"Ka-ka-ka..."
The stone coffin shuddered violently, as if it were about to collapse under the weight of that massive power.
The next second, the lid of the stone coffin opened another crack.
Ghosts surged out once more, their appearances greatly changed; they were now clad in armor and gripped cold weapons.
They scattered in all directions, charging into the swarm of black-spot monsters.
With the army of heroic spirits clearing the way, the trio’s advancement speed increased several times over.
Su Xue followed behind, noticing that the bloodshot veins in Tuoba Feng's eyes seemed to have receded slightly.
She frowned and asked cautiously, "These... what are they?"
She could feel that these ghosts were different from any ghost she had ever seen.
They were burdened with monstrous sinful karma; logically, they should be overflowing with resentment and overwhelming baleful qi.
Yet, in reality, they carried no resentment or baleful qi at all; instead, each one appeared peaceful, their eyes clear.
In battle, they were exceptionally brave and coordinated perfectly, like a veteran army of a hundred battles.
This was completely contrary to common sense.
Ghosts could only endure in the world by relying on a breath of resentment or obsession.
A blood feud left unavenged, a wish that could not be granted, a regret from an unfulfilled desire, or a deep-seated obsession.
It was these negative emotions that kept their souls from dispersing, allowing them to turn into vengeful spirits or malevolent ghosts.
But the ghosts before her had nothing.
No hatred, no desire, no obsession.
They were like... a blank sheet of paper.
Could this be the cause of Tuoba Feng's abnormality?
Tuoba Feng’s face was currently pale; it was clear that summoning these heroic spirits took a great toll on him.
He felt that at the moment the stone coffin opened, the roaring voice in his heart had been suppressed significantly.
However, for some reason, as the madness receded, he felt an inexplicable wave of sadness well up in his heart.
Tuoba Feng regained some clarity and struggled to suppress the strange feeling in his mind.
His gaze remained firm as he watched the backs of the ghosts and said in a low voice, "They are heroic spirits."
"They are the souls of the past... grave-keepers."
Su Xue frowned; she had seen many ghost-control techniques in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, and many people had malevolent ghosts protecting them.
But within the ghosts of these grave-keepers, it was as if even the self did not exist.
Tuoba Feng saw Su Xue’s confusion.
He gave a tragic smile, swinging his blade to clear the path while answering calmly.
"The grave-keeper clan is burdened with original sin, exiled here for generations, using blood to suppress the tomb and souls to guard the spirits."
"While alive, they bleed daily to feed the array and suppress the divine remains."
"After death, their souls find no release; they remain muddled, remembering nothing of their past lives or old matters, never entering reincarnation."
"They must also endure the punishment of blades, axes, and frying in oil vats every day to atone for their sins."
It was as if to prove his words.
In front of them, several heroic spirits who were currently fighting suddenly stiffened and turned into minced meat.
A few others emitted a 'sizzle' as boiling oil bubbles erupted from their bodies, as if they had been thrown into a deep fryer; their forms rapidly became illusory.
Within a few breaths, those heroic spirits silently transformed into streaks of light and returned to the stone coffin.
Tuoba Feng did not stop, nor did he even look back; his voice was merely a bit low.
"See? Their time for punishment has come."
Su Xue’s pupils constricted slightly.
She finally understood why these heroic spirits carried no resentment or obsession.
It was because they endured torture every single day.
Pain had long since become a habit; their memories and emotions had been worn away by the prolonged torment.
All that remained was the most basic combat instinct and the responsibility to protect their descendants.
"They..."
Su Xue opened her mouth to say something, but found she could say nothing at all.
Comfort?
Sympathy?
In the face of such a cruel fate, any words felt pale and powerless.
Tuoba Feng, however, did not seem to need comfort.
He shook his head. "There's no need to pity us; this is the destiny of the grave-keeper clan."
"Sinners need to atone, and even in death, there is no peace."
"We’ve all gotten used to it."
"But... if possible, I hope Xiaoyun can escape this fate."
"She’s still too young; she shouldn't have to bear something so heavy."
"Xiaoyun?"
"Yes, my daughter."
At the mention of his daughter, Tuoba Feng’s expression suddenly became incredibly tender, and he suddenly had a lot to say.
He began to talk incessantly about Xiaoyun’s past.
Su Xue listened quietly while observing Tuoba Feng.
Tuoba Feng’s madness was completely gone; he was now very reserved and very sad.
Sad?
Why?
Su Xue pondered; if he was going to save his daughter, he could be anxious, self-reproachful, or impatient.
But why was he so sad?
Su Xue couldn't figure it out.
But she didn't interrupt; she only said softly when Tuoba Feng paused, "You must love her very much."
Tuoba Feng nodded vigorously, and a glint of moisture seemed to flash in the corner of his eye.
"She is my only concern left in this world."
Passing through the graveyard, the black-spot monsters became more numerous and stronger.
Even the scraps left behind by Tuoba Feng’s slashes were becoming too much for Piao to chew through.
"Wuu wuu..."
Piao hugged a thick leg, tearing at it desperately as if gnawing on sugarcane; her teeth ground together with a clattering sound, yet she only left a few white marks.
She was starting to worry.
This was way too hard!
She could only treat these severed limbs as teething sticks and keep wrestling with them.
Meanwhile, Tuoba Feng and the group of heroic spirits fought with increasing ferocity, moving freely through the tide of black spots like they were cutting through melons and vegetables.
In the blink of an eye.
The entrance to the god's tomb was already close at hand.
Tuoba Feng felt his sadness dissipate, and the suppressed shouting voices surged up once more.
It’s here! It’s here!
Xiaoyun is inside!
Open the door! Open the door now!!
Tuoba Feng’s eyes widened as he rushed toward the great gate of the god's tomb regardless of the consequences.
Without hesitation, he drew his long blade again and made a deep gash across his own wrist.
"Pshhh!"
Blood erupted, transforming into a line of blood in mid-air that flew toward the tomb gate.
"Buzz!!!"
A bloody light glowed on the tomb gate, followed by a heavy rumbling sound; the long-sealed gate of the god's tomb slowly opened to both sides.
Tuoba Feng dropped his long blade and stumbled toward the doorway.
"Xiaoyun! Daddy’s here!"
As the gate swung open, the scene behind it came into view.
In Tuoba Feng’s eyes, it was a bright pure land.
A small figure stood there, wearing the yellow dress from his memory, with two pigtails, standing obediently behind the gate waiting for him to return.
And behind Xiaoyun were vast numbers of black-spot monsters, their claws bared as they prepared to pounce on that fragile figure.
"Don't be afraid! Daddy’s here!"
Tuoba Feng’s face changed drastically, his eyes nearly splitting.
"Xiaoyun, don't move, Daddy's coming to save you!"
Su Xue’s expression changed just as much.
Behind the tomb gate, she saw a shriveled, tiny corpse suspended in mid-air.
The corpse had long since dried out, its entire body covered in dense black spots, as disgusting as mold.
The dry corpse’s eyes had been brutally gouged out, leaving only two pitch-black bloody holes.
Its mouth was sewn shut with coarse black thread, twisted into an eerie curve.
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