Inside the small hole, Zhang Tian successfully spotted a chest.
The chest appeared to be about a meter long, a rather large one.
Zhang Tian speculated that the Consort of the Xian King had intentionally buried it here.
Either to preserve her legacy or as a contingency for escaping in the future.
"I didn't expect the chest to be this big," Zhang Tian remarked, feeling a sense of wonder.
With a wave of his hand, he brought the large chest out.
"Boss, what's that? It's so big, could there be jewels inside?" Fatty's eyes lit up.
"It's likely the Consort's遗物 (yi wu - remains/relics) left before her death," Hu Bayi chimed in. Zhang Tian had already joined them.
The chest was entirely red and box-shaped, making it easier to conceal.
It had a lock, but that was no obstacle for Zhang Tian.
With a wave of his hand, the iron lock sprang open.
"Creak."
In front of their eyes, Zhang Tian opened the chest.
Hu Bayi and the others all looked over.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qilin was tasked with watching the female corpse.
"There are so many things inside, and so many books!" Shirley Yang exclaimed, looking at the items within the chest.
Inside the chest were some jewelry, clothes, and most importantly, Zhang Tian saw many gu worms and various bottles and jars.
This indicated that the Consort of the Xian King had indeed practiced gu cultivation.
She was the first gu master of the village.
"There's a功法玉佩 (gong fa yu pei - cultivation method jade pendant) here!" Hu Bayi pulled out a white jade pendant.
Since returning from Fuji Country last time, Zhang Tian hadn't seen a jade pendant.
Seeing one again today felt quite novel.
Picking up the jade pendant, Zhang Tian could tell it was definitely a recording of a cultivation method.
However, Zhang Tian hadn't expected that a consort could also record cultivation methods onto a jade pendant.
"Alright, I'll study this gu worm cultivation method. Lao Hu, you guys check the rest of the items here." Zhang Tian didn't want to waste any more time.
He intended to resolve the matter of the consort's corpse quickly.
After all, there had been no air here before, and now that he had entered, the air was circulating.
Zhang Tian wasn't sure what might happen next, so he planned for a swift resolution.
Hu Bayi understood Zhang Tian's intentions and shifted his gaze to the contents of the chest.
Besides books, there were also some gu worms.
Hu Bayi, Fatty, and Shirley Yang began their examination.
Zhang Tian extended his consciousness into the jade pendant.
Gradually, a cultivation method appeared before him.
The cultivation method had no name, but it detailed the cultivation of gu worms found in Nanyun.
There were also records of poison arts.
Without hesitation, Zhang Tian began to practice it.
This type of knowledge didn't require practical application; theory was sufficient.
Having practiced many cultivation methods, Zhang Tian had already mastered corresponding techniques.
Therefore, he found this relatively simple cultivation method quite manageable.
Within an hour, Zhang Tian opened his eyes.
For an expert at the Inner Core stage, low-level cultivation methods were like kindergarten problems to a college student, relatively easy.
Zhang Tian's gaze fell upon the others.
"Boss, you're finally awake. Something in the tomb seems to be changing, it's very strange," Fatty said.
Zhang Tian sensed the surroundings. Indeed, the entire tomb seemed to be shaking.
"How is it? What's in the chest?" Zhang Tian then shifted his focus.
"The chest records the life of Ah Qing, the Consort of the Xian King," Hu Bayi said.
Shirley Yang continued, "According to the records, the Consort was originally an ordinary woman from a local barbarian tribe. Due to her beauty and exceptional knowledge, she became the fiancée of Aman, the son of the tribal chief."
"But their happiness was short-lived. One day, invaders attacked, and the Xian King, in his quest to build his mausoleum, began to plunder and destroy indiscriminately." Shirley Yang took a deep breath.
"Later, the village could not escape either. Ah Qing hid in the mountains, and it was there she met people from the Medicine King Valley."
Zhang Tian listened and waved his hand. "We can already guess these things. Get to the point."
Shirley Yang nodded and continued, "Later, the Medicine King Valley and the Xian King's forces clashed fiercely. The Xian King was powerful, especially with a set of Taoist arts that pushed the Medicine King Valley forces back."
"Eventually, the two sides seemed to reach a certain agreement, and Ah Qing was given to the Xian King as part of that pact."
"Ah Qing originally intended to use gu worms to poison the Xian King, but who knew the Xian King could see the future! Not only did he take precautions, but he also caused Ah Qing to become like this." Shirley Yang glanced at the female corpse behind them.
In essence, Ah Qing was merely a tool for a non-aggression pact between two factions.
Zhang Tian could roughly guess what happened next.
Ah Qing's attempt to frame the Xian King was discovered, and the war reignited.
The Medicine King Valley forces were no match, and many were imprisoned in the Heavenly Palace.
The villagers were also massacred, ultimately leading to this outcome.
Zhang Tian shook his head and stood up, looking at the female corpse.
"Alright, a thousand years have passed, it's time for you to go."
With that, Zhang Tian made a cut on his hand, and blood flowed out.
Zhang Tian intended to draw the gu worms from the female corpse into his own body, then use his blood and internal energy to crush them to death.
As expected, attracted by Zhang Tian's blood, the gu worms began to writhe.
Soon, a worm as thick as a thumb emerged from the female corpse's mouth.
Seeing this, Zhang Tian, who had planned to draw it into himself before killing it, reconsidered.
It was too disgusting.
"Burn!"
A black energy enveloped Zhang Tian's hand, and the energy began to scorch the gu worm.
Immediately, the female corpse, which served as the medium for the gu worm, let out a pained wail.
Zhang Tian had intended to draw the gu worm into himself to avoid harming the female corpse, but he had a change of heart.
The thought of it entering his body was, frankly, revolting.
Then, with another wave of his hand, an energy enveloped the female corpse.
Her expression seemed to improve slightly.
"What is this?"
"Poison Fire! It's fire created by combining a person's own latent toxins with internal energy," Zhang Tian explained.
The human body contains toxins, which may not be consciously perceived, but those pathogens are indeed present.
The so-called poison cultivators might also be utilizing the body's own toxins for their practice.
Soon, as the flames burned more intensely, the black gu worm gradually turned to ash.
The female corpse, which had been bound, now slumped her head, dead.
A wisp of black energy emerged from the female corpse's head.
"Thank you."
With an ethereal voice, the consort's soul vanished from the tomb.
"Boss, we've done another good deed," Fatty said with a smile.
"Mmm, let's go and examine the door," Zhang Tian nodded.
Saving the consort was a mere act of kindness, and it also prevented potential interference later.
"Mmm."
The group nodded and began walking towards the opening in the wall.
Zhang Tian glanced at the corpse on the ground, which could no longer support itself and had disintegrated into fragments.
Soon, within the wall, another tomb door appeared before them.