C17 Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb

Celestial Dragon Mountain, located to the south of N City, is a tourist attraction renowned nationwide for its stunning scenery and treacherous peaks.

Today, Yun Chen and his classmates had chosen Celestial Dragon Mountain for their school's autumn excursion. They had arrived at the destination half an hour earlier and were now on the bus, attentively listening to their teacher, Sunn Dahai, as he outlined the safety measures for ascending the mountain.

The trip was organized by class, which meant that Yun Chen and Shen Siyu had to part ways upon boarding. Yun Chen belonged to Class 1, Grade 3, while Shen Siyu was in Class 30, so their buses were parked quite a distance apart. Shen Siyu had expressed her frustration to Yun Chen, questioning why the school hadn't opted for a more flexible, team-based approach to the outing. Yun Chen had simply chuckled and playfully patted her head in response. If they had followed Shen Siyu's suggestion, chaos would have ensued, which was the last thing the school wanted. Organizing a trip like this meant the school was responsible for the students' safety, and arranging travel by class was the most effective way to ensure it. Thus, Shen Siyu's wishes were unlikely to come to fruition.

Lin Chuxia, from Class 2, Grade 3, was also not on the same bus as Yun Chen. This gave Yun Chen a rare chance to enjoy some solitude. "It's nice to get out and clear my head! Even though I've only had the system for a short time, the experiences I've had could probably be turned into a movie," he mused, appreciating the picturesque landscape outside the bus window and momentarily setting aside the system mission that had been troubling him.

"Alright, everyone, please disembark and gather outside," Sunn Dahai announced, having finished going over the precautions. The students erupted in cheers and eagerly disembarked, all eager to explore and enjoy themselves.

Yun Chen shrugged and joined the throng, stepping off the bus. The group quickly assembled and, led by the tour guide, they commenced their adventure at Celestial Dragon Mountain. However, just as they were about to set off, a large contingent of special police officers suddenly appeared at the mountain's entrance.

At the entrance, the special police stood in an orderly fashion, barring tourists from entering Celestial Dragon Mountain. Complaints were flying left and right.

"Why aren't we allowed in? We've all bought tickets!" one tourist exclaimed.

"Yeah, what gives?" echoed another.

Despite the uproar, the special police remained unmoved, steadfastly guarding the entrance and denying entry to the visitors.

Yun Chen watched the special police with a mix of curiosity and confusion, trying to grasp the situation. Just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find an extremely sleazy-looking young man behind him.

Taken aback, Yun Chen inquired, "Wang Dadao, what's up? Is there a problem?"

The sleazy youth, Wang Dadao, was Yun Chen's deskmate. Despite his unfortunate appearance, rumors circulated about his family's considerable influence.

The origin of his name, Wang Dadao, as Yun Chen had learned, was due to his father's fondness for knives. Thus, at his birth, he was proudly bestowed with the name 'Big Knife.' Over the past three years of high school, Yun Chen had often ribbed him about it.

But Wang Dadao was unfazed by the teasing. He boasted that his name ensured him a never-ending supply of spending money, thanks to his father's love for big knives. Consequently, Wang Dadao was quite fond of his name.

Now, with Wang Dadao approaching him and tapping his shoulder, Yun Chen suspected he might know something about why the armed police were blocking the path.

Indeed...

Leaning in, Wang Dadao whispered to Yun Chen, "Do you know why the armed police are stopping us?"

Yun Chen's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

With a gleeful expression spreading across his face, Wang Dadao revealed, "Just two days ago, they discovered an ancient tomb in a rarely visited area of Celestial Dragon Mountain!"

"I've heard that the ancient tomb at Celestial Dragon Mountain is quite mysterious. It was discovered just the day before yesterday, and experts immediately began excavating. Yet, bizarrely, those experts were found dead in their hotel rooms the very next day!"

"The incident has caused quite a stir, even catching the attention of the higher-ups."

"Today, it seems a VIP has come to inspect the situation. The armed police are likely here to escort this VIP. Once they leave, we'll probably be allowed to go up."

Wang Dadao was practically spitting as he spoke, his excitement palpable, as if he had been through the ordeal himself.

Yun Chen, however, couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling indifferent toward these so-called VIPs.

After all, just yesterday, he had ended the life of one such VIP—Zhang Badao.

Subconsciously, Yun Chen held a disdain for these high-profile figures.

