Su Xi knew that without a little incentive, these people would not help her find treasures, and might even turn violent. After all, she was well aware of the principle that wealth invites trouble. So, with a wave of her hand, she gave each of them a basic demon-repelling talisman.
Although a basic demon-repelling talisman was only a level one charm, its special effects made it rarer than many level two charms. However, for her, it was no problem at all.
In Lin Qing's room, the talismans were all discarded on the floor like waste paper. As long as one had patience, they could always find something useful.
Gu Qingzhou and the others accepted the demon-repelling talismans and no longer made things difficult for Su Xi. They activated the talismans and stuck them directly onto their bodies.
There were still difficult trials ahead, and they needed to conserve their strength. Otherwise, if they saw treasures but lacked the power to compete, it would be a loss. After all, there wasn't a single good person among them.
As the demon-repelling talismans were stuck to their bodies, golden light emanated from everyone. The wailing and howling sounds from the corridor instantly ceased.
Before the group could celebrate, they were unsettled by the eerie silence before them.
In such a strange place, so quiet, it was truly abnormal.
Just as everyone was about to push open the door of the first trial and enter the second secret chamber,
Suddenly, a gust of Yin wind erupted from behind them. The strong wind felt like steel blades, causing a stinging sensation on everyone's skin. Even their souls felt a slight tremor.
Although Su Xi was covered in demon-repelling talismans, she felt a searing pain as if being cut by steel knives in the strong Yin wind.
Suddenly, her heart leaped, and she felt herself being targeted by something terrifying, a sense of impending death.
Although she could see nothing in the darkness behind her, she was very certain of her premonition when danger was near. Following her subconscious, she subtly moved a few steps away from the crowd.
Gu Qingzhou happened to be retreating as well. Noticing Su Xi's actions, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
He was unsure if Su Xi's steps were accidental or if she had also sensed something. However, he knew this was not the time to question it and quietly retreated a few steps to the side.
At that moment, a mass of black energy suddenly surged from the darkness, heading straight for Zhang Yuan and Zhang Liao. The black energy moved with incredible speed, emitting a sharp tearing sound through the air as it sliced through it.
Zhang Yuan and Zhang Liao were not skilled in speed. Facing the incredibly fast black energy, they knew they couldn't dodge. So, gritting their teeth, they prepared to take the hit head-on.
They fully activated the protective divine light on their bodies, forming a barrier before them to withstand the incoming black energy.
"Boom!"
With a loud explosion, the black energy struck the barrier formed by the divine light.
Upon contact, the barrier vanished like spring snow under the scorching sun. The powerful impact sent them flying like kites with severed strings, crashing into the walls on either side. Amidst the tremendous impact, they felt their blood surge and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Jie jie jie!"
Seeing the blood, a sinister laugh echoed from the darkness.
Following the cackling laughter, the surrounding black energy began to converge. Then, a fierce ghost appeared.
The fierce ghost stood eight feet tall, with a green face, fangs, and its head covered in a dense array of eyeballs, each one spinning incessantly. Its entire body emitted an eerie green glow.
Looking at the terrifyingly disfigured ghost, Su Xi couldn't help but frown. Not out of fear, but simply because she found its appearance utterly hideous.
Gu Qingzhou, upon seeing the ghost before him, immediately exclaimed, "Thousand-Eyed Ghost!"
Since he had prepared for this exploration, he had done his homework.
The Thousand-Eyed Ghost was a level two ghostly entity, comparable to a human cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. Each of its eyes possessed the ability to bewitch, capable of mesmerizing the mind and trapping it forever. Due to its potent bewitching abilities, even cultivators in the Golden Core stage would dread encountering it, despite it being only a level two ghostly entity.
Gu Qingzhou had not expected such a formidable ghost to appear in the first level of the secret realm. He suddenly had a bad premonition about the rest of the journey.
However, facing the Thousand-Eyed Ghost now, he had no time to dwell on such thoughts.
After all, the Thousand-Eyed Ghost was already charging towards them. If they didn't deal with it with all their might, they would all perish here.
Besides its powerful bewitching abilities, the Thousand-Eyed Ghost also possessed immense strength. A direct hit could result in fractured bones at best, or instant death at worst.
Gu Qingzhou pulled out a jade folding fan from his person and quickly opened it. As the fan unfurled, it emitted a green light that enveloped him.
