33: Chapter 33 Tomb Exploration, Horrifying Corpse Transformation

Chapter Thirty-Three: Exploring the Ancient Tomb, The Corpse Change Terror

Seven days passed in a flash amidst intense preparations.

The results of the Yaoguang Holy Land recruitment competition were even more brilliant than expected—Lin Ye defeated seven opponents in a row with his Chaos Heaven Opening embryonic form, ultimately ranking third and earning the qualification to directly enter the inner sect; Su Qingyue ranked sixth by virtue of her ice-type control from the Vast Cold Spirit Body; Chen Hao's God King Body shone brightly in actual combat, ranking ninth. All three entered the top ten, not only winning prestige for the Heavenly Court, but more importantly, Lin Ye used the contribution points from the competition rewards to successfully exchange for the complete Ice Heart Art Cultivation Technique.

Su Qingyue began her Cultivation the very day she received the Ice Heart Art. Although this basic Cultivation Technique specializing in ice-type mana was only at the Profound Rank Low Grade, it was upright and peaceful, making it most suitable for guiding and smoothing out the disordered Origin of a spirit body. Coupled with three portions of cold jade marrow and five stalks of Starlight Grass purchased by Qian Duoduo at a high price, her Vast Cold Spirit Body recovered by seventy percent in just three days, and her cultivation even broke through to Rank 26, increasing the power of her ice Spells by at least thirty percent.

The bandit suppression mission was equally successful. Although the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold were fierce, their highest level was only Rank 30; under the joint efforts of Lin Ye, Chen Hao, and Su Qingyue, they were completely wiped out in just one day. The 1,500 military merit points rewarded from the mission allowed Lin Ye to successfully exchange for that Nameless Buddhist Bead from the imperial palace treasury.

Returning to the Artifact Refiners Association, under the personal guidance of Great Master Wang Chui, Lin Ye fused the Nameless Buddhist Bead with the bronze buddha lamp. Their shared Buddhist nature produced an amazing resonance—the Buddhist bead transformed into a drop of golden liquid and seeped into the lamp's body. The flame within the lamp turned from pale gold to pure gold, the Buddhist inscriptions on the lamp increased from three to seven, and the repair progress soared from 35% to 65%.

【bronze buddha lamp (Under Repair)】

Quality: Epic (Purple) → Epic (Purple+)

Status: 65% Repaired

Effects:

①【Buddha's Light Shines Universally】: Illumination range of 80 meters. Within range, all friendly units gain +15% to all attributes, while dark/evil creatures suffer -40% to all attributes.

②【Exorcising Holy Fire】: Flame damage to undead creatures such as ghosts, zombies, and bone demons is increased by 300%, and carries a 'Purification' effect (continuously eliminates Yin Qi, stackable up to three layers).

③【Meditation Zen Intent】: Holder's Divine Sense +80, resistance to illusions, curses, and mental control skills is greatly increased.

④【Buddhist Artifact Resonance】: When used simultaneously with Buddhist Cultivation Techniques or items, effects are increased by an additional 30%.

⑤【Seven Buddhas Body Protection】: Newly unlocked. Can summon seven Buddha shadows for protection, lasting 10 seconds. During this period, the user is immune to all dark/evil attacks (Cooldown: 1 hour).

⑥【Damaged State】: Repair progress insufficient to exert full power. Durability is moderate (280/500).

Description: A Buddhist lamp from the Great Thunder Sound Temple that fell into the mortal world. After deep repairs, it has recovered most of its power. Continuing to seek the Power Of Will of the Buddhist path may allow it to promote to Legendary quality.

The attributes of the repaired Buddhist lamp were comprehensively strengthened, and it also unlocked the life-saving divine skill, Seven Buddhas Body Protection. With it, the confidence in exploring the Ancient Tomb of King Yan increased by another thirty percent.

On the morning of the ninth day, just as the sky was turning grey, a seven-person squad quietly left the Capital City of Yan State.

Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Zhang Meng, Li Qingshan, and Wang Iron Pillar, plus the newly joined member [Apothecary · Bai Zhi]—a Rank 22 healer and alchemist, a professional talent specially hired by Qian Duoduo from the market at a high salary. This was the strongest configuration the Heavenly Court could currently field: four members above Rank 25, three members between Rank 22-24, with a perfect class mix and excellent equipment.

The seven rode rented Gale Horses, galloping north along the official road. The Gale Horse is a Rank 20 mount, twice as fast as an ordinary horse, but the rent is not cheap—ten Spirit Stones per horse per day. Qian Duoduo waved his hand and directly booked seven, saying: "Time is money. The sooner we find the imperial seal, the sooner we make money."

