"Mr. Ye, why didn't you invite Elder Guo to come along? That way, you wouldn't have had to endure the inconvenience of taking the bus!"
Looking at the Guo Brothers and Guo Can, who were showing utmost respect toward Master Ma, and then glancing at Ye Fei, who had been overlooked, Liu Shan—Elder Guo's trusted aide—couldn't resist voicing his displeasure.
Liu Shan, like Elder Guo, was a Martial Artist with a military background, starkly different from Guo Can, who was pampered and sheltered since childhood. So, when it came to assessing Ye Fei's skills, Liu Shan was far more astute than Guo Can.
Especially when, during the earlier discussion at the Guo Family about Master Ma's strength, Ye Fei had casually remarked, "To destroy him—one finger is enough."
Liu Can had even felt an overpowering urge to kneel down and worship Ye Fei right then and there.
If Ye Fei wasn't the Innate Martial King, then who could possibly be?
It was only natural for Liu Shan to speak up for Ye Fei.
But what Liu Shan didn't know was that Ye Fei was a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, and so-called Innate Martial Kings weren't even qualified to shine his shoes.
"Elder Guo is advanced in age, and considering the Yin energy in this ancient tomb is so potent, it's best for him not to come," Ye Fei replied with a faint smile.
Ye Fei was fully aware that Liu Shan's behavior stemmed from the accidental leak of some of his Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator aura during that statement.
This naturally spawned both awe and reverence in Liu Shan and Elder Guo.
But Ye Fei's purpose this time wasn't to inspire awe but to achieve two goals:
First, to absorb the evil spirits' souls within the ancient tomb to enhance his own strength.
Second, to find an opportunity to extract information about Chinese Cultivators from Master Ma.
After becoming a Cultivator, Ye Fei had learned from Demon Evil's memories that this realm was even bloodier and more treacherous than the so-called martial world.
Thus, understanding the strength and protocols of Chinese Cultivators was essential for Ye Fei at this stage!
Not long after.
The group arrived in front of a stone stele in the village. One side of the stele had been dug open, revealing a hole that intermittently emitted gusts of eerie winds, accompanied by faint howling sounds.
Wuuu! Wuuu!
Upon hearing this sinister sound, Guo Can's face instantly turned pale, the cheerfulness she'd displayed earlier vanishing completely.
As for Guo Huaiyuan, who had previously ventured into the ancient tomb, his face was filled with fear as he spoke: "Master Ma, when I descended through this very opening, I suddenly lost consciousness. If not for being the last one down and still having the rope tied around my waist, I fear I would've perished there!"
"Dad! Then… what about the others?" Guo Can asked eagerly.
"None of them ever came back up," Guo Wenyuan sighed.
Guo Can immediately became even more terrified upon hearing this.
But Master Ma displayed an arrogant smirk and proclaimed, "Just a petty evil spirit; it's insignificant. Since I've accepted your payment, I will see this through! Stay behind me, and I will keep you safe!"
Upon hearing this, the Guo Brothers immediately huddled close to Master Ma.
Guo Can hesitated and then turned to look at Ye Fei and Liu Shan, remarking, "Master Ma, what about them…?"
"My mana is far too precious to waste on idle people!" Master Ma scoffed coldly.
Guo Wenyuan echoed his disdain, saying, "Exactly! If that little charlatan wishes for death, let him have it. Xiao Can, hurry and follow!"
Seeing this, Guo Can could only nod reluctantly and follow Master Ma down into the opening.
The snide comments from Master Ma earlier hadn't been said in hushed tones, so naturally, Ye Fei and Liu Shan heard them clearly.
Fueled by anger, Liu Shan turned to Ye Fei and inquired, "Mr. Ye, what do we do now?"
"Naturally, we follow them down. The Yin energy here is too concentrated; it's bound to give birth to Fierce Ghosts or similar entities. You just need to stay close behind me," Ye Fei replied with a smile.
Fierce Ghosts may be harbingers of death for ordinary people, but for Ye Fei, they were merely potent supplements for amplifying his power—not something he needed to worry about in the slightest.
Seeing Ye Fei's calm demeanor, Liu Shan—weighed down by unease—still nodded and followed him.
The two of them descended the stone stairs into the cavern below.
Though the cave had been excavated by the Guo Family, it was fully illuminated by artificial lighting that had been meticulously set up before anyone ventured down.
Thus, the cave didn't feel oppressively dark.
Yet, sometimes, being able to see adds to the horror.
Because now, what greeted Ye Fei and Liu Shan's eyes wasn't just the sight of Master Ma and the others ahead—it was also clusters of black mist. Some of this mist was vaguely taking shape into clawed and fanged apparitions, creeping relentlessly toward Master Ma's group.
"Ghost energy manifesting as forms? This truly is a Yin energy-infused land," Ye Fei muttered, his brows furrowing deeply.
Ordinarily, ghost energy accompanied evil spirits. While it could cause severe illness, it posed no other threat; exposure to sunlight would swiftly dissolve it.
But the ghost energy here was anything but ordinary!
Though it was afternoon and faint sunlight seeped through the cave's entrance, the ghost energy not only remained but was actively taking shape into spectral entities.
This was evidence that the Yin energy here completely neutralized the sunlight, rendering it powerless to suppress the ghost energy.
From Demon Evil's memories, Ye Fei knew that land infused with Yin energy—like this—harbored entities far more terrifying than typical Fierce Ghosts.
Given how narrow the cave was, Ye Fei's low voice still caught the attention of those ahead.
"Ignorant boy! Ghost energy shaping into forms? Yin energy-infused land? I've cultivated for years and vanquished countless spirits, yet I've never heard any such thing," Master Ma sneered dismissively.
Guo Wenyuan shot Ye Fei a venomous glare, then turned to Master Ma and urged, "Master Ma, please use your abilities to eradicate these troublesome entities. Surely the good fortune lies deeper within!"
Good fortune deeper within?
What lies deeper within, is likely something that will lead to your demise.
Ye Fei shook his head at Guo Wenyuan's remarks but had no interest in arguing further.
His attention was entirely fixed on observing Master Ma—to see what methods this Chinese Cultivator would employ to purge the ghost energy.
Master Ma, confident and unhurried, retrieved a piece of black metal from his pocket. Holding it tightly, he began chanting, "Universe Rules: Exterminate!"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the black metal emitted a dazzling beam of light. As a result, several of the ghost energy apparitions ahead of them displayed expressions of terror before dissipating entirely.
However, it was evident that Master Ma intended to make things difficult for Ye Fei, as he deliberately eliminated only the ghost energy ahead of his own group while leaving Ye Fei and Liu Shan shrouded in ghost energy.
In fact, due to the black metal in Master Ma's hand, the ghost energy seemed to retreat from their area even more rapidly, gathering in front of Ye Fei at an alarming rate and separating Ye Fei and Liu Shan wholly from the others.
"Ignorant boy! Daring to disrespect me at the Guo Family? Let this serve as a minor punishment!" Master Ma chuckled coldly, then led the three trailing him forward, paying no further heed to Ye Fei.