Chapter 328: The Divine Tomb of the Underground Palace (15)
Before Yan Shixun leaped into the entrance of the cave, he had already made a rough guess about the situation inside.
Although the cave was pitch-dark and seemed bottomless, with the help of the bright moonlight, he could still vaguely make out the jagged stone walls and the vast void below. He could tell there were no stairs to descend step by step, nor any mountain terrain he could use for support.
However, he didn’t panic. Instead, he decisively called out to Ye Li.
Yan Shixun believed that Ye Li would catch him in time.
And things turned out just as he expected. Ye Li jumped down right after him and caught him firmly in his arms without fail.
A chilly wind, damp with moisture, surged up fiercely from below, piercing through Yan Shixun’s clothes in an instant. The cold spread across his skin, and the violent wind made it impossible for him to open his eyes. His vision was completely blurred, making it hard to judge the situation upon landing.
But at that moment, a cool yet strong hand reached out and wrapped around his waist, pulling him close.
As he collided with the solid chest behind him, even though his vision was dark and unclear, a smile tugged at the corners of Yan Shixun’s lips.
The two of them continued to fall in the darkness for quite a while before they finally touched the ground.
The moment Yan Shixun sensed the change in the wind beneath him, he quickly adjusted his posture, landing steadily on the uneven, stone-littered ground without stumbling.
He blinked rapidly, suppressing the reflexive tears brought on by the wind, and his vision gradually cleared.
Only then did Yan Shixun finally get a clear look at the inside of the cave.
He looked up and realized the ground he now stood on was at least dozens of meters below the cave’s opening. The bright moonlight streamed quietly down through the opening above, serving as the only source of illumination in the dark cave.
The surrounding stone walls were jagged and rough, with strange, sharp shapes—clearly naturally formed, with no signs of man-made interference.
Even in the dim light, Yan Shixun managed to make out something that looked like a staircase. It extended from the darkness above and ended not far from where he stood.
He narrowed his eyes, confirming what he saw, then asked Ye Li with some doubt, “Is that a staircase? Man-made?”
Ye Li, who had been solely focused on protecting Yan Shixun, finally looked in that direction.
Because there was no light source within the cave, it was difficult for Yan Shixun to see anything clearly beyond the reach of the moonlight.
However, for ghost deities, “seeing” relied more on sensing than sight.
Ye Li only glanced at it before nodding in affirmation. “Yes. The stairs follow the stone wall upward, bearing rough axe and blade marks that haven’t been polished. They lead all the way to the top. It looks like the villagers from long ago carved this path.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Shixun pushed Ye Li aside and quickly walked a few steps forward, looking up to inspect it carefully.
It was indeed as Ye Li described. The staircase was extremely rough and narrow, barely wide enough for a foot. It seemed that when it was built, the builders never intended for it to be used frequently—just as a makeshift path to reach the cave below.
The stairs were now covered in dust, and having gone unused for so long, the carved surfaces had already grown new stone layers due to moisture and calcification. Since the staircase had been built following the shape of the stone wall, which had since shifted, it was now broken in places and no longer intact.
The staircase was completely unusable.
Judging by the changes in the rock wall, the terrain must have shifted significantly over time. This meant the staircase was likely built over a thousand years ago.
Back then, the villagers who gathered and interred the bones had probably already planned to hide the remains here. So they built this simple staircase in advance. From the scattered bits of iron around, there had likely been other tools used as well.
Once everything was ready, they transported the bones into the cave to hide them from the world above.
Since then, the villagers had lived on the surface above the cave, guarding this natural tomb with unwavering dedication, never descending again.
Even a hundred years ago, when people from other villages might have discovered this burial ground, none of them could have easily made it into the cave.
From the very beginning, those original villagers who collected the bones had no intention of letting others disturb the peace here.
Yan Shixun stood in place without making any rash moves. Instead, he quickly surveyed his surroundings before preparing to cross the uneven stones on the ground and head toward the staircase.
The general and the King of Hell also landed steadily behind them.
Yan Shixun merely swept a glance over the group and asked rapidly, “Can any of you still sense the location of the remains?”
His voice echoed back and forth through the vast, hollow cavern, making the darkness feel even more lifeless and terrifying.
The cave was immense.
