Chapter 123: A First Glimpse of the Companion Tomb

Upon hearing Huang Wuchang’s seemingly unreasonable demand, not only Ye Dong, but even Master Wei and his two companions were slightly taken aback.

Ye Dong’s heart raced. He walked quickly from the middle of the group to stand before Huang Wuchang and smiled, saying, "Master, you’ve suddenly taken up a fancy to gambling. I wonder what I could possibly bet against you?"

"We aren't betting on anything serious, just playing for fun." Huang Wuchang patted Ye Dong’s shoulder gently. "Relax, it’s nothing."

*Is this old fox trying to fool a child?* Ye Dong felt a sense of bitterness. *How could he possibly mean 'just playing for fun'?*

He asked, "What are the rules of this bet?"

Huang Wuchang smiled brightly. "Let’s bet on whether any ghosts or monsters will come to cause trouble when we enter this pit. You just need to say yes or no."

Though Ye Dong was deeply annoyed, he still smiled and said, "Fine! I bet that no ghosts or monsters will come to cause trouble!"

"Oh?" Huang Wuchang raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

Ye Dong chuckled. "With a master like you present, how could any ordinary ghost dare to cause trouble?"

"Good lad, you’ve got a silver tongue." Huang Wuchang laughed heartily. He pulled Ye Dong a few dozen meters forward and, right in front of him, tossed a yellow talisman into the excavated pit. He shouted in a low voice, "Heaven’s Gate, Earth’s Gate, open!"

*Boom!*

As soon as the talisman touched the ground, the pit seemed to be made of paper; it began to peel away in chunks. Amidst the collapsing earth, a massive pit dozens of meters wide was revealed. The darkness below was so profound it seemed bottomless, and even the high-powered flashlights could not penetrate the void to reveal its true face.

"How... how is this possible!?" Faced with the sudden chasm, Ye Dong retreated several steps, terrified that this man-eating hole would continue to expand and pull him into its endless, dark abyss.

*Whoosh!*

Before he could even step ten meters away, a powerful gravitational force, like a black hole, began pulling everything nearby into its depths!

"Ah!" Ye Dong panicked and screamed in desperation.

"It’s actually the 'Black Dog Swallowing the Sun'!?" Seeing the terrifying nature of the abyss, even the experienced Master Wei could not help but exclaim, "If the outer perimeter of the tomb is this formidable, wouldn't the Eternal Tomb itself be like purgatory?"

"Master, save me!" Caught off guard, Ye Dong was sucked into the air by the black hole. In his panic, he cried out again, "Master! Master!"

Huang Wuchang, standing on solid ground with his profound mystical arts, naturally had a way to counter the gravity. He chuckled, drew another yellow talisman, and whispered, "By the command of wind and thunder, by the decree of earth and spirit, obey my orders!"

He flicked five yellow talismans into the air; they chased the wind and plastered themselves firmly onto Ye Dong’s body.

To Ye Dong’s amazement, his body, which had been floating in the air, suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand-ton boulder. He slammed hard into the ground. Though it was painful, no matter how powerful the black hole’s suction became, his body remained completely immovable.

*Wow, this is amazing!* Ye Dong thought, both shocked and delighted. *The arts of the Taoist sect are truly profound and all-encompassing!*

"Ouch, that was close!" Ye Dong, less than a meter from the edge of the pit, wiped cold sweat from his brow and gasped for air. The rocks, dead branches, and even weeds within a radius of over ten meters had all vanished—sucked into the hole.

*Damn, what kind of trap is this? How can it have such strong suction?*

After a few more minutes, the pulling force slowly ceased, and the heavy weight in Ye Dong’s chest finally lifted.

"He Wentian, you weren't scared, were you?" Huang Wuchang laughed loudly.

"I’m fine, I’m fine!" Though Ye Dong was incredibly frustrated inside, he waved his hand and forced a smile. "I don't know when I've ever had so much fun!"

"Don't be so eager!" Huang Wuchang’s face was full of wicked glee. "There’s more in store for you!"

"What!?" Before Ye Dong could ask why, the black hole, which had only just gone quiet, began to stir again.

*Whoosh!*

A powerful blast of air erupted from the hole, blowing all the dirt and debris that had been sucked in back out into the sky!

*Damn, it sucks things in and then spits them out? This black hole is truly bizarre!*

Ye Dong, standing at the edge, suffered the worst of it. The incoming air and debris felt like blades, cutting at his hands, feet, face, and neck until they felt as if they were tearing apart.

"My god, what a powerful gust!" Fixed in place by the talismans, Ye Dong could not move or escape; he had no choice but to endure this "feast of blades."

"Hmph, I never thought He Wentian would have a day where he’d be toyed with like this!" Master Wei felt a sense of satisfaction and couldn't help but chuckle.

Le Cheng drove a large spell-seal firmly into the ground and laughed, "Let's laugh as loud as we want. His ears must be ringing so hard he’s like a deaf man; even if we called him a dog, he wouldn't hear it!"

At these words, Li Xing also burst into laughter. "Master is truly skilled; he’s teaching He Wentian a good lesson on how to behave!"

Little did they know that Ye Dong possessed an extraordinary physique, and he heard every word of their mockery clearly. He cursed them internally, *Go ahead and laugh. Wait until we get down there and see how I deal with you!*

Nearly paralyzed by the force, Ye Dong focused his strength to endure. When the outward blast finally stopped, he did not pass out as Master Wei and the others had expected.

