This sentence, with its heavy uncertainty, carries a faint sense of coldness.
Sweat beads trickled down the corner of my forehead, and it was only then that I realized the source of Lao Gong's unease.
Actually, at the very beginning, we overlooked a point: there are ghostly creatures here.
When we saw the statue of a ghost later, Lao Gong was not worried. He knew that we would definitely have to face something! Right now, Feng Huaiju's death clearly indicates one point!
Ding Rui Pu can not only control the ghosts in the bamboo forest but also, outside of this tomb, the ghosts she has never touched before. She can control them as well?
I have found where Luan Hou is located.
Between those short trees, in the dense area behind the thick branches and trunks, there were some strange things hanging upside down, like some kind of birds. Their heads were pale as white as if they were humans.
Before, in the bamboo forest, I couldn't see the true appearance of these Luanhou figures, but now I can.
This "human" form is formed by a gathering of the ghostly creatures that resemble both birds and bats. The face is not a face, but the belly of the ghostly creature is white at the top, which forms the face. There are many Luanhou creatures, but they don't show any unusual movement, they just hang quietly.
"The worst outcome is that the Madame can control Shidida. Luanhou, we have indeed sent her to an environment where she feels at home." Old Gong spoke again, his voice exceptionally eerie and full of bitter regret.
This bitterness stems from thousands of calculations, only to end in a miscalculation.
"...she can actually control ghosts..." Wu Jinluan's sweat beads on his forehead were even larger, and the other spirit master, Yin Yang, was a bit agitated. It seemed that he had surged a helpless feeling.
"Does that mean, on this Jiang Huang City territory... there's really no place for us, aside from her Ding Rui Pu?" Another master sounded particularly despondent.
We can tell from Lao Gong's attitude that there are ghosts, and being controlled by them is a completely different concept.
He's genuinely thinking about quitting.
"Luanhou didn't attack us," I said in a low voice, my gaze falling on Wu Jinluan, "Mr. Wu, where's your momentum?"
"She should have entered the tomb to seek inheritance of Fengshui techniques," I said, turning to look at Lao Gong, "She can control ghosts, but she must also face them. We don't see any more danger in front of us."
Lao Gong's eyes darted rapidly, and he opened his mouth slightly.
Wu Jinluan's expression gradually turned fierce and resolute.
"You are willing to risk everything, dare to topple the emperor, as Master Luo said! If we can't succeed here, we will return and pack our bags. If you want to leave, go ahead. I can't leave," said Wu Jinluan with a fierce and decisive look. "Master Ding Rui Pu must die!"
I did not speak further but instead approached the deep pool.
Lowering my head, I looked at the pool, which was as still as an ancient well, with deep thought in my eyes.
"Lao Gong, should we go down from here or from the end of the divine path?"
Lao Gong hesitated slightly before saying, "If the surface is wrong, we cannot see the surface, we cannot get down from the shore, we must go down through the divine path."
"Additionally…" Lao Gong turned his head, glanced at the edge of the forest, muttering, "Sixty-four directions, sixty-four dead men. This place has been walked to the end by previous people. As a result, each position is filled with people who have died. By the time Tao Mingyi and his group get here, they should realize that they can't pass through. However, forcing their way through here, I'm not sure what will happen…"
"Will the Luanhou move?" Wu Jinluan replied cautiously.
My heart tensed again.
Lao Gong's words also reflect a concern.
What if Tao Mingyi and the others come, and they are not willing to give up, wanting to force their way in?
Therefore, I walked over to Feng Huaiju's corpse and stood it up, with my arms crossed in front of my chest.
This posture is as if telling those behind that it's dangerous here, so don't enter!
That's all I can do.
The safety of Tao Mingyi and the others is not important. What matters most is that the Kuangs, Fe, and Xu families, and these other people, need to understand my warning.
"The Madame didn't die here, father. They will think that she's entered the tomb and it will be hard for her to leave."
"It's all right," I informed Lao Gong of my own thoughts.
Lao Gong only nodded, indicating that he understood.
At the moment, one of the spirit masters walked up to the monk's body and dragged him to the edge of the pool. Then, he gave him a hard push inside!
The monk's body plummeted heavily into the pool, and a terrifying scene unfolded.
There were no ripples on the water, and no splashing sound. Even the surface of the water was as still as an ancient well.
The monk's body was actually suspended on the surface of the water!
No, it's not suspended...
It's as if a thin layer of black had attached to the water's surface. It feels like the pool, but it's not at all. It forms a barrier.
At this moment, the water surface moved. A flake of about the size of a fingernail was crawling towards the monk's body.
Something the size of a fingernail on the water a bit further away flew up, making a buzzing sound, and landed on the monk's body before becoming silent again.
With the naked eye, the monk's clothes were gone, and his flesh was disappearing...
"Corpse armor?" My face broke out in a fine rash of goosebumps.
Feng Huaiju said that after the Shidida hatches, it becomes a corpse armor.
This ghost thing...is even harder to deal with.
"If you don't throw something into the water and just jump in, you might end up dead with a completely different appearance," Wu Jinluan said, his eyes filled with terror.
"Not only that, Xiao Wu Zi. It will be a corpse without a trace," I replied.
Lao Gong shivered involuntarily.
