Warning! A hidden dragon has emerged!

Passing through layers of miasma, the group followed Qin Quan closely, venturing deeper into the heart of the Misty Ghost Forest.

The scene before my eyes suddenly changed.

A thousand-meter stretch of broken walls and ruins lies deep in the mountains and forests, with rubble and ancient foundations crisscrossing and weeds covering the broken bricks. At a glance, it is all the vicissitudes of time.

In the center of the ruins, a majestic ancient altar rises from the ground. Its shape is simple and grand. Despite the erosion of wind and rain over thousands of years, it is not dilapidated or decayed. The patterns on the altar surface are still clear and flowing, as if someone has been silently taking care of it and offering sacrifices every year for thousands of years without interruption.

Miao Cuihua pointed to the boundless ruins and shouted excitedly:

"Master, this is the former site of the ancient Ghost King Sect. This altar is the entrance to the ancient tomb of Chi You."

Qin Quan's gaze swept coldly over the surrounding ruins, and he spoke indifferently.

"Let's go into the tomb."

His eyes were clear; he had already seen through the truth.

This ruin, seemingly full of hidden opportunities, has actually been thoroughly looted by the Gu Poison Sect, and all ordinary treasures have long been taken away.

Previously, in the miasma, Miao Cuihua was unable to discern directions.

However, once she arrived here, she knew her way around very well.

Without further delay, the group moved swiftly and arrived at the altar in an instant.

Zhang Qingshun took a sudden step forward, flicked his whisk, and slowly walked around the altar, his fingertips constantly calculating and deducing, muttering incantations as he focused on deciphering the array's mechanisms.

"Master Zhang, there's no need to waste your time."

Miao Cuihua stepped forward calmly, her face full of confidence, and said:

"I was lucky enough to enter once before; I know where the mechanism is."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand and precisely pressed it on a hidden protruding stone button on the altar.

Clang!

The heavy stone platform trembled, and the muffled sound of mechanical gears came from underground. The entire altar slowly parted to the sides, revealing a dark and deep tomb passage, from which a chilling aura rushed out.

Zhang Qingshun felt no embarrassment whatsoever; instead, his eyes lit up, and he stepped into the passage first, laughing freely:

"So the mechanism was hidden here. Now that the tomb door is open, Elder Miao and I will lead the way."

"Okay." Qin Quan nodded slightly.

In such a dangerous place, it would be safest to have Miao Cuihua, who knows the inside story, and Zhang Qingshun, who is proficient in feng shui formations, explore the way.

He was responsible for covering the rear and protecting everyone's safety.

The group continued down the tomb passage, walking for an unknown amount of time, until they finally reached the bottom of the tomb.

The underground space is vast, with crisscrossing corridors and dense array formations, resembling an underground imperial city buried for thousands of years. Layers of restrictions conceal deadly dangers, and every step is fraught with mystery.

Miao Cuihua, who was walking forward, suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Qin Quan with a solemn expression.

"Master, this is the core of Chi You's tomb, and also the deepest place I've ever reached."

According to Lao Gui, the mist array of the Misty Ghost Forest originated from this place. The area behind it has been sealed off for thousands of years, with endless killing intent. From ancient times to the present, no one has been able to break through this place and set foot inside.

Qin Quan's gaze darkened slightly as he turned to look at Zhang Qingshun.

"Old Taoist, can you break this?"

"It's nothing."

Zhang Qingshun smiled confidently and immediately took out a bronze compass from his magic bag.

As soon as the compass appeared, the pointer spun wildly and vibrated incessantly.

His steps were unsteady and unsteady, his fingertips quickly forming hand seals, and he loudly recited the maxims for finding the dragon and breaking the formation.

"The Azure Dragon guards the east, the Vermilion Bird perches in the south, the White Tiger guards the west, and the Black Tortoise secures the north! The four symbols return to their positions, harmonizing yin and yang, dispelling falsehood, so be it!"

boom!

An invisible force instantly swept across the entire area, causing the thick miasma that permeated the entire underground to recede and peel away like a tide.

The once misty, dark passage was instantly illuminated as if it were daytime, and a neat, straight bluestone path suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

Zhang Qingshun stood up, a broad smile on his face.

"Mr. Qin, it's done. Everyone, follow my steps."

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved forward slowly and gracefully, following the direction of the "Life Gate" in the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

Qin Quan, Jiang Yao, Lin Wanrou, and Miao Cuihua followed closely behind, forming a line.

