Chapter 16: I Can’t Be With You


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The Ten Thousand Beasts Forbiddance enveloped Kui Mountain, and countless beast-shadows and spirits manifested.

Shang Meng screamed in fright. Upon seeing that these were not female ghosts, his shrieking stopped. As long as they were not ghosts, he would be unafraid, regardless of tiger or bear. “Shang Xuan is in danger right now. Shang Yangjun, go help him, I’ll hold them off.”

Shang Meng immediately said when Qi Lin and Wang Jian entered the underground tomb in succession.

“Look out for yourself!” There was no time to lose. Shang Yangjun did not hesitate whatsoever. If she let that Wang Jian catch Qi Lin, things would be troublesome. The girl fully displayed her reputation as her tribe’s number one genius. With the Pixiu Rolls Through Grass body techniques, she evaded the attacks from the Mandrill Tribe’s cultivators. The girl’s fist rose and fell, injuring one of them, and then she smoothly shot into the tomb.

“This is a ghost tomb of Kui Mountain. She actually dared to go in, this truly is bringing about her own doom.” Shang Ci smirked when he saw them enter the tomb. He had also heard of Kui Mountain’s ghost tombs; cultivators absolutely could not go into those.

“You court death, traitor.”

Shang Meng roared and attacked.

The entrance of the tomb was a vertical tunnel that led straight underground. Qi Lin controlled his Primordial True Qi to protect himself and very quickly fell out of the exit, landing inside of a large cave. Qi Lin adjusted his eyes and unfurled his Divine Intent, startled by the scene before his eyes.

In front of him was an enormous open space. Outside it were many stone statues, most of which were depictions of wild animals. Some were commonly seen beasts like lions, tigers, bears, and leopards, but these beast statues were gigantic, easily taller than three people, appearing quite impressive. Past these disorderly statues, one could directly see an unfinished but otherwise intact divine path. At the end of this divine path was a pitch-black cave, not a palace gate, surprisingly.

Before he could see clearly, a flame burst out from the cave above and landed.

Qi Lin took a step back, squinting his eyes.

Wang Jian gently floated and landed on the ground. She wore red gem armor and long boots. Her tail feathers were like wings, slowly bringing her down from a hundred meters high.

The girl seemed to bring her own flame. All of a sudden, the dark cave was a bit brighter.

“Hm?” Wang Jian was also quite surprised to see so many statues all of a sudden. However, her thoughts very quickly fixated on Qi Lin. She was carrying out Shi Huang Di’s orders to ruin King Zhou Di Xin’s plan to convene the Ten Thousand Beasts Unbounded. Seizing the Pixiu Banner was the most important thing right now.

“Did you use a Destined Skill just now?” Crimson light flickered in Wang Jian’s eyes.

Qi Lin smiled mysteriously.

A Destined Skill would bring shock to the target, but given Wang Jian’s Divine Name Star General Realm, she very naturally could guess that what Qi Lin had used against her just now was a Destined Skill. This type of Destined Skill generally could only be obtained when seizing a Divine Name. In other words, this seemingly feeble, scholarly young man had very likely killed a Divine Name before.

Wang Jian’s expression turned a bit serious, and her grin slowly retracted.

“Lady Wang Jian, it would be better for us to end hostilities. You know I don’t fear you at all.” Qi Lin shook his head, sensing regret in the killing intent she exuded.

“Is that so? I don’t believe you are…” Wang Jian tightly clenched her Divine Weapon and suddenly drew her sword.

Exploiting the query from her words, she suddenly attacked, her speed simply faster than everything, but this did not fluster Qi Lin at all. Qi Lin tapped his finger, and Nine Fingers Of Hell activated. Nine Fingers Of Hell was a Tier Two ability, much stronger compared to the Pixiu Martial Chant.

Finger-shadows seemed to break out from hell, and with a whoosh, they touched upon the saber-light.

But Wang Jian’s power and qi were formidable. Although she was merely True Ancient Realm, she was not an existence that a Qi Refinement cultivator could contend against. The sword-light broke Nine Fingers Of Hell. The next second, the woman closed the distance, beautiful sword-light slashing towards Qi Lin’s neck.

Qi Lin used the “Dual Modes Seal” with both hands, softness, hardness, movement, and stillness perfectly alternating. The swordtip sunk between his arms, and a strange power trapped the swordtip, turning the Divine Weapon into a seeming toy. Wang Jian was astonished to sense her swordtip was out of her control, as if it weighed more than a thousand catties.

