Quick Transmigration: The Villain is Destiny, the Protagonist Takes a Backseat

However, his condition was actually considered relatively good.

There were quite a few independent cultivators who came this time, about fifty in total, but only less than ten of them made it this far.

Most people died along the way, becoming burial companions to the tomb's occupant.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Feng Yichen couldn't stand anyone slandering his grandfather. "What kind of person is my grandfather? Would he need to lie to you?"

"Then how do you explain this palace?" another rogue cultivator asked.

"I found it strange before. Your Feng family members have obviously never entered this tomb, yet you keep claiming it is the tomb of your ancestors. You even said that your ancestors were high-ranking officials in the ancient dynasty. You also deliberately spread rumors about a ninth-level celestial master. Isn't this just a gimmick to lure us to come and explore the tomb?"

"I think this is clearly an imperial tomb!"

“This…” Feng Yichen’s face turned pale, and he couldn’t think of a rebuttal for a moment.

Indeed, all of this is inexplicable. Even he himself firmly believed before coming here that this tomb was the tomb of his ancestor.

“Grandpa…” He turned his gaze to the silent old man, Mr. Feng.

The old man sat calmly, leaning on a snake-shaped cane, his eyelids half-closed, looking drowsy, clearly not taking the questions from others to heart.

Having no other choice, Feng Yichen could only turn to the head of the Feng family.

The head of the Feng family gave him a helpless look. Ever since his father broke through to become an eighth-level Celestial Master five years ago, his personality had become increasingly eccentric.

The kind-faced old man of the past is no longer as amiable as before. He is stern and unsmiling all day long, and he has firmly grasped the power of the Feng family in his own hands. He, the head of the Feng family, has long become an empty shell.

The head of the Feng family couldn't understand why this was happening, but he was always filial and never dared to disobey his father.

This time was the same; he followed along without really knowing what was going on, and he didn't know the specifics.

However, it wasn't just the independent cultivators; the Qian and Tang families also wanted an explanation.

The head of the Tang family was the first to speak, "Elder Feng, you must give us an explanation for what happened today. We all came here because we trusted you, but nearly half of us have lost our lives, and most of the rest have been injured. Are you still going to hide this?"

Her daughter had been pampered since childhood, and even when she practiced magic, she had someone to protect her. She had never suffered such a serious injury before, which broke her heart.

"There are also eighth-tier spellbooks. If I'm not mistaken, one was placed in each passage, but no one has gotten their hands on one."

The Qian family head spoke up, "I just had someone check, and everyone claims to have found an eighth-order spellbook, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Everyone thinks they were caught in an illusion array and that there was no spellbook at all."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Unfortunately, they didn't know that the book was real. It's just that the shadowy figure who stole the book was too powerful for them to notice."

"The Tang family head and I happened to see that dark figure, but we couldn't see who it was."

The head of the Qian family had sharp eyes and exuded an oppressive aura.

"Even the two of us couldn't see the exact appearance of that dark figure. We can only say that the person's cultivation level was much higher than ours. Among those present, it seems that only Elder Feng meets this condition, right?"

As soon as the Qian family head finished speaking, most of the people present erupted in excitement.

"So it wasn't an illusion after all!"

"So, this is Old Master Feng's real purpose? To use us to find the treasure, then hide in the shadows and wait for the right moment to steal everyone's opportunity?!"

"We demand an explanation from the old man!"

They were completely fooled, and everyone was extremely angry.

Zhao Tiansheng lay on the dragon throne, groaning and listening to the endless arguments in the hall. He felt pain all over his body, but his head was throbbing even more.

He regretted it; he shouldn't have provoked those two lunatics, Ji Qiuzhe and Li Yu, back then!

But what he regretted even more was coming to explore the tomb. If he hadn't come, he wouldn't have discovered the spellbook, and he wouldn't have had a conflict with Ji Qiuzhe over it.

The thought that he might become crippled made him want to kill everyone who laughed at him!

Unfortunately, he can only lie here helplessly now, needing others to take care of him.

"Son, don't worry, I'll definitely find a way to cure your leg. If all else fails..."

The Zhao family head fell silent, lowering his head to hide the worry in his eyes.

He was covered in wounds, but he didn't care at all; his heart was entirely devoted to his son.

The father and son leaned against each other on the dragon throne, but there was no one beside them. All the Zhao family members who had come with them, except for the father and son, were dead.

"Patriarch Zhao, what do you say?"

The Qian family head looked at the Zhao family head, who was the only one who had not expressed an opinion.

The Zhao family head was filled with hatred. If he had known that exploring the tomb would come at such a high price, he would never have come, even if he were beaten to death.

Not only did they not gain any benefits, but they were also seriously injured. They didn't even know if they would survive if another accident occurred.

After much deliberation, he made his choice.

"Ahem... I believe the Feng family has their own compelling reasons..." The Zhao family head said this in an attempt to seek the protection of Old Master Feng.

So what if the Feng family has impure motives? Right now, Old Master Feng is the one in control. If he curries favor with him, he might be able to get Old Master Feng to show mercy and let him go.

Of course, as he wished, Grandpa Feng gave him an approving look.

"Pah!" Upon hearing this, the Tang family head spat, "A treacherous opportunist."

The Zhao family head didn't care at all. As long as he could live, he was willing to do anything, even be someone's dog!

Amidst the insults, Ji Qiuzhe and his three companions stepped into the main hall.

All eyes were on the four people, seemingly surprised that anyone could have made it this far alive, especially four young people.

"Xiao Ji, Yu-ge, Jia-jie, Lou-ge, you've finally arrived!"

Qian Xiaoman happily went to greet her.

Tang Lian and the other two immediately stepped forward to check if the others were injured.

Having gone through thick and thin together, they truly regarded Ji Qiuzhe and the other three as good friends. Although they hadn't seen them before and didn't say it, they were all thinking about them.

"Mm." Ji Qiuzhe nodded.

At this moment, some rogue cultivators recognized the four and exclaimed in surprise, "It's you! You're still alive?!"

These four people were exceptionally good-looking. They had previously mingled with a group of independent cultivators, and all the cultivators had secretly taken notice of them. They suddenly disappeared before, and everyone thought they were dead.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm in great shape!" Ji Qiuzhe smiled kindly.

Zhao Tiansheng struggled to lift his head and glanced into the distance. When he saw that it was indeed Ji Qiuzhe and his group, he was filled with fear and panic. He desperately twisted his body, trying to hide himself as well as possible.

Even though he hated it, he knew the timing wasn't right. If they clashed again, he figured he'd be beaten to death.

"Don't be afraid, Dad will protect you."

The Zhao family head used his own body to shield Zhao Tiansheng. He knew how terrifying Ji Qiuzhe and Li Yu were from the previous battle.