I Have an Omen System-Chapter 54 - 53: Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb
「Red Flame Country, Canglan County」
Deep within a dense forest.
A large group of Loose Cultivators gathered, stealthily advancing forward.
CRACK!
Qin Xuan had accidentally stepped on a dry twig. The sound of it snapping was exceptionally jarring in the silent woods.
"Who’s there?!" A nearby Loose Cultivator in a gray robe, at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, paled.
"My apologies, Fellow Daoist Lu. I just stepped on a branch by mistake," Qin Xuan said, embarrassed.
"Oh, I see."
Lu Ming let out a long breath. He lightly patted the Storage Pouch at his waist, and a faint yellow barrier of light silently materialized, shielding his front as he scanned his surroundings vigilantly.
"Be more careful, Fellow Daoist Huaizhong."
"The Tomb Guardian Puppets here are said to be incredibly difficult to deal with. We must be cautious."
"Besides, I heard some Demon Cultivators from the Blood Demon Sword Sect have snuck in this time, hoping to fight us for the inheritance. Those Demon Cultivators are vicious—they’re the kind of Demons that would devour you whole."
"Right, right." A chill ran down Qin Xuan’s spine. He quickly agreed, concealing his breath to the absolute limit.
At this moment, Qin Xuan, using a disguise and the alias Huaizhong, had successfully infiltrated the circle of Loose Cultivators.
He wore a simple green robe and had an unremarkable face. A common Cyan Blade Longsword hung from his waist, and he exuded the aura of a Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer cultivator with a Fire Attribute Technique. He had no distinguishing features whatsoever—the type who would disappear into a crowd.
Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn’t be able to tell he was a Demon Cultivator unless they performed a Soul Search.
This Loose Cultivator, Lu Ming, was a fellow cultivator with a Wood Attribute technique whom Qin Xuan had interacted with frequently of late. He was also at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer and had a warm heart.
’Could I have misjudged him? Has my identity been exposed? Is this Lu Ming actually a Purple Mansion Daoist?’
’How else would he know that Demon Cultivators had infiltrated their ranks this time...’
Seeing Qin Xuan’s doubtful expression, Lu Ming misunderstood, thinking he wasn’t believed. "Fellow Daoist Huaizhong, don’t tell me you don’t believe me! Look over there, those guys are definitely Demon Cultivators!"
Following the direction Lu Ming was pointing, Qin Xuan’s mouth twitched, and his expression instantly darkened.
’Damn it, what a shoddy attempt at Concealing Breath. No wonder even Lu Ming spotted them.’
To the southeast, in the dense woods, several figures were surrounded by roiling black Demonic Qi. It was so intense it had practically created a vacuum around them, with no one daring to approach.
Qin Xuan couldn’t be more familiar with that particular Demonic Qi and cultivation style. He recognized them in an instant, even discerning exactly which cultivation techniques they were practicing.
One was a bald man in a gray robe with large, blackened knuckles—he was definitely practicing the White Bone Yin Talisman. Another, a pot-bellied merchant who looked like a wealthy patriarch with his wide mouth and thick throat, was clearly a practitioner of the Taotie Devouring Yuan Skill...
’Damn, that one’s the most disgusting. He’s clearly a crude slob practicing the Soul-Devouring Celestial Demon Strategy, yet he’s disguised himself as a cute little loli named Luo Tianyi!’
Qin Xuan was so exasperated he could have coughed up blood.
’Amateurs. Utter amateurs.’
Qin Xuan felt embarrassed just looking at them. People like these being Demon Cultivators was a disgrace to all Demon Cultivators.
But he couldn’t blame them entirely.
After all, not every Demon Cultivator was like Qin Xuan, who had obtained a Righteous Dao True Inheritance Heart Scripture and could conceal himself perfectly.
It was only because the Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb, a relic of the Puppet Sect, had different entry requirements each time it opened—and this time, it only allowed Qi Cultivation Cultivators inside.
Otherwise, these Demon Cultivators would have been turned to ash long ago.
"Wait, Xiao Ran... Hou Qi... Why are they here too...?"
Qin Xuan suddenly narrowed his eyes, his expression turning grave.
At the very front of the Loose Cultivators stood a tall, handsome cultivator who stood head and shoulders above the rest. A Profound Iron Heavy Sword was slung across his back, and his calm and confident demeanor was exactly like that bastard Xiao Ran’s.
He was clearly regarded as the pillar of the group by the other Loose Cultivators, appearing even more righteous than the Righteous Dao itself.
At first, Qin Xuan didn’t dare to be certain, since the man showed no trace of a Demon Cultivator’s aura. But when he saw the antique ring hanging as a pendant around his neck, Qin Xuan was instantly sure!
