Chapter 114: The Young General

The grand tomb once again fell into complete silence, as if it had slipped back into a deep slumber. Seeing this, Li Yanchu let out a breath of relief.

“Amitabha. Daoist Master, your quick thinking and swift response truly impress me,” Master Shenshan said sincerely to Li Yanchu.

Even the stern and dignified Daoist Master Yuanyi cast a look of approval his way. As a fellow cultivator of the Daoist path, Yuanyi was even more pleased with Li Yanchu’s performance.

Although Li Yanchu's combat style leaned more toward the brute-force methods of a

jianghu

warrior than the refined techniques of a cultivator, his effectiveness was unquestionable.

To receive open goodwill from two major figures of the orthodox sects for someone so young was a rare and remarkable achievement. Moreover, many of the cultivators who had been aided by Li Yanchu earlier now came forward to express their thanks. If not for his timely intervention, the yin-yang master might have used the Wicked Incense to awaken every ghost soldier in the tomb.

The consequences of that would have been unimaginable. Maintaining such calm and clear judgment amid the chaos of a deadly massacre marked him as a truly formidable young man.

The battle at the ghost-soldier passage had cost them four lives, and many of the remaining cultivators were also wounded. Fortunately, they were all experienced adventurers, and each took out healing medicine from their person.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

After a brief period of recovery, the group once again pressed forward. At the front of the line walked Wang Yunting, whose expression was somewhat grim. This tomb... was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

As a

Mojin Xiaowei

, he had ventured into many ancient tombs over the years and seen all manner of danger. Zombies, blood corpses, yin spirits, vengeful ghost were relatively common. There were also mechanical traps, trick floors, quicksand, and flying arrows.

Many seemingly terrifying threats within tombs were actually just ghosts nourished by the tomb’s yin energy. Veteran

Mojin

Xiaowei

like him had their own tried-and-true methods for dealing with such things.

But this time was different. Among those who entered the tomb were eminent figures: Buddhist monks of profound Dharma, Daoists skilled in Daoist arts, as well as extraordinary individuals like Hu Li, Yan Chixiao, and Mr. Ma.

These were all experts with unique and powerful abilities, and dealing with evil spirits and dark forces was their forte.

Normally, such malevolent entities wouldn’t have stood a chance against a lineup like this. Yet even so, they had already suffered heavy losses since entering the tomb.

That lizard demon was, in fact, a variant of a tomb guardian beast, born from the accumulation and nourishment of concentrated evil qi within the tomb. And then there was the incredibly rare occurrence of a ghost soldier corridor... The sinister nature of this tomb had far exceeded Wang Yunting’s expectations.

What disturbed him most was that among those who had entered the tomb, someone clearly harbored ulterior motives.

Zhang Ping had died at the hands of Master Wuxing. He was killed not by the tomb’s dangers, but by one of their own. And that incident was even tied to the Western Vajra Sect. Plus, the yin-yang master had orchestrated the entire scheme against everyone.

Wang Yunting felt a chill crawl over his entire body. He couldn’t shake the sense that someone else in the group might still be hiding malicious intent. This tomb was already perilous beyond belief, so much so that even ghost soldiers had appeared. Now, with someone pulling strings in secret, sowing treachery in their midst...

A cold dread shrouded Wang Yunting’s heart. He kept feeling as if at any moment, someone might strike him down from behind.

“I’m just a

Mojin Xiaowei

...“ Wang Yunting focused his full attention, remaining on constant guard against any sudden threat.

And he wasn’t alone, many in the group were thinking the same thing. After the events involving Master Wuxing and the yin-yang master, the cultivators couldn’t help but become suspicious of those around them.

As the saying went, “paranoia breeds groundless fears.”

In the shadowy gloom of the tomb, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier with every step, and so did the unease in everyone’s hearts.

Despite his soft and delicate appearance, Wang Yunting truly had skill. Earlier, when the group had become trapped in a maze-like passage, no matter how many times they walked it, they kept circling back to the same corridor. But Wang Yunting had marked the walls with symbols as they moved, and eventually led the group safely out.

Suddenly, the view ahead opened wide. They had entered a new burial chamber, which bore some resemblance in layout to the one before.

The walls were once again lined with murals. On the left-hand wall were several vivid depictions of battlefield scenes, such as soldiers in heavy armor clashing and corpses strewn across the ground.

One mural in particular showed a war chariot, but it wasn’t pulled by ordinary horses. The beast was covered in scales, with a single horn sprouting from its forehead. Its shape resembled a horse, but it was much larger, and had clawed hooves.

On the chariot stood a young general with a long sword at his hip. The artistic style of the mural was exquisite, capturing the general’s sharp, proud expression with incredible realism. He wore black armor inscribed with strange, arcane symbols, exuding a mysterious aura.

In just a few simple scenes, the murals conveyed a strong sense of the general’s killing intent and martial dominance.

The final mural depicted the young general standing atop his war chariot, sword raised high, before a countless horde of kneeling prisoners. Severed heads rolled in all directions.

On the right-hand mural, the wall was once again filled with complex and arcane patterns, so intricate that no one could make sense of them at a glance.

Li Yanchu studied the mural of the young general closely.

“This looks like a Daoist talismanic armor?” Bai Hongtu, standing beside him, gave a soft murmur of surprise.

Li Yanchu nodded. “Yes. Judging by its appearance, it seems to be a talismanic armor used to ward off evil and suppress malevolent forces.”

Talismanic armor was a special kind of artifact forged by painting formations and talismans onto armor using rooster’s blood mixed with cinnabar. It wasn’t something that ordinary cultivators could create, and only those of great power were capable of crafting it.

The earliest legend surrounding talismanic armor came from a Daoist grandmaster who had entered the Dao through martial arts. This man had once been the pinnacle of martial prowess in the

jianghu

, a warrior who could take on a thousand soldiers alone.

Later, he devoted himself fully to Daoist cultivation, entering the Mount Mao Sect. There, he revealed an exceptional talent for cultivation, becoming the highest-ranked disciple of his generation. It was said that he once even subdued a

jiao

dragon that had been wreaking havoc across the rivers and lakes.

The talismanic armor was one of the rare, powerful items he passed down in his later years. Those who wore it were said to possess mysterious and supernatural powers. It could pierce through all illusion spells, dispel deception, and slay evil without mercy. Such a legendary figure was a favorite topic of conversation among Daoist cultivators.

And now, seeing a mural of talismanic armor inside a tomb naturally stirred awe and fascination.

“This young general is likely the master of this tomb,” Li Yanchu muttered, stepping closer for a better look. “But just who was he, to possess an artifact like talismanic armor?”

Bai Hongtu’s eyes were equally bright with curiosity. Talismanic armor was considered one of the most rare and unique artifacts in existence. There were many legends about it, but no one had ever actually seen one. All knowledge of it came from ancient records, scattered descriptions, and hearsay.

Then, suddenly, the two exchanged a glance. If this young general truly was the master of this tomb, then the talismanic armor might well be buried here as a funerary item.

Many others around them had begun to realize the same thing. A divine artifact like this held tremendous allure for any cultivator, and curiosity toward the tomb’s owner grew stronger.

To possess an artifact like talismanic armor, command such a vast number of ghost soldiers within the tomb, and even practice the cultivation methods of the Great Xia’s Qi Practitioners, this was clearly no ordinary individual.

And yet, for the moment, no one could recall any historical figure nor young general in the records whose image matched the one depicted here.