Chapter 164: Forcing the Death in the Cave; Gaining the Divine Thunder Technique

He made it out alive!

Qi Xuan’s face twisted with madness.

“Jiang Xiaolong! Yu Xian! I will grind your bones to dust!”

“I’ll tear your flesh apart with thunder and refine you into powder, piece by piece!”

“I’ll rip your souls out and bombard them with lightning for ten thousand years!”

But suddenly, a low, cold, and unyielding voice rang out at the cave entrance:

“Go back.”

With a wave of his hand, Yu Xian dissipated his vines and all spells.

Qi Xuan’s thunder magic had caused a huge rebound force, making Yu Xian’s face slightly pale. Rather than continue a losing magical clash, Yu Xian decisively stopped using techniques.

Instead, he squatted slightly and assumed a combat-ready fist stance.

Then…

Boom!

The ground trembled, dust flying as deep footprints stamped into the rock.

Yu Xian, like a fired cannonball, threw a punch straight toward Qi Xuan, who had just burst out of the tunnel!

“You damn brat?!”

Qi Xuan, covered in blood, had no other choice. He roared and threw his own punch.

He had been in late Foundation Establishment for many years and had diligently refined his physical body, especially after studying the Qing Shang Blood Spirit Method in the tomb recently, which pushed his body into the peak of Foundation Establishment!

So someone wanted to compare fists with him?

He must be tired of living!

In a flash—fists clashed!

Crack!

A bone-shattering crunch echoed, sending chills down the spine.

Yu Xian staggered back several steps, face twitching.

But Qi Xuan’s face twisted in agony, his fist shattered and mangled, and with a painful howl, he was blown backward ten meters back into the cave!

And then—

The tide of wailing ghosts overwhelmed him, completely burying him.

Yu Xian, taking advantage of the rebound force, leapt backward and soared away using the illusionary shadow of a Purple Luan Bird.

In the next moment—dozens of fierce ghosts surged out from the tunnel!

Over forty-three of them caught Yu Xian’s fresh scent and screamed as they chased after him.

The rest remained inside, as the cave fell silent.

Yu Xian’s face remained cold as he flew, dozens of gory ghosts behind him.

After fleeing over ten miles, and confirming that only those 43 ghosts followed him, Yu Xian abruptly stopped.

“Filthy spirits—can’t let you live.”

A flash of light, and the Divine Spirit Shield emerged, encasing Yu Xian.

Even surrounded by 43 ghosts, he stood in an unbreakable defense.

They gnawed at him relentlessly, but his shield held firm.

Still, his spiritual energy was draining fast.

Each bite took a toll. That was why he had run—if too many ghosts surrounded him, no matter how strong the shield, he would be worn down eventually.

But now, this many was manageable.

His expression icy, Yu Xian flicked his wrist—the Bi Ling Sword howled into the air!

He began killing them one by one.

The ghosts swarmed, gnawed, shrieked—but they couldn’t break his defense.

Eventually, he whittled their numbers down to around seventeen or eighteen, at which point the rest began fleeing in terror.

Yu Xian acted quickly—vines, flying sword—he cut down eight more.

He managed to capture seven, and could only watch as the last dozen fled.

He had done his best.

Shaking his head, he stowed away the seven captured ghost orbs, then turned back toward the small mountain cave.

The ghosts were gone.

What remained were Qi Xuan’s corpse, the other cultivators’ corpses, and whatever treasures remained inside. This too, was a kind of opportunity.

The ten-plus-mile journey back was short.

When Yu Xian arrived, sure enough, no more ghosts emerged from the cave.

Likely only one of the sealing pillars had broken. The remaining eleven held. But how long they could last was anyone’s guess.

He didn’t hesitate.

Entering the tunnel, ten meters in, he saw a fresh skeleton—Qi Xuan.

He had been thoroughly devoured.

But beside the bones, a storage pouch shimmered faintly.

A mid-grade storage pouch—Qi Xuan’s.

Yu Xian’s eyes lit up. He summoned it into his hand.

Then he strode deeper.

