Following the Bandits' directions, after passing through five or six more Tomb Chambers Yu Yan and Xiao Wu arrived at the gate of the main Tomb Chamber. A blood-red vine had rooted itself across the entrance, sealing the way forward.
A close look at the Corpse Ghost Vine makes its name obvious: the stems look like severed limbs of various creatures, and the leaves seem to drip with fresh blood.
Judging by the vine's growth habits, a large number of corpses must be buried somewhere beneath this chamber, providing the nourishment it needs.
Along this passage the stems of the Corpse Ghost Vine bear many scars—evidence of the Bandits' attempts to wear it down.
"Yu Yan, what should we do now?"
Xiao Wu rolled up her sleeves as she stared at the obstructing vine, ready to fight alongside Yu Yan and destroy the foul thing.
"Your Spirit Abilities and Moves aren't well-suited to dealing with the Corpse Ghost Vine. Let me handle this battle."
Yu Yan stretched out an arm to stop the eager Xiao Wu. The fire fish clung to his right arm, two spirit rings pulsing around it. Flames spilled outward, rapidly raising the temperature in the passage.
First Fire Fish Skill: Blazing Breath, activate.
Enhanced Blazing Breath shot from Yu Yan's mouth, targeting the motionless Corpse Ghost Vine that had been lying in ambush.
The flames struck the vine and kept burning, clinging to its body after the initial ignition.
Caught trying to ambush, the Corpse Ghost Vine lost its composure in a second. It thrashed and rolled across the ground, trying to smother the fire.
Thanks to its efforts the flames did die down, but they refused to go out.
Second Fire Fish Skill: Blazing Dragon Roar, activate.
Surging flame energy condensed on his right arm. A flame shaped half fish, half dragon tore free from his hand, carrying a faint draconic roar as it slammed into the vine that was still rolling to extinguish itself.
Blazing Dragon Roar collided with the Corpse Ghost Vine, producing a brilliant explosion. Jets of flame scattered and detonated again in smaller bursts.
The vine writhed within the inferno, a clear sign of its miserable state.
Fire is the natural bane of plant-type Spirit Beasts, especially when the flames come from a fire fish strengthened by two spirit rings.
After the explosions subsided, the scorched figure of the Corpse Ghost Vine appeared before Yu Yan and Xiao Wu, its stems blackened and charred.
Yu Yan didn't relent. He alternated his two Fire Fish Skills, bathing the vine in flame. Each contact triggered fresh explosions, the relentless heat leaving the Corpse Ghost Vine helpless.
The vine's roots carry potent corpse poison, and severed rootlets can grow by Parasite, draining spirit power and life from anyone they bind.
But against an opponent who never came within reach and simply kept unleashing flames from afar, these tricks were useless.
Time passed. Just as Yu Yan's spirit power was nearly exhausted, the Corpse Ghost Vine emitted a faint light and a purple spirit ring appeared amid the still-burning flames.
"That was tough. If my spirit power weren't special, I'd have run dry halfway through."
Releasing his Spirit, Yu Yan exhaled deeply, fatigue evident in his voice.
Had the Corpse Ghost Vine been any tougher, he would have had to recover his spirit power and start a second round.
"Yu Yan, that was amazing."
Xiao Wu, who hadn't been able to help, praised him while steadying him so he could rest.
"Let me recover some spirit power, then we'll enter the main Tomb Chamber."
After telling Xiao Wu, Yu Yan sat cross-legged and used the Little Fish Meditation Technique to restore his spirit power.
The natural spirit power within the mountain tomb was thin. When he had regained about thirty or forty percent, Yu Yan opened his eyes, exchanged a nod with Xiao Wu, and the two headed for the main chamber.
Moonlight Energy rippled outward from Xiao Wu like rings on water, probing the surroundings to keep them safe.
They encountered no further danger until they broke open the main doors; it seemed the Corpse Ghost Vine had been the final defense.
The chamber was vast. The walls were carved with glyphs extolling the king's achievements—though to Yu Yan they read as pure self-praise.
Where earlier chambers had ordinary stone floors, here the ground was paved with golden bricks. Eternal night-luminescent pearls cast their light, and the golden floor reflected it until "resplendent" became an understatement.
In the center stood a coffin made of some unknown material, holding the tomb's master.
Around the coffin items of every kind were arrayed.
Beside it stood a clothes rack draped in preservation-warded robes and an unfaded golden scepter.
Farther out, two large chests were surrounded by all manner of rare treasures whose value was obvious at a glance.
"Tsk tsk tsk, talk about luxury!"
Stepping onto the golden tiles, Yu Yan couldn't help but marvel at the opulence. In both his lives he had never seen anything like it.
"It really is over-the-top."
Xiao Wu agreed; understanding their worth in human society, she was equally stunned.
They crossed the golden floor and approached the central coffin—whatever was most valuable would be there.
Pushing aside the outer treasures, they reached the chests to see what lay within.
Opening the first chest, Yu Yan found scroll after scroll of bamboo slips.
He lifted one at random and was instantly drawn to its contents.
Spirit evolution theory, how to choose suitable spirit rings, the different ways rings enhance a Spirit—
Undoubtedly this was priceless Spirit Theory once held by the king. Following its guidance, one's future achievements would be formidable.
Skimming the text, Yu Yan found many ideas matched his own conjectures.
The strong Spirits should amplify their strengths, the weak should add something new—exactly what he believed.
To prove the theory, the slips cited the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's Swan Spirit and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Of course, at the time these scrolls were written neither of those Spirits was as mighty as they are today.