Chapter 1231 - 860: The First Law of Cause and Effect

Zhang Chen felt that he truly made a big profit because after this skill upgrade, Zhang Chen was given an inexplicable shock. He never imagined that after his Soul Hooking and Soul Stealing skill was upgraded, it would become so abnormal. Even after it broke through, it had transformed into a Law of Cause and Effect:

[Skill: Soul Hooking and Soul Stealing]

[State: Law of Cause and Effect]

[Remark 1: As long as the opponent is in a soul body state, regardless of whether their physical body’s lifespan is exhausted, you can mark and hook them.]

[Remark 2: As long as the soul marked by your skill, ignoring the opponent’s cultivation level, and ignoring the distance in time and space, you can hook the opponent’s soul over.]

The remarks after are roughly the same, it’s just that the time limit for hooking has been canceled. No longer is there a restriction of once in three days or a few days between each use. As long as Zhang Chen has marked the opponent, he can hook their soul.

The most critical point is that as long as the opponent is in a state of having lost their physical body, no matter how strong their cultivation is, I can mark them. This is my biggest confidence in dealing with The Queen Mother of the West.

Why? In theory, The Queen Mother of the West has profound cultivation, how could she lose her physical body? However, it couldn’t prevent Zhang Chen from reversing The Queen Mother of the West’s Feng Shui Grand Array, refining her physical body into a zombie. If The Queen Mother of the West’s body turns into a zombie, her True Spirit and physical body must have already conflicted. Unless The Queen Mother of the West voluntarily integrates her True Spirit into her body, she can only live in the state of a zombie, otherwise, she must abandon her physical body and let her True Spirit escape from it to avoid being affected by it.

But once The Queen Mother of the West’s True Spirit escapes, wouldn’t it be controlled by me? As long as the opponent’s soul is marked by me, wouldn’t it be easy to handle it then?

At least after marking the opponent, I am already invincible!

Zhang Chen carefully looked at his own Soul Hooking and Soul Stealing skill:

[Skill: Soul Hooking and Soul Stealing]

[State: Law of Cause and Effect]

[Remark 1: As long as the opponent is in a soul body state, regardless of whether their physical body’s lifespan is exhausted, you can mark and hook them.]

[Remark 2:...]

[Remark 3: This skill has already transformed into a Law of Cause and Effect, and can no longer be upgraded]

"It can no longer be upgraded. This skill has reached its apex." Zhang Chen glanced through the remarks behind the skill, a touch of inexplicable color then appeared in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted as he looked in the direction of the grand tomb: "It must be excavated! This grand tomb must be excavated!"

Now, exactly when The Queen Mother’s body and True Spirit are in conflict, isn’t it the right time to take advantage of the situation?

Zhang Chen scanned the distance with his eyes. Although he spent hundreds, thousands of years in the Spiritual World, in reality, it was just a moment. At this time, Zhou Chuan, the top Martial Dao practitioner, was examining the stone wall in front of him, searching for weaknesses in the stone wall, while Chen Xu was continuously moving up and down in front of the gate, searching for the mechanism to open the door.

"It’s strange, I am known for mastering all Feng Shui Grand Arrays in the world, yet this Feng Shui Grand Array is peculiar. I have never seen it before, and can only vaguely discern a few paths on it." Chen Xu continuously walked back and forth in front of the tomb, occasionally touching the nails on the door, and reaching out from time to time to press here and there on the door.

Chen Xu’s Feng Shui Technique has been passed down from the Ancient Times to the present, has undergone various upheavals, either lost or incomplete, or with additions and deletions by later ancestral masters, it has long since become unrecognizable. In the previous life, within China’s mere five thousand years of historic civilization, countless techniques had already been lost, let alone skills handed down from the mysterious Ancient Era? It is normal to have some losses after so many years.

"The reason you can’t find the mechanism to open this Underground Palace door is because this door’s mechanism is unlike ordinary mechanisms. It’s a technique from the Ancient Era, not the same as contemporary methods. Moreover, the person who built this grand tomb back then was unimaginably powerful, beyond what people today can imagine, so it’s normal that you can’t open it." Zhang Chen, standing to the side, chimed in.

"You know about ancient tombs?" Chen Xu turned around in surprise after hearing these words, giving Zhang Chen a glance: "Since you can understand, quickly explain the intricacies of this door mechanism."

"The method used on this door isn’t the conventional way of opening ancient tombs, behind the door there’s a secret object called Wuyun Vine. This Wuyun Vine is an ancient object crafted from the soul of an Innate Spirit, mixed with the flesh and blood of an Innate Divine Spirit, and aided with the refining of the Heaven-opening bronze. It’s somewhat sentient and controls the door mechanism from behind the door. If you want to solve this door, you won’t find the mechanism outside; you must communicate with the Wuyun Vine inside." Zhang Chen was not withholding any information, there’s nothing to hide, since he wasn’t involved in the path of Feng Shui, he didn’t hold back from Chen Xu.