"Interesting!" Seeing that Ye Dong had managed to hold on through the hurricane, Huang Wuchang’s estimation of him rose slightly.

The storm finally ceased.

"Master, it seems I’ve won!" Ye Dong said, his face pale and his eyes slightly bruised, as he sneered at Huang Wuchang.

"You won. There were indeed no ghosts here." Huang Wuchang flicked his fingers, and the five talismans flew back into his hand. He praised, "He Wentian, I never expected you to have such a sturdy constitution. I suppose I underestimated you!"

"Master, you’re being too modest," Ye Dong shook his head with a smile and walked toward Huang Wuchang with heavy steps. "Besides a sturdy constitution, I also have money!"

"Hmph, nonsense!" Master Wei sneered. "He’s just trying to save face!"

Ye Dong asked with genuine confusion, "Master, didn't you visit this ancient tomb once before? Why go to all this trouble to carve a new path? I almost got killed in there!"

Master Wei whispered from the side, "The old path was destroyed. We triggered a trap the day we left; luckily we escaped in time, or we would have been suffocated inside!"

"What? A trap on the way out, too?" Ye Dong frowned. "This place is too difficult to deal with, isn't it?"

Huang Wuchang did some quick mental calculations and said to Ye Dong with a smile, "Wentian, your luck today seems better than mine. I’ll leave the 'Soul Guiding' to you this time!"

"Soul Guiding?" Ye Dong frowned. "What is that?"

Under the moonlight, Huang Wuchang smiled, his eyes glinting coldly. "Soul Guiding is simply using a lure to lead the way and open a path for us into the tomb."

"How do you do it?" Ye Dong narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice.

"Simple!" Huang Wuchang explained. "Just use the blood of the 'lure' to draw the ghosts and monsters away."

Ye Dong was shocked. *Just as my master said, using a lure to enter a companion tomb only requires blood; it doesn't necessarily require the life or soul of the lure.*

He asked, deliberately sounding wary, "We have to kill someone? Who?"

"Hmm?" Huang Wuchang’s white eyebrows furrowed. "What? Are you afraid?"

Though Ye Dong was acting tough, he was worried inside. *This Huang Wuchang seems to be making things difficult for me on purpose. I don't know what kind of tricks he’s playing. Damn it, he scared the life out of me earlier—I might as well scare him back!*

Ye Dong snorted coldly. "It’s just killing a person. What’s there to be afraid of?"

Hearing He Wentian’s arrogance, Huang Wuchang decided to mess with him. He gestured, and Li Xing dragged over a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, her face full of terror.

"Wooo! Wooo!" Though the girl was pale, she struggled constantly, fighting for a final chance at survival.

"Her." Huang Wuchang ignored the girl’s whimpering. He narrowed his eyes and shoved the girl toward Ye Dong.

"Fine!" Ye Dong tucked his dagger into his belt, pulled out his pistol, clicked the safety off with his left hand, and aimed it mercilessly at the girl’s head. "Killing with a gun is much faster! One shot to the brain—safe, painless, no mess!"

"Are you crazy!" Li Xing gasped in shock, reaching out to shove the gun barrel toward the sky!

*Bang!*

As Ye Dong’s hand was pushed upward, the gun actually fired!

"You lunatic! Can't you see Master was just joking with you?" Li Xing cursed. "Do you have any idea how much time it took us to find this person with the 'Ultimate Yin' constitution!?"

Ye Dong’s eyes widened. With lightning speed, his left hand grabbed the unsuspecting Li Xing, and he shoved the gun against his head. "Who the hell are you cursing!"

"You!" Li Xing had not expected He Wentian to pull a gun on him so quickly. But he wasn't facing an ordinary person; he was facing the agile He Wentian. Even Li Xing did not dare to resist recklessly.

"He Wentian!" Huang Wuchang shouted. "Put the gun down!"

Ye Dong gritted his teeth, shoved Li Xing hard, and lowered the gun.

"Master, he...!" Li Xing was furious and about to draw his dagger for a fight, but Master Wei stopped him. "Li Xing, don't be reckless!"

At Master Wei’s shout, Li Xing calmed down. He glanced to the side and saw Huang Wuchang staring at him coldly.

"Whatever happens, we’ll settle it after we get out," Huang Wuchang huffed. Without another word, he walked into the dark, gloomy hole.

"Are you two crazy? How dare you act out in front of Master!?" Master Wei walked up and scolded them in a low voice.

Le Cheng chimed in, "They’re just young, a bit impulsive. Don't let a girl ruin our friendship!"

Hearing Le Cheng focus on her, the girl couldn't help but whimper again, her expression frantic as she wept on the ground.

"Forget it, forget it," Master Wei added. "We have to look out for each other inside, or if you anger Master, your lives won't last much longer."

"Come here." Huang Wuchang, who had been observing the entrance with his Bagua compass, issued an irresistible command.

Ye Dong snorted and followed Master Wei inside.

"You are all experienced tomb raiders," Huang Wuchang said to the group. "Don't make any amateur mistakes. I am not a patient man."

A high-powered floodlight was brought over and shone into the pit. As the beam hit the ground a hundred meters below, Ye Dong saw clearly: several strange creatures had flashed past in the light.