Zhou Yan couldn't hear a word, his gaze swept coldly over the tomb keeper. "Dare to speak further, believe it or not, I'll behead you right now?"
After speaking, he pushed open the door and entered.
The tomb keeper's face instantly turned ashen with fear. "Young master, you absolutely must not! It's incredibly dangerous there, please, do not go in!"
Alas, Zhou Yan remained unmoved, his steps unwavering.
Soon, Zhou Yan's figure vanished into the passage, leaving only the tomb keeper waiting with a face full of anxiety.
The moment Zhou Yan stepped inside, he felt a strong surge of Yin energy assail him from all sides. This Yin energy transformed into all sorts of ferocious ghosts and lunged at him.
"Childish tricks!" Zhou Yan scoffed, waving his hand dismissively.
A whistling sound arose, and a violent gale swept through, instantly obliterating all the ghosts into nothingness.
These Yin Sha energies couldn't even harm ordinary people, how could they possibly pose a threat to Zhou Yan?
Zhou Yan continued to walk forward, the deeper he went, the more he felt the strangeness of this tomb.
Because he sensed a mysterious law at play, suppressing his cultivation.
However, at the same time, the vast spiritual energy contained within greatly accelerated his cultivation speed.
"No wonder the disciples of the Iron Fist Sect were willing to go to great lengths to find this tomb. It turns out it's truly rich in treasures," Zhou Yan mused in surprise.
Such dense heaven and earth spiritual energy—there were few places in the entire Southeast Province that could compare.
Not long after, Zhou Yan finally emerged from the corridor.
Then, he saw the scene before him.
Rumble...
Deafening thunder rolled in from afar, like a surging, roaring flood that swept across the entire sky.
Following that, a torrential downpour cascaded down, washing away the blood on the ground, forming a scarlet expanse.
The scene was like the arrival of the apocalypse.
"This is actually a peerless, ill-fated tomb!" Zhou Yan gasped, a chill creeping into his heart.
Such a situation was incredibly rare.
Ordinary ancient battlefields would have remnants, but most were abandoned. How could such a scene still exist?
Moreover, Zhou Yan clearly sensed that the heaven and earth spiritual energy in this area was extremely abundant.
"It seems many experts perished here!" Zhou Yan murmured to himself.
He slowly advanced, passing through layers of mist, and finally arrived before a colossal stone monument.
This monument was a hundred meters tall and ten meters wide, inscribed with dense characters and patterns.
Upon closer inspection, Zhou Yan's expression shifted slightly, a look of solemnity appearing on his face.
"These are actually ancient texts and patterns!"
Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes, his pupils contracting.
Ancient texts were passed down by the ancient ancestors, their numbers were scarce, and they had long been lost.
As for the patterns, they were extremely profound and obscure, requiring a great deal of time to decipher.
" To what realm had the master of this place reached?" Zhou Yan's heart was filled with awe.
Images flashed through his mind, as if he were experiencing it firsthand.
It was a scene of vast, boundless warfare.
Mountains of corpses and seas of blood, limbs and severed arms scattered across the firmament.
Immense, grotesque skeletons lay piled haphazardly, each possessing earth-shattering power.
This was a great war of ancient times, its scope so extensive it surpassed modern nuclear weapons.
"Were those skeletons alive?"
Zhou Yan's eyes widened, staring intently at one particular skeleton, not daring to blink, as if trying to imprint its appearance into his memory.
But the skeleton remained motionless.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Zhou Yan's eyebrows twitched as he detected a clue.
"There's spiritual energy?"
Zhou Yan rejoiced in his heart. "Indeed, my guess was correct. There's a secret hidden here."
On the right leg of this skeleton, there was a faint luminescence, a sign of sentience. Compared to the desiccated bones outside, it was like day and night.
Zhou Yan's heart pounded with excitement. He knew he had found the right place.
"Such immense spiritual energy, it's undoubtedly an extraordinary treasure!"
Zhou Yan's heart burned. "It's a pity that my cultivation has been lost, my strength severely compromised. Otherwise, with this alone, it would be enough for me to break through the peak of the Marrow Refining realm and advance to the Bone Refining realm."
The Bone Refining realm was where one forged the body, tempered the tendons and bones, and raised one's own skeletal structure to a level comparable to steel.
After this realm, the physical body became astonishingly strong, capable of withstanding cannon fire.
"Although I cannot obtain this skeleton, taking its bones is still beneficial," Zhou Yan licked his lips.
He then crouched down, preparing to harvest the skeleton's bones to take back and study.
"Hmm?" The moment Zhou Yan touched the skeleton, he trembled violently, disbelief etched onto his face.
"No!"
Zhou Yan roared, trying to break free from the restraint, but it was utterly impossible. A strange power seemed to envelop his entire body, rendering him immobile.
"What's happening? Has this skeleton truly gained sentience?" Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, his face filled with humiliation.
He, the dignified Nine Nether King, was controlled by a corpse? This was a colossal disgrace.
"Hmph, don't forget, my physical body is not just at the Qi Refining realm, but at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm." Zhou Yan let out a cold snort, channeling the spiritual energy that remained within him.
Boom!
With a crackling sound, the mysterious force that had bound Zhou Yan was torn apart.
Pfft!
Zhou Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale, staggering back several steps.
"Damn old bastard, I'll eventually storm your ancestral land and tear your corpse into a thousand pieces!" Zhou Yan was furious.
He hadn't expected this skeleton to be so terrifying, its mere aura suppressing him.
If not for his quick reaction, he would have been devoured by this skeleton by now, becoming nourishment for it.
Fortunately, a wisp of his natal spirit fire remained in his soul, allowing him to break free from the skeleton's control.
"Hmph!"
A murderous intent flickered in Zhou Yan's eyes.
Since this skeleton could manipulate corpses, it must be a demon!
"No matter who you are, meeting me today is your misfortune." Zhou Yan's eyes gleamed with cold light, he raised his right hand and fiercely struck the skeleton.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Zhou Yan felt a sharp pain in his palm, his hand nearly shattered.
"Hiss..." Zhou Yan gasped, quickly retreating.
"As expected of a demon, its physical defense is too strong." Zhou Yan's gaze was filled with shock.
The power of that palm strike earlier was enough to destroy heavens and earth, to raze cities, yet it struck this skeleton, causing it to merely tremble slightly.
"As expected of a Bone Refining realm demon, its strength is extraordinary." Zhou Yan felt a sense of dread and dared not approach rashly.
Swish!
Just then, Zhou Yan's eyes flickered as he saw a black shadow streak across the sky and lunge at him fiercely.
It was a small snake, about the thickness of a thumb, completely black, its tail glinting with a metallic sheen, sharp as a blade, biting towards Zhou Yan's neck.