Chapter 50: Gu Hanshuang
The three continued deeper into the tomb. The air here was dry, unlike the damp tunnel, and rich in spiritual energy. Although not as dense as a Blessed Land, it was still a comfortable environment.
They soon found a herb garden and, after exchanging glances, began harvesting, stripping it clean.
They took roughly equal shares, with Mingyan taking slightly more, as he had led them out of the formation.
He stored the herbs in his Qi Sea.
Seeing this, the young master and Zeng Qi were even more certain that Mingyan’s true cultivation was higher than Great Brook Realm. Only those who had reached the Illuminating Sea Realm could store items in their Qi Sea.
The herbs were of good quality, although not as potent as the one Yue Qingying had given him. They would still be helpful if he was injured.
They continued deeper, and Mingyan noticed more small holes in the walls. He frowned. “Have you seen these creatures before, outside?”
“No. Perhaps they’re some kind of subterranean creature mutated by the corpse Qi?” the young master suggested. “I hope the treasures within this tomb haven’t been damaged by these monsters.”
“These creatures have probably lived here for thousands of years. The tomb’s owner must have perished before the current Great Emperor ascended. That’s at least fifteen hundred years. They’ve probably made this place their home… I’m sure some things have been damaged.” Zeng Qi sneered. “I’ll kill every single one I encounter. Perhaps I’ll even find something valuable on their corpses.”
Mingyan’s eyes flickered. Zeng Qi had a point. The creatures might have hidden some of the tomb’s treasures. He would have to keep an eye out.
He had refused the earlier offer to team up, but now, they were essentially acting as a team.
The tomb was vast and surprisingly devoid of traps. They only occasionally heard the sounds of something crawling in the darkness, likely those red-furred creatures.
They continued harvesting herbs as they explored. They soon found a chamber with a stone coffin inside.
They exchanged glances. The young master said, “This coffin… likely belongs to the tomb’s owner… There might be some burial offerings inside…”
Are we really going to open someone’s coffin? Mingyan grimaced. Wasn’t that a bit disrespectful…?
Zeng Qi picked up a small stone and threw it at the coffin. Before it could make contact, the coffin glowed, and the stone disintegrated.
“There’s a restriction on the coffin. We can’t open it easily,” Zeng Qi frowned.
“It’s too dangerous for us to try and force it open with our current strength,” the young master shook his head. “Let’s look for other things. Don’t touch this. It could be fatal.”
“Let’s split up. It’s bright enough here. We’ll be able to see those red-furred creatures if they try to ambush us.” Zeng Qi glanced at Mingyan and the young master. The young master thought for a moment, then nodded. “Seeking opportunities separately is a good idea. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?”
Splitting up wasn’t ideal, but the other two clearly wanted to act alone, not wanting to share their findings. Mingyan nodded in agreement.
They left the chamber and continued exploring separately.
The young master and Zeng Qi quickly left. Mingyan stood before the coffin and bowed respectfully. “Senior, please forgive my intrusion…”
This was essentially grave robbing. He hoped the tomb’s owner wouldn’t be too offended.
He straightened up and left the chamber.
He wandered through the tomb and found a flower garden, which surprised him. This was underground. How could flowers grow without sunlight?
He looked up and noticed faint runes carved above the garden, emitting a gentle glow that illuminated the flowers.
This senior had even created a flower garden within his tomb… Quite elegant.
Mingyan examined the flowers. They were all unfamiliar species, fragrant and vibrant, filled with spiritual energy. An idea struck him.
Ordinary cultivators couldn’t store living things in their Qi Sea. Flowers would quickly wither and die. However, spirit fruits, once picked, were considered inanimate and could be stored. His Qi Sea was different, containing a sun and moon… Could he grow flowers inside?
He carefully dug up a flower and stored it in his Qi Sea, planting it in the ground there.
It would take some time to see if it would survive. He looked at the other flowers and noticed a few unique specimens.
Their stems were icy blue, their petals silvery white, shaped like crescent moons, exuding a serene and tranquil aura. He approached, touched a leaf, and felt a cool sensation… He pondered for a moment, then decided not to pick them.
He continued exploring.
He remained vigilant, wary of the small holes in the walls, in case those red-furred creatures attacked.
He eventually found a room. The furniture inside was well-preserved: a bed, a table, even a wine pot and cups.
