I Don t Want to Get Hurt, So I ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 944: Chapter 945: Look What I’ve Caught!
 

Everyone returned the way they had come, ready to lay siege outside the large grave. Monk Pudu couldn’t hide his delight, as these cultivators were still unaware that the outside had already been surrounded by the high monks from Arhat Hall. With several Semi-Saint experts in charge, as soon as anyone exited, whether it be Li Xiaobai or this group of treasure seekers, they would all fall into the Buddhist Sect’s hands.

Directly beneath the Heavenly Secrets Tower.

A flash of light, and Li Xiaobai and Liu Jinshui were transported to an even deeper level of the Underground World.

The place wasn’t too dark; around the walls were candles burning. The two of them took several candles that could last for seemingly countless years without burning out, making these candles far from ordinary.

“Is this the real crypt?”

Li Xiaobai’s brow furrowed slightly. Upon entering, his first impression was that the stench of blood and decay in the air was even richer and more potent, indicating that the number of Flesh Mountains in this true crypt was several times more numerous than on the layer above.

“Hiss! The number of Flesh Mountains here is also not small. This intense bloody odor is comparable to the frontier battlefields of the Immortal Spirit Continent.”

Liu Jinshui looked around, feeling uncomfortable in such an environment.

Li Xiaobai: “It’s just that I don’t know how strong the Flesh Mountains in the Central Origin Realm are. Judging by our current cultivation level, we should be more than capable of sweeping through the initial frontier battlefields.”

Liu Jinshui widened his eyes, “Could it be that the owner of this tomb is a massive Flesh Mountain himself!”

“Young man, your insight is not bad, being able to recognize Flesh Mountains is impressive!”

An ancient voice echoed in the crypt, and an old man in tattered clothes slowly emerged from the darkness, making no sound whatsoever.

“So it is an elder. Thank you for your guidance just now.”

Li Xiaobai looked at the old man in front of him and bowed, thanking him. This Xiao Lao Di had followed them down during their activation of the Formation, and even though he was so close, Li Xiaobai still couldn’t detect the slightest hint of presence from him. He was just standing beside him, yet it always felt empty.

“Nonsense, it was just a small effort, after all. You two have talent. Even outside the large grave, I felt you were extraordinary. I admit there was an element of gambling involved, but my gamble paid off. Reaching the Heavenly Secrets Tower and solving the three layers of chess puzzles was quite impressive!”

Xiao Lao Di patted their shoulders, speaking with a friendly smile.

“Uh, then why did you give us a useless map, elder?”

Liu Jinshui scratched his head and asked.

“Had it not been for that map, how could you have found the location of the Heavenly Secrets Tower? Those who did not believe in the map failed to reach the Heavenly Secrets Tower in time. They are still wandering along the edges of the large grave, gaining meager profits. In comparison, your gains are quite astonishing,” Xiao Lao Di said indifferently, leading the way into the darkness ahead.

The two immediately followed: “Then how did you know that in that chess game, one had to move to the Tianyuan spot?”

“The Chess Saint was muttering to himself while I stood beside him. He mentioned the opening Tianyuan move; it was just that you didn’t hear it,” Xiao Lao Di explained.

“Uh…”

Li Xiaobai suddenly felt at a loss for words. Is it really good to speak such frank truths? You are a top-notch expert, try to be a bit more arrogant when you speak!

“What is inside this tomb?”

“Heavenly secrets must not be divulged!”

The group walked along the silent cave walls, utterly silent save for the sound of their footsteps. There were no living creatures inside this tomb.

“Do you know whose tomb this is, elder, and why such a large number of Flesh Mountains have gathered?”

“This large grave has a mysterious origin. Before seeing the owner of the tomb, no one dares to assert anything. However, it seems you two know quite a lot about these Flesh Mountains. You must know that such things are nearly extinct in the current Central Origin Realm,” Xiao Lao Di said, casting a meaningful glance at the two young men.

Liu Jinshui chuckled, “Coming from a small place, naturally, we’ve seen more than enough.”

“Flesh Mountains aren’t found just anywhere. It is said that among the young talents in the Central Origin Realm, many are rooted in the Earth Spirit Realm. I suppose you two are the same,” Xiao Lao Di said with a gentle smile.