If they wandered aimlessly in the dark without a clear direction—not even considering the risk of getting lost—the sheer time it would take to find the burial ground would be far too long, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the bones.
As Yan Shixun carefully observed his surroundings, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at the sheer scale of the cave in its prime.
With the shifting of the earth’s crust, subterranean structures like this one constantly changed as well. Some caves could transform entirely in just a few months, altering their structure and layout beyond recognition.
A cavern that once appeared as vast as a football stadium might, after several years, shrink down to something no bigger than a doghole.
It was like a sponge buried within the earth’s layers—hidden from sight, yet silently bearing the weight of the ground and mountains above, providing cushioning for tectonic collisions.
But because of that, any earlier surveys or markers left behind by previous explorers would have become completely useless. Worse yet, they might mislead future adventurers into dead ends with no return.
Not to mention, collapses were a frequent occurrence in caves like this.
Even the most seasoned explorers had to tread with utmost caution in such a complex and unpredictable terrain.
Just standing at the entrance, Yan Shixun was unable to deduce what the terrain had looked like a thousand years ago. He couldn’t be sure whether the faint traces left behind by the villagers long ago would still be reliable in guiding them to the burial site.
Yan Shixun had always been someone who prepared a chain of backup plans. He would never allow himself to fall into a passive position.
But this time, he hoped he wouldn’t have to use any of them—that everything could proceed according to the simplest plan.
—If the structure of the cave truly had undergone a massive transformation and they could no longer directly locate the burial site, there would be only one method left.
Have the general try to sense the location of the burial site as accurately as possible—and then, punch through in one go.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This was a law known to all—brutally simple, yet incredibly effective. It would allow Yan Shixun to reach the buried bones in the fastest way possible.
But doing so came with consequences.
That is, the stability of this land.
If the underground structure were violently damaged, the surface above could collapse. Even the mountain might sink, triggering a chain reaction.
As for just how disastrous the result might be—no one could say.
Because until now, there had never been a being like Ye Li, capable of completely destroying the support structure deep within the cave and disrupting the pressure points from below.
Yan Shixun didn’t want to take it that far either.
So even though there was a faster and more direct route—and he had the power to take it—he gave it up. He chose the difficult path instead, the one that would best preserve the cave’s structure.
After Yan Shixun posed his question, the general slowly shook his head and said, “We’re already very close—but the exact location, I can’t sense it. Shixun, the closer we get to the burial site, the less I can do for you.”
“When you find the burial site and see the bones… that will also be the moment I must leave.”
His voice had lost its usual edge. It wasn’t like the coldness Yan Shixun had encountered when he first met him. Now, it was filled with tenderness and affection.
And the general made no attempt to hide it.
Yan Shixun was briefly stunned. He halted his exploration, one hand bracing against the cold stone wall, and turned back.
A soft light began to glow at the King of Hell’s fingertips, gradually expanding into a ball of brightness cupped in his pale palm, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
The general’s figure stood half-hidden between light and shadow, but Yan Shixun could clearly see—he was smiling.
Even though the general had changed into casual clothes that made him look no different from an ordinary man when they left the southwest, the soft, loose fabric did nothing to blunt his sharpness. He was still the same commanding figure who once led troops into battle.
But now, he was different.
It was as if he had taken off the armor that shielded his soul, cast aside all defenses and barriers, removing every obstacle that stood between him and Yan Shixun.
Then, step by step, he walked toward him.
Revealing his feelings without reservation.
Yan Shixun’s slender fingers at his side twitched slightly, involuntarily. He hadn’t expected this kind of response from the general.
It was only then that he vaguely realized—maybe it wasn’t just Ye Li. This general, sharing the same body as Ye Li but existing in a different state…
Seemed to harbor an unusual affection for him as well?
“I’m sorry, Shixun. The bones are close. I am the last remnant left by a mortal—just like the remains. It’s suppressing my power.”
The general smiled at Yan Shixun and said, “I really wanted to fulfill your wish—to make everything you hope for come true, so you would never have to face anything that weighs on your heart again. But I can only guide you this far.”
“From here on, only you can walk this path alone, Yan Shixun.”
The King of Hell calmly followed up with these words.
He held that glowing orb in his hands and raised his eyes to look at Yan Shixun, speaking steadily: “That contains the remains of Ye Li and one hundred thousand soldiers. Power still clings to them—what’s left of the spirits and heroic souls of gods and ghosts. It holds extraordinary meaning and strength. No ghost or spirit can approach them at close range.”
