"It’s all ruined, those hundreds of mysterious artifacts are likely to have fallen into evil hands." Zhang Chen looked at the empty tomb chamber, feeling an even stronger sense of foreboding.
"There are three forks in the road here? Which one should we take?" After walking for half a day, Zhong Xiang suddenly stopped at a fork, turning to ask Zhang Chen.
As Zhang Chen recollected the structure of the tomb in his mind, his eyes turned to the entrance on the left: "This direction!"
"Are you sure? I think the middle one is more reliable." Zhong Xiang voiced a different opinion.
"You go to the middle then, but if you’re caught and eaten by some old creature, don’t blame me for not warning you." With that, Zhang Chen turned his head and walked directly towards the left tomb.
The two had already passed through over a hundred stone chambers, never encountering any traps. Even if there were traps, they had long been mostly gnawed away by that Mouse Spirit.
Seeing Zhang Chen head towards the left tomb passage, Zhong Xiang looked at the darkness ahead. The entire ancient tomb was silent, as if a giant bloodthirsty mouth ready to swallow him whole, so without a word, Zhong Xiang turned and chased after Zhang Chen.
As the two walked in the passage, Zhang Chen held the Luminous Pearl for illumination, with Zhong Xiang’s hands also flickering with a small flame, both walking silently in the passage.
The underground tomb spanned a hundred miles, making it troublesome to navigate. Moreover, the entire tomb had been hollowed out by those mice, forming numerous passages, requiring the two of them to constantly stop to determine their location.
Finally, after three hours, Zhang Chen stopped, with Zhong Xiang’s eyes looking toward the depth of the tomb: "There’s a Jade Stele there."
The Jade Stele shimmered with white light in the darkness, exuding a mysterious aura that Zhang Chen had captured.
Zhang Chen, in order to quickly seek the Creation within the tomb, missed no possible clue, with his Dharma Eye constantly activated within the tomb.
"Let’s go, and see what it is! This stele wasn’t devoured by the Mouse Spirit, it must hold something." Zhang Chen stepped forward, approaching the Stone Stele.
The Stone Stele was two meters tall, its front densely inscribed with small characters, while its back depicted an unexpected black mist with a shadow faintly visible inside.
"What’s recorded on this Jade Stele?" Zhong Xiang asked.
Zhang Chen scanned the text on the Stele, then carefully interpreted: "Warning to those who come after, since you’ve entered this place and broken my Feng Shui Grand Array, it proves your abilities. But this tomb is not just a grave, it is also the seal of a Demon God. No one knows the name of this Demon God, nor its origin, only that it possessed the Curse Technique, killing countless deities. I collected hundreds of mysteries and, with the support of the Feng Shui Grand Array and the Princess, sealed this Demon God. I too was cursed by this Demon God, my body began to grow red fur, which I suppressed with powerful Divine Power. Future generations must not further damage the tomb, lest the Demon God emerge and wreak havoc across the world."
As Zhang Chen read those words, a chill ran through him, a hint of terror in his gaze: "A Demon God wielding the Power of Curse? Even the peak ’Emperor’ fell prey? That’s too frightening!"
"And what did the Emperor say? This grand tomb wasn’t for burying the Princess at all, but merely to seal that Demon God?" Zhang Chen felt a chill, a tremor in his eyes.
How mighty was the Emperor in his prime?
He unified Zhaoyao Mountain, suppressed South Mountain, pacified the Central Domain, then ventured into the Great Wilderness to battle the gods. The Emperor’s strength was beyond Zhang Chen’s imagination, and even then, with the peak Golden Scissors, he was helpless against it, clearly showing its formidable power.
"If I want to suppress it, the only chance would be the Soul Hook; otherwise, facing the Demon God with the Power of Curse, there’s not the slightest chance of winning."
Zhang Chen looked at the Stele, a grave expression in his eyes.
The next moment, Zhang Chen summoned the flower petals transformed by the Great Freedom Celestial Demon: "Do you know the Cursed Demon God?"
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s eyelid twitched at the words: "Where did you hear about the Cursed Demon God?"
"Look at this Jade Stele." Zhang Chen pointed at the Stele.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s face changed in shock: "No wonder the Cursed Demon God disappeared without a trace, it was sealed by the Emperor."
Hearing the Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s words, Zhang Chen felt a bit relieved; apparently, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon knew something about the Cursed Demon God.
"What is the origin of this Cursed Demon God? What capabilities does it have?" Zhang Chen asked.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon shook his head, not answering Zhang Chen directly, instead advising: "Kid, take my advice, let’s get out of here quickly. That Cursed Demon God is not to be messed with; once you’re involved, it’s a lifetime of trouble."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Chen asked, puzzled.
"I know you have skills, but the Cursed Demon God is different; it can only be suppressed, not destroyed. Let me put it this way, even if you kill it, even if it is wiped from existence, as long as any being in Heaven and Earth curses anyone out loud, it can use that Power of Curse to come back to life." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s tone was full of caution: "If I were you, I’d turn and leave right away, not staying a second longer."
Zhang Chen looked at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, his eyes full of surprise. In the past, whenever he encountered something, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon always egged him on to charge recklessly, never having seen the Great Freedom Celestial Demon being so cautious or advising retreat.
"I never thought even you would have a day of fear." Zhang Chen looked at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon with a hint of surprise.
"You don’t understand how terrifying that thing is, of course the ignorant are fearless. Even your Light of the True God absolutely cannot withstand the power of the Cursed Demon God." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon kept warning.
"That Great Freedom Celestial Demon is certainly resilient, but hasn’t that guy lived thousands of years over its lifespan by now?" Zhang Chen queried.
This was the critical information he needed to confirm.
Upon hearing this, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon scratched his head: "Should be nearing its limit, right? Who knows? This old thing is even older than the Peacock, anything could happen, we better run for it, not get trapped here."
Zhang Chen fell silent at the words. Even if he chose not to gather the treasures in the tomb, he still needed to find Points, collect some to improve his Skills, and upgrade his Qi Cultivation Technique.
"The Cursed Demon God is sealed, it shouldn’t have escaped, right? If the Cursed Demon God had broken free, it would have already left, given that all the deities suppressing the Feng Shui Grand Array have been consumed." Zhang Chen thought silently to himself.
He had to check the main tomb chamber, to see if the Princess had been devoured by the Mouse Spirit, or if the damaged seal could be repaired somehow.
After all, that Princess was technically his niece; how could he not care for his own family?
Now that it was clear the great tomb was in trouble, how could he ignore it?
"What are you mumbling about over there?" Zhong Xiang asked, seeing Zhang Chen standing alone before the Jade Stele, muttering to himself with curiosity.
Zhang Chen ignored Zhong Xiang, continuing to speak to the Great Freedom Celestial Demon: "How much do you know about this Cursed Demon God? Tell me everything."
"I remember someone was cursed by this Demon God to be immortal and ageless, and then they really became immortal and ageless, causing an uproar among all the gods. You have to understand, even gods have their demise, experiencing the Celestial Five Declines. But to have someone become immortal and undying through a curse, you can imagine the consequences, right?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon asked.
"What were the consequences?" Zhang Chen asked curiously.
"Everyone studied the curse’s mysteries, trying to capture the Cursed Demon God, but alas..." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon sighed: "Every single one failed! Otherwise, why do you think the Emperor rose so quickly, unstoppable in slaying all the gods?"