Embers of Sword

Chapter 512 The Second Path
Bai Ze's Secret Tomb, a desolate place shrouded in gloom.

A soul banner was thrust into the earth, countless wandering souls swirling around it. The Myriad Souls Array only covered an area of ​​twenty feet in radius. The White Crane True Man, at the twentieth level of the Yin God realm, sat cross-legged beneath the soul banner, surrounded by dancing wandering souls. The dozens of Yin Mountain disciples who had entered the secret tomb with him were all refined. The increased soul power they gained from consuming the "Nine-Turn Vermilion Pill" was also transformed into nourishment, flowing entirely into his heart lake.

Renzuka held a huge head in his arms.

It was Zhong Sha who was severely injured by the resentment of the Great Master Chongkan.

This martial arts practitioner, a heretic with a divine physique, was on the verge of death. Fortunately, his physical body was strong enough to hold on to his last breath.

now.

Renzuka threw out all the rare and precious materials he had seized from the secret palace.

"Junior brother...don't be afraid..."

Master Baihe stroked the head in his arms, his voice hoarse, and said, "After taking these medicines, you will get better..."

At this moment.

A loud rumble suddenly echoed from the sky.

Renzuka's expression changed drastically. He looked up abruptly, his eyes turning fierce...

Above the Myriad Souls Array, the void was torn apart, and a figure in black robes, covered in bloodstains, fell down!
"Thank you, Zhen!"

Renzuka suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with murderous intent!
He took a step forward and instantly arrived in front of the falling figure, raising his hand to deliver a palm strike!
boom!
The man in the black robe, who had fallen from the sky, struggled to draw his sword in mid-air and forcefully clashed with Master Baihe.

No surprises at all.

The man in black was thrown into the air and crashed heavily into a stone wall!
"……idiot!"

A painful, hoarse scream rang out within the Ten Thousand Souls Formation.

The man in black, his face deathly pale, leaned against the mountain wall and roared angrily, "If I were Xie Zhen... why would I come to the Ten Thousand Souls Formation to kill you?"

"..."

Renzuka stood there, expressionless, coldly staring at the man in black before him.

This palm strike was delivered.

He immediately realized... that the person in front of him was not Xie Zhen.

In fact, from the moment the void shattered and the black-clad figure fell, Renzuka had a vague idea of ​​the other party's identity.

However, having suffered a great loss at Xie Zhen's hands before, he dared not let his guard down again.

It's better to be harmed than to be misled.

Moreover, he inherently disliked "black robes," and Renzuka felt genuine disgust for both Xie Zhen and the fake Paper Dolls.

"Who told you not to say so sooner?"

Renzuka spoke softly, "How did you get injured like this? And how did you know my location?"

The paper figure in black struggled to stand up.

However, traversing the void... consumes too much of the physical body...

He gave it a try.

In the end, he leaned against the mountain wall.

"It's... Xie Zhen..."

The man in black, his face pale, gritted his teeth and said, "I've run into him."

"Oh?"

Renzuka frowned and asked, "Where is the Prince of Jiangning?"

"...dead."

The man in black chuckled, his tone mocking, "Before he died, this guy was like a dog..."

Although the Prince of Jiangning was killed by himself.

But when he crawled out from the end of the mountain path, he was on the verge of death.

Xie Zhen deliberately spared his life, letting him die in utter despair.

It's rather laughable that the mighty Great Chu Yin God, who reached the pinnacle of cultivation, has ultimately fallen to this state.

But what's even more ridiculous... seems to be myself.

In his current state, he is no better off than Xie Zhisui, the Prince of Jiangning.

"Is the Prince of Jiangning no match for Xie Zhen?"

Upon hearing this news, Ren Zhong's heart skipped a beat. When he left the secret hall, Xie Zhen had only revealed the strength of the Dual Dao Realm of Life and Death. At that time, he and the Prince of Jiangning were locked in a fierce battle, both showing signs of exhaustion. While Xie Zhen's Dual Dao Realm was indeed terrifying, after escaping danger, Ren Zhong sat cross-legged to recuperate. Reflecting on the battle, he didn't feel that Xie Zhen's strength was particularly formidable. He simply attributed it to being "ambushed" and the timing being unfavorable, which led to his defeat.

Logically speaking.

After I left.

The Prince of Jiangning's mansion should have crushed Xie Zhen!

King Jiangning is at the nineteenth level of the Yin God realm!
In addition, he has two absolutely loyal servants at the fifth level of Yin God realm, who would willingly self-destruct at the slightest command!

"This guy is stronger than you think..."

The man in black sat on the mountainside, lowered his eyes and smiled, his voice hoarse as he said, "The Prince of Jiangning was manipulated by him. If you hadn't escaped, you would most likely have died there too."

"Is this guy really that good?"

Renzuka raised an eyebrow, deeply shocked; he couldn't believe the information.

How long has Xie Zhen been cultivating?

I am a fully realized Yin Spirit!