“That guy Ye Li simply didn’t say anything—he refused to tell you. But the truth is…”
The King of Hell looked over at Ye Li and plainly revealed what he hadn’t told Yan Shixun: “From the moment he entered the cave, Ye Li’s strength has been steadily suppressed and diminished. It has already reached a dangerously low point. He’s still managing to endure the pain, but if he continues, there’s no telling what might happen.”
“This is a land that even Heaven and Earth have voluntarily given up governing.”
“This place is…”
The King of Hell gave a faint chuckle and said each word slowly: “the burial ground of ghost deity.”
Yan Shixun looked at the King of Hell and the general in shock, but on their faces, he saw only solemnity and seriousness. There wasn’t the slightest trace of deception.
He suddenly turned to look at Ye Li beside him, eyes filled with questioning—Was what they said true? You’re in pain, and you still wouldn’t tell me?
Ye Li’s gaze was cold as a blade. He shot a sharp look at the King of Hell before turning back to Yan Shixun with a gentle smile.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, Shixun.”
Ye Li spoke in a soft tone: “Just a minor wound. Not worth mentioning.”
He even brought up the time Yan Shixun had forced himself to keep going while injured, trying to use it to persuade him.
But Yan Shixun’s eyes wavered, like ripples breaking apart, his gaze toward Ye Li filled with complex realization.
Even though the King of Hell and the general couldn’t speak plainly due to being in the burial grounds, Yan Shixun still grasped the deeper meaning behind their words.
To Ye Li, those old bones were what he had once abandoned.
He had discarded the time when he was just a mortal, as if carving away decaying flesh from his body—removing all that was heavy and impure, allowing his soul to transcend the mortal form and ascend as a god of ghosts.
From the moment he opened his eyes as the Lord of Fengdu, his life as a mortal no longer had anything to do with him. The one standing there commanding ten thousand ghosts was a just and impartial ghost deity, free of personal desire.
It was because he had cast off his human side that he could fairly wield the authority of the ghost deity.
Just as the Great Dao had always been unemotional and rational—never softening for anyone.
This was a decision Ye Li had once made with great solemnity.
And so, to take back his mortal side again was no simple matter.
It wasn’t just about retrieving some old bones.
It was… the final test from the Great Dao for a ghost deity.
A test to see whether he could still uphold Heaven and Earth, whether he could still justly care for all living things and find a path of survival for them.
The greater the power, the harsher the test.
Even if Ye Li had firmly decided to accept the part of himself that was once human, he still had to endure countless trials and hardships before he could approach his own remains.
And so, the closer they got to the burial grounds, the weaker Ye Li and the general became.
Yet Ye Li gritted his teeth and kept silent, wanting to stay by Yan Shixun’s side at all times, unwilling to part from him.
But thegeneral laid it all bare.
After learning the truth, Yan Shixun’s gaze toward Ye Li gradually filled with anger.
“If he wouldn’t say it, when were you planning to tell me?”
Yan Shixun asked Ye Li coldly, “Were you going to wait until you were crushed by Heaven and Earth? Or until the Great Dao killed you, even as the Lord of Fengdu?”
Ye Li fell silent for a moment. He didn’t defend himself.
His voice was hoarse as he said, “Among all of us, you are the only one who can approach the burial grounds, Shixun.”
“If I go forward with you, the grounds won’t reject me too strongly because of your aura. But once we’re separated, unless I pass a trial, I won’t have another chance to get close to you.”
Ye Li gave a soft laugh. “You might not understand, but Shixun, to me, that would be a long and agonizing separation.”
Before obtaining a treasure, the poor have no way of knowing how dazzling its brilliance can be—how it could rival the sun and moon.
But more painful than never having, is having it once—and losing it.
Ye Li knew he was like a man who had been poor for a thousand years, and only at the very end, just as he was about to give up in despair, did he finally find his treasure.
That was why he could barely endure the thought of parting from Yan Shixun.
Even a single second apart was unbearable to him—far more torturous than the pain brought by the burial grounds.
Yan Shixun never expected that, after the general, Ye Li would also lay bare his feelings for him so openly.
He couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
Yan Shixun fell silent for a while, then asked, “What kind of trial do you have to endure?”
“However I lived, and however I died—the battlefield where I once ascended to become a ghost deity will reappear.”
Ye Li spoke softly, “I will have to go through, once more, the most painful battle of my life. Then, Heaven and Earth will ask me whether I want to make a different choice.”
“But the path of the Great Dao has never allowed for turning back. If I go through a battle similar to the Battle of Ye City again, and, even without my current memories, still make the exact same choice as before, then…”
Ye Li paused, afraid of frightening Yan Shixun, and said in a gentle voice, “Then it would mean death of body and soul, total annihilation, nothing more than that.”
He was even smiling, as though such a devastating possibility were no more troubling than a burst of radiant blossoms—light and pleasant, hardly worth mentioning.
But Yan Shixun stood frozen in place.
Yan Shixun understood the cruelty of the Great Dao all too well. Even though it was always fair and impartial, and its choices ensured the survival and future of all living beings, established the rules of the world, and maintained the balance of yin and yang and life and death—allowing the living to enjoy peace and happiness, and preventing spirits from disturbing the mortal realm—
Still, never before had he faced the Dao’s ruthlessness so directly as now.
Even the ghost deities who had once begged the Dao for help, who were then guided onto the path of trials to become part of the Dao itself, were never given any leniency. And certainly, no special favor would be given to Ye Li.
What must be done, would be done.
The Dao demanded beings strong enough to become its equals, not ordinary ghost deities who survived only by hiding beneath its shelter.
It drew that distinction with chilling clarity.
Yan Shixun’s throat moved slightly, feeling dry and sore, so much so that he struggled to form even a single coherent sound.
Neither the general nor Ye Li urged him to speak. They simply waited quietly for Yan Shixun to process everything he’d just heard.
The King of Hell, however, let out a quiet sigh.
His soft cloth shoes stepped across sharp stones as he walked up to Yan Shixun. Taking his hand, the King of Hell gently placed that orb of light into his palm.
“No ghost deity can approach another’s remains. And besides, I’m just a lingering remnant of soul that now resides in Zhang Wubing’s body.”
The King of Hell lowered his lashes and said calmly, “Come on, Yan Shixun.”
“At the very least, I can promise you this—as the King of Hell—no matter what happens, you and your Ye Li will remain together.”
“Even if he truly fails the Great Dao’s trial and is annihilated on the battlefield of Ye City… I still have a way to snatch his soul back from the Dao and send him into reincarnation. He’ll stand before you, alive and whole.”
The King of Hell winked at Yan Shixun, and under the other’s astonished gaze, chuckled lightly, “Yan Shixun, don’t forget—I survived to this day because I once escaped the mass death of all the gods under the Dao.”
“Trust me. I’m very good at this sort of thing.”
He added with a teasing smile, “The only question is whether you’d be willing to accept someone who’s more than twenty years younger than you.”
Yan Shixun couldn’t help but laugh at the image that popped into his head thanks to the King of Hell’s joke.
He found it hard to imagine what someone with Ye Li’s face and personality would look like as a child.
“No, if it ever came to that, Ye Li… you can go be with someone else.”
Yan Shixun turned to look at Ye Li, smiling as he slowly said, “I don’t like being with someone younger than me.”
Ye Li looked startled at first, but then he let out a soft laugh as well.
“Don’t worry. My Shixun… someone as precious as you, how could I possibly let others catch a glimpse of your brilliance and risk having you snatched away from me?”
Ye Li said, “Others? Not a chance.”
Among all the living beings in the world, the only one he loved deeply was Yan Shixun.
He had given every last bit of his remaining emotions to Yan Shixun. How could he have anything left to spare for anyone else?
“Shixun, you may not remember, but we once made a marriage vow under the witness of Heaven and Earth. A promise made by ghost deities cannot be broken.”
Ye Li looked at Yan Shixun, grinning slyly and joyfully. “Our karmic bond has long been so deep that it can never be undone.”
“Even Heaven and Earth wouldn’t be able to change it.”
Yan Shixun looked a little surprised. “When did that happen…”
But as soon as he said it, he began to smile.
There wasn’t one single moment.
That karmic tie had begun from the very first time he met Ye Li—and from that moment on, it had been a constant flow of love.
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