The weird sacrificial dance was still ongoing.
The wind howling through the mountains made one feel chills to the bone.
As the moon rose higher, its blood-tinged radiance illuminated the world, making the four-fingered seals on the bodies of the Magicians increasingly pronounced.
However, the location of these seals varied, and their colors ranged from light to dark.
Lady Peach Fairy, being the most powerful, bore the faintest mark, rely a shadowy trace on her frostbound wrist.
Earth Scholar Fan Zhang bore the deepest marks, as he entered the tomb most frequently and was naturally affected the most, though his marks were just slightly lighter than the first five bandits who started dancing.
Weirdness inherently arose from the mutation of humans, demons, spirits, ghosts, and monsters, and a skilful Magician always had the ability to control it.
But the Owl God Tomb was obviously of a much higher level, requiring mastery well beyond that of the Red Seal.
Even Lady Peach Fairy, who had already received the talisman and entered Enlightennt, had not noticed the anomaly on her body.
The group seed to have returned safely from the Consort Mausoleum, but in fact, they had been unwittingly contaminated by both the Owl God Tomb and the Heavenly Facing Householder.
Like a series of ti bombs, it was uncertain when they might explosively detonate.
When the seal activated, they might not die imdiately, but like Chang Ghosts under a tiger’s command, they would keep hunting others and then bring them back to the grave.
Wang Yuan couldn’t help but quietly distance himself from Earth Scholar Fan Zhang, who was the most likely to "explode" on the spot, and moved closer to Lady Peach Fairy.
The others glanced at him expressionlessly, but Lang Qi, dwarf-like, quietly gave him a thumbs up.
At that mont.
The thirteen people walking and dancing had left the bounds of Daling Village and were about to enter Beimang Mountain.
The most authoritative among the Red Seal Mages, Lady Peach Fairy, then pronounced their fate:
"No saving them, just bury them directly."
Even though they lacked Wang Yuan’s "Eyes as Dark as Indigo," unable to see the seals on their wrists and ankles, they still recognized the severity of the issue.
At least these people could no longer be spared.
Lady Peach Fairy scanned the crowd.
"Who will do it?"
Even as Magicians, facing such unidentifiable Weirdness made them inevitably apprehensive.
"I will!"
No sooner had he spoken, than Earth Scholar Fan Zhang, reeking of earth, promptly volunteered to step forward.
During the recent pit-digging in the consort’s tombs, this otherwise experienced Earth Scholar had made consecutive errors due to various complications.
If he could strike directly above the main tomb chamber, a single peach wood stake would easily resolve the "Heavenly Facing Householder."
Yet, each attempt was off target, and though they managed to flatten them with enough cannon fodder, Fan Zhang still felt a great loss of face.
This ti, having the opportunity to perform, he naturally took the lead without question.
This Earth Scholar was from a lineage of Tomb Robbers.
Dressed in a filthy, earth-yellow robe, the years of grease and gri had practically turned his clothing into oilcloth.
It seed that even if it rained, the raindrops would roll off his clothes like water off a lotus leaf.
On his back was an earth-yellow leather sack.
Peeking out of the sack was an iron handle with a copper ring, a Luoyang Shovel, essential for tomb-robbing by the Earth Scholar.
It was precisely due to generations of Tomb Robbers diligently excavating Beimang Mountain during turbulent tis that this Luoyang Shovel had earned its formidable reputation.
Lady Peach Fairy nodded:
"Then please, Brother Fan."
As the dancing troop reached the foot of Beimang Mountain and began to climb step by step,
Fan Zhang stepped forward, scooped up a handful of soil from the ground, and repeatedly kneaded it in his hands.
Soon, using his extraordinary Martial Arts ability, he evaporated the moisture, turning it into a clump of dry dust used as a dharma guide for casting.
With a swift wave, he chanted:
"Central Earth Star, leader in all directions. Essence of yellow, commanded by the imperial chamber... descend from the heavens, seize calamity! Decree!"
Then he puffed up his chest, blew fiercely, and sent the cloud of dust toward the slope where the line of dancers was located.
A breath, two breaths, three breaths...
Before the spectators could reveal puzzled looks, they suddenly felt the ground shake beneath their feet.
Boom, boom, boom...
Amidst thunderous sounds like muffled thunder, Wang Yuan saw a cloud of dust rise on Beimang Mountain. As trees swayed, an entire hillside crumbled thunderously down.
Mud, gravel, and broken branches and leaves poured down like waves.