Two hours later, the group arrived at the outskirts of Burial Dragon Valley.

From a distance, this valley looked like a hideous scar on the earth. The mountain walls on both sides were as steep as if cut by a knife. The valley entrance was about a hundred meters wide, gradually narrowing inward. The valley was filled with grey-black mist; even during the day, sunlight could not fully penetrate it. Distorted tree shadows and the occasional flash of sickly green ghost fire could be vaguely seen in the mist.

The air temperature was at least ten degrees lower than outside, and the wind carried a mixed smell of rot and sulfur. Even more unsettling was the omnipresent sense of oppression—as if the entire valley was rejecting life and calling for death.

"Such heavy Yin Qi..." Bai Zhi's face turned pale; it was her first time in such a place. "My healing Spells will be less effective here, and the Yin Qi will continuously erode our health points."

Lin Ye took out the bronze buddha lamp and injected Divine Power. The golden flame within the lamp flared up with a "whoosh," and a warm, holy Buddhist light spread out with him at the center, dispersing the dark mist within thirty meters. Bathed in the Buddhist light, everyone immediately felt the cold oppression lighten significantly.

【System Prompt: You are within the range of 'Buddha's Light Shines Universally'!】

【Effect: All attributes +15%, Yin Qi erosion effect offset by 80%】

【Duration: Until the Buddhist lamp is extinguished】

“The Buddhist lamp can last for six hours,” Lin Ye said deeply. “We must find the Ancient Tomb entrance, explore, and then withdraw within six hours. Otherwise, the Yin Qi erosion will cause us to continuously lose health, and the healing won't keep up with the consumption.”

He looked at the map copied from the imperial palace's library: “According to the records, the entrance to the Ancient Tomb of King Yan is in the deepest part of Burial Dragon Valley. We need to pass through the 'Wraith Wasteland' on the outskirts and the 'Bone Demon Canyon' in the middle. Everyone, stay close to me; do not leave the range of the Buddhist light by more than ten meters.”

The seven rode their horses into the valley entrance.

The moment they stepped into Burial Dragon Valley, the environment changed drastically.

The sky seemed covered by a layer of greyish film, and the light was as dim as dusk. The ground was black humus soil, soft when stepped on, with the occasional bone of some unknown animal. Dark purple vines crawled over the mountain walls on both sides, blooming with sickly white flowers that emitted a cloyingly sweet scent of decay.

They hadn't gone far when a rustling sound came from the mist ahead.

“On alert.” Lin Ye raised his hand to signal.

The seven dismounted, tied the Gale Horses behind a giant rock, and formed a battle Formation. Zhang Meng held his shield in front, while Chen Hao, Li Qingshan, and Wang Iron Pillar provided support from the sides. Lin Ye held the lamp in the center, with Su Qingyue and Bai Zhi in the rear.

In the mist, over a dozen illusory figures slowly emerged.

They had humanoid outlines, but their bodies were translucent, their faces blurred, and ghostly green flames burned in their eye sockets. These figures drifted in the mist, letting out shrill wails as if recounting the pain and resentment of their past lives.

【Wandering Wraith (Common)】

Rank: 25

HP: 3000/3000

Traits: 80% Physical Attack Immunity, low magic resistance, slow movement speed

Skills: Soul Shriek (deals mental damage and inflicts Fear effect), Yin Qi Erosion (continuously reduces target's maximum HP)

“Rank 25 Wraiths, twelve of them,” Chen Hao quickly judged. “Physical classes won't be very effective. Sister Qingyue, it's up to you.”

Su Qingyue nodded, her staff tapping lightly: “Frost Arrow Rain.”

Dozens of ice-blue arrows fell from the sky, covering the group of Wraiths. Ice Spells deal extra damage to spirit-type creatures; the arrows pierced through the Wraiths' illusory bodies, bringing forth patches of frost. The hit Wraiths let out even shriller screams, their bodies becoming even thinner.

-688! -722! -655! ...

Damage numbers continuously floated up, but there were too many Wraiths, and their physical immunity was too high, making the attacks from Zhang Meng's trio basically ineffective.

Seeing this, Lin Ye held the Buddhist lamp forward: “Exorcising Holy Fire!”

The golden flame in the lamp suddenly surged, turning into a wave of fire that swept forward. Wherever the fire passed, the Wraiths melted like snow meeting the sun. Those illusory figures distorted and screamed in the Buddha Fire, finally dissipating into wisps of green smoke.

