"Fellow cultivators, these two puppets possess strength comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators. While they lack spellcasting abilities, they're relentless, unfeeling, and extremely durable. Taking them down will be no small task. We must give it everything we have to destroy them quickly, lest we invite further trouble," Chu Kuang said gravely, his demeanor sharp and battle-ready.
"Attack!"
With a shout, Chu Kuang pulled a massive sword nearly half a meter long from his storage pouch. Chanting an incantation, he slashed downward, sending a brilliant golden arc of energy slicing toward the puppets with a deafening roar.
Wu Wanli's expression was equally grim as a thin, almost translucent blade appeared in his hand. The blade shimmered faintly, no wider than two fingers.
"Fly!" he commanded, and the blade transformed into a streak of light, streaking toward one of the puppets.
Meanwhile, the Di brothers acted in unison, channeling a combined technique from their shared cultivation method. The resulting attack glimmered with potent energy, its combined power far greater than what they could muster individually.
Xiao Chen, standing a step back, unleashed a wave of oppressive energy. Dozens of crimson fireballs materialized in front of him, burning brightly and forming an orderly line like a string of pearls. The intense heat immediately drew everyone's attention.
The pupils of Chu Kuang and the others contracted in shock. They hadn't expected Xiao Chen's display of power to be so overwhelming.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireball after fireball struck the two puppets. Though Chu Kuang and the others' attacks caused visible damage, they paled in comparison to the devastation wrought by Xiao Chen's barrage. The puppets let out guttural roars, their hostility redirected entirely toward Xiao Chen, whom they now deemed the greatest threat.
"Go ahead; I'll keep them occupied," Xiao Chen bellowed. His aura surged even higher as he rapidly formed more fireballs, hurling them at the two constructs.
Chu Kuang hesitated for a moment before nodding. His voice carried a note of sincerity as he said, "Friend Liu Yun, we'll leave these puppets to you. Just hold them off for a short while, and we'll ensure you get your fair share of the treasures later."
The group exchanged glances before dashing further down the corridor without a second thought.
The Di brothers lingered briefly, casting skeptical looks at Xiao Chen. One muttered under his breath, "That guy may be powerful, but he's too naïve. Even if he survives this, he'll likely be so badly injured that he'll have no chance to claim anything."
Xiao Chen's eyes glinted coldly. Watching their retreating figures through his spiritual sense, he confirmed they were far enough away before leaping back several meters. From his storage pouch, he retrieved a handful of talismans and threw them forward.
Boom!
Over a hundred fireballs erupted simultaneously, their combined heat overwhelming even the resilient stone bodies of the puppets. Though a single fireball wasn't particularly powerful, the cumulative effect of so many was catastrophic.
The puppets' ruby-red eyes flickered wildly. Though they raised their massive stone swords to shield themselves, the intense heat scorched their surfaces until they glowed red-hot. At that moment, Xiao Chen threw another batch of talismans—this time icy blue.
A sudden chill filled the corridor as dozens of water spheres formed in midair and shot forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The water spheres struck the puppets with a deafening crash. The rapid shift from extreme heat to frigid cold caused the stone to crack and splinter.
"Die!" Xiao Chen's voice was icy as he conjured two massive energy swords, which he swung down mercilessly.
Crack! Crack!
Under the combined assault, the now-brittle puppets shattered into countless fragments, their glowing red eyes dimming until they were extinguished.
Xiao Chen let out a slow breath, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. His strategy of alternating fire and ice talismans had worked far better than he had anticipated.
Approaching the remains, Xiao Chen swung his energy sword to cleave open their heads. Inside, he found two palm-sized crystals radiating a faint, warm glow.
"High-grade spirit stones?" Xiao Chen's eyes lit up with excitement. The stones were undoubtedly the power source for the puppets, their quality surpassing anything below mid-grade spirit stones. Although much of their energy had been expended, their value was still extraordinary.
Carefully placing the stones into a jade box, he meticulously searched the rubble for any other valuable fragments. Finding none, he sat cross-legged in the corridor and swallowed two Essence-Strengthening Pills, closing his eyes to recover.
Half an hour later, Xiao Chen opened his eyes, a faint gleam of light flickering in them. His strength was back to its peak, and his spiritual energy felt denser than before.
Standing, he approached the skeleton of the Golden Core cultivator. His gaze lingered on the wall near the corpse, narrowing slightly. Retrieving a newly acquired spiritual weapon from his pouch, he channeled energy into it and struck the wall.
The blade sank in far more easily than expected. Xiao Chen's face brightened—this section of the wall was softer than it appeared.
After a few minutes of digging, the spiritual weapon struck something solid. Xiao Chen's heart raced as he reached in and pulled out another storage pouch.
His spiritual sense dove into the pouch, revealing an incredible haul: over 300 mid-grade spirit stones, tens of thousands of low-grade stones, and a dazzling assortment of magical artifacts, including one supreme-grade and two high-grade spiritual weapons. However, there were no pills or talismans to be found—likely consumed during the Golden Core cultivator's final stand against the puppets.
"Not bad," Xiao Chen muttered, though a hint of disappointment lingered. Searching further inside the pouch, he found some unidentified materials but nothing more.
"That can't be all," he murmured, frowning. Turning his attention back to the wall, he resumed digging.
Clang!
The sound of metal meeting stone echoed sharply. Xiao Chen's expression shifted to one of delight as he quickened his pace.
After some time, he unearthed a fragmented blade—a silvery short sword, broken into several pieces. His heart skipped a beat.
At the Golden Core stage, cultivators wielded treasures far beyond the capabilities of mere spiritual weapons: artifacts. Even a damaged artifact was immensely valuable, its power surpassing that of a peak-grade spiritual weapon by an entire level.
Though he hadn't yet discovered a way to break through to Foundation Establishment, Xiao Chen felt that the treasures he had obtained already made this trip worthwhile. Smirking, he swallowed a few more pills and sat down to recover. "Let them clear the way," he thought. "I'll collect the real rewards later."
Far ahead in the ancient tomb, Chu Kuang and the others stood in a breathtaking garden brimming with flowers and greenery, taking a brief respite.
"These wards are terrifying," muttered Di Qiu, his face pale. "Even a Golden Core cultivator would struggle here. And that's with the wards' power diminished to a fraction of their original strength. At full power, they could likely kill a Nascent Soul cultivator outright."
"The greater the danger, the greater the rewards," Chu Kuang said, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Let's press on."
Meanwhile, back in the corridor, Xiao Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. He forced himself to spit out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale as he suppressed his aura to make himself appear gravely injured.
Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Wu Wanli emerged, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Chen. Sensing Xiao Chen's weakened state, a glimmer of joy flashed in his eyes before he rushed forward with feigned concern.
"Friend Liu Yun! Are you all right? I'm here to help!"