“Die!”
Several figures charged over, surrounding Zhou Yan.
These individuals exuded a brutal aura, their eyes filled with killing intent. Clad in black robes and shrouded in a dark mist, they moved like specters.
“Kill!”
The leader, wielding a wolf-tooth club, brought it down with immense force, stirring up a tempestuous surge of energy.
Zhou Yan swung his iron fist, meeting the attack head-on. Brilliant sparks erupted, and a mighty force surged, forcing him back several steps.
“These people are very strong; the weakest among them possesses the combat power of a peak Shenhou, yet they are all martial apprentices!”
Zhou Yan’s heart trembled slightly.
They possessed rich combat experience and fought fearlessly, their strength formidable and difficult to overcome.
“I must end this quickly!”
Zhou Yan’s expression turned cold, icy killing intent flashing in his eyes.
“Burning Flame Art, ignite!”
He roared, his blood boiling. His entire being seemed to transform into a raging inferno, its scorching heat radiating outwards, forcing all the black-robed figures back.
“Kill him!”
The black-robed figures sneered and charged again, the wolf-tooth club whistling as it hacked towards Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan roared and struck with his fist.
His fist, blazing with crimson flames, shot out like a fireball, smashing directly against the wolf-tooth club.
In this exchange, the black-robed figure was sent flying, crashing onto the stone coffin and spitting blood.
“Hiss… such immense strength. Could this fellow be a master at the Great Perfection of Shenhou?”
The remaining black-robed figures halted their attacks, their eyes filled with apprehension.
They were merely at the martial apprentice level; engaging with a Shenhou Great Perfection expert was akin to an egg hitting a rock!
“Heh, a bunch of useless fools. Since you refuse to leave, you shall stay and become nourishment for my breakthrough.”
Zhou Yan sneered, stepping forward, intending to kill all these black-robed figures before claiming the treasure chest.
“Damn it, this brat has gone mad! He dares to provoke our Black Robe Bandit Group!”
The black-robed figures paled with fear, clearly aware they were no match for Zhou Yan.
“Run, quickly flee!”
“This Zhou Yan has already broken through to Shenhou Martial Master!”
In an instant, all the black-robed figures turned and fled for their lives.
In the blink of an eye, the mountain cave was silent once more.
“Hmm? They all ran away!”
Zhou Yan’s brow furrowed. These black-robed figures had appeared mysteriously and vanished even more so, as if caught in a maze, disappearing without a trace.
Zhou Yan was filled with confusion. For some reason, he felt these black-robed figures seemed to recognize him.
“Regardless, I owe these black-robed figures for my successful breakthrough this time.”
Zhou Yan shook his head, unwilling to dwell on who sent the black-robed figures.
After all, he had just entered the secret treasure trove and had no prior enmity. No matter the black-robed figures' intentions in helping him, he was indebted.
“I’ll take the items first, and repay them when the opportunity arises later.”
Zhou Yan strode towards the stone platform.
However, at that very moment.
Within the stone chamber, the stone coffin suddenly trembled. The lid exploded, and a person entirely shrouded in black robes slowly stood up.
“Hmm?”
This scene startled Zhou Yan, causing him to retreat several steps, his guard raised to the highest level.
The black-robed figure raised its head, revealing an ancient and sinister face. A cold smile played on its lips as it glanced at Zhou Yan before walking step by step to the side of the stone coffin.
“What is inside this stone coffin?”
Zhou Yan's eyes were filled with intense curiosity.
He wondered what was sealed within this stone coffin.
He reached out and pressed against the surface of the stone coffin, attempting to push open the lid.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the stone coffin remained stubbornly immobile.
“Eh, the material of this stone coffin is extraordinary…”
Zhou Yan observed carefully and immediately noticed that the coffin’s material was neither metal nor jade, but cast from a special kind of wood.
He tried tapping it, producing a dull sound.
Suddenly, his expression changed slightly. He gripped the sides of the stone coffin and pulled outwards.
“Indeed, there’s a gap!”
Zhou Yan's heart leaped with joy. His guess was correct; a secret passage was indeed hidden within this stone coffin.
The next moment, the massive bronze ancient stele above the stone coffin began to tremble slightly. Inscriptions on it flashed, as if mysterious symbols were appearing, drawing the black-robed figures back.
“Hmm? Those black-robed figures have returned!”
Zhou Yan’s expression turned serious.
“Not good, these guys are trying to snatch my treasure!”
“Hmph, dream on!”
He stepped with the Bagua Footwork, unleashing the Burning Flame Art. His blood boiled, and strands of flame rose, coiling around his body and forming a fiery red armor that enveloped him completely.
Then, Zhou Yan leaped forward, rushing to the stone coffin. He grabbed the lid with one hand and wrenched it downwards.
The stone coffin lid snapped open, falling to the ground.
As Zhou Yan pushed the lid aside, a scorching blast of air rushed towards him.
“This is… a pill!”
In that instant, Zhou Yan was stunned.
Inside the stone coffin lay many bottles and jars. Among them were three jade-green pills, crystal clear, emitting a refreshing aroma that filled the air.
“This is… Body Tempering Pill!”
Zhou Yan was instantly astounded: “This is a Grade 2 pill! Worth tens of thousands of taels of silver!”
“No wonder… these black-robed figures risked their lives to fight over this Dragon Elephant Body Tempering Pill!”
Zhou Yan suddenly understood.
“Hahaha… I’m rich! These black-robed figures are practically delivering money to me for my cultivation advancement!”
Zhou Yan let out a hearty laugh, grabbed the three Dragon Elephant Body Tempering Pills, and without hesitation, popped them into his mouth.
*Swish swish~~*
The Dragon Elephant Body Tempering Pills dissolved upon contact with his mouth, transforming into a surge of majestic spiritual energy that quickly integrated into Zhou Yan's body, causing his cultivation to soar.
In a short time, his cultivation rose from the first level of Shenhou to the second level of Shenhou!
*Buzz~~*
Immediately, his skin began to emit a faint blue glow. His entire aura became even more profound and vast, like a dazzling and eye-catching deep blue star.
“So, my ‘Burning Flame Art’ is actually the legendary ‘Burning Flame Art’! This is a Saint-tier cultivation technique!”
“But why was it sealed within a stone coffin?”
Zhou Yan frowned, unable to fathom it.
“Who was the owner of this stone coffin?”
“Where did he go all these years?”
He muttered to himself, filled with questions.
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended, making his body tremble, almost forcing him to his knees.
“Not good! An expert has arrived!”
Zhou Yan’s heart jolted. He whipped his head around, only to see an old man in a gray robe floating in the void, his hands behind his back, looking down at him.
“It’s… you!”
“Zhou Yan!”
When the old man recognized his face, his pupils contracted violently, and his expression turned one of extreme shock.
“You… you actually survived?”
The old man exclaimed, utterly disbelieving his own eyes.