Everyone looked serious and dared not be careless.

This Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation is extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Every piece of bluestone hides a deadly trap. One wrong step and you will be doomed.

It must be said that Zhang Qingshun's cultivation level was not top-notch, but his mastery of formations and Taoist arts was truly superb.

The entire process was smooth and flawless, leading everyone steadily through the tunnel without triggering any traps.

Breaking through the fog and traversing the array.

There were no further obstacles ahead.

At the end of the passage stood two heavy bronze doors, their panels mottled and rusted, engraved with ancient and obscure patterns, exuding an ancient vastness and majesty.

Everyone stepped forward in unison and exerted their strength.

Rumble!

The dull sound of opening and closing echoed throughout the underground palace as the massive bronze gate slowly slid inward.

As the door cracked open, hundreds of eternal lamps inside the tomb seemed to sense the coming of life and lit up one by one.

The flames stretched for hundreds of meters, instantly dispelling the millennia-old darkness and illuminating the vast main tomb chamber as bright as day.

The tomb chamber was extremely luxurious.

The entire floor is paved with warm jade, smooth, warm, and as smooth as a mirror.

The walls are inlaid with countless luminous pearls and gilded antique ornaments, their brilliance flowing endlessly, luxurious yet not gaudy.

In the very center of the tomb chamber, a giant bronze coffin stands suspended in mid-air, with four thick bronze chains hanging down from the ten-meter-high dome, firmly securing the coffin. It appears to be suspended yet not suspended, seemingly falling yet not falling, with an eerie and majestic posture.

The tomb has eight side chambers arranged on the four sides.

The armory, library, treasure room, and living quarters are all complete, with a well-organized layout, just like the mansion of a royal prince.

The most dazzling room is the Treasure Room, which is filled with layers of bronze ritual vessels, gold, silver and ancient jade. Each piece is exquisitely crafted and uniquely shaped, and each is a priceless ancient treasure.

Yet, no one here harbored any greed; instead, a strange and eerie feeling lingered in their hearts.

Something's not right.

Lin Wanrou frowned and spoke softly.

"A sealed underground tomb that has been sealed for thousands of years should be lifeless and filled with foul air, but here there is not only no putrid smell, but also an astonishingly rich spiritual energy and fresh and clear air, as if someone has been taking care of it and ventilating it all year round."

She possessed a special constitution, and her perception of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth far surpassed that of ordinary people. This unusual phenomenon made her increasingly uneasy.

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Qin Quan's eyes suddenly narrowed, and his figure flashed.

"The source of spiritual energy is in the treasure room!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed into the side chamber and lifted dozens of sealed bronze treasure chests in succession.

A chest full of gold, silver, jade, and dazzling treasures came into view, dazzling and eye-catching.

Qin Quan's gaze swept past the mundane treasures and fixed intently on the two ancient jade boxes in the corner.

"It's earth vein stone and chalcedony."

Lin Wanrou quickly followed and immediately recognized the treasure's identity.

"Both of these gemstones are top-grade materials for refining artificial spirit stones, containing pure earth vein spiritual energy. No wonder the entire tomb is so full of spiritual energy; the root cause lies here."

"That's not all."

Qin Quan closed the treasure chest, turned his head to look at the suspended bronze coffin in the center of the main tomb chamber, his eyes becoming increasingly profound.

"Earth vein stones and chalcedony can only nourish spiritual energy, but they cannot purify the turbid energy of a tomb or produce a unique fragrance. The fragrance in this tomb chamber all comes from that bronze coffin."

Upon hearing this, everyone present tensed up.

Zhang Qingshun's expression changed drastically, his nerves tightened, and he blurted out.

"This is the scent of corpses! Ancient Taoist texts record that a strange fragrance emanating from an ancient tomb is a sign of a corpse's transformation, a key phenomenon indicating the metamorphosis of an ordinary zombie into a zombie king. Could it be... that the corpse in the coffin has already undergone a transformation?"

"This doesn't seem like a typical zombie resurrection."

Qin Quan shook his head, said nothing more, and put all the two boxes of earth vein stones and chalcedony stones into his treasure bag.

He turned to look at Jiang Yao and Lin Wanrou, signaling them to deal with the remaining gold and silver treasures in the room.

"You can decide what to do with these things."

"Let's hand it over to the state; it's useless to us."

"That's what I meant too."

The two goddesses, with dignified expressions, declared that they would hand over all these treasures to the state and take nothing for themselves.