Chapter 39 Predicament

"Those who trespass into the Immortal Sect's sealed demon lands will be killed without mercy?"

Xia Shu Zhi Lian's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. She looked at the three colleagues beside her and whispered, "In that case, the ancient tomb is a seal of some Immortal Sect, and the bronze statues are guardians. Have you noticed that this is very similar to the world-view in the dungeons?"

Hua Yu, Hou De Zai Wu, and Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe looked grave. The last sentence in the video seemed to have a strong impact on them.

The sweet and lovely Hua Yu frowned and said, "Many dungeons at the Extraordinary and Saint realms can find corresponding historical sites or written records in reality, but it's more like the dungeons are referencing and borrowing from reality.

"Things from the dungeons shouldn't appear in reality. What exactly is going on?"

Hou De Zai Wu wore a solemn expression as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings and sighed softly, "Regardless of the truth, this matter is too bizarre. We must report this to the elders."

As Saints, the information and intelligence they knew were beyond the reach of Extraordinary level Xingzhe.

The concept of the Immortal Sect was frequent in Saint realm dungeons, belonging to the background of the world-view, but they never expected that "dungeons" would actually appear in reality.

Guan Ya and Jiang Jingwei were utterly confused. The red-haired girl exclaimed, "What are you talking about? I don't understand!"

They had not experienced Saint realm dungeons and had only just begun to prepare to read guides. They had no concept of the Immortal Sect.

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe said in a deep voice, "Little Princess, you've just been promoted to Saint and know too little. It's too troublesome to explain these things. We'll talk about it later."

The several deacons of the Hangcheng branch did not treat the three Saints from the Songhai branch as discussion partners, simply because they didn't have time to explain too much to them.

The three newly promoted Saints just needed to assist them.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian did not look at Yuanshi Tianzun and the others. She said to her companions with a solemn expression, "Let's put the dungeon matters aside for now. If the bronze statues are the guardians of the ancient tomb, according to the meaning of that sentence in the video, there is a terrifying existence sealed within the tomb. If the archaeological team opened the tomb, would they release the demon inside?"

Hua Yu's face changed drastically. "The level of the ancient tomb incident is likely to be raised, at least to the Dominator level!"

"No, it hasn't reached that point yet!" Zhang Yuanqing said.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian and the others looked at him. Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe frowned and said, "Yuanshi Tianzun, you don't understand the seriousness of this matter. It's very likely to subvert everyone's understanding of the Lingjing."

Hua Yu nodded, agreeing with Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's words.

Zhang Yuanqing ignored the boorish fire master and continued, "Let me share my opinion. According to the information in the news, experts estimate that the manufacturing process of the bronze statues dates back to the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty corresponds to the Saint realm dungeon. The Immortal Sects of that era were declining, and it was difficult to produce Dominators.

"Therefore, the 'demon' sealed in the ancient tomb won't be too strong. In addition, after the great changes in the world, most of the big shots of the major Immortal Sects have died of old age. A small number lingered until the Ming Dynasty, but still couldn't escape birth, aging, illness, and death. Except for those with tenacious vitality like Night Watchers, who can extend their lives through secret methods and hibernation, other professions cannot survive.

"In summary, I believe that the 'demon' in the ancient tomb is mostly dead, and the bronze statues are similar to props, puppets, or Yin corpses, not real Bewitching Fiends, so they can continue to operate until now."

The air suddenly fell silent. Xia Shu Zhi Lian, Hua Yu, Hou De Zai Wu, and Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe were all stunned.

They repeatedly sized up Yuanshi Tianzun.

From the information revealed by Yuanshi Tianzun, they could be extremely certain that this guy knew a lot of secrets. He was definitely not pretending to understand. Listening to his eloquent tone, he even knew more than they did.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian steadied her emotions, maintaining her composure as a female instructor. "How... how do you know so much?"

Her eyes were fixed on him.

"The old hag told me." Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "I know more than you think."

After a pause, he sighed, "Also, I now understand why the ancient tomb appeared in reality."

These words scratched at the itch in the hearts of the four Saints from the Hangcheng branch. Xia Shu Zhi Lian asked anxiously, "You know? Tell me."

Hua Yu, wearing a dress, silently moved closer. Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe stared at Zhang Yuanqing, awaiting his reply.

Jiang Jingwei and Guan Ya were a little further away, cautiously guarding the surroundings with the steady Hou De Zai Wu, while also pricking up their ears.

Zhang Yuanqing slowly said, "The dungeons in the Lingjing all originate from reality!"

