Chapter 809: Extra 4: 46

It turned out that the sound just now was not a 'rising water level' at all, but these horrifyingly numerous insects constantly crawling and piling up!

Ordinary people encountering such a scene would be scared to death, let alone what horrible things would happen after those insects crawl over.

Gu Ya would not be so naive as to think these insects are herbivorous.

Fortunately, Xiao Jiu was there.

That patch of Nirvana fire burned toward the insects, accompanied by a crackling sound, and a strong fragrance spread, very pleasant.

This fragrance came from burning the insects, but it was not the meaty smell of grilled insects; rather, it was like the scent of burning incense.

Gu Ya had just caught a whiff when a hand reached over and covered her mouth and nose.

Xiao Jiu reminded, "Don't smell it; this fragrance is abnormal."

But by then, Gu Ya already felt a wave of dizziness.

She only felt countless circles spinning nonstop in her mind, and then a pleasant voice kept whispering in her ear, "Come, come..."

Gu Ya heard that voice, opened her dazed eyes and looked ahead, seeing Xiao Jiu standing inside the stone gate in front, slowly waving at her, calling her name, beckoning her over.

Gu Ya, as if under a spell, walked step by step toward Xiao Jiu.

Now the person she trusted most was Xiao Jiu.

She hadn't taken two steps when a sudden twisting pain came from her arm.

Gu Ya snapped back to awareness and saw Xiao Jiu standing beside her, one hand covering her own mouth and nose, the other pinching her arm hard.

That twisting pain just now was caused by Xiao Jiu pinching.

But Xiao Jiu wasn't already inside the opposite stone gate just now?

Gu Ya instinctively looked toward the stone gate and saw that the patch of insects burned on the ground had left a layer of ash, while farther inside the stone gate another wave of black insects surged out.

Feng Wu fired another volley of Nirvana fire, burning to death the countless insects.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jiu kept covering Gu Ya's mouth and nose, while her other hand gathered true qi and used it to dispel the fragrance blowing toward them.

Gu Ya looked at Xiao Jiu worriedly.

It was obvious that the increasingly strong fragrance in the air had a hallucinogenic effect; Gu Ya had only inhaled a little and already felt somewhat dazed.

But in order to cover Gu Ya's mouth and nose, Xiao Jiu's own mouth and nose were left exposed.

Gu Ya quickly raised her hand to cover her own mouth and nose, signaling Xiao Jiu to protect herself first.

Xiao Jiu said, "I have cultivation internal strength; I can hold my breath, so you don't need to worry about me—just take care of yourself."

Saying this, Xiao Jiu had already formed hand seals.

She thrust both palms forward toward the stone gate, and instantly a strong wind rose, sweeping everything away.

Under Xiao Jiu's manipulation of true qi, that fragrance rebounded back into the stone gate, and the Nirvana fire followed closely behind.

Strangely, when that fragrance was slapped back into the stone gate, the fragrance in the air completely vanished.

What's going on?

Gu Ya looked at Xiao Jiu with some admiration; she was truly amazing.

Not only did she remain calm in danger and respond composedly, but she also had countless tricks—she was practically a treasure!

Xiao Jiu, however, wasn't thinking that much; she seized the moment to tell Gu Ya, "If I didn't smell wrong, that fragrance just now should be corpse fragrance."

Gu Ya asked cautiously, "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, what is corpse fragrance?"

"Corpse fragrance, as the name suggests, refers to the scent emitted by a corpse."

Xiao Jiu, while keeping her eyes on that stone gate and staying alert for anything horrible that might emerge from behind it, explained: "After a person dies, as time passes, the corpse gradually rots and soon emits a corpse stench."

But if the corpse is specially preserved, not only does it not rot, it is instead refined, possibly forming a corpse fragrance.

Such a phenomenon generally occurs in two situations: one, during the refinement of the corpse, special medicinal herbs with anomalous properties are used; two, when the corpse's refinement reaches a certain high level, it produces a miraculous effect.

Gu Ya understood.

Either way, it indicates one thing: this ancient tomb contains a refined corpse.

And for some unknown reason, those insects just now had become contaminated with this corpse fragrance.

During the process of being scorched by Nirvana fire, this corpse fragrance burst out, and Gu Ya almost fell under its influence.

That corpse fragrance that Xiao Jiu repelled with her palm wind suddenly vanished—could it be……

Upon thinking this, Gu Ya's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Xiao Jiu.

Xiao Jiu didn't look at her, but having sensed Gu Ya's probing gaze, she said, "Yes, the corpse has been refined to the point where it can freely release and gather corpse fragrance; it should be in the front burial chamber, and the tomb we're looking for, which originally enshrined the Golden Luo Pan, is exactly that one."

Everything that happened without prior consultation actually has traces to follow.

First, the refined corpse is likely the one originally buried in this ancient tomb.

Second, who refined the corpse to such a high level? Xiao Jiu and her companions being here is pure accident for that person; a plan cultivated over decades cannot fail, so that person should still be in the burial chamber.

Finally, whether that person schemed all this for the sake of that refined corpse or for himself remains unknown.

Gu Ya only knew she had to follow Xiao Jiu step by step.

Otherwise, someone like her coming here would simply be delivering heads.

"Feng Wu, you protect Gu Ya."

Xiao Jiu suddenly said that.

Immediately, a tall and graceful maiden appeared beside Gu Ya.

Gu Ya saw with her own eyes that she had "transformed" from the longbow that had just fired the Nirvana fire.

After a brief shock, Gu Ya quickly accepted all of this.

Xiao Jiu Zhanggui is truly an extraordinary woman.

Beside her, no matter how strange things happen, Gu Ya feels she will soon become accustomed to them.

With Feng Wu guarding Gu Ya, Xiao Jiu hesitated no longer and strode toward the stone gate.

With each step she took forward, she pressed deeply into the charred remains of those insects, producing a creaking sound.

Xiao Jiu gripped the golden compass, eyes fixed straight ahead, watching the stir inside the stone gate.

That whiff of corpse fragrance just now served as a warning to Xiao Jiu; she could fend off most physical and magical attacks, but something like a scent was impossible to guard against.

She could hold her breath for a certain time; even if she inhaled a bit, she could use her inner strength to expel it, but Gu Ya could not.

Therefore, Xiao Jiu must clear the obstacles ahead before she can safely bring Gu Ya inside.

Her movements must be swift; there is little time left for them.

The instant Xiao Jiu stepped onto the stone gate's threshold, the golden compass in her hand began to spin wildly.

The entire Mushi seemed to turn as if driven by the golden compass...