txolops Chapter 120 A Clash on a Narrow Road, A Fox Borrows the Tiger's Power
Chapter 120 A Clash on a Narrow Road, A Fox Borrows the Tiger's Power
The black mist moved extremely fast and silently, following the taut red line like a thin snake that only appears in nightmares.
Gu Yan was still immersed in the exhaustion of surviving the ordeal and the smug joy of obtaining a great treasure. Although his body's instinctive alertness was still there, the black aura was not a physical entity, but rather a wisp of pure thought, which had managed to deceive his perception.
By the time he felt the coolness on his fingertips, it was already too late.
"Whoosh."
The black energy followed the end of the red thread and directly entered the fingertips of his fingers, which were bound with the soul-locking rope.
Gu Yan was startled, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
An indescribable chill ran up the meridians in my arm and straight to my dantian.
It was as if a piece of ancient ice had been forcibly shoved into his veins, freezing his very soul.
"Damn it!"
Gu Yan cursed inwardly, and the Divine Demon Tai Chi Diagram within his body spun wildly, attempting to crush this foreign entity.
At the same time, the dragon pearl that had been lying dormant sensed that its territory had been invaded, and let out a faint dragon roar, spewing out a stream of golden heat.
Two opposing forces, one cold and one hot, collided violently at Gu Yan's dantian.
"puff!"
Gu Yan's face turned pale, and the injuries that had been suppressed flared up again, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
The commotion immediately startled Li Qingge, who was meditating with her eyes closed.
"What happened?"
Li Qingge suddenly opened her eyes, her long sword instinctively drawing half an inch from its sheath, her gaze sharp as she looked at Gu Yan.
At this moment, Gu Yan's body was in turmoil.
The black aura was extremely cunning. Seeing the power of the dragon pearl, it chose not to confront it head-on, but instead broke into smaller parts and dispersed into his limbs and bones. Finally, it hibernated on the Yin side of the Taiji Diagram of Gods and Demons, as if it had made its home there.
It showed no intention to immediately possess or kill, but instead emitted a very faint, somewhat smug, fluctuation.
That was the will of the previous female corpse.
Gu Yan's heart sank. Although the old hag's physical body was destroyed, her soul had taken advantage of her last breath to parasitize his body.
However, now is not the time to deal with this hidden danger. Faced with Li Qingge's scrutinizing gaze, Gu Yan immediately put on a pained expression.
He clutched his chest, trembling as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said with a wry smile, "Princess... I'm fine. It's just that I overexerted myself in that battle, and my meridians are a bit cramped right now. It's an old ailment, an old ailment."
Li Qingge looked him over suspiciously a few times.
Just a moment ago, she clearly felt an extremely terrifying aura erupt from Gu Yan's body.
But seeing Gu Yan's pathetic state, half-dead and unable to even stand, she realized she was just overthinking things.
"Since it's an overdraft, talk less and try your luck more."
Li Qingge withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "This place is not safe to stay any longer. The commotion just now was too loud and might attract other people. Is it still possible to leave?"
"Yes! Absolutely! To serve the princess, as long as I have a breath left, I'll crawl out!"
Gu Yan quickly pledged his loyalty, struggled to his feet, and tucked the sleeve containing the jade slip and map inside.
Li Qingge stopped talking nonsense and got up to walk towards a side door at the back of the main hall.
Gu Yan quickly followed.
Before leaving, he glanced back at the blood pool, which had now returned to calm.
Although the female corpse's soul had entered his body, the cardboard box was still burning inside, at least temporarily sealing off the remnants of her original body.
"You old hag, you better behave yourself."
Gu Yan coldly threatened in his heart: "If you dare not pay rent after staying in my room, I have plenty of ways to deal with you."
The chilling aura within its body trembled slightly, clearly indicating that the previous dragon flame had left an indelible psychological scar on it.
……
Passing through the side door, there is a downward spiral of stone steps.
The environment here is completely different from the previous luxurious palace. The surrounding rock walls are unpolished, presenting a rough bluish-gray color, and the air is filled with a musty smell and a faint smell of blood.
There was no ever-burning lamp, only a luminous pearl held in Li Qingge's palm, emitting a faint, cold light.
The two walked one after the other, their footsteps echoing in the deathly silent passage, making it seem exceptionally empty.
"Princess, where are we going?"
As Gu Yan walked, he pretended to be afraid and looked around frantically, his mind racing as he compared the fragment of the map he had obtained from the crystal coffin.
According to the map, the underground palace is actually divided into three levels.
The main hall they had just been in was the corpse-raising ground, the first level.
The passage we are walking through now leads to the second level of the Weapon Forging Tomb.
The so-called true inheritance, and that red skull mark, are all on the third layer at the very bottom.