【System Prompt: You have killed Wandering Wraith ×12!】

【Gained 3600 Experience Points!】

【bronze buddha lamp purified Yin Qi, repair progress +0.01%!】

“The Buddhist lamp's suppression of dark/evil is too strong,” Bai Zhi marveled. “Those Wraiths just now would have required a team of Rank 30 mages to handle, yet we solved it so easily.”

“The Buddhist lamp is strong, but the consumption is also high.” Lin Ye checked the fuel in the lamp—that one move had consumed one-tenth. Mermaid oil was a rare fuel, and he had only prepared enough for six hours of burning; he had to use it sparingly.

The group continued forward.

Passing through the Wraith Wasteland, a narrow canyon appeared ahead. On the mountain walls on both sides of the canyon were numerous caves of various sizes, within which sickly white skeletons could be vaguely seen moving.

“Bone Demon Canyon.” Lin Ye checked the map. “A large number of bone demons and Corpse Generals are entrenched here, with levels between Rank 28-32. They are more powerful than Wraiths and have physical bodies, so physical attacks are also effective.”

Just as he finished speaking, a three-meter-tall skeleton crawled out of the nearest cave.

This skeleton was different from ordinary ones; its bones were dark grey with a metallic luster, and deep purple flames burned in its eye sockets. It held a rusty iron saber in its hand, the blade stained with dark brown blood.

【Bone Demon Warrior (Elite)】

Rank: 30

HP: 12000/12000

Attack: 350-420

Defense: 280

Traits: High physical defense, moderate resistance to ice and fire Spells, fears holy attribute attacks

Skills: Heavy Chop, Sweep, Bone Shield (summons bone armor to increase defense)

“Rank 30 Elite!” Zhang Meng's face was solemn. “I'll tank, you guys deal damage!”

The Bone Demon Warrior spotted the group, the purple fire in its eye sockets flared up, and it charged over dragging its iron saber. Its speed wasn't fast, but every step made the ground tremble, possessing an intimidating Aura.

Zhang Meng let out a roar and met it with his shield. The bone saber chopped onto the shield, producing a piercing sound of clashing metal. Zhang Meng was knocked back three steps, and a shallow white mark appeared on the shield's surface.

-588!

A single blow took away nearly one-tenth of Zhang Meng's health. This was even after shield blocking and the Buddhist light's bonus; if it had hit directly, the damage might have exceeded a thousand.

“Heal!” Bai Zhi immediately cast a Spell, and an emerald green light enveloped Zhang Meng.

Chen Hao, Li Qingshan, and Wang Iron Pillar flanked from the sides, their spear, arrows, and war saber attacking the bone demon simultaneously. But the bone demon's defense was indeed high; their attacks could only deal 200-300 damage.

Su Qingyue acted again: “Ring of Frost!”

An ice-blue ring spread out with the bone demon at the center, and a thick layer of ice instantly condensed on the ground. The bone demon's movements became noticeably sluggish, its attack speed reducing by at least thirty percent.

Lin Ye did not rush to act; he was observing the bone demon's combat pattern. Although this monster had high attack and defense, its movements were stiff, its turning was slow, and it had a clear recovery lag after every attack.

“Attack the joints!” Lin Ye determined the weakness. “Zhang Meng, draw its frontal attacks! Everyone else, attack the knees and elbow joints!”

The tactical adjustment took effect immediately.

Zhang Meng activated Iron Wall and withstood the bone demon's continuous chops. Chen Hao's spear focused on the left knee, Li Qingshan's arrows aimed for the right elbow, and Wang Iron Pillar's war saber hacked at the lumbar vertebrae.

-422! -388! -455! ...

The joints were indeed weaknesses, and the damage increased significantly. The bone demon's health dropped steadily, soon falling to 70%.

But just then, three more bone demons crawled out from the caves on both sides of the canyon!

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Reinforcements!" Li Qingshan urged urgently.

"Don't panic," Lin Ye commanded calmly. "Qingyue, use ice walls to Seal off the cave on the left! Bai Zhi, keep a continuous heal on Zhang Meng! Everyone else, focus fire on this one first!"

Su Qingyue tapped her staff repeatedly, and three thick ice walls rose before the cave on the left, temporarily blocking the three Bone Demons.

However, the ice walls trembled violently under the Bone Demons' hacking, clearly unable to hold for long.

Lin Ye knew they had to end this quickly.

He handed the bronze buddha lamp to Bai Zhi: "Continue to maintain the Buddha Light."

Then he stepped forward, and the myriad mother qi cauldron appeared before him.

The small cauldron spun and flew toward the Bone Demon Warrior, the Chaos patterns on its surface shining brightly. [Cauldron Suppresses Mountains and Rivers] activated!

An invisible gravity field enveloped the Bone Demon, its movements suddenly slowing to a near standstill.

