CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 82: COOPERATION_1

On the other side, Qin Wudao led his group toward the colossal, blade-mountain at the center of the ruins. With his Earth-grade soul, he possessed keen senses, capable of perceiving any disturbance in the vicinity, even the slightest rustle of wind or movement of grass.

If you want to survive longer in a world full of cultivators, you must stay vigilant, especially when in unfamiliar ruins. A blade of grass or a tiny rock might become a lethal weapon. Of course, these visible threats were not the only risks; the hidden enemies lurking in the darkness were the most dangerous. It is well known that power struggles among people are always the cruelest indeed!

"Wait!" When they were passing through a canyon, Qin Wudao suddenly stopped, scrutinizing what lay ahead, a cold smile touching his lips. "If you’re waiting for me, why bother hiding? Just show yourselves!"

Wu Ming and the others were startled and looked around cautiously but found nothing.

It was dead silent.

They couldn’t hear a thing.

Wu Ming glanced at Qin Wudao, as if to ask if his senses had been mistaken.

However, at that very moment, dozens of figures materialized from thin air, exuding powerful auras that pressed down, causing the Void to seemingly congeal and the atmosphere to grow tense.

"Ten Thousand Flowers Sect, so you’ve indeed sided with the Changeable Mansion!" Upon seeing the disciples of the Ten Thousand Flowers Sect, Qin Xiaolong’s murderous intent became palpable; if not for his insufficient strength, he would have likely attacked already.

Hua Lin Yue shot him a glance but said nothing, merely dismissing him as a defeated opponent.

After entering the Ghost Tomb ruins, they had only targeted people from the Qin Empire, primarily to avenge their two senior sisters.

"Speak. What is it?" Qin Wudao asked indifferently.

He spoke this way because he didn’t sense any murderous intent from Zhang Yangtian. The path they were on led straight to the colossal blade-mountain at the center of the ruins. If Zhang Yangtian planned an ambush, a murderous aura would surely be present. With the keen senses of his Earth-grade soul, not even the faintest trace of murderous intent could escape his perception.

Of course, the absence of murderous intent did not equate to the absence of killing intent.

"I sensed the presence of Heaven Realm ghost entities in the ruins!" Zhang Yangtian stated calmly.

"Heaven Realm ghost entities?" Qin Wudao raised an eyebrow; this was unexpected. He had originally assumed that the Ghost Tomb ruins would, at most, contain powerful entities at the peak of the Transcendent Realm. Now, it seemed things were more troublesome. Like Zhang Yangtian, he didn’t give much thought to Transcendent Realm martial artists, but those at the Heaven Realm were a different matter entirely...

"So, you are seeking an alliance with me, Your Highness?" Qin Wudao asked in a grave tone.

"Correct!" Zhang Yangtian nodded, speaking calmly, "You are powerful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a match for Heaven Realm ghosts. Only by allying can we hope to obtain the final treasure!"

Qin Wudao didn’t reply, sinking into contemplation.

He wasn’t sure if he could handle a Heaven Realm ghost. But he also knew that allying with Zhang Yangtian was inherently risky! He didn’t believe for a second that Zhang Yangtian harbored purely good intentions or lacked ulterior motives. What if Zhang betrayed him during their joint battle against the Heaven Realm ghost?

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Wu Ming and the others all looked towards Qin Wudao; the decision to fight or ally rested solely on his word.

Zhang Yangtian showed no impatience, standing quietly to the side, waiting. He was confident he would get the outcome he desired—unless Qin Wudao was willing to abandon the fourth-level miniature world and the treasures within the Ghost Tomb ruins, returning empty-handed.

Riches sway the hearts of men!

"Agreed!" After a moment of thought, Qin Wudao nodded.

"A pleasure doing business with you!" Zhang Yangtian smiled, a hint of cunning lurking deep within his eyes.

