Chapter 571: Taking Advantage of the Dark Moon to Open the Luxurious Grave

Wu Jianwu, who was following behind the Captain and Xu Qing, shaking his head as he walked, had no idea that someone who appreciated and understood his poetry had finally appeared in this world.

"A lonely leaf, half gone, how can a bird without wings fly high?" Wu Jianwu sighed softly.

Ning Yan, beside him, curled his lips, thinking to himself that Wu Jianwu's mind must be different from ordinary people's. If he ever stood at the pinnacle of the world, he would surely order Wu Jianwu's head to be opened to see what monstrous nonsense lurked within.

Sensing the abnormality in Ning Yan's gaze, Wu Jianwu turned to look, then let out a cold snort. "Shameless brat, three feet tall, look closer, it's dog poop!"

Ning Yan glared, wanting to lash out, but remembering the chaotic vicious beasts around Wu Jianwu, he held back.

At that moment, the Captain's voice came from ahead. "You two quiet down. It's almost dark. I'll take you to my home. I'll show you what true splendor looks like, what immeasurable wealth means. My tomb chamber was built with countless efforts and holds astonishing treasures! Big Jianjian, I have five ancient imperial scrolls you've been looking for! Little Ningning, I have seven types of items for ancestral bloodline reversion. Pick whatever you want. And Junior Brother, let me tell you, this is the foundation for our great endeavors and the source of the Red Moon Temple's future collapse! Remember to hold onto your chins later, or they might easily drop!"

The Captain's eyes gleamed with pride. He lifted his chin and sped forward.

Seeing the Captain's confidence and hopeful expression, Xu Qing grew curious. He had speculated about the Captain's past life but had no concrete clues. However, judging by the Captain's behavior along the way, his extraordinary past life seemed certain. So, anticipation also appeared in his eyes.

Even Wu Jianwu stopped reciting poetry and quickened his pace. Ning Yan's expression brightened with excitement, and Ling'er's eyes were filled with intense curiosity.

Thus, as night fell, the five of them left Yingniu City and entered the Weiyang Mountain Range.

The Captain led the way. Even though it had been a long time since he was last there, this was, after all, where he had lived in his past life. So, while he initially had to reorient himself, he quickly became familiar with the route.

Two hours later, the five of them had ventured deep into the Weiyang Mountain Range, passing peak after peak. At each location, the Captain would speak with a hint of nostalgia.

"This used to be Maiden Peak, where a beloved lady of mine resided. Alas, she's now but bones and can no longer chase me down. This was once the Three Cauldron Sect, the hometown of a good friend of mine. I truly miss him. As a member of the Artifact Clan, he was much stronger than Little Ningning and could transform into various weapons at will. Time changes, and things are no longer the same."

The Captain sighed, his wistful voice echoing. Finally, after the sky had completely darkened, he led Xu Qing and the others to the foot of a barren mountain in the Weiyang Mountain Range.

Along the way, they stopped at seven different places. Each time, the Captain performed hand seals, as if activating a seal.

"Opening my past life's tomb requires eight steps, my unique mark, and must be completed within three hours. The sequence cannot be wrong; if any step fails, it won't open. Most importantly, it requires precise timing intervals—no more, no less. This is the final spot."

The Captain looked at the barren mountain. Everything seemed normal, with no unusual signs in the surrounding environment. He surveyed the area, calculated the time, then raised his right hand, performed a hand seal, and pressed forward. The ground trembled slightly, and the rocks seemed to shift out of place.

Upon sensing this, a smile appeared on the Captain's face. He suddenly slapped his chest, let out a gasp, and spat out a large mouthful of blood onto the ground. The blood quickly merged with the earth, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The Captain's actions didn't stop there. He rapidly circled the small mountain, striking himself as he ran. To the astonishment of Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu, the Captain spat out countless mouthfuls of blood. All that blood melted into the soil, leaving no trace, seemingly seeping deep into the ground.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Captain finally returned, breathless, his face pale and weak, yet his expression was exhilarated as he spoke triumphantly. "You can't get a single step wrong in opening this tomb. No one but me can do it."

Xu Qing calculated the amount of blood the Captain had spat out—it looked like the equivalent of over two hundred people's blood. His expression turned odd; indeed, few could achieve such a feat apart from the Captain.

"Now, open your eyes wide!" The Captain laughed loudly, then stomped his foot on the ground. Immediately, the earth beneath him caved in, forming a vortex that swallowed his figure.

Without hesitation, Xu Qing stepped forward with Ling'er. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu followed closely. The five of them instantly entered the vortex. The next moment, the vortex vanished, and everything returned to normal.

The restrictions here were clearly designed with stealth and minimal disturbance in mind, so from start to finish, they caused very little commotion; everything was silent. Xu Qing couldn't sense where the vortex led. Now, as his vision cleared, the five of them found themselves inside an underground cavern.

