Chapter 248: The Third Shock of the Dragon Gate

Chapter 248: The Third Shock of the Dragon Gate

The hundred ghosts turned around, their gazes fixed on a single point.

In their ghostly eyes, a ghastly green flame suddenly ignited.

In that instant, it seemed like all the hundred ghosts in the hall had come to life!

The already ferocious statues were now completely enveloped in a boundless ghostly aura.

In the next moment, the light from their eyes burst forth, converging at a single point in the very center of the grand hall.

Beams of light shot out in all directions, and where these beams touched, bronze mirrors hung high.

Reflecting the light, they instantly lit up every corner of the room.

At that moment, a creaking sound echoed, and a section of the floor suddenly rose.

In no time at all, a doorway appeared from nowhere.

On either side of this doorway were two statues, one black and one white.

They were precisely the Black and White Impermanence.

Bathed in the eerie green light, the Black and White Impermanence looked even more menacing.

The doorway they guarded looked like the legendary Gates of Hell.

Su Mo looked inside, seeing a winding staircase leading downward, but he had no idea where it led.

Finally, he gave a slight shake of his head:

"Incorrect. The guardians of the underworld gates should be Ox-Head and Horse-Face.

"The Youquan Cult members obviously haven't done their homework."

He didn't mind pointing out their error and stepped forward, descending the stairs.

Initially, he had considered taking a ghost head or two, using the light from their eyes to illuminate his path.

But after some thought, he decided against it.

So far, there hadn't seen a single guard in this place.

Although tonight's attack by the Night Lord had diverted some attention, it also suggested that these statues might themselves be part of the defense.

After he had touched the relief of the big-headed ghost earlier, he had carefully examined the hundred-ghost relief and discovered that each of the malevolent figures was a mechanism.

If he had carelessly activated them, judging by the way the hundred ghosts had turned, it might not have opened a door for Su Mo.

Instead, it might have led him directly to the real Gates of Hell.

In such a situation, recklessly messing with the statues was clearly unwise.

Putting fear aside, it was just too much trouble...

He descended the stairs for what seemed like an eternity, and the further he went, the darker it became around him.

The staircase he was descending had a circular stone pillar midway.

The gaps in the stone pillar weren't tightly sealed, and thin streams of blood oozed out.

As he descended, the blood seepage increased.

Blood trickled down the stone cracks, turning the steps beneath his feet into a slippery, muddy mess.

He walked for what felt like an eternity, as though he were truly descending into hell.

Su Mo finally emerged from that gateway.

The gateway, once guarded by a hundred ghosts overhead, had already shut.

He glanced back, thinking that if he couldn't find a way out, brute force might be his only option.

Ahead, everything was pitch black.

Even with Su Mo's sharp vision, it was nearly impossible to see clearly.

Only faint shadows loomed, like mountains crouching in the dark.

He pulled out a fire starter from his pocket and lit it.

As the flame sparked to life, even Su Mo's pupils contracted.

Human bones!

Human bones were heaped like mountains, forming a macabre path.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but human bones!

Since encountering these cults, Su Mo had seen his fair share of horrors.

He'd witnessed everything from disembowelment and heart extraction to skinning for clothing and shadow puppetry.

Nothing was beyond their cruelty.

Sect Leader Youquan's white jade carriage, though it appeared to be made of white jade, was actually crafted from human bones.

The carriage, however, was made of leg bones, polished to a mirror-like sheen, resembling white jade, intricately woven into an exquisite design.

At first glance, it possessed an unsettling, eerie beauty.

But what lay before him now was something else entirely.

Piles of bleak, grim skeletons, teeming with poisonous insects scurrying about.

Wherever they moved, a heavy aura of death hung in the air.

Looking down, he could barely make out blood flowing beneath the skeletons.

The entire space seemed like a vast pool of blood.

The surface was buried under too many bones, hiding its true form.

Su Mo frowned slightly, a wave of suspicion creeping into his mind:

"Could it be that some mythical creature is imprisoned in this underground cavern?"

Logically, there shouldn't be any.

