch onto the stairway ahead. After confirming that there was indeed breathable air inside, he said in a low voice, “We can go in now.” Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. Professionals truly were on another level. What he had just done was likely to check for oxygen inside the chamber. But such knowledge had probably been passed down by the older generation, paid for with lives. With that, everyone raised their torches and began to enter the burial chamber one by one. Inside were three passageways, separated by small pools of water. All three were paved with solid granite, extending upward in a spiraling fashion. At the very top, a coffin could vaguely be seen. The entire tomb chamber was immense, far larger than any they had encountered so far. The faint light within came from jewels embedded in the ceiling, creating a dome that resembled a starry sky. The sheer grandeur of the layout made everyone’s eyes light up. At that moment, a primal, ancient aura washed over them. Climbing those steps felt like treading the legendary path to immortality, with each step drawing closer to the heavens. Everyone’s expression grew increasingly serious. “Judging by the layout, this should be the main burial chamber,” Wang Yunting said, his gaze fixed on the top of the stairs. “The tomb's master most likely lies in eternal rest here.” And where the main tomb lay, so too would the most dangerous corpse of the entire tomb complex. It could very well be none other than the renowned grandmaster Qi Cultivator, Li Xun, the Southern Guardian Marquis of Great Xia. Whether it was Master Shenshan or Daoist Master Yuanyi, their faces were now taut with tension. The dangers they had faced so far had already exceeded all expectations, and whatever evil corpse awaited them here would undoubtedly be formidable in the extreme. Master Shenshan and Daoist Master Yuanyi exchanged a glance before stepping forward, taking the lead up the stairway to the heavens. Meanwhile, several high-ranking monks and Daoist priests followed closely behind. A tense atmosphere spread through the group. In the quiet, shadowy depths of the tomb, the only sounds were the breathing and footsteps of those ascending the steps. As the stairway spiraled upward, everyone gradually got a clear view of the coffin atop the high platform. It was a massive bronze coffin, and carved upon its surface were mountains and rivers, birds in flight and beasts in motion, the sun, moon, and stars. All of the carvings emanated a sense of wild, ancient majesty. Just a single glance was enough to make one feel the overwhelming grandeur radiating from the bronze coffin. “This coffin definitely isn’t something an ordinary person would ever use. The burial chamber of the Southern Guardian Marquis of Great Xia... as expected, it's extraordinary.” A faint sense of anticipation stirred in everyone’s hearts. Setting aside their fear of the potential evil corpse within, this tomb very likely contained legendary divine artifacts and ancient talismanic armor, said to have been buried alongside the Marquis. There might even be the long-lost complete cultivation methods manual from the Qi Cultivators of Great Xia. Even if there were no other treasures, just these two things alone were enough to make anyone’s heart race. Greed, after all, had always moved men’s hearts. For cultivators, mere gold and silver might not be tempting. Many practiced ascetic disciplines that focused on frugality, which forbade keeping wealth overnight. But legendary divine artifacts and a lost Qi Cultivator cultivation method were a completely different matter. Their allure was immense. The path to the heavens within this burial chamber was incredibly mystical. Though they were clearly climbing upward, it gave off the illusion of descending deeper, and that contradictory sensation was unsettling. But if one assumed the ancients had built this towering platform and path to the heavens to symbolize ascending to immortality after death, then it made perfect sense. After all, the feng shui layouts of many imperial tombs followed similar designs, and such styles were well-known in folk traditions. There was a belief that constructing tombs in the likeness of the heavens, complete with mountains, rivers, and celestial features, could increase one’s chances of ascending to immortality. The closer the tomb was to the firmament, the greater the possibility of transcending. It was even said that one could reverse death itself, turning yin to yang, and return to the world of the living. But then, what was with this sinking, disorienting sensation? Could it be that the tomb’s owner, after death, wished instead to fall into hell, never to reincarnate? But if that were the case, why bother constructing a path to the heavens? Even someone as seasoned as Wang Yunting, a highly experienced Mojin Xiaowei, found himself utterly baffled. During the Great Xia Dynasty, many extraordinary individuals had emerged. If this Southern Guardian Marquis had secretly cultivated to become a grandmaster Qi Cultivator, then having some inexplicable elements in his tomb wasn't that far-fetched. Suddenly, Bai Hongtu leaned in close to Li Yanchu and said in a hushed voice, “Something’s wrong.” “What is it?” Li Yanchu asked. “Before we entered this burial chamber, I counted the cultivators present. Including the two of us, there were exactly eighteen.” Bai Hongtu had an exceptional talent for Dao cultivation. While he might not have photographic memory, his spiritual awareness was far keener than most, and his senses sharp and precise. Hearing this, Li Yanchu was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t paid attention to that detail. Bai Hongtu’s expression grew somewhat strange as he whispered, “But now, there are nineteen people on the staircase.” Li Yanchu’s eyes instantly narrowed, his gaze turning sharp. “The strangest part,” Bai Hongtu continued gravely, “is that no matter how hard I try, I just can’t recall who the extra person is.” As he spoke, his face grew increasingly tense.