Although it only lasted for three seconds, these three seconds were enough.

Lin Ye pressed his fingers together like a sword, and the prototype of Chaos Heaven Opening activated.

This time he did not use his full strength, but instead compressed the Chaos Power into a gray Sword Qi as thin as a hair, accurately shooting it into the purple flame within the Bone Demon's eye sockets.

-12,888! Critical Hit!

The Sword Qi pierced through the purple fire, reaching the Soul core inside the Bone Demon's skull. The Bone Demon's massive body stiffened, the flame in its eye sockets extinguished instantly, and the entire skeleton collapsed to the ground with a clatter, turning into a pile of dry bones.

[System Prompt: You have killed a Bone Demon Warrior (Elite)!]

[Obtained 5000 Experience Points!]

[Obtained Items: Dark Gray Bone Fragment x3, Rusted Iron Blade x1]

One-hit kill!

But the crisis was not yet resolved. The three Bone Demons on the left had already smashed through the ice walls and were charging this way. Even more troublesome, two more crawled out from the cave on the right, forming a pincer attack from front and back.

Five level 30 Elite Bone Demons surrounded the seven of them.

"Back to back!" Lin Ye shouted.

The seven quickly formed a circular Formation, with the three melee fighters, Zhang Meng, Chen Hao, and Wang Iron Pillar, on the outside, and Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Li Qingshan, and Bai Zhi on the inside. The range of the Buddha Light illumination shrank to twenty meters, but the light became more solid.

The Bone Demons launched their charge simultaneously.

"Seven Buddhas Body Protection!" Lin Ye took the bronze buddha lamp from Bai Zhi and activated the newly unlocked skill.

From within the lamp, seven points of golden light flew out, transforming into seven blurry Buddha shadows in the air. The Buddha shadows circled the seven of them, forming a golden barrier. The Bone Demons' attacks landed on the barrier, only stirring up ripples, unable to penetrate it at all.

Ten seconds of invincibility!

"Full output!" Lin Ye attacked first, Chaos Heaven Opening activated again, and another Bone Demon was killed instantly. Su Qingyue's ice Spells poured down like a rainstorm, and the attacks from Chen Hao and the others were merciless.

Ten seconds ended, and three of the five Bone Demons had fallen. The remaining two were still resisting, but they were at the end of their strength and were soon killed by the group's focused fire.

The battle ended, and all seven were panting heavily. The continuous high-intensity battle was a huge drain on their mental and physical stamina. Bai Zhi's healing Spells were also running low; she only had one-third of her mana remaining.

"Rest for five minutes." Lin Ye took out several bottles of recovery potions and distributed them to everyone. "Replenish your status. We have only passed half of the Bone Demon Canyon, and there will surely be more dangers ahead."

Everyone took the potions and seized the time to recover.

Lin Ye carefully observed the surrounding environment. Deep in the canyon, the fog was even thicker, with visibility of less than fifty meters. But under the illumination of the Buddha Light, he vaguely saw that on the cliff at the end of the canyon, there seemed to be... signs of artificial excavation.

"There." Lin Ye pointed in that direction. "That might be the entrance to the Ancient Tomb."

After resting, the seven continued forward.

The remaining journey was much smoother. Perhaps the previous battle had intimidated other monsters, and they did not encounter any more attacks until they reached the end of the canyon.

In front of the cliff, there was indeed a stone door.

The stone door was about five meters high and three meters wide, carved entirely from dark green-black rock, its surface covered with the traces of the weathering of time. Four large ancient Seal script characters were carved on the lintel: "Mausoleum of King Yan". Below the large characters, there was a line of small text: "Those who trespass shall fall into the netherworld forever."

The stone door was tightly closed, and the gaps were filled with a dark red substance, looking like dried blood or some kind of special sealing Materials.

Lin Ye tried to push the stone door, but it did not budge. He probed with Chaos Power and discovered that there were indeed complex Formation Restrictions inside the door.

"How do we get in?" Chen Hao asked.

Lin Ye took something out of his storage ring—this was the "opening method" mentioned in the Materials copied from the Imperial Palace Library: it required the blood of the Yan State royal Bloodline as a guide, combined with a specific incantation.

But he was not of the Yan State royal family.

However, the Materials also mentioned an alternative plan: if the royal Bloodline could not be found, an item containing "Dragon Qi" or "National Fortune" could be used as a substitute.

Lin Ye thought of his Guest Elder token. The Guest Elder status was recognized by the Yan State's National Fortune, and the token contained a faint trace of the power of National Fortune.