Thus, the disciples from the Qin Empire, the Changeable Mansion, and the Ten Thousand Flowers Sect temporarily concealed their murderous intent. Harboring their own individual thoughts, they proceeded towards the center of the ruins.

Besides them, disciples from the Lin Family, the Azure Empire, Gun City, and the Ten Thousand Thunder Sect were also rapidly approaching the center of the ruins. Although their paths were different, they would all eventually converge at a single point.

***

"My King, we have not found the intruders!" Outside the Stele, the Skeleton Ghost King faced the Massive Blades Mountain. He radiated a white light, and a bizarre, powerful, and noble aura permeated the surroundings. The scepter in his hand also exuded a similar, chilling aura.

Behind him, a black skeleton ghost knelt on the ground, speaking with utmost reverence.

"Stop searching!" the Skeleton Ghost King commanded authoritatively as he turned around. "Send out the signal, summon all our kin, and wait for the prey to walk into our trap!"

"As you command!" The black skeleton ghost bowed again and departed to relay the message. It released a special energy that spread throughout the entire Ghost Tomb ruins, awakening all the ghosts that lay dormant underground, cut off from the light of day!

Mountains, plains, canyons...

The ground trembled as countless ghosts crawled out from beneath the earth, converging towards the central region—a vast, innumerable tide.

A great battle was about to begin!

"Whether our race can step into the light depends on this battle!" the Skeleton Ghost King murmured to himself, clutching his scepter tightly. His expression shifted constantly—excitement, anticipation, and an almost imperceptible trace of fear.

Although the Ghost Tomb was vast, a world unto itself where they could live and propagate, this relic space was vastly different from the outside world. Firstly, the Spiritual Energy was thin, making it difficult for them to advance their cultivation. Secondly, the laws were different; the interior of the ruins was grey and desolate, a place of utter stillness, without sunlight, without the cycle of day and night, and certainly without the changing of seasons.

Finally, there was a legend!

From their inherited memories, they knew that if they could break the seal of the ruins, under the influence of the Power of Laws from both spaces, their cultivation would soar, advancing at least two realms.

He considered that if the rumor was true, leapfrogging two realms would make him a martial artist of the Saint Realm! Thinking about this, he grew even more excited.

In this world, all living beings craved the mastery of great power!

"So many ghosts!" When they were still fifty li from the Massive Blades Mountain, Qin Wudao and his group encountered immense trouble. Looking around, they saw an endless sea of ghosts, a sight that made one’s scalp tingle.

"By order of our King, kill!" a black skeleton ghost roared, its Transcendent Realm aura erupting as it launched an attack.

Countless ghosts surged with fury, attacking as one!

"Everyone, be careful!" Zhang Yangtian warned. Standing at the front of the group, his yin-yang power flared, forming a barrier like a mountain to hold back the ghosts.

"Yin Yang Qiankun Finger!"

Zhang Yangtian’s eyes transformed, one black and one white. Two finger imprints, one black and one white, tore through the sky and crashed down upon the ghost army, causing a heaven-shaking explosion.

RUMBLE!

The ground quaked, and two trenches, several hundred zhang long and over a dozen zhang wide, appeared. All ghosts within that area were brutally killed.

The charging ghosts, momentarily stunned by Zhang Yangtian’s power, faltered in their advance.

"Kill!"

But soon, they charged again, fearless of death, driven only by slaughter.

"Five Elements Sword Art!" Qin Wudao cast a deep glance at Zhang Yangtian. The Xuan Yuan sword materialized in his palm, gleaming with golden light as he slashed forward.

Sword Qi filled the air!

It swept across an area of several hundred zhang!

At least several thousand ghosts were viciously slain by the Sword Qi. Even the black skeleton ghost, which possessed Transcendent Realm strength, perished beneath the Sword Qi.

"Kill!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The prodigies of the Changeable Mansion, Ten Thousand Flowers Sect, and Qin Empire were not idle either, felling numerous enemies. Against ordinary ghosts, their strength allowed them to dispatch their foes with ease!