The cavern was quite large, oval-shaped, hundreds of feet high, and surrounded by twelve colossal statues. Among them were human figures and figures of other races. Some held weapons, others glared fiercely, all exuding an ancient aura. Compared to them, Xu Qing and his companions seemed to have entered a kingdom of giants.

Directly in front, there was a massive throne, empty except for a stone crown. Nothing else. Though simple, a dominant and rugged aura permeated the cavern.

Ning Yan gazed at the scene. After discerning the layout, he gasped. "Twelve overlords ninety-nine feet tall, bowing before a throne one hundred feet high—this is the grandeur of an emperor!"

Wu Jianwu didn't understand these details, but he felt an inexplicable sense of awe, and his gaze towards the Captain was filled with deep surprise and doubt. Xu Qing's heart also stirred. From the layout of this place, the Captain's past life seemed extraordinarily remarkable. Ling'er's eyes, too, were wide with disbelief.

Noticing everyone's gazes, the Captain sighed softly. His voice, filled with reminiscence and ancient weariness, echoed in the cavern. As the echoes faded, he lifted his foot and slowly walked forward.

Under everyone's gaze, the Captain walked step by step to the very front. His figure expanded at that moment until he reached a height of one hundred feet, then he sat on the throne, looking down upon the ground. This height, this gaze, and the aura emanating from all directions made the Captain seem like an emperor returned, capable of devouring mountains and rivers.

Wu Jianwu instinctively trembled and bowed his head. Ning Yan, too, felt his legs go weak from the intake of breath.

Only Xu Qing suppressed the turmoil in his heart. His eyes showed doubt as he looked around and then at the giant figure the Captain had transformed into, suddenly speaking. "Senior Brother, this place is fake, isn't it?"

As Xu Qing's words fell, Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu's eyes widened. The Captain on the throne remained majestic, continuing to gaze at Xu Qing. Xu Qing turned his head, looked at the void to his right, and spoke expressionlessly. "Senior Brother, stop messing around."

Laughter came from where Xu Qing was looking, and the Captain's figure appeared from the void. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu abruptly looked at him, then at the giant figure on the throne, immediately realizing that the one on the throne was an illusion. The real Captain had hidden himself upon arriving.

The Captain ignored Ning Yan and the other, smiling as he looked at Xu Qing. "Haha, you understand me best, Junior Brother. You're right, this place was set up to deter tomb robbers. Although the activation method is complex and only I know it, I specifically built this area to prevent any accidents. This way, any tomb robber who comes here will surely be fooled and fall into a deadly trap." The Captain said proudly, "I've dealt with tomb raiding my entire life; I know them too well."

Xu Qing nodded; this indeed matched the Captain's style. "Let's go, I'll take you further. There are eight more places like this ahead, all prepared by me to guard against tomb robbers."

The Captain, looking sly, walked forward, leading Xu Qing and the others to the foot of the illusory throne. He spat out a large mouthful of blood, which merged to form a vortex, and then jumped into it.

And so, they continued their journey, passing through six more places the Captain mentioned. Each was built incredibly realistically, one more grand than the last. The sixth one, in particular, gave a sense of being shrouded in mist, with faint scenes visible within, astonishing Ning Yan anew with its scale, even though he knew it was an illusion. It was clearly the grandeur of an ancient emperor.

Without proceeding further, within this sixth illusion, the Captain plucked a wisp of mist, spat blood onto it, and merged them. This eventually transformed into a colossal misty gate.

"Typically, after continuously breaking through illusions, people entering here would instinctively think there's more falsehood ahead. So, I did the opposite: I hid the real entrance here. Opening this gate leads to the first level of my past life's dwelling." The Captain stood before the gate, speaking, looking like a proud peacock.

Wu Jianwu had been completely awestruck by the journey so far. He felt that if so much effort was put into creating these elaborate false tombs to deter robbers, the real tomb must be even more extravagant.

Ning Yan's focus wasn't on this; he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of layout do the two remaining false tombs have?"

The Captain smiled but said nothing. He raised his right hand and waved it, and the sun from the Lone Sun tribe appeared before him, flashing brightly towards the misty gate. It flashed nine times in total.

After nine flashes, the misty gate rumbled, slowly opening and revealing itself to Xu Qing and the others.

"We're home. Ah, it's been so long since I've been back. I've missed it dearly." The Captain could already imagine Xu Qing and the others being dumbfounded by his collection. So, he casually raised a hand, gesturing for them to enter.

Xu Qing, genuinely anticipating, stepped forward. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu quickly followed, and after they had all entered, the Captain smiled proudly and stepped in as well.

As they appeared, a colossal cave dwelling came into view.

"This is... huh?" The Captain's voice trailed off. He looked around, momentarily stunned.

