C23 Mausoleum

In a pitch-black chamber, Hua Hsing stood at the center, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, he was blinded by a glaring light. In the next moment, a chilling aura swept through the entire room.

"Am I separated from the others?" Hua Hsing murmured, puzzled.

This was supposed to be the legendary tomb, yet nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him.

"Is that a light over there?" he wondered, noticing a distant glow. Without hesitation, he moved swiftly toward it.

No matter how far he walked, the light remained elusive. He had been walking for a good half-hour.

"Could I be in a maze?" Hua Hsing mused, feeling a bit exasperated. It seemed he was indeed trapped in a labyrinth.

He pondered carefully, searching for a way out. Meanwhile, other warriors who had entered the tomb were also ensnared in the maze, each seeking an exit.

Two hours later, Hua Hsing encountered someone in the maze—someone from the Seven-heaven Sect. The man glanced at Hua Hsing from afar, then turned and left, not considering him a rival at all.

Another two hours passed, and Hua Hsing spotted a flower of a different color in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a rare Body Refining Flower.

"It's a Body Refining Flower," Hua Hsing exclaimed with delight. He quickly stepped forward and placed the flower into his Space Ring.

Just then, Hua Hsing encountered someone—Sunn Yunjun.

"Hua Hsing, since I've run into you here, it's time for you to die," Sunn Yunjun declared, launching a series of powerful punches at Hua Hsing.

Hua Hsing met Sunn Yunjun's attack with a punch of his own, but the impact forced him back a few steps, his hand stinging from the blow.

"I'm not a match for Sunn Yunjun right now. I can't take him head-on," Hua Hsing thought, quickly darting away into the labyrinth. Sunn Yunjun tried to pursue him, but soon lost his way in the maze.

"Damn it, Hua Hsing, the next time I see you, I'll definitely kill you," Sunn Yunjun shouted in frustration.

Time ticked by, and Hua Hsing had been wandering the labyrinth for five hours without finding an exit. During this time, he encountered Zhang Bofeng.

Zhang Bofeng attempted to attack Hua Hsing, but Hua Hsing's superior strength forced Zhang Bofeng to retreat. If they weren't in the maze, Zhang Bofeng might not have survived.

Finally, after six hours, Hua Hsing was the first to leave the labyrinth. Once outside, he sat down cross-legged and consumed the Body Refining Flower.

The most crucial task right now is for Hua Hsing to enhance his strength. If he encounters Sunn Yunjun in the crypt, Sunn Yunjun certainly won't let him off easily.

Hua Hsing's golden heart raced a few times, and in an instant, he absorbed all the effects of the Body Refining Flower. He felt his body grow stronger, advancing from the early phase of Qi Refining Stage Level Four to the mid-phase.

After absorbing the flower's effects, Hua Hsing surveyed his surroundings and realized he was still in the underground palace. At the far end of the palace, there was a coffin.

"Hmm? Could the secret be inside the coffin?" Hua Hsing wondered, but he didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and appeared right in front of the coffin.

Just as Hua Hsing was about to open it, the coffin lid suddenly shook. In the next moment, a red aura surged out from within. An eerie laugh echoed in Hua Hsing's ears.

Startled, Hua Hsing quickly channeled all his strength and punched the coffin. He retreated rapidly as the coffin opened, revealing a skeletal figure slowly emerging.

"What is this?" Hua Hsing was shocked. He could sense a powerful, bloody aura emanating from the skeleton.

"So, someone has discovered this place," the skeleton said ominously.

"Who are you?" Hua Hsing asked coldly.

As Hua Hsing spoke, Sunn Yunjun and others from the Seven-heaven Sect appeared outside the maze and discovered the skeleton.

"Hua Hsing?" Sunn Yunjun was surprised, not expecting Hua Hsing to be the first disciple to exit the maze. But then, he noticed the skeleton in the coffin.

"Who is he?" Sunn Yunjun asked.

"No idea, I just found him," Hua Hsing replied seriously.

"So many humans coming to meet their doom," the skeleton said icily, exuding a menacing aura. "You will all perish. The Yellow Spring Sect will rise again," it rasped.

"Run!" someone shouted, and everyone scattered in panic.

The skeleton's power was clearly formidable. With a slight movement of its bony hand, a blade of energy appeared before them.

