Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Intense Battle in the Tomb Hall

"This tomb owner is quite interesting. He must know he is not something good, so he worships ghosts instead of asking for the blessings of gods," Li Cheng mused.

The group examined the eerie great hall when they suddenly heard noise behind them.

Turning around, they saw two cultivators at the third-level Gathering Qi passing through five corridors.

One of them, Yang Lingrui recognized, was Lin Yu from Willow Leaf Town.

However, both of their appearances were quite disheveled, with their hair messy and their tattered clothes barely covering them, revealing several wounds with exposed bones.

Upon inquiry, they learned that they had also encountered a ghost general at the fourth level of Gathering Qi.

Initially, they had traveled with five people, including three companions at the second level of Gathering Qi.

Under normal circumstances, they would have had a chance to deal with that ghost general.

But unexpectedly, halfway through the battle, a group of cultivators at the first level of Gathering Qi suddenly rushed into the corridor.

This turned the already narrow passage crowded, allowing the ghost general to take advantage of the chaos. After devouring the flesh and blood of these cultivators, his injuries healed, and his combat strength increased dramatically.

In the end, all three cultivators at the second level of Gathering Qi were killed, including Qinghe Lv Liang.

The two of them managed to escape with their lives only after exhausting all their strength.

Fortunately, they had selected a safe corridor without danger, allowing them to reach this place.

"You two are injured like this; it will be difficult to continue advancing," Li Cheng observed their condition and advised, "It would be better to return now; going forward may cost you your lives."

The two exchanged glances; although they were reluctant, they could only nod helplessly.

However, they soon faced another dilemma. Since the ghost general was still present, going back the way they came was not an option.

With numerous forks in the tomb, if they chose poorly again and encountered more ghosts, they could also be in danger.

"Brother Lin, do not worry; just follow the leftmost corridor to return safely to the first level. The mayor will be waiting for you there," Yang Lingrui stepped forward and said.

When he first saw the forks on the second level, he realized that the terrain here was complex and variable, so he had to consider the return in advance.

Thus, instead of randomly selecting paths, it was better to consistently choose the same corridor to move forward.

That way, even if they encountered danger, they could quickly identify the route and escape back to the first level.

"Thank you for your guidance, Friend!"

After expressing their gratitude, the two did not delay any further and returned according to Yang Lingrui’s instructions.

Watching the two’s retreating figures, the others understood that just from this encounter, of the thirty-seven cultivators who had come, half were likely dead.

"Alright, just standing here is of no use," Li Cheng turned to face the main door of the hall. "Everyone step aside; I will open this door."

Whoosh—

Channeling his spiritual power, a powerful wave of energy surged around Li Cheng.

Everyone stepped back, and before him, a massive hand formed in an instant.

"Young Master’s technique has improved again!"

"This quality level is not far from the seventh level!"

Two cultivators from the Li Family exclaimed in admiration.

"This is the external manifestation technique."

Yang Lingrui observed closely. Previously, when Li Cheng acted, it was all done in an instant; now he had the chance to study it thoroughly.

The external manifestation appeared silver-gray, emitting a light glow.

From its appearance alone, it seemed harmless, but with a little perception, one could feel the heavy power contained within.

As the large external hand took shape, Li Cheng raised his hand and placed it over the hall’s door.

"Open!"

Thud! Whoosh—

With a low shout, Li Cheng increased the force of the external hand, and the enormous door slowly pushed open.

The moment the door opened, a few dark figures rushed out from inside, flying towards Li Cheng.

Yang Lingrui and the others immediately jumped into action, intercepting the attacks.

Once the door fully opened, everyone clearly saw the situation inside.

A gigantic red-cloaked corpse demon sat prominently in the center of the hall, surrounded by layers of stacked bones, and the walls were filled with twisted, anguished faces.

"So they have offered such an evil being here. Everyone, be careful; this tomb hall is not simple," Li Cheng remarked seriously upon seeing the red-cloaked corpse demon.

This evil being was estimated to possess the strength of the fifth or sixth level of Gathering Qi, so he had to approach it with caution.

The group stepped carefully into the hall, and the moment they set foot inside, a chilling aura enveloped them.