The cave dwelling was completely empty. There was nothing inside. Even the throne was gone. It was impeccably clean, as if someone had thoroughly cleaned it from the inside out, not missing a single corner.

Xu Qing's expression was peculiar, Ning Yan blinked, and Wu Jianwu raised an eyebrow. Ling'er, next to Xu Qing, whispered quietly, "It's so clean here."

The Captain quickly turned his head, scanning the surroundings. The more he looked, the more uneasy he felt. He sensed something was wrong but maintained a facade of calmness and composure. "This first level never had much anyway. After so many years, it's normal for things to have weathered away. My real treasures are all on the second level. I even made special arrangements there back then."

Saying this, the Captain hurried a few steps to the wall at the front of the cave dwelling. With a flick of his sleeve, the wall rumbled and transformed into a stone door. Seeing the stone door intact, the Captain breathed a sigh of relief. He then raised his hand to his mouth, licked it thoroughly, coating it with saliva, and didn't forget to explain to Xu Qing. "Opening this door requires my saliva and my hand. Without them, no one can open it."

With that, the Captain placed his hand on the large door. "Open!"

The door rumbled, vibrated a few times, then remained motionless. Xu Qing blinked, looking at the Captain along with Ling'er. Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan also looked.

The Captain was surprised. He withdrew his hand, then simply used his left hand, licking it more thoroughly before pressing again. The stone door vibrated more intensely but still didn't open.

Sweat began to bead on the Captain's forehead. Noticing everyone's eyes on him, he coughed. "It's been too long; there might be a minor issue. No problem, no problem, I have a backup method."

With that, the Captain raised both hands and pressed with all his might. The door vibrated even more violently than before, but still showed no signs of opening. The Captain's eyes widened, and he bit his tongue, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. His blood made the door shake furiously, yet it remained closed.

Xu Qing's eyes gleamed. He stepped forward, raised his right hand, and directly punched the door, making its vibrations even more intense.

The Captain gasped, completely frantic. "What are you two standing around for? Come help me! This damn isn't right; someone changed the way my door opens!!"

Wu Jianwu muttered under his breath but still chose to summon his kin. Soon, a giant bear appeared, then a parrot, and one by one, various fierce beasts descended, all rushing to attack the door.

Ning Yan had a bad feeling and was about to retreat when the Captain raised his hand and grabbed him from a distance. Immediately, vines flew from Ning Yan's stomach. The Captain seized them and swung him fiercely. Ning Yan wailed as his body slammed against the large door. A loud bang resonated. He was thick-skinned and unharmed. Under their combined efforts, the door finally managed to open a crack.

The Captain was anxious. Once the crack appeared, he desperately spat blood, mouthful after mouthful, into the opening. His blood, in the context of his past life's arrangements, was now all-powerful. So, as the blood merged, the crack grew wider and wider. Finally, with a mighty roar, the stone door fully opened, and a massive cave chamber appeared before Xu Qing and the others.

This place... was a complete mess.

It clearly looked like it had been robbed. Everything had been ransacked, scattered everywhere. Countless pill bottles were shattered, shelves had collapsed, and even a decaying smell permeated the air.

The Captain was dumbfounded.

Xu Qing's eyes gleamed. He walked into the cavern, observing the traces within the chaos. Wu Jianwu, beside him, let out a long sigh. The sight made him want to recite poetry. "The oxen happily return home, but the house with bare walls is truly desolate..."

"Big Jianjian means, Senior Brother Er Niu, your home has been robbed," Ning Yan whispered.

The Captain turned and stared at the two of them with a look that seemed to want to devour them, scaring them into immediate silence. However, the Captain was in no mood to deal with these two fools. Seeing the devastation, his heart burned with frustration. His mind raced, trying to recall if he had left anything valuable here in his past life.

After a long moment, the Captain exhaled, pretending to be relaxed. He raised his head and spoke indifferently. "I anticipated this. After all these years, it's normal for accidents to happen. That's why I put all my good stuff next to the coffin on the very last level. This second level, if it's gone, it's gone. But my coffin, on the third level, is absolutely safe. No one in this world can open it except me, not even deities!"

The Captain, full of pride, walked to the center of the cavern. As he performed hand seals, the ground of the cavern rumbled, a circular ground door appeared in the center.

Xu Qing believed the first part of the Captain's statement. As for deities being unable to open it, Xu Qing didn't believe that. But he said nothing. His gaze swept over the ground, then he looked up at the ground door in the center, deep in thought, just about to speak.

However, the Captain had already begun to open the door. A booming sound echoed, and the Captain spat out blood, his body reeling back. His eyes showed ferocity, and his expression was crazed. "Interesting! They even altered this restriction for me!"

