108 Maidens of Destiny

"A mechanism that cannot be seen?"

Everyone present followed Su Xing's line of sight and saw several unlit lamps, and Wu Xinjie immediately realized what he meant. These lamps were to be used as an intermediary, similar to how the Five Elements were involved in opening the first tomb, to activate the second mechanism.

How could these Knowledge Stars not even come up with this.

The problem was that they lacked a Five Elements Lamp.

"That lamp is just within the coffin." Su Xing hinted. Within the sarcophagus' interior was a single disc-shaped motif, engraved with the depiction a lamp-holding slave statue. A careful look was needed to see it, for dust and the like so easily concealed it as to almost completely shroud it from view.

"Young Master truly is careful." Wu Xinjie giggled. Although she could understand the situation, sometimes, when compared to Su Xing, who could survey things and instantly respond in myriad ways, she still felt embarrassingly lacking. Thus, she sought to bind together a contract with him.

Su Xing got a piece of gold, a platter of water, a piece of stone, a flicker of flame, and a length of wood and placed them each within the lamps, forming the Cycle of the Five Elements. Originally, they thought this should have opened it, but unexpectedly the tomb remained quiet without a single reaction.

"That's odd. Does the Five Elements mechanism not work." For the first time, Su Xing was slightly confused.

The Knowledge Star, Resourceful Star Wu Yong, smiled and moved with a unique charm: "Young Master, leave this sort of thing to this little girl."

Wu Xinjie was seen standing at the center of the chamber, her eyes closed in deep thought. As she opened them, a seemingly pure light emitted from within her eyes. Wu Xinjie walked around in front of those lamps, sized them up, and switched what was within each of them.

Besides the Resourceful Strategist Zhu Sha, who was lightly nodding her head, Su Xing and the rest completely did not understand what she was doing.

"If Xinjie has guessed correctly, that thing should be here." Wu Xinjie spoke to herself. Her gaze swept all over the floor, and after a moment, the Knowledge Star showed a trace of pleasant surprise. "Found it."

Wu Xinjie pressed that spot on the floor, and that piece of tile sank with a rumble, and an amazing spectacle occurred.

The wall behind the sarcophagus issued a dull noise and opened loudly. The mechanism hidden within the tomb had actually been opened by Wu Xinjie.

"Xinjie, how did you do that?" Su Xing praised her in awe.

"Xinjie was only substituting for Young Master to put the Five Elements within their proper positions." Wu Xinjie explained.

Su Xing's thinking was absolutely correct, but he slightly neglected the positions of the Five Elements. The accepted theory of the Five Elements within Liangshan Continent was that the east was for wood, the west for gold, the south for fire, and the north for water. Therefore, Wu Xinjie first confirmed the orientation of the ancient tomb. Then, she once again placed the items in accordance with the Five Elements Theory. Upon the east lamp was placed wood, upon the west lamp was placed gold, and so forth.

As for earth of the Five Elements, that was represented by the all the earth within this underground hidden tomb. Then, the only thing left for Wu Xinjie was to find the lamp sculpture bearing the matching design, press it down, and the second Five Elements would open by itself.

When Su Xing finished listening to her explanation, he was filled with endless admiration. If they were discussing about the pitfalls of psychology and such, then naturally he believed the Knowledge Star was not necessarily his opponent, but in case a mechanism involved classical theory, he could only blush in shame.

In this field, the Knowledge Star without a doubt took the lead.

"As expected of the Resourceful Star, this Gong is interested to see between the Resourceful Strategist and you just who is the most resourceful. Should there be a chance, we will challenge you." Gong Caiwei said profoundly: "If you could be more earnest, that would be even better."

"Much obliged." Wu Xinjie believed that refusing had no meaning.

Lin Yingmei stared at Wu Xinjie and entered the third level of the tomb without uttering a single word.

Su Xing walked to her side, and concerned, he asked: "Yingmei, what's wrong?"

