Chapter 187: Tomb Guardian, you were definitely the original guardian of this place in your past life

Zhou Qing could only briefly recount that day's events; after hearing it, Second Uncle pounded his chest and stamped his feet, his face filled with regret.

He felt he had missed a tremendous opportunity!

An Elder Peng King at the peak of Soul Severing? His entire body is a treasure trove.

Especially after learning he was sealed and slain by a single finger of the Old Emperor, Second Uncle flew into a rage, cursing the man for wasting such a priceless asset.

"That Old Wind must be from Taoyao Mountain beyond the borders of the Holy Martial Empire—home to many great demons, utterly terrifying."

"But I never expected Old Xuan Yuan Shuo would show up too—oh, he's the one I made the bet with!"

Zhou Qing: "..."

Uncle, stop messing around!

But Second Uncle went on: "Last time I made that bet with him, he'd already taken over twenty disciples, and many powerful officers had been adopted as his sons—all within the bet's scope."

Zhou Qing couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

You really set me up with a great bet, didn't you?

"Once you break through to Soul Transformation, I'll take you to the border—then you'd better make me proud. If you win, I'll give you two-tenths of the bet's prize!"

Second Uncle leaned in with a grin, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

What could Zhou Qing say? After all, he had once received a breath of Heavenly Qi from this man.

Otherwise, just that time his Golden Core was crushed would've ended his life—his cultivation path would've been finished forever.

How could he not repay this debt?

"What about that silver-haired woman?" Zhou Qing couldn't help asking.

Second Uncle shook his head. "I'm not sure. She's probably not from the Holy Martial Empire—more likely a Soul Severing cultivator from one of the surrounding fourth-tier spiritual nations."

Zhou Qing nodded; it matched his own guess.

From how she mentioned the Four Flowers Converging at the Divine Ruins Palace, there must've been a time gap between them.

Of course, someone might've secretly ascended to Soul Severing—after all, Second Uncle was imprisoned in a Celestial Cave for years; he didn't know everything.

Just like how the Five Sects obtained the Nine You Lotus Seeds and leaked not a whisper to outsiders.

"The Wax Corpse Crows left too? Interesting—I thought they were just mindless corpses."

Second Uncle frowned, muttering to himself, then stretched his neck toward the darkness beside him.

But soon he grew restless.

First, he couldn't figure it out.

Second, missing such a chance was truly agonizing.

"Forget it—the opportunity before us is what matters. Kid, pick me a coffin, let's crack it open!"

Soon, Second Uncle's face lit up as he stared intently across the Blood River.

Zhou Qing blinked, first glancing at the six coffins beneath the giant tree, then slowly lifting his gaze to the black heart above, and the few green leaves at its peak.

Since he was here, he might as well ask some questions that had long puzzled him.

"Uncle, you once said this place was the tomb of a peerless powerhouse—is that beating heart the master's?"

Zhou Qing pointed to the massive heart bound by iron chains atop the tree.

Second Uncle looked up, his eyes thoughtful, then shook his head. "The information I got from the third coffin was limited—I can't confirm for sure."

"What about those leaves?" Zhou Qing asked again.

Second Uncle followed his finger, his eyes burning with hunger; he licked his lips. "Divine herb—true peerless divine herb. If I'm right, the reason that heart still beats is because this divine tree feeds it life."

"But you've seen it—this tree is on the verge of death. Still, even those few remaining leaves? Their value would make even beings beyond Soul Severing go mad to seize them."

As he spoke, Second Uncle swallowed hard.

Zhou Qing's face lit up with delight.

In his simulations, he'd long dreamed of eating a roujiamo.

"Then why don't you pluck a few leaves?" Zhou Qing asked curiously.

Second Uncle stared at him like he was an idiot. "I'm old, but my mind's still sharp."

Zhou Qing was stunned.

He looked again at the leaves, sighing inwardly.

He'd truly overthought it—Second Uncle, a Soul Severing cultivator, feared them, yet he'd dared fantasize about climbing up to bite one.

"Tomb Guardian, pick a coffin already!" Second Uncle urged impatiently.

Zhou Qing sighed; the nickname was awful, but he immediately pointed to the first coffin.

The Yin-Yang Scripture originated from this coffin—he'd long wanted to uncover its secrets.

Second Uncle followed his gaze, stared at the first coffin for a moment, then nodded.

"First it is. Same as always. Of course, you don't need me to say it—you're more familiar with this than I am, it's like coming home!"

Second Uncle teased, then slapped Zhou Qing's shoulder hard and shot forward like lightning.

