Chapter 1007: I gave you a chance

The thunder and lightning came violently and left just as swiftly.

It lasted just over a minute, and Lingdie Valley returned to tranquility again.

But in that just-over-a-minute span, Xiao Jiu successfully found the formation eye of the next layer.

Xiao Jiu once again summoned the ghost faces from the Soul-guiding Lamp, ordering them to dig at the formation eye just confirmed.

The four ghost faces worked quickly, and soon dug a pit six or seven meters deep at the spot Xiao Jiu had designated.

"We've hit the suppressing object."

As those words echoed in Xiao Jiu's mind, the four ghost faces had already returned to the Soul-guiding Lamp.

And Xiao Jiu also saw the suppressing object lying at the pit's bottom… a Buddhist shrine!

But this Buddhist shrine was no longer the same as the one Xiao Jiu had seen in Tang Qingshan's memory.

The heavenly thunder Xiao Jiu had just drawn down actually pierced the earth and split the Buddhist shrine buried deep below!

Yet Xiao Jiu did not see the ancient painting that had once been covered with red cloth on the shrine.

Xiao Jiu flicked a finger, shooting a ball of Nirvana flame that struck the split Buddhist shrine, reducing it to ashes.

As the Buddhist shrine was destroyed, the ground trembled again.

Soon, an entrance appeared at the center of Lingdie Valley's interior, and Xiao Jiu hurriedly stepped inside.

When Xiao Jiu stood once more beside the underground river, she felt a bone‑chilling chill seeping from the water—a sensation she had never experienced when being pulled into the phantom mirror before.

She walked along the riverbank, locked onto the spot where the girl's face had appeared, then leapt straight into the water.

The river water was icy and piercing; as soon as she entered, her whole body was enveloped by a vortex that appeared out of nowhere, spinning continuously as it dragged her downward.

With Xiao Jiu's cultivation, breaking free from this vortex would not be difficult.

But Xiao Jiu offered no resistance, letting her body follow the vortex downward.

After a dozen or so seconds, the vortex vanished on its own, leaving Xiao Jiu's body suspended in the water as she looked downward.

What first came into view was a modest underground palace… more accurately, it was an underwater ancient tomb.

The tomb's outer walls were covered with finger‑thick black iron chains, like a great net sealing the tomb inside.

The tomb's main gate stood wide open, resembling the maw of a colossal beast.

Xiao Jiu cautiously approached the gate.

She was puzzled—how could the tomb's gate be left open?

Could it be related to her having shattered the layers of formations above in Lingdie Valley?

Or perhaps it was because the Buddhist shrine had been destroyed?

Xiao Jiu couldn't be sure, but she knew she had basically succeeded halfway.

Once she entered the tomb and found Tang Yaocao's remains, everything would be accomplished.

At that very moment, the entire space began to stir again.

A powerful force came from the east with such speed that, as that figure darted into the tomb gate, Xiao Jiu couldn't even see who it was.

Not seeing clearly didn't matter; the only one who knew this underground terrain and layout so well was Tang Yaocao.

But why was Tang Yaocao in such a hurry?

Could it be that she had already seized it, the internal elixir of the Seven Halls Yama in hand?

Tang Yaocao had returned—but where was Liu Junyan? Why hadn't he pursued her?

A bad premonition rose from the depths of her heart.

But there was no time for Xiao Jiu to wander in sorrow, or even to go to Hu Shan to test her ideas.

Liu Junyan hadn't caught up; he must be staying behind at Hu Shan to tie up loose ends.

Tying up loose ends is crucial—it can rid Xiao Jiu of any rear‑guard worries.

Gritting her teeth, Xiao Jiu chased after Tang Yaocao and entered the tomb.

As soon as she stepped in, the tomb gate behind her slammed shut with a boom.

Xiao Jiu immediately halted, eyes warily fixed ahead.

At the tomb entrance there was only one passage, its side walls lit by oil lamps; a yin wind blew from the far end, and without thinking Xiao Jiu thrust forward a palm.

With a clatter.

The instant her palm wind broke through, Xiao Jiu saw an ancient painting appear out of thin air ahead.

Though the painting was ancient, its image was remarkably clear, the girl's exquisite face enchanting to behold.

Too bad Xiao Jiu had no mood to admire the painting; if she hadn't thrown that palm just now, she would surely have been sealed again inside the painting's phantom mirror.

Xiao Jiu's palm, using fifty percent of her strength, directly shattered the painting's phantom mirror, leaving the whole artwork powerless to intimidate her.

Just as Xiao Jiu steeled herself, resolved to go all out and burn the painting with Nirvana flame, the painting vanished.

Xiao Jiu strode forward down the passage.

As she walked, Xiao Jiu called out loudly: "Tang Yaocao, don't waste your effort—resistance is futile, you can't beat me."

Even if Tang Yaocao had managed to obtain the Seven Halls Yama's internal elixir, she would still need time to digest and transmute the mana contained within.

At this point, Tang Yaocao is at her most vulnerable.

Whether she has taken the elixir to absorb or not, she is surely in a heavily injured state.

If the formations had not been broken and the Buddhist shrine not destroyed, this underground tomb would still be as sealed as an iron barrel, and Tang Yaocao hiding here in seclusion could not be moved by anyone.

The problem is, Xiao Jiu not only broke the formations, she also entered.

Tang Yaocao is doomed to find no peace.

The entire tomb is deathly silent.

Xiao Jiu tried to provoke Tang Yaocao, but Tang Yaocao gave no reply; Xiao Jiu's footsteps echoed in the passage, each step feeling as if it trod upon each other's hearts.

Having walked like that for fifty or sixty steps, at the dark end of the passage came Tang Yaocao's furious, hateful voice: "Why does everyone begrudge my well‑being? They all push me to the brink of death!"

"The world is so vast, yet there really is no place for me, Tang Yaocao?"

"Why? On what basis?!!"

Tang Yaocao shouted and screamed hysterically, repeatedly accusing fate of its injustice toward her.

She was like a trapped beast, knowing she could not escape, showing a tendency to resort to desperate measures.

"I gave you a chance, didn't I?"

Xiao Jiu mercilessly cut off Tang Yaocao's roar, walking forward while speaking calmly: "I said before, as long as you are willing to turn back, I can ask someone to ferry you across the Wangchuan River; unfortunately you didn't listen, now... you have no chance."

In the midst of speaking, Xiao Jiu had already locked onto Tang Yaocao's position, lunged forward, opened his right hand's five fingers, transforming them into sharp phoenix claws, and grabbed toward the dark ahead.

A piercing chill erupted from Xiao Jiu's hand; he did not grasp Tang Yaocao's soul, but instead grabbed a handful of...... bones.

Xiao Jiu abruptly retracted his hand and, following the motion, flung a ball of Nirvana fire toward the dark.

When the firelight illuminated the dark ahead, Xiao Jiu saw standing there a...... humanoid skeleton!

At the chest of the humanoid skeleton, something was actually still throbbing......