Chapter 882: Spiritual Ore Curse, Sword Pointed at Li Chang'an

He readily agreed, “Daoist Guo, I have some interest in that Corpse Fragrance Demon Flower. Please lead the way. If I can obtain the Corpse Fragrance Demon Flower, I will certainly reward you handsomely.”

“Haha, no problem at all!”

Guo Hao and the others exchanged glances, smiles breaking out on their faces.

After some discussion, they left the Gambling Stone Workshop and headed to the location of the Spiritual Ore.

The group of six continuously ventured deeper into the Thousand Mines Cave, gradually approaching its central region. During the journey, Li Chang’an occasionally sensed some peculiar auras, but they vanished as quickly as they appeared, affording him no further opportunity to investigate.

Before long, they arrived at that Spiritual Ore mine.

The entrance to the Spiritual Ore mine lay just ahead, exuding a cold and desolate aura. They were now extremely close to the few massive mines at the very center. Looking ahead, the entrances to those massive mines were pitch-black and eerie, like giant maws of the abyss. Just a few glances were enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

“Alright, this is the place.

“We cannot go any further.

“Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs don’t dare to explore those massive mines ahead. If we go, it will mean certain death!”

Guo Hao and the others looked toward those massive mines, fear surfacing on their faces. Compared to those massive mines, the small mine before them was relatively safe.

There were quite a few other small mines in the vicinity, where many Cultivators were still Treasure Hunting. With a casual sweep of his Divine Sense, Li Chang’an detected the auras of hundreds of Cultivators.

Guo Hao turned to him and said, “Daoist Wu, follow me. The location where we caught the scent of the Corpse Fragrance Demon Flower is deep within this mine.”

“Alright.” Li Chang’an immediately followed them into the mine shaft.

A gloomy, biting cold rushed at their faces instantly, chilling them to the bone as if they had just stepped through the gates of the Underworld. Branching tunnels crisscrossed in the depths of the earth, forming a dizzyingly complex labyrinth. Ordinary Cultivators wouldn’t dare use an Escape Technique recklessly in a place like this, for fear of crashing into something bizarre.

The tunnels were still relatively safe, given that they had already been traversed by predecessors. Not long after entering, Li Chang’an’s group encountered another team of Cultivators who were Treasure Hunting. After a brief exchange of greetings, they continued deeper.

Time slipped away, and before they knew it, an hour had passed. Their speed wasn’t fast, as they were wary of running into anything peculiar.

A while later, Guo Hao suddenly spoke up, “Alright, Daoist Wu, this is the place.”

With a sweep of his large hand, the scenery ahead abruptly morphed, revealing a narrow tunnel.

“This tunnel is one that my brothers and I were the first to discover. There is a massive aura of Spirit Stones deep within it. Worried that those Spirit Stones might be mined by outsiders, we set up a Concealing Array.”

Saying so, he stepped into the tunnel, and Li Chang’an followed suit.

Li Chang’an gazed into the depths of the tunnel, just about to sense for the Corpse Fragrance Demon Flower’s aura. But at that exact moment, Guo Hao suddenly retreated, instantly stepping outside the bounds of the array. Immediately after, the array snapped shut, completely sealing off Li Chang’an’s escape route.

Li Chang’an turned around and asked calmly, “Daoist Guo, what is the meaning of this?”

“Daoist Wu, I’m sorry, but I truly need those Spirit Stones!” Guo Hao’s expression turned cold and indifferent. The several White Tiger Sect Disciples beside him shared the same look.

“Daoist Wu, there is a special Power of Curse within this tunnel,” Guo Hao explained in an icy tone.

“This curse is extremely bizarre and impossible to break. It can only be absorbed by a living Cultivator.

“I had a junior brother who accidentally fell victim to the curse and died in this tunnel.

“He didn’t die completely in vain, though. Before his death, he absorbed a massive amount of the Power of Curse, weakening it significantly. It only needs one more Golden Core Cultivator to absorb the rest, and it will disappear entirely…”

He revealed the true purpose of this trip. Someone had to absorb the Power of Curse; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to obtain the Spirit Stones deep within the tunnel. Originally, they had planned to have their respective Foundation Establishment Slaves absorb it. Unfortunately, Foundation Establishment Cultivators simply couldn’t withstand this Power of Curse. Upon the slightest contact, they would instantly melt into a pool of blood. After the consecutive deaths of over a dozen Foundation Establishment Slaves, the Power of Curse in the tunnel had only diminished by a fraction.

Because of this, they had released news to the public. It seemed like they were looking for a fellow Golden Core Master to explore together, but in reality, they were looking for a scapegoat. If no one accepted the invitation, they had planned to go to the Northern Domain and capture a Golden Core Demon Cultivator.

But Li Chang’an had arrived at just the right time.

Guo Hao said callously, “Daoist Wu, don’t blame me. Blame yourself. As an Independent Practitioner Golden Core, you actually had no guard up and easily trusted my brothers and me.”

“That’s right, you only have yourself to blame!”

“You’re no Nascent Soul True Monarch, yet you dared to go down a mine with a few people you just met. You’re clearly tired of living…”

The others chimed in one after another. They felt absolutely no moral burden about tricking Li Chang’an. Although they were Righteous Sect Disciples, not a single one of them was a good person. The Cultivation Immortality Realm was impoverished in resources, and much of it had to be snatched through various means. Most kind-hearted people wouldn’t even live long enough to achieve their Golden Cores.

Just as they were speaking, the team of Cultivators they had encountered earlier suddenly passed by. This team consisted of over a dozen people, all of whom were Golden Core Masters from major Nascent Soul Influences.

Seeing Li Chang’an trapped alone in the tunnel by the array, they almost instantly realized what was going on.

One of them frowned and said, “Daoist Guo, this is a bit underhanded. Why did you deceive this Daoist?”

Guo Hao replied coldly, “He trusted outsiders too easily. He deserves to be scammed!”

“This…” The man opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something more, but his companions hurriedly held him back.