I, a cultivator, have ended up in the world of tomb raiding.

As the last wisp of blood energy entered his dantian, Li Yue's aura noticeably increased.

The originally solid three-layered barrier of Qi cultivation shattered instantly.

His cultivation level reached the fourth level of Qi Refining, and it continued to improve slowly afterward.

After a short while, it stopped at the middle stage of the fourth level of Qi Refining and did not go any higher.

Current cultivation level: Qi Refining Level 4

[Panel Level: Tier 2 (26/100)]

Li Yue slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, looked inward at himself, and felt that his dantian was full and his consciousness was much clearer.

The most surprising thing is that some of the thunder patterns on his body, which resembled pine branches and leaves, have faded away.

All that remained were the darkest black lines, as if etched into the flesh.

He tried all the healing techniques, but none of them worked.

"It seems we need to find more yin-attribute items like demon cores and demon pills."

He thought to himself that after entering the mid-stage of Qi Refining, the energy required for further improvement in cultivation was several times that of the early stage.

To rapidly improve, the only way is to delve deep into the heart of Ping Mountain, find the ancient tomb's yin cave, and devour more yin energy and various demonic blood energies.

Having made up his mind, he stopped thinking about it, sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

While consolidating his realm, he silently absorbed the scattered Yin energy in the mortuary.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Yue claimed to the outside world that he had not yet recovered from internal injuries while fighting the six-winged centipede and needed to stay in seclusion to recuperate. Apart from going out to get some food every day, he did not leave the house.

With the astonishing methods of slaying poisonous insects before them, no one from the Unloading Ridge bandits or Luo Laowai's soldiers dared to utter a single complaint.

He was not particularly close to others, and people generally regarded him as a hermit practicing asceticism, with a cold and aloof nature.

So even if there were some whispers or gossip, they only dared to discuss them quietly from a distance.

During this time, Luo Laowai even sent someone to invite Li Yue.

He said he had heard that one of his soldiers had offended him at the bottom of the valley, so he prepared a gift to apologize in person.

When the man respectfully stepped forward with the box, Li Yue glanced at the silver dollars inside bearing the Yuan Shikai logo. Adhering to the principle of "why not take it if it's free," he forced a polite, fake smile.

"Commander Luo, you're too kind. It's nothing, don't worry about it."

He casually took the box, lifted it to his side, and accepted it without the slightest hesitation.

Then he turned around, went inside, and closed the door.

In the mundane world, money is indispensable. He was penniless, so why wouldn't he accept money offered to him?

Outside the door, seeing that he didn't even bother to say a single unnecessary polite word, the two soldiers looked at each other in astonishment and remained silent.

Before we knew it, it was the morning of the third day.

When he felt a slight hunger, Li Yue pushed open the door and went out.

Since the night we returned from Ping Mountain, a torrential downpour began and continued for two days without stopping until it subsided slightly this afternoon.

The storm had just subsided, but the sky remained overcast, and a fine drizzle continued to fall.

The ground in the courtyard was washed clean and shiny by the rain, and the air was filled with the earthy smell and the dampness of the grass and trees. Inhaling it made one feel refreshed.

Li Yue looked up and saw that the mortuary was full of wounded people, some lying on straw mats with their eyes closed, others groaning softly, just like yesterday.

Meanwhile, in the corridor, Chen Yulou and Luo Laowai were reorganizing their troops and mobilizing manpower, seemingly preparing to set off again for a second trip to Ping Mountain.

Luo Laowai, his military uniform stained with mud and rainwater, looked irritable and cursed at the sky:

"Damn it, this lousy weather is just making things worse! I had important business to attend to, and it's been pouring rain for days on end, ruining my chance to make some money!"

Chen Yulou frowned slightly, seemingly displeased.

As the leader of the Unloading Ridge faction, he made his living by tomb raiding and robbing. He believed that there were gods watching over him and knew that it was taboo to utter wild words in such a sacred place as a grave.

He then said, "Commander Luo, be careful with your words. This is a desolate mountain wilderness, a place teeming with yin dwellings. If you utter foul language, you will offend heaven and earth, and you may easily attract evil spirits."

