"Boss, what do you think is inside this tiger head? A simple chain shouldn't be all there is," Hu Bayi questioned.
Zhang Tian, who had been staring intently at the tiger head, finally spoke after a long pause. "This should be some kind of control mechanism. And I can feel something inside pushing this mechanism to operate."
"There's a very pure evil energy," Zhang Tian whispered, his gaze lingering on the tiger head.
The tiger head was almost twice the size of two men's heads, with bared fangs. Deep within its maw, a long, black iron chain was visible. From the depths of the chain, Zhang Tian sensed a pure energy, more potent than any ghost or demon.
"There's something wrong here."
As Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi were puzzling over the tiger head, Zhang Qilin, who had been beside them, suddenly crouched down. He gently ran his hand over a groove beneath the tiger head.
Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi leaned in. To their surprise, Zhang Qilin's eyes fell upon a red talisman paper within the groove. The paper was soaked in blood, giving it a deep crimson hue. On it was a series of characters that Zhang Tian recognized as "zhen xie fu" – talismans for warding off evil.
"Boss, it's a zhen xie fu, a Taoist item. What's it doing here?" Hu Bayi asked, baffled, his eyes fixed on the paper.
"Perhaps our Uncle-Master left it. It seems he was seriously injured getting past this point. But it's a shame he didn't completely resolve the issue here." Zhang Tian sighed, believing this talisman was most likely left by Daoist Dan He. The paper was placed ingeniously, right at the source of the formation.
"Then Uncle-Master must have..." Hu Bayi paused.
"It's best not to speculate too much. After all, we don't know our Uncle-Master's true strength," Zhang Tian advised. Hu Bayi nodded and remained silent.
"Kai Xuan brother, what are Xiao Zhang Ye and the others doing over there, crouched down?" Wang Banyue asked, looking towards Zhang Tian with curiosity.
"Hmph, they're up to no good behind Fatty's back. Must be some shameful little secret, maybe with Second Brother..." Fatty muttered, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Kai Xuan brother, what about your second brother?" Wu Tianzhen asked from the side.
"Young Master Wu, you have no idea. My eldest and second brothers are sworn brothers, they even sleep in the same room," Fatty exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up, as if he were fabricating all sorts of rumors.
"I see. But, Kai Xuan brother, our paper offerings are almost completely burned. Shall we remind Xiao Zhang Ye?" Wu Tianzhen said, looking at the mountain of burning paper, a sense of urgency growing.
"Don't worry, Fatty will handle it when the time comes. Just relax," Fatty waved his hand with an air of arrogance. Wu Tianzhen and Wang Banyue exchanged glances, finding him rather unreliable.
"Boss, where Uncle-Master sealed it should be the core of the tiger head," Hu Bayi said, looking at the groove.
"It's probably not that simple. If it could be broken, Uncle-Master would have done it already. There must be something inside," Zhang Tian said, his gaze fixed on the interior of the groove. It appeared to be a simple button.
"Click."
Just as Zhang Tian was about to speak, Zhang Qilin, with characteristic directness, pressed it.
"It's a mechanism," Zhang Qilin stated. Zhang Tian was slightly taken aback. Such decisiveness! But since it had to be opened eventually, Zhang Qilin opening it was fine.
As the groove was pressed, the dragon head began to shake. With a rumble, the white tiger's head split open. Simultaneously, the children who had been surrounding Fatty and the others turned their gazes towards Zhang Tian. Their eyes became cold and sharp, filled with killing intent.
The chain began to shake violently. At the same time, Zhang Tian felt a chill behind him, as if countless malevolent spirits were lunging at him.
"Oh no, Boss, they've gone mad and are heading for you!" Fatty's voice, filled with panic, reached them.
Zhang Tian looked at the tiger head that was slowly splitting open. The lives of these children were connected to the chain, so anyone who touched it would be attacked by them relentlessly.
"Old Hu, can you break this chain? Qilin and I will hold them off for a moment." Zhang Tian looked at Hu Bayi. Fatty had already bought them as much time as possible. Now, the fate of this operation rested on them.
"Alright, Boss, I'll be as quick as I can." Hu Bayi nodded seriously. He looked at the widening gap of the tiger head, his hands already gripping the tiger's mouth, pulling with all his might to speed up the opening.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian said, "Let's go." He drew his peach wood sword and the Lu Shang King's sword simultaneously. "Two swords combined, no ghosts shall approach."
Zhang Qilin looked at the endless swarm of spirits. He chose not to use his Black Gold Ancient Saber, as it would be a struggle against so many of them. Without hesitation, Zhang Qilin took out the Ghost Imperial Seal. Using it would be incredibly draining, but given the circumstances, he had no other option.
Seeing Zhang Qilin take out the Ghost Imperial Seal again, Zhang Tian felt no surprise but was worried about Zhang Qilin's condition. After the last use, Zhang Qilin had needed half a day to recover. Using it again, especially in this place, would make recovery even more difficult.
At this moment, the countless spirits seemed to sense the oppressive aura of the Ghost Imperial Seal. Their charge faltered for a moment. Hundreds of children glared at Zhang Qilin, as if eager to devour him at any second. Perhaps sensing the threat of death from the chain and the deep pain in their souls, the children only hesitated for an instant before charging forward again.
"Damn, that's scary. Truly terrifying," Fatty shivered, watching the scene unfold.
"What's happening, Kai Xuan brother? Have they all left? Why is the mute bottle taking out a jade seal? What is that thing?" Wu Tianzhen asked, observing Zhang Qilin's slender figure holding the Ghost Imperial Seal, his curiosity piqued.
"This? It's something amazing. You'll know soon. It's spectacular. Fatty calls it: 'When the Ghost Gate opens, a thousand armies and myriad spirits will appear'," Fatty chuckled. This only deepened Wu Tianzhen and Wang Banyue's curiosity. Was this item truly the key to the underworld? Why was it spoken of so mysteriously?
"It must be a powerful artifact. I didn't expect they would have something like this..." Wu Tianzhen thought to himself, reluctant to consider anything more profound.
At this moment, countless spirits, dragging their chains, lunged towards Zhang Qilin. Zhang Tian waved his hand, unleashing a massive fire talisman, illuminating the entire tomb. Zhang Qilin didn't hesitate. He dripped Qilin blood onto the Ghost Imperial Seal, his hands surging with energy. He chanted countless incantations. The world seemed to fall silent, leaving only Zhang Qilin.
"Boom!"
As if the space itself had exploded, a ghostly gate materialized in the air. Wu Tianzhen couldn't help but swallow hard, his mouth agape. Fatty's words echoed in his mind: "When the Ghost Gate opens, a thousand armies and myriad spirits will appear..." It wasn't a joke after all.