Chapter 524: The keyless entry system of the ancient grave
Translator: GodBrandy Editor: Kurisu
After ancient cultivators managed to develop these mobile graves, all those treasure-hunting cultivators skilled in geomancy were quite worried.
Back in those days, there were many cultivators skilled in geomancy that would determine the position of a grave with much difficulty just to have the grave run away as they were trying to enter it... it was a rather sad and painful matter.
But even if ancient graves belonging to cultivators could move on their own, wasn't it a bit too exaggerated that this one directly ran into space...?
The nearby Chu Chu was dumbfounded. Did I hear correctly just now? Is this the grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue?
Were they going to explore the ancient grave of a figure of the Venerable rank?
The old Chu Chu wouldn't even have dared to dream of something of the sort!
But after meeting Song Shuhang, she had seen quite a few Venerables... both alive and dead.
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After flying for a very long time, the immortal boat started to slow down.
Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue pointed toward a distant place... it was a meteoroid emitting a dazzling golden light. "We have arrived. It's right there. Do you see that shining big meteoroid? That's where the grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue is located."
The grave is inside a meteoroid...?
Song Shuhang didn't know from where to start to list all the things that were wrong with this situation. For example, how the hell was this grave exactly moving... to the point that it ended up in space, and inside a meteoroid to boot!
And what was the deal with that meteoroid emitting a blinding golden radiance? Was it possible that all the cultivators roaming in space were blind and none noticed the eye-catching grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue...?
The immortal boat berthed next to the meteoroid, and it was only at this time that Song Shuhang noticed that the golden radiance was actually a defensive barrier. The immortal boat was unable to get past it.
"Right. Little friend Shuhang, you can already use your true qi, right? I want to teach you a small magical technique before entering the grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue. I'm sure this technique will come in handy while we are inside the grave," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said with a smile.
"Senior, what kind of technique is it?" Song Shuhang asked.
"It's the 'secret sound transmission technique' I promised to teach you if you managed to defeat the hundred giants. Although it's called 'magical technique', it only consists in operating one's true qi according to a special pattern. It's rather easy and quick to learn," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said.
"Eh? But, Senior, I haven't defeated the hundred giants yet."
"Haha. Actually, you passed the test in the instant Fourth Cultivator of True Virtue increased the gravity to five times higher than normal," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said with a smile.
Song Shuhang had already learned how to fight against colossal creatures in an environment where gravity was three times higher than normal, and he was already capable of easily killing the giants by relying on the advantage the terrain gave him and striking the 'fatal weaknesses' the giants had.
If Fourth Cultivator of True Virtue hadn't increased the gravity up to five times what it normally was on Earth, Song Shuhang might have already killed the hundred giants.
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Thereupon, Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue started to teach Song Shuhang the 'secret sound transmission technique' before getting into the grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue.
The 'secret sound transmission technique' consisted in manipulating one's true qi and turning it into a string, directly spreading the words one wanted to say to the ear of the opposite party through the true qi.
It was rather practical and difficult to detect. In an environment such as space where sound couldn't spread, it was simply a lifesaver.
Just as Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said before, the secret sound transmission technique wasn't difficult to learn.
With Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue personally instructing him, Song Shuhang was able to get a general idea of the technique in about five minutes.
Although his voice was spreading intermittently and sounded like that of a robot, the other party could understand what he was saying.
It was more than enough for now.
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"Now, we have to find a way to get past the barrier. Otherwise, we won't be able to enter the grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said after teaching Song Shuhang the secret sound transmission technique.
Yu Jiaojiao said, "How are we supposed to get past it?"
"It's very easy. Tell me, what have you discovered after looking at the golden barrier?" Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said as he pointed toward the barrier.
Song Shuhang looked at the blinding golden barrier.
Very soon, the group noticed something above the golden barrier. They could faintly see something that resembled a window, and inside the window was the figure of a woman sitting in a dignified manner.
"Hiss~" Song Shuhang suddenly trembled. He felt a chill all over his body as soon as he saw the picture of the woman.
What's happening? Did I feel a chill just by looking at the picture of that woman?
"What's that?"
Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said, "The picture of the dead; it's something very commonly seen within ancient graves belonging to cultivators. After their death, the body of a powerful cultivator will start to emit the aura of death, which will then fuse together with their grave, changing into the picture of the dead. If we want to enter the grave, the first hurdle we have to get past is the picture of the dead."
Chu Chu added at this time, "As soon as I saw the picture of the dead, I felt a chill."
Song Shuhang wasn't the only one that felt the chill!
Song Shuhang tried to recall the memories of that disciple of the Thousand Hands Sect, She Lan, that he experienced back then... there was indeed a memory related to the barrier of the grave.
Unfortunately, the barrier he saw in the dream back then was a mass of pixels. Moreover, back when She Lan were exploring the grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue, he and his companions used brute force to destroy the barrier.
But from what Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said, they weren't meant to destroy the dazzling golden barrier, but use some other method instead...?
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After the immortal boat stopped, the door opened.
Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue applied the Turtle Breathing Technique and a defensive formation to the bodies of Song Shuhang and the others. With that, they would be able to freely move around in space without having to worry about oxygen, pressure, radiation, and so on.
Chu Chu, Song Shuhang, Yu Jiaojiao, and Li Yinzhu got out of the immortal boat and arrived next to the barrier of the ancient grave.
How were they supposed to get past the barrier?
"Should I give the secret technique of my clan a try? My father, True Monarch Tyrant Flood Dragon, is very experienced when it comes to destroying seals," Yu Jiaojiao said.
After saying this much, she stretched her right claw out forward, and five water balls appeared on it. "Secret technique, Water of the Black River!"
According to legends, there was a black river in the ancient Heavenly City, and the water of that river could wash away all kinds of seals and magical runes. If a powerful magical treasure were to fall inside the river, the black water would wash away all the runes on it and turn it into an ordinary object.
The secret technique that True Monarch Tyrant Flood Dragon developed, the Water of the Black River, also had the power to remove things such as seals.
In the same instant Yu Jiaojiao stretched her right claw forward, the 'picture of the dead' above the golden barrier moved just as though it was alive and arrived in front of her in the mere blink of an eye.
Afterward, she stretched out her palm and pushed it forward.
Yu Jiaojiao's secret technique, the Water of the Black River, was immediately broken through, and her body reeled backward due to the attack of the picture of the dead.
Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue, who was standing in the rear, said, "You cannot use force to destroy it. After all, it's the barrier of the grave belonging to a Venerable. It's not easy to break through it with force."
"How should we proceed then?" Chu Chu asked.
Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said, "Why don't you try talking to the picture of the dead? Who knows, perhaps you might obtain some useful information?"
"..." Song Shuhang.
Why does Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue look like one of those NPCs aiding the player with their advice during the game?
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Then, Chu Chu followed Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue's advice and tried to communicate with the picture of the dead on top of the golden barrier... and she unexpectedly succeeded!
The picture of the dead was surprisingly open to persuasion, and after the group offered her a high-quality spirit stone of the Fourth Stage, she gave them a hint: There is a dry well on the edge of the barrier of the ancient grave. After digging into the dry well, you will obtain a piece of metal—it's the key to the barrier of the ancient grave.
Song Shuhang took the initiative to deliver the spirit stone of the Fourth Stage to the picture of the dead... Now then, why am I left with only ten spirit stones of the Fourth Stage after handing over this one?
Strange, why is there a missing spirit stone?
Did I remember incorrectly? No, it can't be! I clearly remember that there were twelve spirit stones in total, and one of them was half-used.
Such being the case, where did the missing spirit stone go?
However, there wasn't time to look for the missing spirit stone.
After pondering for a moment, Song Shuhang took the remaining spirit stones out of the size-reducing purse and put them in his zipper pocket.
Soon after, he went looking for the dry well.
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After following the advice of the picture of the dead, the group started to dig into the dry well and really found a piece of metal.
The pictures of a fish and a bird were carved onto the piece of metal.
"How are we supposed to use this key?" Song Shuhang grabbed the piece of metal and curiously pressed on the picture of the bird.
"Clang, clang, clang~"
The golden barrier sent out a grating sound. In the next moment, a three meters high passage appeared within the barrier. It wasn't only the barrier, but a passage leading to the ancient grave also appeared in the meteoroid.
Next, Song Shuhang pressed on the picture of the fish.
"Boom, boom, boom~"
The passage that had appeared in the barrier and the meteoroid closed.
The two pictures were actually buttons... one could open the grave, and the other could close it.
"..." Song Shuhang said, "Is this a keyless entry system?"
Several modern features had been already overused to death by cultivators in ancient times~
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Song Shuhang pressed once more on the picture of the bird.
The barrier of the grave opened, and the group got inside.
After passing through the passage in the meteoroid, they soon arrived at the entrance of the real grave.
A gravestone was placed right at the entrance, and the following words were inscribed on it... The grave of Venerable Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue.
The words possessed an incredible power.
Chu Chu felt a tremendous pressure weigh on her body as she slightly approached the gravestone. Her heartbeat sped up and was completely out of control.
Right up to this point, the surrounding environment was the same as the one Song Shuhang saw in the dreamland back then.
But from now on, they would face the real dangers hidden within the grave. Song Shuhang clearly remembered that the disciple of the Thousand Hands Sect, She Lan, had relied on an exquisite secret technique to remove the traps along the way and head toward the depths of the grave. However, he carelessly triggered a trap before reaching the core area of the grave and lost his four limbs, turning into a human stick.
"Everyone should pay close attention to their surroundings from now on because we are about to enter the real 'grave of Sixth Cultivator of True Virtue'! The whole place is full of dangers. Anyway, come, let's enter! Let's feel the thrill of exploring the ancient grave of a cultivator!" Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said at this time.
"Little friend Chu Chu, wait a moment. There is a trap ten centimeters away from you, to the right front position. Don't step onto it.
"Little friend Shuhang, pay close attention to the things around you. Although this is only the front section of the grave, there are some pretty good little gadgets lying around."
Senior Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue... your understanding of the grave has already reached the point where you know it like the palm of your hand, hasn't it...?