Soon, he reached the main hall.

As expected, the other eleven stone pillars remained intact.

He continued onward, toward the fifth layer’s inner chamber.

On the way, he passed two more fresh skeletons—Tong Xue and Ge Xiyu, identified by the remains of their robes.

Their storage pouches lay untouched.

Ghosts had no use for them.

Yu Xian sighed, then claimed both pouches and kept moving.

He reached the inner chamber’s door.

But he didn’t find the bodies of Su Mofeng or Kang Xinping.

They weren’t in the inner chamber either.

Yu Xian’s brows furrowed. Had they escaped while he was being chased by the ghosts?

But the next moment, his expression changed.

He backed away immediately—from within the coffin inside the chamber, a sound!

Huff…

The coffin lid shifted.

Then—Bang!—the lid was flung off!

Su Mofeng and Kang Xinping jumped out.

“The danger should be gone now. Kang, should we still fight to the death?”

Su Mofeng glanced around and frowned.

“Fight your ass. We had no grudge to begin with.”

Kang snorted.

Then he looked toward the tunnel entrance, frowning.

“Just now, I clearly heard footsteps… Now it’s silent. Could someone still be alive?”

Su Mofeng perked up.

He hadn’t heard anything—but Kang’s hearing was sharp. If he said it, it must be true.

When the ghost horde erupted, they had panicked.

Jiang Xiaolong had his golden core-tier beast to protect him.

Qi Xuan had his thunder magic.

But they had nothing comparable—only death awaited if they fought.

Su Mofeng had the idea to run deeper, not out.

He’d hid inside a coffin.

Kang followed, sealing the lid.

The quality of the coffin wood was high. Once sealed, the ghosts couldn’t enter.

They all rushed to Jiang Xiaolong, Qi Xuan, Tong Xue, and Ge Xiyu.

Tong and Ge got torn apart.

Jiang Xiaolong barely escaped.

Qi Xuan was blocked—and died at the cave mouth.

“Could Jiang and Qi still be alive?” Su wondered aloud.

“If they were, they’d have come back by now. Maybe they’re wounded and hiding?”

“Makes sense,” Kang replied, brushing it off.

His gaze turned to the three manuals and three bottles of pills inside the coffin.

“Shall we split these evenly?”

“Evenly!”

Su Mofeng nodded without hesitation.

…

Meanwhile, Yu Xian had retreated silently from the inner chamber, exited the tunnel, and took flight.

He’d seen enough.

Su Mofeng and Kang Xinping had survived by hiding in the coffin.

Since they were alive, Yu Xian knew the remaining treasures in the tomb were no longer his to take.

Better to leave than provoke two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He, a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment, would stand no chance.

Shaking his head, Yu Xian flew off into the distance.

He no longer needed to return to Jiang Xiaolong’s Dakuan Market.

Jiang had survived—he could rest easy.

They had repaid each other. There was no longer any debt.

Now, with a map in hand, it was time to continue heading west—to seek out his master.

After half a day of flight, Yu Xian found a mountain spring and laid down a basic defensive array.

He bathed to cleanse the filth and stench from the tomb.

Feeling clean, he sat by the spring and began meditation, letting the sound of flowing water lull him into recovery.

The punch clash with Qi Xuan had shattered the bones in his hand.

The fight with the ghosts had exhausted him.

The flight had drained what was left.

He was tired.

So he meditated for over half a day.

By dawn the next day, with the sun rising, his injuries were healed, his energy full.

Yu Xian let out a breath and summoned a storage pouch into his palm—

Qi Xuan’s.

As a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, his belongings were surely abundant.

And sure enough—

8,000 mid-grade spirit stones greeted his sight.

Ten top-grade spirit stones, glowing in five colors, dense in spiritual energy.

These alone were worth nearly a million in spirit stone value!

No wonder top cultivators were so feared.

There were no magic treasures—they’d been destroyed in battle.

Four bottles of pills—surely at least fourth-tier.

But what truly caught Yu Xian’s eye was—

A secret manual: “Three Treasures Divine Thunder Technique”.