Continuing forward.
After passing two more junctions, Bai Ye was near the tomb chamber of the King of Huai'nan. At this moment, he faintly heard the sounds of fighting and shouts.
Bai Ye immediately quickened his pace, reaching the edge of the tomb chamber and peeking inside.
Indeed, a fight had broken out!
The twenty-odd people who had arrived at the King of Huai'nan's tomb chamber earlier were now engaged in a fierce battle, a group of them scrambling for a single pill.
The pill was about the size of a longan, pure gold, surrounded by a radiant golden glow, with auspicious cloud patterns on its surface.
The Tai Xia Immortal Pill!
This was one of the rewards for Mission Three!
"This is a good thing too!"
Bai Ye knew the effects of the Tai Xia Immortal Pill. It was like injecting the T-virus, capable of strengthening the physical body. However, its enhancement wasn't as terrifying as the T-virus. Furthermore, the Tai Xia Immortal Pill had another effect: it could transform the physical body into an immortal physique, strengthening the power of both sword techniques and Daoist magic.
However, just like injecting the T-virus without a vaccine would turn one into a zombie, the Tai Xia Immortal Pill had its pitfalls. The chance of achieving the immortal physique was only fifty percent. As for the other fifty percent...
Legend had it that the King of Huai'nan died after consuming the Tai Xia Immortal Pill. One could only guess what the other outcome was.
Therefore, Bai Ye was uninterested in the Tai Xia Immortal Pill. Let others fight over it; his sole interest was the Five Spirit Disk.
While thinking, Bai Ye quietly crept into the tomb chamber and moved along the wall to the side.
Since Bai Ye wasn't entering the fray, few people noticed him. Even if someone did, they were too busy fighting for the Tai Xia Immortal Pill to pay him any mind.
Thus, Bai Ye smoothly circled along the wall to the other side of the tomb chamber.
On this side, the walls were adorned with murals depicting the King of Huai'nan's journey of cultivation. In front of the wall stood a massive alchemical furnace.
Upon seeing the furnace, Bai Ye's eyes lit up. The Five Spirit Disk he was looking for was beneath the furnace, as the King of Huai'nan had utilized the five elements' power of the Five Spirit Disk during his alchemy.
Bai Ye glanced around, ensuring no one was paying attention to his side, and quietly moved towards the alchemical furnace.
He was about to succeed!
Bai Ye's excitement was palpable, but at that very moment...
Bang!
A loud noise suddenly erupted!
Someone, during the fight, had bumped into the white jade coffin placed in the center of the tomb chamber. The coffin let out a muffled sound, and a small portion of it was pushed open, releasing a puff of purple smoke.
The people around stopped, their attention drawn by the emerging purple smoke.
It carried a sinister aura that made one feel extremely uncomfortable, as if ants were crawling all over their skin.
Soon, the purple smoke gradually dissipated, and a humanoid figure materialized. It wore a brown dragon robe, its hands were a pair of bone claws, its entire skin was purplish-blue, and it had no legs below its waist; instead, purple smoke coalesced into a swirling mist that supported its lower half, hovering in the air.
"I have seen the light of day again, hahahaha, I have finally seen the light of day." The figure glanced at its own body and then burst into maniacal laughter. "Unbelievable, truly unbelievable!"
Bai Ye's scalp tingled. These scoundrels, how could they have released the King of Huai'nan?
The King of Huai'nan's appearance couldn't be prevented, but Bai Ye knew clearly that someone needed to obtain the Tai Xia Immortal Pill and the Five Spirit Disk. Only after leaving the King of Huai'nan's tomb chamber would the King of Huai'nan pursue them.
Now, some unlucky fellow had bumped the coffin, allowing the King of Huai'nan to escape prematurely.
At the same time, someone looked at the King of Huai'nan and tentatively asked, "King of Huai'nan, Liu An?"
"How dare you!" The King of Huai'nan was immediately enraged and looked at the person, saying, "Who are you to dare address this king by name?"
The person nonchalantly replied, "You were a prince in life, but in death, you are nothing but a lonely ghost. Why the pretense!"
"Nonsense." The King of Huai'nan's anger intensified. He roared, "I possess the Supreme Jade Cauldron and the Tai Xia Immortal Pill. I shall reign for ten thousand generations and live as long as the heavens. How dare a mere junior utter such insolent words before me? You seek death!"
The moment the King of Huai'nan finished speaking, he suddenly raised a bone claw and brought it down in front.
As the King of Huai'nan struck, the purple smoke beneath him surged, forming a giant hand in the air that descended upon the person.
The strike was incredibly fast. The person had no chance to react before being hit directly on the crown of the head.
In the next instant, blood flowed from the person's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Their pupils bulged, even popping out of their eye sockets and falling to the ground. The body went limp and collapsed backward, utterly lifeless.
One strike, effortlessly killing one person!
The others were instantly shocked and quickly retreated from the coffin, assuming a defensive stance.
The King of Huai'nan laughed heartily, "A bunch of mere mortals, daring to oppose me?"
But at this very moment...
Bai Ye suddenly sprang into action, kicking the alchemical furnace with all his might, sending it flying towards the King of Huai'nan.
The man who had been misleading everyone earlier looked at Bai Ye with surprise, exclaiming, "Little brother, you're still alive?"
Bai Ye, however, had no time to attend to him. The ground beneath the alchemical furnace was carved with a Bagua diagram, and in its center lay the Five Spirit Disk Bai Ye desired.
The Five Spirit Disk was made of copper, its five sides corresponding to the five elements, inlaid in the floor at the center of the Bagua diagram.
Bai Ye bent down, dug out the Five Spirit Disk with force, and then sprinted away.
On the other side...
The King of Huai'nan watched the approaching alchemical furnace and flicked his arm, sending it flying aside. He then looked up and saw Bai Ye, clutching the Five Spirit Disk, rushing out of the tomb chamber.
"Scoundrel, how dare you steal my treasure!" The King of Huai'nan roared. "Perish!"
The King of Huai'nan's body suddenly floated forward.
The people near the coffin were greatly alarmed, retreating while attempting to defend themselves.
But the King of Huai'nan paid them no heed. He simply swept his bone claws, and a chilling wind swirled around, blowing away the people in front.
Those struck directly by the Yin wind felt a profound chill engulf their bodies. They trembled uncontrollably, blood began to flow from their orifices, their flesh withered rapidly, and within moments, they became desiccated corpses.
A cultivator from the immortal world reacted fastest, summoning his flying sword and casting a sword incantation. "Ling Wu Sword, Shatter!"
The sword, entirely crimson, shot forward, its blade rapidly igniting as it flew directly towards the King of Huai'nan's face. But just as it was about to strike...
...