Chapter Seven: The Dual Threat of Jade and Stone

As the previous discovery of the jade disc by the green-clad commander indicated, there is no connection between the jade disc and the stone vein.

Whenever the younger sister was mentioned, Qu Qingshi's face was filled with delight and pride. Just as he was about to boast a little more, his expression suddenly darkened, and at the same time, he gestured for Liang Xin and Liu Yi to be silent.

Donghai Qian refers to the Qianshan located by the East China Sea, and Qianshan Dao is a highly renowned sect of cultivation.

The little ghost at the forefront, carrying the corpse of a toad, approached the jade disc. The smooth surface of the jade disc seemed to transform into a soap bubble, gently rippling without making a sound, and absorbed the corpse within. However, the little ghost remained outside and continued to wander.

Liang Xin also understood what was going on, and turned to Liu Yi beside him, asking: "The two large camps earlier were both dragged into the jade disc by the little demons and devoured, right"

The jade disc is immense; the jade surface before me, spanning hundreds of steps in width, is merely a part of it. The upper, left, and right sides are embedded within the mountain, while only the bottom remains suspended in the air, approximately one foot above the ground excavated by the sinners, resembling a mirror propped up.

Now, Liang Xin has calmed down from the series of shocks brought by the jade disc, the barbarians, and the ancestral tales. He looked around and sighed sadly: "There is no way out; I can only hold on for a few more days." In his heart, he began to miss Feng Xixi even more, along with the delicious food she had in her arms.

Liang Xin finally understood Qu Qingshi's meaning and whispered, "The jade disc and the stone vein are indeed two different matters!" The little ghost is a "subordinate" of the jade disc, yet it can still perish in the stone vein.

This enormous jade artifact only consumes food after the lights are turned off. At present, it appears and feels completely normal, except for the chaotic patch of tattered clothing embedded within the jade.

Qu Qingshi glared at him; this matter is too obscure, and no one can explain it clearly

After a brief moment, Qu Qingshi suddenly extended his foot and kicked forcefully. With a clattering sound, the wooden platform in front of him, within a distance of two to three zhang, was completely overturned, and he quickly pulled up two companions to retreat swiftly.

Qu Qingshi had killed around seventy to eighty little ghosts in total, leaving the wooden planks beneath his feet uneven and pockmarked. He sighed with a sense of lingering satisfaction, reattaching the spirit lamp to his waist, and cautiously began to explore the jade disc.

In accordance with their posture, they can only see their own knees. Their feet are not walking, but rather weakly dragging along the ground

Liang Xin Da Qi, I did not expect that Qu Qing Shi had such a treasure in his hands

As they approached the stone wall, they could see more clearly. In addition to those carrying the corpse, there was a large group of little ghosts in front of the stone wall, wandering around with expressionless faces.

Liang Xin lightly asked: "If a jade disc and a stone vein collide, which one will prevail"

As before, a faint light slowly illuminated from before Qu Qingshi, but this time he did not draw his bow. The radiance emanated from the silver-headed figurine lamp at his waist. This spirit lamp was retrieved by Qu Qingshi from his backpack while braving the frenzied attacks of the Xiangchan.

The wooden board was overturned, revealing the ominous stone vein. Several little ghosts were caught off guard, and in an instant, they all fell onto the stone vein, not even having time to let out a scream before being drained into withered, wrinkled corpses

The copper lamp, measuring over a foot in length, at first glance resembles a silver figurine with a pained expression. Atop the figurine's head rests a bright red wick. When the darkness suddenly descends in the mine, the figurine lamp ignites without a flame, silently casting a faint blue light that envelops all three individuals.

However, these little spirits, while wandering, will also avoid the exposed veins of malevolent stones in the ground

Qu Qingshi nodded slightly, then stealthily led his two companions to continue causing trouble for the little ghost

The other little spirits, along with the books, seemed oblivious and continued to wander around.

Their postures were exceedingly strange, with hands hanging down, waists bent, and heads lowered, hair hanging down in disarray, slowly "walking" from the place of demise towards the jade disc at the end of the pit. Behind each "person," there trailed a murky line of red blood.