He took out the Guest Elder token, placed it in the groove in the center of the stone door, and recited the incantation recorded in the Materials:

"Heaven and Earth are mysterious and yellow, may the Yan dynasty prosper forever. With fortune as a guide, open this door."

The moment the incantation was finished, the Guest Elder token lit up with a faint golden light. The golden light seeped into the stone door, and the dark red substance in the gaps began to soften and flow, eventually dissipating as blood mist.

"Rumble..."

The stone door slowly opened inward, revealing a pitch-black passage behind it.

A cold Yin Qi, ten times thicker than outside, rushed toward them; even with the protection of the Buddha Light, everyone could not help but shiver. The passage was pitch-black, with no end in sight, only gusts of cold wind blowing from the depths, carrying the scent of decay and death.

"Let's go in." Lin Ye raised the bronze buddha lamp and stepped in first.

The passage was very long, sloping downward, with the stone steps covered in moss and standing water. There were murals on the walls on both sides, but they were very old and mostly mottled and falling off, only vaguely showing scenes depicting the history of the Yan State—founding, warfare, sacrifices, tribute...

After walking about three hundred steps, the area ahead suddenly opened up.

This was a huge tomb chamber, rectangular in shape, over fifty meters in length and width. In the center of the tomb chamber, nine stone coffins were arranged neatly, with complex runes carved on their surfaces. In each of the four corners of the tomb chamber stood a bronze statue, shaped like a warrior holding a long halberd, as if guarding the place.

And at the end of the tomb chamber, there was a high platform, on which a much larger bronze coffin was placed. The surface of the coffin was carved with nine coiled Dragons, with red gemstones embedded in the Dragon eyes, which still emitted a faint luster even after the passage of time.

"Nine coffins guarding the master; this is the standard configuration for a prince's mausoleum," Lin Ye whispered. "The nine stone coffins in the center must be the buried guards or concubines, and the bronze coffin at the end is the main coffin of the King of Yan."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred.

The lids of the nine stone coffins vibrated simultaneously.

"Click... click..."

The coffin lids slowly slid open, and from each stone coffin, a corpse sat up.

These corpses had been buried for who knows how many years, yet they had not completely rotted. They wore tattered armor, their skin was a dark green-black, their eye sockets were empty, but sharp fangs grew in their mouths. The most eerie thing was that their fingernails were half a foot long, pitch black as ink, flashing with a metallic luster.

[Burial Corpse Guard (Elite)]

Rank: 32

HP: 15000 / 15000

Attack: 400-480

Defense: 320

Characteristics: Extremely high physical defense, immune to poison and curses, fears fire and sacred attributes

Skills: Corpse Poison Claw Strike (attacks inflict Corpse Poison, causing continuous HP loss and reducing healing effects), Death Roar (Area of Effect fear), Corpse Transformation (enters Berserk state when HP is below 30%)

Nine level 32 Elite Zombies!

Moreover, after crawling out of the stone coffins, they did not attack immediately, but neatly lined up, facing the direction of the bronze coffin, kneeling on one knee, as if waiting for orders.

The next moment, the lid of the bronze coffin also began to vibrate.

A sound of opening, heavier and slower than the stone coffins, echoed in the tomb chamber. A suffocating pressure radiated from the coffin, a pressure that carried the majesty of a king, as well as... endless resentment and unwillingness.

"Prepare for battle!" Lin Ye shouted in a low voice, holding the bronze buddha lamp high.

The golden Buddha Light dispersed some of the cold Yin Qi in the tomb chamber, but it also angered those zombies. The nine Burial Corpse Guards turned their heads at the same time, their empty eye sockets "staring" at the seven of them, emitting low roars from their mouths.

Then, they moved.

Not charging in a disorganized manner, but maintaining a Formation, three in front and six behind, advancing in a wedge Formation. The three zombies in the front row held their hands out level, their fingernails slicing through the air like blades; the six in the back row bowed slightly, ready to pounce at any time.

"These zombies... have tactical awareness?" Chen Hao was shocked.

"They were the personal guards of the King of Yan during their lifetime, and they still retain some combat instincts after death," Lin Ye judged. "Zhang Meng, hold the front row! Qingyue, use ice to control the back row! Everyone else, focus fire to kill them one by one!"

The battle broke out instantly.

Zhang Meng's heavy shield collided with the sharp claws of the first zombie, sparking a series of sparks. The zombie's strength was immense; Zhang Meng was shaken and retreated repeatedly, and three deep claw marks appeared on his shield. More terrifyingly, where it was grabbed, a dark green-black color appeared on the surface of the shield, and the durability continued to drop.

-688! -Poisoned (losing 50 HP per second, lasting 10 seconds)!

