What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"The yin energy in the stone coffin was not only used by them to refine corpses, but a large part of it also dissipated into the underground river below through this cave entrance."

Those creatures that lived year-round in underground water systems, corrupted by this domineering, yin energy, naturally mutated into those monsters.

After listening to our conversation, Zhang Xuanqing's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

However, his gaze toward the stone coffin on the altar was still filled with deep apprehension.

"These people are a complete bunch of lunatics."

Zhang Xuanqing gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice.

"In order to refine a few corpses, they actually dared to break the seal on the stone coffin and even pushed the stone coffin open!"

Don't they realize that once everything inside escapes, the entire Xiangxi mountain region will be devastated?

I turned around and turned my gaze back to the three-meter-high obsidian altar.

On the altar, three of the nine thick bronze chains were broken.

Although the remaining six chains were still tightly wrapped around the stone coffin, the yellowed talismans attached to the chains were losing their luster at a visible speed as black yin energy continued to pour out from the ten-centimeter-wide gap.

Some of the talismans even showed signs of charring and carbonization on their edges.

This indicates that the power of the seal is being weakened.

If not dealt with promptly, it's only a matter of time before the remaining chains break.

"Master Zhang,"

I walked over to Zhang Xuanqing and said, "..."

"Those people have run away, so what? The Folklore Bureau has plenty of ways to dig them out in this area of ​​western Hunan."

Our immediate priority is to put the coffin back on, block the yin energy, and then see if there's any way to reinforce the seal.

After listening, Zhang Xuanqing stood still, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

His gaze swept back and forth between the broken bronze chains and the gap in the half-open coffin, as if he were making an intense decision in his mind.

After a long while, Zhang Xuanqing slowly shook his head.

He said in a low voice, "Brother Chen, what you said is certainly a prudent approach."

But after careful consideration, I realized that even if we exert all our strength today and find a way to reinforce this seal, it probably wouldn't be a long-term solution.

"Oh?"

I tilted my head slightly, looked at him quietly, and waited for him to continue.

"Look at this seal,"

Zhang Xuanqing pointed with the tip of his sword at the chains that had been broken by the strong acid.

"It has been destroyed to this extent."

Since that group of people went to great lengths to use the yin energy emanating from the coffin to mass-produce Gu corpses, it shows that they had a huge scheme for what was inside.

As the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you.

As long as this thing remains here, they will never give up easily.

Zhang Xuanqing sighed and continued his analysis: "Moreover, we must face reality."

The Bureau of Folklore has spread its operations too thin, with incidents requiring its attention all over the country.

Although the Ninth Division is elite, its personnel are limited, and it certainly cannot afford to send a large number of troops to guard this deep mountain forest for an extended period of time.

What if we just left and the Folklore Bureau can't catch those lunatics hiding in the shadows in a short time?

Once they've recovered, they'll sneak back and cause another disaster...

Zhang Xuanqing's eyes turned extremely cold and sharp, his tone revealing a hint of murderous intent:

"At that time, the seal will be completely torn apart, and the things inside will run out without any hindrance. That will definitely be a catastrophe that causes great suffering to all living beings."

The entire western Hunan region will suffer as a result.

I thought about it following his line of thought, and it was true.

Leaving a bomb that could explode at any moment here is indeed unsettling.

"What does Master Zhang mean?" I asked calmly.

Zhang Xuanqing took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Instead of passively defending and living in constant fear, it's better to take the initiative."

While this thing has been suppressed for so many years and is in a weak state, let's simply lay a trap in this sacrificial square.

Once the formation is complete, we can wait in comfort and release it to eliminate it on the spot, preventing future troubles!

Upon hearing this audacious suggestion, the hunting dog standing nearby couldn't help but gasp.

Shan Yan tightened his grip on his military knife, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

But I didn't immediately agree, nor was I blinded by such grand pronouncements.

I calmly went through the current situation in my mind.

"Master Zhang, that's certainly the truth. A permanent solution is always the best."

I looked at the enormous stone coffin on the altar, which exuded a terrifying aura, and said in a calm tone.

"But before we came to Xiangxi, you told me that the atmosphere here made even you feel a sense of unease."

You are a high-ranking master of Longhu Mountain, and your strength is unfathomable.

"If something can make even you feel troubled, the thing inside the stone coffin is definitely not some ordinary evil creature."

I turned to look at my teammates around me and analyzed the situation objectively:

"Our current setup, the Hound Brothers and the Gunpowder Brothers, are powerful in firepower and strong in close combat."

However, conventional weapons would likely be far less effective against this level of evil.

The compass and the spirit pivot can only provide support from the rear and cannot participate in high-intensity frontal combat.

If it really comes down to a head-on confrontation, you're actually the only main force.

Faced with this situation, I'm afraid neither Captain Shanyan nor I can play a decisive role.

With our current strength, are we really confident that we can completely destroy it?

"If we fail, it's a small matter if a few of us die here, but if we let the tiger return to the mountain, that would be a much bigger crime."

Although my words conveyed a degree of caution and humility, I was by no means exaggerating.

Zhang Xuanqing seemed to understand the meaning behind my words, and he shook his head slightly and smiled:

"Brother Chen, your words are far too self-deprecating."

Then, he paused, and said seriously, "But you're right, I know what I'm doing too."

We definitely can't act rashly against such a malevolent entity.

"Before making a decision, we must first figure out what exactly is being suppressed in this stone coffin."

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.

"If we can ascertain its true strength and find its weaknesses, then we can decide whether to eliminate it or contain it."

"I'll go up and check the situation first; you guys stay down here and cover for me."

After Zhang Xuanqing finished speaking, he picked up his longsword and carefully walked up the steps of the obsidian altar.

I stood at the bottom of the steps, the jade-colored baleful energy within my body flowing slowly, my Qi-controlling perception network firmly locking onto every subtle change on the altar, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

Gunpowder immediately adjusted the muzzle and aimed the sight at the gap in the stone coffin.

Zhang Xuanqing walked very slowly.

As he got closer to the stone coffin, the surrounding yin energy became increasingly dense.

At this moment, his protective aura was pushed to its limit, and golden light and lightning intertwined, producing a series of crackling sounds.

Under the golden light, the yin energy retreated to within half a foot of him.