Mingyan was surprised. Had the tomb’s owner lived here before his death? Perhaps, knowing his end was near, he had chosen to spend his final days here, then laid himself in the coffin when the time came…
Mingyan was silent for a moment. High-level cultivators could sense their approaching death. Waiting for death must be a terrible feeling.
He noticed a book on the bedside table and, after confirming there were no restrictions on it, picked it up and opened it.
The book, made of an unknown material, must have belonged to the tomb’s owner. It was well-preserved despite being over a thousand years old.
It seemed to be the senior’s diary, containing his thoughts and experiences during his final days.
“My lifespan is nearing its end. Although I’m grateful to have reached the Human Gateway Realm, I can’t help but feel a tinge of regret that my journey ends here. These past few days, I’ve been trying things I’ve neglected before. I’ve tried living like a mortal. I’ve gathered many beautiful flowers, especially those Tranquil Half Moon flowers. I’ve inscribed formations to preserve them. A human’s lifespan can’t be extended by formations, but a flower’s can. I hope they’ll continue to bloom after my death, and perhaps, many years from now, someone will stumble upon this place and marvel at their beauty.”
Tranquil Half Moon? Mingyan’s eyes widened. Were those the flowers he had seen earlier?
“I have seven days at most. I initially wanted to donate all my belongings, but I changed my mind. I’ve cultivated for two thousand years, yet I have no companion, no descendants. I’ve sacrificed too much for cultivation… But someone will likely find this place after my death. I’ve left my belongings outside the coffin. I hope they’ll take them and leave, not disturbing my peace.”
“I’ve arranged for everything, except for this dragon tendon. It’s too precious. It’s a pity I obtained it too late to use it for my weapon. I’ve thought about it for a long time and decided to bury it beneath the formation in the flower garden. If someone who loves flowers is willing to water them, they’ll find it…”
Dragon tendon?!
Mingyan was stunned. He had simply been curious about the senior’s thoughts before his death, but he hadn’t expected to find such valuable information. He put away the diary and returned to the flower garden.
There was no water here. He extended his hand, and spiritual energy condensed into rain, watering the flowers.
This consumed a significant amount of his spiritual energy, but the dense energy within the tomb quickly replenished his reserves.
As he watered the flowers, they seemed to become even more vibrant. The formation beneath the garden shimmered, and an old wooden box emerged from the edge of the garden. Mingyan opened it and found a translucent, shimmering tendon inside, radiating a strong Yang energy. This must be the dragon tendon. He tried to lift it, but it was incredibly heavy, far beyond his strength. He stored it in his Qi Sea.
Just as he did, he heard a noise behind him. He instantly dodged, turning around to see one of the red-furred creatures trying to ambush him. Its face was hidden by its fur. It turned to flee, but Mingyan, using the Wind Spirit Steps from the Wind Spirit Scripture, quickly caught up and crushed its head beneath his foot.
That was close… These creatures were incredibly cunning, always attacking when he was distracted. He couldn’t let his guard down…
He heard more noises, but this time, it wasn’t the creatures. Were those… people? He hesitated, then hid himself.
A few cultivators appeared in the flower garden, noticing the creature’s corpse.
“It seems we were too late. Someone has already been here.”
There were three cultivators, two women and a man. The man was handsome, and the women were also quite beautiful. Ugly cultivators were rare. Most of those Mingyan had encountered were quite attractive.
“Someone beat us to it… They probably took the herbs from the garden as well. If I find them, I’ll make them spit it all out,” the man said angrily.
“Forget it. Finders keepers. Don’t be a bandit,” one of the women rolled her eyes.
Mingyan, hidden in the shadows, noticed they were all wearing tokens with special markings, similar to his Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land token. Could these be Sacred Land disciples?
“Hmph, that depends on whether they have the strength to keep it.”
“Let’s continue. I heard there’s a Sacred Land disciple inside. Don’t let your guard down.” The other woman, who had been silent, finally spoke. “After this, we still have a mission. We can’t let Gu Hanshuang return to the Southern Continent.”
“Yes…”
They soon left. Mingyan frowned. Prevent Gu Hanshuang from returning to the Southern Continent?
He had heard that name before. Yue Wu Xia had mentioned him when describing special constitutions. Gu Hanshuang was the top genius of the Southern Continent, possessing the Tai’a Physique, granting him an innate affinity for weapons.
It seemed they were planning to assassinate Gu Hanshuang…
He had stumbled upon something significant. Mingyan pondered, then decided not to reveal himself. He continued studying the diary left by the Human Gateway Realm senior. Perhaps there were other clues hidden within its pages.