Without turning his head, Li Qingge said, "Go to the core area. According to the family genealogy, that senior was not only a master of formations but also a master of weapon crafting. Beneath this underground palace lies an armory; what we're looking for is there."
Gu Yan's heart stirred.
Armory?
The map does indeed show an area filled with sword and knife symbols, but it is marked with a special "danger" sign.
"Princess, may I ask a question?"
Gu Yan cautiously asked, "Are the records of our Prince's Mansion reliable? That female corpse just now... oh no, that senior seemed to have a rather bad temper."
Li Qingge paused in her steps.
She paused for a moment before whispering, "That happened hundreds of years ago; the specific details have long been lost. But no matter what, I must get that thing. Only by getting it can I..."
She hesitated, her words trailing off, but Gu Yan sensed the heaviness in them.
It seems that Princess Yong'an's life isn't easy either; she's also a working-class person burdened with the family's KPIs.
Just then, a commotion of voices suddenly came from ahead.
"Quick! Hurry up! The barrier has been broken; someone must have gotten there first!"
"Elder, there's something strange about this door. It looks like it was forced open from the inside by brute force."
"Enough nonsense! Even if it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, we have to go! Our Green Bamboo Sect has suffered so many losses this time. If we return empty-handed, how can I explain to the Sect Master!"
Upon hearing the words "Emerald Bamboo Sect," Li Qingge immediately stopped, waved to signal Gu Yan to be quiet, and at the same time, she instantly put away the luminous pearl in her hand and pressed herself against the dark stone wall.
Gu Yan followed suit, shrinking behind Li Qingge like a gecko.
Not far ahead is a wide underground cave platform.
Several figures were holding torches and busy in front of a huge stone gate.
By the light of the fire, Gu Yan could see the leader clearly.
It was Elder Wang from the Green Bamboo Sect.
Elder Wang was no longer the otherworldly figure he once was. His green robe was tattered, half of his hair was singed, and his left arm was missing. Clearly, he had paid a heavy price in the previous monster tide.
Behind him, only five or six disciples remained, all wounded and looking terrified.
"That old man is really lucky to be alive."
Gu Yan muttered to himself.
Even a beast tide the size of the Firephosphorus Swamp didn't kill him; in fact, he managed to find the entrance to the second level of this underground palace.
"Who is it? Show yourself!"
Elder Wang was, after all, a veteran Golden Core cultivator, and his senses were extremely sharp.
Although Gu Yan and Li Qingge held their breath and used magic to conceal their presence, Elder Wang still sensed the faint fluctuations in the airflow.
"boom!"
Elder Wang gave them no chance to explain. With a wave of his remaining right hand, a bolt of emerald green lightning struck the withered tree, hurtling towards where the two were hiding.
"Bang!"
Gravel flew everywhere.
Li Qingge had no choice but to show herself. She twirled her long sword and blocked the divine lightning. Her body was also shaken back two steps, and her face became even paler.
"So it's Your Highness, Princess."
When Elder Wang saw who it was, a sinister and greedy smile immediately appeared on his originally wary old face.
His gaze swept over Li Qingge's weak breath, then looked at Gu Changsheng, who was covered in blood and looked harmless, hiding behind her. The fear in his eyes faded away, leaving only undisguised killing intent.
"Tsk tsk, what's wrong with the princess? It seems the road ahead wasn't easy."
Elder Wang, along with several disciples, surrounded them in a fan shape, blocking all escape routes.
"Elder Wang, do you want to offend the Cangxuan Sect?"
Li Qingge said coldly, her authority as a superior remained undiminished despite being at a disadvantage.
"Offend the Cangxuan Sect? No, no, I wouldn't dare."
Elder Wang said with a forced smile:
"However, this Sunset Valley is teeming with demonic beasts. If the princess were to perish, it would be a tragedy for such a talented woman. I merely wish to safeguard the princess's storage pouch, lest this precious gem be wasted. I imagine the princess reaped quite a bountiful harvest on the upper level just now?"
His words revealed his true intentions.
After all, in this lawless secret realm, killing and robbing are perfectly normal things.
Moreover, Li Qingge, who is now seriously injured, is a huge fat sheep.
"Gu Changsheng, you hold off the two on the left, I'll deal with this old bastard."
Li Qingge lowered her voice, a resolute glint in her eyes.
Although she was seriously injured, she still had a chance to fight to the death and replace the crippled Elder Wang.
However, Gu Yan did not move.
Instead of moving, he stepped out from behind Li Qingge and arrogantly dusted himself off.
"Elder Wang, at your age, why haven't you figured out life yet?"
Gu Yan sighed, his face full of disappointment: "Don't you even know where you are? How dare you lay a hand on me? Do you really think the princess dared to walk through this underground palace with just the two of you because she's so stubborn?"