Bai Zhi's healing followed immediately, but the Corpse Poison reduced the healing effect, and her healing amount was only 70% of usual.

In the back row, Su Qingyue's ice Spell had already been cast. "Frost Nova!" With her as the center, ice-blue ripples spread, covering the six zombies in the back row. The zombies' movements slowed significantly, and frost condensed on their bodies.

But just when everyone thought the control was effective, another change occurred.

The six frozen zombies simultaneously lit up with blood-colored light in their eyes. The frost on their bodies shattered with a "crack," not only breaking free from the control but also entering a Berserk state—movement speed and attack speed increased by 50%!

"Corpse Transformation!" Lin Ye's pupils constricted. "It triggered even though their HP hasn't reached 30%? No... it's the thing inside the bronze coffin that is strengthening them!"

He looked at the bronze coffin at the end of the tomb chamber. At this moment, the coffin lid had already opened halfway, and a dark green-black hand, wearing a jade thumb ring, was resting on the edge of the coffin. Although that hand was withered, the fingers were slender, the fingernails pitch-black, emitting a heart-palpitating Aura of death.

Must end this quickly!

Lin Ye handed the bronze buddha lamp to Bai Zhi and stepped forward himself. The myriad mother qi cauldron flew out, [Cauldron Suppresses Mountains and Rivers] activated again, enveloping all nine zombies. Although the resistance of the level 32 Elites was high and the effect of the gravity field was greatly reduced, it at least slowed their movements by half a beat.

It was this half beat!

Lin Ye held his hands in a void embrace, and the Chaos Power gathered frantically in his palms. This time, he did not use Chaos Heaven Opening—the consumption was too great, and single-target attacks were not suitable for this kind of situation.

He used another approach: Chaos Domain · Reversal!

The Chaos Domain, originally used to weaken enemies and strengthen allies, had its effects forcibly reversed by him—no longer weakening, but "suppressing." All the Chaos Power was no longer scattered but condensed into nine gray chains, extending from the Domain and wrapping around the necks of the nine zombies.

"Chaos · Imprisonment!"

This was a new usage Lin Ye had explored during his Cultivation; although it was not yet mature and the consumption was huge, the effect was significant. The nine zombies were bound by the chains, their movements almost stagnant, and they could only emit angry roars.

"Attack!" Lin Ye gritted his teeth to maintain the imprisonment, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Binding nine level 32 Elites at the same time was too much of a burden on him.

Chen Hao and the others immediately outputted their full power.

Long spears, arrows, battle blades, ice cones... all attacks poured onto the zombies.

Zhang Meng even activated [Iron Wall], smashing his shield heavily onto a zombie's head, sending it flying backward.

Five seconds, the first zombie fell.

Eight seconds, the second one.

Twelve seconds, the third one...

When the sixth zombie fell, Lin Ye finally couldn't hold on, and the Binding Chains shattered inch by inch.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered backward, and was supported by Bai Zhi.

"Lin Ye!" Su Qingyue called out anxiously.

"I'm fine..." Lin Ye wiped away the bloodstains and looked at the battlefield.

The remaining three zombies were all injured, but after the binding was lifted, they became even more violent.

Moreover, in the bronze coffin, the owner of that hand... was slowly sitting up.

It was a dried corpse wearing a tattered king's robe.

It wore a jade crown and a jade belt; although its face was withered like a skull, one could still vaguely discern its majesty in life.

The most striking thing was its eyes—they were not empty, but two pulsating blood-red flames, within which endless resentment and unwillingness were reflected.

【Yan Martial King · Corpse Transformation (Boss)】

Level: 35

Health: 80000/80000

Attack: 550-650

Defense: 400

Traits: High physical and Spell resistance, immune to crowd control skills, has certain resistance to holy attributes

Skills: King's Pressure (Area attribute suppression), Corpse King Roar (Large area fear + damage), Summon Corpse Guards (Summons funeral zombies), imperial seal Power ???

Description: The corpse of Ji Wushang, the eighth ruler of the Yan State, which underwent a bizarre corpse transformation due to the erosion of the Yin Qi in the Burial Dragon Valley and the lingering national destiny obsession within the imperial seal. Although it does not possess its strength in life, it retains a portion of the king's power.

Level 35 Boss! 80,000 HP!

And that "imperial seal Power ???" skill made alarm bells ring in Lin Ye's heart.

The Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation stood up completely from the coffin, opened its mouth, and emitted a silent roar.

That was not a sound, but a kind of mental shock that made the entire tomb chamber tremble.