Li Xiaobai said, “The elder has discerning eyes. Indeed, we brothers ascended together. May I ask the esteemed elder’s name?”

“It’s just a being who walks the path of the invincible, nothing worthy of mention,”

Xiao Lao Di waved his hand and spoke indifferently.

Li Xiaobai suddenly found himself speechless. This old man’s unreliable demeanor was exactly like that of a mendicant, as if they were carved from the same mold.

Li Xiaobai continued to ask, “Does the predecessor know the origin of this Flesh Mountain?”

“The origin of Flesh Mountain can be traced back to a myth from the time when heaven and earth first opened, where the chaos was like an egg. The universe was desolate and lonely, with only two Divine Beasts floating in the void.”

“One of these Divine Beasts represented the utmost resilience and Yang of the world—the Undying Phoenix, while the other represented the dark Yin forces of the world—the soul. They engaged in a fierce battle, shattering the chaos. The muddy air sank to become the earth, and the clear air rose to form the sky. In the end, both were wounded and ended in a dismal stalemate; this Flesh Mountain is a fragment of the soul.”

“But these are all just rumors, recorded in some ancient texts in fragments, hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood,”

Xiao Lao Di slowly said.

“I see.”

Li Xiaobai nodded. This was consistent with what he had heard before. Flesh Mountain was the fragmentary corpse of the soul. The system-produced yellow chick possessed the Undying Phoenix Bloodline, which might have some connection to the ancient Undying Phoenix.

“Did the tomb’s owner bury these flesh pieces here to split and suppress them, to prevent their reassembly one day?”

Liu Jinshui asked with a puzzled expression.

“That is something we cannot know.”

The group continued on their way, with torches all around illuminating the tomb brightly. Beneath their feet was a long, deep passage leading to a massive bronze gate that blocked everything beyond.

Approaching the bronze gate, a sense of ancient sediment and an oppressive atmosphere assailed them.

“This gate is too big, can the predecessor push it open?”

Li Xiaobai asked.

“The tomb owner’s realm is on par with, or perhaps even surpasses, mine. It would be difficult to force through. See the blood groove on the gate? We need to irrigate it with blood essence that contains an extremely rich Bloodline Power to open the gate,”

Xiao Lao Di pointed at the bronze gate, where a small Tai Chi Diagram was located at the center, with a groove in the middle stained with mottled blood—clearly, the key to unlocking the gate.

“Do you think this chicken will do?”

Li Xiaobai produced the bewildered Ji Wuqing from his bosom and said.

“Eh? This chick’s got something, it seems to be the Qing Luan’s bloodline? Regrettably, its cultivation level is too weak, and its Bloodline Power is pitifully diluted,”

Xiao Lao Di’s eyes flashed with surprise. He did not recognize the Undying Phoenix but mistook it for a descendant of the Divine Beast Qing Luan’s bloodline because even an expert like him would not have thought that a little yellow chicken that swears a lot would possess the Bloodline Power of the Undying Phoenix.

“Old Bangzi, who are you calling a chick, you’re the chick, your whole family is chicks!”

Ji Wuqing flared up in anger, fluttering its wings and preparing to fight tooth and nail with Xiao Lao Di.

“You’re quite the unique little creature. This thing is a great tonic; if you get seriously wounded in the future, you could stew it to nourish and recover,”

Xiao Lao Di continued his assessment.

“Um… In that case, how do we proceed to enter?”

Li Xiaobai hurriedly stuffed the nearly berserk little yellow chicken back into his pocket, afraid it might offend the true deity.

“No need to worry about anything. Given that we’ve made it this far, of course, I’ve come prepared,”

“See what I just caught from the big tomb?”

Xiao Lao Di said with a chuckle, just as he reached inside his robe and pulled out a dazed little white dog.

“This is a genuine Kylin Divine Beast, unexpectedly falling into the hands of the Buddhist Sect. How fortunate for me. It’s just what’s needed to shed some blood and open the bronze gate,”

Seeing the white dog in the other’s hand, both Li Xiaobai and Liu Jinshui’s expressions turned understandably strange.

Isn’t that Ergouzi?