He examined the man in black before him with a hint of suspicion. Needless to say, the injuries... were also inflicted by Xie Zhen.

"You'll understand some things later."

The man in black coughed twice, then chuckled and said, "Xie Zhen is indeed formidable... but the Dao Master has already prepared a countermeasure..."

Say it.

He raised his palm, and a faint sound of wind and thunder rose from it.

"This is?"

Renzuka's expression was uncertain.

"This is your 'qi'."

The man in black said in a low voice, “Everyone has ‘qi’ on them. When you enter the secret tomb, the gate of the Great Sage Bai Ze steals a wisp of ‘qi’ from you. You can think of it as a ‘soul lamp’. As long as you are not dead, this wisp of ‘qi’ is burning. The Paper Doll Dao has the technique of ‘seeing qi’. It is because it took your ‘qi’ that I was able to come here.”

To deliberately crash into the void seems like courting death.

But in fact……

This wisp of air was the "way out" that the man in black had left for himself.

"What kind of witchcraft is this?"

Master Baihe's face was gloomy; he had never heard of such a technique before.

His "qi" was taken away silently... He was a perfected Yin spirit, how could he be completely unaware?

"Don't worry. This wisp of air isn't anything valuable."

The black-clad figure's voice was weak: "Even if I extinguish the energy now, you will not be harmed in the slightest. It's like crushing the soul lamp; the original body will remain unharmed... This is a one-way communication technique."

"You just said that this secret tomb stole everyone's 'qi'?"

Renzuka's expression turned serious.

"Not bad...no wonder he is the chief disciple of Yinshan..."

The man in black smiled and said, "Everyone who enters the tomb leaves behind a wisp of life. Even if they die, this wisp of life will not dissipate."

Renzuka coldly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Didn't you realize it...?"

The man in black looked up at the sky and said softly, "This secret tomb has been starving for a long time and needs food. The Great Chu Treasure Ship was its food, and you, me, and the first cultivators to enter the secret tomb were also its food. However, it abides by the rules set by the Great Sage Bai Ze and never eats on its own initiative. Therefore, when the Great Chu Treasure Ship crashed into the abyss, the secret tomb swallowed the ship's vital energy. During the bloody battle between Yinshan and the Jiangning Prince's Mansion, the secret tomb devoured the souls of the dead."

"You mean... this secret tomb is actually a giant soul banner? All of us who enter the tomb will be refined?"

Renzuka's expression turned ugly.

"That analogy has some merit. But that's about it."

The man in black exhaled a breath of stale air and said expressionlessly, "Now you should understand, right? Why your master remained unmoved despite the abundance of treasures in this secret tomb, and instead sent you inside... Those old ghosts from the three major sects are all extremely afraid of their lives. How could they possibly become food without understanding the situation?"

"Damn it!"

Anger flashed in Ren Zhong's eyes. He stepped forward, grabbed the black-clad man's collar, and roared furiously, "Since you knew the Secret Tomb was eating people, why didn't you say so sooner? Didn't you want to live?" "It seems..."

The man in black remained calm, gazing into the eyes of the White Crane Immortal, and chuckled softly with pity, "You're very afraid of death..."

Renzuka's anger did not subside.

"The world is fair."

The man in black said softly, "Those who enter the tomb first may die first. But they may also gain immense opportunities, don't they?"

For some reason, after Renzuka and the man in black locked eyes...

His mind suddenly calmed down.

It's true that this secret tomb is man-eating, but there are also real and great opportunities within its secret hall.

He now possesses twelve treasures!
Aside from the divine object he used to cure his junior brother Zhongsha's illness, and the "Diamond Fruit," he himself still possessed four or five top-tier treasures.

Once these treasures are refined, they will be enough to elevate his strength to a higher level!

In the realm of Yin spirits.

He is beyond redemption.

These top-tier treasures were not the opportunity that Renzuka truly sought.

The reason why the three major evil cultivators spared no expense to enter the secret tomb was to find the complete Dao stele that could help them advance to the "Yang God" level!

It was precisely because the White Ghost, the Crimson Immortal, and the Azure Owl valued their lives and dared not be the first to step into the secret tomb that this opportunity fell to outsiders.

If Ren Zhong obtains the Dao Stele... then he will be the only sect leader of Yinshan from now on!
From this day forward, these three "false saints" will become his disciples!

Think about this.

Renzuka's heart calmed down.

"Paper doll technique..."

He stared at the man in black before him and slowly said, "The reason you're not afraid of death is because you can't die at all. Lu Yuzhen cast the 'Paper Doll Technique' on this body of yours; your true self should be hiding in Pure White Mountain, right?"

"Not bad, as expected of the White Crane Immortal."

The man in black readily admitted it, saying calmly, "Actually, you don't need to be so angry. Although I'm not afraid of death, it doesn't mean I want to die. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to endure the pain of 'crossing the void' to come to your side..."

"...?"

Renzuka frowned, somewhat puzzled.

