Volume Two, Chapter Seventy-Seven: Emerging from the Tomb

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Yu Mu was startled as he watched—the characters on the gourd had inexplicably vanished without his noticing. Even the ghost servant, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, was astonished.

Who was the person who left those words? What special significance did their actions hold?

“Yu Mu, try infusing spiritual energy into the gourd and see what happens.”

“All right.”

“Be exceedingly careful,” the ghost servant cautioned.

“Mm, I understand.”

Following the instructions, Yu Mu slowly channeled spiritual energy into the gourd. As he did, a wondrous space unfolded within his consciousness.

This space was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, all circular, obviously the interior of the gourd. The gourd brimmed with spatial power—it was an artifact with a spatial attribute.

‘It seems I won’t need Uncle to carve out another space; this is big enough to store wine,’ Yu Mu thought, elated.

The space inside the gourd was dozens of times larger than its exterior suggested—holding eighty or a hundred catties of wine would be no problem. Overjoyed, Yu Mu tucked the gourd away.

To his surprise, as soon as the gourd touched his body, it grew directly onto one of his branches. A peach tree bearing a gourd—how bizarre!

Yet this was even better; there was no need to nurture or refine it, for it would grow along with Yu Mu’s original body, like gaining an innate spiritual tool.

Stranger still, though it grew on Yu Mu’s body, outsiders could not see it—it seemed to exist in another space.

Moreover, inexplicably, Yu Mu’s spatial foundation had already been established.

Yu Mu was lost in ecstatic delight, but the ghost servant, with a hint of regret in his eyes, said, “Your clever method of claiming the treasure may have gone against the intentions of its original owner. Alas! The urgency of the moment means you may have lost something.”

Yu Mu was puzzled. “What might I lose?”

The ghost servant shook his head, refusing to elaborate, and changed the subject. “Now that your concerns are resolved, it’s time for you to leave. After you’re out, there is something I need you to do.”

“What is it?” Yu Mu was curious. With his meager abilities, what could he possibly help with?

The ghost servant’s gaze shifted to the damaged seal. “Three treasures have been lost from the tomb this time—a grievous loss. The other two can be endured, but the withered vine is simply too important. If you have the chance, you must find a way to retrieve it.”

“The withered vine?” Yu Mu was truly surprised. “That seemingly ordinary thing is actually the most important of the three artifacts? Is it a supreme sacred artifact? I didn’t notice anything special about it.”

The ghost servant shook his head. “You saw correctly. The withered vine isn’t a sacred artifact, at best it’s a spiritual tool, and it doesn’t serve as a functional artifact. In anyone else’s hands, it’s nothing but rubbish. But here, it’s far more important than the other two sacred artifacts.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a key—a key to the fifth level.”

“What!?” Yu Mu was utterly stunned.

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Who could have guessed that the most unassuming object was the most precious here? While the three saints vied for the treasures, none noticed the humble withered vine, which was what they had been desperately seeking—the key to the fifth level.

Especially Ye Wentian, who had fled in panic; if he knew, who knows what he would feel—it might even drive him to despair.

“That vine is a branch from the great tree,” the ghost servant continued. “After the master refined it, it was used to open the next level. It possesses other functions as well, so you must find a way to bring it back.”

Yu Mu nodded. “Very well, I’ll do my best. But after I leave, where will you go?”

The ghost servant shook his head. “That I cannot tell you. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but there are many who know soul-searching techniques, so it’s best to be cautious.”

“How can I find you again?”

“That’s simple. Once you obtain the withered vine, you’ll naturally know the tomb’s location.”

“Oh,” Yu Mu mused. So the vine was not only a key, but also had the function of locating the Tomb of the Saint King. No wonder the ghostly uncle was so eager to recover it.

“But your current strength is far too low compared to the one who took the vine, and I won’t force you into danger. I believe he won’t discover the vine’s secret anytime soon. So, once you’ve cultivated to a certain level, or have a foolproof plan, you can go retrieve it then.”