He urged us to go back through the thief's cave and not to cross the water surface.
The group of people then returned to the divine path through the thief's cave.
Staring at the armillary sphere at the end, I was silent for a moment before saying, "I will go out to scout ahead. If there's no problem, I'll come back. If it takes too long, more than ten minutes, you should go back."
The key to dealing with the ghostly creatures, I believe, is not with the masters but with me.
There are corpse armor and Jiang Huang in the water.
If I can't handle them, then I can't even talk about finding the tomb in the water. If I don't die, we have to leave; if I do, there's no need for Wu Jinluan and the others to follow me to their deaths.
This decision of mine did not meet with any opposition from Lao Gong.
Wu Jinluan remained silent, while the other masters bowed towards me.
Without hesitation, I plunged directly into the armillary sphere, exerting my strength to push outward!
Soon, my head touched the warm water, and I held my breath to avoid getting water in my throat.
Once I was fully submerged in the water, everything before me was gray and murky, and there seemed to be a faint glow emanating from the bottom of the water.
My heart was throbbing with shock.
I had thought that finding the tomb would be difficult, but I didn't expect that a massive mound would be standing on the bottom of the water!
There is a tombstone in front of the mound, and a hole under the tombstone.
Only that hole was completely dark, leading to an unknown place.
Lifting my head up, it should be the surface of the water above, but it was as dark and impenetrable as the bottom of the water, not letting any light through.
The source of light is from the water itself.
Those black areas should be the coverings of the corpse armor.
It's not just about the corpse armor.
There were some ghostly creatures in the water above me, similar to humans but with fish-like fins on their lower halves. Their faces resembled that of a yanqi, and their arms were short and thick, with wide palms.
These creatures are the Jiang Huang!
"Gurgle gurgle!" A large cluster of bubbles erupted from my shoulder.
Lao Gong slightly rose to the surface, spreading out his limbs, and pressed towards the direction of the armillary sphere.
Just then, I realized that one could be blinded by the situation.
Can't Lao Gong just drill out and bring a message?
It seems that these ghostly creatures in the water only attack people who jump into the pool from the outside and do not attack those who come through the divine path.
The people who were buried here have given an opportunity for those who can walk the right path to enter?
I did not linger in the same place, diving into the water and swimming downstream.
The time a person can hold their breath is limited.
The exit on this divine path is already under the water for more than ten meters, leaving only two floors' height from the bottom.
The huge mound, almost as high as a floor.
Soon, I was close to the mound.
Up close, the tombstone is over two meters high!
The hole in front of the tombstone was dark and murky, with some steps visible, but this was not wide enough for a person to walk through. It could only be used to crawl down.
At this moment, I noticed some shadows above, and looking slightly up, I saw Lao Gong waving his limbs, with Wu Jinluan following behind him, and some others slowly swimming down.
After a moment of contemplation, I squeezed into that hole and began to crawl inside.
The steps were deep, narrower, and the pressure was greater.
Moreover, the light source was gone, and I was completely fumbling around in the dark underwater...
There is also a psychological pressure, the amount of time you can hold your breath is limited, can you crawl down to the bottom before you run out of breath? By the time you can't hold your breath, it's too late to return...
The only reason I can endure it is that...
Ding Ruipi has come down, and she can do it as an old woman. I used to learn the professional techniques of body recovery divers, so there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to.
The deeper I go, the more a sense of congestion in my head occurs due to the angle. My breathing becomes irregular. If I retreat now to the divine path, it should still be manageable...
But, can I really be outdone by Mrs. Ding even though she's an old woman?
Then what's the point in talking about dealing with her?
Even if she can endure it as well as I can, can she really last longer than me?
In my mind, I chanted the "Pure Heart Sutra," and my body gradually emptied out, entering a state that was difficult to describe in words. In short, the dryness in my lungs slightly improved.
The speed of my crawling increased.
Suddenly, I felt the pressure decrease dramatically!
Although I was wrapped in water, at that moment, all the water disappeared, not even covering my head or face.
Breathing in great gulps, I realized that my vision had cleared.
In front of me is another divine path, wider than the previous one, at least three meters wide. On both sides are densely packed statues, and some oil lamps are placed above them, never going out.
On the right side of the divine path, there was a statue that was out of place.
The next second, I realized that it wasn't a statue at all.
The slightly bent-over body, out-of-place features, long eyebrows and eyes, that was clearly Mrs. Ding looking at me with a thin smile.
Her face was so out of place that it made one think it was a statue, but in fact, it was just a sinister old woman!
My heart suddenly sank, originally lying on the ground, I suddenly stood up!
But Mrs. Ding nodded slightly, her smile becoming even more sinister.
"You're a good kid, actually able to make it here. Can you come down? From that, it seems you've come to your senses? Are they behind you?" Mrs. Ding asked me.
I drew out the Gao Tian Sword, pointing directly at her.
"What do you think?" I asked, also squinting slightly.
Mrs. Ding has someone beside her, so I need to be cautious.
She's alone right now.
Then I can take action!
Even if she has the strength of the Great Master, and her status is as high as a real person, this place is so narrow and small that she can only use a little bit of geomancy.
But this place is too advantageous for me!
"Are you really going to kill me?" Mrs. Ding asked suddenly, "Are you sure?"
