"Soul Tomb? Have you ever heard of such a thing?" Ye Xiu had only heard that a monarch would construct a mausoleum before death, and these tombs were often built in peculiar and eerie ways to deter later grave robbers, but this was the first time he had heard of a Soul Tomb.

Old Liu strode quickly to stand before the old woman, his gaze fixed upon the Palace of Eternal Lotus Dreams before him, yet his legs suddenly gave way, causing him to drop to his knees.

"What is happening..." Before Ye Xiu could react, his own legs became uncontrollable and collapsed; he too fell to his knees and then onto the ground. "This..."

"This is the barrier of the Palace of Eternal Lotus Dreams, a form of defense that no one has managed to breach to this day." As the old woman spoke, she too knelt down, murmuring certain words while her prayer beads spun ceaselessly in her hand. "If you wish to reach the heart of the Nine Poisonous Fiend Array, the Palace of Eternal Lotus Dreams must be the path. Lady Meishu commanded her kin to live forever in Raven Alley specifically to guard the Soul Tomb of Xia Jie."

Ye Xiu momentarily adapted to the pressure of the barrier outside the Soul Tomb and tried backing away several paces before managing to stand. He surmised that this so-called Soul Tomb must house the spirit of Xia Jie. But why would Meishu turn her own people into walking corpses? Could such beings truly fulfill the duty of guardians? These thoughts made Ye Xiu instantly wary of the elder before him. He inquired, "Pardon me, Priestess, I cannot discern your age. May I ask how old you are?"

The old woman turned her face sideways and smiled, "Like these walking corpses, I am also a kinswoman of Lady Meishu. Our clan was born during the Xia Dynasty..."

"Damn it, the Xia Dynasty!" Old Liu, possessing considerable inner fortitude, managed to forcefully support his body. He staggered forward until he stood before the old woman, saying breathlessly, "You claim to be from the Xia Dynasty? We are done for, truly done for... That puts you back how many centuries BC!"

Ye Xiu was also stunned by the old woman's words. Examining her attire closely now, he saw it was nothing like the dress of a modern country woman. If what she said was true, then before them stood the finest living example of immortality. Ye Xiu gathered his thoughts and asked, "Priestess, why are you different from the others? You look perfectly fine, but why have these people devolved into crows? What exactly did Meishu do to you?"

"This rivals the longevity arts of the Bone Sect! Priestess, you must tell us quickly!" Old Liu's eyes shone with avarice. Throughout history, who didn't crave eternal life? From emperors down to common folk, those with exceptional abilities yearned most fiercely for immortality. That this old woman was born within the Nine Poisonous Fiend Array was a miracle in itself, and her intimate knowledge of the affairs of Xia Xi only cemented the belief that she was a living testament to longevity.

The old woman, who had been quite composed, took a few steps back, startled by Old Liu's eager expression.

"What did Meishu make you consume?" Old Liu pressed forward, taking a large step that unfortunately thrust his body back into the barrier of the Palace of Eternal Lotus Dreams. At that moment, his legs lost control again, and he pitched forward toward the old woman.

"Watch out!" Ye Xiu attempted to rush forward and steady the old woman, but his own body was forced into a half-kneel by the barrier; he could only watch helplessly as Old Liu knocked the old woman over onto the ground.

"Ah!" Old Liu's shriek was definitely not an apology. At that moment, he frantically shook Ye Xiu’s hand and pointed at the old woman. "Look at her legs, quickly!"

Ye Xiu glanced over and a chill pierced his heart. Beneath the old woman's thick outer garments, there were no legs or feet whatsoever—only two skeletal frames. Her leg bones were entirely devoid of muscle or skin; the deep black bone was exposed to them both, as if seared by fire.

"I was already like this when Lady Meixi revived me," the old woman said, covering her legs somewhat awkwardly with her skirt. She leaned steadily on her cane, showing no sign of blame. "I don't know what Lady Meishu did to us, but after I met Lady Meixi, I became different from these walking corpses."

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu helped steady the old woman, but the sight of her two bone structures still unsettled him. He felt that besides entering this Palace of Eternal Lotus Dreams, there was no other way to explain so many mysteries.

Old Liu dusted himself off and looked toward the crystal-like palace. "Priestess, I suppose that is all you can tell us. If you have more to share, tell us how to break the barrier outside this palace."

"I don't understand those things. I only know that the barrier has been expanding over the years. I used to be able to kneel right at the palace entrance, but now I can only manage from this distance." The old woman did not seem to be lying; aside from the longevity aspect, she appeared to be just another victim.

Old Liu stared coldly ahead, seeming to gain some certainty, and declared, "It seems the Corpse Flowers are having an effect. This eight-layered barrier is connected to the scent of the Corpse Flowers in the air."

Ye Xiu admired Old Liu’s composure when dealing with supernatural phenomena; this was the specialty of their Daoist school.

Old Liu smiled at Ye Xiu and pulled a pair of sunglasses from his waist pouch. He put them on before speaking excitedly, "Death God, I think we came to the right place for the Nine Poisonous Fiend Array."

"I know what you're thinking, although I don't know if any of this will be useful to me." Ye Xiu glanced back at Old Liu; that look only appeared when he was considering the Yuantuan and Abi Twin Swords. "Since fate brought us here, perhaps I can find the Soul Stone that belongs to me."

"I have no interest in your Soul Stone; I need to understand the secret of eternal life." Old Liu’s tone was cold, and he adjusted his sunglasses repeatedly while stepping back several paces.

Ye Xiu hadn't the slightest idea what game he was playing by dressing up like that. At this juncture, he felt he needed to do something to test the barrier again. The cawing of the surrounding crows had not ceased. Ye Xiu channeled his Violet Flame downward, propelling his entire body into the air, wanting to see if the barrier could keep up with his speed.

"Are you trying to die!" Old Liu tried to grab Ye Xiu but was too late.

At that moment, Ye Xiu was flying. As he channeled the Violet Flame again, intending to rush forward, he suddenly felt his entire body go numb. But the power of the Violet Flame had already been unleashed; Ye Xiu's body traced a parabola in the air before crashing down slightly closer to the Lotus Dream Palace, landing in immense pain.

"Damn it, how can you be so reckless!" Old Liu pulled out his Thin Surface Blade as he spoke. The blade instantly wrapped tightly around Ye Xiu and yanked him out. "The barrier is like a maze; you need to find the corresponding path to solve it. Did you think you could just charge straight through?"

"Heh..." Ye Xiu laughed as he scrambled on the ground. "Then since I went through the trouble of rushing in, you must have already discerned the barrier's composition, great master."

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