Translator: CinderTL
Unfortunately, Xu Sanyan was utterly devoid of humanity!
In his eyes, the lives of others were no different from withered grass on the ground.
Of course, he wouldn't kill too many people. If the village suffered heavy casualties, the woman might sense it. So, his actions were more of a threat to the old man.
The old man's lips twitched, and he gritted his teeth. "I'll talk!"
Xu Sanyan smiled, and the Ferocious Demon instantly appeared behind him.
The old man, feeling aggrieved, said, "Actually, I don't know what to say…"
Seeing the Ferocious Demon about to move again, the old man quickly waved his hands. "That's not what I mean. What I'm saying is, I don't know where to start."
"Start from the beginning," Xu Sanyan said.
The old man nodded. "Sigh… Actually, my ancestors were once Cultivators."
A glint of interest flashed in Xu Sanyan's eyes. Sure enough, there was a secret here.
The old man continued, "Eight hundred years ago, the Imperial Advisor of that dynasty was my ancestor!"
Whoa!
Xu Sanyan was shocked. If that was the case, didn't that mean the Imperial Advisor had used the lifespans of his descendants to ensure his own rebirth?
Unaware of Xu Sanyan's thoughts, the old man went on, "Back then, my ancestor planned far ahead. He had children early to guard his tomb and ensure the array remained intact."
The old man sighed. "But his descendants were unworthy. Each generation's cultivation grew weaker, and now I… well, let's not talk about that."
Xu Sanyan pondered carefully. The Imperial Advisor had indeed thought things through. Having his descendants guard him was undoubtedly the safest option.
But then he felt something was off. "If it was your ancestor who was revived, why…"
The old man interjected, "Why didn't he acknowledge us?"
Xu Sanyan nodded. If the Imperial Advisor had been revived, why would he restrict his descendants from leaving this place?
"Because… the one who was revived wasn't my ancestor!"
The old man's tone was calm but laced with deep disappointment. Generations of guarding had turned into a joke.
Hearing this, Xu Sanyan's eyes widened sharply. Had the woman deceived him?
If it wasn't the Imperial Advisor, then who was she? The Princess from back then?
The Princess from eight hundred years ago?
Damn it!
Xu Sanyan cursed inwardly. If that was the case, the woman was over 800 years old?
Why did she look like a 20-year-old girl?
Her cultivation didn't seem high—at most, she was in the Foundation Establishment Realm. How could she have lived for over 800 years?
After a moment of thought, Xu Sanyan asked, "How are you sure it's not your ancestor who was revived?"
The old man replied, "Our family has passed down an oral decree through generations. If our ancestor returned, he would recognize the Hand Gesture Cipher. But when I showed it to the woman, she didn't react."
Xu Sanyan chuckled and shook his head. The Imperial Advisor was too cautious.
But it made sense. After all, this was a plan for resurrection—no amount of caution was excessive.
"What's the Hand Gesture Cipher?" Xu Sanyan asked curiously.
The old man extended his right hand and naturally made a gesture. If one didn't know about this, no one would pay attention.
"Tsk tsk… These old folks are really cunning," Xu Sanyan said with a laugh.
The old man thought to himself, You little brat, you're not exactly innocent either.
"What happens if the Hand Gesture Cipher matches?" Xu Sanyan asked with a sidelong smile.
The old man felt a chill run down his spine at his smile. There was no warmth in it at all.
The old man's mind turned, and he calmly said, "If it matches, then we'll know that our ancestor has returned."
"Is it really that simple?"
"It really is that simple."
Xu Sanyan smiled and said, "It seems someone isn't being honest..."
As he spoke, he gently waved his hand, and the Ferocious Demon's gaze turned toward the mountain village.
The old man sighed helplessly. This young man was meticulous in his thoughts, not at all like someone in his twenties, but rather like an old monster who had lived for centuries.
"Back in the day, our ancestor left behind some items. If he were to return, we were to return these items to him."
A flash of excitement appeared in Xu Sanyan's eyes. Items left behind by a great cultivator of the Soul Refining Realm were surely valuable. He then spoke up, "Hand them over. My arrival is equivalent to your ancestor's return."
The old man's expression turned grim.
The old man had long given up hope of the ancestor's resurrection. Although he was reluctant to hand over the items, with the lives of the entire village in Xu Sanyan's hands, he had no choice but to comply. He sighed and said, "Young hero, follow me."
The two of them passed through a field of farmland. On the other side of the field was a gently flowing stream, about ten meters wide.
The old man pointed to the stream and said, "After the second-generation ancestor obtained the treasure, he used immense Spiritual Power to carve out a passage beneath this stream. The items are at the end of the passage. Please retrieve them yourself, young hero."
"There's a passage beneath this stream?"
Xu Sanyan frowned. The sand and silt beneath the stream were soft. Even if there had been a passage, it would have likely collapsed by now.
The old man replied, "I have never been there myself. The second-generation ancestor was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, with methods beyond comprehension. How could a mere mortal like me understand?"
Methods beyond comprehension?
Xu Sanyan clicked his tongue. He was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Did that mean he, too, possessed such methods?
Xu Sanyan observed the stream for a long time but found nothing unusual. He had to admit, the hiding spot was indeed well-chosen. No wonder that woman had searched for so long without success.
The old man said, "I am too old to go into the water. I will wait on the shore for you, young hero. How does that sound?"
Xu Sanyan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. The old man was advanced in years and had a frail constitution. With the weather still somewhat chilly, he might freeze to death if he went into the water.
Since the items had not yet been retrieved, Xu Sanyan couldn't let the old man die so easily.
After some consideration, Xu Sanyan decided to leave the Ferocious Demon on the shore to keep an eye on the old man while he went down to investigate.
He removed his outer robe, revealing a muscular physique, and with the Azure Crimson Twin Swords in hand, he plunged into the water. He channeled his energy to protect his eyes, allowing him to see clearly underwater.
The stream appeared shallow, but in reality, it was quite deep, with the deepest point likely reaching nearly a hundred meters.
Xu Sanyan slowly descended to the bottom, scanning his surroundings. According to the old man, there was an underwater current at the deepest part of the stream. Following this current would lead him to the passage.
After swimming for a while, he indeed spotted an underwater current. The narrow passage was just barely wide enough for one person to pass through. Xu Sanyan squeezed in, finding himself in complete darkness, without even a hint of light.
This environment would be a nightmare for someone with nyctophobia.
Xu Sanyan, however, was not afraid of the dark. With his current cultivation level, he could see even in the darkest of nights, albeit somewhat blurry, but it didn't hinder his actions.
After a while, the passage gradually widened, and a small open space appeared ahead.
An underwater chamber!
Xu Sanyan surfaced and took a gentle breath. The oxygen levels were normal here.
The open space was about two meters high, with protruding rocks on all sides, still dripping with water, making it quite damp.
Xu Sanyan's gaze shifted, and his heart leaped with joy. On one side of the rock wall, there were clear signs of human activity!
The outline of a stone door emerged in the darkness.
Xu Sanyan stepped forward and pushed hard, causing the stone door to slowly turn.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp whistling sound rang out, heading straight for Xu Sanyan's chest. The speed was so fast that there was no time to react!
(End of the Chapter)
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