"This vine, mixed with the Heaven-opening bronze, the flesh and blood of Divine Demons, and the soul of Innate Spirits, exists between a living and non-living state, feeding on the flesh and soul of all beings. Once it encounters the flesh of a living being, it hunts and kills." Zhang Chen’s voice was full of caution: "Even for those above the Twelfth Tier, entering its territory spells certain death."

Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Chen Xu exclaimed: "Is there really such a perilous tomb in the world? That tortoise son is vicious to have set such a sinister trap? If one cannot get in, it’s fine, but once inside, death would be certain."

Hearing Chen Xu’s curses, Zhang Chen’s face turned black, his eyes flashed with a dangerous light, because this grand tomb was personally constructed by him, wasn’t Chen Xu cursing him right now?

On the side, Zhou Chuan stepped over, curiosity evident in his voice: "A tomb this treacherous, guarded by beings over the Twelfth Tier, makes one wonder what unimaginable figure is buried within it."

Zhou Chuan was less amazed by the mechanism’s might but more intrigued about what kind of figure could be buried within such a tomb, warranting such powerful guardianship just at the tomb’s door.

Actually, for those from the Heaven-opening era of the Ancient Times, Wuyun Vine merely counts as a peculiar creation, rather than a mighty item.

First, in the Ancient Era, countless experts existed, so a mere Twelfth Tier is not praiseworthy. Secondly, this Underground Palace is constructed within the Kunlun Mountain Dragon Vein, suppressed by Dragon Vein Qi, where ordinary beings find it hard to survive, while the Wuyun Vine, being between life and half-life, can continue to exist.

Additionally, within the Dragon Vein, all experts arriving here face suppression from the Dragon Vein, the higher the cultivation, the stronger the suppression, giving the Wuyun Vine a chance to demonstrate its Divine Power. Without special Secret Techniques for suppression, even a great expert would likely suffer embarrassingly here.

In this era, where the Twelfth Tier is the limit, the Wuyun Vine can at least be considered an obstacle.

"Brother Chen Xu, being a master of the Feng Shui Technique, could you possibly communicate with the Wuyun Vine behind the door?" Zhou Chuan asked Chen Xu, as Chen Xu was known among the trio for his Feng Shui expertise.

Hearing this, Chen Xu wryly smiled: "This Feng Shui Grand Array is from the Ancient Era, I have some understanding but it’s partial."

"Since we need to open the door and must communicate with the Wuyun Vine, yet, none among us know how to do this!" Zhou Chuan’s disappointment was evident, his eyes showing a hint of unwillingness.

Zhang Chen, standing at the side, smiled upon hearing this: "Who says there’s no one who can communicate with the Wuyun Vine? As it happens, I can communicate with the Wuyun Vine."

"You? You actually understand the Ancient Feng Shui?" Chen Xu’s eyes shone with a bright light, his eyes filled with excitement.

"I know a little! Though I don’t understand much, it’s just enough to deal with this grand tomb." Zhang Chen said with a smile.

"Brother Zhang, can you teach me? I am willing to accept you as my master." Chen Xu looked at Zhang Chen, stars appearing in his eyes.

Upon hearing Chen Xu’s plea, Zhang Chen nodded: "After we exit this grand tomb, I have no issues teaching you."

"Brother Zhang, we have to rely on your capabilities now." Chen Xu’s voice was full of eagerness.

Zhang Chen smiled upon hearing this, slowly stepped forward to the grand tomb door, looking at the familiar white jade door, a trace of reminiscence appeared in his gaze.

After quite a while, Zhang Chen gently sighed: "Once the door is opened later, no matter what happens, all of you must stand quietly behind me, make no moves. Even if encountering terrifying situations, do not take action."

Zhou Chuan and Chen Xu both nodded in unison upon hearing this, a look of seriousness appeared in their eyes, each standing behind Zhang Chen, waiting for him to take action.

Seeing this, Zhang Chen stepped forward, came before the tomb, and slowly pressed his palm on the door, moving according to a certain mysterious rhythm, while doing so, explaining to Chen Xu: "This method to awaken the Wuyun Vine starts with nine shallow and one deep taps, followed by three shallow and one deep, combined with quick taps, complemented by a technique of regulating qi, this technique involves breathing in three times, exhaling twice, then breathing in nine times, exhaling once, cycling like this, emptying the mind."

As Zhang Chen finished his words, the white jade door suddenly flashed with colorful glow, numerous mechanism buttons simultaneously flashing and moving, countless nails on the door sliding according to some rhythm, then next the entire door suddenly quaked, creating a rumbling vibration, then under the astonished gazes of Zhou Chuan and Chen Xu, the door, sealed for eons, slowly opened up.

Along with the door opening, blinding light burst forth, followed by the sound of something breaking through the air, Zhang Chen quickly shouted: "Do not move at all, this is the Wuyun Vine, once you make any move against it, all three of us are doomed, stand still, I will communicate with the Wuyun Vine, it won’t harm you."