A moment later, the stone door closed.
"Huh? Where did the person go?"
"Strange, there was clearly someone just now?"
"Could it be... a hallucination?"
"Impossible, I clearly saw someone enter the stone door with my own eyes!"
"No need to guess, it must be those guys who went in ahead of us."
"Let's go, we'll follow them in!"
"Mmm."
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
In an instant, dozens of figures shot up into the sky and entered the stone door.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"
Another half an incense stick's worth of time passed, and Zhou Yan and Diao Chan also arrived here.
"This... is a palace!" Diao Chan's beautiful eyes sparkled with surprise.
Deep within the mountain range, a majestic great hall appeared, a hundred zhang tall, resplendent and magnificent, exuding an imposing aura.
"Hoo!"
Suddenly, the wind and clouds stirred, and a dark wind howled.
Streams of pitch-black Yin wind blew, carrying a corrosive scent, as if wanting to absorb the very marrow from one's bones.
Zhou Yan and Diao Chan both felt their pores open, their hairs stand on end, and a chill run down their spines.
This Yin wind was filled with an extremely evil aura, making one's blood run cold.
"Run!"
Without hesitation, the two turned and fled.
"Hehehe... you can't escape. Offer yourselves as sacrifices, and perhaps this lord will spare your lives!" an eerie voice echoed.
Following that, the Yin wind howled, and a shadowy figure materialized out of thin air.
It was a middle-aged man in a black robe, surrounded by a faint blue glow, emanating a mysterious and unfathomable aura.
His eyes were narrow and deep-set, his lips pale, making him look particularly terrifying. He was tall and slender with dark skin, and his long black hair was disheveled over his shoulders.
This middle-aged man exuded a chilling aura, enveloped by wisps of cold energy that inspired awe.
"What is this thing?" Zhou Yan and Diao Chan's faces changed drastically.
"Hehehe... I am from the Ghost Clan, the sect master of the 'Shi Yin Sect'."
The middle-aged man grinned sinisterly, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and said, "You must offer your souls as sacrifices to my corpse, and I shall bestow upon you eternal, immortal life and unending wealth and glory!"
As his words fell, the middle-aged man opened his massive maw, revealing a row of terrifyingly sharp teeth, as if intending to devour Zhou Yan and Diao Chan's bodies alive.
Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed, and a cold glint flashed. "Since that's the case, I'll send you on your way!"
"Bang!"
Zhou Yan raised his hand, and the bronze spear in his hand erupted with dazzling divine light, like a comet streaking across the sky, carrying terrifying power. It fiercely cleaved towards the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man's pupils contracted violently.
Zhou Yan's attack was too sudden, catching him completely off guard. He hurriedly raised his arms to block.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew as the bronze spear struck the middle-aged man's arm, emitting a deafening metallic clang. It sent the middle-aged man flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
Pfft~
A foul, rotten smell permeated the air. The middle-aged man's nose and mouth were bleeding, his arm was shattered, his chest was caved in, and he was utterly dead.
All of this happened in a mere instant. No one had expected this middle-aged man to perish so easily.
"So strong!" Diao Chan's pretty face was filled with astonishment.
If Zhou Yan hadn't intervened just now, she might have been in danger as well.
"Let's go, no need to delay. We should hurry inside too."
Zhou Yan nodded and took the lead, rushing in.
Soon, they stepped inside the stone door.
Rumble!
The moment Zhou Yan and the two stepped into the stone door.
The previously calm mountain peak suddenly trembled.
In the next second, an immeasurably vast aura descended, sweeping across all directions, causing the entire mountain peak to shake.
"What's happening?" Zhou Yan's brows furrowed.
Terrifying roars echoed all around, making one's blood run cold.
"Rumble!"
Accompanied by earth-shattering rumbling, an enormous body strode out from the black mist, as majestic as a mountain.
It was a colossal ape, its entire body covered in pitch-black scales. Its muscles were coiled and twisted, its veins protruding like dragons, containing terrifying power, as if a single punch could shatter everything.
Its eyes were like stars, radiating a ferocious, soul-stirring gleam that dared not be looked at directly.
At this moment, the colossal ape was shrouded in a gray mist, its aura ethereal, exuding an otherworldly celestial energy, yet also a barbaric, destructive aura.
"Hiss!"
Diao Chan couldn't help but gasp.
She could feel that the colossal ape's strength was indescribably formidable, far surpassing the True Essence Realm, and could even rival the peak of the Qi Refining Realm.
Most importantly, its sheer size was overwhelming. With a single stomp, the entire mountaintop shook.
"This is a demonic beast!" Zhou Yan's expression was extremely grave. "This place indeed hides a great secret."
He sensed that the aura emanating from the colossal ape was no less than that of a King-level expert in the Yin-Yang Realm.
"Hehehe, your souls will become nourishment for me to recover my injuries!"
The colossal ape licked its lips with a scarlet tongue, a bloodthirsty, ferocious grin on its face. It then leaped forward, pouncing towards Zhou Yan and Diao Chan.
"Scram!" Zhou Yan roared, gripping his bronze war halberd. He thrust it out fiercely, with the force of thunder, colliding with the colossal ape.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound rang out as the bronze war halberd pierced the ape's thick, sturdy hide, and blood gushed forth.
"Roar~"
The colossal ape let out a pained howl, being directly pinned to the rock wall.
This bronze war halberd was a high-grade spirit weapon, incredibly sharp. Even a cultivator in the True Essence Realm would suffer a severe injury if their flesh was pierced.
"Damn you, lowly human, you have angered me." The colossal ape struggled furiously, emitting an angry growl. Its bones crackled as if they were about to break.
"Boom!"
Immediately, the colossal ape swung a palm, causing the void to explode and generating wave after wave of power.
"Bang!"
Zhou Yan's expression turned grim. He took a step forward, evading this fatal blow, and simultaneously punched the colossal ape's abdomen.
This time, the colossal ape cried out in agony, letting out a shrill wail.
"Roar!"
It roared at the sky in fury, its entire body erupting with immense killing intent as it charged towards Zhou Yan.
"Presumptuous beast, you court death!"
Zhou Yan's eyes were ice-cold. He unleashed a kick, striking the colossal ape.
With a bang, the colossal ape's massive body was sent flying, crashing heavily against the rock wall. Cracks appeared all over its body, and it was almost torn apart.
"Although this colossal ape is strong, it's ultimately a puppet," Diao Chan said slowly.
"This puppet has had its cultivation sealed, but its strength hasn't diminished too much," Zhou Yan replied.
"Then, it must have been left here by the owner of this cave mansion to guard their tomb," Diao Chan said. "Let's continue searching for treasures."
As her words fell, the two continued to explore forward.
It had to be said that within this ancient tomb complex, many treasures were indeed hidden.
In one of the large tombs, numerous precious spiritual herbs were arranged, along with several rare heavenly treasures.
"Haha, these spiritual herbs are priceless and can help our cultivation advance by leaps and bounds." Diao Chan was overjoyed and reached out to grab them.
However, just as she was about to pluck the spiritual herbs, a jade talisman suddenly flew out from the tombstone, turning into a stream of light and directly shooting into Diao Chan's forehead.
With a hum.
Diao Chan's delicate body trembled, and she immediately fainted.