It was unclear how long had passed in his daze before Zhi Xiong slowly came to. The moment he opened his eyes, Zhi Xiong immediately scanned his surroundings, but alas, everything was pitch black—so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. His wolf-eye flashlight was clipped to his waist, but Zhi Xiong dared not switch it on right away. Who knew what kind of horrors lurked here? If turning on the light immediately alerted some monster to his presence, it would be perilous.

He had no idea where he was. Zhi Xiong only felt the floor beneath him was incredibly cold and slightly damp. The surroundings were utterly silent, allowing him to hear the sound of his own breathing with perfect clarity. Furthermore, Zhi Xiong caught a faint, fishy odor. He truly wondered if this was another monster's lair.

Waking up in a completely different place after suddenly losing consciousness felt strikingly similar to the moment they were ambushed by the Five Elements Plum Blossom Teleportation Array in the Three Dynasties Blood Corpse Tomb. It seemed that even if the formation in this palace wasn't the exact same one, it must be closely related to it!

The last time in the Three Dynasties Blood Corpse Tomb, after Zhi Xiong passed out, everyone was scattered by the great array; only Fatty remained by his side. This time, he feared everyone would be separated again.

Navigating this Ghost Palace had been a string of misfortunes. Not only had someone died, but now they were rendered helpless by this bizarre formation. In this current state, he truly didn't know if they would make it out alive.

Just as Zhi Xiong was pondering this, he suddenly heard a sound nearby, and then, a hand suddenly clamped down on his neck!

Zhi Xiong flinched, but the owner of the hand was just as startled. A woman cried out in alarm, "Ya!" Hearing this, Zhi Xiong’s heart immediately leaped with joy. He quickly called out, "Zong Lu, it's Zhi Xiong!"

Lu Zong had likely just woken up too. Hearing Zhi Xiong call her name, she immediately cried out, "Big Brother Zhi Xiong, where are we?"

Zhi Xiong replied, "I don't know either. See if anyone else is around you?" Lu Zong tentatively reached out and felt around her, then said, "There are others. Zhi Xiong, wake everyone up."

But as soon as Lu Zong finished speaking, a curse sounded near Zhi Xiong's ear: "Damn it, sleepwalking again."

Recognizing Fatty's voice, Zhi Xiong immediately called to him, "Jizi, are you alright?"

Seeing it was Zhi Xiong, Fatty shifted his body closer and whispered, "Zhi Xiong is fine. Zhi Xiong, what kind of hellhole is this? Why is it pitch black? Where's the flashlight?" Zhi Xiong told Fatty to keep quiet for a moment, then told them to wake the others by touch. Soon, Zhi Xiong and the others were astonished to find that no one had been separated. The rest were quickly roused. When everyone was gathered again, Zhi Xiong quietly observed the surroundings, noticed no movement, and finally took out his flashlight and switched it on.

Only then did they realize they were in a vast, empty room. The room was devoid of anything except for a small, mound-like bulge in the center of the floor. Unsure what it was, Zhi Xiong called for everyone to approach it with him.

Everyone moved cautiously toward the center of the room, their hearts pounding. When they got close, Zhi Xiong could finally make out what was there.

It was an earthen mound, perhaps waist-high. In front of the mound stood a stone tablet. There were no characters inscribed on the tablet, only a single bloody handprint.

Anyone with common sense could tell that this mound was a grave! Its appearance was sudden and utterly disregarded customary burial practices, suggesting something strange was at play. The tombstone before the mound bore no inscriptions, save for that vivid crimson handprint. Although Zhi Xiong knew it wasn't real blood but paint, it looked truly sinister.

A grave mound inside the underground palace of an ancient tomb was something none of them had ever encountered. They stood before it, examining it from every angle, completely baffled as to its significance. The room was sealed tight, and they had no idea how to exit, but for now, the grave mound demanded their attention. Since the array had transported them here, it must have a purpose. In this otherwise empty space, the abrupt appearance of this mound suggested something terrifying might be buried within!

Fatty turned and surveyed the area, his gaze ultimately settling back on the mound. He said to the group, "Why is it that whenever we run into bad luck, it never ends? I don't mind being trapped this time, but damn it, being trapped is one thing—having to guard a grave is just asking for trouble!"

The Squad Leader asked, "Do you think there's a big Zongzi in there?"

Zhi Xiong replied, "If it's just a Zongzi, that's fine; with so many of us, why fear a single one? What worries me is if there’s some unidentifiable strange thing inside."

Fatty pointed at the mound and said, "Zhi Xiong, look, instead of guessing wildly here, we might as well strike first and dig up this mound. Whether it’s a Zongzi or a monster inside, we’ll greet it with our shovels. I refuse to believe it can still get out!"

Fatty paused in thought for a moment, then said, "Hold on, everyone. Let's first check if there's anything else here besides that mound. That bloody handprint on the tombstone in front of it... I fear it might be some sort of curse. Let's not touch the mound yet."