Lin Yingmei shook her head, tightly pursing her lips. Compared to the Knowledge Star Wu Yong, she could still show quite a bit of force. But the currently recuperating girl's eyes clearly showed a trace of unwillingness.

"Yingmei shall pledge to protect Young Master!" Lin Yingmei clenched her fist, her eyes resolute.

Su Xing placed his hand on her shoulder, reminding her to not assume responsibility for everything herself.

"I know–"

He said.

Gong Caiwei who was currently engaged in conversation with Wu Xinjie watched the couple in front of her.

"Who is that young girl to the young master Su Xing?" Gong Caiwei carried with her a slight curiosity. From the first time they met, Gong Caiwei paid attention to Lin Yingmei. The girl's pupils sprung a strong, handsome spirit that touched people's hearts. She was familiar with this sensation. If she was a Star General, then why did she currently appear to be extremely weak. It was as if her contractor had died, as if her life energy was critically injured.

"And what do you think?" Wu Xinjie looked at Su Xing holding Ling Yingmei's back, showing an ambiguous smile.

"Is she young master Su Xing's little sister? Servant? Bodyguard?" Gong Caiwei felt this was not quite the case. A lover was even less likely.¹

"She is a person that Young Master would sacrifice his life to protect." Wu Xinjie endlessly admired him.

Gong Caiwei looked pensive.

The third grave's pathway was not at all long. Dim fires were lit within the tomb, and a grand silhouette could vaguely be made out.

Su Xing again placed a Daoist Light Talisman.

Statues of soldiers and horses in formation were separated into two groups, and between them was a road. At the end of the road was an elevated platform, where its surroundings had dragon pillars, and in the middle was erected an iron coffin. The bizarre iron coffin was bound by several lengths of iron chain, among them was one that was bound to the entrance of the pathway. Just as the great door over there opened, the shackles were disturbed, rattling violently.

A ghostly wind blew, as if weaving ghost qi.

Su Xing had an ominous premonition from the bottom of his heart.

"This is bad!" The taciturn Zhu Sha suddenly shouted.

Everybody genuinely felt tense, and even Gong Caiwei had turned grave. "Zhu Sha, is there something else that is far worse than this?"

"That is a Five Ghosts Corpse Soul Lock Array! When we opened the door just now, we damaged the array's mechanism!!" Zhu Sha formed a hand seal, and the Five Elements Weather Banner turned into a clump.

Wind rose, clouds formed, lightning flashed, thunder rolled.

The chains shook.

In the middle of a loud rumble, the stone door behind them closed heavily.

Only the sound of a raucous, coarse, chilling to the very depths of the heart cackling could be heard.

"Foolish ones, you dare to rush into my General Tianwei's tomb. Today, you shall have no way to return!!"

Rumble!

The iron coffin opened, and with Golden Thread Fish Scale Armor draped over its shoulders, an ugly man grasping a broadsword walked out. His entire body emitted ghost qi, and his eyes were an aquamarine. Countless departed souls swirled about his entire body, issuing ghostly sobs.

The scene before them gave off a piercing chill.

"It's a Demon Corpse!"

Zhu Sha concentrated on it.

"Heh heh, I did not think that the grand General Tianwei after death would unexpectedly turn into such an unsightly monster. No wonder so many mechanisms were set up to hide yourself." Gong Caiwei coldly laughed, Tracing Snow Sword unsheathed.

A blue light floated about the entire place, and it immediately mitigated the ghostly chills being generated.

"Cowardly thief, see that this General still will not kneel!"

General Tianwei opened his mouth and a puff of ghost qi spewed forth.

The Five Elements Weather Banner spun to block the incoming ghost qi, "Princess, be careful!" Zhu Sha yelled.

Gong Caiwei snorted, and urging it on with one hand, the "Tracing Snow" shot high into the air like a loosed arrow and shone a cold light. General Tianwei lifted his broadsword enshrouded in ghost qi, and with a bang cut away at the Tracing Snow. Gong Caiwei's figure moved, arriving in the blink of an eye in front of General Tianwei, apparently having already anticipated that Tracing Snow would be deflected. Taking advantage of the already airborne sword, she grabbed it as she rapidly flew in for the kill.

