Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 181 Ghost Abyss
The lingering sound of the jade chime seemed to pierce the ancient silence deep within the tomb, like a needle.

The next instant, an indescribable, overwhelming, and suffocating sense of being watched suddenly descended!
It did not originate from any specific direction, but rather permeated the entire vast underground space, omnipresent.

That "gaze" was cold and lifeless, yet it carried a pure and ancient malice that looked down upon ants, as if a colossal creature that had been asleep for hundreds of years had been slightly disturbed by this inappropriate sound, and had opened its eyelids slightly from its endless slumber of death.

"Uh!"

Old Jin grunted, and the compass slipped from his hand with a "crack." His face turned ashen, and he almost knelt down, a primal tremor of a lower life form facing a higher being.

Xiao Zhou suddenly clutched his chest. The data on the monitor screen jumped wildly, finally letting out a mournful cry before going completely black.

He was breathing rapidly, feeling a chill rush from his tailbone straight to the top of his head, and his limbs and bones stiffened.

Although Lei Bao managed to stand firm, his knuckles were white from gripping the gun, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his muscles were taut as iron, as if he were being bound by an invisible giant python. Even moving his eyes was extremely difficult.

Zhang Guisheng, still recovering from his injuries, felt a sweet taste in his throat from the shock. He forced down a mouthful of blood pressure, his eyes filled with horror and determination as he stared intently into the darkness.

Only Qi Yun remained upright like a pine tree, but his deep, pool-like eyes suddenly narrowed, and a cold flame seemed to flicker deep within his pupils.

The space around him distorted slightly. When the invisible malevolent pressure approached him, it was like a tide crashing against a reef. Although turbulent, it failed to shake him in the slightest.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his expression becoming more solemn than ever before.

"The malice is outrageous... but the target doesn't seem to be entirely focused on us."

Qi Yun's deep yet clear voice forcefully pulled everyone back from their fear, "The most urgent thing is Captain Liu and the others! Let's go!"

He took the lead and headed in the direction from which the sound of the jade chime came from the northwest.

His steps remained steady, but his speed had noticeably increased.

Suppressing the excitement in their hearts, everyone followed closely behind.

Walking through this vast, desolate chamber felt like an endless journey.

Finally, the flashlight beam pierced the darkness, illuminating a chilling scene.

A huge pool of water lay across the road ahead, blocking all paths.

The pool of water was as black as ink, so viscous that it seemed not to be a liquid but rather melted asphalt. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet it exuded an extreme chill that could freeze one's soul.

An intense, deathly aura emanated from it, so dense it was almost overwhelming; even a single breath would make one dizzy and feel as if their soul were about to break.

This is not water at all; it is clearly a Styx River that has been forcibly imprisoned, stripped of all life, and left with only despair and death!

What's even more chilling is that on this dead, dark surface of water, countless pale, swollen, and twisted arms and faces rise and fall like rotting water plants, densely packed, almost covering the entire surface of the pool!
They silently opened and closed their mouthparts, making howling gestures, their empty eye sockets all "looking" at the strangers on the shore, filled with endless resentment and greed.

Their numbers far exceeded those encountered in the previous tomb passages, as if the gates of hell had been opened here, pouring out all the vengeful souls from the underworld!

"Ding!"

Just then, the ethereal sound of the jade chime rang out again, clearer than ever before, yet also fainter, as if it had exhausted its last bit of strength.

This time, everyone heard it clearly.

The sound actually came from the depths of this terrifying black water!

"They...they're trapped underwater?!" Xiao Zhou's voice was choked with sobs, filled with despair.

"Was it a trap set by the tomb itself, or was it a sneak attack by those foreign bastards?!" Lei Bao roared, his eyes bloodshot.

"Judging from this situation... they're basically sealed and suppressed at the bottom of this pool!" Old Jin's face was ashen, and his voice trembled. "The entire pool of the Styx River's stagnant water serves as a prison, and endless water puppets as locks... how... how can we save them?! Going down is just suicide!"

Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom, and their faces turned ashen.

The current predicament offers no glimmer of hope.

In the midst of despair and silence, a fierce and resolute glint suddenly flashed in Zhang Guisheng's eyes.

Without a word, he suddenly reached into the inner pocket of his robe and took out a square box about the size of a palm, completely black, with its material unknown.

The box had no decorations on its surface, only a somber, light-absorbing quality.

Upon seeing this object, Xiao Zhou's pupils constricted sharply, and he cried out in alarm, "Boss! No! That's..."

Zhang Guisheng abruptly turned his head and glared at him, his eyes as cold as knives, instantly silencing any further words Xiao Zhou might say.

When Lei Bao and Lao Jin saw the black box, their expressions instantly turned extremely ugly. Their lips moved, but in the end, they turned into a heavy sadness.

Qi Yun's gaze fell on the black box, his brows furrowing slightly: "What is this?"

Zhang Guisheng took a deep breath, his voice hoarse but calm: "As the captain, I was ordered to carry the 'sealed artifact'."

As he spoke, he pressed a hidden mechanism on the side of the box.

With a soft "click," the lid popped open.

The box was lined with dark red velvet, and in the center lay a single object. It was not the Taoist talisman or magic weapon one might imagine, but a cross, only an inch long, entirely black, seemingly cast from some kind of dull metal!

The cross has an ancient and even somewhat rough design, with worn edges and a lingering, cold aura surrounding it, as if it embodies endless pain and wailing.

"The Western cross?" A hint of surprise flashed in Qi Yun's eyes.

Zhang Guisheng didn't explain, but simply took it out as quickly as possible and hung it around his neck without hesitation.

The moment the black cross touched his skin, the cold aura on its surface seemed to come alive, wriggling slightly.