The dungeons in the Lingjing all originate from reality?!

This simple sentence instantly stirred up a storm in the hearts of everyone present.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian and Hua Yu's pupils shrank.

The deacon Hou De Zai Wu, who had been alertly guarding the surroundings, turned his head in astonishment.

Including the rude Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe, the experienced Saints understood the value of Yuanshi Tianzun's words.

It further unveiled the mysterious veil of the Lingjing, and the series of guesses and possibilities that stemmed from it might be something that many Saints would never be able to access in their lifetime.

After a few seconds, Xia Shu Zhi Lian's eyes revealed a look of realization. She seemed to have combined it with the information she knew and understood something. She sighed and said, "A very shocking secret. I understand many things that I couldn't understand before. Thank you for telling me. Yuanshi Tianzun, your understanding of the Lingjing is amazing. Once the ancient tomb incident is resolved, I'd like to have a drink with you and chat about the Lingjing."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on her cold and beautiful face.

"If you were a Lust profession, I would definitely refuse." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Guan Ya and noticed that her expression was normal, so he knew that this female instructor really just wanted to chat and it wasn't some kind of insinuation.

If it was an insinuation, with Guan Ya's insight, her expression wouldn't be so calm!

Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "That bronze statue doesn't seem to be here. Time is of the essence, let's leave quickly and report this matter to the elders and let them solve it."

This was a clever method to raise the level of the incident with the secrets it contained and directly request the elders to take action.

The bronze statue itself wasn't yet at the level that required a Dominator, but based on the strength it had demonstrated, it was at least level 5, maybe even level 6.

Although it hadn't reached the level of a Lust God General, it still posed a great threat to everyone present. If they were careless, someone would sacrifice themselves here.

The dense fog was the domain of the Mist Master. An orderly profession of the same level, trapped in the fog without the advantage of terrain, could never be the Mist Master's opponent.

Moreover, the bronze statue's level was obviously higher than everyone else present.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian stared at him for a few seconds and said, "Alright!"

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe wanted to confront it head-on, but seeing that his colleagues suddenly valued Yuanshi Tianzun's attitude and didn't object, he didn't want to refute them.

Hua Yu looked at Yuanshi Tianzun with her watery eyes and asked, "You've seen our faces, haven't you?"

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe and Hou De Zai Wu also looked over.

Zhang Yuanqing said, "Dark clouds are pressing down, and a bloody aura is shrouding you. Everyone is in great danger. You might die, or you might be seriously injured."

Xia Shu Zhi Lian nodded and said, "That's normal. This is consistent with our assessment of the bronze statue. It's good that it's not a total bloodbath."

Before entering the dense fog, everyone knew that the fog level was extremely high and that there might be risks involved in the operation.

The level of this incident was destined to be dangerous. What mission doesn't have risks?

At this moment, Guan Ya, who had been vigilant, warned urgently, "Be careful, something is approaching!"

Everyone's hearts tightened, and they quickly looked around, assuming a battle stance. However, the surrounding fog flowed slowly, without the slightest abnormality.

Only Xia Shu Zhi Lian, also a scout, looked sharply towards the front left and said in a deep voice, "There's an anomaly over there."

Hearing this, Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe directly conjured a ball of fire and threw it in the direction Xia Shu Zhi Lian was looking.

The fireball rushed into the dense fog and seemed to hit something. With a "boom," it exploded, and the fog shook violently. For a moment, everyone saw the enemy in the fog.

It was a two-meter-tall bronze statue, wearing battle armor, holding a bronze longsword, with a dull expression.

The dense fog quickly closed in, swallowing the bronze statue.

Everyone tensed their nerves, each taking out their props, and waited in readiness.

At this moment, Guan Ya shouted at Deacon Hua Yu, "Be careful behind you!"

The next second, the fog behind Hua Yu stirred, and a bronze longsword split through the fog.

It slashed down fiercely.

Deacon Hua Yu had already turned around when Guan Ya issued the warning, raising her right hand above her head. The wooden ring on her index finger released a vine, which twined and coiled into a wooden shield.

Duh!

The bronze sword, with irresistible force, cut the wooden shield in half. The force of the sword did not weaken and slashed down on Deacon Hua Yu's right arm.

The bloodied right arm fell to the ground with a "thud."

Deacon Hua Yu's face turned pale. Just as she was about to retreat, she suddenly saw the bronze statue's eyes light up with a scarlet glow, revealing two distorted and eerie incantations.

Her mind shook, and her thoughts instantly scattered. She stood there, stunned.

