Chapter 27: The Doom Fish

At this moment, Zhang Kai finally understood what the forbidden ground truly was. This was undoubtedly a massive trap. A royal mausoleum used to ward off calamities could never yield a good outcome; perhaps the dynasty’s short-lived history was partly due to such exploitation. Yet, Zhang Kai’s curiosity was piqued.

How did those gods and spirits manage to usurp the emperor’s tomb, move the corpse out, and take up residence themselves?

“Now that we’ve found the forbidden ground, esteemed masters, how do we enter?” Gu Mingyu asked.

The old fortune-teller replied, “Naturally, we enter through the dragon’s mouth.”

“The dragon’s mouth?” Gu Mingyu looked at him in confusion.

The old fortune-teller explained, “The wind in the canyon just now was no ordinary breeze, but the breath of the dragon—formed by the convergence of the terrain and its inherent energies. As long as the breath continues and the land remains unchanged, the mausoleum is secure. The place where that wind emerges is the dragon’s mouth.”

“The dragon’s breath? There’s a dragon here?” Gu Mingyu’s eyes widened.

The old fortune-teller laughed, “The emperor is like a dragon. Here, the dragon refers to the imperial corpse buried within. The spirit hiding here to escape disaster uses secret arts to turn the emperor’s body into a living-dead being. Though dead, it retains its vitality: one exhale is death, one inhale is life. The alternation of life and death obscures the workings of fate.”

“What a cunning plan! With such careful arrangements, Brother Zhou, do you know which spirit hides here?” Master Chongming asked.

The old fortune-teller replied, “The Lord of Changling Mountain.”

“The mountain’s chief deity! Why him?” Chongming’s face was filled with shock.

The chief deity is the leader of the spiritual hierarchy in a given region.

The old fortune-teller said, “Only a chief deity has the power to seize a royal mausoleum. Remember, an emperor governs the land, and the nation’s destiny stabilizes the world, naturally blessed by heaven and earth. The Lord of Changling Mountain must have paid a great price to claim this place. But this works in our favor—the deity himself should pose no threat to us, so long as we don’t cross the line he set to avoid calamity. We may obtain many treasures he’s hidden in the forbidden ground, enough for our cultivation needs.”

“In that case, what are we waiting for? Masters, what should we do next?” Gu Mingyu asked excitedly.

The old fortune-teller pinched his fingers in calculation, muttering under his breath, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he slowly moved.

Soon, he looked in a certain direction and said, “Follow me. Remember, obey my commands precisely—no mistakes.”

He continued, “Seven steps forward.”

The old fortune-teller led the way.

The group followed behind.

“Five steps to the left.”

“Nine steps forward.”

“Three steps to the right.”

…

His movements were strange. At first, Zhang Kai was perplexed, but soon his eyes widened in astonishment.

With each step, the scenery changed rapidly. The stone qilin remained as before, but the mountain behind it transformed into a waterway, and ahead was a cave four or five meters tall, deep and dark.

An astonishing barrier—was this an array or an illusion? Zhang Kai marveled.

Though his martial prowess was extraordinary, compared to immortal arts, it was still mundane and could not compare. Without the old fortune-teller leading the way, even if Zhang Kai reached this place, he could never have entered.

“The methods of the spirits are unfathomable,” Gu Mingyu and the others stared, utterly amazed.

“This is nothing more than a natural illusion array built upon the terrain. If my cultivation were higher, say at the Golden Core stage, I could see through it at a glance and wouldn’t need to calculate each step so painstakingly,” the old fortune-teller said, sighing.

His own meager abilities paled in comparison to the spirit’s array woven from the land’s energies. If the spirit wasn’t evading catastrophe and couldn’t manipulate the array, they wouldn’t be able to enter at all.

Such was the difference.

“Very well, this cave is the dragon’s mouth. But here, the danger is far greater than outside; every step could be deadly. Everyone must remain vigilant, no matter what you see—do not be curious,” the old fortune-teller warned gravely.

Gu Mingyu replied, “Rest assured, Master Zhou—we will follow your instructions.”

Immediately, the old fortune-teller smiled and looked at Master Chongming.

Chongming was taken aback, then smiled wryly.

Everyone must contribute. Gu Mingyu, wealthy and generous, had arranged everything up to this point. The old fortune-teller provided the bone incense and led the way. Now, it was Chongming’s turn.

After all, Zhang Kai had handed over all his life-saving talismans; surely he couldn’t be expected to lead the way as well.

Chongming glanced at Zhang Kai’s honest face.

Had this kid foreseen this moment and made his offering in advance?

Regardless, now was not the time to hesitate. When the moment comes, one must act. Chongming said decisively, “A Guang, you go ahead.”

Ah!

The crooked-mouthed youth was startled, looking pitifully at Chongming.

Chongming spoke earnestly, “Soldiers are trained for a thousand days, used for a single moment. You’ve studied the Dao with me for years; now is a rare trial. If you perform well, I will teach you the Blood Refining Art.”

The youth was instantly delighted, “Really? Master, watch me—I won’t let you down!” With that, he trotted ahead, visibly excited.

Zhang Kai sighed inwardly—this kid was doomed.

The old fortune-teller also gave Chongming a surprised look.

This old fox was truly ruthless.

But with someone scouting ahead, the rest followed, wading into the cave.

Inside, the beginning was fine, but soon darkness enveloped them; they couldn’t see their hands before their faces, only the sound of rushing water echoed.

Originally, Gu Mingyu’s group had prepared sufficient equipment, but after the unexpected attack by the red-tailed bees, most of their people were lost and their supplies abandoned. They had only their phones with built-in flashlights to find their way.

After less than three minutes, Zhang Kai’s gaze sharpened.

He sensed something unfriendly watching him, seemingly about to attack.

The gaze came from the water.

Quickly locating the source, Zhang Kai’s inner strength surged, causing his eyes to almost glow.

This was one of the wonders after transforming inner strength into true energy—his eyes could see in the dark, a practical little skill.

Now, piercing the darkness, he saw shadows moving silently and swiftly in the cave’s water.

Suddenly, one shadow lunged at him.

Damn it, always picking on the weak.

This wretched creature had no sense.

He cursed inwardly, but didn’t intend to expose himself.

Observing all the way, he’d realized that everyone was bluffing, not a word of truth among them; since they were all putting on a show, he wouldn’t foolishly play the hero.

With a nimble squat and bend, the shadow flashed over his back and landed on the old fortune-teller.

“What the hell is that!”

The old fortune-teller cried out, slapping the shadow with his palm. With a loud splat, the shadow burst, spraying fluids everywhere.

Zhang Kai saw it clearly.

The old fortune-teller’s reaction was astonishing, his strike fierce—a true practitioner, no doubt.

Pretending to only tell fortunes—ridiculous.

But seeing the exploded shadow, Zhang Kai grew serious.

It looked like a black fish, chopstick-length, but after bursting, it released a foul-smelling liquid—very strange.

“Wait, this is a venomous fish! Don’t touch it!” the old fortune-teller shouted after killing it, feeling his palm go numb.