Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments

Chapter 324 - 178: Artifact Spirit: You’re Not Here for the Inheritance?

His lips trembled as he demanded, "My Soul-Shaking Bell can’t be blocked by any Magical Artifact. How are you unaffected?"

Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "You want to know?"

"But I’m not going to tell you."

With that, he used a Black Tiger Heart Stealing technique and finished Qiang off cleanly.

Then, as Xiao Chen bent down to pick up the Storage Bag, he glanced at the Soul-Shaking Bell in his hand.

Although he had dealt with Qiang without any real harm, the recent attack served as a wake-up call.

’If I want to live long enough in the cultivation world, I have to cover all my bases. I can’t afford to ignore even the seemingly insignificant details.’

Ever since reaching Foundation Establishment, Xiao Chen had hardly encountered any obstacles with his Divine Sense.

Throughout the entire Southern Domain, there were very few reported cases of attacks targeting the Divine Soul.

’But if my Divine Sense hadn’t been strong enough today, I would have nearly fallen for that Demon Cultivator’s trick right here.’

’In the future, I need to find ways to strengthen my Divine Soul. It would also be best to cultivate a Technique for Defense Against Spiritual Attacks.’

’Of course, there’s no need to dwell on these issues right now. First, I should get my hands on the remaining three Storage Bags.’

The Demon Cultivator leader was in utter despair.

The Restriction Talismans didn’t work, the Yellow Springs Secret Technique didn’t work, and the Blood Sacrifice Demon Soldiers didn’t work either.

He watched helplessly as Xiao Chen took down another one of his subordinates and then charged toward him.

He actually turned and tried to flee on the spot, completely forgetting the mission assigned by his sect.

However, he wasn’t fast enough—at least, not as fast as the Vertical Earth Golden Light.

And so, before he could even rush into the inner tomb, Xiao Chen caught him and finished him off on the spot.

After dealing with the six Demon Cultivators, Xiao Chen turned and went back outside the gate to signal that he was unharmed. "Yao, Yang, the tomb entrance is secure."

"I’m going inside to check things out."

"But the further in we go, the more unpredictable the dangers might become."

As he spoke, Xiao Chen looked at Du Mingjie and the others. "For safety’s sake, I suggest we either go in separately or wait a while before entering."

After saying this, he didn’t linger and turned back to enter the main tomb.

He passed through the Bronze Gate and walked down a corridor filled with Demonic Qi.

Beyond it was a square Earth Palace, nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang long.

As far as the eye could see, everything glittered with a brilliant golden light.

The floor was paved with golden bricks, the walls were covered in gold foil, and statues forged from pure gold stood all around.

And in the very center, on a high platform built from stacks of gold bars, rested a massive Golden Coffin.

Throughout the Earth Palace, nine hundred and ninety-nine Everlasting Lamps made of pure gold were lit.

They seemed to be fueled by some kind of Spiritual Fire, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

Yet, looking around, there wasn’t a single soul in sight.

.

’Strange. Where did everyone go?’

Xiao Chen walked through the tomb. With the Demonic Qi gone, his Divine Sense could quickly sweep across the entire Earth Palace.

However, aside from the various items made of pure gold, there was truly not a single trace of any Cultivators.

The silence was unsettling.

Yang Huai’an followed Xiao Chen inside, but strangely, he didn’t look around.

Instead, he walked forward in a daze, stepping onto the high platform that had no protective measures.

Then, with a leap, he jumped right onto the lid of the Golden Coffin.

His entire body then sank into it as if stepping onto the surface of water.

Huh?

’What’s going on?’

Xiao Chen walked up to the Golden Coffin, which was ninety-nine zhang long and thirty-six zhang wide, and saw that a complete miniature city was carved upon its surface.

The city was filled with tiny figures, scattered in different locations.

Some seemed to be treasure hunting in the city center, others were exploring in corners, and some were even chasing and killing each other.

These small figures were carved so vividly they looked like real people.

Xiao Chen saw that in the center of the city, Ye Fei was fleeing while carrying Miao Yuqing, with Han Ziyan following beside them.

Five tiny figures were chasing after him, and another to his front-left seemed to be trying to cut him off.

In a thatched hut in the bottom-right corner of the city, the light of a Law was flashing.

Lin Ping’an was hiding inside, studying a Cultivation Technique manual he held in his hands. He had even brewed himself a pot of tea.

For some reason, Xiao Chen could clearly see six different-colored Array Flags set up around him.

This meant that six different Arrays were likely arranged around him.

At the same time, three magical traps made of Talismans could be seen around the thatched hut.

These items, which should have been invisible, were now all perfectly clear to see.

The problem was, his location was the most remote corner of the city, with no one else nearby.

It was baffling who he was trying to guard against with so many Arrays and traps.

The other Cultivators who had rushed in earlier, like Nine-foot Staff Zhu Hui and Lone Sword Willow Wind, as well as Song Jingyi and Qi Xingwen, who had only recently separated, and even the chief of the Lingyuan Sect, Ning Haochen, were all inside.

There were also many unfamiliar faces, though he could guess from their attire that some of the female cultivators were likely from the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers.

Just then, Qiu Qichen and Yao Dehai also walked in.

Their eyes were also vacant, as if affected by some kind of Illusion Array, and one after another, they jumped into the city.

Afterward, Xiao Chen saw two new tiny figures appear, each in a different house.

They cautiously drew their Flying Swords and surveyed their surroundings.

’Damn, it doesn’t even spare its own people?’

Xiao Chen could see that there were clearly a good number of Demon Cultivators inside as well, but they were all trapped in the city too.