【System Prompt: You have been affected by 'King's Pressure'!】

【All attributes reduced by 15%, lasting until the end of combat】

【System Prompt: You have been affected by 'Corpse King Roar'!】

【Falling into a state of fear, movement speed reduced by 30%, attack power reduced by 20%, lasting for 10 seconds】

Except for Lin Ye, who only received partial influence due to his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body and Buddha Light protection, the other six were all in a state of obvious weakness.

"Clear... intruders..." The Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation made a hoarse, intermittent sound; it was an inhuman sound produced by the vibration of vocal cords with corpse qi, "imperial seal... My... imperial seal..."

It raised its right hand, the hand wearing a jade ring, and pointed at Lin Ye and the others.

The remaining three funeral corpse guards had blood-red light flaring in their eyes and rushed over regardless of everything.

At the same time, the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation also began to step forward; with every step it took, the ground left behind a footprint burning with blood-red flames.

At this critical moment, Lin Ye made a decision.

"Qingyue, freeze the main tomb chamber! Temporarily trap the Yan Martial King! Everyone else, kill the three corpse guards with all your might!"

Su Qingyue nodded and raised her staff high above her head.

She took a deep breath, and her Vast Cold Spirit Body operated at full power. Ice-blue spiritual power surged out from her body like a tidal wave, forming a huge vortex in the tomb chamber.

"Vast Cold · Absolute Zero!"

This was not an attack skill, but pure control.

Centered on Su Qingyue, the power of ice spread crazily; the ground, walls, air... everything was rapidly freezing.

The three lunging corpse guards moved slower and slower, finally being frozen in place, turning into three ice sculptures.

And the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation was also enveloped by the power of ice.

But the blood-red flames on its body burned violently, resisting the ice power. Although its speed was greatly reduced, it was not completely frozen; its movements just became extremely slow.

"Now!" Lin Ye, enduring his injuries, activated the myriad mother qi cauldron again.

This time, he did not use the cauldron to suppress mountains and rivers, but transformed the cauldron into a streak of light, smashing it toward the three frozen corpse guards.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three muffled sounds, the three ice sculptures shattered simultaneously, and the corpse guards inside were torn to pieces.

【System Prompt: You killed Funeral Corpse Guard x3!】

【Obtained 15000 EXP!】

【Obtained Items: Corpse King Nail x9, Decayed Armor Fragment x12】

Only the Yan Martial King remained.

But Su Qingyue's attack consumed too much; her face was pale as paper, and she could barely hold her staff.

Absolute Zero was a high-level skill of the Vast Cold Spirit Body. With her current cultivation, forcing it had overdrawn the Origin of her spirit body.

"Sister Qingyue!" Bai Zhi hurriedly applied healing, but spirit body overdraft was not an ordinary injury, and the healing effect was limited.

The blood-red flames on the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation's body grew stronger and stronger, and the power of ice was being rapidly melted.

In ten seconds at most, it would completely break free.

Ten seconds, what could be done?

Lin Ye looked at the bronze coffin.

Inside the coffin, besides the corpse of the Yan Martial King, there should be funerary objects.

The imperial seal... was very likely inside.

"Chen Hao, Zhang Meng, you drag it! No need to fight hard, just drag it for five seconds! I'll go to the coffin to find the imperial seal!"

"Understood!"

Chen Hao activated [God King Descent], all attributes soared, and his long spear pierced the Yan Martial King like a dragon.

Zhang Meng also activated [Iron Wall], and his heavy shield slammed hard against the Corpse King's legs, trying to make it lose its balance.

Lin Ye used Void Step and instantly appeared beside the bronze coffin.

The inside of the coffin was lined with rotted silk, and some funerary objects were scattered on the silk—a few pieces of jade, a bronze sword, and some rusted copper coins.

And on the inside of the coffin, there was a rectangular groove, and inside the groove... it was empty.

No imperial seal!

Lin Ye's heart sank.

But he had no time to think carefully. His eyes swept over the funerary objects and finally landed on the bronze sword.

Although the blade was covered in verdigris, a blue gem was embedded in the hilt, and there was a faint energy fluctuation inside the gem.

He grabbed the bronze sword and at the same time swept the other jade pieces into his storage ring.

Just then, the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation completely broke free from the ice binding.

It let out an angry roar, blood-red flames shot into the sky, and the temperature of the entire tomb chamber rose sharply.

"imperial seal... return my imperial seal!" It turned its head sharply, "staring" at Lin Ye, or more accurately, at the bronze sword in Lin Ye's hand.

That sword... seemed to have stimulated a certain memory of it.

"Retreat!" Lin Ye decided immediately.

The seven people quickly retreated toward the entrance of the tomb chamber.

