Chapter 103: Pushing Toward the Tomb Mounds

Looking at the three talismans before him, Wu Xian felt a wave of disappointment—they still didn’t contain the talisman-making method he wanted.

No wonder Wu Xian thought his luck was terrible.

He always lost at rock-paper-scissors, and whenever he played card-draw games, he never got what he wanted, so he never liked luck-based games; instead, he preferred games like “Shadow Dies Twice,” which tested skill.

But these three talismans weren’t bad.

The Cold Qi Spell could compensate for his lack of direct attack power, and condensing water into ice had many practical applications.

The Prolong Spell could extend his Hard Qi Gong, boosting its duration from one minute to two—still a leap forward—but the fact that it only worked once made Wu Xian uneasy.

As for the Shared Injury Spell…

At these words, everyone fell silent except Aunt He.

But there wasn’t much of this supply.

As the atmosphere grew worse.

But Wu Xian was fine—he’d deliberately eaten a full meal before coming.

This place already had the power to confuse travelers; even on the bus, the entire vehicle had been circling endlessly along the cliffside. If it could affect the bus, how much more so the people walking on foot?

The other tomb mounds showed no signs of opening.

She’d joined Guan Daorong’s group hoping to leave the graveyard sooner, but this experience was identical to her childhood trauma—deepening her psychological scars.

After returning, she sat on the ground and vividly recounted her journey.

As the sun fully set, its last glow still lingered—then a new change appeared!

Thud!

Each person could be given one bottle of water, half a sausage, and a piece of curtain or chair cover to make resting slightly cleaner.

The door on the ground clicked open.

Qi Peiyě blinked: “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you insulting me?”

This scene made it clear to everyone: they had only one choice—enter one room and spend the entire night inside.

As for what items they’d obtained, Wu Xian didn’t care; all he saw was that they all seemed happier after coming out.

Hunger had made people emotionally unstable; Aunt He kept babbling, spouting gloomy remarks and sarcastic complaints.

Guan Daorong walked over to Qi Peiyě and asked.

Of course, using tombstones as stoves and firewood was easier.

The smell stimulated everyone’s nostrils and taste buds; they all realized that if they had to enter a room, the banquet hall was the best option.

This meant the spirit hall, banquet hall, study, clothing shop, guest room—all five rooms were now accessible!

This gave everyone a boost; they took turns entering the shrine room, and when they came out, their expressions were noticeably relaxed, their spirits visibly improved, and their anxious, uncertain moods eased.

With only this much supply, they couldn’t last ten or eight days—not even tomorrow.

Though the rooms held unknown dangers, entering them was necessary to leave the blessed land; now everyone had their worship items, so they weren’t completely defenseless.

Wu Xian’s lips curled upward.

Second time, third time…

Especially Guan Daorong had changed the most.

Guan Daorong sneered: “If we’re truly desperate, someone among us will have to sacrifice themselves—to become our food through this crisis.”

His gaze suggested he was looking for someone to test his new ability on.

The entire area was graveyard—no birds, no bugs, nothing. Luckily, they’d found the crashed bus and scavenged some supplies from it.

“It seems this shrine is purely a bonus room among the eight—like a divine mercy extended to ordinary people in the blessed land.”

There were also some plastic bags for preventing vomiting, a shovel, and a crowbar as collective supplies.

“We don’t know what’s inside each room. If most people enter one room, we could all be wiped out with no survivors…”

Only the banquet hall tomb mound emitted music and the enticing aroma of food…

Strength is courage.

Wei Dian chuckled.

Though the shrine room’s information was obtained by Wu Xian and his group at risk, Wu Xian had no objection to helping everyone grow stronger.

Now that they had worship items, they no longer felt fundamentally different from Wu Xian and Hu Yun—everyone had power, everyone understood the blessed land. Why should we follow you?

Aunt He turned a dull story into a dramatic tale; He Gai and others listened intently, but Guan Daorong grew irritated—he disliked people emphasizing his failures.

Wu Xian and Du E immediately prepared themselves.

He favored this talisman most—it was just so fun!

Around them, the graveyard began to reveal swaying tree shadows; monstrous forms faintly emerged from the thickets…

Guan Daorong grinned wickedly: “The one who sacrifices? Naturally, it’ll be the person everyone hates!”

Aunt He was deeply disappointed.

Some time passed.

After leaving, they’d walked in one direction—but after only a short distance, they saw the same clearing again.

Remember, they hadn’t eaten since last night!

As most people began heading toward the banquet hall, Hu Yunkuan suddenly shouted.

Wu Xian could do nothing for now, so he gathered evenly sized stones nearby and tried building a small stove—so when the supply seekers returned with food and firewood, they could heat it.

Wu Xian and his group revealed their findings.

“Can you even behave?”

But Wu Xian had already predicted this would happen.

While building the stove, Wu Xian had seen Guan Daorong’s group several times; each time, their faces grew darker, until finally they stopped on the flat ground, abandoning any hope of finding an exit.

The shrine room suddenly shut and could not be opened again.

Slowly, the sky darkened.

Wu Xian carefully climbed the stairs, encountered no danger, and walked out of the tomb mound safely.

Aunt He’s voice cut off abruptly.

Guan Daorong began trying to leave markers—even drawing lines on the ground—but it did nothing; they always returned to the same spot…

If they stayed on this clearing, they would be devoured by monsters emerging from the graveyard—this time, no Hu steward would come to save them.

Hu Yunkuan also returned with his group.

Qi Peiyě blinked: “You mean…”

All five closed doors had opened!

That tiny amount of supplies had to be saved for survival; only a few couldn’t hold back and ate the sausages—the rest endured.

His thick skin could take hits, but the enemy didn’t have steel bones!

Wu Xian unhesitatingly took out the Shared Injury Spell from his qi; the Heavenly Official statue vanished instantly, dissolving into a swirl of colorful mist, leaving only eight statues in the room.

The interiors of the five tomb mounds remained unseen.

But Wu Xian had Hard Qi Gong!

Wei Dian and Du E both relaxed, then entered in turn.

Everyone would find out this information eventually—better to tell them now, raise their survival odds, and help them gather intel on the other rooms for Wu Xian.

Hu Yunkuan noticed their glances, beads of sweat forming on his forehead—his nervous habit flared up again—but he still tried to explain clearly.

They’d gained a little, but only a little.

After Wu Xian came out.

But this was a bit suicidal.

The atmosphere grew oppressive again.

Even if they had to enter a tomb mound, they had to pick the best one.

The favored and newcomers were cold and hungry—they had no firewood to burn and no food to eat.

“Stop right there! Only five people may enter the banquet hall!”

Those wanting to enter the banquet hall all turned to Hu Yunkuan, especially the newcomers, whose dissatisfaction was plain on their faces.

If this were the only Shared Injury Spell, it’d be useless—its effect isn’t damage reflection; it transfers the exact damage you take to the enemy. Even if you kill them, you still take the same damage yourself.

“Also, this first large-scale entry into the rooms is extremely valuable—we must spread out to gather more information from inside.”

After finishing these three chapters, I felt they were rough, so I revised them—added a few hundred words or so. Don’t worry, these extra words are free.

(End of Chapter)