Chapter 132: The Location of the Tomb Mound

Everyone was stunned; they hadn't expected Lu Fan to speak like that. Especially Yang Sheng, whose face was tense as he looked at Xiulan, fearing she would refuse. A moment ago he was worried Xiulan might reveal the secret, but now he seemed completely indifferent. If this treasure land can't be found, keeping the secret is of no use at all.

"Hmph! You'd better not lie to me!" Xiulan snatched the cloth from Lu Fan's hand, glared at him viciously, adopting a sulky little‑girl posture, which added a hint of liveliness to her otherwise pallid face.

She moved to the side, tore the cloth open, and examined it cautiously. At first her brows knit tightly, but then her expression changed, showing a slight delight as if she had discovered something.

Yang Sheng and the others, upon seeing the scene, wore curious faces and were eager to rush over, but Lu Fan stopped them with a single hand.

"Ghost Path Technique, profound and unfathomable; we'd better not go and cause trouble. Just wait patiently!"

As soon as his words finished, he walked away on his own, leapt onto a large blue stone, and lay down on the ground. Within a few breaths, he began snoring intermittently, sinking into a pleasant dream.

The few of them glanced at each other, exchanged a few looks, gave a wry smile, and rested under a nearby big tree.

Morning sun poured down, and rays of celestial sun energy infused the entire secret realm with boundless vitality. The bloody scent of last night's beast tide, dispersed by the celestial sun energy, gradually faded away.

In the mountain caves and valleys, hidden corners, flashes of radiance appeared as disciples who had survived yesterday's beast tide trial emerged. Their faces were weary; clearly, even with formation protection, the beast tide's upheaval had taken a considerable toll on them.

At the edge of a small valley rich in spiritual energy, misty clouds swirled, and under the radiant sun it looked especially magnificent and wondrous, like a mortal fairyland.

Above the valley, Wang Wu sat cross‑legged, calmly focusing on the void. Her surrounding vital energy floated, shrouded in layers of mist; faintly she resembled a celestial goddess of the nine heavens, evoking reverie while inspiring awe and an unapproachable dignity.

"Swish!"

In the valley, a crisp sword‑slashing sound rang out. The dense mist instantly roiled like endless waves, crashing against the surrounding void and finally striking the stone walls.

Amidst flickering light and shadow, a cold, sleek figure stepped forward, bearing a majestic yet restrained aura, like a detached long sword.

"Black Vulture! Get out of here!"

The person's features gradually clarified, and it was unmistakably Zhan Xiao. Their expedition in the secret realm had lasted only a day, yet his entire aura surged dramatically, a feeling indescribable, as if a blunt sword had finally found its opening.

"When the beast tide erupted last night, he slipped away quietly."

Wang Wu's beautiful eyes widened as she rose slowly, then leapt down. Her surrounding robe, like a suit of armor, did not tremble at all, even as she hovered far above the void, exuding a sense of overwhelming force.

"Wang Wu, why are you here?"

Zhan Xiao frowned, involuntarily gripping the white jade cold sword in his hand, as battle intent rippled through the air.

"Hmm! Now that looks like a true scion of the Zhan family!" Wang Wu sized up Zhan Xiao, nodded approvingly, and said, "What if we join forces? I'll help you deal with the Black Vulture, and you help me capture Lu Fan!"

Before the words finished, Zhan Xiao's expression froze, as if recalling something, and he said oddly, "Lu Fan is the chairman of my Heavenly Dragon Duke; I am his deputy. Why should I ally with you?"

"Heh, Zhan Xiao, you're not the type to be content beneath others, so why utter such empty words?" Wang Wu sneered, a flash of icy light in her crystal eyes. "Ling Yao's promise to you is merely idle talk; if you help me capture Lu Fan, you'll earn my favor, and the Wang clan can lend you a hand. Why hang yourself on Lu Fan's crooked tree?"

Zhan Xiao's complexion darkened instantly, his gaze flickering uncertainly. He wasn't surprised that Wang Wu knew of his deal with Ling Yao; instead, he pondered her proposal seriously, alternating between a brief smile and a furrowed brow, unable to decide.

Wang Wu, however, was very patient, silently watching him and waiting for his answer.

The mist tide churned, and after a little while, Zhan Xiao's sword gradually fell silent, and the entire valley slowly returned to calm.

Zhan Xiao thought for a long time before deciding, gritting his teeth fiercely, and shouted, "We can join forces, but why target Lu Fan? He's currently riding a wave of fame, his methods are formidable; with just the two of us, we'd likely be outmatched!"

Wang Wu gave Zhan Xiao a casual glance, then raised a hand, flipped mid‑air, and a clear light seal burst forth.

In an instant, fierce winds roared and the mist sea surged. Arrays of formation mystic light rippled within the valley, their force soaring, producing a "rustle" sound. Within a few breaths, the previously drifting, wind‑swept mist energy coalesced into a dense fog veil that shrouded the valley's perimeter.

Zhan Xiao's expression shifted, instantly feeling the pressure pushing in from all sides, but that wasn't the main point. The current change matched, in aura, the formation set by his Zhan family ancestor at the valley's center, unmistakably identical.

