Chapter 50: Disgusting! Run, Run!

“No need to worry,” Rong Ye’s deep, cold, and husky voice echoed in the empty underground palace, carrying a faint reverberation. “It volunteered.”

“Huh?” Gu Changhuai was shocked and looked up at the Qiankun Sword again. “Volunteered? Has the Qiankun Sword developed a sword spirit?”

Rong Ye replied, “Mm.”

Gu Changhuai was at a loss for words.

A sword spirit meant the sword had nurtured its own sentience, greatly enhancing its power. In the current Cultivation World, finding a sword with a spirit was harder than ascending to the heavens.

Gu Changhuai thought it over carefully and decided he still couldn’t face Rong Ye head-on. Joking aside, he probably couldn’t even beat the Qiankun Sword without a spirit—adding one would be suicide! With that in mind, he borrowed the light from the sword to survey their surroundings in the underground palace chamber.

This was a narrow tomb chamber. The ever-burning lamps on the walls had long gone out. In the center stood not a coffin, but a pillar with something wriggling on its surface.

“Huh?” Gu Changhuai approached for a closer look. They were characters resembling runes, all pitch-black like the pillar itself, blending seamlessly into the dark chamber. Even their aura was completely concealed. Without the light, almost no one would notice it.

Gu Changhuai identified them. “These are the patterns of a Soul-Locking Array, right?” He wasn’t very familiar with the Cultivation World’s spells and techniques, so his tone held some uncertainty.

Rong Ye confirmed, “Yes.” He paused, then added, “The Soul-Locking Array uses four pillars to form the domain, activated by the array’s core. Souls trapped within the domain cannot escape.”

At that moment, another scream echoed, seemingly drawn by the spiritual energy fluctuations here. The cries grew closer in position and distance, but the voice weakened. “Save… save me…” Accompanying it were some shrill roars.

As soon as the noise started, the Qiankun Sword darted toward the source, trailing light and a ghostly afterimage like a nimble white silk ribbon.

Gu Changhuai whipped his head around and chased after it with Rong Ye.

He had almost forgotten there was a living person in the underground palace!

The tomb chamber connected by the robber’s hole was small, but the passage outside was wide. It twisted and turned endlessly, with no end in sight. The path stretched on for a long way.

Gu Changhuai asked as he ran, “The voice sounds so close, but it feels so far when we run!”

Rong Ye explained, “This leads to the main tomb. What we were in was just the outermost Outer Tomb Chamber. The sound was carried by the wind.”

” Did they hollow out the entire Water Moon Mountain when building the Imperial Mausoleum?” Along the way, they saw scattered burial goods on the passage floor, even more exquisite and luxurious than those outside. Gu Changhuai glanced roughly and spotted bloodstained claw marks on the walls.

Puzzled, he guessed, “There’s a Soul-Locking Array in the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum. Tomb robbers came in to steal treasures but accidentally triggered it, leading to their deaths?”

“No,” Rong Ye said in a low voice. “The Soul-Locking Array only traps souls; it doesn’t enhance their power. Even with resentment, the souls merely provide baleful energy to the white bones.”

Gu Changhuai said, “What could survive for centuries in the Imperial Mausoleum and become so ferocious when provoked…”

Before he finished, a strand of baleful energy filled with killing intent hurtled toward them. He moved to dodge, but the Qiankun Sword swooped down, its surging sword intent instantly dissolving the hostile aura.

Seeing this, Gu Changhuai quickly ducked behind Rong Ye. “Danger!” He needed protection!

Of course, it was mostly because he didn’t want to fight himself. With the leader of the righteous path right there, any smart demon knew to hide.

As expected of him!

Rong Ye: “…”

He glanced faintly at Gu Changhuai, who hid behind him with a feigned look of fear but still peeked out with both eyes to observe ahead. Curiosity gleamed in his gaze toward the unknown. He couldn’t even pretend properly—he was utterly restless.

The two stood still, silent.

In the gloomy and cold, deathly silent passage, urgent footsteps approached rapidly. Soon, the figure entered their view, and Gu Changhuai frowned abruptly.

How to describe this person?

He clutched his natal spirit sword, clearly a cultivator.

But his fine robes were torn to shreds, mingled with flesh and blood. With every step, bits of bloody flesh dropped. Every wound was deep enough to expose gleaming white bone. His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale with terror, teetering on the edge of breakdown and madness, yet he struggled onward.

He spotted Rong Ye and Gu Changhuai—and the might of the Qiankun Sword. Realizing they were cultivators too, he reached out desperately toward them. A blinding spark of hope burst in his eyes, like grasping a lifeline. “Save me, save me! I’m a disciple of the Two Instruments Pavilion—save me!”

Two Instruments Pavilion?

What sect was that?

While Gu Changhuai pondered, Rong Ye didn’t move but pinched his fingers to summon his sword to help.

Something pursued the wretched Two Instruments Pavilion disciple closely from behind. The Qiankun Sword charged forth, slashing out several sword qi that felled the pursuer. It writhed a few times before going still.

It was a monster.

Humanoid in shape, pitch-black all over but covered in long black fur. Its face was hideous, nails and mouth stained with blood, and three wide-open eyes on its head that hadn’t yet closed.

Gu Changhuai stared, his eyes suddenly assaulted. He felt queasy. “…So disgusting.”

Though the Demon Realm had far grosser things, they rarely dared approach him. This hit hard on first sight.

Rong Ye shifted to block his view. “Don’t look. It’s filthy.” Gu Changhuai nodded vigorously—filthy things were nauseating with every glance.

The Two Instruments Pavilion disciple, saved, didn’t stop. Panting, he gasped, “Run, run fast… there’s more…”

With the immediate threat gone, his strength gave out, and he collapsed. Blood trickled from his mouth, his breath faint. “There’s more of… these things…”

“Wait a moment.” Gu Changhuai cut him off, flicking a pill into his mouth. He had bought it from a Pill Peak disciple.

The pill worked quickly. In moments, color returned to the disciple’s face, who had seemed on the verge of death.

With strength restored, he spoke fluidly, though his wounds were severe. Gu Changhuai flicked two more pills to staunch the bleeding.

Noticing Rong Ye’s gaze, Gu Changhuai grinned back and shook his bottle. “I’ve got plenty more.”

All on sale!

Buoyed by the pills, the Two Instruments Pavilion disciple caught his breath and bowed his head. “Thank you, fellow Daoist. But this place is dangerous—we must leave quickly…”

His words cut off by a shrill screech. His face drained of color visibly. Ignoring his injuries, he struggled to his feet in terror. “It’s here, it’s coming—run, run!”