"My good disciple, you wouldn't believe it, but Qingfeng Mountain, it wasn't always called that."
"It was called Yama Mountain!"
Yi Mei spoke, his gaze drifting into the distance, a serious expression on his face.
"Yama Mountain?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Tian's eyes, followed by feigned confusion.
He had read about the Ghost Lamp and knew of the Hall of Yama, but did this guy know about it too?
"Legend has it, at the time, this place was a major battlefield. Countless people died here. This area was designated as an extremely Yin place."
"Coincidentally, at the foot of this mountain, there's a grand tomb. No one knows its name. It's said that within the tomb, there is a hall called the Hall of Yama. This hall controls all the souls, but no one has ever been inside."
"However, as your master, I suspect that the Hall of Yama is located behind the Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts. There's a formation there. If it can be broken, one can proceed inside."
Daoist Yi Mei spoke endlessly, and Zhang Tian absorbed a great deal of knowledge from him.
At the very least, the plot of the Ghost Lamp seemed to be unfolding, and perhaps there really were witches and poisonous mushrooms here.
The group walked slowly.
Passing through countless mountains and forests, Yi Mei seemed inexhaustible, his pace barely faltering.
"This Daoist Huang, despite his unassuming appearance, has incredible stamina,"
Fatty couldn't help but give a thumbs-up, full of admiration.
"Boss, do you have a porcelain bowl?"
Hu Bayi asked. If they were to enter the ghost cave, having a porcelain bowl and drinking some blood might make things easier.
Zhang Tian felt a pang of regret. He had thought that carrying a bowl, along with a dog, a chicken, and a snake, would be too much trouble.
So he hadn't brought one. Indeed, he shouldn't have let his laziness get the better of him; he should have asked Fatty to carry it.
"No."
Zhang Tian shook his head, and Hu Bayi frowned slightly.
"Then, our danger level will increase once we enter."
Hu Bayi said, and Zhang Tian nodded, looking at the Daoist in front of them.
"Let's see if he has any solutions in a moment."
"Boss, do you really trust him?"
Hu Bayi whispered. Like Zhang Tian, he remained wary.
"Half-believing, half-doubting. We'll see. At least, he's been decent to us so far."
Zhang Tian said seriously.
Yi Mei Daoist had indeed been good to them, even bestowing two cultivation techniques upon Zhang Tian, which could be considered passing down a legacy.
However, faced with this sudden master, it was natural that they couldn't accept him so readily.
Soon, after much trekking, a large canyon appeared before Zhang Tian and his companions.
Looking up, they saw three colossal mountain peaks.
Standing hundreds of meters away from the base of the mountains, Zhang Tian and the others could already feel an immense coldness, far greater than before.
The Yin energy was so palpable it was almost visible.
"This is truly the Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts, living up to its name. Even without entering, I can feel the chilling aura,"
Hu Bayi murmured. He had read in ancient texts that it was fraught with peril, and they might even encounter generals and commanders whose will had endured for a thousand years.
That would surely be a fierce battle.
"The ghost cave is right before us. Ten years ago, we entered once. The spring of Ghost Pills was in the central area. After years of accumulation, there should be three or four now,"
Daoist Yi Mei mused. Fatty clapped his hands.
"Holy hell, three or four? What are we waiting for? Boss, let's go in quickly!"
Fatty was already rubbing his hands together, brimming with excitement.
"If we go in, how do we get out? As far as I know, it's extremely dangerous inside,"
Hu Bayi said, and Zhang Tian nodded in agreement.
Everyone looked at Yi Mei.
"Ah, originally, as your master, I intended to save you, my good disciple, at a critical moment, and then we would acknowledge our relationship."
"Since you're asking now, I won't pretend anymore. Your master has a Ghost Jade here that can ensure our safety."
Yi Mei Daoist spoke, and he produced another piece of jade.
It was a jade tablet, engraved with the likeness of a ferocious beast, resembling a bull's head.