"What is this..." He was stunned, looking at Wang Wu with an incredulous face, saying slowly, "How did you... know this formation?"

"Hmph! Lu Fan can, and I share the same master as him; why can't I?" Wang Wu cut Zhan Xiao off, snorting coldly, her icy face flashing with cold light.

Zhan Xiao inhaled deeply, casting a wary glance at Wang Wu; a spark of brilliance flashed in his eyes as he exclaimed, "Fine! I was a bit worried, but I didn't expect you also understand this method of borrowing momentum to form a formation. Lu Fan's divine abilities are already half‑wasted. He's just entered the Bone‑Tempering Realm; his true Qi isn't fully stabilized yet. If we combine forces, there will be no slip‑up!"

He said so, yet his expression remained uneasy. Still, his mind seemed set; compared with his regard for Lu Fan, the threat of the Black Vulture outweighed it, and he had abandoned the former to eliminate the latter!

Around noon, on a large blue stone deep within the dense forest, the snoring Lu Fan turned over and woke up. He stretched, let out a series of sighs, and said lazily:

"It's already noon, the time when celestial and earthly Yang energy peaks; you should have sensed the tomb mound by now!"

With her eyes tightly shut, Xiulan frowned, then opened them with a gasp, staring at Lu Fan in astonishment and humming, "You already knew? I wondered why you were so at ease releasing my seal; so everything was under your control!"

"As long as you understand, hurry and lead the way!" Lu Fan gave a faint smile, straightened his clothing, then, as if on his own, chose a direction, turned and walked, showing no intention of letting Xiulan guide him.

"Y‑you… you… how could you know the tomb mound is over there?"

Xiulan's eyes widened in shock; she grabbed the cloth before her, clutched it tightly, and followed after.

Yang Sheng and the others wore puzzled expressions, yet recalling Lu Fan's previous miraculous tactics made it seem perfectly normal. What puzzled them was why, since Lu Fan knew the tomb's location, he would still release Xiulan's seal and let her act.

Lu Fan had no intention to explain; he vaulted up and darted through the dense forest. Xiulan and the others had to circulate their true Qi, trailing Lu Fan, forming essentially a straight line.

Even the weakest among them were at least Bone‑Refining Realm cultivators; their strength varied, but none were slow. With Lu Fan "leading the way," they had no other concerns, devoting most of their true Qi to speed, their minds undistracted.

At dusk, before a small ridge, Lu Fan stopped. The people behind him were all panting heavily, each showing a faint sign of true Qi blockage.

Xiulan slapped her chest with one hand, looking as if she could barely catch her breath, yet her brows showed puzzlement as she asked:

"Lu Fan, why did you stop? I can't sense any yin‑qi or ghostly malice here; the tomb mound…"

"The tomb mound is right here!"

Lu Fan's voice sounded faint yet firm, low but unequivocal, confirming his statement.

"Impossible! This place…"

Xiulan was about to rebut Lu Fan when she saw his sleeve-flare, a flash of fire, and a refining crystal furnace materialize. With a crisp "clang!" the crystal furnace slammed before her, as if to embed itself in the ground.

The cauldron lid seemed to rebound, flipping open on its own, towering flames leapt up, and a scorching, fierce aura radiated into the void.

Lu Fan traced a single line with one hand; the flame followed his motion, coiling into a ball. He then lightly tapped, and it burst explosively, turning into hundreds of fire snakes that split into two streams, winding around the ridge's edge.

Every ten or so meters, a fire snake would pause on its own, solidifying in the void. Amid the scorching blaze, a faint seal could be seen within.

In a few dozen breaths, the entire ridge became enveloped by the fire‑snake seal; inexplicably, a gust of yin wind rose, shaking the ridge's trees, scattering sand and stones, and a series of eerie sounds echoed.

"How could this…"

Xiulan was completely stunned; practicing the Ghost Path, she had never noticed any anomaly here before.

"The tomb mound is below; didn't you sense it at noon? Why the sudden shock!"

Lu Fan shook his head slightly; he could locate this place, but it was also because Xiulan had drawn the local yin energy through a Ghost Path secret technique.

Xiulan rolled her eyes, yet a strange emotion flickered in her gaze. They had trekked through the dense forest all afternoon, covering several hundred li, and Lu Fan had already sensed this spot at noon—truly incomprehensible.

Yang Sheng and the others heard this and took it as commonplace. In their eyes, Lu Fan's abilities were unfathomable; no matter what extraordinary deeds he performed, they seemed perfectly normal, fitting Lu Fan's reputation.

In an instant, the mountain ridge was thick with ghostly aura as black wisps shot out from cracks in the soil and rock; the once lush, crisp trees and flowers were instantly corroded, withered and dried, and in the blink of an eye began to rot.

Streaks of foul odor spread, stinging the nose. Yang Sheng and a few others, upon seeing the scene, involuntarily stepped back two paces, their eyes filled with horror.

"What on earth is down there? How could it have taken such a short time, yet seem to have endured centuries of dust and wind!"