Qu Qingshi observed with utmost care, especially at the seam where the jade disc was embedded in the mountain. It seemed he was contemplating whether he could make the jade disc fall and collide with the ominous stone vein. However, in the end, he shook his head and gave up, realizing that for the jade disc to drop, it would require shattering all the surrounding rock.

Liang Xin and Liu Yi moved in perfect unison, disregarding social hierarchies, and in a moment of urgency, they both reached out to cover his mouth.

Liang Xin felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his throat, at that moment Qu Qingshi suddenly let out a cold laugh: "There is no need to be afraid, it is not a zombie, it is a corpse being carried!"

In the midst of the conversation, Qu Qingshi suddenly drew his dagger, exerted all his strength, and struck down fiercely at the jade disc with a single blow

Reflecting on Qu Qingshi's words and examining the corpses more closely, Liang Xin suddenly realized that beneath each corpse, there was a hunched little ghost supporting it. However, the bodies of these little ghosts were only semi-illusory. The light of the spirit lamp was dim, making it difficult to notice unless one looked closely.

Liang Xin and Liu Yi exchanged a glance with the *illustrated* book and hurriedly followed beside him

At this moment, Qu Qingshi wore a look of secret delight, turning back to chuckle softly at the two people behind him. Although he appeared to be in his forties, the youthful pride in his expression was quite striking: "This is a treasure that Qingmo gifted me. I usually keep it in my bag and am reluctant to take it out... What are you doing?"

Qu Qingshi smiled and said, "It is not necessarily the case that one will be trapped to death. This ghostly jade bi is so peculiar; perhaps there is another world behind it."

Qu Qingshi's face was as pale as frost, gently holding a spirit lamp and slowly following behind a group of little ghosts carrying corpses, murmuring to himself: "Do the corpses also eat? It seems they are quite hungry."

At this point, the other two individuals completely relaxed. Liu Yi smiled at Liang Xin and said, "Miss Qingmo is the younger sister of the esteemed adult. She has been exceptionally gifted since childhood and has caught the attention of the immortal master from the East Sea, who has taken her as a disciple."

With a crackle, crackle... in the faint sounds, the rubble in the mine began to roll laboriously. The people who had previously died in the mine, whether they were the Qingyi of Jiulong or the Xiongchan barbarians, clumsily stood up. Some were missing half of their heads, some had lost a shoulder, and others had a large hole in their chests.

Liang Xin tightly closed his mouth, peering around with the faint glow of the ghostly lantern. At a glance, he felt all thirty-six thousand pores on his body tremble violently, and he stood frozen in place, no longer daring to move an inch

The malevolent stone vein descends at an angle, hidden deep underground, with a distance of one palm's width between the two unparalleled evil objects

Liang Xin inhaled sharply: "It is not the little ghosts that eat people, but the jade bi that consumes them... The jade bi releases little ghosts to help it find... find flesh?" Qu Qingshi nodded silently, relying on the cover of the spirit lamp, and quietly approached a small group of little ghosts. Liang Xin felt anxious and did not understand what he intended to do.

Liu Yi looked at the densely packed spirits not far away, feeling a chill run down his spine, and replied with a bitter smile: "If it weren't for this, what else could be done?"

As for Liang Xin, looking at the gap between the jade disc and the stone vein, he always felt as if something was floating in his mind, yet he could not grasp the key point, which left him extremely frustrated. However, seeing that Qu Qingshi and Liu Yi had stopped looking at the stone vein, he lost the desire to think any further.

After a short while, the little spirits could no longer find the "meat" and all hurried back into the stone wall. The lights in the mine reignited, and everything returned to normal

Qu Qingshi not only kept quiet, but instead burst into laughter: "This lamp is a treasure of the Qingmo sect, called 'Invisible in the Netherworld'. In the areas shrouded by its light and shadow, the sinister and malevolent spirits cannot detect us, so feel free to talk and laugh, it is of no concern!"