Zeng Xunlong and his four disciples were standing before a large stone tablet. Behind it was an underground river.

Zeng Xunlong's four disciples were all carrying tactical flashlights. Some were s.h.i.+ning at the underground river, others at the stone tablet.

This underground river was only about two meters wide. It flowed on slowly. Such a width could be easily crossed by even non-sportsmen. All one needed to do was to do a run-up before leaping over.

The stone tablet was a turtle-supported stele. It was several meters high and engraved with the characters “Tongtian River”. The calligraphy was bold and vigorous.

Tongtian River was one of the rivers recorded in Journey to the West. It was the site of the last calamity suffered by the Tang priest and his disciples. An old turtle had carried them across the river. The book mentioned that this river was over 800 meters wide. This river of only two meters wide bore the same name. Given its width, one could be certain there would not be any millennium-old turtle in it.

Ning Tao read the stone tablet and said to himself, “Tongtian River? Reaching into the heavens? Could this river really be related to cultivating immortals?”

At this moment, Zeng Xunlong said, “You, jump across the river and take a look.”

The chosen disciple walked gingerly to the river. He flashed his flashlight across at the other sh.o.r.e. There were steep mountain rocks at the other end, of all shapes and sizes. He seemed eager to know what was beyond those strange rocks, but his tactical flashlight could not s.h.i.+ne so far ahead.

“Hurry! Why are you fussing about?” Zeng Xunlong urged. His voice carried in it an irresistible awe.

The disciples stepped a few paces back and took a deep breath. Then he sprinted forward. Just before reaching the river, he leaped and his entire body soared across to the other sh.o.r.e. With such a run-in and parabolic jump, he could easily leap across a five-meter river, let alone a two-meter one.

However, while his body was soaring midway over the river, he suddenly dropped down like a stone. Something seemed to be grabbing his foot and dragging him down the river.

Grunt!

That disciple fell into the river. In the twinkling of an eye, he sank to its bottom. He did not even struggle once throughout the entire process.

The disciple w.a.n.g Xing holding on to the Dragon-searching Ruler dashed to the sh.o.r.e. He tried to grab his fellow disciple's hand, but retracted his hand before reaching the river.

Men were all selfish.

“d.a.m.n, you dare to come with such puny skills?” Zeng Xunlong cursed. He pointed at w.a.n.g Xing and said, “w.a.n.g Xing, jump across and take a look.”

“I…” Blood instantly drained from w.a.n.g Xing's face. His knees started to wobble.

Swoos.h.!.+ Zeng Xunlong drew out his pistol and pointed it at w.a.n.g Xing. “I'll count to three. If you won't jump, don't blame your Master for being ruthless.”

w.a.n.g Xing was also armed with a pistol, but he had no courage to draw it out. He retreated a few steps and took a deep breath. Then he sprinted and sprang over the river.

This time, w.a.n.g Xing did not fall. He successfully leaped across the river.

Zeng Xunlong said, “This should be the way, isn't it? He was careless just now and only had himself to blame. One less person and you three will get more. Let's all cross the river.”

The remaining two disciples all managed to leap across. No accident befell them.

Zeng Xunlong was the last to cross the river. He did not need any run-up, simply leaping across casually. His entire person soared into the air and he leaped across like an eagle with outstretched wings. He did not make even a sound as his feet touched the ground.

Following that, Zeng Xunlong entered the myriad rocks formation with his three disciples. Soon, they disappeared.

Only now did Ning Tao emerge from his hidden spot. He led Qing Zhui and the Howling Celestial Dog to the stone tablet. Summoning the states of looking and smelling, he suddenly detected whiffs of misty spiritual energy emerging before his eyes. The innate auras of Qing Zhui and the Howling Celestial Dog were like two lanterns, lighting up a large area before him. He could also see the four innate auras in the myriad rock formation. Unquestionably, they were those of Zeng Xunlong and his three disciples. As he s.h.i.+fted his gaze over to the other sh.o.r.e, he found one of the four innate auras rapidly waning.

This meant that another man among them had died.

Ning Tao frowned. “What a vicious guy. He knows the situation here. One person will have to die at each pa.s.s. Not one of his men will survive. He will be the only one left alive.”

Qing Zhui said, “The negative energy here is strong. It must be the cave mansion of a demon. If it really is an immortal's tomb, it must be that of an immortal demon.”

Ning Tao suddenly remembered someone— Zhu Hongyu's mother, Hu Ji. Yin Molan said that she was a fox demon. The source of the Ancestor-seeking Elixir came from her body. Was Zhu Hongyu searching for her mother's tomb here?

“Let's cross. I'll jump first. You two follow behind.” Ning Tao soon gathered his thoughts and walked towards the sh.o.r.e.

He was always the first to face any dangers. He would not let anyone else go before him.

After leaping across the river, Ning Tao, Qing Zhui and the Howling Celestial Dog came to the myriad rock formation.

Ning Tao soon detected runes under a rock. This was actually a formation.

As expected, there were formations in the river and on these rocks guarding the pa.s.ses. One person had to die before the others could pa.s.s.

