PCJ – Chapter 311 Main Tomb

“The old Daoist said disdainfully, ‘If it weren’t for this ghostly creature being severely wounded, how could they have captured it so easily? The Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon’s strongest point isn’t its claws, but its illusionary magic. Without a mage guarding here, these brutes would be nothing more than playthings in its hands.’

‘The Heavenly Master is right. Without the Heavenly Master here, our warriors from Dalubao entering this great tomb would be no different from seeking death,’ Pan Yongxi replied with a smile.

The group of warriors from Dalubao was coldly dealing with the claws of the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon. With a powerful water mage beside them, they didn’t need to worry about the ghost’s evil magic and could fight with single-minded focus. Otherwise, they would find it difficult to handle a ghost of the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon’s caliber. But now, the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon was merely a slightly stronger ghost to them.

Previously, Chengdao’s attack had indeed caused severe damage to the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon. This had thoroughly angered it, and in its rage, the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon had lost its rationality, unable to unleash its most powerful attacks and instead resorting to physical attacks, which it was not good at, against Chengdao and his group.

In no time, the warriors from Dalubao had chopped the claws of the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon into meat paste without taking any damage. Without its claws, the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon was like a toothless tiger. It could hardly inflict any harm on these warriors. Its illusionary magic was formidable, but without the coordination of its claws, how could it pose any threat to these warriors?

Countless claws were severed, and foul, black liquid sprayed from the severed limbs, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

As they attacked, the Dalubao fighters moved closer to the source of the claws, with Chengdao and the old Daoist following behind them. Soon, they spotted the ugly figure of the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon. Its claws had all been cut off, and it had sensed danger. Due to its previous injuries from Chengdao’s attack, it could no longer use its illusion magic, and now with most of its claws damaged, it was in a position where it could be slaughtered at will.

The Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon suddenly retracted all its claws, preparing to escape its ugly body.

‘It’s going to escape! Go after it and kill it!’ Pan Yongxi shouted anxiously.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

The warriors from Dalubao immediately transformed into sharp swords, pouncing toward the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon. If the demon had not been injured beforehand, these warriors would have found it difficult to block its escape. However, since the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon had already suffered serious damage, how could it escape from the hands of the Dalubao warriors? In no time, they had surrounded it, continuously attacking the demon.

The Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon roared in pain and was soon torn to pieces by the warriors. A wisp of black smoke flew from its body, attempting to escape from the warriors’ encirclement.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ The old Daoist would not allow the ghost to escape. A bolt of lightning shot from his hand, striking that wisp of black smoke. The smoke crackled as it was hit, slowly dissipating until it vanished completely.

‘The best way to deal with such ghostly creatures is to use lightning techniques. Even the simplest Heart Lightning is very effective against such low-level ghosts,’ the old Daoist reminded Chengdao.

They encountered no further resistance along the way, as it seemed that the only guardian on this route was the Thousand-Claw Illusion Demon.

‘It seems we chose the right path. We’ve reached the central area of the great tomb, and this secret passage must have been left behind as an escape route by those who built the tomb. After all, those who participated in the construction of such a great tomb surely knew they would lose their lives once it was finished. They secretly built this escape route to flee once the tomb was sealed. This path is so hidden that even the ghost may not have noticed it, which is why only this low-level ghost was left behind. It gives us a greater chance of success,’ the old Daoist said with satisfaction.

‘Master, can we really walk out of here alive?’ Chengdao asked.

‘Let’s hope so,’ the old Daoist replied, looking at Chengdao with lingering worry. The previous flicker of joy had been completely overshadowed by concern.

When they reached the end, they encountered a wall. This secret passage had no branches, so where they had arrived must lead to the direction of the great tomb. From the approach, it was evident that this was the entrance.

‘What’s going on? Why is there no way forward here?’ Pan Yongxi searched everywhere but found no mechanism.

‘Knock, knock, knock.’ The old Daoist tapped on the wall, producing a hollow sound. It was clear that there was empty space behind the wall, proving that they were heading in the right direction. However, this wall was incredibly tough, and Pan Yongxi could only leave a shallow mark with a very sharp weapon.

‘Heavenly Master, what should we do now?’ Pan Yongxi asked.

‘The mechanism on this wall must be located inside because this passage was left for their escape, not for tomb raiders to enter. Therefore, the builders of the tomb would only leave mechanisms inside. Once the tomb was built, even if they were sealed in, they could still escape through the great tomb,’ the water mage from Meishan understood a lot. This question was not difficult for the old Daoist.

