Chapter 2575: Chapter 2575: A Tomb Containing The Personal Effects Of The Deceased
The instant the young man was killed by Zen, every single Noxious Army Ant in the cave threw off his control over them.
They crawled toward the narrow gaps in the walls of the cave.
The four consummate True Gods looked nervous, as they stood close to each other, forming a circle, and used several theurgies for protection. They were fearful of hidden Noxious Army Ants.
In a few seconds, the Noxious Army Ants rushed away in every direction and disappeared.
They turned to look for Zen, and couldn't hide their shock at what he had done.
They had feared the young man and his total control and manipulation of the Noxious Army Ants, but Zen had killed him instantly, without any trouble.
Kenelm did not doubt that Zen was stronger than him and his companions, for he had been to the Sea of Truth before. But his opponent who controlled the Noxious Army Ants had also been a consummate True God and entered the Sea of Truth. He and Zen should have been evenly matched.
Since Zen had killed him in an instant, did that mean that Zen was far stronger than they realized? Or, perhaps the young man had underestimated Zen, and had accidentally left an opening for Zen to defeat him.
Kenelm and his three companions thought the latter was more believable. They thought maybe Zen and his opponent had been equally powerful, and the young man had just been lax and caught off guard.
It was difficult for them to accept that the strengths of two consummate True Gods could be so different. All four of them were of the same cultivation level, and they had been in Excellence City for a long time. They had not seen such a disparity in power before.
"Be careful!
There may still be some Noxious Army Ants that are just hiding. We must still keep away from the ground and protect our heads."
Kenelm kicked off the ground, and rose into the air.
The Noxious Army Ants had lost their master as soon as Zen killed the young man. However, they were still very dangerous and aggressive, and it would be wise for them to stay cautious.
Kenelm and the other three flew towards Zen, keeping a sharp lookout for any lingering Noxious Army Ants.
“Zen, are you all right?” Kenelm asked. He saw that Zen's face looked green, and felt a trace of worry. “We do have some regular antidotes with us. But the poison of the Noxious Army Ant is ferocious and unlike any other...”
Kenelm trailed off. He suddenly realized something. Zen's face was green, which meant he had been bitten. The poison of the Noxious Army Ant was notorious for its fierceness and the quickness with which it killed its victims. How could Zen still be standing?
“It doesn't matter. This poison can't hurt me,” Zen said calmly, waving his hand.
'Is Zen impervious to the poison of the Noxious Army Ants?'
Kenelm and the others exchanged stunned glances.
Kenelm looked at the questioning faces of his companions. He knew they were wondering where he had found the strange and powerful Zen.
Zen went to the young man and pulled out his sword. He also took the space ring on his finger. Then he flicked his hand, and the dead body burned to ashes. ℝ𝙖ΝO͍ᛒÈ𐌔
Zen did not know whom he had killed, or where he had come from. He did not want to leave any evidence of what had happened to him. He did not want any more trouble.
After all, this was not the divine land. Especially because Zen was alone, he needed to be more careful than usual.
As the others watched, he closed his eyes, focused, and forced the poison out of his body.
Then he took a few steps forward, peering into the depths of the cave. “How deep is this cave?”
“It's not very deep. The distance between here and our destination is more than ten thousand feet at the most,” Kenelm answered.
He couldn't hide the note of hope in his voice. He had been thinking of giving up, but this feat that Zen accomplished led Kenelm to place greater trust in his strength and ability.
Kenelm and his companions were all consummate True Gods, top figures in Excellence City, and yet none of them wanted to stay any longer in this small space. They wanted to seize this opportunity to move to some larger sect.
“Let's go,” Zen said, and the others nodded.
The five of them moved forward, into the depths of the cave. It was getting wider and wider. In less than a minute, they had covered a distance of over ten thousand feet.
There was a curved corner coming up ahead. They turned the corner just as a strange sound emanated from the cave, almost like a scream. An energy wave spilled towards them, almost like the energy of an unleashed soul.
They heard a man shouting, “Dang it! This ghost has become too powerful!”
The man's voice brought a look of dark recognition to the faces of Kenelm and his three friends. “It's Tanner's voice,” he said.
Zen moved forward, eager to see what was happening.
The cave was just as Kenelm had described. It was not large. Once past the corner, they reached the end of the passage, which was a dead-end cavern.
They gazed around. Near the far wall of the cave, a cyan sword had been plunged into the ground. Clothes, boots, and items had been placed behind the sword. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating how long they had lain here undisturbed. This was the tomb that Kenelm had told them about.
Some powerful people, for various reasons, ended up losing their bodies. As a last resort, before they died, they would use the final remnants of their strength to set up their own tombs, containing their personal effects.
“Ahahaha...”
Their attention was drawn by the spectre behind the tomb. A huge soul was suspended in midair, struggling madly.
Zen watched the soul with some fascination. So this was the ghost mentioned by Kenelm. He wondered what this Stinger Guard had experienced, why he had been unable to keep his body when he died, and why his soul had become a ghost.
The twisting, ferocious ghost was bound by twin chains of flames. Two consummate True Gods stood on either side of the ghost, holding on to the other ends of the chains.
They wore identical expressions of intense focus. They were clearly experienced in restraining souls, and continued to hold down the ghost who thrashed in the air above them, preventing him from escaping.
Three more consummate True Gods stood near the chain-keepers. A handsome man in a purple silk robe seemed to be their leader. And the one beside him, wearing a black hat, was none other than Tanner.
When Zen and the others entered, the men in the cave immediately turned towards them. Tanner saw Kenelm and looked astonished. “Kenelm? How did you get in here?”
The young man in purple stared at the intruders. He had asked one of his men, who was strong and capable, to guard the entrance of the cave. He would have blocked these five from coming in, so how had they made it past him?
Kenelm gave Tanner a look of hatred. Sneering, he said, “I'm here to take what belongs to me! I underestimated your shamelessness, Tanner. I didn't expect you to bring outsiders here.”
Despite Kenelm's words, Tanner didn't show any sign of guilt. In fact, he looked just as angry as Kenelm. He said, “You are the outsiders here. Have you come to steal the personal belongings of the Stinger Guard? You must reconsider what you are willing to do. It is never wise to take something that doesn't belong to you. Steal from the wrong person, and you will be courting death.”
As Tanner spoke, Kenelm's face turned redder and redder. He could barely contain his rage.
The man in purple frowned at Kenelm, Zen, and the others. “Where is Guido? Didn't you meet him, guarding the entrance of the cave?”
Zen smiled faintly. He said, “We met no one. Maybe he found the cave too stuffy, and left for a moment, to get some fresh air.”
“Nonsense,” said the man in purple. He narrowed his eyes at Zen. Guido was the most powerful and capable among his men, and he was dependable, too. He would not have left at such an important time. Something must have happened to him. The man in purple looked at Zen's bland expression. What had they done to Guido? Anger flashed in his eyes.