Chapter 109: The Qi Cultivators

Old Ghost Wu nodded with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“This is a Qi Cultivation method from the Great Xia Dynasty,” he said. “But it’s incomplete, it’s just a fragment. There should be other murals like this elsewhere in the tomb.”

Qi Cultivation method from the Great Xia!?

Li Yanchu was stunned.

If he remembered correctly, the Great Xia Dynasty was the predecessor to the current Qian Dynasty. After the last emperor of Great Xia died, the realm descended into chaos, and the feudal lords warred for nearly two centuries. Eventually, the Qian Dynasty’s founding emperor rose and unified the land.

“Qi Cultivation method?” Li Yanchu had never heard of the term before.

Old Ghost Wu let out a disdainful snort and said no more.

Just then, a hoarse voice called out from behind, “Old Ghost, what’s with all the cryptic half-answers to these two young lads?”

The voice belonged to none other than the folk shamaness, Granny Chang, the same one who had taken a roast chicken from Li Yanchu earlier.

Hearing this, Old Ghost Wu gave a strange chuckle but didn’t respond.

Meanwhile, Granny Chang shot him a glare, then turned to Li Yanchu with a much warmer tone, “What they call Qi Cultivators were part of a unique cultivation sect from the Great Xia era. They didn’t cultivate spells or techniques, but focused solely on refining qi in pursuit of the path to immortality. Qi Cultivators were often referred to as those closest to attaining immortality. But with the fall of Great Xia, their lineage also vanished from the world.”

Immortality...

Li Yanchu’s eyes narrowed. That word had caught his attention.

Since ancient times, from cultivators to emperors, countless sought eternal life. Though no one had ever truly achieved it, the desire for immortality had never waned.

To think there had once been a sect so close to that ultimate goal... That alone showed just how invaluable these cultivation methods must be.

As expected, the nearby conversations were quickly picked up by others in the tomb. Those who hadn’t known the origins of the complex mural suddenly perked up, their breathing turning hurried.

This complicated set of lines was actually the cultivation method of the Great Xia’s Qi Cultivators!?

In an instant, more and more people gathered before the mural, lingering as they stared. Yet despite their efforts, no one could immediately make sense of it.

At that moment, the rarely-spoken Daoist Master Yuanyi finally broke his silence, “Everyone, do not forget why we are here. Once the evil within this tomb has been eliminated, we may return to study and copy the murals at leisure.”

His voice, much like his presence, was cold, unyielding and full of commanding authority.

The abbot of Yongxing Temple's words immediately cooled the fervor of the surrounding cultivators.

The desire for immortality was deeply rooted in every person’s heart. Daoist Master Yuanyi’s ability to resist such temptation and even awaken the others from their obsession didn’t stem from lofty virtue or a revered reputation. It was because his aura carried immense pressure, entirely lacking the detached, ethereal demeanor typically found in seekers of the Dao.

With that, the group left the burial chamber and continued deeper into the vast tomb. At this time, the passageway was deep and silent; aside from the occasional sound of dripping water, not a single other sound could be heard.

Suddenly, the slender, scholarly-looking Wang Yunting at the front halted abruptly, and his torch illuminated the face of a statue ahead. It was a grotesque and ominous sculpture of a two-headed beast. Both heads were twisted and dragon-like, with bulging eyes and long tongues that stretched down to their necks. From each skull jutted a pair of massive interwoven antler-like horns that branched in eerie patterns.

It looked neither human nor beast, covered in black lacquer and painted with ferocious animal masks, swirling cloud patterns, and diamond motifs.

Under the torchlight, it appeared even more mysterious and sinister.

A familiar voice whispered beside Li Yanchu, “That’s a twin-headed tomb guardian beast. It was used by nobles and royals to ward off evil spirits and seal malevolent forces.”

It was Granny Chang.

“Only royals?” Li Yanchu asked softly.

“That’s right.” Granny Chang nodded. “This level of funerary artifact, called a 'Ming Qi', was only used by the extraordinarily rich and powerful. Otherwise, it would backfire, causing unrest for the tomb’s owner even after death.”

Her eyes locked onto the statue’s twin faces. Her expression was unreadable, and one could only guess what this enigmatic folk shamaness was thinking.

“A Qi Cultivation method from Great Xia, a twin-headed tomb guardian... The master of this tomb is clearly no ordinary person,” came a low, gravelly voice from behind.

It was Old Ghost Wu.

At this time, Li Yanchu’s brow furrowed. Whether it was because the death qi surrounding Old Ghost Wu was simply too intense, or because his presence harmonized all too well with the dark energy of the tomb, Li Yanchu found that he couldn’t sense Old Ghost Wu’s approach at all.

He still held a degree of goodwill toward Granny Chang. But toward Old Ghost Wu, he couldn’t help but remain guarded. In truth, the death qi around Old Ghost Wu was thicker than that of many evil beings Li Yanchu had encountered before. He was just too eerie.

As the group ventured deeper, a faint, ethereal whispering began to echo in their ears. It was vague and indistinct, like someone murmuring softly nearby, but no one could make out exactly what was being said. And it wasn’t just Li Yanch; many of the cultivators descending into the tomb experienced the same strange sensation.

Suddenly, an elderly Buddhist monk reached out into the air, and golden Buddha's light burst from his hand. In an instant, he caught a shadowy wisp in his grasp, which let out a shrill, agonized wail as it struggled to escape.

At once, the whispering in everyone’s ears grew noticeably fainter. The old monk recited a Buddhist verse, his hand flaring once more with golden light, then everything fell silent. The shadow in his grasp then dissolved into nothing.

“Impressive!” Li Yanchu couldn’t help but exclaim.

He himself hadn’t been able to lock onto the vengeful spirit in the darkness. This tomb seemed to contain some kind of unseen force that dulled spiritual perception. And yet, the old monk had captured the vengeful spirit with a single move.

“That’s Master Benkong. He’s awakened the Heaven's Eye from Buddhist teachings,” Granny Chang said with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Li Yanchu smiled at her. The old woman seemed to have taken quite a liking to him and had been kindly pointing out the identities of these hidden masters.

“What’s so great about Heaven's Eye?” Old Ghost Wu scoffed. “Even I could sense that vengeful spirit. I just didn’t bother acting.”

“Why are you everywhere, you nosy old geezer? Get lost!” Granny Chang snapped, glaring at him.

But Old Ghost Wu didn’t get angry; he simply chuckled. “Why do you care so much about that young Daoist?”

Granny Chang spat in his direction, “I just enjoy chatting with handsome young men. What’s it to an old bag of bones like you?”

Her tone had clearly grown sharper, but the grim, deathly pale Old Ghost Wu merely grinned wider and continued playing the rascal. His expression was wildly at odds with his corpse-like face.

Just then, the group came to another halt. Ahead stood yet another twin-headed tomb guardian beast.

The scholarly Wang Yunting furrowed his brow. “Something’s wrong... This tomb’s a labyrinth. That’s the same guardian beast we saw earlier.”

At those words, everyone’s hearts tightened.

A labyrinth!?

Li Yanchu looked over sharply and saw Zhang Ping, the beast-tamer leading a vicious black dog, whisper something into the dog’s ear. In the next instant, the black dog broke free from its leash and darted into the darkness.