Ma Xiong looked at Lu Zong, feeling that Lu Zong seemed utterly alien at that moment. He walked over, gently slapped Lu Zong twice, and asked, "Hey, kid, think clearly. We are on the edge of life and death right now. We still have consciousness; we aren't completely dead. Can you feel me hitting you? If you can, snap out of it. Stop messing around here. Do you hear me? Pull yourself together! Believe it or not, I’ll smash you flat with one slap."

Yet, Lu Zong merely glanced listlessly at Ma Xiong and said, "What if I can feel it? It's the same—neither human nor ghost. I'd rather be a ghost right now, not having to worry about so many things every day."

Ma Xiong was starting to lose patience with Lu Zong. He slapped Lu Zong hard across the face. Lu Zong only felt a slight gust of wind pass his cheek but sensed no other anomaly. He looked coldly at Ma Xiong and said, "Don't waste your effort. You'd better behave, lest I get angry later and make you the first one I beat to death, believe it or not." Seeing Lu Zong finally show some temper, Ma Xiong was secretly pleased, realizing Lu Zong still cared deeply about the situation. He looked at Lu Zong and said, "Lu Zong, you better snap out of it, or I swear I'll really beat your face into a hog's snout. Don't blame me for being impolite then."

Lu Zong cast another scornful look at Ma Xiong and cursed, "Damn it, I’m busy figuring out how to get back into my flesh body. Can you stop bothering me? I'm really busy."

Ma Xiong was overjoyed to hear that. He hadn't expected Lu Zong, who appeared so calm and unconcerned on the surface, to actually crave survival so much. Ha, it seemed he had underestimated the kid. This fellow really knew how to act. But he wouldn't bother him further; Lu Zong was right. This wasn't the time for chatter. The most crucial task now was finding a way back to his physical body.

Lu Zong suddenly asked Ma Xiong, "Hey, Ma Xiong, how do you think we can return to our bodies? I feel like we must undergo some ritual. Do you think this is equivalent to a cleansing of our flesh bodies, an elevation of our souls?"

Ma Xiong looked at Lu Zong, speaking such tedious things at a time like this, and cursed, "Hey, can you say something reliable? You can utter such elegant words at a moment like this—I'm truly impressed. But I'm also wondering about that 'cleansing' you mentioned. I think there might be some truth to it. Does this Yi Xian Tian (Single-Blade Heaven) really require purifying our thoughts, washing away the worldly distractions from our material existence? If that's the case, based on what you said, we should pass through this Yi Xian Tian, right? If we do, wouldn't that take us further away from our flesh bodies?"

Lu Zong declared, "Let's go to hell with it! I don't believe we're going to die here today. Damn it, I wonder what kind of nonsense that old man Cao Cao is plotting to put up such a complicated setup. I really don't know what that old coot was thinking—does he want us to meet him with pure thoughts?"

Hearing the mention of meeting Cao Cao, Ma Xiong froze on the spot. He looked at Lu Zong and hastily asked, "Lu Zong, what did you just say? What was that?"

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong, slightly puzzled, "I didn't say anything. I just said I wonder what nerve went wrong with that fellow Cao Cao to build this Yi Xian Tian."

Ma Xiong quickly corrected him, "I wasn't asking about that part. I meant what you said right after that. What did you say?"

Lu Zong asked with surprise, "I just said that old man Cao Cao built this thing, is it to make us go see him? Did you mean that?" Ma Xiong immediately replied, "Yes, that must be what it means! The old man must have something he needs to entrust to us, or maybe something he needs to tell us. Yes, it must be like that."

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong with a thousand doubts and asked in astonishment, "How is that possible? You must be wrong, kid. How could things be like this? You must have guessed wrong. Neither of us has ever met Cao Cao, and Cao Cao certainly doesn't know us. Besides, that guy has been dead for who knows how many years. Why would he take an interest in the two of us? Heh, Ma Xiong, you're thinking way too much. I was just joking with you earlier."

But Ma Xiong insisted solemnly, "No, I feel we are meant to see Cao Cao. You have no idea how firm this conviction is in my heart, as if Cao Cao himself told me that we two must go see him."

Lu Zong cursed, "Hey, Ma Xiong, have you gone crazy from fear? Even in a dream, you couldn't dream up something this bizarre. What did you say? You said Cao Cao told you we two have to go see him?"

