He retreated, asking, "Is this overseas eminent monk your disguise, and is your true identity someone else?"
Wu Tao did not answer, merely shook his head, offering no further explanation…
With a flick of the Chuxi Sword, five-colored sword light flashed, and a sharp sword energy directly slashed at Plato!
…
In an instant, Plato felt a terrifying power that could extinguish his life surging towards him.
To save his life, Plato unleashed two magical treasures, attempting to stall for time and seize an opportunity to escape.
Alas, the five-colored sword light soared into the sky, effortlessly destroying these two treasures.
"Spare my life…"
An incredulous expression flashed across Plato's face. Just as he was about to utter something else, it was too late.
With a sword's hum, Plato's body was split in two, falling into a pool of blood.
…
After Plato's death, Wu Tao finally spoke, "You guessed right, but there's no reward."
Picking up the storage bag from Plato's corpse, Wu Tao began to examine it.
Treasures one by one appeared before Wu Tao.
Each treasure exuded a strong spiritual energy, clearly not ordinary items.
This was understandable, as Plato was the head of a noble family, and the entire family's wealth was on him.
Glancing at the deceased Plato, Wu Tao shook his head and muttered, "Early stage Golden Core, daring to attack a late stage Golden Core cultivator. Were you brave or foolish?"
The Ginseng Fruit on the Ginseng Fruit Tree was enveloped in a misty aura, appearing exceptionally mysterious.
Seeing the Ginseng Fruit, as if newly conceived within a mother's placenta, Wu Tao's gaze suddenly became complex.
…
Standing at the base of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, a faint, ethereal fruity aroma wafted into Wu Tao's nostrils.
Wu Tao greedily inhaled a few breaths, and his whole body felt warmer, the circulation of spiritual energy within him accelerating!
The efficacy of the Ginseng Fruit was so potent and pure!
One must remember that Wu Tao was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and the spiritual energy within him was far more robust than that of ordinary cultivators at the same level.
A mere whiff of the fruit's aroma could quicken his spiritual energy circulation; for a Qi Refining stage cultivator, wouldn't this mean that the scent alone could raise their cultivation by a level?
…
The greatest obstacle, or rather, the crucial step, to advancing to the Nascent Soul stage was the shattering of the Golden Core to form the Nascent Soul.
The formation of the Nascent Soul almost required the Golden Core to be broken and then reborn.
This was equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator using all their previous cultivation achievements as fuel to advance further.
However, the process of shattering the Golden Core to form the Nascent Soul was extremely perilous. If even the slightest mistake was made in shattering the Golden Core, it could result in the complete ruin of one's cultivation, rendering them a cripple.
Therefore, every cultivator attempting to reach the Nascent Soul stage was filled with trepidation and walked on thin ice before their advancement.
Some Golden Core cultivators, after centuries of deliberation, still dared not take that final step.
If shattering the Golden Core was merely the first hurdle for a Golden Core cultivator advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, then the second hurdle was the condensation of the Nascent Soul.
Although the Nascent Soul formed by every Golden Core cultivator advancing to the Nascent Soul stage was generally similar, the process of condensation varied from person to person, with no transferable experience, which was the most frustrating aspect.
However, the greatest significance of the Ginseng Fruit was its ability to assist Golden Core cultivators in advancing to the Nascent Soul stage in these two aspects!
Three days later, almost all surviving cultivators emerged from their chosen burial chambers and gathered together.
The cultivators who were still alive at this point were all at the Golden Core stage or above, and furthermore, they were top-tier cultivators whose combat power far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators at the same level.
Ordinary Golden Core cultivators would not have survived here, having long since fallen victim to the various traps of this ghastly place…
At this moment, Wu Jian and Wu Jian, their faces filled with malevolence, stared at the central grand tomb within the tomb complex, a fierce glint in their eyes.
Wu Jian spoke with a chilling tone, "This place is fraught with extreme danger. To avoid peril, someone must scout ahead. Therefore, you cultivators at the Golden Core stage will have to bear the hardship and lead the way!"
…
As soon as Wu Jian finished speaking, the dozens of Golden Core cultivators exploded in an uproar. They all produced their magical treasures, their expressions hostile towards him.
It was known that Golden Core cultivators who had survived to this point were not to be trifled with. It was impossible to expect them to act as cannon fodder.
Xiong Tongtian scoffed upon hearing this, "Don't underestimate these juniors. Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone these who are not rabbits!"
Mao Chang'an stepped forward to mediate, addressing the dozens of Golden Core cultivators: "These Nascent Soul cultivators would absolutely not do such a wicked thing as to use others as cannon fodder."