Zhi Xiong thought Fatty made a valid point. Many past dangers stemmed from their carelessness. This time, they needed to learn their lesson and proceed with greater caution. Ancient tombs held all manner of strange things, and danger could lurk in every corner. Anyone who dared to be overconfident would likely have their life claimed by Heaven. Zhi Xiong suddenly thought that if his grandfather were here back then, he certainly wouldn't be as rash as they were. But his grandfather was now afflicted with dementia, and taken hostage by "Heaven's Punishment." Although "Heaven's Punishment" should be taking good care of him, he wondered if he was doing alright.

As Zhi Xiong was lost in thought, Fatty suddenly exclaimed, "Zhi Xiong, why are you spacing out again? Everyone’s gone over to the wall. Are you staying here by the grave to discuss ambitions with the one inside?"

Seeing that everyone else had gathered by the stone wall and were looking back at him and Fatty, Zhi Xiong quickly urged Fatty to join them. The group followed the stone walls, slowly circling the room. Zhi Xiong swept his flashlight over the walls and saw they were severely damaged, with debris from fallen stone covering the floor.

Lu Zong approached Zhi Xiong from behind and said, "Big Brother Zhi Xiong, these walls are so heavily damaged. Can we use our shovels to dig through? Maybe we can get out."

Zhi Xiong said to Lu Zong, "The damage on the wall is only superficial. Who knows how thick the stone is underneath? We might be able to chisel a few small holes, but digging through entirely is probably impossible."

The Squad Leader said, "Zhi Xiong, I think we should stop thinking about where to use the shovels. This Ghost Palace is full of traps. If we start digging recklessly, we might fall into another snare."

Fatty argued, "There won't be anything in these broken walls. Zhi Xiong, look, digging up that grave is much simpler."

Zhi Xiong knew what the kid was thinking and said to him, "Why are you still focused on that mound? I can tell your heart isn't set on the grave itself. I've never seen you so eager before. Are you hoping there are treasures in there? I’m not judging you, but getting out of here is the major issue right now. What good will a lot of treasure be if we can't leave?"

Fatty countered, "What do you know? What I'm thinking makes sense. Look, getting out is a big problem now. Since there might be some treasure buried in that mound, we might as well dig it up first. If we get out, getting rich won't be an issue, right?"

Hearing Fatty, the others looked helpless. Zhi Xiong quickly waved his hand and told the group, "Alright, stop arguing. Let's walk around this place a few times first. If we find nothing else, then we'll reconsider."

So, Zhi Xiong and the others continued walking along the stone wall. After circling halfway around, they discovered a painting at the corner of the stone wall!

The wall was severely damaged, so the mural could only be vaguely discerned. Zhi Xiong shone his flashlight on it and examined it closely.

The mural depicted a desolate wilderness. On the left side of the picture was a peach tree, and beneath the tree knelt a fox, its tail raised, appearing to worship the tree. However, as Zhi Xiong looked closer, he was astonished to find that the fox actually had a human face! The face gave no indication of gender, but it was definitively human, with clearly visible features, including a pair of arched eyebrows above the eyes.

Fatty saw the appearance of the fox and immediately cursed, "Damn it, another demoness!"

At this moment, Zhi Xiong suddenly recalled some folk legends and asked Fatty beside him, "Senior, looking at this mural, is this describing the folk tale of the Fox Worshipping the Peach?"

Fatty nodded. The Squad Leader stepped forward and said, "I know about the Fox Worshipping the Peach. There's a legend that says once a fox cultivates to a certain level of attainment, it must move into the hollow of a peach tree to continue its practice. However, peach trees have always been objects that ward off evil. For a fox spirit to occupy one, it must worship the tree, asking if it is willing to allow the fox entry. Only if the tree consents can the fox move in."

Zhi Xiong said, "Exactly, that legend. If a fox moves into a peach tree, the local Feng Shui will surely be ruined, and all living creatures in the area will be controlled by the fox. If a 'Fox Worshipping the Peach' appears where people live, to prevent the Feng Shui from being corrupted, the people must kill the fox, build it a grave a thousand miles away, and have a master cast a spell to suppress it before the problem is solved."

Upon hearing Zhi Xiong mention a grave, everyone instinctively looked toward the mound in the center of the room.

Fatty said, "Look, could a fox be buried inside this mound?"

Then Fatty shook his head and said, "That's not necessarily it. Zhi Xiong, look at this mural; it seems to be symbolizing something."

Hearing Fatty say this, Zhi Xiong’s mind suddenly brightened, and he said to the group, "Do you all still remember the legend of this Ghost Palace? Doesn't the encounter of Xuan Yinzi back then resemble that fox worshipping the peach tree?"

The Squad Leader slapped his head and exclaimed, "That's right! Look, this peach tree symbolizes the Imperial Palace, and Xuan Yinzi is the worshipping fox. If Xuan Yinzi were allowed to inhabit the Imperial Palace, he would gain control of the world. To resolve this, Xuan Yinzi would have to be killed..."

Lu Zong asked Zhi Xiong, "Big Brother Zhi Xiong, is this legend true?"

Zhi Xiong shook his head and said, "We can't figure anything out from just one mural. Let's keep walking; see if there's anything else in this place."