In the blink of an eye, it was as if a coffin lid had suddenly closed, burying all thirteen dancers below.
"Hiss!"
They drew in a cold breath.
"This Magic is almost divine!"
Including Lady Peach Fairy, who had already achieved enlightennt, everyone looked at Fan Zhang with a gaze that involuntarily carried a asure of solemnity.
This "Mountain Coffin Evil Technique" was truly terrifying in its power. Although it benefited from this year’s severe sumr flooding, and the Magic itself was rely a catalyst,
if one could leverage the right timing and geographical advantage, it could flatten an entire village in one move.
Bathed in awed gazes, Fan Zhang finally had a mont to feel proud, and took a large bite from a piece of mud filled with holes from his sack.
Others might not know, but he understood that this Magic was considered evil mainly because the "Precept Taboo" associated with it was extrely strict.
"First, consult the ’Nayin Five Elents Table’ using the four pillars and eight characters; only those with an Earth destiny can cultivate this Magic.
Roadside Soil, City Head Soil, Roof Soil, Wall Soil, Great Post Soil, Sand Soil—among these six Earth destinies, ’City Head Soil’ fits best, though the others are also feasible.
If a non-Earth destiny cultivates it, within a year, their skin will crack, and they will crumble into sand and die. "
"Second, on the day of Jingzhe each year, one must plug their ears with earth bee wax and lie in a century-old coffin for twelve Two Hours Periods.
During this ti, one must not speak, eat, move, or sleep."
"Third, there must be at least a two-Ke (units of ti) interval between each Casting, and imdiately after each Casting, one must consu two Liang (units of weight) of ’White Ant Mud’—a mixture of dirt, termite excrents, and saliva—to avoid mutations."
Having to eat dirt every ti he casted the spell wasn’t really an issue.
However, if soone caught the vulnerability on the day of Jingzhe and found his hidden coffin, even a weak child could easily kill him.
Such Precept Taboos were naturally the most evil of evil.
After confirming that all these "Henchn" had been wiped out, although everyone let out a sigh of relief, their expressions remained grim.
"This will be difficult."
Now, three Consort Mausoleums remained, each closer to the "Owl God Tomb," and surely each more malevolent than the last.
If they wanted to survive the major sacrifice that was coming, they had to break through all of them.
The raiders used as cannon fodder had already suffered major casualties, and many skilled mbers among the Tomb Guardians had also been greatly diminished.
The risk of entering the tomb subsequently would surely increase significantly.
The next problem might just occur among them.
Under the leadership of Wang Yunhu and Lady Peach Fairy, while everyone was gathered, they simply began to assign tasks.
"Ma Brothers..."
At this mont, Wang Yuan was staring at the blood-red moon overhead, sowhat distracted.
As the four-finger seal in his hand gradually lit up, he seed to hear illusions.
As if soone was whispering sothing in his ear, that voice sounded like the howling wind, like bird calls, like the deadly frost of late autumn—definitely not like a human’s.
At first, he couldn’t make out anything clearly, but as the three "Ghost Gods" in the "Small Book of Life and Death" let out a Tiger Roar, that voice suddenly changed:
"Heaven clear, Earth calm, forever preserve longevity, Ghost Gods annihilate themselves, evil spirits conceal their form, dare if anyone violates, send to the ninth abyss..."
"Yin and Yang lose order, extre voices of resentnt, you who are awakened, sin must toll..."
This voice seed to be imparting to him a very profound Daoist Skill, yet it was out of order and filled with incomplete Chapters.
’Could this Daoist Skill spreading from the "Owl God Tomb" essentially co from that... Heavenly Book?’
Wang Yuan felt it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
The "Small Book of Life and Death," which could suppress the Peach Blossom Seal Lady Peach Fairy had planted on him, ignored this four-finger seal completely and even started translating its ssages for him.
Just as when he first awoke the "Eyes as Dark as Indigo," when the "Small Book of Life and Death" told him he was affected by the "Weirdness" of soone he was constantly with,
this treasure also did not interfere.
Seems to be of the sa origin!
Soon, after completing the task assignnts, everyone dispersed with heavy expressions.
Wang Yuan, however, did not return to his place of stay but instead took a large detour back into Beimang Mountain.
For in another Two Hours Period, it would be Yin Day, Yin Ti, the perfect opportunity to practice the "Transformation into Tiger Technique"!
Two birds in the bush are not as good as one in the hand.
To snatch benefits, he at least needed to have strength on par with Wang Yunhu and Lady Peach Fairy!
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