These words were spoken with confidence and conviction.
Elder Wang paused for a moment, and his steps slowed involuntarily.
He was naturally suspicious, and seeing Gu Yan's confident and fearless demeanor made him uneasy.
Could it be that the Prince's mansion has some other tricks up its sleeve?
"Hmph, just bluffing!"
Elder Wang sneered and tentatively asked, "Boy, stop playing tricks. Your Black Armor Guards are all out feeding crocodiles, what else do you have to rely on?"
"Rely on? Hehe."
Gu Yan smiled mysteriously and suddenly pulled out a crumpled piece of yellow paper from his pocket.
He bit his fingertip, quickly drew a talisman on the yellow paper, and then slammed it onto the tightly closed stone door.
"We respectfully beseech our ancestors to appear! Your children have brought you some refreshments!"
Gu Yan's shout was extremely shrill, echoing through the empty cave and sending chills down one's spine.
As he finished speaking, his left hand, hidden in his sleeve, quietly tugged at a silk thread.
This is a phantom jutsu in paper-making.
In the darkness at the top of the cave, several black paper figures that Gu Yan had already released suddenly burst into flames.
The firelight wasn't red, but rather a faint green.
Under the green light, several huge shadows were cast on the stone wall, baring their fangs and claws, looking like several terrifying beasts awakening.
At the same time, Gu Yan also forced out part of the black aura from the female corpse that he had threatened.
"boom!"
A powerful aura, belonging to those above the Golden Core stage and imbued with a dense aura of corpse demons, suddenly descended upon the entire area.
"What?!"
Elder Wang's expression changed drastically. That aura was unmistakable; it was definitely the will of some terrifying being.
"Run! There's an old monster inside!"
Gu Yan suddenly shouted, grabbed the bewildered Li Qingge, and turned to run towards a side road.
His acting was so realistic; the genuine fear, combined with the palpable pressure and terrifying shadow, instantly shattered the psychological defenses of the Green Bamboo Sect members.
"Oh no! Run!"
Those disciples, who were already easily frightened, dropped their weapons and ran away in terror.
Elder Wang was also filled with doubt and surprise. He looked at the huge, twisted ghostly figure on the stone wall and felt the chilling aura emanating from it. For a moment, he dared not chase after it.
In the brief two breaths he hesitated, Gu Yan and Li Qingge had already slipped into the side path and disappeared into the darkness.
"Damn it! We've fallen for their trap!"
Only when the oppressive aura dissipated, the ghostly figure vanished, and only a few pieces of burnt-out paper ash drifted down did Elder Wang realize what had happened.
That wasn't some old monster at all; it was clearly just a trick by that little beast!
"Chase after him! I'll skin that kid alive and use his skin to make lanterns!"
Elder Wang was furious and led his men into the side road.
……
Deep in the fork in the road, Gu Yan pulled Li Qingge along as they ran wildly.
"What you just did was..."
As Li Qingge ran, she couldn't help but ask.
She couldn't see through Gu Yan's methods either, but the oppressive aura she felt just now clearly came from the same source as the female corpse from before.
"Street magic tricks are nothing to brag about."
Gu Yan was panting heavily, but dared not stop walking: "Princess, that old man will definitely catch up once he realizes what's happening. Something seems off about this road."
Based on the map in his mind, he judged that the fork in the road they were running into was not the main road to the Tomb of Soldiers, but a dangerous road marked as the Corpse Abandonment Road.
The air here is getting colder and colder, and countless holes are beginning to appear on the stone walls on both sides.
A broken weapon was stuck in each of the holes.
There were broken longswords, rusted battle axes, and spears that were only half intact.
These weapons were broken and wrecked, emanating a chilling aura of malevolence.
"Be careful, don't touch those weapons."
Li Qingge warned, "This is the Ten Thousand Weapons Demon Formation. Once it is triggered, the remnant souls within these weapons will go berserk."
Before he could finish speaking...
"Clang!"
A clear, sharp sword sound came from behind.
Those were disciples of the Emerald Bamboo Sect who had caught up and, in their panic, bumped into the weapons on the wall.
In an instant, the entire passageway erupted into chaos.
Countless wisps of black smoke emerged from the holes, transforming into blurry human figures, each wielding a weapon also formed from black smoke, emitting mournful howls.
"Ah! What is this?! My hand! My hand has been drained!"
A pitiful scream came from behind.
Clearly, those remnant souls are now taking on the pursuers behind them.
"Goodness, now someone's covered our retreat."
Gu Yan glanced back with a smug look.
But before he could be happy for long, he found that the road ahead was also blocked.
A large group of soldier spirits wielding broken spears floated in the middle of the passage, their empty eye sockets flickering with eerie blue flames as they coldly stared at the intruders.