‘Then how do we get in?’ Pan Yongxi asked.

‘How would I know? If you have a magical sword that can cut through iron as if it were mud, you can try and see if you can break open this stone door. Otherwise, we can only go back now. It shows that your sect leader is unlucky. Let him accept his fate,’ the old Daoist replied irritably.

The old Daoist grabbed Chengdao and was about to turn back when Pan Yongxi hurriedly stopped him. ‘Heavenly Master, don’t go! If you leave, what will happen to our fortress master?’

‘What can I do? If you can open this door, I would risk my life to go in and take a look. Not just for your fortress master, but for the treasures of my Meishan sect as well. This wall looks ordinary, but it is clearly made of a material that nullifies all magic. We have no way to open this door. Staying here is pointless. We’ve already wasted so much time; even if we find your fortress master, can you guarantee he will wait for long?’ the old Daoist asked.

Pan Yongxi sat down in frustration, and the warriors from Dalubao were at a loss. Among those who entered the great tomb with their fortress master were some of their relatives, and now that these people had lost hope, they too lost their strength.

Boom!

With a loud crash, the cave trembled, and the wall blocking everyone’s way suddenly collapsed.

Several warriors from Dalubao were knocked to the ground by the flying stones without warning. Pan Yongxi quickly moved back a few steps, and just as he stepped aside, the wall came crashing down.

The old Daoist and Chengdao floated backward, moving several yards away in the blink of an eye, without even a speck of dust on them. In contrast, most of the people from Dalubao were left covered in dirt, and a few unfortunate warriors had been struck by the stones that bounced from the wall and lost their lives on the spot. One or two were pinned under the wall, struggling in their final moments.

‘Steward, steward, save me,’ a young man reached out to Pan Yongxi, pleading.

Pan Yongxi closed his eyes in pain, approached, and held the young man’s head in his hands, twisting forcefully to free him from his already hopeless situation.

‘Heavenly Master!’ Pan Yongxi called out to the old Daoist, his eyes filled with desperation and joy.

The old Daoist helplessly replied, ‘Don’t worry, since I’m already in here, I will naturally go in and take a look.’

With a sigh of resignation, the old Daoist turned to Chengdao and said, ‘Chengdao, be smart later on. If there’s a chance to run out, you must escape without hesitation.’

At that moment, a sinister voice suddenly echoed from inside, ‘Pan Yongguang, you’re quite bold! You dare to set up an ambush here without permission! Are you trying to rebel?’

‘You eunuch!’ Pan Yongxi’s eyes erupted with rage. The one who spoke was none other than the eunuch Cui Yulin, who had forced the fortress master Pan Yongguang into the great tomb.

‘Cui Yulin, you’re joking. If I could set up an ambush here in this great tomb, why would I have been on edge all along? I’ll say it again; the things inside this great tomb are not as simple as you think. Once that ghostly creature is released, the consequences will be unimaginable. Not only will the lives of the tens of thousands of citizens of Dalubao be at stake, but I fear you won’t be able to escape either,’ Pan Yongguang’s hearty voice rang out.

‘Fool. Do you think I would confront that ghost directly? I brought so much explosives down here; do you think I intend to bury myself here? As long as I get my hands on that item, I will blow up the explosives here. I don’t believe that so much powder can’t kill that ghost! What I did just now was merely an appetizer,’ Cui Yulin sneered ominously.

‘Cui Yulin! This powder is extremely powerful; if not controlled properly, you and all the warriors of Dalubao might end up buried in this great tomb as well. I implore you, Daren!’ Pan Yongguang knew that Cui Yulin was definitely not well-intentioned. At the last moment, he was likely going to use them as cannon fodder to cover his escape, while he and the others from Dalubao would likely be silenced by Cui Yulin.

‘Pan Yongguang, if you don’t obey my orders, not a single one of you from Dalubao will survive! Once I get out, I will report to the court that you are rebelling!’ Cui Yulin threatened immediately.

‘Cui Yulin, please don’t do this. We will obey your orders with our lives,’ Pan Yongguang could only comply, worrying for the lives of the people of Dalubao.

‘Hmph, that’s more like it,’ Cui Yulin’s laugh was chilling, making one’s scalp tingle. ‘Pan Yongguang, immediately go and blow open the main tomb!’