CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 167: A COLLAPSING CORNER

It’s not that I can’t unleash all the power, but if all the power is unleashed, Zhang Chen would be the first to be impacted. As the owner, he couldn’t withstand it and would be torn apart by the terrifying power.

"I’ve just grasped the bead, and I can barely exert its first-level ability, which allows me to borrow one of its divine techniques:

[Petrification.]

[Note 1: Can be used once every thirty breaths. Every time it emits a beam of light, any creature of first level or below struck by the light will instantly turn into a stone sculpture.]

Zhang Chen felt as the magical power infused into the bead, a strange symbol appeared in his spiritual world. The symbol was ancient and gray, flowing with a natural rhythm, as if it was born of Heaven and Earth, flawless, existing within Zhang Chen’s spiritual world.

"Creatures of first level and below, as long as I target them, will turn into stone." Zhang Chen felt the profundity of the symbol and immediately burst into joy.

"What a treasure! What a treasure!" Zhang Chen held the bead, and the next moment the bead vanished into thin air, reappearing inside his sleeve.

Just as Zhang Chen put away the bead, a sudden tremor shook the ground, and the whole stone chamber began to sway as if on the verge of being torn apart, with the Feng Shui magnetic field between Heaven and Earth becoming disordered.

"What’s happening?" Zhang Chen looked at the stone chamber, which seemed about to collapse at any moment, and was startled. He quickly activated the Golden Finger to collect the experience points on the ground.

By this time, the stone chamber had begun to collapse, with fragments falling. Fortunately, the stone chamber was not large, only thirty square meters. Zhang Chen swiftly ran back and forth a few times and collected all the experience points on the ground.

"Crack~"

It seemed a larger collapse occurred outside, impacting the Nine Bends Yellow River Array, which reverted to a golden rune, flew back through a crack, and burrowed into Zhang Chen’s magical power.

The outside earth cracked, and even the Yellow River Talisman Array lost its foundation and had to flee back.

At this moment, the stone chamber suddenly collapsed, and countless stones fell, burying Zhang Chen entirely.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, Zhang Chen transformed into mist, allowing the stone chamber to collapse, and the mist he transformed into seeped under the jade altar created earlier.

When the outside world’s collapse ended, Zhang Chen revealed his form beneath the altar, his eyes full of uncertainty: "Damn it, what’s happened? But this place is not safe to stay for long."

Glancing at the altar made of jade, Zhang Chen remembered that the remaining four runes still required Jade Essence, which could not be wasted, so he directly opened the Golden Finger Interface:

[12 Skill (Entry-level): Fire Extinguishing Rune (0/100)]

[Note 1: Can reduce the burning sensation of flames]

[Points: 2,013,400]

Indeed, the experience points Zhang Chen just collected totaled two million.

"First, let’s upgrade the remaining four runes, extract the jade essence from this table, otherwise finding enough jade essence when returning to the outside world would really be troublesome."

Zhang Chen directly added points to the Fire Extinguishing Rune:

Minor Achievement (0/500)

Great Success (0/1000)

Perfection (0/2000)

[12 Skills (Quasi-first level): Fire Extinguishing Rune (0/4000)]

[Note 1: Can be immune to the burning of a first-level flame]

[Note 2: Requires one pound of Jade Essence]

[Points: 2,009,900]

Zhang Chen directly activated the Golden Finger to extract the Jade Essence from it, and then saw the Fire Extinguishing Rune fully evolve to first-level. The remaining three runes required the same points, needing 3,500 points to go from entry-level to first-level, and the Jade Essence he extracted was enough to grind out the remaining four runes.

At this point, Zhang Chen’s Golden Finger Interface refreshed again:

[12 Skills (First level): Fire Extinguishing Rune (0/4000)]

[Note: Can be immune to a first-level flame]

[13 Skills (First level): Wind Stabilizing Rune (0/4000)]

[Note 1: Can stabilize first-level winds]

[14 Skills (First level): Water Stabilizing Rune (0/4000)]

[Note 1: Can stabilize the flow of first-level water]

[15 Skills (First level): Hard Earth Talisman (0/4000)]

[Note 1: Can transform earth into rock]

[Points: 1,999,400]

Zhang Chen glanced at the points, still having 1,999,400 points, which was enough for a big upgrade, but he didn’t spend it hastily. He thought it best to store the points for now, and when the crucial moment came, see which skill was needed and then upgrade that skill.

He was inclined towards the Blood Control Technique and Light of the True God, but he felt it was better to wait. The Empress Tomb was full of unknowns, and it wouldn’t be too late to upgrade according to needs after entering the Empress Tomb.

After all, upgrading was just a thought away for him; in critical moments, a single thought would be enough to apply the points.

"Wait a bit longer! My current skills are sufficient, and my divine techniques are also adequate. There’s no rush right now." Zhang Chen pondered for a moment and decided to upgrade when necessary.

The next moment, Zhang Chen transformed into water vapor and disappeared from the spot, weaving through the cracks in the stones, continuously darting around the basement, which had completely collapsed and was impassable.

"How could this happen? Why did the Empress Tomb collapse? Wasn’t the Empress Tomb protected by a Feng Shui Grand Array?" The vapor form of Zhang Chen moved through the stone crevices, his eyes filled with confusion.

Zhang Chen then maneuvered through the cracks and emerged outside, looking at the collapsed mountain before him. His heart was full of shock as he manifested his form amid the ruins, looking at the hundred-meter tall mountain turned into ruins, his eyes full of disbelief.