Given the circ.u.mstances, Ning Tao felt lucky that he had not struck outside the formations. If he had entered this place himself, he would not only face dangers but might be stalled at both formations. Until now, he had only mastered runes relating to himself. He knew very little runes concerning other ordinary cultivators or demons. He could not quickly overcome this weakness too. The whole process would take years of study.

After entering the myriad rocks formation, they soon came upon another corpse. The disciple had been pierced by a stone needle suddenly emerging from underground. His dead body pointed in the direction of the exit ahead.

They reached the end after traversing the myriad rocks formation. Inside a steep stone wall standing almost 90 degrees vertically, there was a narrow pa.s.sageway which could only accommodate one foot. The pa.s.sageway skirted past the steep wall, forming a Z-letter pattern leading upwards.

As expected, there was another corpse at its entrance. This time, it was w.a.n.g Xing. He was caught in a crevice in the mountain path. His brain and his body had been squashed into a pulp. One hand stretched out above ground, grasping tightly to the Dragon-searching Ruler.

Ning Tao said, “Four of the men he brought along have died. In other words, there's only one more pa.s.s. Let's follow them.”

He was still the first one to go. Stepping on the mountain path which could only accommodate one foot, his back clung closely to the mountain wall. He went up the path carefully.

Qing Zhui and the Howling Celestial Dog found the way quite easy though, since Qing Zhui had snake claws and the Howling Celestial Dog paws.

After treading through five Z-pattern paths, voices resounded from before them in front.

“Master… I beg you… I still have an elderly mother at home. Don't let me die, alright?” “I don't want the money anymore. I want to go home.”

“Yan Zong, you are the disciple I value most highly. You're a capable, bold and meticulous guy. Don't you want to earn a huge bounty? Those stupid guys are all dead. We can split the commission between us, 50-50, with each earning 50 million. If you have 50 million, you won't be robbing graves and dying without descendants.”

“Enough!” Yan Zong growled angrily. “Don't try to dupe me. Those four disciples died because they believe you. If I believe you, I will die here too! I understand now why you can hoodwink us with the lure of 50 million. You brought us here as sacrifices, so that you can have the treasure and commission alone!”

“You have to go even if you aren't willing.”

“Don't come over, or I'll shoot!”

“Hehehe…”

Ning Tao trod through the narrow pa.s.sageway and poked out his head from behind a mountain boulder. There was a level d.y.k.e ahead. Someone must have hacked this precipitous cliff wall with an ax, leveling the place and resulting in a d.y.k.e.

A little above the d.y.k.e was the snowy summit. Large rocks suspended from it, giving one the impression that they might fall any moment.

Right in front of the level d.y.k.e was a door in the mountain face. It was excavated out from pure rock and a dozen meters high. There was a board above, inscribed with the characters “Temple within the Mountains”. The calligraphy was elegant and graceful, in what seemed like a woman's hand.

Behind this mountain door was a flight of paved stone steps. There was another large stone door at the end, with a ringed knocker. It seemed to be hinged and movable for knocking.

At this moment, Zeng Xunlong and his last disciple Yan Zong was standing on the last stone steps. Yan Zong was holding a pistol in his hand, its muzzle aimed at Zeng Xunlong.

Qing Zhui was about to skirt past Ning Tao when Ning Tao caught her by the arm. He whispered into her ear, “Take it easy. Let them open the door first.”

Qing Zhui nodded. She seemed to feel an itch. As Ning Tao's mouth moved away from her ear, she stretched out a hand to scratch. Her ear was translucent and delicate, as if one could tear it by blowing.

After that, Ning Tao, Qing Zhui and the Howling Celestial Dog all poked out their heads to observe the master and disciple facing off.

The mantis was stalking the cicada, unaware of the others behind.

At the end of the flight of steps, Zeng Xunlong stopped snickering. “Yan Zong, I didn't expect you to be so gutsy. You dare to point your gun at your Master. Such a disloyal act— aren't you afraid that Heaven will strike you dead with a thunderbolt?”

Yan Zong sneered. “Don't scare me with that. No one in this trade will come to a good end. Since I'm already a grave robber, I won't worry about that. Don't you want to open the door? Very well, open it yourself, or I'll shoot you dead!”

Zeng Xunlong suddenly raised his head to look.

Yan Zong gazed up unconsciously as well. While he was distracted, Zeng Xunlong suddenly reached out and grabbed his pistol, pus.h.i.+ng it to his chest. His wrist joint was crushed and his pistol dropped into Zeng Xunlong's hand.

Zeng Xunlong smirked. “Fighting me? You are still too green. Go!”

Yan Zong's knees slumped down to the ground. He begged, “Master, I'm wrong. I…”

Bang!

A gunshot. Before Yan Zong could kneel, a bullet had hit his thigh. Blood gushed out, instantly dying his legs red.

Zeng Xunlong bellowed angrily, “Go and open the door! Otherwise, I'll blow your brains out!”

Yan Zong dragged his shot thigh to the temple door very slowly.

Zeng Xunlong said, “You might not die after opening the door. But if you won't open it, I will surely shoot you dead. I can forgive you, but only if you open that door. I can ignore what happened just now and still give you half the commission.”

Perhaps because he still harbored some hope, Yan Zong hesitated before the stone door. In the end, he grabbed the stone knocker and pulled it up…