As soon as he finished doing this, the Thousand-Eyed Ghost lunged at Gu Qingzhou. It raised its fist and swung it towards Gu Qingzhou's face.
The Thousand-Eyed Ghost moved with incredible speed and ferocity. The strong gust of wind forced Su Xi and the others around to instinctively dodge.
"Boom!"
With a muffled thud, the barrier formed by the green light successfully withstood the Thousand-Eyed Ghost's attack. Under the ghost's assault, the barrier remained utterly undisturbed.
Looking at the Thousand-Eyed Ghost outside the green light, a cold smile played on Gu Qingzhou's lips.
This Kylin Fan possessed a trace of the Jade Kylin's bloodline and was considered a mystic-grade low-rank magic treasure. The Kylin bloodline inherently had the ability to suppress evil spirits, thus giving it a natural advantage against the Thousand-Eyed Ghost.
The Thousand-Eyed Ghost, realizing Gu Qingzhou was not an easy target, prepared to switch its focus to Su Xi. However, Zhang Yuan and Zhang Liao, who had stabilized their injuries, summoned their spiritual beasts and charged towards the Thousand-Eyed Ghost.
A swarm of flying squirrels instantly enveloped the Thousand-Eyed Ghost, leaving no gaps.
A single flying squirrel was considered a low-tier level one demonic beast, posing no significant threat. However, tens of thousands of flying squirrels possessed strength comparable to a level two demonic beast. Coupled with their extreme appetite, the Thousand-Eyed Ghost was destined to become their prey.
Zhang Yuan and Zhang Liao's faces were filled with a fanatical intensity. They hadn't even bothered to wipe the blood from their lips, their eyes fixed intently on the Thousand-Eyed Ghost.
Having suffered a heavy blow unexpectedly earlier, they were now eager for revenge. The more powerful the prey their demonic beasts devoured, the stronger they themselves would grow.
As the Thousand-Eyed Ghost was being devoured by the swarming flying squirrels, it let out an enraged roar.
As a ghost general, it had always moved with impunity within this ancient tomb for years. How could it tolerate being provoked like this?
It let out a prolonged sound, and the eyeballs on its face began to spin rapidly. Beams of white light emanated from its eyes, illuminating the entire tomb.
Upon contact with the white light, the flying squirrels dropped to the ground in droves, their lives extinguished in an instant.
Having lost their contracted demonic beasts, Zhang Yuan and Zhang Liao immediately suffered a backlash, spitting out mouthfuls of blood and their auras weakening considerably.
The Luo Sheng Sect controlled their demonic beasts by feeding them their own vital essence. This allowed for more effective command of the beasts. However, if the beasts were harmed, their masters would suffer a backlash.
Seizing the opportunity, the Thousand-Eyed Ghost roared and charged at Zhang Yuan and Zhang Liao, intending to strike first.
Gu Qingzhou, seeing this, knew he could not stand by idly. They still needed manpower for the final trial, and no one could afford to be lost in the first one.
His hand gestures shifted, and he activated the Kylin Fan above his head to rescue them.
"Roar~" A fiery red Kylin emerged from the Kylin Fan, baring its fangs and claws as it charged at the Thousand-Eyed Ghost.
The Thousand-Eyed Ghost's body was instantly illuminated by the fiery red Kylin, rendering it immobile. To its utter shock, the Kylin devoured it whole.
After completing its task, the Kylin transformed into a streak of light and returned to the folding fan.
Having dealt with the Thousand-Eyed Ghost, Gu Qingzhou deactivated the fan's defense and walked towards the Zhang brothers, "Are you alright?"
"Thank you for your assistance, Young Master Gu." The Zhang brothers were still shaken.
They had no prior knowledge of ghostly entities and had never imagined suffering such a severe loss in a single encounter. If not for Gu Qingzhou's timely intervention, their fate would have been dire.
"You are too kind. We are all part of the same team, so I naturally wouldn't stand by and do nothing." Gu Qingzhou offered a few platitudes, his gaze then falling upon Su Xi.
While it was not ideal to reveal one's strength too early, he also needed to understand the capabilities of others.
"Junior Sister Su, are you alright?" Since earlier, he had sensed something unusual about Su Xi. This was a good opportunity to inquire.
Su Xi heard Gu Qingzhou's question and shook her head, "I'm fine, but their condition doesn't look good."
"Hmm?" Hearing Su Xi's words, Gu Qingzhou's gaze followed the direction of her finger.
Upon turning his head, his expression grew serious.