Instantly, blood splattered. Zhou Yan endured the searing pain, channeling the primal energy in his dantian along the wound and into his blood vessels.
A trickle of blood then seeped from the gash on his wrist, falling onto the essence blood and merging with it.
Whoosh!
In the next second, the essence blood suddenly blazed with light, akin to the most dazzling star in the night sky.
In an instant, a potent force erupted from the essence blood, sweeping through Zhou Yan’s entire body.
At this moment, Zhou Yan felt an unparalleled sense of comfort, with waves of warmth coursing through his limbs and bones, mending the hidden ailments within him.
“How peculiar. My body now possesses an ancient, weathered aura, as if from a distant, primordial age,” Zhou Yan marveled.
“Whose essence blood is this?” Zhou Yan’s thoughts churned.
Subsequently, Zhou Yan sensed it, confirming the essence blood was not out of control, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Abruptly, Zhou Yan’s eyelids trembled. He felt an inexplicable summons, as if something were drawing him closer, compelling him forward.
Zhou Yan paused, observing carefully. Before the Iron Armored Corpse, an ancient, rustic stone platform floated serenely.
Etched upon the platform was an intricate and obscure pattern, resembling some form of writing.
However, these glyphs had long since vanished, leaving only a rust-stained bronze plate, covered in dust, clearly weathered by the passage of time.
The bronze plate bore lines and grooves, exuding an ancient charm.
Zhou Yan felt a prickle of apprehension, daring not to act rashly. He couldn’t sense what power lay dormant within this bronze plate, nor whether it would harm him.
After all, he had once heard his father mention how their ancestor, upon obtaining a drop of mysterious essence blood, had encountered misfortune and nearly perished.
Zhou Yan dared not take risks, his gaze fixed cautiously on the rust-eaten bronze plate.
The bronze plate quivered slightly, then suddenly emitted a faint azure glow.
This azure light was piercing, as if it traversed the void, striking directly towards Zhou Yan’s brow.
“What is this?” Zhou Yan was taken aback.
Before he could react, the azure light merged into his brow. Instantly, the entire scene was projected into his mind.
Zhou Yan was astonished to discover that this projection was a map of an ancient tomb.
“This… is where my ancestor is buried!?” Zhou Yan’s eyes narrowed.
He was utterly shocked. The burial site of his ancestor was in a remote location, impossible to pinpoint.
However, through the map, Zhou Yan could discern that the ancestor’s resting place was extremely far from their current location. Even with the Iron Armored Corpse, it would take at least seven or eight days to travel.
“No wonder the Iron Armored Corpse couldn’t leave this place. It turns out its power is needed to open the passage to my ancestor’s burial ground.”
Zhou Yan finally understood, a sudden realization dawning upon him. Yet, he was also puzzled, “If that’s the case, why was the Iron Armored Corpse’s venom ineffective against me?”
Suddenly, a strange sound reached Zhou Yan’s ears. He turned to look, only to see the Iron Armored Corpse’s pupils slowly opening.
Its two pitch-black eyes flickered with cold, murderous intent, carrying a bloodthirsty aura.
Such a gaze sent a chill down Zhou Yan’s spine, and he immediately became vigilant.
The Iron Armored Corpse began to move, its massive frame exuding a violent, malevolent energy as it charged towards Zhou Yan.
“Hmph! Die!”
Zhou Yan’s expression hardened. Gritting his teeth, he swung his dagger towards the Iron Armored Corpse.
The dagger struck, but it was like hitting an iron wall, scattering countless sparks.
The Iron Armored Corpse remained unmoving. Moreover, its leg muscles bulged. With a powerful push, it leaped into the air. Its enormous palm reached out, grasping the dagger and pulling forcefully, attempting to snap it.
“How can this be?” Zhou Yan’s eyes widened. He felt a sharp pain, almost losing his grip on the dagger.
Suddenly, a coin shot out, striking the Iron Armored Corpse squarely on the forehead, knocking it unconscious.
Immediately after, a tall, slender figure darted out from the side, hoisted the unconscious Iron Armored Corpse onto its shoulder, and fled in haste.
“Huh?”
Zhou Yan was stunned. By the time he reacted, the Iron Armored Corpse had vanished.
Zhou Yan hurried to pursue. He saw that the tall, slender man was agile and swift, disappearing several miles away in the blink of an eye, leaping onto a hillside and vanishing.
“Hmm?”
Zhou Yan frowned, feeling something was not quite right.
However, Zhou Yan did not hesitate. With a leap, he stepped on the treetops, chasing in the direction the tall, slender man had gone.
...
Upon a flat grassland, the tall, slender man ran with all his might, a heavy burden on his back.
Ahead of him, Zhou Yan rode a swift steed, closing in rapidly.
“Who are you? Why are you following me?” Zhou Yan shouted.
His memory was clear: this tall, slender man had just saved him, helping him escape the Iron Armored Corpse.
“Don’t shout nonsense, I don’t know you.”
The tall, slender man pouted, a hint of disdain on his lips. While speaking, he did not slow his pace and continued to run. “My name is Qin Haoran. I am escorting my senior sister back to our sect, as per our sect’s orders.”
Hearing this, Zhou Yan’s expression froze. He had thought the tall, slender man was from the Zhou family, but he didn’t expect him to be a Qin family disciple.
At this moment, Zhou Yan also understood why the Iron Armored Corpse had suddenly awakened earlier.
It turned out that this Iron Armored Corpse had been sealed by a formation, requiring outside help to break it.
Zhou Yan had inadvertently triggered a mechanism, causing the sealing formation to shatter, thus awakening the Iron Armored Corpse.
“Qin family?”
Zhou Yan murmured to himself. The name sounded vaguely familiar. He seemed to recall his grandfather, Zhou Hongru, mentioning them. They were apparently one of the three great families of Wuling City, ranked second, possessing deep heritage and wealth beyond compare.
“Zhou Yan, let me tell you, even though our Qin family has declined, you’d best not anger me, or you’ll regret it…”
Qin Haoran snorted coldly. Though he appeared lean and short, he possessed a stubborn spirit, unyielding.
If it weren’t absolutely necessary, Qin Haoran would never stoop to begging Zhou Yan, let alone offering the map voluntarily.
After all, this map was vital to the Qin family’s survival. If it were leaked, the Qin family would certainly fall into a precarious situation, facing a catastrophic fate.
“I mean no harm. I just want to discuss something with you,” Zhou Yan shook his head and explained with a smile.
“Discuss?”
Hearing this, Qin Haoran was taken aback, then he let out a dismissive laugh, mocking, “Zhou Yan, do you really think that just because you are a Zhou family disciple, you can order me around?”
“You misunderstand!” Zhou Yan sighed and patiently explained, “Actually, I wish for you to give me this map.”
“On what grounds!?” Qin Haoran became furious, his voice sharp, “Your Zhou family has long since become ruins. How dare you bring this up?”
“Heh heh, the Zhou family is indeed destroyed. But I have found the site of my ancestor’s legacy. If you agree to give me the map, I can let you join the Zhou family and receive immense rewards,” Zhou Yan coaxed Qin Haoran, trying to persuade him.
This statement was not untrue. Zhou Yan possessed the [Soul Devouring Bead] and had consumed many vengeful spirits and ghosts.