Inside the main hall.
"This should be the sarcophagus of the tenth generation Sect Master of our Demonic Cult!"
Ye Qianqian retrieved a record from a shelf on the west side of the hall, detailing events from that era of the Demonic Cult, specifically concerning the tenth generation Sect Master.
"Is there any record of the Demonic Pool?" Wan Yunting asked.
They had searched the hall thoroughly without finding any clues about the Demonic Pool, which caused him distress.
"No."
Ye Qianqian closed the notebook, her eyebrows raised as she shook her head.
The group reconvened before the sarcophagus, suspended in mid-air by four iron chains, confirming that the person lying within was indeed the tenth generation Sect Master of the Demonic Cult, Ren Zhongtian!
"Could the clue to the Demonic Pool be inside?" Zhang Xian'er said.
Her words made Wan Yunting, Zhou Ruoxi, and Ye Qianqian exchange glances. The sarcophagus was now the only potential place to search.
"What are we waiting for? Let's open it," Zhang Xian'er said, her interest piqued, and she moved to jump onto the sarcophagus…
"Wait…"
Wan Yunting immediately grabbed Zhang Xian'er, shaking his head. "We can't open it. This sarcophagus is too strange!"
"But…"
Boom!
Suddenly, a thunderous noise came from outside the hall. Wan Yunting, Ye Qianqian, and Zhou Ruoxi were startled and turned towards the hall entrance. From a distance, they saw the panicked beams of flashlights at the main entrance, realizing that people from the various sects were pursuing them…
"Turn off the lights! We need to hide!"
Wan Yunting made a swift decision, telling Ye Qianqian and Zhang Xian'er to quickly extinguish their flashlights. He then pulled Zhou Ruoxi and Chen Qiuyun towards the left side of the hall to hide, not wanting to face the various sects at this moment…
"Quickly close the stone gate…"
The members of the various sects, having jointly opened the large stone gate, now worked together again, with Zhong Yulong and Abbot Ren Xin leading the effort to re-seal it. However, the mechanism of the stone gate had been damaged, forcing over a dozen disciples to block the entrance and hold back the Snow Land Slugs from outside…
"What is this place?"
Liu Bing and Shi Yizhen, having breathed a sigh of relief, began to survey their surroundings with their flashlights…
"This should be the former site of the Demonic Cult!" Xian Yun said.
"Let's go and see what's ahead…"
The group proceeded forward, but after breaking in, less than seventy people remained.
There had originally been over a hundred people, but over thirty had been killed by the Snow Land Slugs along the way…
The Cang Mountain Sect was particularly devastated; Gu Song had died, and only one elder and six disciples now accompanied them…
The strongest forces present were the Wudang Sect, Shaolin Temple, and Hua Shan Sect, each with over a dozen people. Following them were the Qingcheng Sect and Kongtong Sect…
"The main hall!"
When Zhong Yulong and his group reached the main hall, everyone was astonished…
"Look, the door is open!"
"It seems Wan Yunting and the others have already arrived!"
"Let's go in and take a look…"
As the group entered the hall, their attention was immediately drawn to the black sarcophagus suspended in the center.
Zhong Yulong and Abbot Ren Xin exchanged glances, sensing the strangeness of the sarcophagus. Zhong Yulong instructed, "Let's not touch this sarcophagus for now. Everyone, search for any clues related to the Demonic Pool…"
The members of the various sects then began searching the hall, but finding no leads regarding the Demonic Pool, they became disappointed.
"Let's open the coffin!"
Liu Bing and Hu Fei once again focused their attention on the suspended sarcophagus.
"Amitabha…"
Abbot Ren Xin spoke, "This coffin carries an ominous omen. Do not open it!"
"Abbot Ren Xin, this sarcophagus is all we have left!" Shi Yizhen said.
Although Zhong Yulong also found the sarcophagus eerie, there were no clues about the Demonic Pool anywhere else in the hall except for it!
"Right, where are Wan Yunting and the others?" Hu Fei suddenly asked.
Zhong Yulong, Liu Bing, and the others were also puzzled. They knew Wan Yunting's group had entered first, but they were nowhere to be found.
"Xian Yun, take some people and search the area around the main hall carefully. See if you can find any trace of Wan Yunting," Zhong Yulong instructed Xian Yun and his group.
"Yes…"
Xian Yun led the disciples from the other sects out, and they began searching around the main hall…
Meanwhile, Wan Yunting, along with Zhou Ruoxi and the others, were crouched on the roof of the main hall…
"Open it," Liu Bing said again. "We are all here. Even if the corpse inside this coffin changes, can we not subdue it?"
Shi Yizhen, Hu Fei, and Elder Zhang Qing nodded in agreement. Even Zhong Yulong said, "Then let's open it."
"Amitabha…"
Abbot Ren Xin could only sigh softly, acquiescing to their decision.
Wan Yunting, lying on the roof, pressed his ear against the tiles and clearly heard Zhong Yulong and the others deciding to open the sarcophagus…
"I'll do it…"
An elder from the Kongtong Sect volunteered, flying up and landing on the suspended sarcophagus. He gazed at the black coffin, unsure of the material it was made from. Holding a large saber, the elder carefully examined the lid before directly swinging his saber down…
Bang!
The lid of the sarcophagus was split open by the blow, and a gust of black gas rushed out…
"Ah…!"