"This thing has a rule: spatial teleportation, with a limit of two hundred meters."

Zhang Guisheng stretched his neck, his voice lowering as if bearing some invisible pressure, "Ignoring terrain barriers."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Ignore the terrain? Does that mean it can penetrate directly even underwater or through rock strata?"

“Excellent!” Zhang Guisheng affirmed, then took a deep breath and stepped forward to throw himself into the dark pool. “I’ll go and bring them out!”

"Wait!" Qi Yun stretched out his arm, blocking his way. "What is the price for using this?"

Zhang Guisheng stiffened, remained silent for a moment, and avoided answering, only saying, "Using it only once won't kill me!"

Qi Yun stared at his suddenly paler face and the increasingly intense, chilling aura emanating from the cross, and shook his head: "It's not time to use such a final trump card yet, especially in such a desperate situation."

This item should be saved for the very last moment.

"Let me go down and try first. If I can't break this deadlock either, then you can use your own methods."

Zhang Guisheng turned his head sharply and said urgently, "Master Qi! I know you are powerful and fearless of water spirits, but this water is no ordinary water. It is heavy, viscous, and chillingly cold, making it impossible to breathe! The underwater conditions are unknown. If we are trapped, even a slight delay will..."

Qi Yun chuckled lightly, interrupting him. His laughter carried a captivating composure and confidence: "Captain Zhang, rest assured, I am confident in my ability to protect myself."

Having said all that, Zhang Guisheng knew Qi Yun's identity and capabilities well, and was by no means a person who spoke recklessly, so he stopped trying to persuade him. He simply gritted his teeth and nodded heavily, then suddenly roared at Lei Bao: "Lei Bao! Quick-ignite the high-intensity signal flare! Get the strongest tactical rope!"

Lei Bao didn't dare to be negligent. He quickly pulled out a glow stick as thick as a child's arm from the side pocket of his backpack, and with a forceful snap, it burst into a dazzling white light, illuminating the eerie surroundings in a ghastly white light.

At the same time, he took out a specially made alloy rope, which shimmered with a metallic luster and was about the thickness of a little finger. He quickly tied one end firmly around Qi Yun's waist, making an extremely sturdy sailor's knot.

"Master! Ten minutes!" Zhang Guisheng stared intently at Qi Yun, his tone more serious than ever before. "No matter what the situation is underwater, we must pull you up in ten minutes!"

Qi Yun nodded slightly and said no more.

The next moment, his blood and qi surged, and his true qi circulated like a river bursting its banks!
"boom!"

Crimson gold flames erupted from his pores with unprecedented intensity, instantly engulfing him completely!
Raging flames shot into the sky, and the scorching and domineering aura spread wildly, forcibly repelling the dense and impenetrable yin and death aura around it, forming a scorching domain several meters in diameter!

The flickering firelight illuminated Qi Yun's face, making him appear as if the god of fire had descended to earth!

The immense and overwhelming pressure, the intense heat that burned away all evil, made Zhang Guisheng, Lei Bao and the others who were close by gasp for breath, their eyes filled with undisguised shock and awe!
Although they had seen Qi Yun use this fire before, it was mostly attached to the sword or protected around his body by about a foot. They had never seen such a full-force burst of fire that was so unrestrained and could burn mountains and boil seas.
Only now did they truly understand that the young abbot's profound knowledge and strength far exceeded their imagination!

Everyone now had a clearer understanding of what it meant to be a council member of the Xuan Yi Alliance!
However, the Five Organs Master is on par with the masters of the other major lineages.

Even though this newly appointed director has only been cultivating for a few months, he is still a pillar of the nation!

No wonder the headquarters valued and relied on him so much. Upon learning that he had come, they immediately felt relieved and allowed them to enter the tomb!

Feeling the power surging within his body, Qi Yun took a step forward, his figure like a burning meteor, crashing into the terrifying pool of dark, viscous water teeming with ghosts!
"Sizzle—!!"

Like a red-hot iron being plunged into ice water, the extremely piercing vaporization sound exploded wildly!
The pool of water surrounding Qi Yun's landing point was instantly annihilated by a large amount of Yin energy!

The pale white water puppet that had been entangled with them didn't even have time to let out a wail before it was reduced to wisps of green smoke and vanished under the divine power of the Crimson Hunting Fire.

The other water puppets, as if they had encountered their natural enemy, fled in terror in all directions, not daring to get even a fraction closer to the crimson-gold flames!

The people on the shore saw the human-shaped ball of flame crash into the pool and sink downwards with unstoppable force. Wherever it passed, the black water retreated and the ghostly figures vanished, as if a blazing sun had sunk into the dark depths of the sea, leaving behind a trail of light that gradually receded but remained dazzling until it was swallowed by the endless darkness.

"Gulp." Lei Bao swallowed subconsciously, his voice dry. "Damn it... this Abbot Qi... he really is... really..."

He spent a long time trying to find the right words to describe it.

Old Jin clutched his chest, still shaken: "A council member of the Xuan Yi Alliance, the master of the Northern Emperor's lineage... truly an existence beyond the comprehension of us mortals..."

Xiao Zhou murmured, "With Abbot Qi here, perhaps... perhaps he really can..."

"Enough!" Zhang Guisheng interrupted sharply. Although he was also shocked and churning inside, his duty kept him calm. "Lei Bao, keep watch on the surroundings! Lao Jin, pay attention to the changes in the earth's energy!"

"Xiao Zhou, start the timer! Lin Wei, prepare for emergency treatment! Pull the person out immediately when ten minutes are up!"

Everyone obeyed the order with a stern expression, forcibly suppressing the excitement in their hearts, each performing their duties, their tense gazes constantly shifting between the darkness around them, the deep water, and the rope monitor.

……

(End of this chapter)