I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

Chapter 328 Following the Clues, We Find the Emperor's Tomb! Capture the Prince First!

After leaving the Feng family's secret cave, Zhou Yuan did not immediately leave the Snow Ridge Mountains.

He stood outside the waterfall, feeling the fresh morning air of the mountains, but his eyes gleamed with contemplation.

He had just obtained the "Ming Wang Jue," a top-tier Buddhist body-refining technique, but after a brief glance at its cultivation secrets, he knew that although the technique was incredibly powerful, the cultivation process was extremely dangerous and painful.

Cultivating the Mingwang Technique involves combining one's own Qi and blood with magical power to repeatedly temper one's muscles, bones, skin, and flesh. Each cultivation session is like breaking and rebuilding one's muscles and bones, and the pain is far beyond what ordinary people can endure.

If one's physical foundation is not solid enough and one's will is not firm enough, forcing oneself to cultivate can easily lead to demonic possession or even physical collapse.

"If I could obtain a Heavenly Corpse Pearl to aid my cultivation, the results would be much better."

Zhou Yuan thought to himself.

The Heavenly Corpse Pearl is the essence condensed within the body of a high-level Corpse King. It contains pure and gentle Yin Sha Corpse Qi, which has a miraculous effect on strengthening the physical body and improving its endurance.

When practicing the Mingwang Technique, if one has the corpse energy of the Heavenly Corpse Pearl protecting their body, it can not only greatly alleviate the excruciating pain of tearing tendons and bones, but also subtly strengthen the foundation of the physical body, making the cultivation twice as effective and greatly improving safety.

And deep within the Snow Ridge Mountains lies a being who is very likely to have condensed the Heavenly Corpse Pearl—the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse King, King Xuan Ye!

"King Xuan Ye — In the original story, this Corpse King possessed profound cultivation, having reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage. He had entrenched himself in the Snow Ridge Mountains for many years, devouring the primordial spirits of numerous cultivators. His tomb must contain a treasure like the Heavenly Corpse Pearl —"

Zhou Yuan thought to himself, "Now that I'm here, there's no reason for me to leave empty-handed."

Having made up his mind, Zhou Yuan no longer hesitated.

His figure rose high, hovering above the Snow Ridge Mountains. His powerful divine sense, like an invisible radar, radiated outwards from him in all directions, carefully scanning the undulating mountains, valleys, and dense forests below, searching for any possible large tombs or places where yin energy was abnormally concentrated.

Although the Xueling Mountains are vast, Zhou Yuan's spiritual power, comparable to that of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, allowed him to conduct a thorough search with extremely high efficiency.

In less than half an hour, he had cleared out a large area.

Just as he was about to expand the search area, an unusual aura at the edge of his divine sense caught his attention.

"Huh? A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator? Appearing deep in the Snow Ridge Mountains at this time?" Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow, a thought flashing through his mind.

Rumors of missing cultivators in the Snow Ridge Mountains have been circulating in the Guan Ning Prefecture area recently. Experienced cultivators know that this place is dangerous and dare not venture deep into it easily.

At this moment, a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage appeared furtively deep in the mountains, looking rather strange.

"Could it be—" A thought flashed through Zhou Yuan's mind as he recalled a scene from the original story.

Under King Xuan Ye, there was a prince, the Corpse King, who, in order to lure human cultivators into the Snow Ridge Mountains so that he could devour their primordial spirits for cultivation, deliberately placed a treasure called "Diamond Shield" in the outside world, allowing it to circulate among various people.

Those who obtain the Vajra Shield will be attracted by the spirituality of the treasure, and following some kind of guidance, will eventually be led to the tomb of Prince Chi Wang, becoming his meal.

"It seems this Foundation Establishment cultivator is most likely the lucky one." Zhou Yuan's lips curled into a smile. He was just wondering how to accurately locate the main tomb chamber of King Xuan Ye, and this ready-made "guide" had been delivered to his doorstep.

He immediately concealed his aura, his figure becoming almost invisible as if it had merged into the air, and silently stealthily moved towards the direction of the Foundation Establishment cultivator's aura.

With his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, tracking a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be easier than drinking water; the other party would have no chance of noticing.

Soon, Zhou Yuan saw the Foundation Establishment cultivator.

It was a man dressed in gray, close-fitting clothes, who looked to be in his early thirties. His face showed a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he carefully made his way through a valley with a heavy yin energy.

The man had a bulging jade box hanging from his waist, and a faint ray of pure golden Buddhist light emanated from the gap in the lid.

"It really is the Vajra Shield!" Zhou Yuan realized. He didn't show himself, but stayed like a ghost, following the Foundation Establishment cultivator at a distance, watching how he would act.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator meandered through the valley, seemingly following a specific route, avoiding several hidden natural barriers and monster lairs.

About half an hour later, he finally stopped in front of a mountain that looked ordinary but exuded a faint sense of gloom and coldness.

