Elder Li landed about two zhang away from them, and instead of answering, asked, "Are you from the Southwest Branch?"
The woman at the head of the group looked at them and guessed, "Are you Elder Li?" Her eyes were full of expectation. "I am Miao Yuhan, the deputy leader of the Southwest Branch."
Elder Li nodded slightly: "So it's Group Leader Miao from the Southwest Branch. What have you discovered?"
Seeing that he did not deny his identity, they were pleased, as they had just been worried that they would not be able to handle the situation.
Team Leader Miao quickly stepped forward to greet them, and the others followed suit. Miao Yuhan then said, "We tracked them for several days before discovering traces left by tomb raiders in this valley. But here..." She looked around, her expression grave, "the situation is more complicated than we imagined."
Rong Jiaojiao noticed that the female disciple behind Team Leader Miao was pale, with bandages wrapped around her right arm and faint black lines visible, indicating that a curse was eroding her body.
"You're cursed too?" she exclaimed, a hint of worry in her voice.
The young male disciple named Li Nanzhou said with a wry smile, "We accidentally touched a cursed stone tablet. Junior Sister Lin was the most seriously injured."
Miao Yuhan explained, "We discovered a place that appears to be the entrance to an ancient tomb, but it is protected by a powerful barrier. Junior Sister Lin was corrupted by the curse when she tested the barrier."
Elder Li stepped forward to check on Junior Sister Lin's injuries and found that the curse had spread to her shoulder, but had not yet entangled her soul.
It seemed they had protected it themselves. He briefly recounted what had happened at the branch headquarters and then asked, "Would you like to give it a try?"
Lin Jin replied without hesitation, "I'm willing to give it a try! It's better than sitting and waiting to die!"
Lin Jin bit her lip, her eyes filled with determination, and her tone carried a hint of resolve.
Elder Li nodded approvingly: "Not bad, you have guts."
He turned to Miao Yuhan: "Team Leader Miao, you continue to keep watch around to prevent any accidents. We will immediately exorcise the curse on Lin Xiaoyou."
Miao Yuhan solemnly clasped her hands in thanks: "Thank you for your trouble, Elder Li!"
Soon, the two followed suit. Rong Jiaojiao took out a Soul-Burning Talisman, while Elder Li used it to exorcise and protect the soul.
Although the curse on Lin Jin was stubborn, the curse had only lasted for a short time and covered a small area, so it was quickly burned away by the ghostly blue flames.
Rong Jiaojiao smiled and said, "All done!"
Lin Jin weakly opened her eyes and said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Elder Li and Junior Sister Rong, for saving me!"
Elder Li waved his hand: "No need to be so polite. The most urgent task now is to find the entrance to the ancient tomb."
Miao Yuhan immediately said, "The entrance we found is on the cliff a hundred meters ahead. But there's a barrier around it, and forcibly breaking through might trigger an even stronger curse backlash. We've already contacted the team leader, and they should be here soon. Should we wait for them?"
Rong Jiaojiao felt a sense of impending death as she thought about entering the ancient tomb. She frowned and whispered her thoughts to Elder Li.
Elder Li's expression turned solemn upon hearing this. He dared not underestimate the Xuanxiu's intuition. Now that he was the only Celestial Master, he was afraid he couldn't protect Rong Jiaojiao.
She asked Miao Yuhan, "What is your group leader's cultivation level?"
Miao Yuhan didn't know why he asked this, but she still answered, "Late stage of Earth Master Realm."
Elder Li pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, it's best to be safe. Let's wait and see. There's strength in numbers."
No sooner had Elder Li finished speaking than a sharp whooshing sound came from afar.
Everyone looked up alertly and saw a sword light slicing through the night sky, flying rapidly towards the valley.
"It's the team leader and the others!" A hint of joy flashed in Miao Yuhan's eyes.
The sword light arrived in an instant, and a cultivator dressed in a Taoist robe landed steadily in front of everyone, leading more than a dozen people on his sword.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group had a resolute face and piercing eyes; he was Qin Lianyun, the group leader of the Southwest Branch.
"Elder Li, I have long admired your name." Qin Lianyun clasped his hands in a salute, his voice steady and powerful.
Elder Li returned the greeting, saying, "Team Leader Qin, you're too kind. The situation is urgent, so let's not waste any more time on pleasantries."
Qin Lianyun nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Lin Jin: "How are Junior Sister Lin's injuries?"
Lin Jin said gratefully, "Thanks to Elder Li and Junior Sister Rong's help, I'm all better now."
Qin Lianyun nodded slightly, then looked at Miao Yuhan: "How is the situation?"
Miao Yuhan quickly reported: "Team leader, we have discovered the entrance to an ancient tomb on the cliff ahead, but the entrance is blocked by a powerful barrier. Forcibly breaking through may trigger a curse backlash. We dare not act rashly and are waiting for your decision."
Qin Lianyun pondered for a moment, then turned to Elder Li: "Elder Li, what are your thoughts?"
Elder Li said in a deep voice, "The power of the curse within the ancient tomb is extraordinary, and we must proceed with caution. I suggest that the two of us go and test the barrier, while the rest of us with lower strength should not go in, lest we be caught off guard."
Qin Lianyun nodded in agreement: "Alright, let's do as Elder Li says. Elder Li and I will go and probe, while the rest of you stay put and seal off the exits so that the evil creature has no chance to escape from here."
Rong Jiaojiao stepped forward, her expression resolute: "Elder Li, I'll go too. My Soul-Burning Talisman might come in handy."
It wasn't that she was courting death; her intuition told her that if they went in together, they might all come out alive. But if only Elder Li and Team Leader Qin went in, they probably wouldn't survive, and those people outside probably wouldn't survive either.
Qin Lianyun glanced at her, his eyes filled with approval: "Good, young friend Rong, your courage is commendable. What does Elder Li think?"
Elder Li glanced at Rong Jiaojiao and said, "Then let's go together. You'll stay by my side, and I'll do my best to protect you."
Rong Jiaojiao clasped her hands in a respectful bow: "Thank you, Elder Li!"
The fact that he could say such a thing proves that he genuinely wants to protect Rong Jiaojiao.
Zi Ling jumped onto Rong Jiaojiao's shoulder and transmitted her voice, "Master, I feel that there is something strange about this ancient tomb. You must be careful."
Rong Jiaojiao gently patted its little head, indicating that she understood.
The three people and one beast headed towards the cliff.
In the darkness of night, the cliff appeared particularly eerie, with a deep cave entrance shrouded in a thin layer of black mist, which was the entrance to the ancient tomb.
Qin Lianyun took out his compass; the needle swung violently, pointing towards the cave entrance. He frowned and said, "Such strong Yin energy!"
Elder Li also looked solemn: "This barrier is extraordinary; it is probably a restriction left over from ancient times."
Rong Jiaojiao asked, "Then how do we crack this?"
Qin Lianyun pondered for a moment, then took out an ancient jade talisman from his robes: "This is a 'Boundary-Breaking Talisman,' which may temporarily open a gap. But time is limited, and we must enter quickly."
Elder Li nodded: "Let's not delay, let's begin."
Qin Lianyun affixed the jade talisman to the barrier and chanted an incantation. The jade talisman emitted a dazzling white light, and ripples appeared on the surface of the barrier, gradually cracking open.
"Hurry!" Qin Lianyun shouted in a low voice.
P.S.: Sorry to all the readers who are following the story. I wasn't satisfied with what I wrote yesterday, so I deleted it and rewrote it. That's why I've only written five chapters so far and haven't been able to update in time. Please forgive me!
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