Zhou Qing didn't dare delay—he channeled spiritual power into his feet and followed close behind.

The two leapt swiftly into the Blood River, ignoring its nauseating stench, snatching up three floating Wax Corpse Crows, then scrambled ashore with hands and feet.

Arriving at the first coffin, Zhou Qing tensely stared toward the darkness across the river.

In every simulation, only one Wax Corpse Crow appeared—but Second Uncle always drew them all out.

"What are you standing there for? Help!" Second Uncle shouted.

Zhou Qing snapped back and ran over, helping push the coffin lid with all his strength.

"Can only Soul Severing cultivators open this lid?" Zhou Qing's face flushed red as he strained.

Second Uncle replied: "Roughly. But with the right methods, Soul Transformation cultivators can open it too."

"Then why can't you push it?" Zhou Qing looked at him, puzzled.

Second Uncle scoffed: "Are you joking? Do you think I can't push it? I just figured since we came together, why should you sit idle?"

Zhou Qing: "..."

Did I want to come?

Didn't you drag me here by force?

But now Zhou Qing didn't care—he needed to open the coffin.

With both of them pushing with all their might, the heavy lid finally creaked open with a dull thud.

At that moment, the three massive Wax Corpse Crows emerged simultaneously from the darkness, their eyes glowing with eerie light, fixed on the two.

Second Uncle reacted instantly—he grabbed Zhou Qing and leapt down.

Simultaneously, just before the Wax Corpse Crows arrived, the coffin lid slammed shut with a thunderous boom.

…………

As before, Zhou Qing felt his body plummeting at breakneck speed, wind howling like wailing ghosts.

Thanks to prior experience, he forced his eyes open.

Below, the scene gradually sharpened.

Unlike the third coffin, which revealed a scorching hell of boiling magma, erupting volcanoes, and a colossal crow corpse,

beneath the first coffin lay a chaotic, hazy world.

Gray mist, thick as ink, churned wildly below, occasionally pierced by flickers of eerie green light.

"Uncle, have you been here before?" Zhou Qing asked.

Second Uncle replied: "Of course—I just couldn't go far. Too many restrictions. I never dealt with this kind of place, so I retreated and picked the third coffin."

Zhou Qing nodded, then frowned slightly.

"This aura..."

Second Uncle smiled. "Feels familiar, doesn't it? Those wandering souls in the gravity zone? They came from here. This coffin's inner world? It's the Soul Realm."

Zhou Qing's eyes widened.

As they plummeted further, they noticed the ground littered with fine gray-white stones, radiating intense cold.

Around them, gray mist thickened, visibility under five meters.

Faint, whispering sounds rustled intermittently—like murmurs, like sobs.

The voices twisted and echoed through the mist, sending chills down the spine.

Shiiii!

Next instant, dozens of translucent, contorted wandering souls burst from the mist, shrieking as they charged straight at Second Uncle.

Second Uncle merely let out a cold snort—his spiritual power erupted instantly. All souls still approaching were struck like lightning, shattering into dust and vanishing.

"Just a few Nascent Soul wandering souls..."

Before he finished speaking, the surrounding mist churned violently, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

More souls surged from all directions, howling as they rushed Second Uncle.

"Kid, don't say I didn't give you a chance—these Nascent Soul souls are rare training targets. Seize it! Let me see your combat strength!"

Second Uncle grinned like a phantom, then produced a talisman and slapped it onto his forehead.

Instantly, his form grew translucent, merging into the mist—leaving only a transparent silhouette.

The souls, now without a target, grew confused, clawing at the air in place, shrieking shrilly.

Zhou Qing cursed inwardly and immediately prepared for battle.

But the next moment, the souls ignored him entirely—unable to find Second Uncle, they vanished back into the mist.

This bizarre scene left Second Uncle frozen in place, stunned for a long while.

What the hell just happened?

Can't you see a living person this big?

Zhou Qing's heart stirred, and he suddenly understood.

It seemed his innate skill 【Lowered Presence】 had just activated.

After all, it had already reached LV4 (78/100); as long as he remained within the Nascent Soul realm, whether early stage or peak, there was a 78% chance others would simply ignore him.

Meeting the Second Uncle's puzzled gaze, Zhou Qing could only shrug helplessly, indicating he had no idea either.

The Second Uncle tore off the talisman stuck to his forehead; the mist around them churned again, and the wandering souls returned, shrieking as they charged straight toward them.

He immediately stuck another talisman on himself, his body turning ethereal once more, vanishing into the mist.

