Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 142

[Vol. 6] Chapter 142: Survive by Facing Death

Yanzi didn’t fully know what lay buried within this tomb, but she was well aware of its existence and the dangers it posed. While the patterns of destiny are endlessly complex, they always leave traces to follow.

The[Heaven-Shielding Art] wasn’t a form of foresight or future vision. Often, it didn’t reveal a complete picture of the past or future but instead guided the user’s actions in a subtler, more ingenious way. After all, fate’s intricacies were far too overwhelming for mortals, who could only glimpse the smallest fragments.

Because of this, Yanzi knew only how she should act to achieve her goal, no matter how absurd, outlandish, or seemingly suicidal those actions might appear. She had no choice but to trust the art and the guidance left behind by *her*.

Moving silently, Yanzi cast an imperceptible pulse of strange energy toward a spot not far away while pushing the [Heaven-Shielding Art] to its absolute limit.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”

The power she unleashed stirred her robes into a frenzied flutter, the [Shocking God Sect] gown billowing as if caught in a storm. Her long, flowing hair danced wildly despite the still air around her, and an explosive aura erupted from her, making her presence impossible to ignore.

To her companions, it was clear she was about to unleash a powerful technique against their enemies. Although she hadn’t warned them beforehand, Shangguan Hong immediately stepped forward to shield her, ready to buy her time to gather her strength.

But just then, the four strange and formidable straw soldier kings turned their hollow gazes toward the ponytailed girl. For the first time, their eyes burned with an unmistakable, ferocious desire to attack!

“Liu Quan, Little Yao, join me in holding the enemies at the front! Everyone else, protect Yanzi and provide support from the rear!” Shangguan Hong barked.

“Understood!”

“Got it!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The sound of intense combat erupted immediately. The [Shocking God Sect] disciples unleashed their full power as they clashed with the straw soldiers, engaging in a ferocious battle unlike any they had experienced before.

Meanwhile, the mysterious aura emanating from Yanzi as she wielded the [Heaven-Shielding Art] grew stronger and more profound. Her senses sharpened, her predictions becoming clearer than ever before.

This clarity was her lifeline, her key to success in the chaos unfolding around her.

“Forbidden… Danger…”

For reasons unknown, the straw soldiers, who had always fought silently, began to mutter fragmented words. Their disjointed voices went unnoticed by the [Shocking God Sect] disciples, who were wholly focused on buying time and holding the line as they waited for Yanzi to make her decisive move.

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Yanzi could feel it. The presence that was about to arrive.

It was a predator, drawn by the scent of tender prey. A being that heralded danger, the very entity foretold by the [Heaven-Shielding Art].

Despite knowing this, an overwhelming sense of crisis and unprecedented fear surged through her heart. The warnings screamed at her to turn and flee without hesitation.

Yet, she chose to trust. She had to, because this was her only chance.

No one could understand the torment she was enduring. Like a moth flying into a flame, Yanzi closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the inevitable.

“Buzz!!!!!”

“Danger… Run…”

A blinding light rose from the shadows, and a colossal form began to emerge, its outline swallowing everything in its path and reducing it to fragments.

“W-what is that?!”

“Yanzi! Get out of there now!”

The radiant light engulfed Yanzi’s slender figure, obscuring her completely. The entire tomb trembled violently under its immense power.

…………………………………….

“Hmm?”

Elsewhere, a black-haired girl strolling leisurely through the maze-like corridors of the tomb suddenly stopped. She tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling above her, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, do any of you feel like the ground is shaking?”

“Is it? Maybe it’s just that this place is so complicated and poorly ventilated that you’re getting dizzy, Miss Violet. Do you need to take a break?”

Murong Yun’s concern was met with an exaggerated eye roll from Violet.

“Are you serious? Even if you got dizzy and threw up, I wouldn’t. There’s definitely something shaking above us. It feels… it feels like the kind of noise you’d hear during a massive battle. And it’s pretty loud. Could there be someone else here besides us?”

Xiao Kong nodded, confirming her suspicion.

“I feel a slight tremor too. Could it be the [Black Scaled Army]?”

“Not likely.”

The reason was simple. According to the supposed commander they had encountered earlier, the [Black Scaled Army]’s vanguard had entered the tomb two days ago and hadn’t been seen since. Even if they were moving at a snail’s pace, they should have passed the earlier branching paths by now.

While the tomb’s interior was labyrinthine, it ultimately followed a single route and didn’t have much space to hide a large group. As they had traveled through, Violet had deliberately inspected most of the accessible rooms along the way. She had found signs of activity, like torches still burning, but no actual people.

This meant the [Black Scaled Army] had likely arrived much earlier and descended deeper into the tomb already.

If that was the case, how could they possibly be above Violet and her group now, in areas they had already passed through?

Murong Yun’s expression grew thoughtful.

“Miss Violet, are you suggesting there’s a third party that’s entered this tomb? What should we do? Should we go back to investigate?”

Violet shook her head.

“No need for that. Whoever they are doesn’t matter. I was just curious about the noise above us. Hmm… more importantly, when we came through earlier, I told you all to keep an eye out for anything resembling stone slabs. Did anyone find anything?”

“Well… even if you say that…”

The middle-aged man in white couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“[Stone slab] is such a broad description that it could mean almost anything. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific target. Besides, this tomb definitely has hidden rooms. We didn’t search thoroughly along the way, so we’re bound to have missed something.”

“That’s true. Oh well, no big deal~”

With a wave of her hand, Violet dismissed the matter and turned her gaze to the large golden-furred beast that had been quietly following her.

“Little Fang, did you notice anything unusual?”

[My lord, there is indeed something strange.]

The beast raised a paw, pointing toward a certain direction ahead.

[I sense faint traces of living beings over there. However, there’s something very peculiar about it… it’s hard to describe, but it might be related to what you’re looking for.]

“What? Strange is good! Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s check it out!”

Violet’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Without hesitation, the four of them followed Little Fang’s guidance and quickly arrived at a stone chamber not far from their original location.

The entrance to the chamber had been seamlessly integrated into the stone wall, suggesting it was meant to be a hidden room.

However, someone had managed to crack the mechanism and enter, leaving the door partially open, exposing the chamber to Violet and her companions.

“So there are designs like this…” Violet muttered as she led the way inside.

The hidden chamber wasn’t very large. Its total area was less than a hundred square meters.

There was no furniture or decoration. In the center of the room, a circular and intricate magic array was etched into the floor. At its core sat a solitary stone pedestal, atop which an object was placed. Around the pedestal were scattered pieces of straw and broken armor fragments.

Based on what they had already seen in the tomb, it wasn’t hard to guess the origin of the straw and armor. Clearly, these remnants belonged to puppet soldiers that had been tasked with guarding this hidden room, only to be destroyed by some intruder.

What truly caught Violet’s attention, however, were the eerie, unmoving figures that stood like statues in various corners of the chamber.

“Oh… it’s the [Black Scaled Army].”