This coldness was so intense that they had to channel their spiritual power to create a protective barrier.

Bang, bang, bang!

Just after they entered the hall, three stone doors descended from the original entrance, completely sealing their exit.

"Haah—"

In the next moment, the seemingly lifeless red-cloaked corpse demon suddenly let out a long howl toward the sky.

The stacked bones below it ignited with ghostly flames, and the skeleton remains came to life, howling as they charged at the group.

"I’ll take care of it."

Li Cheng raised his hand and smashed the nearby pile of bones, then leaped toward the red-cloaked corpse demon, engaging it in battle.

The remaining five had to deal with the strange ghostly flame skeletons.

The power of these ghostly flames was extraordinary; they did not burn the flesh but targeted the mind. If one were to accidentally touch them, it would be very troublesome to handle.

Yang Lingrui concentrated his thoughts and summoned gusts of wind around him.

Any evil beings that approached would be blown away by the swirling force, and the ghostly flames were scattered.

Having become proficient in the use of his technique, although his talent did not match that of Yang Linghu, he was still far above average.

At this moment, he effortlessly controlled three wind blades to sweep through the area, cutting and shattering all the evil beings in their path.

The two members of the Li Family used water technique and fire technique, which typically counter each other, but their training focused on the method of balancing water and fire, making their combined strength comparable to that of a fourth-level Gathering Qi cultivator.

Huang Yan and Zheng Huaming, being mid-stage Gathering Qi cultivators, had no trouble dealing with these low-level evil beings.

While they focused on the battle, a sudden movement came from the ground beneath them.

"Friends, be careful! There’s something underfoot!" Yang Lingrui shouted loudly.

Fortunately, his warning came in time, and the others were prepared, causing the corpse-burrowing insects that emerged from the soil to miss their targets.

"Two friends, go help our young master; we can handle things here!" shouted the Li Family cultivator using fire technique.

Huang Yan and Zheng Huaming immediately stepped back to assist Li Cheng in the center of the hall.

"Lingrui, the number of evil beings is too great; if we keep fighting like this, it will consume too much energy. Let’s combine our efforts!"

After saying this, he raised his palms, forming a massive fireball: "Friend, channel your Wind technique into the fireball, and my junior will reinforce it with water technique from the outside. Once it builds up enough energy, we can blow all these ghostly things to pieces!"

"Good!"

Yang Lingrui was decisive, not hesitating to rush to their side. He used one hand to control two wind blades against the enemies while using the other to draw gusts of wind into the fireball.

After a moment, the fireball reached its limit, and the other individual immediately called forth a stream of water to encase it.

"Senior brother! The time has come!"

"Go!"

The fireball was thrown, crashing down in the midst of the cluster of evil beings, followed by a tremendous explosion.

Scorching flames mixed with gusts of wind and torrents of water, instantly eliminating more than half of the evil beings present.

The three immediately split up to deal with the aftermath.

The ghostly flame skeletons that survived the blast were not weak either, possessing the strength of third-level Gathering Qi.

The two members of the Li Family each handled their opponents one-on-one but turned to find Yang Lingrui had taken on three at once.

Astonished, they watched as he skillfully maneuvered, defeating each of the three ghostly flame skeletons.

"This kid is truly remarkable!"

Seeing this, their opinion of Yang Lingrui changed completely.

This child from the Yang Family was much stronger than either of them!

Looking at it this way, the young master truly had an eye for talent.

After cleaning up the remaining evil beings, the three quickly arrived at the center of the hall to join the battle.

At this point, the red-cloaked corpse demon had lost an arm and was in a frenzied state, waving its sharp teeth and claws wildly in attack.

The three did not get too close and cast their spells from a distance, knowing that any random strike from this evil being could severely injure them.

Fortunately, with Li Cheng’s formidable strength, he alone could suppress the red-cloaked corpse demon, and with the addition of the three, the tide of battle became clearer. The six of them coordinated their attacks, causing the evil being to howl in distress, unable to even lift its head.

In the end, it was crushed into a pile of fragments by a single kick from Li Cheng’s external manifestation.