Aside from Xiao Ran, he couldn’t think of a single other Qi Cultivation Cultivator who was so damn pretentious.
’Wasn’t that brat Xiao Ran suppressed in the Soul-Devouring Demon Abyss by the Sect Leader? When did he get out?’
Qin Xuan was lost in thought.
’Don’t tell me he managed to conquer a Nascent Soul Demon Monarch with his personal charisma again...’
As for Hou Qi, recognizing him was purely a matter of luck.
Ever since that old coot had awakened his Innate Wisdom, he acted with increasing discipline. Even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Incense Master couldn’t compare to him in terms of experience and depth.
But no matter how profound his concealment techniques were, they were no match for Qin Xuan’s Golden Finger!
The moment he had arrived, the giant sphere of light in his mind had warned him of the presence of the seventh reincarnation of a Golden Core True Demon.
After some careful deduction and a process of elimination, Qin Xuan had locked onto his identity.
A burly, bearded man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, dressed in rugged, close-fitting clothes made of patched-together Beast Skin! 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
This was Hou Qi’s new identity, obtained from who-knows-where: Zhao Gang, a renegade disciple of the Vajra Sect, a Body Refining Sect.
Just as the Loose Cultivators were trembling in fear of the group of Demon Cultivators, one of them suddenly cried out, "Look! The Qi Cultivation True Inheritance disciples from the Cold Nether Sect are here!"
"What a grand entrance from the Cold Nether Sect! Truly befitting the number one sect in the Red Flame Country. Every single one of them is at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer or higher!"
The eyes of the Loose Cultivators filled with envy.
Qin Xuan looked over and saw a large group of young cultivators in dark blue Daoist Robes emerging from the depths of the forest, roughly a hundred of them by his estimate.
Their faces were generally pale with a bluish tint, perhaps due to their cultivation technique. Their gazes were all cold and detached, showing little emotional fluctuation.
Leading them was a tall figure at the Qi Cultivation Peak, clad in Ice Silk Moon Blue Palace Attire. With delicate features, they were strikingly androgynous.
"Since when do the remnants of the Blood Demon Sword Sect dare to strut into my Red Flame Country!" Bai Ningshuang shouted angrily.
SWISH! SWISH!
Before the words had even faded, several sharp Ice Blades materialized from thin air. Glistening with a cold light under the sun, they shot explosively toward the Demon Cultivators!
Faced with this potentially fatal surprise attack, the bald, gray-robed Wan Tao stepped forward unhurriedly, a mocking sneer on his lips.
In an instant, Wan Tao’s knotted muscles tensed and bulged. He crossed his arms to protect his head and face, making no move to dodge. In that moment, his bronze skin took on a dark, metallic sheen.
He was actually going to block the sharp Ice Blades with his bare Flesh Body!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—!
The Ice Blades viciously struck Wan Tao’s crossed arms and chest, producing a series of harsh, metallic clashes.
The blades, sharp enough to pierce refined steel, only managed to leave a few shallow white marks on Wan Tao’s metallic-looking skin before his ferocious Physical Strength shattered them to pieces!
The shattered ice fragments, still carrying a bone-chilling cold, sprayed outward.
A few unlucky Loose Cultivators nearby turned blue from the cold and hastily retreated.
"Heh, the Cold Nether Sect is nothing special."
Bai Ningshuang’s expression darkened instantly. As the head disciple of the Cold Nether Sect, they hadn’t expected a remnant of the Blood Demon Sword Sect to be so tough, capable of withstanding their deliberate strike.
’The Cold Nether Sect has brought out all their top guns. No wonder Ji Boyan wanted us to come and stir up trouble!’
Qin Xuan’s eyes glinted darkly.
Like the Blazing Fire Sect, the Cold Nether Sect’s ancestor was also a Purple Mansion Daoist. Furthermore, during the last invasion of the Blood Demon Sword Sect by the Thirteen Righteous Sects, the Cold Nether Sect had contributed the most.
Under these circumstances, it would be strange if the Cold Nether Sect’s disciples *didn’t* have a hostile reaction upon seeing Demon Cultivators from the Blood Demon Sword Sect.
"Fellow Daoist Huaizhong, when the Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb opens later, you absolutely must not be reckless. Let’s leave the Exorcism and Protection of the Dao to the Cold Nether Sect. Our Cultivation is too low. We should just hide in the back and pick up some scraps together!" Lu Ming said with grave earnestness.
Qin Xuan looked at Lu Ming with a surprised gaze.
’Not bad, kid. You’ve got potential!’
CREAK—BOOM!
Perhaps their fight had disturbed the mechanisms of the Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb. Suddenly, the heavy sound of grinding gears echoed from deep underground.
The Thousand Mechanisms Ancient Tomb was about to appear!