Some time ago, Su Mo had pored over countless books in the Purple Sun Sect's archives to uncover the truth about Zhen Xiaoxiao's Whale Devouring Skill.

Although it was a quick scan, his keen eyes and memory had greatly broadened his understanding.

There are no birds or beasts in this world that transcend the natural order.

The mythical creatures recorded in *The Classic of Mountains and Seas* do not exist in this world.

Could it be that the Youquan Cult had actually managed to obtain such a beast from some remote corner?

He shook his head slightly, feeling it was unlikely.

Without further hesitation, he moved forward.

But soon, Su Mo stopped in his tracks.

Because before him appeared a chessboard.

By the light of the flame, he could see that the grid was outlined with leg bones, with nineteen lines each horizontally and vertically.

It was a massive chessboard crafted entirely from bones.

There were also pieces on the board.

The black and white pieces corresponded to skulls and pelvic bones respectively.

After replacing these pieces, Su Mo looked at the chessboard again, his brow furrowed.

He felt that the chessboard was interwoven with a palpable aura of killing intent.

It gave a feeling of encapsulating the vastness of the world on a single board.

And when he saw this chessboard, Su Mo understood.

What was hidden beneath the Wraith Courtyard was not some savage beast or mythical creature, but a person!

How could a beast possibly play chess?

How could it craft a chessboard?

Only a human could do such things.

And only a human could play such a game of chess.

The unfinished game on the board was locked in a stalemate, impossible to resolve.

The more Su Mo looked, the deeper his frown became.

For a moment, it seemed as if he had been pulled into the chessboard's battlefield, amid the clash of blades and shadows!

Suddenly, a deep, resonant tone, mingled with the roar of a dragon, arose within him.

His inner energy surged naturally, and Su Mo's vision instantly cleared.

He couldn't help but exhale deeply:

"What is this? A Zhenlong chess puzzle?"

This is an incomplete game.

But it is not the kind of game where one side is completely cornered.

The two sides are locked in a relentless battle, yet they are at a critical juncture.

A single thought could mean the difference between life and death.

Su Mo gazed at the chessboard, gave a slight shake of his head, and did not linger.

There is something profoundly strange about this chessboard, and with the current environment uncertain, it's best not to dwell on it.

Looking around, he saw a large bed constructed from piled bones.

In front of the bed stood a bone table and bone stools.

It seemed as though someone had been residing here.

On one side of the bed, two chains protruded from the gaps in the bones, dangling over the bed.

At the ends of the chains dangled a pair of shackles.

But now the shackles were open, and the prisoner was nowhere to be found.

Su Mo frowned, his caution heightened.

He steadied his breath and scanned his surroundings, but found nothing.

"Indeed, if someone were truly here, the moment I was captivated by the chessboard would have been the ideal time to ambush me.

"Since no one attacked... either the person is dead, or they've left..."

As he muttered to himself, his eyebrows raised.

Could it be that someone was held captive underground in the Wraith Courtyard?

Who might this person be?

This chessboard was clearly crafted by this person, but what was its purpose?

How did this person manage to escape?

Li Zhengyuan once mentioned that all the clues from the past ultimately led to the Wraith Courtyard.

Could the source of the strangeness be here?

Had Su Tianyang ever come here in the past?

Was the big-headed ghost statue outside demolished by Su Tianyang?

One question after another surfaced in his mind, only to disappear in an instant.

Out of caution, he grabbed the fire starter and searched the area once more.

In the end, he found no one, but he did discover something else.

Before him stood the only wall in the entire space that was not adorned with bones.

The wall had no bones, but it did have inscriptions.

The inscriptions were carved into the extremely hard rock wall using bare fingers, showing the incredible skill of the person who carved them.

However, only half of the inscriptions were visible; the other half was hidden behind a pile of bones.

Su Mo paused for a moment, then with a flick of his sleeve, released his internal energy, causing the bones to collapse with a continuous clatter.

Su Mo stood motionless, waiting for any sign of danger.

Yet... nothing happened.

