Chapter 122: Identification Type Dharma Artifact

"What on earth is this?" the Immortal Fairy asked, her countenance clouded with confusion; she knew nothing of criminal law.

In the remote antiquity, society revolved around clan lineages and gathered in tribal forms, where punishment relied upon "house rules" and "clan laws."

Alternatively, they gathered as sects, where the punishment of disciples fell under "sect regulations."

In those days, the concept of a nation did not exist, so naturally, any talk of statutory law was out of the question.

Yet the Immortal Fairy was no pedant; judging by the nature of the regulations, she could vaguely deduce the purpose of criminal law.

I understand the logic, but why on earth would the very first page of a tomb-raiding manual contain the text of criminal law?

Lu Yang coughed twice, gesturing that everything was firmly within his grasp.

"Fairy, do not find it strange. The books of our era all follow this style. As the saying goes, measure the sentence before committing the crime, so you know what to expect."

The Immortal Fairy looked at Lu Yang suspiciously, but nevertheless uttered an understanding "Oh."

The second page was the table of contents, and its contents were quite proper. Judging by the titles, the book introduced the varieties of zombies, the specifications of coffins, the layouts of tomb chambers, common traps, and the like.

Shang Zhongtian truly deserved his notorious reputation as a tomb raider; everything he wrote was solid material, precisely what Lu Yang needed.

"Let me check these two rows of terracotta soldiers... Here it is, found it. Terracotta soldiers: full-body statues of soldiers crafted from clay and wood, usually arranged in formation within the tomb as burial goods. It is crucial to note that if you encounter terracotta soldiers at the entrance of a tomb, flee immediately, for it is highly probable they will spring to life!"

Lu Yang stiffly raised his gaze to look at the towering terracotta soldiers. Their eyes flared with a green luminescence as they extended their massive hands to clutch at him.

"I knew nothing good would come of this!"

Fortunately, Lu Yang possessed nimble footwork, refined through his shifts at the barbecue shop, allowing him to evade the soldier's assault by a hair's breadth.

More terracotta soldiers began to stir. Lu Yang wished to retreat, only to find his path blocked by the awakening guardians. He could only flee forward, hurtling into the depths of the cavern.

Looking back, Lu Yang saw the soldiers' eyes glowing green as they glared at him, yet they hesitated to strike; it appeared their range of movement was restricted.

The depths of the cavern were no longer a narrow passage but a vast, sprawling expanse, though the light was so dim that only faint outlines could be discerned.

Drip, plop—drip, plop—drip, plop—

From some unknown quarter came the sound of dripping water. Intermittent and echoing, it sounded exceptionally piercing in the vast space. The Immortal Fairy shrank into a tight ball out of anxiety, praying that Lu Yang could overcome the hardship and locate the exit.

In the immense tomb, only the sound of dripping water and Lu Yang's heartbeat remained, sending shivers down the spine and causing goosebumps to rise.

Lu Yang was also terrified, so he decisively sealed his pores, ensuring that his body hair would not stand on end.

He lowered his head to read the book, hurriedly cramming knowledge about tombs: "Zombies, monsters frequently encountered in tomb raiding. Their kinds can be classified into Purple Zombies, White Zombies, Green Zombies, Hairy Zombies, Flying Zombies, Roaming Corpses, Prostrate Corpses, and Drought Demons. A Purple Zombie corresponds to the Qi Refining stage, a White Zombie to the Foundation Establishment stage, a Green Zombie to the Golden Core stage... and so forth."

"Zombies are natural creatures of Yin, fearing most of all the supreme Yang of True Fire."

Just as Lu Yang was reading with relish, a hand rested upon his shoulder. He casually slapped it away, saying, "Fairy, aren't you terrified? How do you still have the mind to play jokes?"

The Immortal Fairy spoke in a hushed whisper, as though afraid of disturbing someone: "...I am inside your spiritual world, so how could I slap your shoulder?"

Only then did Lu Yang snap to reality. He spun around abruptly and beheld a horde of purple-skinned zombies following behind him. The one that had just patted his shoulder was a white-haired zombie!

"Purple and White Zombies!"