Just as Xu Qing was about to step forward, the Captain waved his hand in mid-air. "This time, I refuse to believe it without doing it myself!"

Remembering his pronouncements along the way, now being so thoroughly humiliated, the Captain's self-esteem erupted intensely. His eyes turned bloodshot, eerie faces appeared in his pupils, faces with open eyes, and faces within those eyes. Layer upon layer, seemingly endless, a blue light emanated from his entire body. The surrounding chill erupted instantly, swiftly approaching the ground door. He raised his right hand and slammed it forcefully onto the door. His chest even tore open, revealing blue arms covered in bone spikes. Not just one, but seven or eight arms emerged from his body, and a terrifying fluctuation erupted within him.

All of Wu Jianwu's beast kin trembled simultaneously. Ning Yan was even more terrified. Then, those seven or eight monstrous blue hands pressed simultaneously onto the ground door. The ground rumbled. The restrictions here were originally set by the Captain himself. Although they had been altered, his method of activation was still unique compared to others. So, in the blink of an eye, the ground door vibrated, and cracks gleamed within it, forming a single rune. The rune flashed a few times, then with a loud crack, it penetrated downward. The ground door instantly collapsed, shattering into pieces, revealing a ten-zhang-wide hole.

Without any hesitation, the Captain's body swayed and he dove straight into the hole. Soon, a wail came from below. The sound was tragic. Xu Qing's expression changed, and he instantly rushed forward, entering the hole and stepping onto the third level. Everything here made him gasp as well.

The level of chaos surpassed the second level. If the second level was likened to being hit by one thief, then this third level had been visited by a gang of them. The surroundings were littered with debris, and there were even some dried droppings. The air was foul, and the sight was shocking. Especially the coffin, which should have been on the central platform, was now gone, shattered into pieces, with a small portion still lying in a corner. It was empty inside. No corpse.

As for the Captain, he was now sitting blankly on a piece of shattered coffin, gazing at his surroundings with an expression of unprecedented bewilderment.

Seeing this, Xu Qing sighed, walked over to the Captain, and patted his shoulder. "Junior Brother, my past life body... was stolen." The Captain looked up at Xu Qing, his expression filled with grief and indignation.

Wu Jianwu and Ning Yan also came down at this moment, each startled by the surroundings.

"Senior Brother, calm down. Are you sure your past life body is truly dead?" Xu Qing asked softly. He didn't know what it felt like to have a past life body stolen, as such an experience was not something everyone could have, but he could understand the Captain's current feelings.

Upon hearing this, the Captain's eyes narrowed instantly. He was a shrewd individual to begin with, and his previous bewilderment was due to the immense shock of losing his past life body. Even without Xu Qing's reminder, he would have quickly noticed the anomaly. His expression then turned cold.

"Are you saying my past life body did this after awakening? But if my past life didn't die, I couldn't have had a next life. So that possibility doesn't exist, unless..."

"Something unclean possessed your past life body," Xu Qing stated calmly.

"Exactly! I've always been the one scheming against others. This is the first time in my life I've been schemed against!" The Captain stood up, radiating a terrifying aura. "The chaos on the second level came from one direction, so it was most likely one person."

"And this third level..." Xu Qing looked at the Captain.

The Captain's eyes gleamed with madness as he spoke slowly. "The third level's devastation originated from the center. Judging by the broken items, the coffin first exploded on its own, creating an impact, followed by the rummaging and looting. And this unclean entity could open the ground door and alter it, even changing the second level's door. This means it understands me very well. In that case, the scope narrows considerably. The possibility of an outside entity entering is small. Instead, an unclean spirit born here is far more likely. I had many burial objects back then. After all these years, perhaps one of them coincidentally gave birth to a spirit!"

The Captain spoke slowly, his thoughts growing clearer with each word. Finally, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "However, this unclean entity shouldn't have possessed my past life body. That past life body was refined by me from birth and is linked to this place. Unless I resolve it, it will turn to dust if it leaves the Weiyang Mountain Range. So, as long as it's still alive, it must be somewhere nearby!" The Captain's voice was icy, filled with murderous intent.

Xu Qing nodded, looking at the surrounding walls. Without needing to speak, the Captain already understood. "We need to confirm if our arrival this time was detected by the other party."

The Captain formed hand seals, and lights flashed around the tomb, the existing restrictions responding to him. After a moment, the Captain let out a cold snort. "There are no signs of outward fluctuations being transmitted. Although this unclean entity has also made arrangements here, this is ultimately my tomb!"

After speaking, the Captain spat out a large mouthful of blood. He then raised his right hand and squeezed it, causing the blood to transform into a compass on his fingers. Its needle began to spin, starting to point. "As long as it has any connection to my bloodline, my bloodline guide can find it!"

The next instant, the needle locked onto a direction: Ning Yan.

Ning Yan's expression changed.