“Hm?”

As Wang Jian pulled back, she suddenly whirled around. A figure descended from the sky, striking with a perfect Pixiu Power Palm. The palm-wind was like a blade, and Wang Jian once again retreated. However, her opponent followed closely behind with a second Mountain-pushing Palm, a smooth combination.

The Mountain-pushing Palm enveloped Wang Jian with immense pressure, barreling over as if it really could push aside a mountain peak.

But…

Wang Jian’s eyes contained derision. Her feet did not budge in the slightest.

True Ancient Realm had an ability known as “Steady As Stone.” Qi Refinement cultivators were fundamentally incapable of shaking one. “You’re called Shang Yangjun, right…Indeed, you are a beautiful and magnificent woman. Pity that you will die here.” Wang Jian offered praise and thrust her sword toward Shang Yangjun.

All of the girl’s Primordial True Qi defenses were punched through like paper.

Just when Wang Jian was about to land a second thrust, Qi Lin already attacked again, using “Destined Weight Of Mount Tai” to force Wang Jian back once more. He could only take tooth for tooth when facing a Divine General.

“Run!!”

Qi Lin grabbed Shang Yangjun’s hand. He stomped with his foot, and he quickly slid along the Divine Path into that hole. The moment he entered the hole, his palm slammed the wall, releasing the Five Elements Shackles and using the power of Two Yins Two Yangs. This attack was comparable to a True Qi Ninth Deva cultivator’s. The heavy True Qi pierced through the rock wall, and countless boulders fell into the hole.

Several dozen boulders tens of thousands of catties in weight buried the hole, stalling Wang Jian for the time being. This time was sufficient for Qi Lin to find a chance at life through this tangled and complicated mausoleum.

“Dammit.”

This weight of Mount Tai was too infuriating. Even Wang Jian was able to feel its immense pressure as she could only watch Qi Lin bury the entrance with the boulders. The woman bellowed and swung her sword several times. Phoenix sword-light slammed into the boulders, only disintegrating them all after ten breaths’ time, but when she entered, Qi Lin’s figure had already vanished from the long passageway.

“An Invested Deity Emissary? Looks like I have no choice but to kill you.” Wang Jian pursed her lips.

Qi Lin took Shang Yangjun through the many tangled corridors and found an exit. 

“A tomb is the realm of the dead, and only the dead can leave. Once the living step foot inside, there is absolutely no way back.” Shang Yangjun weakly shook her head. She already held no hope for their chances of escape.

“Don’t be so pessimistic. As long as we find the Divine Path, we can find the actual tomb. A place with a mausoleum will naturally have a way out.” Qi Lin knew that the Pixiu Tribe’s people were quite superstitious about the sanctity of tombs. Even the number one genius Shang Yangjun was not free of this, “But why did you come in?” Qi Lin curiously asked.

At this time, the entire underground was trembling. It seemed they had triggered some kind of forbiddance.

“The Divine Path is a road only the gods can walk. How can we ordinary people find it.” Shang Yangjun shook her head. She also knew some legends about tombs. It was said that was the path by which the gods greeted and guided the dead, and only a god could see it clearly.

“They aren’t so fantastical. Even if I can’t find the Divine Path, I can still find the Bright Path.” Qi Lin shook his head. The ancients treated death as they treated life, so the location of the burial needed both a Bright Path and a Divine Path. Other than the tomb, the location would also need structures for the filial sons or family to use while in mourning.

The Divine Path was the path leading to the tomb, the one that the procession used in observation. If there were officials or nobility, then both sides would be lined with stone people and horses in accordance with proper etiquette.

The Bright Path was the path inside the tomb, the one walked for internment of the coffin, after which the gates would be sealed. If they were a wealthy or influential family, these interior paths often were designed with defensive measures. The tomb was also arranged in the likeness of the deceased’s life, with bedrooms, drawing rooms, workspaces, equipment, funerary offerings and so forth, with distinct areas for storage or arrangement of items.

Shang Yangjun was muddleheaded.

Suddenly, the girl fell against the wall. Qi Lin noticed the girl was very out of sorts and promptly walked over. Only then did he notice there was a bloody hole in the girl’s body, courtesy of Wang Jian. “Shang Yangjun.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t be with you.” The girl murmured as her eyes closed.

“Stop saying nonsense.” The girl heard fabric tear, and then she felt something cold on her chest. Dammit, this man was groping her again. However, the girl did not have any willpower left to stop it now.


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