"The Void Array has just been activated for the second time."

The man in black looked up at the empty sky and said softly, "You should have felt it, right?"

"Ah."

Renzuka gave a still-shaken "hmm".

After the great battle with King Jiangning, he led the remaining forces of Yinshan to escape from the secret palace. Not long after, the void erupted with a rumbling sound. He was glad that he had left in time... otherwise, if he had encountered Ancestor Ye again, he would probably have perished on the spot.

"The Dao Lord told me that the activation of this second grand formation means... the four secret palaces will be sent to the second level of the secret mausoleum."

The man in black paused for a moment, then said, "You can think of these four secret halls as the 'transportation vehicles' for all those who enter the tomb. If you want to step into the next level of the secret tomb, you can only use these secret halls to cross over."

"what?!"

Renzuka's expression changed slightly.

So... his decision to escape from the secret palace was actually a mistake?

"Actually, you're really lucky."

The man in black sighed softly, his voice tinged with regret: "Sometimes, retreating is for a better advance. If you had taken the secret chamber to the second level, I might have had nowhere to escape..."

“What…do you mean?” Renzuka asked.

“The secret palace will return on its own every so often.”

The man in black calmly said, "This is just a ferry between the first and second levels of the secret tomb. Although you missed it this time, you will have another chance to catch up if you wait a little longer."

Renzuka keenly noticed the strangeness in the black-clad man's words.

"Are you planning to leave?"

"……Um."

The man in black was very frank: "I have completed my mission... Now I am leaving. I might as well tell you that the three Venerables of the Paper Doll Path who entered the tomb with the three major sects will not step into the second level of the secret tomb. Once the Void Array is activated for the second time, we will return the way we came."

"Your mission?"

Renzuka was startled.

"This secret tomb has never been opened. Those old guys from the three major sects value their lives, yet they are unwilling to give up the opportunity."

The man in black smiled and said, "If there really were an inscription for advancing to the Yang God realm, do you think the White Ghost would willingly give it to you? In the mountains of Southern Xinjiang, where can you find a true master and disciple?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Renzuka was speechless.

"At the entrance to the Abyss, those old guys from the three major sects are waiting for us."

The man in black said quietly, "The mission entrusted to us by the Dao Lord is to use the power of our divine souls to draw the 'map' of the first level of the secret tomb. In this way, the people from the three major sects can enter with peace of mind. Most of the treasures in this first level of the secret tomb are rare medicinal herbs and refining tools. The inscriptions for advancing to the Yang God level will probably be placed later."

Upon hearing this, Renzuka's heart sank.

He had known all along that those old devils wouldn't be so kind...

really!

Even he, the "first disciple," was nothing more than a pawn in their game!
The first group of people to enter the tomb had only one purpose: to provide nourishment for the Bai Ze Secret Tomb.

Wait until the second floor opens.

They can then sit back and reap the benefits, take the first layer of the map, and enter the secret tomb with their extraordinary cultivation to seize the fortune at will!

Thinking of this, Renzuka had already formed a murderous intent in his heart.

Letting the man in black leave would be outrageous.

"Don't even think about killing me, it's pointless."

The man in black seemed to have seen through Ren Zhong's thoughts.

He smiled weakly, “Even if you kill me, my true self will still be in Pure White Mountain. The secret tomb blueprints were drawn with divine thought. Even if my clone dies, my true self can still draw the blueprints. Once this happens, the White Ghost will know that you have betrayed Yin Mountain… Those who are meant to enter the tomb will still enter it. Nothing will change. It’s just that at that time, you are destined to die.”

"..."

Renzuka's expression was extremely gloomy.

"Now, you have two choices."

The man in black held up two fingers: "You can leave the secret tomb with me. Before the gate of the White Ze Realm, hand over all the treasures. The White Ghost will not punish you in the slightest because of your filial piety... You are still the chief disciple of Yinshan, and you can return to the tomb again. However, any further good fortune will be irrelevant to you."

Upon hearing this, Renzuka couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly.

These treasures...

Even if the White Demon bestows it all upon himself... so what?
This is what I earned through my own hard work! I deserve all of this!

If the inscription cannot be obtained.

Then what is the point of entering the mausoleum?
"I'm sorry, I will choose the second option."

Renzuka said expressionlessly, "I've already risked my life, so this is the only path I can take."

These two paths do not need to be pointed out by the man in black.

Rush!
Since the White Ghosts and their group had not yet entered the tomb, he held the initiative.

Take the first step.

Take the lead step by step.

Only by obtaining the inscription on the Dao Stele... can he justify his bet!
"Are you sure?"

The man in black looked at Ren Zhong and chuckled, saying, "The second level of the secret tomb is probably now filled with a large number of formidable and ruthless individuals... If you go there, you might very well perish..."

"……Ah."

Renzuka simply sneered; there was no need for further words or explanations at this moment.

"If you are really determined."

The man in black said quietly, "Perhaps... I can help you."

(End of this chapter)