novelraw Chapter 1060: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (68) Descent
Chapter 1060: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (68) Descent
There must be some reason compelling Suzuki Chun Xin to exert so much effort along this path—even at the cost of revealing his identity as an Onmyōji.
Song Haoran himself possessed extraordinary powers, but he had never considered revealing them to the world at this stage.
Without a solid reason, this wouldn't make sense—though the exact cause was unknown, it was clear that Suzuki Chun Xin would maintain this state for a while longer.
“Mr. Onmyōji, what’s the story behind these walking skeleton warriors?” Song Haoran asked in a casual tone—though he tightly gripped a shotgun.
The narrow, elongated passage was perfect for close-quarters combat. Not using a shotgun in such a situation would be foolish… though a submachine gun would work too.
“This should be a kind of corpse control technique,” Suzuki Chun Xin responded calmly. “It’s just that these warriors have decayed into bare bones, which is why they look like skeletons.”
Watching the skeleton warriors approach step by step, Song Haoran raised an eyebrow. “This imperial tomb is impressive. These things... have existed for two thousand years?”
Suzuki Chun Xin suddenly frowned. “No, these skeletons must have been made recently. They’re completely different from the undead in the previous chambers.”
Without asking why he thought that, Song Haoran considered a possibility. “Young Master Suzuki, are you suggesting... someone’s up to something in the main burial chamber ahead?”
“That’s a possibility,” Suzuki Chun Xin nodded, also inwardly puzzled. Even the most trap-laden imperial tombs wouldn’t be too dangerous with modern tech and caution. Yet that mysterious powerhouse still arranged for him and Ren Zhen to act as bodyguards... It seemed there was something at the end of the tomb that ordinary weapons couldn’t handle.Suzuki Chun Xin glanced at Suzuki Yuichi, who nodded and stepped forward.
Unexpectedly, Song Haoran suddenly said, “There’s no need for you to handle these skeleton warriors. Leave them to us.”
As he spoke, Song Haoran waved his hand, and the Song Family’s soldiers opened fire with heavy weapons at the approaching skeletons!
“If there really is someone up ahead using supernatural tricks, Young Master Suzuki, it’s better to conserve your strength for what’s coming,” Song Haoran said, advancing steadily with his shotgun—each step marked by the loud boom of a shot.
Behind him, the Song Family soldiers provided fierce support. Each time he stepped forward, several skeleton warriors collapsed under the firepower.
“That Song Haoran is quite courageous… what a pity,” Suzuki Yuichi resumed his mental communication with Ba Qi.
Ba Qi knew what Ren Zhen meant by “pity”—he had his eye on Song Haoran’s body. Unfortunately, all the marks he had set were erased by the mysterious powerhouse, and both he and Ren Zhen were now bound to the Suzuki father and son.
“Even the strongest human bodies have limits. This is Mt. Tai. There are plenty of Daoists and demons outside. Once this mission’s over, maybe we can find a stronger demon body—better than a human one.”
“Mm.”
Boom boom boom—!
Modern firepower shredded through the skeleton warriors like paper, turning them into shattered bones, paving a path of white bone.
Clack!!
When the last shell casing dropped to the ground with a thunk, not a single skeleton warrior remained in sight.
Song Haoran tossed his shotgun to a nearby soldier and turned to Suzuki Chun Xin, saying, “Obstacle cleared. Let’s move on.”
Suzuki Chun Xin nodded, reached out, and from a distance retrieved the ancient map from the now-dead Mu Xianghua’s hand. He glanced at it briefly.
Suddenly, Suzuki Yuichi’s expression changed—he looked furious, stormed forward across the bone-littered path, and shouted, “Damn it! Who’s bold enough to absorb the power of my Yin Wolf Star?!”
His movement was lightning-fast, like a predator. His charge even cleared a clean path through the bones.
Song Haoran instinctively looked to Suzuki Chun Xin with a questioning glance.
“He’s got... issues up here,” Suzuki Chun Xin said, tapping his temple.
These two... weren’t your typical father and son. Song Haoran narrowed his eyes slightly.
Things were getting more and more interesting. It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of adrenaline. He licked his lips. “Can’t let them get ahead of us.”
Elsewhere…
The stone door was suddenly blown open by a directional blast—and a figure charged in at high speed.
It was Suzuki Yuichi. He quickly halted and scanned his surroundings.
He was in a massive space—at least the size of a soccer field—filled with towering, strange crystal pillars. Inside each crystal, a person was being consumed.
He frowned and walked past the crystals. Some of the imprisoned were clearly Daoists, others obviously demons.
Some had already been completely drained of life, while others hovered near death, unconscious.
At the center of this vast space stood a massive, ancient sacrificial altar.
Hovering above the altar was a man, arms spread wide, eyes shut tightly in pain, radiating an aura that even made Ren Zhen feel deeply uneasy.
But Suzuki Yuichi—Ren Zhen’s true self—had a clear target. A faint spiritual link guided him through the maze of crystal pillars to one specific column.
Inside it was a girl, her white hair hanging down, her head drooping like a dying flame—this was Zi Xing, the young mistress of the Greedy Wolf Clan!
Ren Zhen’s eyes blazed with fury—this close, he could feel that the essence of the Yin Wolf Star had been nearly completely devoured!