The bronze statue's arm creaked, making a teeth-aching sound. It raised the bronze sword high and swung again.

At that moment, Hou De Zai Wu charged towards the bronze statue like a raging bull, bent his right arm, raised it above his head, and used his flesh and blood to withstand the sword for Hua Yu.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian seized the opportunity and rushed forward, grabbing Hua Yu's shoulder and pulling her back.

"Buzz!"

A thick, khaki-colored halo appeared, then shattered. The bronze longsword left a bone-deep wound on Hou De Zai Wu's arm.

Even the earth monster, who was skilled in defense, couldn't stop the sword's edge.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone. Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's eyes burned with anger, his body muscles swelled, and flames burst from his body. His legs were like boosters, turning into a swift streak of fire, charging towards the bronze statue.

"Bang!"

The fire exploded, and a heat wave swept out. The two-meter-tall bronze body flew out, disappearing into the dense fog. Everyone only heard the loud crash of a shattered display case.

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe roared and chased into the dense fog.

Jiang Jingwei roared and wanted to follow, but Guan Ya held her back. Xia Shu Zhi Lian hurriedly shouted, "Fire Saint, don't chase!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's screams came from the depths of the dense fog.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian's expression changed slightly. She immediately glanced at Zhang Yuanqing, who understood. The two rushed into the dense fog.

They quickly saw the bronze statue and Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe. He had been impaled through the chest by the bronze statue with a sword and was held high in the air.

This reckless Saint had paid a huge price for his impulsiveness.

But the fatal injury made Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe even more violent. He gripped the blade tightly with both hands, emitting high heat, causing the bronze sword to turn red-hot, and even the bronze statue's hand was burned red.

Seeing this, Xia Shu Zhi Lian summoned a short sword without hesitation. Her long legs, wearing military boots, ran forward, and she swung the short sword containing sword energy.

Clang!

The short sword, which should have been as sharp as mud, only cut out a white mark. Fortunately, the force attached to the blade made the bronze statue stagger.

At this time, Zhang Yuanqing grabbed Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's shoulder and "pulled" him off the sword.

"Retreat!"

He carried Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe and returned the way they had come.

Xia Shu Zhi Lian, being a calm swordsman, immediately followed and retreated.

The bronze statue did not chase, but silently watched them with its crudely sculpted face.

Zhang Yuanqing returned to Guan Ya's side and happened to see that Hua Yu's arm had been reattached. Her palms were pressed against Hou De Zai Wu's arm, emitting a soft green light, healing him.

"Save this one too, or he won't live for five minutes." Zhang Yuanqing threw Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe to Hua Yu.

"You bastard, couldn't you be gentler?" Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe clutched his chest, his face full of pain.

Why didn't you think about being skewered like a kebab when you were losing your mind? Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.

Hua Yu hurriedly trotted over, pressed her palm against Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's chest, and treated his fatal wound.

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe gasped a few times, his face slightly recovered, and said in a deep voice, "I discovered something... that bronze statue doesn't have item information. It doesn't belong to the Lingjing. It should have been made by ancient Immortal Sects. Can we assume that item attributes are added by the Lingjing to allow Lingjing Xingzhe to quickly master the usage of props?

"All props are essentially magical artifacts?"

Hua Yu frowned and said, "Don't talk, that way you can live a little longer."

At this time, Xia Shu Zhi Lian returned and glanced at Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's condition, her heart sinking.

The bronze sword, like most Bewitching Fiend props, had a bleeding effect. This meant that Hua Yu had to continuously treat him to save Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe's life.

Then, the two of them would become sitting ducks.

The enemies in the dense fog were elusive, making it difficult to fight them. Even the Mountain God, who was skilled in defense, couldn't stop the sword's edge. How could they protect the two of them?

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe exhaled and said, "I'm doomed. You'd better leave me alone. Yuanshi Tianzun, take them away and notify the elders outside. I still have a breath left and can hold them off for you."

This reckless fire master was quite righteous.

Hou De Zai Wu said in a deep voice, "Give me some time to refine the museum, and we can win."

Huo Zhi Sheng Zhe laughed miserably and said, "You also know that it takes time. I don't doubt that you can solve it, but you might have to sacrifice one or two lives. There's no need. Besides, it's not worth it if Yuanshi Tianzun dies here."

Everyone fell silent.

Hou De Zai Wu moved his lips but also remained silent. His expression was somewhat heavy.

Hua Yu looked at Xia Shu Zhi Lian, who hesitated for a few seconds and made a difficult decision, saying, "Let's go."

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly said, "I have a way, we can try it."