The wandering souls circled Zhou Qing in confusion, emitting frustrated low moans before slowly dispersing.

"Grave Guardian Beast, you were definitely a Grave Guardian Beast in your past life!"

The Second Uncle couldn't help shouting at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.

Ever since he first brought this kid in, the boy had immediately headed straight for the Blood River and skillfully placed three dead crows on his shoulders and forehead.

Now, even these wandering souls ignored him completely.

If they were blind, why could they only see me?

He immediately leaned closer, scrutinizing Zhou Qing closely.

Zhou Qing felt uneasy under the Second Uncle's stare, a faint blush of embarrassment rising on his face, tinged with a hint of guilt as he stammered, "Uncle, could you give me one of those invisibility talismans? I'm scared."

Zhou Qing was genuinely afraid—two times he'd been ignored didn't mean the third time would be the same.

With so many wandering souls, even his Nascent Soul Jin Peng true form couldn't defeat them.

Facing Zhou Qing's pitiful plea, the Second Uncle merely curled his lips into two cold "heh" laughs.

Don't you know in your own heart whether you need it?

"Where's the good opportunity here? No, let me rephrase: these countless prohibitions—you must know how to break them, right, Little Grave Beast?"

The Second Uncle stared intently at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing forced a bitter smile and said helplessly, "Second Uncle, stop teasing me—I really don't know what's going on. These wandering souls must be trying to sow discord between us."

The Second Uncle remained silent, still fixing his gaze on Zhou Qing.

Suddenly, a wandering soul rolled out from the mist ahead, gave Zhou Qing a casual glance, then slipped back into the mist and vanished.

Zhou Qing: "..."

"Uncle, did you see that? This is blatant sabotage!" Zhou Qing feigned righteous indignation.

He then turned to the Second Uncle: "Don't look at me like that—let me explain carefully."

Zhou Qing cleared his throat: "Look, I didn't realize before that the wandering souls in the gravity zone came from here. Now that I know, everything makes sense."

Then Zhou Qing clearly laid out all the mysteries he'd long harbored about this cavern realm.

The Taiqingmen ancestors discovered this place's extraordinary nature and established their sect here.

To prevent outsiders from spying and to give themselves ample time to explore, they set up the gravity zone ahead and hid the key to the deeper areas within it.

Moreover, beneath the gravity zone, a highly mysterious monster was sealed—whether it was a puppet or some other strange entity, no one could say for sure.

But one thing was certain: should it awaken, it would attack friend and foe alike, terrifyingly so.

Thus, generation after generation of Taiqingmen disciples, while retrieving the key, also underwent training—until years ago, or perhaps even earlier, wandering souls suddenly appeared in the gravity zone.

And strangely, people of different realms encountered wandering souls of corresponding levels, and they came in multiple waves.

All of this resembled a meticulously planned dual trial for the disciples.

The disciples had to trudge through crushing gravity, slay waves of emerging wandering souls, and gradually advance to the opposite side to turn the key and unseal the gravity zone.

As a result, even the Grand Elders now couldn't enter—no disciple except him could pass safely.

Could it be that a living being inside this first coffin was secretly manipulating all of this?

After hearing Zhou Qing's analysis, the Second Uncle nodded slightly, a knowing smile forming on his face as he slowly said, "You mean the living entity here is behind all this?"

Zhou Qing said seriously, "Exactly. Then why do you think the gravity zone changed like this?"

The Second Uncle fell silent—he'd only briefly visited this first coffin, and the true reason was hard to say.

He glanced around, his eyes revealing a hint of caution.

Perhaps this first coffin also holds a Soul Severing realm entity, similar to the Flame Crocodile King.

But this one is likely far more intelligent.

Roar!

As the two fell into thought, a Nascent Soul wandering soul suddenly burst from the mist and lunged at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up; lightning flashed in his hand, instantly erasing it.

Whether it was his 【Crimson Thunder Sword Art】 or the Suanni bloodline inheritance 【Thunderstorm Starfall Kill】, both had a natural suppression over these yin evils.

"Uncle, see? I'm hitting the nail on the head!" Zhou Qing exclaimed excitedly.

The Second Uncle nodded slightly, a hint of approval on his face.

Looks like it really is.

But soon, two more wandering souls emerged from the mist, glanced casually at Zhou Qing, ignored him as if he weren't there, and drifted off in another direction.

Seeing this, the Second Uncle stopped pondering the mystery and simply tossed Zhou Qing another identical talisman.