After the bones fell, they piled up again, but this time they revealed traces of the ground beneath.

A blood channel hidden beneath the bones was revealed.

The blood channel seemed to circle the area, judging by its direction.

The scene struck Su Mo as vaguely familiar.

However, at this moment, he lit the fire starter and turned his attention to the inscriptions on the wall.

The first four large characters caught his eye, and Su Mo's eyebrows shot up:

"The True Interpretation of Qiankun?

"What audacity."

Qiankun symbolizes heaven and earth, as well as yin and yang—who dares to claim they’ve truly interpreted it?

By the light of the fire starter, he read the vigorous script on the wall:

"Qiankun embraces yin and yang, contains the five elements, and embodies the transformations of creation.

"Within, there is a division between clarity and chaos; without, there are manifestations of life and death.

"Heaven has its laws, earth its principles; seek the interplay of heaven and earth, and enter the unity of Qiankun..."

"So it’s using heaven and earth as metaphors for humanity...

"Calling it the True Interpretation of Qiankun—what’s being interpreted isn’t Qiankun, but clearly humanity.

"But... what is this supposed to be?

"This doesn’t seem like martial arts—more like a philosophical treatise."

Su Mo examined each section with the fire starter, and when it burned out, he simply lit another.

When traveling, such tools are often necessary.

Though Su Mo’s pure yang internal energy sometimes made a fire starter unnecessary, he always came prepared. Even with the power of the Twelve Gates Golden Bell Shield, he never left without his deerskin gloves.

He always carried at least three fire starters—they were small, took up little space, and having extras was always a smart move.

Now was the perfect time to use them.

However, as he continued to read, Su Mo's frown deepened.

The content written on the wall can be described as the pinnacle of wild imagination.

The entire text discusses the dual energies of purity and turbidity, yin and yang, and the profound mysteries of Qiankun.

However, most of it is written in a speculative tone, with the writer clearly hesitant in their strokes.

Moreover, what was written earlier is later contradicted by the writer themselves.

Even though there are a few nuggets of wisdom scattered within, the majority is absurd.

As Su Mo read, he shook his head. With his current martial knowledge, he felt that this entire text was nothing but nonsense, hardly worth considering.

Reading through to the end, the recorded words made Su Mo's expression darken.

"I sought the True Interpretation of Qiankun and entered this place of perpetual darkness."

"Without seeing the light of day, as if all things had yet to be born."

"If all things perish, then I live."

"This is the cycle of life and death."

"The Youquan Cult, unaware of my methods, foolishly tried to trap me here with their petty blood slaves."

"Truly a wild delusion."

"Thus, I used their vast sea of blood to understand the true laws of yin and yang."

"And with living beings as sustenance, they sought to disturb my mind and spirit."

"Little did they know, this played right into my plans."

"Now, having devoured nearly ten thousand people, my understanding has deepened, yet I do not know how to fully achieve my goal."

"If future disciples can see this True Interpretation of Qiankun, then they are considered my disciples. In their remaining lives, they will surely gain insights, and we may continue our bond."

"Having devoured nearly ten thousand people..."

Su Mo's eyes lingered on these words, and he seemed to involuntarily gasp.

From this text, it appears that this person was not captured by the Youquan Cult and imprisoned beneath the Wraith Courtyard.

Rather, they willingly entered this place with hidden motives.

All for the sake of the so-called True Interpretation of Qiankun.

They intended to use the Youquan Cult's method of refining blood slaves, drawing blood into the formation diagram, attempting to refine it.

Unfortunately, this endeavor was not entirely successful.

How many years have been wasted in this endeavor?

Even now, every night, blood is still sent into this place.

Yet, the person refining the blood slaves is nowhere to be found.

Su Mo looked around at the piles of bones, unsure of what to feel.

Among these people, there might have been those the Youquan Cult sought to refine into blood slaves.

But there must also be those deliberately placed here by the Youquan Cult as bait.

There might be righteous individuals from the seven sects, or perhaps innocent ordinary folks.

Falling into this endless purgatory, to be devoured by others, their fate is utterly tragic.