Still, the emergence of an ancient tomb at Celestial Dragon Mountain and the resulting death were significant events that hadn't even made the news. How could Wang Dadao be so well-informed?

Curious, Yun Chen asked, "How do you know all this?"

At Yun Chen's question, Wang Dadao let out a sly chuckle and replied, "My old man deals in antiques. The discovery of the tomb at Celestial Dragon Mountain spread like wildfire through the Antique World."

"My dad thought he might score some treasures from the tomb, but he didn't expect the strange occurrences to alarm the authorities."

"So, snagging any treasures is out of the question now. But most of the folks in our industry are eager to uncover what valuable items lie within the tomb, so they're all closely following the developments."

"Of course, I got all this from my dad."

Upon hearing this, Yun Chen couldn't help but give Wang Dadao a surprised glance.

He had vaguely known that this kid came from an extraordinary family, but he hadn't realized they were in the antique trade!

And those who dabble in antiques usually come from very affluent backgrounds!

Nevertheless, Yun Chen was now intrigued by the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb.

He knew all too well that the system had once granted him a substantial red packet.

And within that red packet was a fierce ghost.

Yun Chen realized that the world might not be as tranquil as he had once thought. Perhaps there were specters lurking in the shadows, unseen by others.

Recently, an expert had inexplicably died in a hotel, suggesting that some secret lay hidden within the ancient tomb.

Curiosity piqued, Yun Chen nevertheless refrained from taking action. He believed it was better to avoid trouble than to seek it out. Despite having the system to rely on, it dealt with matters of ghosts and ghouls, and he was not yet equipped to confront such entities.

At that moment, the system chimed in with a new notification:

"Ding! Required item detected. Target: Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb."

"Ding! Compulsory mission issued..."

"Mission name: Explore the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb. Mission description: A divine item within the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb is essential for the system. Host, you must secure this divine item."

"Mission duration: Three days. Mission reward: System upgrade. Mission failure: The system will disengage from the host."

Stunned, Yun Chen pondered, "A divine item in the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb needed by the system? What kind of incredible divine item could it be?"

Despite his inquiries, the system remained silent.

"Looks like I'll have to find it on my own," Yun Chen muttered resignedly. Life had been nonstop since he acquired the system.

Then, a thought struck him, and he pondered, "Wait, the reward for this mission seems different, doesn't it?"

"System upgrade? What does that mean?"

Finally, the system provided clarity: "After upgrading, the Points Mall will be accessible to the host. You can exchange for any red packets you need within the Points Mall."

"Moreover, post-upgrade, you will have the discretion to accept or reject missions issued by the system!"

"Wow! That's incredible!" Yun Chen's eyes sparkled with excitement upon hearing the system's explanation. The prospect of choosing whether to accept or reject the system's missions was particularly appealing, given their occasional oddity.

If Yun Chen had the option to accept or reject the system's quests at will, he would no longer have to fret over the bizarre tasks it churned out. He could simply decline any that didn't appeal to him!

Regarding the Points Mall that became available after the system upgrade, Yun Chen wasn't interested. He suspected that the so-called Points Mall wouldn't make it easy to exchange for the red packets he needed, given the system's track record. So, he thought it best not to inquire further.

His attention was now fully on the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb.

But...

The thought of the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb made Yun Chen furrow his brow. He inquired internally, "System, I need to ask you something."

"Ding! Host, please proceed," the system responded.

Yun Chen cautiously asked, "Are there ghosts in this world I live in?"

The system fell silent.

After a brief pause, the notification finally sounded, "Yes."

That simple affirmation sent Yun Chen into a frenzy!

Damn, there were actually ghosts? So, was the Celestial Dragon Mountain Tomb swarming with spirits?

Wasn't going there tantamount to a death sentence?

Yet, he couldn't avoid this mandatory mission!

The penalty for failing was losing the system, and Yun Chen couldn't bear the thought of being separated from it.

"What am I going to do?" he muttered, ruffling his hair in frustration.

As Yun Chen stewed over his predicament, the system's voice chimed in once more:

"Ding! Since the host's mission is tied to the system, and to ensure mutual success, a Tao Arts red packet is awarded to the host. Would you like to open it now?"

Yun Chen was momentarily dumbfounded, then burst into elation, exclaiming inwardly, "System, I absolutely adore you!"