Chapter 136: Gone

This burial chamber was packed tightly with terracotta warriors. They were so densely packed that at a glance, it looked like a solid mass of darkness. The atmosphere in the chamber instantly became heavy and oppressive.

Wang Yunting said in a low voice, “If I’m not mistaken, once we pass through this chamber, we should be able to find a way out. But if the tomb doors are also sealed shut, or if there’s something strange about these terracotta warriors...”

His voice trailed off slightly. Entering this chamber filled with terracotta warriors without knowing what might trigger them put immense pressure on him as well, and a single misstep could mean falling into mortal danger.

At this time, Master Shenshan gave a slight nod. “Amitabha. In that case, may I trouble you to lead the way, our benefactor?”

He was a monk of true cultivation. Even though there had already been several traitors among their party along the way, he continued to follow the principle of trusting those he used. Thus, he chose to believe in Wang Yunting.

Now that Wang Yunting had spoken, the others followed his lead and cautiously made their way through the burial chamber.

Meanwhile, Li Yanchu and Bai Hongtu exchanged a glance but said nothing, then they edged a little closer to Wang Yunting. This tomb expedition had been dangerous enough due to the traps and threats hidden in the great tomb itself, but the truly troublesome issue was being constantly betrayed by those they traveled with.

Suddenly, Wang Yunting felt a chill in his heart.

Could Daoist Master Yanchu be suspecting that I led everyone into this chamber to pull something shady?

He glanced over at the two members of Qingyun Temple, only to see them both smiling at him with gentle, amicable expressions.

Crack!

Suddenly, a faint noise reached his ears. Wang Yunting jumped in alarm and blurted out, “I’m not a traitor!”

He was terrified they might suddenly strike him down and grind his bones to dust on the spot.

At this time, Li Yanchu paused for a moment, while Bai Hongtu chuckled softly. “Yunting, what are you talking about? You’ve been guiding us this whole time. If you were a traitor, we wouldn’t have even made it this far.”

Hearing this, Wang Yunting gave a sheepish laugh, only then did he realize he had just stepped on a piece of loose rubble.

The tomb had been shaking violently, and this chamber had clearly been affected, seeing as bits of stone and debris littered the floor.

“I must have made a fool of myself, Young Master Bai. I was just afraid that leading everyone into this chamber might cause people to mistake me for one of the remnants of the Bare Body Sect.”

Though Wang Yunting looked like a soft, scholarly type, he actually showed a certain forthrightness at this moment. In response, Bai Hongtu smiled faintly.

Li Yanchu said gently, “Yunting, there’s no need to overthink it. Just now the two of us only moved closer to you in case anything happened to our guide. We’re all trapped in this tomb together now, so it’s only right that we work together. If we start suspecting each other, we’ll only end up creating paranoia, giving evil beings or villains the opportunity to strike.”

Hearing that his words were righteous and full of integrity, Wang Yunting let out a breath of relief and cupped his hands in salute. “Daoist Master, your open-mindedness is truly admirable. I was just being overly anxious.”

Then, the group carefully made their way through the phalanx of terracotta warriors. Li Yanchu noticed that every single warrior had a different face, and each one looked so vivid, so lifelike, that they seemed almost alive. Observing them, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

“The craftsmanship of the Great Xia dynasty in making these terracotta warriors is truly exceptional.”

Earlier, when Daoist Master Yuanyi had broken through the wall with a sword strike, the terracotta warriors in the chamber hadn’t reacted at all. From that, it seemed that even loud noises might not be enough to activate them.

The ghost soldiers they’d encountered earlier were likely triggered by the malicious incense held by that shady yin-yang master. At this thought, Li Yanchu’s hatred toward the Bare Body Sect’s malicious intent deepened even further. Such wickedness deserved to be condemned!

In the dim, silent tomb chamber, only the sound of footsteps and breathing could be heard. Just as the group successfully passed through the chamber and reached the tomb door, Granny Chang, who was at the rear of the group, suddenly cried out, “Something’s wrong! Master Huizhen is gone!”

Hearing her words, everyone turned around in shock and gazed toward the rear. Sure enough, Master Huizhen was nowhere to be seen.

Li Yanchu frowned and stepped forward to ask, “Senior, did you hear anything unusual just now?”

Granny Chang shook her head gravely. “That monk was right beside me just a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.”

At this time, a chill swept through everyone’s hearts. As they stared at the room filled with terracotta warriors, a heavy weight seemed to press down on their chests.

They had already seen the tomb door ahead, and it wasn’t sealed. It led into another outer corridor of the tomb. Who would have thought that at this very moment, someone in their party would disappear without a sound?

“Find him,” Master Shenshan said firmly, though his voice carried a sorrow that could not be concealed. “Too many people have died in this tomb already.”

“That’s right! If we can’t find him, we’ll tear this whole chamber apart!”

To everyone’s surprise, it was Daoist Master Yuanyi, who was usually the quietest one among them, who said this. At this time, the longsword in his hand glinted coldly. Even after everything that had happened, the head of Yongxing Temple still exuded a composed majesty.

The group turned back the way they came, trying to search for the missing Master Huizhen, who had vanished without a trace.

As Li Yanchu assessed the situation, his brows were tightly furrowed. Just now, he hadn’t heard even the slightest sound either. For someone as powerful as Master Huizhen to vanish without a trace and without a sound, the level of danger in this burial chamber might not be any less than that of the main tomb itself.

At this time, Wang Yunting had a grim look on his face. He lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, trying to probe whether there were any traps or mechanisms hidden below. “This doesn’t make sense... How could he just suddenly disappear?”

Though he was skilled, he knew full well he wasn’t a match for someone like Master Huizhen, which meant that he, too, could vanish at any moment.

Suddenly, Wang Yunting’s face darkened further, and he spun around sharply to look beside him. Just a moment ago, Master Shenshan had been right at his right-hand side, guarding him. But now, Master Shenshan had suddenly disappeared as well.

When he realized this, a cold chill shot straight up Wang Yunting’s spine from his tailbone to the crown of his head, instantly freezing his limbs.

Master Shenshan was the organizer of this tomb expedition, and his cultivation was unfathomably deep. And even

he

...

But before Wang Yunting could gather his thoughts, his face went utterly pale, as if all color had drained away. Not just Master Shenshan, Daoist Master Yuanyi, Granny Chang, Li Yanchu, and Bai Hongtu had all vanished! In this vast tomb chamber, aside from the eerily silent and deathly solemn terracotta warriors, he was the only one left!

“What the hell is going on here!?” His back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

“Master Shenshan! Daoist Master Yuanyi!”

“...”

Wang Yunting swallowed hard to moisturize his dry and tight throat, then he shouted in panic and terror, “Where is everyone!?”

His voice echoed again and again through the tomb chamber, reverberating endlessly. But no one responded. Even the fierce and battle-hardened Daoist Master Yanchu was gone!

Wang Yunting jerked his head up, staring toward the entrance of the chamber. At this time, his composure finally shattered. Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and ran with all the speed he could muster. He fled outside at the fastest speed he had ever moved in his life.

As a

Mojin Xiaowei

, who had spent years navigating great tombs, his body was honed for such danger, and his reflexes and agility were razor-sharp. In just a few breaths' time, he had charged through the dense formation of terracotta warriors.

Seeing that the door of the burial chamber was now right before his eyes, Wang Yunting let out a slight breath of relief. This chamber was far too strange and too eerie. He had to get out of here!