Urban Martial Saint

Listening to that sound, everyone was once again overcome with panic. In this dark passage, no matter what was about to burst forth, it was terrifying indeed.

Almost simultaneously, everyone took a step back. As the most powerful among them, Ye Qing naturally took the lead position, prepared for any unexpected occurrences.

As the sound rapidly approached, Ye Qing finally saw clearly what it was—a giant stone ball rolling out from the passage. The stone ball was about two meters in diameter; if it rolled into this stone corridor, it would spell danger. The corridor was only three meters wide, almost completely occupied by the stone ball. If it rolled here at its speed, who knows how many it might crush.

Seeing the situation, Ye Qing didn’t hesitate for a second. He rushed forward, using all his strength, both palms striking the stone ball. The stone ball was sent rolling back with a thud. Everyone let out a long sigh of relief as they heard the clattering sound fading into the distance.

”Damn it, I can’t take it anymore!” Handsome Fatty Wang, hearing the stone ball roll away, was the first to rush in, taking deep breaths of fresh air upon entering the passage. The laughing gas in this stone corridor was truly torturous.

Seeing Handsome Fatty Wang go in, the others, also tormented by the laughing gas, quickly ran to the passage to breathe fresh air.

”All of you, come back here!” Nine-Fingers Wu Yong suddenly shouted from the back, startling everyone. They all turned their heads to look at him.

”Ninth Master, isn’t this the entrance? Are we not going in?” a man asked in a low voice.

”Nonsense. Didn’t you see that stone ball just now?” Nine-Fingers Wu Yong said in a deep voice, ”If that stone ball rolls back, who among you can push it away? Ye Qing has to go first here, as he’s the strongest. If the stone ball rolls back, he can send it back. You running ahead is just courting death.”

Nine-Fingers Wu Yong’s words immediately reminded everyone, and even Handsome Fatty Wang, who had entered the passage, quickly retreated, saying, ”Come on, Young Ye, you go first.”

Ye Qing didn’t object to leading the way since only he could stop the stone ball. In this situation, having others go ahead would only be more dangerous.

Ye Qing moved to the front and turned to say, ”Mr. Wu, stick close to me, and if there are any mechanisms ahead, you can guide me.”

Ye Qing never completely trusted Nine-Fingers Wu Yong, so he wanted him close by as he led. This way, if any danger arose, he could drag Nine-Fingers Wu Yong in with him, preventing any underhanded moves.

Nine-Fingers Wu Yong nodded and followed closely behind Ye Qing. Handsome Fatty Wang quickly followed, and the group lined up and entered the passage.

Outside, the laughing gas had not been kind to them. Finally inside, they all took deep breaths. After a while, they regained their composure, and by that time, they were nearly out of the tunnel.

The passage was about two hundred meters long, with dark stone walls on both sides. However, light was coming in at the passage’s end, guiding the group forward.

Fortunately, there were no more dangers along the way, and they easily exited the passage.

Once out of the tunnel, Ye Qing immediately turned his head, alertly surveying the surroundings. It was a spacious cave. Actually, not a cave, as there were things affixed to the surrounding stone walls, and massive stone pillars held up the roof. Honestly, it looked like a palace. If it weren’t so empty, the place would still feel quite luxurious.

”What... what is this place?” Handsome Fatty Wang exclaimed, eyes wide, as he looked around in astonishment. ”Have we entered some kind of grand hall?”

Everyone came out, turning their heads and looking around, all equally amazed.

”Hey, there’s another entrance here,” a man pointed to the other side of the hall and remarked, ”Such a large door.”

Everyone turned to look and indeed, at the other end of the hall, there was a big door. However, this door wasn’t as daunting as the false door they had seen earlier. It was made of wood and wasn’t as large as the false door, but in proportion to the size of the hall, it was just right.

”Is this really a tomb?” Kunzi frowned, looking around in puzzle, ”This obviously is a large hall? How is this a tomb? Did ancient people build a hall inside the mountain?”

Everyone was filled with doubt as such a thing was beyond their understanding. When they entered, they thought it was the main tomb chamber. Who would have thought it would be such a grand hall? Was this the main tomb chamber? Or was the hall constructed outside the main tomb chamber? Wasn’t that ridiculous?

Ye Qing was also puzzled and turned to look at Nine-Fingers Wu Yong. This old fellow had entered many tombs and was knowledgeable. Only he might have an explanation for this.

