CHAPTER 474: CHAPTER 436 ROTTEN FLESH

"What is that eerie sound?"

Most people were hearing this sound for the first time, only Tian Lin and Mei Xianfu had personally seen much of the decaying flesh within the secret realm.

Thanks to the people ahead retreating in fear, Tian Lin tightly held the hands of the Cui’er sisters to prevent them from getting separated from him.

Just like that, without realizing it, they slowly pushed their way to the front from the middle section.

Soon they also saw the people chiseling at the wall, these people wielded swords, knives, or axes, striking the stone wall with resounding clangs.

Yet their actions had little effect; the ordinary stone wall, strengthened by the murals, seemed as hard as a Dao Artifact.

Many people not only failed to destroy the murals but were instead dragged into the murals themselves.

Realizing the murals were unusual, the people who attempted to strike them became fearful and quickly withdrew their weapons, distancing themselves from the murals.

In theory, this tomb passage was not narrow. However, with so many people crowding it, it felt quite difficult to move through.

"As long as we don’t get close to these murals, they don’t seem to cause harm on their own. Moreover, the elders ahead have left these murals, so it seems these murals do not pose a grave threat."

Tian Lin’s words were not without reason, but on closer reflection, the elders at the front entered the grand tomb to rescue their kin.

They didn’t destroy the murals simply because they didn’t want to waste time on them.

As for a grave threat?

The cultivators behind them had nothing to do with them; did these elders care about their lives?

At this moment, it was a critical time for treasure hunting; did these cultivators have the luxury to think about much more?

They had no intention of getting entangled with the murals, so they swarmed forward again.

When Tian Lin tried to approach the murals, the Cui’er sisters hurriedly pulled him back.

"Master, it’s better for us to stay some distance away."

Tian Lin said, "These murals appear to be a portion of a map."

A map?

Some cultivators heading forward heard Tian Lin’s words and stopped to gather in front of the murals: "Could it be a treasure map?"

"It’s not a treasure map; it looks more like a route to the capital from the Daqi Dynasty."

The cultivator did not believe it, "Why would the murals have a map from the Daqi Dynasty? The landscape has long changed over millennia, how could an ancient map be used today? Besides, how are you sure it’s an ancient map from millennia ago?"

"I once saw an ancient map in the Wenda Sect, so I think the ancient map looks somewhat similar to the official road map on these murals."

Tian Lin was making things up, but that person finally realized, "So, it is Brother Tian from the Wenda Sect, my apologies for the lack of courtesy."

A name reflects a person’s stature; Tian Lin is the only one in Hua Hualang who went from an Outer Disciple to a True Disciple.

To the children of aristocratic families, Tian Lin is a lucky scoundrel who advanced through leveraging fortune.

But in the eyes of those in Hua Hualang, Tian Lin is a legend within Hua Hualang itself. Who wouldn’t want to replicate Tian Lin and become the next True Disciple?

"Brother Tian, why did the Yun Ding Gong hang this official road map on this stone wall as a mural?"

Everyone knew that Tian Lin and ’Yun Ding Gong’ were sworn brothers, so naturally, it was assumed Tian Lin held unique insights on Yun Ding Gong’s grand tomb.

However, Tian Lin had no different insights or secrets.

But he did not hide his ignorance, instead stating bluntly, "This mural might not have been drawn by Yun Ding Gong; it looks more like it’s naturally formed. Moreover, this place does not seem like Yun Ding Gong’s tomb, it looks more like his cultivation ground."

His statement was quite shocking because everyone was convinced this was Yun Ding Gong’s grand tomb, and Yun Ding Gong had appeared from this grand tomb.

Yet Tian Lin said this was not the tomb.

"Is there perhaps a secret chamber here, and the tomb is hidden elsewhere?"

The cultivator asked Tian Lin, but Tian Lin replied, "Probably there is no tomb at all, this might simply be Yun Ding Gong’s cultivation ground, his place of seclusion; it’s a pity that during this seclusion, he was overtaken by the Heart Demon and couldn’t break out."

His descendants assumed he failed to break through and perished, thereby sealing off his place of seclusion as the so-called burial site.

How many places meant for seclusion ended up as burial places?

This is common among cultivators striving to break through in their cultivation.

Yet Yun Ding Gong was in the Divinity Transformation stage, could someone of his level die during seclusion?

While others questioned Tian Lin, screams again sounded from the front.

A group of people looked ahead and saw cultivators retreating while shouting, "So many meat creatures!"

Meat creatures?

The others didn’t understand, but Tian Lin did.

He was puzzled; the decaying meat in the secret realm was indeed bizarre, but in fact, it was invaluable ’treasured evil spirits,’ what was there to fear?

At this moment, Tian Lin advanced instead of retreating, only he no longer pulled Cui’er and Yu’er.

If there was danger ahead, he could escape more easily alone. Bringing along the Yu’er sisters would instead be a burden to him.

"I’m so hungry, so hungry!"

"Don’t eat me, don’t eat me."

The further they went, the louder the sound of rotting meat became.

Quickly, everyone saw blood-red light flashing in front, only to see the pitch-black tomb passage ahead, where the previously hard stone wall began to wriggle continuously.

Upon closer inspection, these wriggling stone walls were clearly walls of flesh.

Hanging above these flesh walls were severed heads. The hair of these heads had turned into ropes, tightly nailed to the top of the flesh walls.

In their mouths was flowing blood, and they were shouting ’don’t eat me, don’t eat me.’

As for the phrase ’I’m so hungry,’ that was coming from the flesh walls on either side below each head.

The flesh walls on both sides were covered with dense teeth, which were not sharp but dreadfully white.

"It’s Yun Huazi and the others!"

Someone recognized those heads hanging above, clearly, they were the treasure-hunting cultivators who had rushed in earlier.

Tian Lin also recognized a familiar figure among the heads.

It was the same Sword Sect Disciple who had once squabbled with him and Mei Xianfu. Although punished by a Sword Sect elder, he was not stripped of the opportunity to seek the Great Dao in the grand tomb.

Unfortunately, he didn’t find the opportunity in the grand tomb; instead, he ended up burying himself there, becoming a headless evil spirit.

"Where is Miss Mei?"

Cui’er anxiously looked at each of the hanging heads, searching for Miss Mei.

Tian Lin shook his head, "Senior Sister Mei is not among them—"

He wanted to add that ’she might be found further back as a corpse.’

If Mei Xianfu’s body were here, there is no way Elder Mei wouldn’t appear, nor would he have left this rotting flesh.

He turned to look at the surrounding cultivators and asked, "Are there any disciples of the Xiangxi Sect present, or any corpse chaser cultivators? These rotting flesh beings might be more effectively dealt with using the methods of the Xiangxi Sect."

He wanted others to take the lead, but others weren’t foolish.

Someone said, "True Disciple Tian, you are a True Disciple of the Wenda Sect, your methods are much stronger than ours. In my opinion, it would be more appropriate for your esteemed self to take action."

While everyone was shirking, the monk’s voice rang out, saying, "Mr. Tian, why not let this humble monk give it a try?"