Pang Wei, Ji Nian'an, Xiong Tongtian, and Ma Nanning, four early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, also offered words of comfort.
After deliberation, the group of dozens reached an agreement and set off together towards the central grand tomb.
As the group of dozens walked, they encountered endless hordes of corpses, densely packed, numbering at least tens of thousands.
On this stretch of land, amidst the gray-black corpse soil, lay a multitude of disorderly and dilapidated coffins.
A cursory glance confirmed that there were at least tens of thousands of coffins.
Despite the coffins appearing tattered and as if they might shatter into dust at any moment, a powerful force protected these decaying wooden vessels.
Whether it was the coffins themselves or the soil beneath them, strands of incomparably pure corpse energy were visibly rising, like black smoke, eventually forming a vast, gray cloud.
Beneath this vast, gray cloud, the decaying death energy emanating from the tens of thousands of coffins grew increasingly potent with the passage of time. This was a method of cultivation that complemented each other!
"Is this the corpse cloud exhaled by a gathering of corpses?"
Wu Tao stood among the crowd, his eyes flashing with cold light!
…
"A geomantic dragon脉 grave. It is absolutely a geomantic dragon脉 grave…"
"Otherwise, an ordinary auspicious land could not possibly nurture so many zombies for cultivation."
"What can achieve this cannot be by chance or human intervention. This must be a geomantic dragon脉 grave."
"Beneath this geomantic dragon脉 grave, there must be more than one Green-haired Zombie King, perhaps even Red-haired Zombie Ancestors…"
…
Facing this scene, Wu Jian, Wu Jian, Mao Chang'an, Pang Wei, Ji Nian'an, Xiong Tongtian, and Ma Nanning exchanged glances before falling silent, each clearly lost in their own thoughts.
"One, two, three… countless zombies…"
The crowd watched these zombies, their hearts pounding with fear, dreading that the horde ahead would launch a merciless slaughter upon them.
From their perspective, the combat power of these tens of thousands of zombies was sufficient to tear them limb from limb.
However, as if to mock their fears, these zombies had indeed all awakened!
"Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!"
Low, guttural roars echoed from beneath the ground. These were the sounds of zombies, as the beings roaring from underground exhibited not the slightest trace of life.
With a series of resounding thuds, gaunt figures emerged.
Upon their appearance, without a word, they let out a roar and charged directly towards Wu Tao and the group of dozens.
Each gaunt zombie's facial features were distorted and sunken. Their eyes were filled with blood-red hues, and a bloodthirsty, chilling ferocity flickered within them.
Seeing that evasion was impossible, the group of dozens erupted with fighting spirit and, without hesitation, unleashed numerous magical treasures towards these zombies.
Zombies were a peculiar species between heaven and earth, not living beings, devoid of life force, yet they were one of the myriad beings.
They were once humans or demonic beasts, and after death, transformed by corpse energy, they became zombies.
Low-level zombies lacked consciousness and intelligence, acting solely on instinct.
However, they possessed territorial instincts; anyone who trespassed into their territory would be attacked.
The realms of zombies, from highest to lowest, included Bronze Armored Zombies, Silver Armored Zombies, Golden Armored Zombies, Green-haired Zombie Kings, and Red-haired Zombie Ancestors, among others.
Bronze Armored Zombies corresponded to Qi Refining stage zombies, Silver Armored Zombies to Foundation Establishment stage zombies…
Golden Armored Zombies corresponded to Golden Core stage zombies, Green-haired Zombie Kings to Nascent Soul stage zombies, and the highest rank, Red-haired Zombie Ancestors, corresponded to Void Palace stage cultivators…
In the cultivation world, it was rumored that once zombies advanced to the Green-haired Zombie King level, their intelligence was comparable to that of ordinary humans, and Red-haired Zombie Ancestors were exceptionally wise.
Thinking of this, Wu Tao felt a chill run down his spine, as he conceived of a possibility.
A terrifying speculation that could ultimately lead to the downfall of everyone present…
Taking a deep breath, Wu Tao comforted himself inwardly, "This is absolutely not what I'm thinking? Absolutely not… absolutely not what I'm thinking?"
"Longevity Blood Gu extending lifespan, phantom ships collecting fortune, ten thousand zombies bowing in supplication, setting up such a grand scheme, what are these fellows from the Soul Summoning Demonic Sect plotting?"
"Could it be that a deceased powerful being wishes to be reborn by cultivating the Corpse Severance Immortal method?"
"During the eras of Primordial, Desolate, and Ancient, when all races coexisted, human powerhouses favored constructing grand tombs before their deaths."