Nine-Fingers Wu Yong looked around, as perplexed as everyone else. He slowly walked a few steps forward, observing the surroundings, hoping to find some clues.

Suddenly, Nine-Fingers Wu Yong stopped and pointed to the end of the hall, saying, ”Why is there a coffin over there?”

Everyone immediately walked to Nine-Fingers Wu Yong’s side, looking towards the end of the hall. Behind the stone pillars there, was a platform about half a meter high. And on that platform, there was a huge coffin. The strangest thing was, the coffin was white, not the color of wood at all. This meant that the coffin shouldn’t be made of wood.

”A coffin is just right!” Handsome Fatty Wang immediately became interested and said, ”A coffin means we’re in the right place. It seems, it’s some people’s special hobby to deliberately build the tomb chamber like a hall. Actually, I’ve seen situations like this often enough. Tomb chambers like a three-bedroom house, ones that look like gardens, I’ve seen them all. Let me tell you, once, I even entered one that looked like a toilet...”

”What happened then?” Everyone suddenly became interested; a tomb chamber like a toilet, that was really unexpected.

Handsome Fatty Wang chuckled and said, ”Then I found out, I had actually entered a real toilet.”

”Damn!” Over a dozen people simultaneously gave Handsome Fatty Wang the middle finger, Ye Qing included. This damn fatty couldn’t have a normal conversation at all.

”Well that’s obvious, who builds a tomb that looks like a toilet? With your level of intelligence, you still ask me, can you blame me?” Handsome Fatty Wang grumbled, but no one paid him any mind anymore.

Under the lead of Nine-Fingers Wu Yong, everyone slowly approached the vicinity of that platform. The coffin still rested on the platform, and amidst this grand hall, it exuded an indescribable sense of eeriness.

In such a large hall, the presence of a coffin could make anyone feel a bit creeped out.

As they walked forward, everyone finally saw the situation inside the hall more clearly. Previously at a glance, the stone pillars had blocked their view, and much had been missed. Now looking closely, behind the stone pillars in areas they hadn’t noticed earlier, there were quite a few iron armors arranged, similar to those displayed in European noble houses, a full set of armor standing there, looking like a warrior, exuding a sense of grandeur.

However, in this great hall, these armors weren’t exuding grandeur; instead, they added a sense of eeriness. Looking at these armors, everyone felt uneasy.

After walking for a while, Ye Qing suddenly stopped in his tracks. Seeing him stop, everyone else hurriedly halted as well. Nine-Fingers Wu Yong asked in a low voice, ”What’s wrong?”

”Something feels off?” Ye Qing furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, ”Do you all feel something strange underfoot?”

”Off? How so?” Handsome Fatty Wang asked curiously, while most of the others were also puzzled.

”There is something strange.” One of the men said in a deep voice, ”It’s like my Inner Strength is seeping out through my feet.”

”Yes, that’s the feeling.” Ye Qing nodded immediately and said in a deep voice, ”Once my feet touch the ground, my Inner Strength continuously drains away, as if being absorbed by the ground.”

”Why don’t I feel anything like that?” Handsome Fatty Wang asked curiously.

Ye Qing: ”Because you can’t do Martial Arts!”

”Oh, that’s true.” Handsome Fatty Wang nodded and said, ”Seems like not knowing Martial Arts is a good thing after all.”

Ye Qing couldn’t be bothered with him; this guy was just outside in the Stone Corridor shouting about wanting to learn Martial Arts, but now that he’d healed up, he had forgotten the pain, deciding not knowing Martial Arts was better.

”Inner Strength being absorbed by the ground?” Nine-Fingers Wu Yong furrowed his brow and said, ”How could something like this happen?”

Ye Qing shook his head and said, ”I don’t know either, this ground seems strange.”

Nine-Fingers Wu Yong looked at the ground, his frown deepening. He was silent for a moment before saying solemnly, ”It’s not suitable to stay here long, let’s quickly go and check out that coffin and leave this place as soon as possible.”

Ye Qing also didn’t probe further because he remembered what Shijia had told him before. This tomb was created by the Demon Sect, and the trickiest part is that the mechanisms inside the tomb adjust their power according to the entrant’s strength. If the entrant is a Peak Master, then the tomb’s mechanisms have the strength of a Peak Master.

Previously, Ye Qing didn’t know how this was accomplished. Now with the Inner Strength being drawn out through the ground, he suddenly understood how this mechanism operated.