Ahead lay the spirit of the soldiers, behind were the pursuers.
"Gu Changsheng, can you use your magic trick one more time?"
Li Qingge gripped her longsword tightly, her expression grave.
"It's useless now. That's just a trick to scare the living; it won't work on these dead people."
Gu Yan smiled wryly, his mind racing with calculations.
These spirit soldiers are formed from resentment and are ineffective against ordinary physical attacks. Only attacks of extreme yang energy or divine souls are effective.
His dragon flames are indeed a nemesis, but the dragon ball energy within his body is currently insufficient; forcibly activating it will only cause him to collapse first.
Just then, the black energy within his body suddenly stirred.
A strange fluctuation was transmitted to Gu Yan.
It seems to be yearning?
Gu Yan's heart stirred.
This old hag is the master of corpse demons, and these soldier spirits are, to put it bluntly, also a kind of demonic energy.
Could it be that……
"Princess, do you believe me?"
Gu Yan suddenly turned his head and looked at Li Qingge with a serious expression.
Li Qingge was taken aback: "What do you want to do?"
"No matter what you see later, don't be surprised, and don't take any action."
Could it be that……
"Princess, do you believe me?"
Gu Yan suddenly turned his head and looked at Li Qingge with a serious expression.
Li Qingge was taken aback: "What do you want to do?"
"No matter what you see later, don't be surprised, and don't take any action."
Gu Yan took a deep breath and walked alone towards the group of terrifying soldier spirits.
He opened his arms wide, completely exposing his defenses.
The divine and demonic Tai Chi diagram within his body reversed, actively releasing the dormant black energy to cover his body surface.
In just a moment, Gu Yan's demeanor changed.
He was no longer that petty, lowly official, but rather a demon king who had emerged from hell.
Those soldier spirits that were about to pounce on him and tear him apart suddenly froze in mid-air the moment they sensed this aura.
In their mindless eyes, an instinctive submission and fear were revealed.
"Get out of here."
Gu Yan opened his lips, and the sound he made echoed with overlapping notes, cold and authoritative.
"Splash!"
Those ferocious and malevolent spirits truly parted to both sides like a tide, making way for a passage.
They lowered their heads and knelt on one knee to express the highest respect.
Li Qingge, standing behind him, stared in disbelief.
She looked at that figure from behind, and the strange feeling in her heart grew stronger and stronger.
Just how many tricks does Gu Changsheng have up his sleeve?
"Princess, what are you daydreaming about! Let's go! I can't hold on much longer!"
Gu Yan turned around, his stern expression crumbling, and he winked and whispered.
Li Qingge snapped out of her daze, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and quickly walked through the group of soldier spirits to Gu Yan's side.
The two quickly crossed the path where the bodies had been dumped.
Behind them, the soldier spirits merged again, trapping Elder Wang and the others inside, who had just broken through the encirclement and hadn't even had time to catch their breath.
"No!!! Why is this happening! Why aren't they attacking that kid!"
Behind them came Elder Wang's desperate and furious roar.
……
After passing through the passage, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.
This is a huge underground plaza.
In the center of the square stood a hundred-foot-tall furnace, long since extinguished.
Standing to the side and looking up, the magnificent momentum is truly awe-inspiring.
Around the furnace, countless weapons were stuck haphazardly.
This is the Weapon Forging Tomb, where countless legendary weapons are buried.
Instead, there was a stone platform in front of the furnace.
On the stone platform, a skeleton sat cross-legged.
In the hands of the withered skeleton, a jade box radiating a soft white light was held.
"It's about inheritance!"
Excitement flashed in Li Qingge's eyes; that was the ultimate goal of her trip.
Just as she was about to move forward, Gu Yan grabbed her arm.
His gaze passed over the stone platform and looked into the deeper darkness.
Within his paper-world vision, the jade box was entwined with dense red threads of cause and effect, and the source of those red threads was not on the skeleton.
Instead, it was in that darkness, in a pair of huge, blood-red eyes that were slowly opening.
"Princess, don't worry."
Gu Yan swallowed, his voice a little hoarse: "I think... we might be in trouble."
"A bigger problem than those soldier spirits."
From the darkness came a heavy breathing sound, carrying a strong smell of sulfur.
A claw covered in dark red scales emerged from the darkness and pressed down on the enormous furnace.
"Click."
The hundred-foot-tall furnace, which had remained sturdy for thousands of years, cracked open like tofu when it encountered this claw.
"Guardian beast?" Li Qingge's face turned pale.
"No."
Gu Yan stared intently at the enormous creature that slowly emerged, the image of the red skull marker on the map and the despairing "danger" sign next to it flashing through his mind.
"That was the product of a failed weapon-making process."
"The Demon of Soldiers"