Lu Yang recalled the words from the tomb-raiding manual and ultimately spat out a blast of Samadhi-flavored True Fire, incinerating the zombies.

The zombies indeed dreaded the True Fire. Confronted by the wall composed of pure flames, they dared not take a single step forward.

"This is True Fire! You actually know how to use True Fire?!" the Immortal Fairy cried out in astonishment. She had never heard of a Foundation Establishment cultivator mastering True Fire.

"And by the look of the flames, it resembles the Samadhi True Fire!"

Lu Yang had once again shattered the Immortal Fairy's understanding. The Samadhi True Fire was illustrious among the one hundred and eight types of True Fire. Forget a Foundation Establishment cultivator; even if a Golden Core cultivator managed to learn it, it would be an utterly terrifying feat.

Lu Yang remained silent, instead displaying a mysterious smile to make himself appear grand and profound.

Making an ancient immortal marvel at his own talent felt rather exhilarating.

Otherwise, the moment he opened his mouth to say "This is my authentic Samadhi-flavored True Fire," the secret would be completely exposed.

In any case, they were both True Fire, so it was close enough.

Lu Yang exhaled another burst of Samadhi-flavored True Fire. The ball of fire hovered above his shoulder, allowing him to see the surroundings clearly while intimidating the zombies lurking in the shadows.

"Finding the exit of a tomb chamber is a technical task. One must hold a Bagua compass in hand, form the Immovable Seal, and silently recite 'Seeking the dragon and dividing the gold, observe the surrounding mountains; one layer of entanglement is one layer of barrier' before the exit can be found."

Lu Yang fell into contemplation. He had no Bagua compass on hand, nor did he know the Immovable Seal.

He retrieved a small wooden stick from his identity jade token and stood it upright on the ground: "May First Senior Sister protect me, may First Senior Sister protect me."

The small wooden stick toppled toward the northeast.

Lu Yang was a cautious man, accustomed to double-checking his calculations when solving math problems in his past life. Being in the perilous depths of a tomb, he had to be exceedingly careful.

He stood the small wooden stick upright once more, silently reciting "May First Senior Sister protect me." The stick fell toward the northeast again.

It was settled; the exit lay in the northeastern direction.

An answer verified by double-checking could not be wrong.

"Is this a tomb chamber?" Guided by the wooden stick, Lu Yang found a chamber, uncertain whether it was the main hall or a secondary one.

"Let me see what the book says... The primary distinction between the main chamber and the secondary chamber must be judged according to the local Feng Shui, requiring divination and calculation using a Bagua compass and tortoise shells. The specific method is as follows..."

Lu Yang’s eyes swam as he read; the methods written therein were completely unusable.

"This is the main chamber," the Immortal Fairy stated with absolute certainty.

"How do you know?" Lu Yang asked in surprise, amazed that the Immortal Fairy was finally proving useful for once.

"Just now, at the entrance of the chamber, the words 'Main Chamber' were written."

Lu Yang poked his head out the door, and sure enough, the words "Main Chamber' were very thoughtfully inscribed above.

Was this thing written for the zombies to read?

"Look, there are so many burial goods in the chamber—they are all treasures!" the Immortal Fairy shouted.

Lu Yang looked down, and indeed, the treasures were a dazzling feast for the eyes. It appeared the master of the tomb had been exceedingly wealthy in life, though it remained a mystery why they chose to build the tomb here.

"Hmm? The book is glowing?" Lu Yang looked at the tomb-raiding manual in his hands with astonishment. "Could this book have been refined into a magical treasure?"

The light from the book aligned with one of the jade burial items, scanning up and down as if appraising the value of the jade piece.

Lu Yang froze, his heart pounding wildly. Could the head of the Shang clan have gifted him an extraordinary appraisal-type dharma artifact?

He watched as the light from the book enveloped the burial good, and six large words appeared within the glowing screen:

"Five years of fixed-term imprisonment."

The light shifted again, enveloping another burial good—a sharp bronze dagger. The characters on the screen altered once more:

"Seven years of fixed-term imprisonment."

Lu Yang: "..."

Chief of the Shang clan, just what kind of book did you give me!

The Immortal Fairy marveled at the sight. So this was the popular literature of the current era; she had truly broadened her horizons.