Its face was green and fanged, its eyes wide and bulging, its expression livid.
As he presented the jade pendant, Yi Mei Daoist's expression was earnest, but a hint of pride twinkled in his eyes.
*My good disciple, have you seen your master's treasure? Won't you obediently fall under my command?*
"Boss, this is called the Ox-Head Jade. There's a saying among the common folk: encountering the Ox-Head Jade means you won't be human in your next life."
"This is the personal token of the legendary emissary of the underworld, Ox-Head, and it can ward off Yin spirits,"
Hu Bayi explained, and Zhang Tian also received a brief description of the jade in his mind.
Yi Mei Daoist glanced at Hu Bayi.
"This little black fellow is right. Don't worry, once we go in, I will protect you all."
With that, Yi Mei Daoist waved his large sleeve, his Daoist robe billowing behind him.
He actually strode to the very front, putting on a show of bravado.
Hu Bayi's expression was peculiar. *Little black fellow? Your whole family are little black fellows!*
"Boss, your master is truly strange."
Fatty grumbled beside him.
"If you want Ghost Pills, hurry up and follow."
Zhang Tian shot him a glance, and the group quickened their pace.
"Listen, it sounds like screams."
Xie Yuchen tilted his ear slightly, speaking softly.
"No, there are sounds of fighting too."
Zhang Qilin raised his hand slightly, his brow furrowed.
The Black Gold Ancient Saber was already in his grip. Against evil entities, he could anoint the blade with his Qilin blood.
And use it to attack.
"This is an ancient battlefield. Could they still be fighting the same war after a thousand years?"
Hu Bayi shivered all over.
Zhang Tian held a peach wood sword in his hand.
"It's possible. Once we enter, let's try to stick together and not wander off. Also, let's divide our tasks."
"Young Master Xie, your Qinggong is agile and supple. You'll be responsible for retrieving the Ghost Pills. Fatty, you'll be the tank. Old Hu, you'll discern the direction. My second brother and I will be the main force."
As Zhang Tian spoke, Fatty looked miserable.
"Boss, why is it always Fatty being the tank? Fatty is also a nimble fatty, you know."
Fatty complained indignantly. Zhang Tian looked at him.
"Then do you want to be the main force?"
"Forget it, Fatty will bear everything for you all."
Fatty quickly shook his head and walked in front of Zhang Tian.
Around them, the sounds seemed to grow louder.
As the wind blew through the mountain pass, it carried a wailing, ghostly sound. And from afar, the mountains were veiled in a layer of mist.
"Stay close. There might be illusions inside. Although we have the jade and they won't attack us, if we get lost, we'll never find our way back,"
Yi Mei Daoist warned, his expression serious. Zhang Tian reached out his hand.
"I have a red string here. Let's tie one onto each of us so we don't get separated."
Zhang Tian said, and everyone quickly tied the strings onto themselves.
Soon, a distance of several hundred meters passed in the blink of an eye.
In front of the three mountain peaks, Zhang Tian's eyes now beheld an endless expanse of Yin spirits.
Zhang Tian's eyes could not only see the attributes of items but also ghosts and even their properties.
Therefore, even before entering, Zhang Tian was the first to perceive the situation within.
"Area: Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts!"
"Description: Hundreds of thousands of souls gather here, engaged in constant battle day and night, all to select the ultimate victor."
"Notes: Upon entering, there is a chance of hallucination. Maintain your true self. Appease the leader, or kill the leader, to dispel the effect."
A voice echoed in his mind.
"Holy hell, my abilities have upgraded?"
This wasn't an item or a ghost, but a map, a region. He hadn't expected to get a description here too?
Suddenly, Zhang Tian thought of his cultivation level. Every time his cultivation increased, Zhang Tian saw more attributes.
Clearly, this was an advance preview. This was something that should only be visible at the Grandmaster realm, but he had seen it early.
However, Zhang Tian hadn't expected that these guys had actually been fighting for thousands of years!