The Yan Martial King wanted to pursue, but the desperate obstruction of Chen Hao and Zhang Meng, plus the ice wall barely cast by Su Qingyue, bought valuable escape time for everyone.

Rushing out of the tomb chamber, they ran wildly along the passage they came from.

Behind them came the angry roar of the Yan Martial King, but for some reason, it did not chase out of the tomb chamber, only letting out unwilling roars at the door.

Not until they rushed out of the canyon and returned to the outskirts of the Burial Dragon Valley did everyone dare to stop.

"Huff... huff..." Everyone was panting, all carrying injuries to varying degrees.

Bai Zhi's healing Spells were exhausted, and she could only use healing potions to temporarily stabilize the injuries.

Lin Ye checked the mission panel:

【Hidden Mission: Secret History of Yan State · Seeking the Seal】

【Current Progress: 1/3 (Investigate Clues → Explore Ancient Tomb → Retrieve imperial seal)】

【Obtained Mission Item: Yan King's Sword (Green)】

The mission progress was updated, but the imperial seal was not found.

He took out the bronze sword taken from the coffin and checked it carefully:

【Yan King's Sword (Fine)】

Quality: Fine (Green)

Type: One-handed sword

Level Requirement: 30

Attributes:

Attack: 180-220

Special Effects:

① 【King's Sword】: Damage to 'Yan State' related units increased by 20%

② 【Demon Slaying】: Damage to Yao Race and ghost-type enemies increased by 15%

③ 【Witness of History】: This sword was once the sword of Yan Martial King Ji Wushang, containing a trace of faint national destiny Aura

Durability: 120/150 (Severely rusted)

Description: The personal sword of Ji Wushang, the eighth ruler of the Yan State, which once followed him through many battles. After the battle in the Burial Dragon Valley fifty years ago, it slept with the owner of this sword. The blade is severely rusted, but if it can be recast, it might be able to restore some of its power.

It was just a green-quality sword; although the special effects were good, it was far from the value of the imperial seal.

The imperial seal was not in the coffin... then where could it be?

Lin Ye recalled the final reaction of the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation.

It seemed to have a special obsession with this sword, and when it mentioned "imperial seal", that kind of madness did not seem like a disguise.

Could it be... the imperial seal was not in the Ancient Tomb? Or rather, not in the main coffin?

He checked the mission prompt again. The first stage was "Investigate Clues", the second stage was "Explore Ancient Tomb", and the third stage was "Retrieve imperial seal". Now the second stage was completed, and he had entered the third stage.

That is to say, the imperial seal was indeed not in the Ancient Tomb, and they still needed to continue searching.

"Let's go back to the city first." Lin Ye put away the sword, "Although we didn't find the imperial seal this time, at least we confirmed the situation of the Ancient Tomb and got the mission item. And..."

He looked toward the depths of the Burial Dragon Valley, in the direction of the Ancient Tomb.

"I always feel that the state of the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation... is a bit wrong. It seems... to be guarding something, not just the imperial seal."

Everyone nodded and mounted their horses.

On the way back to the city, Lin Ye kept thinking.

There was no imperial seal in the bronze coffin, but there was a groove for the imperial seal, which meant the imperial seal should have been there originally.

Was it stolen? Or did the Yan Martial King hide it elsewhere before he died?

Also, the "imperial seal... My... imperial seal..." mentioned by the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation, that kind of obsession, that kind of madness...

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lin Ye's mind.

The imperial seal was a national destiny Divine Artifact. When the Yan Martial King died in battle, the imperial seal should have been in his hands.

If the imperial seal was damaged in the battle or eroded by the Yin Qi, then... is it possible that the imperial seal underwent some kind of mutation? Even... developed its own "consciousness"?

This thought made him shudder.

If this were true, then the mission to find the imperial seal was probably more complex and dangerous than imagined.

The sky grew dark, and the figures of the seven people gradually moved away on the official road.

And behind them, in the depths of the Burial Dragon Valley, the stone door of the Ancient Tomb entrance closed slowly at some unknown time.

Inside the tomb chamber, the Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation stood beside the bronze coffin, looking down at the empty groove.

The blood-red flames in its eyes flickered, and finally, it raised its head and looked at the top of the tomb chamber.

There, where there was originally rock, a star map appeared at some unknown time.

In the center of the star map, at the position of the big dipper, one star was particularly bright.

The Yan Martial King Corpse Transformation stretched out its withered finger, pointed at that star, and made a hoarse sound:

"imperial seal... big dipper... Yaoguang..."

Then, it slowly lay back into the coffin, and the coffin lid closed automatically.

The tomb chamber returned to dead silence.

Only that star map was still emitting a faint light.