Ma Xiong explained, "Yes, it felt like Cao Cao told me directly. But it wasn't just the two of us; it was all four of us. And we aren't just meeting Cao Cao; there's also a woman sitting beside him. I feel that woman is the Queen, the thousand-year-old dried corpse we collected."

Lu Zong jumped, and this time it was his turn to feel Ma Xiong's forehead. But Ma Xiong's head was still at a normal temperature, not feverish at all. He could only give a wry smile and say, "Ma Xiong, you must be over-sensitized by this strange atmosphere. I don't know what's going on. Come on, snap out of it for a second. I'm telling you, you’re actually quite alright."

Ma Xiong looked helplessly at Lu Zong and said, "Hey, Lu Zong, don't be so arrogant. I’m telling you, I actually knew this before, I just didn't dare to say it then. Thinking about it now, that drawing means exactly this."

Lu Zong quickly asked, "A drawing? What drawing? Tell me exactly what drawing you mean?"

Ma Xiong replied, "Do you remember the drawing on the coffin we saw in the tomb where we rescued you? The one carved on the coffin of that prophet. At first, we doubted the accuracy of the prophecy on that coffin, but later we believed it. Do you know what I saw in the final picture? Because you all stopped looking after encountering the fox spirit, only I saw it. None of you saw it."

This piqued Lu Zong's curiosity. He asked, "Ma Xiong, what exactly happened? Tell me about it. Maybe I can help you."

Ma Xiong then began to speak, "Actually, you know, I started suspecting Old Man Qian and Ge Mei right from the beginning, but I just didn't dare say it. Don't you feel they are both really strange?"

Lu Zong nodded, "Yes, I feel they are extremely strange. I started doubting these two from the moment they appeared. How could there be people inside a tomb sealed so tightly? This tomb is so well hidden; they couldn't be grave robbers. If they were grave robbers, they would have bolted long ago; why would they hide here?"

Ma Xiong nodded, "Lu Zong, your analysis is correct. Then guess what, if Old Man Qian isn't a grave robber, what other possibility could there be that gives him a reason to hide in here?"

Lu Zong tilted his head and thought for a moment, saying, "Then I guess he must be the tomb owner. After all, no one wants to lie in a tomb. But how could this old man be the tomb owner? The tomb owner is Cao Cao, that Cao Cao who once dominated the world! How could he be this wretched old man in front of us?"

Ma Xiong completely disagreed with Lu Zong's idea. He said, "I feel that we are currently facing Cao Cao, but perhaps because so much time has passed, Old Man Qian can't recall his origins. That's why he sent us to find the answer. He probably couldn't come himself due to some special circumstances. That’s why we got separated from Old Man Qian where the Yao Ta (Demon Tower) connects—it must have been deliberately arranged by Old Man Qian. Maybe when we emerge from the Yao Ta, those two will be waiting for us right here."

Lu Zong grew even more bewildered. How did you know so much? Are you a prophet too, or has that prophet possessed you?

Ma Xiong quickly explained, "It's not what you think. Let me explain everything now. Actually, all this information came from the prophecy on the prophet's coffin. I saw on the other side of the coffin, drawn were the four of us, kneeling and bowing to two figures standing against the stone wall. At that time, I saw the four of us squeezed between two lines, which I estimate is this Yi Xian Tian we are in now. And on either side of the two lines stood two figures, a man and a woman. Now that I think about it, those two should be Cao Cao and the Queen. I don't know what scheme those two are cooking up, standing on opposite sides of the lines. Another thing is, we entered a tower that reached into the clouds; that should be our destination. That tower is at the very end of this Yi Xian Tian, meaning if we follow this Yi Xian Tian in, we can smoothly enter the Yi Xian Tian." After finishing, he looked at Lu Zong, who was staring intently at his mouth.

Lu Zong listened attentively and urged him on, "What next?"

Ma Xiong said, "When we came out, we turned into five figures, but one figure was drawn with a dashed line. This probably means that when we come out, there will be half a person extra. There were also the five of us kneeling before two people outside the Yao Ta, seemingly saying something to them. I estimate those two are Old Man Qian and Ge Mei. As for the other half-person, I don't know who that is."