Chapter 235: Ah, So I Was Already Dead (1/2)

It had been far too long!

The sands of time had subjected all material items to heavy deterioration, so the tiniest bit of outside interference was enough to turn it all to dust. Mo Qitian blanched, stumbling a few steps backward.

“I-I didn’t mean to….” He nearly wept in dismay.

“It’s fine.” Lu Yun gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “All of these books belonged to ancient mortals. Very likely, they were records of the ideas and culture from back then. We wouldn’t have had much use for them.”

Mo Qitian gradually recovered his calm, but his expression remained forlorn.

“Any important text in the world of immortals is transcribed in a jade slip,” Qing Han chimed in with a smile. “Lu Yun’s right. The broken path of cultivation is most likely laid to rest in this tomb. The funeral objects here must have to do with its contemporaneous civilization.

“After all, books are a symbol of civilization itself. Only civilization can convey recorded history. The books’ exact contents mean far less than our understanding of the significance of their presence.”

This explanation further pacified Mo Qitian, whose expression finally lightened.

Lu Yun gave his friend a thumbs-up. Qing Han was completely correct: the only funeral goods that made sense for the path of cultivation was its relevant era of civilization. Cultivation, after all, was a product of civilization. Thus, the books to be found here would’ve recorded the civilization of immortals back then. They were mere vessels, evidence of the existence of a greater truth.

Now that all the bookshelves had turned to dust, the room was completely empty. The only thing that remained was the orb, hovering glaringly in midair.

“This chamber doesn’t hold much else of interest, the third room is the most important! The third coiled mountain is beneath us.” Lu Yun spoke slowly as he watched the floating orb spin. “This third chamber will be the most treacherous one yet. We might succeed in repairing the broken cultivation path, or we might all die in the chamber below.”

His voice matched his gravely serious expression. “Therefore, I would like one of us to stay outside. If we do end up dying here, he will be able to tell our story to the outside world.” He glanced at his clansman as he said this.

“You want me to stay behind again, don’t you?” Lu Shenhou bristled, remembering something from earlier. “Why me?”

“You told me to stay outside before we entered the tomb, you didn’t take me through that bronze door back there, and now you’re using this excuse to stop me from going further? Tell me, what’s the reason for all of this?!” His face grew somber. “You don’t need to worry about news of the broken path not getting out—I’ve already told the ancestor about it. If we really do end up dying here, he’ll inform the rest of the world. Plus, he’s given me three more uses of his power. You needn’t worry about my safety.”

Lu Shenhou looked Lu Yun straight in the eyes. “So, what’s up with all this? Why do you keep preventing me from going into the third chamber?”

Qing Han looked at Lu Yun as well. He was the only other one who knew the truth.

The young man who was the object of attention sighed, “May there still be a chance left.”

Lu Yun shook his head, unwilling to divulge any more. Although Lu Shenhou was a brash and nonchalant sort, he was actually quite sharp-witted. Multiple previous attempts at holding him back had tipped him off that something was awry. There was nothing else Lu Yun could do to help his clansman.

“Beardo’s three uses of arcane dao power should keep him safe, shouldn’t they? Why do you think he’ll die?” Wu Tulong couldn’t think of any other reason for Lu Yun’s odd behavior, other than the young governor having calculated that Lu Shenhou’s death in the third chamber was a given.

Lu Yun quietly approached a hidden door in the center of the chamber without responding. A complex pattern of runes was etched on the door, creating an occult layout that locked it tightly shut.

Anyone else would have to use brute force, which would instantly activate the floating orb’s triple-layered certain death layout and render this place a deathtrap. If that happened, even Lu Yun would be completely helpless.

He couldn’t do anything about the concealed trap, but he could try to figure out an alternative way to circumvent it. The young man bent down to the door to get a closer look.

“What’s in the third chamber?” Mo Qitian whispered into Lu Shenhou’s ear.

“I don’t remember.” Lu Shenhou blinked. He squinted in intense concentration, but nothing at all came to mind. There was a strange conviction that prevented him from accessing those particular memories.

“Again?” Mo Qitian snorted. “The ghost outside must’ve gotten you good. It takes a bit of your memory away whenever it does that.” He’d forgotten something, too, but it’d come back to him if it was important.

Lu Shenhou pressed his lips together. He didn’t think that was quite right, but it was the only possible explanation. “Is that why it didn’t take an interest in me? Because it possessed me once already?” he murmured.

Lu Yun had hurt the ghost in the first chamber, causing it to avoid him. Qing Han had warded it off with his treasure. Although Wu Tulong and the others had been gifted instances of dao power as well, they’d been possessed all the same.

Lu Shenhou was the only one who’d remained wholly unscathed.

Rumble.

The loud grinding of stone interrupted his train of thought. Lu Yun had decoded the layout upon the trapdoor, causing it to slide open. A sinister breeze brushed past, filling the entire chamber with ghastly air. “There’s a hallway below, and the main tomb should be past that.”

“Come on!” The others were uniformly excited at the news, eagerly jumping down one after another.

Hum...