Chiu—
The colossal San Yuan, imposing in its might and fierce in its aura, lunged towards the Ma siblings. As it did, a primal urge to flee welled up within them.
No matter how powerful a person might be, they were still human. Faced with a formidable and ferocious beast, instinct dictated fear.
This was precisely the feeling San Yuan evoked!
When San Yuan landed, it was like a towering, sky-obscuring ancient tree. Ma Jinxuan no longer dared to underestimate this little wooden bird.
Yan Shouyi flipped onto San Yuan’s back, stroking its head, and said to Ma Jinxuan, "Lend me your Flying Tiger Claw."
The Flying Tiger Claw was the treasured possession of the Mojin school, not casually lent out. Ma Jinxuan usually wouldn't even let others touch it.
After all, any of their treasures could mean the difference between life and death during tomb raiding. If something were tampered with on the Flying Tiger Claw, it could prove fatal at a critical moment.
However, Ma Jinxuan was pragmatic. In this situation, she wouldn't quibble. She directly tossed the Flying Tiger Claw to Yan Shouyi and asked,
"Do you know how to use it?"
Yan Shouyi pointed a finger to his forehead and replied, "I am a descendant of Lu Ban. I've thoroughly studied mechanical transmission and structural principles. Your Flying Tiger Claw's design is too simple; I saw through it at a glance. I might even build one myself later for fun."
"You?!"
Ma Jinxuan was so incensed she couldn't speak. She had kindly lent her treasure to Yan Shouyi, and he was now secretly studying its structure.
She said coldly, "No wonder everyone both loved and hated Lu Ban's descendants back then. Your skill at pilfering was too formidable."
Yan Shouyi chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The ability to discern the structure and essence of things was, in itself, the craft of a Lu Ban descendant. Was Kakashi from *Naruto* considered unworthy of high praise simply because he could copy others' ninjutsu?
After acquiring a set of Flying Tiger Claws, Yan Shouyi turned to Ma Xingping and said,
"Brother Ma, this Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost is too agile, and it deliberately conceals its vital spot, preventing us from striking. We must create an opportunity ourselves. Later, I will ride San Yuan to launch a surprise attack from the sky. You climb onto the mountain behind us, and we will attack from two sides, using the Flying Tiger Claws to restrain it, then seizing the chance to strike its vital spot. What do you think?"
Ma Xingping observed the surrounding terrain and immediately supported Yan Shouyi's plan.
The two agreed and began their preparations without delay.
Lin Zitong and Ma Jinxuan also had their roles. They were responsible for drawing the attention of the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost, creating an opening for Yan Shouyi and Ma Xingping.
The Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost was now in a blood frenzy, utterly disregarding its targets, intent on destroying anything it saw.
The once dense bamboo forest was now a chaotic mess, bamboos lying scattered as if ravaged by a tornado.
The Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost fed on ghosts. Lin Zitong decided to cater to its taste by continuing to use the Lu Shan school's Soul Summoning Incantation to draw in nearby wandering spirits.
Since most of the nearby wandering spirits had already arrived, Lin Zitong went further this time, summoning the souls of mountain and wild spirits as well!
The multitude of ghosts indeed caught the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost's attention. It bore numerous wounds, and its essence was leaking. It needed to consume some minor ghosts to restore its soul.
Seeing the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost drawn in, Lin Zitong and Ma Jinxuan dared not linger, quickly fleeing towards Yan Shouyi's position.
Meanwhile, Ma Xingping had used his mountain-climbing spade-insects to swiftly ascend halfway up the mountain.
By the time the two women reached the foot of the mountain, cornered by the pursuing Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost, Yan Shouyi suddenly swooped down on San Yuan!
Calm and collected, he hurled the prepared Flying Tiger Claw.
The Flying Tiger Claw wrapped around the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost, sinking its talons deep into its flesh. Yan Shouyi, gripping the other end of the claw, yanked hard!
The Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost began to struggle. A mere rope was nothing to it.
However, just then, Ma Xingping was in position. He threw his Flying Tiger Claw, entangling the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost from another direction!
With their combined strength from both sides, they managed to pin the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost in place!
"Find an opening!!" Ma Xingping yelled.
Lin Zitong glanced back, saw the plan succeeding, and without hesitation, turned and charged towards the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost!
Yan Shouyi and Ma Xingping needed to keep the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost occupied, so the task of slaying the snake and retrieving its gall fell to her!
In the span of a breath, Lin Zitong reached the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost. She ran along its body, and seeing the marker of Ma Jinxuan's thrown knife within reach, she unhesitatingly thrust her Crimson God Umbrella forward!
Swoosh!!!
The Crimson God Umbrella pierced the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost's body right down to its hilt!
The Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost let out a piercing, painful scream that echoed through the night!
Lin Zitong, her face grim, twisted the tip of the umbrella, then yanked it out forcefully, extracting a crimson snake gall!
This was indeed the last of the Tomb Guarding Serpent Galls!
Having lost its gall, the Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost seemed to have all its strength drained. After a few futile struggles, it fell rigidly to the ground.
Its body quickly dissolved into dust, merging with the ravaged earth around it.
"Phew..."
Lin Zitong, holding the Tomb Guarding Serpent Gall, let out a long breath.
Then, she happily raised the gall and smiled at the others, saying, "We succeeded!"
Yan Shouyi gave Lin Zitong a thumbs-up, thinking she was indeed worthy of being his woman.
"We succeeded..."
Ma Xingping, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief and slumped onto the ground.
This Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost could be considered the most terrifying monster he had encountered in his tomb-raiding career.
Ma Jinxuan stood not far away and unceremoniously sat down on the ground. In her intense nervousness, she had forgotten the pain in her ankle. Now that the danger had passed, the throbbing pain made it difficult to even stand.
The four exchanged glances, their faces breaking into smiles.
From initial hostility upon meeting, to reluctant cooperation and mutual suspicion, and finally to working together to defeat the formidable Tomb Guarding Serpent Ghost.
A basic trust had finally been established between Yan Shouyi, Lin Zitong, and the Ma siblings. Perhaps they could now call each other "friends."
Yan Shouyi, riding San Yuan, brought Ma Xingping down from the mountain, reuniting with the two women on the ground.
Upon landing, Ma Xingping looked at the colossal San Yuan and couldn't help but praise, "The Wood Puppet Heavenly Transformation taught by Lu Ban truly opens one's eyes."
"Your Mojin school's skills and courage are also something we can only admire," Yan Shouyi replied with a smile.
"You two are really flattering each other,"
Lin Zitong quipped, then directly tossed the hard-won Tomb Guarding Serpent Gall to Ma Jinxuan, "Take a look, is this the right snake gall I got?"
Ma Jinxuan took the gall, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "Why would you give me something so important so casually?"
"Why is it important? We're about to enter the Jian Wang Tomb together. What use would I have for it?" Lin Zitong countered.
Even though she said that, in this world, people normally kept their options open, just like Yang Li.
Instead, Lin Zitong's action dispelled much of Ma Jinxuan's lingering hostility.
Yan Shouyi gave Lin Zitong a subtle look of approval, thinking she was indeed a formidable woman.
Despite being just a young woman herself, Lin Zitong was a powerful figure in Rong City, and interacting with people was her forte.
Therefore, even after a life-and-death struggle, Lin Zitong immediately sought to strengthen her relationship with Ma Jinxuan, laying the foundation of trust for their future endeavors.
To have such a virtuous wife, what more could a man ask for?
"With this one, all thirteen Tomb Guarding Serpent Galls are collected. The gateway to the Jian Wang Tomb can now be opened," Ma Xingping mused.