She noticed the little Mouse Spirit ahead was completely oblivious to the stench, aware that members of the Mouse Clan, with their nature of defecating where they feed, had long grown accustomed to the smell and were naturally unaware of it!
Having reached this point, Gu Shi Yi couldn't exactly beat a retreat, so she gathered her Mana, temporarily sealed off her sense of smell, and followed the little Mouse Spirit inside.
Stepping in, she looked around and clicked her tongue in approval,
"You've made it quite orderly!"
What lay before Gu Shi Yi was a spacious corridor, about one and a half times the height of a person, narrow enough to barely accommodate a horse-drawn carriage. The walls of the corridor shone brilliantly, polished to a smooth sheen by some unknown method employed by the little Mouse Spirit. Additionally, every few feet, a Luminous Pearl was embedded, casting a dim, glowing light that made the path ahead sufficiently visible for walking, even though details were hard to make out from a distance.
The rat spirit laughed,
"As a member of the Mouse Clan, I can naturally navigate in the dark and recognize objects, but many years ago, while burrowing in the mountains, I unintentionally unearthed an Ancient Tomb belonging to the Human Race. I found the layout of the tomb quite imposing, so I modeled my home after it. It's an honor to receive such praise from a distinguished guest like yourself!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Shi Yi grimaced slightly and exchanged a knowing glance with Li Yaner, who quietly peeked out from within her collar. They both thought to themselves,
"It seems our brother's home decor follows the Ancient Tomb style!"
This sort of exotic taste, truly beyond the imagination of the Human Race!
The rat spirit's nest was located at the very heart of the mountain, shaped like an oval dome. The top was rounded, while the flat ground below was paved with relief tiles, clearly relics moved from the ancient tomb. The base of the dome had countless passageways leading in all directions, connecting to various parts of the mountain range and forming a vast labyrinth. Without the rat spirit leading the way, not only an ordinary person but even cultivators would find it impossible to leave, unless they chose to break through the mountain's walls.
Gu Shi Yi was truly having her eyes opened to a new world here. She looked all around, her face filled with astonishment, and as the rat spirit saw her reaction, it grew even prouder, gesturing towards the center of the space and respectfully inviting Gu Shi Yi,
"Your presence graces this humble abode and brings it honor. Please come inside and take a seat!"
Gu Shi Yi glanced over and couldn't help but smirk again, noticing an area as large as two tennis courts at the center of the empty space, arranged with stone horses, stone oxen, and terracotta warriors in a circle. Astonishingly, at the very center of the circle was a massive stone sarcophagus. Scattered around the sarcophagus were some stone furnishings, including tables, chairs, and even a bed. Seeing the engraved tiles on the ground depicting scenes of Immortal Crane Leading the Way and Ascension of the Immortals around the sarcophagus, as well as the surrounding terracotta warriors brandishing swords, Gu Shi Yi exclaimed,
"Tsk tsk... your taste is indeed... unique!"
Sleeping in such a place, those faint of heart would probably pass out without even lying down first, under the gaze of these eyeless stone figures!
The rat spirit took Gu Shi Yi's comments as compliments, flushing with pride and excitement in its eyes,
"Indeed, you have a discerning eye. A few guests have visited my home before, and not one had anything nice to say. Only a superior individual like yourself can appreciate the brilliance of my arrangements!"
"Ha ha..."
Gu Shi Yi let out a hearty laugh,
That's because I'm bold and not telling the full truth!
She walked over, tied the horse to a stone sheep's horn, and curiously approached the central sarcophagus, carrying the broken pottery jar,
"Hmm... The carvings on this depict the Immortal Crane Leading the Way, suggesting the original owner of this sarcophagus was a cultivator?"
Gu Shi Yi inquired, prompting the rat spirit to look at her with profound admiration,
"You're truly formidable. Indeed, this sarcophagus housed an Ancient Cultivator. I was just a Little Mouse Spirit deep in the mountains some four hundred years ago. Once, while burrowing, I accidentally entered the tomb of that great being. Out of curiosity, I crawled into this sarcophagus..."
It paused and pointed to an obvious hole gnawed by a mouse on the sarcophagus,
"Inside, I discovered that the Ancient Cultivator had already achieved ascension, his body turned to dust, but he left behind a fiery red Elixir. Greed got the better of me, and I swallowed it. That is how I managed to achieve human form in eight hundred years..."
For Spirits and Monsters, to accomplish shape-shifting is extremely difficult. Many who cultivate in the mountains for thousands of years without the right opportunity fail to take on human form. The rat spirit was indeed fortunate to have achieved this transformation in just eight hundred years!
"Indeed!"
Gu Shi Yi nodded,
"That's your fortune!"
After examining the place a bit more and finding it unbearable with its Ancient Tomb Sect style décor – the more she looked, the more creepy it felt – she finally said to the rat spirit,