"Wang Mazi, do you dare to keep the treasure for yourself?"
"Stop right there!"
"Wait for me!"
"..."
Once one person took the lead, the others couldn’t hold back any longer, and they all followed with a Soul Emergence, or simply jumped into the black pool water, heading towards the high platform.
The Divine Martial Artists could enter the water without sinking, and although the black water was strange, it couldn’t resist the allure of the treasure right before their eyes.
There were hundreds of people present, but only a tiny amount of treasure. Whoever got it first would own it.
"Sir!" Zhang Xiaohua looked at Mr. Wuliu.
"Something isn’t right, Crown Prince, don’t act impulsively. If the treasure were that easy to take, why would Zhong Xiang, after reaching the main tomb chamber, stop and wait for us to take it?" Mr. Wuliu’s eyes still held a trace of calmness, "Let’s watch and see first."
With Mr. Wuliu’s reminder, Zhang Xiaohua immediately regained composure and noticed the oddity.
As many people rushed for the treasure, pushing and pulling, some were directly pushed into the black pool water. Suddenly, a cry of alarm came as black figures leapt out from the black pool water, coming after everyone in an overwhelming surge.
Several figures even rushed towards Mr. Wuliu and Zhang Xiaohua.
Zhang Xiaohua’s expression changed drastically at this moment, while Mr. Wuliu was also on guard, quickly mobilizing power to resist. However, in the next instant, he saw the figures scattered like flour, only for more figures to rush at them, lunging directly towards the two.
Mr. Wuliu tried to use the Power of the Soul to block, but who knew that the force ignored the soul, bypassed all protective measures, and entered his body directly.
Zhang Xiaohua, who was behind him, wasn’t spared either and was hit by two strands of black mist.
Everyone present, without exception, was struck by the black mist. The only difference was in the number of times they were struck.
Only those unlucky enough to fall into the pool were tangled in the black Qi Mechanism, feeling completely numb while cursing incessantly, "Who the hell pushed me?"
After being hit by the black mist, everyone hurried to check themselves, and the result was that their faces turned green.
"Damn it, what is this?" Someone swore aloud, "Zhong Xiang, that bastard, misled me!"
"I actually got tainted by the Power of Curse, what should I do now?"
"Who knows how to break the curse? Quick, help me!"
"..."
At this moment, the expressions of all the scholarly experts, including those from Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, changed as a hint of horror appeared in their eyes. The Power of Curse was truly dreadful.
A bunch of people panicked, repeatedly asking for help with grief-stricken faces.
The three unlucky ones who fell into the pool, encased in water, seemed to discover something. After exchanging glances, they decided to swim towards the high platform.
Having already fallen into the water, any direction was the same. Before long, the three climbed onto the high platform, arriving in front of the half trunk of a large willow tree, their eyes gleaming with delight.
"Liu Yang, quickly check what’s inside that willow tree coffin," Mr. Wuliu shouted from the shore, "Maybe the Ancient Divine People inside have a way to dissolve the curse."
"Exactly, quickly check for us," Liu Lin also shouted.
The three unfortunates exchanged looks. With the willow tree coffin so close, their eyes showed a hint of joy. They never imagined that falling into the pool would lead to such a benefit, reaching the opposite shore to seize the treasure first. For the three, it was a stroke of good fortune.
Moreover, they discovered the secret of the curse. It seemed that even if soaked in the pool water, at most twenty-four curses could be stacked, as if twenty-four was the limit.
Twenty-four curses, one activating every hour, leaving no idle time.
The middle-aged man named Liu Yang faced Mr. Wuliu and Liu Lin’s calls with a smug smile on his lips, "Don’t worry, everyone. Let me check the coffin for any treasures. I never imagined that I, Liu Yang, would be so destined!"
Yet, as Liu Yang spoke, his voice shifted, becoming sharp, thin, and crisp, directly turning into a clear loli voice.
Then Liu Yang felt a swelling pain in his chest, followed by numbness between his legs, and he noticed the shocked expressions on the people’s faces before him, as if they had seen something terrifying.
"How did he become a woman?" someone exclaimed, "Could he have been cursed to become a woman?"
"How could such a vicious curse exist?"
"Damn, is the curse real? Can it really turn a man into a woman?"
"..."
In the crowd, Chai Chuanxin’s expression changed, instinctively reaching for his own chest, and his face eased somewhat. But soon, his expression darkened again because he was cursed to transform into a woman. Even though he hadn’t yet changed, when the curse took hold, he probably wouldn’t escape.
A man turning into a woman! How could anyone handle that? Their psyche would probably collapse.
"How can this be? How can this be!!" Liu Yang on the high platform looked at his own change and reached for his nonexistent parts, causing his mindset to collapse instantly.
But the crumbling voice came out as a crisp loli tone, making Liu Yang immediately stop shouting. At this moment, a wave of grief welled up, making even the treasure beside him unappealing.
Yet the transformation wasn’t over. One person beside him suddenly felt a blinding headache, and his entire head transformed into a donkey’s head.
His form looked foolish and clumsy, comically absurd.
"Eee-aah~ Eee-aah~" The scholar with the donkey head wailed in collapse, but his cries turned into braying.
The third man’s situation was somewhat better; he only saw his hands transform into dog paws, and then the change spread throughout his body, turning him into a dog.
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present, their eyes filled with horror.
"Where’s Zhong Xiang! Get Zhong Xiang out here, that bastard owes us an explanation!" Liu Lin shouted in some desperation, having been cursed with five curses that hadn’t yet taken effect, but seeing the changes before him, it was only a matter of time.
A group of elegant, ceremoniously-mannered, and proud noble scholars, how could they allow themselves to become beasts?
"Mr. Liu Lin, I don’t appreciate your words! I had set up obstacles in front of the great tomb to stop you from coming in. Who would have thought you insisted on entering? I couldn’t stop you. If I didn’t let you in, others might think I’m a notorious unfilial scoundrel. Can you blame me for you getting cursed?" Zhong Xiang came from behind, holding a handful of green grass, eating as he walked.
Some of the crowd, upon seeing Zhong Xiang eating grass, changed expressions, clearly already knowing Zhong Xiang was cursed.
But while you’re cursed, hiding it from everyone is even more despicable, isn’t it?
"If you knew the dangers here, why didn’t you tell us?" Liu Lin’s voice was full of rage, his mind on the verge of collapse.
Zhong Xiang’s expression showed displeasure upon hearing this: "Although you’re an elder, my senior, you can’t just slander me. It’s not that I wouldn’t tell you, but I was struck by a curse of forgetfulness. Once it activates, I’d forget everything from the past month. You can’t bully me! Do you think I don’t know why you want to enter the great tomb? Are you truly here for revenge on my grandfather? I’m embarrassed for you. You’re bullying me, wanting to seize the entrance to the great tomb, and now want to put the blame on me, but that’s not happening!"
Within the rock crevice, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but secretly praise upon hearing Zhong Xiang’s words, "This kid has come up with an incredible excuse!"