Chapter 132: This Kid Is Near Death

Xiao Yang walked over and took a look.

"Are you serious about what you just said? Can you really take me into the palace?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Profound Ice White Tiger nearly wet itself. It felt as though it had talked until its mouth was dry, but it seemed completely useless; the man was still insistent on going to that palace to court death.

"If I speak a single lie, may I be struck by lightning."

Hearing this, Xiao Yang nodded with satisfaction. In truth, Xiao Yang had actually been frightened by the White Tiger’s words. He had originally intended to leave, but for some reason, he kept feeling as though someone in the palace was calling out to him. If he didn't go up and take a look this time, he felt he would never be able to sleep again, thinking about it every single night.

"Young Master!" the Profound Ice White Tiger let out a howl, looking at Xiao Yang with pleading eyes. Xiao Yang understood its meaning instantly.

"Shut up. My mind is made up."

The Profound Ice White Tiger raised its head in despair. It was doomed—truly doomed. A place like that palace would inevitably be even more terrifying. Although it had been there once before, this time was different; the chessboard had clearly been set, and the entities within the grand formation had come to life. Those evil spirits were proof enough. At the very least, those spirits should have been dormant before, and their awakening signaled that the layout had changed.

"When do we start?" Feeling the faint call within his heart growing stronger, Xiao Yang asked.

"I need to rest for a moment, then we will begin."

Xiao Yang did not remain idle; he began to recycle Elder Wu’s space ring. Even he couldn't help but gasp after finishing the process. Good heavens—just from Elder Wu alone, he had gained seven million. Combined with the six million in krypton gold value he already had... *hiss!* He couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

"As expected, grave robbing—I mean, archaeology—is the way to get rich quick!"

Thirteen million in massive wealth. Used solely for leveling up, his cultivation could reach the eighth level of the Great Martial Master realm. By then, even if Zhang Long reached the Martial Marquis realm, Xiao Yang was confident he could hold him down with one hand and pummel him with the other.

"System, recharge!"

"Ding! Recharge successful. Obtained 13 million krypton gold value."

It was the feeling of getting rich overnight.

"Ding! Obtained one 10-million-value consumption gift pack!"
"Ding! Obtained one 15-million-value consumption gift pack."

Two notifications rang in his ears. Seeing this, a smile appeared on Xiao Yang's face. Without hesitation, he opened his system inventory, ready to open the two gift packs. He urgently needed to increase his strength; he had to explore the palace shortly.

Every bit of strength gained provided an extra layer of security. To ensure his luck peaked, he even recited a long-forgotten incantation for good fortune: "Fujian roast rat!"

He tapped lightly. Suddenly, seven-colored light erupted, followed by several powerful auras. Almost simultaneously, the Profound Ice White Tiger’s expression changed, and it looked at Xiao Yang in terror. It could not understand why a Great Martial Master could emit such a terrifying aura. Even just from the aura alone, the White Tiger had the illusion of suffocating.

Within Xiao Yang’s sea of consciousness, five giant beasts that blotted out the sky appeared. Every casual movement they made radiated a terrifying pressure. Xiao Yang stood at the center, staring blankly at the five beasts. To the east was a cyan dragon; to the north, a giant bird wreathed in flames; to the west, a snow-white giant tiger; to the south, a creature that was a hybrid of a tortoise and a snake. In the center was a mythical beast featuring the head of a dragon, antlers of a deer, eyes of a lion, back of a tiger, waist of a bear, scales of a snake, hooves of a horse, and tail of a pig.

"Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise... Qilin?"

Xiao Yang recognized them immediately. They were the five holy beasts from the myths and legends of his past life.

"Holy crap! What did I just pull?"

His heart raced. The system’s delayed notification finally sounded in his ears.

"Ding! Obtained the Five Holy Beasts Artifact Set!"

An artifact set? Xiao Yang was stunned on the spot. He hadn't expected that a casual draw would yield artifacts—not just one, but an entire set. He wanted to try them out immediately.

"System! How do I equip them?"

"Ding! The host need only think about wearing them, and the artifacts will automatically fall into place."

"Equip!"

With a mere thought, the five holy beasts transformed into five streams of energy. First, the White Tiger condensed into a precious sword. The Vermilion Bird turned into a pair of flaming red wings, the Black Tortoise became a suit of battle armor, and the Azure Dragon transformed into a golden crown! Finally, the Qilin condensed into a massive imperial seal!

"Merge!"

At Xiao Yang's command, the five artifacts automatically fell into place. Outside, the Profound Ice White Tiger was pressed hard against the ground, its eyes filled with deep fear. Zhao Zhongtian, however, was the most composed, having already fainted from fright. In the distance, a pair of eyes observed Xiao Yang thoughtfully.

"What an interesting little fellow," a voice murmured, accompanied by the sight of two small dimples.

At that moment, five pillars of light descended from the sky, striking Xiao Yang as the five artifacts manifested simultaneously. A moment later, the seven-colored light dissipated, revealing Xiao Yang: sword in his left hand, seal in his right, wearing a golden crown and precious armor, with a pair of burning wings on his back.

Xiao Yang opened his eyes slightly, and a streak of golden light shot out. At the same time, the Profound Ice White Tiger felt it was becoming difficult to breathe, and Zhao Zhongtian was already foaming at the mouth.

"You-You-Young Master! Spare me!" the Profound Ice White Tiger managed to cry out with all its remaining strength.

Xiao Yang finally snapped back to reality. "What's wrong with you? It's not a holiday, so why are you bowing so deeply?" he asked, puzzled, seeing the tiger pressed to the ground as if performing a kowtow.

The Profound Ice White Tiger nearly vomited blood in frustration. It didn't want to be pinned down like this, but it had no choice!

"Young-Young Master, please withdraw your aura," it managed to gasp.

Xiao Yang was using the artifacts for the first time and didn't know how to withdraw the aura. He thought about asking the White Tiger, but that would make him look like a bumpkin. Instead, he called out to the system.

"How do I withdraw the aura?"

"Ding! The host simply needs to think about it."

Xiao Yang nodded and focused his thoughts. Immediately, the terrifying pressure vanished. The Profound Ice White Tiger let out a sigh of relief, lying limp on the ground and panting heavily. It had truly felt like it was about to kick the bucket.

"Saved!" it panted, looking up at the sky.

Nearby, Zhao Zhongtian’s eyes were rolled back, foaming at the mouth, looking like he was on the verge of death. The White Tiger hadn't wanted to bother with him—he was nothing but a liability—but it suddenly realized that with the aura Xiao Yang had just unleashed, going into the palace might not be such a bad idea after all.

"Young Master, this kid is about to die," it muttered.

Xiao Yang hurried over and, seeing Zhao Zhongtian’s wretched state, couldn't help but look away. The elegant young gentleman had been reduced to a patient suffering from a seizure.

"With this level of mental fortitude, and you're here to rob a tomb?" he muttered with a curl of his lip.

The man was practically dying before they had even started. After a moment of thought, he bought a pill from the system. After all, the man likely knew the ins and outs of the palace, and keeping him alive might save some effort. He could at least be useful for odd jobs. He took out the pill and fed it to him.