He let out a soft sigh and was about to turn and leave when his gaze suddenly caught the very bottom of the text.

There, a pattern of a snake-headed sword was prominently etched.

Beside it, there was a line of text: The Third Shock of Dragon Gate!

"The Third Shock of Dragon Gate..."

Su Mo silently pondered over these words, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"Is the Third Shock of Dragon Gate part of the Jinglong Society?

"Did he willingly allow himself to be imprisoned here? Did the Youquan Cult know who he was?

"The great master said that the various clues from back then ultimately pointed to this Ghostly Forest...

"But what I see now is quite different from what I had imagined.

"Did Su Tianyang actually come here back then?

"If he did... did he encounter this person?"

One question after another arose, but at this moment, none had answers.

Moreover, the most pressing question was something else.

"Where did this person go?"

Since he willingly stayed here to grasp The True Interpretation of Qiankun.

Has he now mastered it and thus escaped?

Or did he die in his research, becoming one of the many skeletons here?

"The latter seems unlikely; otherwise, the Youquan Cult would have noticed...

"But the former, did he truly master the so-called True Interpretation of Qiankun?"

Su Mo couldn't find an answer for the time being, so he decided to turn around and leave.

But as he passed by the 'chessboard,' he frowned once more.

He sensed that there was something profound about this chessboard, but he didn't know how to decipher it.

Although placing a piece was easy, the outcome was difficult to predict.

He simply stood beside it, quietly gazing, and once again fell into deep thought.

Just as he was exhausting his mental energy, footsteps suddenly echoed.

Su Mo abruptly looked up and silently stepped aside, hiding behind a pile of bones.

From where he had come, a person was seen approaching.

The man was dressed in black, with a black hood covering half of his face, only revealing a soft chin and lips as sharp as a blade.

Lord of the Night!

Su Mo was struck by the realization, "How long have I been watching this chessboard?"

The chessboard was indeed strange; just by looking at it, he had forgotten the passage of time.

If it weren't for the arrival of the Lord of the Night, who roused him from his trance, he might have sat there watching for ten days or half a month.

Moreover, after such a long time, he had even adapted to the darkness within the cave.

Now that the Lord of the Night had arrived, the chaotic battle within the Ghostly Forest must be over, right?

It was just the right time to attend to the matter at hand.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt no urgency to leave. He looked at the Lord of the Night and couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity.

This man was a master strategist, the foremost figure Su Mo had encountered since entering the martial world.

The depth of his schemes was as profound as an abyss or a prison, with tightly interlocked plans that were nearly impossible to anticipate.

He wondered how such a person would play this chessboard.

The Lord of the Night's eyes betrayed no discomfort in the darkness.

When he saw the chessboard, he was as stunned as Su Mo, only regaining his composure after a moment.

He murmured under his breath, "Is this a test? After all these years, still so fond of mystifying."

As he murmured, without a second thought, he grabbed a skull from the side and threw it onto the chessboard.

It landed precisely on a crucial point.

Seeing this, Su Mo was taken aback; this move made the chessboard even more chaotic and difficult to understand.

The conflict would surely become more intense!

But in the next moment, the bones at that spot suddenly cracked, and a skull emerged from beneath.

Su Mo saw clearly that the skull had emerged from beneath the 'chessboard', not the one the Lord of the Night had placed.

This was clearly a hidden mechanism on the chessboard.

Just as the Lord of the Night was about to reach out to take it, Su Mo flicked his fingers.

This sudden turn of events was something the Lord of the Night had never expected; who could have anticipated someone would stop him here?

In a moment of shock, his figure split into two shadowy forms, swiftly retreating and leaping to stand on the pile of bones.

Looking down, he saw a fleeting glimpse of a figure, and the skull had already fallen into Su Mo's hands.

Su Mo scrutinized the skull and found something hidden inside.

He emptied it out and held it in his hand; it was two heavy tokens.

One was marked with the character 'Life', and the other with 'Death'.

"The Tokens of Yin-Yang Immortality?"