“Damn it…”
He growled low in his throat. He didn’t care about the host, but he would not allow the essence of the Yin Wolf Star to be lost.
“Good… Very good…”
Enraged, Ren Zhen slammed his fist into the crystal pillar imprisoning Zi Xing! Cracks spread instantly, and the pillar shattered—Zi Xing fell to the ground.
Just as Ren Zhen moved forward to check on her, a sudden surge of danger came from behind! He turned quickly—only to see lightning bolts shooting at him from five directions!
BOOM—!!!
The explosions echoed throughout the enormous chamber.
The five bolts of lightning didn’t hit Ren Zhen. He leapt onto one of the crystal pillars, scanning his surroundings, searching for the hidden enemy.
“Coward hiding in the shadows! Show yourself!!”
Furious, Ren Zhen struck a palm at a nearby crystal pillar. It exploded on impact, and the Demon tribe being devoured within it fell to the ground. But Ren Zhen didn’t care about its life or death and swiftly struck at a second pillar.
“Not coming out? Then I’ll destroy this entire place!!”
So much hatred!
Feeling the faint flicker of Yin Wolf Star origin power left inside Zi Xing’s body, Ren Zhen’s rage nearly consumed his reason.
Who would’ve thought that after traveling so far just to accompany that shameless Ba Qi in retrieving the Suihou Pearl, he would find Zi Xing—his former host—almost completely drained of her source in the depths of this royal tomb?
At that moment, a shadowy figure flashed out, charging at Ren Zhen, who was about to destroy another pillar.
They clashed briefly mid-air, then each retreated to stand atop different crystal pillars. Ren Zhen’s expression turned grim as he fixed his gaze forward.
A man wearing a bronze mask stood there… Ren Zhen could feel a powerful force within him—not quite in Enlightened Dao Realm, but seemingly even stronger. It was bizarre and unnatural.
From this angle, the altar was fully visible—aside from the young man floating and seemingly enduring intense pain, a crystal coffin was also placed on the altar. Its lid had been opened, revealing an elder with pale, bloodless skin.
Ren Zhen's eyes narrowed in surprise as he blurted, “70th generation of Heavenly Heart?”
“Who are you?” the bronze-masked man asked, startled by the recognition. As he examined the odd, disharmonious appearance of the sturdy old man before him, a suspicion arose. He said coldly, “You’ve taken over this man’s body. Why are you here?”
Ren Zhen just sneered and said nothing. Suddenly, he sprang forward, charging straight toward the crystal coffin on the altar—the resting place of the 70th generation of Heavenly Heart!
“You dare?!”
The bronze-masked man shouted angrily and raced across the crystal pillars, arriving at the altar before Ren Zhen.
With a flick of his hand, a circle of talismans appeared before him. Bolts of lightning shot out from them.
Ren Zhen charged through the lightning barrage and landed cleanly on the altar.
His formidable strength surprised the bronze-masked man, who cautiously repositioned himself to block access to the crystal coffin.
Ren Zhen then glanced down at the altar beneath his feet. Studying the structure, he scanned the area again as if noticing something, and sneered. “This place is gathering an immense amount of life force… are you plotting something?”
The bronze-masked man said nothing, standing calmly with one hand hidden behind his back—but that hand was busily forming seals, as if calculating something.
After a few attempts, his fingers froze. Everything had become shrouded and chaotic, as if he were lost in a dark, turbulent sea. Continuing further felt like risking his life.
Only a day and a night had passed since the New Year—why had fate already descended into such chaos?
Just as he puzzled over this, the stone gate behind them shattered.
Suddenly, figure after figure poured in—it was Suzuki Chun Xin, Song Haoran, and the rest of the group, chasing close behind Ren Zhen. They had arrived!
That man…
Song Haoran, holding a telescope, immediately saw the situation on the altar—when he saw the bronze-masked man, Song Haoran was instantly stunned—he had encountered this man once before.
“Looks like you’ve brought quite a few helpers,” the bronze-masked man said to Ren Zhen.
Ren Zhen looked around and snorted, “This altar is no ordinary construct—it’s designed to drain the life force from these Demon tribe members and Daoists… you’ve absorbed so much spiritual essence, all for what… to revive the 70th generation of Heavenly Heart lying in that coffin?”
“You’ll all know soon enough,” the bronze-masked man replied calmly. “I hoped the skeleton warriors outside could stall you longer. But since you’re here… witness life and death’s cycle together. The time has come.”
“What?” Ren Zhen frowned.
Just then, in the depths of the massive underground tomb, a terrifying presence suddenly emerged, making his heart pound.
The source—was the young man suspended in the air, writhing in pain!
At that moment, a vast power erupted from the young man—not magic, not demonic energy, but something far greater. Violent winds tore through the tomb.
Suzuki Chun Xin’s expression shifted. He leapt onto a crystal pillar, and gazed toward the direction of the altar.
Suddenly, the howling wind ceased, and everything seemed to fall silent.
Only the young man, bare-chested, floated a little higher. His eyes opened—completely black, with no visible pupils.
At the same time, an overwhelming divine pressure surged from his body.
“This is… divine might!” Ba Qi cried out in shock.
As one who had once stolen the Voidless Moon World’s authority and even shared its power with Izanami, he knew exactly what this aura represented.
In the depths of this royal tomb… a god had descended!
No wonder that mysterious power never entered the tomb personally…
(End of Chapter)