"Not good!"

Cao Yi dodged again, but this time he was a fraction too slow; the peach wood sword whizzed past his ear with a sharp whoosh.

"What a powerful artifact!"

As soon as Cao Yi uttered these words, the peach wood sword made another swift return.

Realizing that constantly dodging wasn't a viable strategy, Cao Yi tilted his head to evade while reaching out to grab it. On his first attempt, he missed, and the friction between his hand and the speeding sword caused a sharp pain.

Refusing to give up, he grabbed a wooden board he had used the night before and tried to block it. But even the finest wood couldn't withstand a magical artifact like the peach wood sword.

However, it did slow down just enough. When the sword hesitated for a split second, Cao Yi seized the opportunity to snatch the hilt.

"How could this be?"

Cao Yi's expression changed as he felt the sword alternately heating and freezing in his grip.

Clang!

The peach wood sword seemed unwilling to be subdued, thrashing to break free.

Several times, it nearly slipped from his grasp.

Recalling a method from a novel, Cao Yi bit his finger and extended it towards the sword.

Clang! The sword seemed to sense its impending doom and struggled desperately.

Cao Yi's face turned red from the exertion, but ultimately, he managed to drip his spirit-infused blood onto the sword, and it vanished in an instant.

Whoosh! The sword shot through the tent and sped away.

"Why is it even more ferocious now?"

Cao Yi dashed out of the tent, chasing after the direction in which the sword had flown. He sprinted over two miles and finally caught up to the sword on a small hill.

The once-spirited sword now lay dormant in the ground, surrounded by dissipating black energy.

"Looks like it worked."

Cao Yi sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. This was his first time feeling so disheveled since obtaining the system.

A fragment of information flashed in his mind, and he looked enlightened.

The earlier vision was a glimpse of the peach wood sword's heritage; it actually originated from a millennium-old peach tree.

A thousand years ago, in a certain cultivation civilization, this ancient peach tree had failed to transcend a calamity, resulting in the demise of its true spirit. A skilled Daoist then harvested its essence to forge the sword. On the day it was completed, the Daoist's old injuries flared up, leading to his untimely death.

The peach wood sword had spent a thousand lonely years in the Daoist's secluded abode, gaining sentience. Anything with intelligence carried a murderous aura, which explained why it had chased him earlier.

---

At the entrance of the goddess tomb, a group of workers had completed the construction of the elevator.

Big Gold Tooth, holding a birdcage, sidled up to Wang Kaixuan, who was equipped in reverse digging gear, and said with a click of his tongue, "Look at you, man. Aren't we a bit behind the times? I say, you shouldn't just go by your instincts; we need to keep pace with modern methods."

As Wang Kaixuan tied a bundle of ropes around himself, he scoffed, "These are the tools passed down from our Patriarch; they've been tested for over a thousand years. What do you know?"

Big Gold Tooth was often berated by Wang Kaixuan but shrugged it off.

"Hand me the birdcage."

Wang Kaixuan snatched the birdcage from Big Gold Tooth, securing the rope tied to it before lowering it into the tomb.

If the bird died, it meant the air was toxic; if it survived, the environment would be safe.

To his dismay, less than two meters down, someone announced, "Air quality is safe, prepare to proceed."

Wang Kaixuan looked up, meeting Mark's gaze, which was filled with condescension.

"How boring! Relying on technology for everything—what happened to real reverse digging?"

With a frustrated frown, Wang Kaixuan retrieved the birdcage.

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Mark laughed derisively and turned away.

Wang Kaixuan's annoyance deepened, and he tossed the birdcage to the ground, unwittingly putting the innocent bird in jeopardy.

"Hey, that little bird is innocent! Don't take it out on him!"

Big Gold Tooth, a bird lover, quickly adjusted the birdcage with a sympathetic expression.

Wang Kaixuan grabbed the rope ladder from the ground, securing it while tossing it down the shaft, his mouth running. "Old Jin, stop loafing around and come down with me."

Big Gold Tooth, a cunning man, knew that since Ying Caihong was asking for the Tomb Raiders and Cao Yi, he couldn't possibly guess the peril that awaited them. He wore a perfunctory smile and replied, "You go first; you go first..."

Wang Kaixuan knew Big Gold Tooth well enough by now to realize he was scared and didn't push. In a place fraught with danger, sending the feeble Big Gold Tooth down would only cause more trouble.

At that moment, the surrounding chatter abruptly fell silent.

Wang Kaixuan turned to see Ying Caihong, pale-faced, approaching with a large entourage, clearly intent on going down herself. He sarcastically remarked, "Oh, such a big leader is going down personally! But don't blame me for not warning you; reverse digging isn't a walk in the park, and with your condition, can you handle it?"

Ying Caihong reached the elevator, ignoring Wang Kaixuan entirely, and seemed to answer her own unspoken thoughts, saying, "To live, one must have a bit of spirit."

Wang Kaixuan frowned deeply. The goddess tomb looked perilous, and this frail woman would only add to the risk.

Ying Caihong stepped into the elevator and glanced around for Yoko and Cao Yi, her annoyance growing when she found them absent. "Where did Daoist Priest and Yoko go?"

No one responded.

"Go find them!"