After offering his advice, he quickly changed his tone, pointing to the sky and smiling:

"However, in the past few days, all the food and gunpowder have been mobilized, and the troops have been fully rested. Now that the rain has gradually stopped, the mountain roads are easier to travel. In my opinion, this is an auspicious sign, and it is the perfect time to enter the mountains."

Luo Laowai only caught one phrase, "a very auspicious omen," and couldn't help but beam with joy, slapping his mouth in exasperation.

"Brother Batou is right."

Li Yue stood at the corner of the corridor and listened for a while, and then he understood.

It turned out that after discussing it that day, Chen Yulou and Luo Laowai were in a hurry to go into the mountains.

Unfortunately, a sudden downpour occurred that night, so they had to first take care of the wounded and tidy up the premises.

This delay lasted for two days.

Now that the rain had subsided a bit, the two could no longer contain themselves and were about to lead the majority of their men to the foot of Ping Mountain to dig the tomb passage.

Li Yue had memorized most of the original text and now he knew clearly that what this group of people had painstakingly dug open on their second trip to Ping Mountain was nothing more than the outer walled city of the ancient tomb.

The barbican is a type of burial layout commonly used in ancient times to lure and kill. It appears to be an entrance passage, but in reality, it is enclosed on all four sides and shaped like a pottery urn.

Once the enemy forces break in, the stone gates at the front and back will be sealed off instantly. With crossbow bolts, hidden arrows, rolling stones, and quicksand raining down from all sides, no matter how many skilled men you have, you will be nothing more than a turtle in a jar.

However, Li Yue did not wish to interfere in these matters.

Firstly, Chen Yulou and Luo Laowai are at the height of their ambitions and may not be willing to believe it.

Secondly, he was completely ignorant of geomancy and feng shui, so he made a rash statement without being able to explain his reasons.

Furthermore, the area at the foot of Ping Mountain is now a melting pot of people and forces.

The bandits of the Unloading Ridge, the scoundrels of Luo Laowai, and the porters and herbalists forcibly conscripted along the way—the people's hearts were in turmoil.

If we don't give them something to do, they're more likely to cause trouble.

With this in mind, Li Yue turned and headed towards the kitchen, as filling his stomach was the most important thing.

Just then, a member of the Unloading Ridge faction rushed in from outside and bowed to Chen Yulou to report:

"Boss, there are three men outside claiming to be Taoist priests from the Mountain Moving Sect, requesting an audience!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yulou's face lit up with joy, and he replied repeatedly, "Brother Partridge Whistle has arrived! Please come in!"

Having said that, he personally strode out to greet them, showing no airs of a leader whatsoever.

In a short while, Chen Yulou led the three of them in.

The leader had an aquiline nose and deep-set eyes, and a tall, straight figure. He was dressed in plain, close-fitting clothes, with a slightly worn black cloak over his clothes.

He was followed by a man and a woman.

The man had a mixed-race appearance from the Western Regions, with curly hair, a thick beard, and a burly build like a bear; he looked like a strong man in his forties.

The girl next to him was about twenty years old, petite with delicate features, her hair styled in a topknot, and carrying a medicine basket.

The three men were covered in dust, clearly having traveled a long way, and their Taoist robes and outer garments were also stained with mud.

Chen Yulou led the group into the courtyard. As they passed a corner of the corridor, he spotted Li Yue standing by a pillar and immediately waved with a smile.

"Brother Li, you're here too. It's a good opportunity to get to know each other."

He then introduced the two sides, first addressing Partridge Whistle:

"Brother Partridge Whistle, this is Brother Li Yue. He possesses extraordinary skills and is a truly capable person."

He then turned to Li Yue: "Brother Li, these three are all Mountain Moving Taoists, this is Brother Partridge Whistle, and these two are Old Foreigner and Sister Flower Spirit."

Li Yue nodded slightly to Partridge Whistle and the other two, indicating that they had met.

Partridge Whistle also bowed in greeting, his attitude calm.

Then, seemingly noticing that Li Yue possessed a different aura from the others, his gaze lingered on him subtly for a moment.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Yulou quickly instructed his men to prepare a quiet side room, and said with a smile:

"It's too noisy here. Let's go inside and discuss the mountain exploration in detail."

After saying that, he led Partridge Whistle, Old Foreigner, and Flower Spirit to the quiet room.