The mountain wasn't particularly high, but its vegetation was sparse, and the rocks had a dark, iron-gray hue. At its foot, a cave entrance was almost completely hidden by dense vines and thorns, barely noticeable unless one looked closely. From deep within the cave, wisps of chilling air seeped out, lowering the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

"I hope there really is the legendary treasure inside this great tomb, then it won't have been for nothing that I spent so much money to buy this Vajra Shield—"

,

The Foundation Establishment cultivator muttered something under his breath, rubbed his hands together, and a look of anticipation and greed flashed in his eyes.

He stepped forward, drew a magical flying sword he carried with him, and quickly cleared away the vines and thorns at the cave entrance, revealing a dark opening just large enough for one person to bend down and enter.

He took a deep breath, cast a protective spell on himself, and then crouched down and crawled into the cave.

Behind him, Zhou Yuan's figure quietly emerged like ripples on water.

He stared at the dark cave entrance, sensing the increasingly dense yin and corpse energy within, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes.

He wasn't in a hurry. After the Foundation Establishment cultivator had been inside for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he strolled into the cave entrance as if taking a leisurely walk.

Inside the cave was a natural fissure passage sloping downwards, dark and damp, with murky air and a faint smell of decay. The further down you went, the wider the passage became, and the denser the gloom grew.

Rough murals began to appear on the walls, depicting scenes of ancient sacrifices, battles, and enslavement, in a style that was both ancient and grotesque.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the space suddenly opened up, revealing a spacious and dark underground hall that had been artificially excavated. The hall was several tens of feet square, and the dome was several feet high.

Around the hall, hundreds of rotten, blackened coffins were densely packed together. Many coffins were broken, revealing shriveled corpses wrapped in tattered clothes, emanating a strong aura of decay and death. The entire hall was filled with a chilling wind and an eerie atmosphere.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator stood in the center of the hall, holding the jade box in his hands. His face showed a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he looked around, seemingly searching for something.

Just then—

"Haha! Another foolish human has delivered himself right to our doorstep!"

A hoarse, cold voice, filled with smugness and greed, suddenly rang out in the hall like an owl!

Immediately afterwards, a tall and imposing figure appeared suddenly, like a ghost, less than three zhang in front of the Foundation Establishment cultivator!

This figure was at least twelve feet tall, wearing a tattered dark gold armor. The exposed skin was deathly pale, with bulging muscles, a ferocious face, and eyes that flickered with eerie green corpse fire. Black mist swirled around him, emanating a nauseatingly strong aura and oppressive aura!

Its aura had clearly reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

The sudden appearance of the Corpse King terrified the Foundation Establishment cultivator, causing his face to turn deathly pale and his legs to tremble uncontrollably. He almost lost his grip on the jade box in his hand!

"A Nascent Soul cultivator—a Corpse King at the Nascent Soul stage?!"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator's voice was choked with sobs, his heart filled with despair.

He knew perfectly well that he had fallen into a trap! There was no treasure from an ancient emperor's tomb; it was clearly a trap set by the Corpse King, waiting for him to walk right into it!

"Hehehe! Obediently offer up your primordial spirit to contribute to my cultivation!" The tall corpse king sneered, stretching out his fan-like hand and grabbing at the jade box in the Foundation Establishment cultivator's hand from a distance!

"puff!"

The seal on the jade box shattered instantly, and the lid popped open automatically! A dazzling golden light, like a startled bird, shot out from the jade box and flew towards the tall corpse king's hand!

Within that golden light was a strange dome, the size of a fist, formed entirely of countless fine golden runes, resembling a golden bubble—the very bait, the Vajra Shield!

Just as the golden bubble was about to fall into the giant corpse king's hand, "Hmph!"

A cold snort, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploded in the hall!

Immediately afterwards, a giant hand, as large as a house and shimmering with a bluish light, formed entirely from pure magical power, arrived first and grabbed the golden light with lightning speed!

No matter how the golden bubbles struggled left and right, they could not break free from the restraints of the giant blue hand!

"Who goes there?!"

The savage grin on the towering Corpse King's face froze instantly, replaced by shock and rage! He abruptly turned his head to look at the entrance to the hall.

A young figure dressed in a gray-blue robe stood with his hands behind his back, slowly entering the hall. It was Zhou Yuan!

Zhou Yuan didn't even glance at the Foundation Establishment cultivator who was paralyzed with fear on the ground. His gaze fell on the golden bubble in the giant azure palm, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "The Vajra Shield—it really is a top-level defensive treasure made primarily of Vajra Relics—"

"Most relics are milky white; golden Vajra relics are indeed rare."

His gaze then shifted to the towering corpse king, his tone flat: "You used such tricks to lure cultivators in and devour their primordial spirits; you should have expected that one day someone would come knocking on your door!"

"Who are you?! How dare you ruin my plans!"

Gao Dahu Wang was both shocked and furious. He could sense the unfathomable aura emanating from Zhou Yuan, which was far beyond his ability to defeat!

But as the Corpse King, he was ruthless by nature and would not easily back down. "You destroyed my sliver of consciousness and ruined my treasures; you will not leave here alive today!"