Yoko rushed over, looking anxious, and exclaimed, "Master, Daoist Priest is missing!"

Boom!

Ying Caihong's mind went blank.

Could it be that Daoist Priest was scared of the millennium-old zombies and the otherworldly flowers and ran away?

Impossible!

Daoist Priest, such a powerful figure, how could he be afraid of the thousand-year-old zombie and the otherworldly flower?

But why was he missing?

Various thoughts flickered in Ying Caihong's mind, making her already frayed nerves threaten to snap.

She swayed unsteadily, almost toppling over.

"Master, Daoist Priest might be preparing some powerful artifact."

Yoko quickly rushed to support Ying Caihong, whispering words of comfort.

"An artifact!"

Ying Caihong's murky eyes lit up.

Yes, Daoist Priest had spoken so highly of the goddess tomb. He couldn't possibly be unprepared. It was strange that she hadn't seen him doing anything along the way; he must be preparing now.

"Maybe we shouldn't go down just yet."

Yoko suggested softly, worried about Ying Caihong's frail condition.

"The space below is enormous."

Wang Kaixuan's voice echoed from below.

A glimmer of murder flashed in Ying Caihong's eyes; she knew Wang Kaixuan had his designs on the otherworldly flower. With a tone that brooked no dissent, she declared, "Let's go down and scout the area."

Yoko, who had never opposed Ying Caihong in her life, wasn't about to start today. She instructed a few workers and followers, "Descend in groups."

Immediately, five people from the crowd stepped forward.

"Everyone, I'll stay up here and await your good news."

Big Gold Tooth said with a grin.

"Bring him over here!"

Yoko ordered coldly.

Chapter 18 Entering the Tomb (Part 2)

As the elevator descended, the air grew colder, sending shivers through those wearing light clothing, particularly Yoko. Finally, with a heavy thud, the elevator reached its destination.

"I was wondering why it took so long," Wang Kaixuan remarked, turning to face the group. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the massive archway towering before them, about six or seven meters high. Within it stood a stone door that was three or four meters tall, tightly sealed. Five levels of steps descended into darkness, covered in debris and dust, with many cracks visible.

The walls beside the archway were pocked with various recesses—some as tall as a person, others no bigger than a basin—leaving everyone puzzled about their purpose.

"Stop staring; let's blow the door open," Wang Kaixuan ordered loudly.

Startled from her thoughts, Ying Caihong glanced back at him, then at the stone door. Some workers stepped forward, setting up explosives.

"Will direct demolition jeopardize the stability of the tomb?" Ying Caihong asked, concern evident in her voice. Having lived in earthquake-prone Japan, she was sensitive to structural stability.

"It will, but we have no choice. The door is rigged with traps. Unless the original architect shows up, we can't open it any other way," Wang Kaixuan explained, pointing to the door.

Ying Caihong nodded, falling silent.

"Everyone, cover your ears!" shouted the workers, retreating as the explosives were activated.

In the confined space, the sound of the explosion echoed sharply, sending vibrations through the air. Dust and debris flew, and the steps beneath them crumbled, losing two entire levels and leaving the remaining ones in tatters.

After a couple of minutes, the dust settled. The workers returned, pushing the massive stone doors open. A gust of cold, foul air rushed out, prompting everyone to hold their breath.

Mark, previously unnoticed, stepped forward, brandishing an axe. Whether out of curiosity or a desire to assert himself, he ventured closer to the entrance.

Suddenly, a bizarre, colorful gaseous creature shot out from the tomb, accompanied by a shrill sound.

"Ah! Monster! Monster!" Mark screamed, retreating frantically while swinging the axe wildly.

Panic ensued among the workers, with some so frightened they lost control of their bladders.

"Stop flailing around!" Wang Kaixuan shouted, rushing to pull Mark back.

In a reflexive panic, Mark swung the axe at Wang Kaixuan, who dodged with ease. With a swift motion, he knocked the axe from Mark's grasp.

"Ah, it's you!" Mark gasped, realizing his mistake.

"That was just the result of thousand-year-old paint reacting with air. Embarrassing!" Wang Kaixuan scoffed, striding confidently ahead.

"You see, this is the difference between professionals and amateurs," Big Gold Tooth chimed in, following along with exaggerated enthusiasm.

As Wang Kaixuan moved ahead, he turned to Ying Caihong, his expression serious. "Keep an eye on your people. From now on, everything will follow my instructions."

Ying Caihong nodded slightly, but Yoko's annoyance was palpable beside her.

Suddenly, Big Gold Tooth, who had edged ahead, exclaimed, "There's a stone tablet here!"

Curious, Wang Kaixuan walked over to take a look but showed little reaction.

Big Gold Tooth, familiar with ancient artifacts, quickly recognized the text. "This is Khitan script, but I can't tell what it says."

Wang Kaixuan shrugged, casually quipping, "You can guess; it probably says, 'Grave robbers, die!'"

Big Gold Tooth chuckled, following him as they continued deeper into the tomb. Wang Kaixuan shone his flashlight on the walls, revealing vivid murals.

"Wow, these murals are over a thousand years old! If we can bring one piece back to the States, it could easily fetch a yacht! Then I can find a few American girls, and all the trouble will be worth it!" Big Gold Tooth marveled, admiring the artistry.