The elder cried out in agony, engulfed by the black gas…
"Bad! It's poisonous gas! Elder Li, get down quickly…"
Hu Fei's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he couldn't help but shout.
Zhong Yulong and the others retreated. The elder fell, and Hu Fei immediately instructed his disciples to pull him back…
After the black gas dissipated, the suspended sarcophagus remained still…
"It seems the owner of this sarcophagus feared grave robbers and filled it with poisonous gas!" Liu Bing analyzed.
Zhong Yulong, Shi Yizhen, and the others nodded. Seeing that the suspended sarcophagus was still, Zhong Yulong said, "Send someone else up to check if there are any clues to the Demonic Pool inside the coffin."
However, Zhong Yulong frowned, his aged eyes fixed on the suspended sarcophagus. A sudden bad premonition gripped his heart!
Such premonitions were rare, but when they occurred, Zhong Yulong knew danger was imminent!
He remained silent. Driven by the desire for the Demonic Pool's clues, Liu Bing signaled an elder from his sect to go up first…
The elder stood on either side of the sarcophagus, looking at the uncorrupted mummy lying within, clad in a red robe. Its hands were crossed over its abdomen, and a golden mask covered its face, revealing nothing unusual…
The elder from the Qingcheng Sect then began to examine the accompanying burial items, hoping to find a clue to the Demonic Pool…
The next second, the four iron chains began to tremble, accompanied by the violent shaking of the sarcophagus…
"What's happening?"
Below, the crowd's expressions changed, and they were greatly alarmed.
The Qingcheng Sect elder above was even more so. As he leaned down, reaching out to grab a burial item, he witnessed this scene, causing his heart to panic, and he tried to fly away quickly…
"Ah!"
The next moment, the mummy's left hand abruptly clutched the elder's neck…
"Heavens, it's come to life…"
The crowd exclaimed in horror.
With a crack, the elder's neck was snapped on the spot by the mummy, and his body fell to the ground…
"Elder Wang…"
Liu Bing cried out in dismay upon seeing this…
But then, the mummy within the sarcophagus slowly floated up, its red robe billowing and dust swirling. Wearing the golden mask, only its pair of glowing green eyes were visible, staring at Zhong Yulong and Abbot Ren Xin and the representatives of the major sects…
"This…"
Hu Fei and the others' faces turned pale, unsure of what was happening with the mummy.
Wan Yunting, Zhou Ruoxi, and Ye Qianqian on the roof were astonished. Carefully prying open a roof tile, they looked down into the hall and watched in shock as the mummy in the sarcophagus came to life.
Fortunately, they hadn't rashly opened it earlier. Observing the reanimated mummy, which exuded a peculiar and terrifying aura, Wan Yunting knew it was no ordinary corpse.
"Hmph, just a dried corpse that hasn't reincarnated properly. Watch me subdue it."
Danyangzi of the Wudang Sect let out a cold snort and charged at the mummy with his sword…
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the mummy opened its mouth and let out a roar like a dragon's cry, instantly sending the charging Danyangzi flying backward…
"Junior brother…"
Xugu Zi rushed forward to catch the flying Danyangzi and asked, "Are you alright?"
Danyangzi's expression changed, but he shook his head, looking at the mummy with wide surprise…
"Abbot Ren Xin, let us join forces!"
Zhong Yulong turned to Abbot Ren Xin and said.
"Good…"
Abbot Ren Xin nodded. The two attacked together, immediately engaging the mummy in combat…
"Quick, get out…"
Seeing Zhong Yulong and Abbot Ren Xin battling the mummy with great intensity, Liu Bing, Shi Yizhen, and the others began to retreat from the hall…
Boom…!
With a deafening crash, the wooden doors of the main hall burst open, and Zhong Yulong, Abbot Ren Xin, and the mummy emerged…
"Hurry, as the law commands!"
Suddenly, Zhong Yulong pulled out a red talisman from his robes and pressed it onto the mummy's forehead.
Instantly, the mummy froze, motionless.
"Sect Leader Zhong is impressive…"
Liu Bing and the others exclaimed in delight.
Zhong Yulong also breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had subdued the mummy. However, the next moment, the red talisman on its forehead burned away, and the mummy roared and lunged at Zhong Yulong…
"Be careful, Yulong!" Shi Yizhen shouted.
Abbot Ren Xin intervened in time, reciting a Buddhist mantra and striking the mummy on its back with a palm. Golden light erupted, sending the mummy flying backward…
"Quick, everyone attack together…"
Seeing this, Liu Bing, Shi Yizhen, and the others rushed forward, all attacking in unison to subdue the mummy…
"Quick, go get the iron chains and bind it…"
Hu Fei entered the hall, pulled down an iron chain, and dragged it out to join Zhong Yulong and the others, binding the mummy that was being pressed to the ground…
Abbot Ren Xin bit his finger, and the fresh blood was used to write a Buddhist character on the mummy's forehead. The mummy was finally completely subdued…
"Wan Yunting!"
Suddenly, Xian Yun pointed at the roof of the main hall and shouted, spotting Wan Yunting, Zhou Ruoxi, and their group peeking from above.
Zhong Yulong, Liu Bing, and the others all turned their heads towards the roof of the main hall. Seeing that they had been discovered, Wan Yunting and Ye Qianqian stood up and revealed themselves…