He roared, and black energy surged around him, his corpse energy soaring into the sky, as he was about to unleash some powerful corpse-path divine power!

However, Zhou Yuan was faster than him!

"Crackling sound—!"

A crisp, thunderous sound rang out! Wind and Thunder Wings instantly appeared behind Zhou Yuan, their blue light and silver lightning intertwining and flashing! His figure moved as if by teleportation, leaving a faint afterimage in his original spot, and the next moment, he appeared less than three feet away from the towering Corpse King!

"The Twelve Stabs of the Divine Court!"

Twelve invisible and intangible, yet extremely sharp and refined pale golden divine consciousness spikes instantly pierced into the giant corpse king's brow and sea of ​​consciousness!

"Ugh—!"

The towering Corpse King felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were piercing his sea of ​​consciousness. The tearing pain caused him to let out a shrill scream, and his consciousness instantly fell into a blank and chaotic state!

His newly condensed corpse energy technique dissipated instantly, like a punctured balloon!

Taking this opportunity, Zhou Yuan's right hand moved with lightning speed, his ten fingers flicking out in rapid succession. One after another, extremely condensed magic runes flew out like chains, accurately striking dozens of key corpse energy nodes and acupoints around the tall corpse king!

"seal up!"

Zhou Yuan gave a low shout. The magical runes instantly tightened, transforming into invisible shackles that completely sealed off the corpse energy within the towering Corpse King!

The towering Corpse King felt his body sink, as if he were being suppressed by an invisible mountain. He could no longer mobilize any corpse energy, and even moving a finger became extremely difficult!

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Yuan flicked his finger, and a wisp of pale blue flame, thin as a spider's thread yet exuding extreme cold, darted into the center of the tall Corpse King's brow like a serpent, lurking deep within its sea of ​​consciousness.

"This is the Azure Ice Flame, which I have already planted in the core of your consciousness. If you behave obediently, I will not touch it. If you dare to make the slightest disturbance, I only need a thought for this flame to erupt and freeze your soul and body together!"

Zhou Yuan looked at the towering Corpse King, whose eyes were filled with fear and resentment, and said calmly.

The towering Corpse King, feeling the deadly chill that seemed ready to erupt at any moment within his sea of ​​consciousness, finally gave up all resistance, his eyes filled with pleading. Though he was a Corpse King, fierce and cruel, he too was afraid of death.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator who was slumped on the ground was already stunned by the sudden turn of events, his mind blank.

He didn't even see how Zhou Yuan made his move; the Nascent Soul stage corpse king, whom he considered invincible, had already been subdued! Just who is this senior?!

At the same time that Zhou Yuan subdued the Prince Corpse King.

Deeper into this underground tomb, in a more magnificent and sinister main burial chamber.

The tomb chamber is extremely spacious, with numerous ancient murals carved on the four walls, depicting scenes of emperors leaving the pass, waging war, and performing sacrifices. The style of the paintings is both ancient and ferocious.

At each of the four corners of the tomb chamber, there was a huge bronze jar, with a blazing, emerald-green flame burning inside. The flames flickered and shone, casting an eerie and oppressive atmosphere over the entire tomb chamber.

In the center of the tomb chamber, three enormous stone coffins were placed side by side.

The surface of the stone coffins was covered with densely packed corpse-suppressing runes and sealing restrictions. The central stone coffin was the largest and most ornately decorated, with a lifelike five-clawed black dragon embossed on its lid, exuding a majestic yet chilling aura.

Just as Zhou Yuan subdued the Prince Corpse King with his milky blue ice flames—

"Bang, 7"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the stone coffin in the center! The heavy, intricately carved coffin lid was as if struck by a terrifying force, violently thrown upwards, tumbling several times in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground several feet away, creating a large crater in the hard bluestone floor!

Immediately afterwards, a figure, as if teleported, stood up straight from the stone coffin!

This man, who appeared to be around forty years old, had a square and dignified face. He wore a flat-topped crown and a bright yellow dragon robe with a five-clawed golden dragon on it. A white jade belt was tied around his waist. He exuded the majesty of an emperor who had long held a high position!

However, his complexion was a deathly pale color, his lips were bluish-black, and two cold, emerald-green corpse flames burned in his eyes, emanating a terrifying corpse aura and pressure that far surpassed that of the prince corpse king in the grand hall, making it impossible to breathe!

This aura was clearly at the late Nascent Soul stage!

It possesses an ancient and profound quality that has been accumulated over a long period of time!

He is the true master of this underground tomb, the peerless corpse king who rules over countless corpses in the Snow Ridge Mountains and has lived for tens of thousands of years—King Xuan Ye!

"Who dares to trespass on my royal mausoleum and injure my son?!"

King Xuan Ye spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and low, yet it seemed to carry the clanging sound of metal clashing, filled with an unyielding majesty and a chilling killing intent.

His emerald eyes seemed to pierce through the thick layers of rock and soil, locking onto the figure in the green robe in the hall above. A terrifying pressure, as solid as a button, surged upwards like a tide!

The entire main burial chamber trembled slightly because of his violent aura!