Zhou Qing was overjoyed, quickly catching it and sticking it to his own forehead, just as he'd seen.

Instantly, his form turned ethereal, blending into the surrounding mist.

Then, the two cautiously advanced through the mist.

Along the way, large groups of wandering souls passed by them, many of them even Soul Transformation realm entities.

These wandering souls radiated powerful yin energy; where they passed, the mist seemed to freeze.

Fortunately, the invisibility talisman kept them from noticing the two.

At this moment, Zhou Qing felt a surge of excitement—if the third coffin had trapped the Second Uncle for years and he'd already explored it thoroughly, then the world inside this first coffin was an untouched virgin land.

The opportunities here were certainly numerous.

The next moment, both stopped abruptly. The Second Uncle looked at Zhou Qing in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Zhou Qing pointed his finger at a spot less than two meters away and said seriously, "Prohibition."

The Second Uncle was stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You noticed that? What the hell have I been doing these past few years?"

Zhou Qing gave an awkward smile.

His identity as a formation master couldn't be hidden much longer, especially here, where prohibitions lay everywhere.

Moreover, the Second Uncle meant something extraordinary to him.

"Quick, tell me what's going on!" the Second Uncle urged.

Zhou Qing briefly recounted what had happened at Linggu Mountain.

But he deliberately omitted any mention of Elder Xuanqingzi.

Some truths were simply too hard to explain—like the mysterious Starfield Battlefield. Mentioning it would only invite more unanswerable questions.

He merely said he'd accidentally obtained a formation jade slip, and that it was a one-time-use item, vanishing completely after being absorbed.

After hearing Zhou Qing's story, the Second Uncle pounded his chest in frustration.

Missing out on the heavenly opportunity of the Jin Chida was bad enough, but who would've thought a seemingly insignificant place like Linggu Mountain concealed the legacy of a Level Five Formation Master?

Had a Level Five cultivation country's master of prohibitions once visited there in ancient times?

Still, at least the Suanni bone remained—small mercy in misfortune.

Now, the Second Uncle's gaze toward Zhou Qing was filled with complex emotion.

He unconsciously reached out, as if to say something, but fell silent, unsure where to begin.

This guy, just like me, was already a Level One Formation Master—and yet back at Xiao Ling Peak, he'd pretended to be awestruck by my formation skills. What was he really thinking of me then?

"Don't go spreading word of this legacy—anyone who does will face death!" the Second Uncle said after a moment's thought, his tone grave.

In this ruthless cultivation world, precious legacies attracted countless greedy eyes; one misstep could lead to utter ruin.

Zhou Qing nodded vigorously, understanding.

"But no one can learn alone—after this, come with me to the Baiyu Tai Xu Courtyard in Haomiao Prefecture!" the Second Uncle said after a pause.

Zhou Qing froze.

Haomiao Prefecture?

His Second Sister and Baihe had gone to Haomiao Prefecture.

That Ke Shu who came with the portrait to find the Divine Ruins Palace token was the son of Haomiao Prefecture's governor.

Sensing Zhou Qing's confusion, the Second Uncle patiently explained: "The Shengwu Empire, as a newly established Level Four cultivation country, governs eight commanderies and seventy-two prefectures. Yet across its vast territory, there are only two Level Three Formation Masters and nine Level Two Formation Masters—fewer even than Soul Severing experts."

"These masters guard their legacies with extreme secrecy—they never reveal even a fraction."

"If you suddenly learn formation and prohibition-breaking techniques, and someone discovers it, they'll investigate. If they trace it back and learn you inherited an unknown master's legacy, they'll covet it—and bring disaster upon you."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing fell into thought, then slowly said, "So I need an identity."

The Second Uncle nodded in agreement: "Exactly. Don't underestimate this seemingly insignificant identity—you'll realize its importance later."

Zhou Qing reflected: the farthest place he'd ever been was Lingyun Prefecture.

Now, even the Second Uncle, a Soul Severing expert, spoke of this with such caution—clearly, the identity of a Formation Master carried extraordinary weight.

He recalled Elder Xuanqingzi, a Level Nine Formation Master—his status was unimaginable.

After brief thought, Zhou Qing nodded decisively.

The Five Sects War was over; staying here would yield him no greater gains.

Seeing Zhou Qing agree, the Second Uncle beamed with joy.

"I've already become an inner-courtyard disciple of the Baiyu Tai Xu Courtyard. With me as your recommender, you'll get in effortlessly—then you'll be my junior!"

Second Uncle grinned and laughed heartily.

(End of Chapter)