"This is... a Grade Nine spirit herb, the Purple Flame Lotus!"
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered with excitement, and he couldn't help but swallow, trembling with anticipation.
Spirit herbs were divided into three grades: low, mid, and high.
Low-grade spirit herbs, possessing only ordinary medicinal effects, were suitable only for those in the Body Tempering realm. Mid-grade spirit herbs offered various benefits such as healing, enhancing mental power, and strengthening bones and muscles. High-grade spirit herbs, however, contained various spiritual essences that aided cultivators in their comprehension.
"This Purple Flame Lotus has been around for a long time, at least several hundred years. It's priceless and a rare find."
Gazing at the Purple Flame Lotus in the spirit field, Zhou Yan's eyes lit up with expectation, and he eagerly prepared to harvest it.
*Buzz!*
Suddenly, terrifying pressure emanated from all around the spirit field, like myriad mountains bearing down, making it impossible to breathe.
In an instant, the trees on the nearby rock face snapped their branches, sending debris flying and scattering across the ground.
"What is this..."
Zhou Yan's eyes widened. Sensing immense danger, his hair stood on end. He felt as though he were being stared at by a primordial beast, his body going cold and stiff, unable to move, resigned to impending death.
Abruptly, a ball of grey mist surged forth, instantly condensing into a blurred shadow, ferocious and ugly, roaring and hissing incessantly.
It was a vengeful spirit!
"A ghost..."
Zhou Yan's face turned ashen, his body trembling violently, his soul quaking. He was utterly terrified, a primal fear surging from the depths of his soul.
"What a terrifying aura..."
"What is the origin of these ancient ancestors? Even in death, their residual souls remain, guarding the mausoleum!?"
"As expected of the ancestral spirits, even after a thousand years, they remain so terrifying, commanding reverence."
Witnessing this scene, the tomb robbers, who had been awakened, were filled with shock and dread, trembling and daring not to make any sudden moves.
After all, the origin of that ball of grey mist was too bizarre, sending shivers down their spines.
"Damn you all, remember this! Don't forget who brought you in..."
A long time later, Zhou Yan broke free from his state of fear, his eyeballs darting around. He glared at the group of tomb robbers and barked at them.
Zhou Yan knew he had courted disaster and was unlikely to escape unscathed, but he was unwilling to sit idly by and await his fate.
Only by invoking his backing might he have a slim chance of survival.
"Zhou Yan, I will report everything that happened here truthfully."
Seeing this, the other tomb robbers didn't linger and quickly followed.
It was evident that the origin of that ball of grey mist was extraordinary, and they dared not act rashly.
"So you know what's good for you..."
Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief, glancing back at the spiritual herbs on the hill. He sighed inwardly, turned his horse, and galloped away.
"This trip was in vain."
As he rode away, Zhou Yan sighed in his heart, yet dared not linger, lest he be pursued.
For him, this tomb exploration had yielded little profit, but he had offended Qin Haoran, leading to retaliation from the Qin clan and a host of troubles.
However, he had at least obtained some spiritual herbs, which could barely compensate for his losses.
...
The mountain forest was quiet, vast, and desolate, devoid of any life.
Along the way, Zhou Yan's mind raced, contemplating his next move. The more he thought, the more worried he became, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his body chilled to the bone.
This time, Zhou Yan had infiltrated alone. If he fell into Qin Haoran's hands, his end would be utterly miserable, beyond death, not even a complete corpse would remain.
Suddenly, a stone slab slid across, blocking Zhou Yan's path.
"What..."
Zhou Yan was greatly startled and hastily dodged, but it was too late.
A punch shattered the stone slab, and a skeleton stood erect, its eyes glowing with a sinister, bloody light. It was massive, like a small carriage.
"Bad..."
Zhou Yan's liver and gallbladder split with fear. He immediately turned and fled.
In the blink of an eye, the skeleton caught up, swinging its giant palms to strike. A gale swept out, and waves of energy billowed, its power astonishing.
"How is this possible? It's actually alive..."
Zhou Yan was filled with shock. This skeleton was a guardian of the tomb. It had long since rotted away and turned to dust. How could it have suddenly revived?
*Boom~*
In an instant, Zhou Yan reacted swiftly, employing a martial skill and striking down fiercely.
*Crack~*
With a punch, Zhou Yan grunted, his steps faltering. He staggered back two steps, almost falling.
"Damn it, its strength has increased so much..."
Steadying himself, Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, cursing inwardly.
previously, this skeleton was comparable to a peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator. Zhou Yan had barely managed to kill it with his sword and martial skills. Now, it seemed far beyond his expectations.
*Bang bang bang~*
The skeleton attacked ferociously, its fists and kicks sharp. Every move carried a powerful gust of wind, making the void explode and its aura surge like a rainbow.
"Pfft..."
Zhou Yan retreated steadily, his body injured, blood seeping from his lips, his chest caved in, his internal organs shaken, making him sway precariously.
"I am a direct descendant of the Zhou family, how dare you beasts bully me..."
Zhou Yan roared, resisting desperately. His arms bulged with veins, his muscles tensed like forged steel. He met the skeleton head-on, engaging in a brutal fight.
*Boom boom boom~*
After a fierce struggle, Zhou Yan was in a sorry state, covered in blood, his clothes tattered and stained with filth, his hair dishevelled, like a stray dog.
"Roar!"
The skeleton roared, its form changing, its speed like lightning. It thrust out a palm, carrying a whistling gust of wind, slicing through the air like a sharp blade and striking Zhou Yan's chest.
Instantly, blood splattered. Zhou Yan cried out in agony, seven or eight ribs broken. He was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground. Pain appeared on his face as he struggled to get up.
"Damn it, if this continues, I'll be worn down eventually. I must escape quickly..."
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered as his thoughts raced, planning his escape.
This area was quite secluded and rarely frequented. Even if something unexpected happened, news would not be able to be transmitted in a short time.
Therefore, Zhou Yan had no need to worry about his enemies finding him. He even had an opportunity to escape amidst the chaos...
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a long howl echoed through the sky.
Zhou Yan's expression changed drastically. He looked up, a flash of bloody light streaked across, and that ball of black mist flew over.
*Whoosh~*
The black mist rolled like a black serpent, twisting and coiling, enveloping Zhou Yan.
"No..."
Zhou Yan roared, struggling with all his might, but to no avail. He was completely wrapped in the black mist and disappeared without a trace.
At the same time, on the hill, a wisp of cold starlight descended, illuminating the entire hill and revealing numerous spirit herbs, their fragrance rich and potent.
It turned out this area was a medicinal field, planted with spirit herbs of varying grades, full of spiritual energy.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, an old man appeared, his eyes sharp and piercing. He was Qin Yuan, a member of the Qin clan.
"Eh?"
Qin Yuan frowned, looking around with surprise. "Strange, I clearly heard a commotion just now, why is no one here?"
"Could it be that I misheard..."
After a few seconds of contemplation, Qin Yuan shook his head. Then, his figure flickered, like a ghost, and he quietly left the area.