Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi Chapter 83: The Hundred Ghosts Gathering Yin Formation

The cultivator who had followed Wu Hong, a fifth-level Return to Ruins realm practitioner, strode ahead, taking the lead and standing guard in front. After all, with Wu Hong being a fourth-level alchemist, he naturally felt obliged to protect him carefully.

After a brief gathering of spiritual energy, a powerful sphere of energy shot toward the two skeletal figures. Moments later, all six of them were stunned where they stood. The two skeletons hadn’t even come in contact with the energy sphere before the sheer force of the attack sent them flying, scattering their bones across the ground.

What was this? They had prepared for a fierce battle, only to find the skeletons so feeble. Was it because they had been placed here for too long, their strength dissipated? That seemed likely, they thought.

Relieved it was a false alarm, Wu Hong led the group onward. Zhang Heng remained at the rear, carefully observing their surroundings. With every step, he felt an increasing sense of unease.

As they proceeded, the sinister aura grew stronger, signaling that they had reached the depths of the tomb. After countless twists and turns, they finally arrived at the place marked as their destination on the map—a vast platform resembling an altar.

Ascending the steps, they moved toward the center. Around the platform stood six towering stone statues, each in a different form. The only common feature was the grotesque skull embedded in each statue’s chest. The floor was covered in densely packed patterns, and the ominous atmosphere was at its peak here, but the group paid little mind, searching the platform meticulously. Since this was the end point of the map, there had to be something valuable.

Yet everything felt wrong. Since entering the tomb, nothing had been as expected. Though they had passed many chambers that could be called burial rooms, not a single coffin or the remains of the supposedly powerful cultivator had been found. By convention, the bones of a cultivator who had reached the Divine Transformation realm should be as resilient as high-grade magical treasures, surviving even if flesh and blood had long decayed. They should not have been destroyed by time.

Moreover, why was there a map at all? The map must have been crafted by someone intimately familiar with the tomb—most likely its owner. But why, after concealing the tomb so well and designing such convoluted passages, would its master leave a map for future generations to find? Was he hoping for a “fated one” to rob his grave? That seemed unlikely.

Finally, their journey had been far too effortless. They had encountered no real danger, and the only two skeletons were instantly obliterated. How could the tomb of a Divine Transformation cultivator be so easily breached?

All these anomalies pointed to one truth: something was deeply off about this place.

Suddenly, Zhang Heng sensed something amiss and swiftly employed his Small Aurora Phantom movement technique to dash outward. Seeing Zhang Heng’s unusual reaction, the others paused their search and watched him curiously.

“What are you doing, Zhang Heng? Don’t run off—there may be other dangers here,” Wu Heng said, approaching him. Since this was the tomb’s deepest chamber, he did not wish to stray too far.

But after a few steps, Wu Heng halted—not by choice, but because an invisible air barrier blocked his path. The others noticed something was wrong and hurriedly tried to fly out, but it was futile. An air barrier had trapped them inside the platform.

Panic began to set in. The two Return to Ruins realm experts quickly channeled their energy and launched attacks into the air, but their powerful strikes vanished upon contact with the barrier, leaving not the slightest ripple. The only change was that the patterns on the ground seemed to glow brighter.

What was happening? The group was alarmed—were they trapped here? Refusing to accept it, they gathered their energy and attacked once more, this time with attacks far stronger than before, but the barrier was unaffected. The patterns on the ground grew even brighter.

Seeing them prepare to attack again, Zhang Heng hurriedly stopped them. “Please, don’t rush. Let me see what’s happening here before we decide what to do.”

With that, Zhang Heng immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and appeared to be sensing the surroundings—though in truth, he was...

System, help me!

Zhang Heng had no idea what was happening, so he could only turn to the system for assistance. Finally, the system, which had been silent for a long time, responded.

Beep. This place is an array called the Gathering of a Hundred Ghosts.

What? An array? Zhang Heng had read about arrays in ancient texts, knowing that the cultivation continent had such arts, but this was his first encounter.

System, what should I do to break this array and rescue them?

Beep. If you try to force your way through with external power, all those inside will perish with the array. Only by killing the array’s creator will the array dissipate without harming anyone inside.

The array’s creator? That would be the tomb’s owner. But isn’t he supposed to have died thousands of years ago?

Beep. Though his body is dead, his consciousness remains. Your task is to find his consciousness and destroy it.

So, system, you brought me here not for training, but for this mission?

Zhang Heng finally understood the system’s intent.

Beep. Yes.

Very well. System, tell me the secret of this tomb.

Beep. Three thousand years ago, a powerful ghost cultivator at the Tribulation Crossing realm named Ghost Sage Taoist committed countless atrocities, killing innumerable cultivators and using their corpse energies for his cultivation, causing widespread terror throughout the continent. Eventually, the people of the Holy Land intervened. Though Ghost Sage Taoist possessed formidable evil powers, he was no match for the Holy Land, and ultimately fell at their hands.

His strength exhausted, he fled here, but even then, he did not abandon his schemes. He laid the Gathering of a Hundred Ghosts array in hopes that one day, he could use it to resurrect himself.

What? This array can actually allow a person dead for a thousand years to be reborn?

Beep. The Gathering of a Hundred Ghosts array is extremely evil. Its function is to gather tens of thousands of newly departed souls. The array’s creator merges his consciousness with this powerful yin energy, enabling so-called “rebirth.”

Tens of thousands of newly dead souls... Zhang Heng suddenly realized something. News of the Divine Transformation ancient tomb had spread throughout Qi, attracting countless low-level cultivators seeking treasure. Could it be that those who lost their way and failed to reach this place were almost all dead?

Beep. Yes.

What? Something dead for a thousand years can still orchestrate the deaths of tens of thousands a millennium later—this was terrifying.

Zhang Heng understood now that this was no trivial matter.

So, the map was left by Ghost Sage Taoist to lure others into activating the array? That was the only explanation Zhang Heng could think of.

Beep. Yes.

Alright, I understand. Zhang Heng nodded heavily.

System, tell me what I need to do.

He had to act quickly, or more cultivators would die.

After a long while, Zhang Heng, still sitting cross-legged on the ground, finally opened his eyes.