"What? A Qi Transforming Stage master?" they exclaimed in terror, fleeing in all directions, Hua Hsing among them. Those at the Qi Refining Stage were no match for a Qi Transforming Stage master.

"Die," the skeleton sneered. The energy blade in the air struck several disciples, slicing their bodies in half, leaving a gruesome scene.

"Run!"

In an instant, several disciples at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage were killed, causing Seventh Day and the others to turn pale with shock. They were now racing toward the exit of the underground palace. On the far left of the palace, there was a clear exit. If they could make it out, there might still be a slim chance of survival.

"You're all going to die."

The Bloody Skeleton emerged from the coffin with a creaking sound. It spewed a mist from its mouth, which enveloped several disciples. Their screams were chilling as their bodies turned into piles of bones in an instant—a truly terrifying sight.

"I can't die here," Sunn Yunjun thought, his face filled with shock as he fled at top speed.

The mist from the Bloody Skeleton spared only Seventh Day, Sunn Yunjun, Hua Hsing, and Jiaang Xue; everyone else perished.

"Some promising subordinates," the Bloody Skeleton mused, seemingly changing its mind and wanting to control these survivors as its minions. Its gaunt face was filled with a sinister expression. With a wave of its hand, a strong, bloody aura filled the palace, enveloping everyone.

"Brother Zhang!" Just as Zhang Bofeng was about to escape, he suddenly felt a force from behind. The next moment, he found himself uncontrollably propelled forward.

"Sorry, Senior Brother," Jiaang Xue's voice echoed as she pushed Zhang Bofeng's body into the mist, momentarily holding it back. In that instant, she escaped from the tomb.

As Jiaang Xue made her escape, Zhang Bofeng let out a heart-wrenching scream before the mist engulfed him, leading to his immediate demise.

After Jiaang Xue fled, Sunn Yunjun and another figure's eyes lit up, ready to make their own escape. Their gaze fell on Hua Hsing.

Positioned right in front of Hua Hsing, they blocked his path. "Hua Hsing, you're staying here," Sunn Yunjun growled, launching a punch that forced Hua Hsing back, then dashed toward the tomb's exit.

Pushed back, Hua Hsing attempted to flee, but the overwhelming pressure of the Qi Transforming Stage immobilized him. "Am I really going to die here?" he thought, unwilling to accept his fate.

As Hua Hsing pondered his situation, a sudden mist enveloped him, seeping into his mind. "With such strength at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage, you're a genius. I need someone like you," the Bloody Skeleton declared, and the mist around Hua Hsing dissipated instantly.

Hua Hsing's eyes were vacant, clearly under the control of the Bloody Skeleton.

"Move."

Seeing Hua Hsing subdued, Sunn Yunjun was gripped with fear. He was just a step away from escaping.

But the Bloody Skeleton didn't give them a chance.

"You think you can escape from me? Impossible!"

With a cold sneer, the Bloody Skeleton reached out and instantly seized both Sunn Yunjun and his companion.

"No..."

Sunn Yunjun tried to resist, but it was futile. Once the mist enveloped them, their minds were under control.

"Master."

Hua Hsing and the others bowed to the Bloody Skeleton.

"My injuries haven't healed yet. From today, you three are under my command. Follow my orders, and when the Yellow Spring Sect rises again, you'll enjoy endless wealth and glory," the Bloody Skeleton rasped.

"Yes, Master," the three nodded.

Though one person managed to escape, the Bloody Skeleton didn't think she could cause any trouble.

"Damn, one got away. Looks like we can't stay here long," the Bloody Skeleton muttered, then left the tomb with Hua Hsing and the others.

Jiaang Xue hurried away from the tomb, quickly putting distance between herself and the site.

An hour later, Jiaang Xue had left the Liangyun Mountains and appeared in Liangyun City. Without pausing, she headed straight for the Azure Edge Sword Sect.

Jiaang Xue's first task upon returning to the Azure Edge Sword Sect was to find her mentor. Once she located Elder Ma and explained the situation, he fell into deep thought.

"Are you saying you discovered a bloody skeleton in the tomb claiming to be from the Yellow Spring Sect?" Elder Ma asked.

"Yes, Master. That bloody skeleton was at the Qi Transforming Stage. We were no match for it. Sunn Yunjun, Senior Brother Zhang, and others were all killed. I barely escaped," Jiaang Xue said anxiously.

"This is a serious matter. Do not speak of it to anyone else besides me."