Tracing Snow's cold light and General Tianwei's ghost qi mixed together in a mess.

"You guys wait here for the opportunity to act, then take it. I can't let her fight by herself." Su Xing told Wu Xinjie and Lin Yingmei. Seeing Lin Yingmei ball up her fist, he knew that forcing the Panther Head to do nothing was far more unbearable than killing her.

"We cannot be careless about Gong Caiwei. Right now, we still cannot let her know your body's condition." Su Xing projected his voice directly to their ears.² "Yingmei, you are definitely the last card I can play."

Lin Yingmei knew that Su Xing's words were meant to console her. During her recuperation period, her strength was not even at half its normal level. Rashly acting was definitely the worst plan. Lin Yingmei nodded her head, silent.

General Tianwei's bold and decisive offensive was overpowering even Gong Caiwei's flexible and delicate swordplay. The countless ghosts to the side recklessly hissed and bit at Gong Caiwei, scattering her attentiveness.

"Die!" The broadsword hacked downwards toward Gong Caiwei's head.

The young girl coldly snorted. Softly positioning her body, she then flew backwards several meters in retreat. This General Tianwei fought plenty of battles when he was alive, and after turning into a Demon Corpse he still ascended another level in strength.

The countless ghosts greedily rushed towards and threw themselves at Gong Caiwei. However, just as they were about to bite into the young girl, a gushing magical power, like a tidal wave, struck and scattered and even outright killed some of the ghosts.

"You're boasting too much about yourself." Su Xing rushed over.

"Oh, you didn't escape?" Gong Caiwei showing a smiling face, her veil having long since been torn away by the ghosts. He already knew of one beautiful face that could fell a city.³ The heroic spirit within her eyes along with her beautiful face could strike fear into people's hearts and minds.

General Tianwei took large strides, arriving in front of the two, and with a whoosh, that broadsword sent out a demonic wind that chilled to the bone.

Su Xing raised the Binding Dragon Whisk, magic energy sputtering out, but the Star Energy's power was blocked by the Fish Scale Golden Armor draped over him. Gong Caiwei's sword edge swept like a hook, directly stabbing into the golden armor, but the sword edge also had no way of penetrating even a bit.

The broadsword swept past the two's brows, forcing Su Xing and Gong Caiwei to retreat further.

"That's the Golden Thread Fish Scale Armor you spoke of?" Su Xing stared at the threadlike yet scaly golden armor, slightly sighing.

"Do you want it? Then just kill him already!" Gong Caiwei's reply was forceful. She threw out a Cold Ice Palm, the cold qi upon the palm even abruptly dragged down the air temperature to an extreme point as the floor began to ice over.

General Tianwei's broadsword waved, his golden armor trembled, his entire body's ghost qi unexpectedly scattered Gong Caiwei's Cold Ice Palm completely.

Su Xing swept the Binding Dragon Whisk, weaving a thread towards General Tianwei. With a mighty grunt, General Tianwei slashed and unexpectedly shattered Su Xing's magical power. A burst of ghost qi flew directly at his abdomen, and Su Xing only caught it with great difficulty.

"Eat this Gong's ‘Five Styles Burning Phoenix Hairpins’!"

The sound of a coldly spoken incantation.

Gong Caiwei finally for the first time used her own artifact. Five golden glittering phoenix hairpins flew out from her Astral Bag. Upon meeting the air, they rose and split off in midair. In a split second, five golden lights oddly penetrated General Tianwei's acupuncture points in his four limbs and neck directly.

"Five Styles True Flame, Golden Phoenix Returns to the Nest! Burn!!"

The five golden hairpins radiated a golden light, lighting up even the inside of General Tianwei's body.

1. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ↩
2. 打了一個傳音入耳, almost like telepathy. ↩
3. Most likely, he is referring to Helen of Troy. ↩