Chapter Ninety-Three: The Queen of Jingjue

"Croak... swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."

Faced with the charred insect corpses on the ground, the golden toad showed no aversion. Its great mouth opened wide, unleashing a tremendous suction that swept across the earth, and in an instant, the blackened remains were swallowed into its belly.

"Well, damn it all... Thunder Lord, what in the world is this..."

Standing atop the altar, everyone shivered uncontrollably from the static in the air; tiny arcs of electricity occasionally flickered above their heads.

"Brother Li, what remarkable means you possess! To wield the power of thunder and lightning itself—it's no different from the Thunder God of legend!"

As the dark clouds above gradually dispersed and the tomb lay before them in scorched ruin, Chen Yulou’s face was a mask of astonishment.

"Chief Chen, you flatter me. It’s merely the borrowed might of this treasure."

Li Yang raised the Thunder Lord’s Chisel in his hand, modestly smiling.

"Tsk, tsk... what a marvelous artifact! Brother Li, would you let old Luo take a look? To tell the truth, in all my years, I’ve never laid eyes on such a divine object!"

Rubbing the hair that stood on end from the static, Old Crooked Luo squinted his single eye in wonder as he stepped forward, his gaze covetous as he stared at the Thunder Lord’s Chisel, covered in the runes of Yin and Yang.

"Are you sure you want to see it?"

Li Yang looked at the approaching Old Crooked Luo, his expression hovering between amusement and seriousness.

"Then make sure you catch it!"

Seeing Old Crooked Luo nodding eagerly like a pecking chick, Li Yang secretly chuckled and handed over the Thunder Lord’s Chisel.

"Thud... clang..."

"Ouch! My back!"

The instant he took the chisel, Old Crooked Luo stumbled and fell flat on the ground. It was a while before he managed to prop himself up, clutching his aching waist.

"Hahaha..."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter at the scene.

"To hell with it, what are you all laughing at? If you think you’re so tough, you try!"

Rubbing his back, Old Crooked Luo’s single eye flashed with indignation as he glared around, mumbling, "Damn, this thing really weighs a ton!"

"Brother Li, were you just trying to make a fool of me? That’s not very sporting."

Watching Li Yang lift the chisel from the ground as if it were light as a feather, Old Crooked Luo’s face was full of grievance.

"How could I? The Thunder Lord’s Chisel weighs less than a hundred pounds alone. With your famed strength, Chief Luo, I thought lifting it would be a trifle."

But in truth, Li Yang’s words were a bit misleading. Though the chisel itself was less than a hundred pounds, its small size and top-heavy nature made it extremely difficult to lift without sufficient wrist strength—let alone to wield it with ease. With Old Crooked Luo unprepared, a fall was inevitable.

Li Yang hadn’t warned him simply because he wanted to play a harmless joke.

"Enough, Old Luo, let’s not make a scene. The real task is to gather up all the gold, silver, and precious artifacts in this tomb. Let’s lend a hand!"

At that moment, Chen Yulou stepped forward, patting Old Crooked Luo on the shoulder to change the subject.

"Let’s get to work, brothers!"

With a shout to the Unloading Ridge strongmen behind him, he began to search the tomb for treasures.

"I’ll be damned, in all my days I’ve never seen so much gold and jewelry!"

Half an hour later, gazing at the mountain of gold and silver ingots, artifacts, and jewels piled atop the altar, Old Crooked Luo’s eyes shone with greed.

"Indeed, a tomb of this wealth—no ordinary emperor’s burial would yield such a haul. For the King Xian, mere warlord though he was, to amass such fortune is a rarity."

Chen Yulou wiped sweat from his brow, equally awed.

"In imperial tombs, though there are burial treasures, most of the wealth is passed down through the generations. King Xian, though a mere warlord, gathered all his riches for this burial—no wonder there’s so much!"

Clapping Chen Yulou and Old Crooked Luo on the shoulder, Li Yang continued, "Have the men move these out in batches. I’ll have the golden toad help as well!"

As he spoke, Li Yang sent a thought, and the golden toad began swallowing up the gold and silver from the ground. In no time, the storage space within its belly was stuffed to the brim as it leapt toward the floating island.

After several trips back and forth, the entire night was spent emptying King Xian’s tomb. The fortune contained within was staggering—converted into cash, it would amount to billions.

...

After a sleepless night of labor, though everyone was exhausted, the sight of the treasure piled high filled their eyes with excitement.

"We’ve taken everything movable from the tomb. Isn’t it time to retrieve the King Xian’s coffin?"

