Chapter 125: The Ancient Tomb of the Southern City

"I don't have much experience in that area, so I don't even know what it's called. I've never encountered such a master," Second Uncle said, which made me feel even more intrigued.

Some time ago, I saw a monk floating in the sky on television. It seems that monk must have reached that level, or perhaps even higher.

After all, in a world where even ghosts exist, why shouldn't flight be possible?

"Second Uncle, do you think immortals really exist?"

I’d been wanting to ask this question for a long time, and now, seeing the opportunity, I brought it up.

He laughed heartily. "Of course not."

"Why not?" I pressed.

"No matter how high one’s cultivation, no one can break the laws of this world. Becoming a true immortal is impossible."

"You saw on TV how those eminent monks vanish suddenly—not because they've become immortals, but because they’ve chosen to retire in seclusion."

I responded with a simple "oh" and let the matter drop. I wasn’t even at the Spirit Lotus stage yet; I was still far from reaching the level where flight was possible.

For now, just staying alive was enough for me.

During the days that followed, I spent my time not only practicing finger techniques and blade work every day, but also following Second Uncle to root out a den of evil cultivators.

A dozen grim-faced middle-aged men sat together—a scene I would never forget.

This also allowed me to witness Second Uncle’s true strength. He could easily be considered a master swordsman or a reclusive expert.

Life felt fulfilling, but before I knew it, the day of departure had arrived.

Li Zijian, Chen Chen, and I decided to meet at the ancient tomb in South City by noon.

So I got up early, packed plenty of bandages and disinfectant—just in case.

While I was changing clothes, Second Uncle suddenly entered my room. Fortunately, I wasn’t naked, or the situation would have been unbearably awkward.

"Heading out today?" he asked, sitting on the wooden stool across from me, cigarette in hand.

"Yeah. It might be a while before I return," I replied.

He nodded, then took out my torn white brocade robe from his ring.

Ever since I returned from Qulong Town, I hadn’t worn this robe—it was riddled with holes, which was quite a pity.

But it seemed Second Uncle had mended it. He handed it to me, saying, "I’ve patched it up for you. It’s as good as new."

I spread the robe out. Sure enough, there wasn’t a single hole left, and it looked completely new, with no trace of repair.

"Be careful out there..." he said, and then, as always, he gave me a long-winded list of advice, all of which I took to heart.

After saying goodbye to Second Uncle, I set off down the mountain.

Glancing at the brocade robe I was wearing, I noticed he’d added gold trim to the edges, making it look even more elegant and luxurious.

Li Zijian’s family car was already waiting at the foot of the mountain. Once I got in, we set off.

Li Zijian and Chen Chen were already there. As soon as I got in, Li Zijian asked, "Brother Yao, do you think we’ll run into any big zombies in the tomb this time?"

I was drinking water and nearly spat it out.

"Come on, even ordinary spirits would have to call you ‘Master Daoist’ at this point," I teased.

Li Zijian thought about it and realized I was right. But what I didn’t tell him was that where the Ghost King resided, there was no such thing as an ordinary spirit.

I noticed that both Chen Chen and Li Zijian were getting used to wearing robes—especially Chen Chen, who seemed to have a particular fondness for gray.

The car sped along as we chatted, hoping we’d all make it out of this game unscathed.

"Oh, here, take these," Chen Chen said, pulling two talismans from his ring.

"What are these, Old Chen?" Li Zijian asked.

But I recognized them at a glance—they were protective charms, similar to the ones I’d used on Tianyang Mountain. The only difference was these were blood-red, and I couldn’t make out the other symbols.

"They’re protective talismans. My dad had a master draw them—they’re pretty effective."

I guessed as much and slipped mine into my pocket.

But Li Zijian, having never seen one before, fiddled with his for a while.

Soon, we arrived at the ancient tomb in South City—a place I’d never been to. It looked vast, but strangely deserted.

We parked by the roadside and got out.

This place was remote and desolate. Originally, Old Li was supposed to wait there for Li Zijian, but Li Zijian insisted he leave.

Glancing around, I saw many small graves in the tomb, and a grand mausoleum at the center—it was quite impressive.

I also noticed there were already people inside, likely our classmates.

"Let’s head in," Chen Chen whispered.

As soon as I set foot inside, I felt uneasy—a heavy, chilling energy pervaded the air, as if I’d fallen into a pile of corpses.

The three of us walked in slowly, and the next second, our phones all rang at once.

"Everyone is punctual. Please gather at the entrance," came the message.

After the Ghost King finished speaking, I glanced back toward the entrance.

Sure enough, a layer of spiritual energy had been sealed over it—there was no way out now.

Soon, several people approached from different directions, including a familiar face—Chu Yao.

"Hey, Brother Yao, your old flame is here," Li Zijian whispered with a lewd grin.

I gave him a hard kick, sending him yelping and running.

Chu Yao waved at me from afar, and when she reached me, she said, "Long time no see."

"I hope you’ve been well," I replied.

We had little to talk about, so she naturally stood behind me.

I wasn’t familiar with the other classmates, but they seemed to sense something was off today and lowered their guard.

Their strength had improved considerably; the strongest was at Spirit Flower, third rank, but I was still the most formidable.

They weren't fools—each one glanced at my forehead as they passed, and seeing they couldn’t discern my cultivation, they instinctively moved to stand behind me.

Once everyone had arrived, I turned to address the group.

"This time, the game doesn’t require us to fight each other. We should stick together, help one another, and all aim to come out alive."

As I spoke, I revealed the small flower with six petals on my forehead.

Nothing commands respect like strength. Instantly, everyone’s hostility faded.

Just as I finished, the Ghost King sent another message.

"Very good. There’s only one mission this time: inside this tomb, find the Ten Thousand Treasures Sword. Do you see the mechanism by the entrance? Only with the Ten Thousand Treasures Sword can you return home."

Peering through the crowd, I spotted a peculiar spot—it looked like a sword scabbard embedded in the wall. That must be where the sword belonged.

There were exactly ten of us. To make searching easier, I divided us into pairs to explore different directions. None of the small burial mounds could be overlooked.

I teamed up with Old Chen, while Li Zijian eagerly volunteered to partner with Chu Yao. I didn’t know the others well, but instructed everyone that if they found anything unusual or encountered danger, they should shout out.

Just to be safe, I drew my Snow Blade.