“Yes, I understand.” Yu Mu nodded in agreement.

“Unfortunately, the true treasures of the tomb are all on the fifth level. The only two sacred artifacts were snatched, the spiritual treasures in the wooden chest have all been taken, and I haven’t had time to collect the treasures from the bodies of those dead cultivators. So there’s nothing left for you to take—otherwise, I could have slightly enhanced your strength.”

With that, the ghost servant produced a scroll. “This is the second half of the Ghost King Body technique—a personal possession of mine. Consider it an advance on your reward.”

Yu Mu accepted the scroll without hesitation.

There was nothing left here to hold Yu Mu’s interest. He had already asked the ghost servant about Qingyu, who was progressing smoothly in his cultivation, so Yu Mu had no intention of disturbing him.

After bidding farewell, the ghost servant released him from his restraints, and Yu Mu was expelled from the tomb.

The scene shifted, and Yu Mu found himself outside.

“Ah!” he exclaimed, stretching involuntarily. After eight months without seeing sunlight, returning to the outside world brought a rush of emotion.

Outside the tomb, everyone had long since withdrawn—even the teleportation array had been dismantled. Surveying the empty surroundings, Yu Mu was about to leave when sharp light flashed in his eyes and he looked towards a certain spot.

From beneath a large tree beside the Tomb of the Saint King, a figure slowly emerged.

“It’s you!” Yu Mu was deeply surprised upon seeing who it was.

It turned out to be Ye Yun’s elder sister, Ye Yu.

Yu Mu walked over and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Ye Yu replied coldly, “Waiting for you.”

Yu Mu immediately grew wary. “Waiting for me? Are you here to kill me?”

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Ye Yu shook her head slightly, still speaking in her icy tone. “I’m waiting for you to repay a favor.”

“Repay a favor?” Yu Mu was taken aback. “Do you mean the cauldron-shaped artifact?”

Ye Yu nodded.

“If it’s about that, forget it—it was a small matter, not worth fussing over. I have other things to attend to, farewell!” Yu Mu cupped his hands and turned to leave.

He truly did not wish to become involved with her. Her brother and father would be his mortal enemies, and animosity already existed between them. Although neither held past grudges now, everything about her—her impression and actions—filled Yu Mu with dislike.

Yet Ye Yu followed closely behind.

Yu Mu grew more perplexed, turning back to address her. “Didn’t I say? You owe me nothing. Why are you still following me?”

Ye Yu remained cold. “What you think has nothing to do with me. I only know that a debt must be repaid. Once I return the favor, there will be no more ties between us.”

Yu Mu hadn’t expected such stubbornness. She was so adamant, so inflexible; people like this were impossible to reason with. Yu Mu simply ignored her and walked on.

Just as he turned, a sense of danger welled up from deep within his soul—a primal reaction when one’s perception reached its limit.

In the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a shadow shooting toward him like lightning. Death was imminent; Yu Mu, having learned from previous experience, recognized the assassin’s skill.

A sharp pain pierced his chest. Clearly, the assassin had learned from the last failed attempt—the target was now his chest, where most demons kept their inner core.

Though Yu Mu’s core was not there, his heart was, and given his current cultivation, a wound to the heart was just as fatal.

Am I going to die?

In such a situation, what could possibly allow him to escape this deadly strike?

For some reason, this moment brought to mind the mysterious maneuvering technique associated with the gourd. As soon as he thought of the gourd, two lines of incantation appeared in his mind.

These lines he had seen in Old Fraudster Qiao Liu’s spatial teleportation technique. He had only understood these two lines, and remembered them vividly.

But what did this technique have to do with the gourd? Why did it come to mind now?

The incantation flashed through his thoughts.

Ah!

A startled cry.

Yu Mu inexplicably moved backward by a meter, colliding headlong with the unsuspecting Ye Yu.