Compared to the others’ enthusiasm, Partridge Whistle was indifferent to the gold and silver, turning instead to Li Yang.

"It is time to fetch the Dust Pearl. Since we can’t predict what awaits, you all should remain here. I’ll go alone," Li Yang said solemnly, looking at the expectant faces.

"Daoist Li, allow me to accompany you!"

"Brother Li, this isn’t right. We entered this tomb together—you can’t face danger alone."

"Brother Li, are you looking down on me? Even if I’m not as skilled, I won’t be accused of lacking loyalty. If there’s danger, you go alone? If word gets out, how will I show my face in the underworld?"

...

No sooner had Li Yang spoken than the group erupted in protest.

"No need to say more," Li Yang interrupted. "This is no ordinary task. Even I cannot guarantee a safe return. If you come with me, it’s certain death—why risk it?"

Though his words were harsh, Chen Yulou and the rest knew they were true.

Without Li Yang’s protection, they wouldn’t have made it past the canyon, let alone entered King Xian’s tomb and survived. The difference in their abilities was only growing more pronounced—after all, how could mere mortals comprehend the realm of the dragon?

This was inevitable. As Li Yang’s life ascended to a higher plane, the gulf between him and ordinary people would only widen. Perhaps decades later, Chen Yulou and the others would be old and gray, while Li Yang remained unchanged, eternally youthful. Such is the nature of different levels of existence.

"Alas... Brother Li truly is different now."

Watching Li Yang transform into a golden light and enter the tomb, Old Crooked Luo’s expression was complicated.

"Brother Li is a banished immortal from the heavens—we’re but ordinary men. To have known such a person in this life is no regret."

Chen Yulou patted Old Crooked Luo’s shoulder, speaking lightly, but his smile was tinged with sadness.

Recalling all they had shared, he felt that Li Yang was drifting ever further from them.

...

Once more inside the tomb, standing upon the altar, Li Yang gazed solemnly at the flesh-colored coffin in the statue’s hands.

As he approached, an immense suction force surged from the coffin, enough to sweep up an ordinary man. Li Yang, however, was unmoved, his feet rooted to the ground like iron stakes as he advanced steadily.

"Go."

When he stood at the statue’s feet, he patted the golden toad.

"Croak..."

With a thought, the toad opened its massive mouth; its fleshy tongue coiled around the coffin and swallowed it whole.

Crack, rumble, thud...

The moment the coffin was swallowed, the entire mountain began to quake and split. A vast aura of life began to awaken from deep within the stone.

Crack, crash...

A hiss sounded.

A gigantic head burst from the mountainside, boulders tumbling away. A massive serpent with blue-black scales reared its head high, its scarlet beast eyes gleaming with unnatural light.

The serpent coiled around the peak, its head larger than the flaming leader’s, tongue flicking in and out with low, threatening growls.

"That’s a lot of snake meat. You’re in for a treat today!"

Li Yang patted the golden toad at his side, grinning broadly, without a trace of fear.

At that moment, the serpent’s crimson pupils flashed with strange light, and Li Yang was seized by a sense of dread as his mind was drawn into an unknown space.

"Who are you, little wretch, to dare ruin my great affair?"

In a desolate void, Li Yang gazed at the figure before him—a woman in white gauze, a golden mask upon her face—and felt a surge of foreboding.

"The Queen of Jingjue?"

He studied the figure up and down, his voice laced with doubt.

"Oh? So you know of me, boy!"

The Queen of Jingjue’s tone was tinged with surprise at hearing her name.

"Since you know my fame, you ought to know my power. Yet you dare meddle in my plans—prepare to die!"

Though surprised, she gave Li Yang no quarter—the mask on her forehead split open to reveal a pitch-black eye.

"The Devil’s Eye!"

At the sight of the black eye upon her brow, Li Yang’s expression changed drastically. His form began to twist uncontrollably, and the golden centipede diagram in his mind struggled violently.

"Who dares act so brazenly... Halt!"

As Li Yang’s consciousness faded, the booming voice of Daoist Zixiao rang in his mind. Twin beams of clear light shot from his eyes, repelling the Queen of Jingjue’s demonic radiance.

"A primordial spirit!"

Seeing the light in Li Yang’s eyes, the Queen’s face shifted, disbelief thick in her voice.

"Courting death..."

As Li Yang regained his senses, staring at his reflection in the serpent’s eyes, he knew he’d narrowly escaped the Queen’s trap. Fury exploded within him.