God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World! Chapter 565: The Demonic Sect Appears

Despite the guide’s attempt to conceal it, Gabriel couldn't miss the fleeting disturbance in the man’s eyes.

It was a momentary lapse; the guide's breath hitched, his gaze darting momentarily toward a dark smudge by the door before he recomposed himself.

Gabriel feigned ignorance. He withdrew his hand from the stone, taking a half-step back, allowing the guide to believe his reaction had gone unnoticed. Often, those who kept secrets betrayed themselves when they thought they were safe.

IceQueen glanced between the two men before addressing Gabriel. "What is it?"

Gabriel’s eyes lingered on the dark residue for another second before he finally spoke.

"The Qi here is peculiar. It’s not the Qi of a tomb, nor is it the standard Qi of Tianlan."

ChaosCleric furrowed his brow. "Different how?"

"Impure," Gabriel stated simply.

A few ChaosKnight members stiffened, and even VV’s helmet swiveled back toward the dark mark. The guide hastily adopted a composed expression and responded.

"It's an ancient tomb. There are bound to be strange energies present. It might signify nothing."

Gabriel slowly turned his head, fixing his gaze upon the guide.

The guide’s throat bobbed almost imperceptibly. Though Gabriel remained silent, the sheer intensity of his stare visibly unnerved the man. His fingers briefly tightened around the lantern at his waist before he broke eye contact first.

Gabriel didn't press the issue. Instead, he placed a hand on the heavy stone door and exerted his strength. The ancient mechanism protested with a loud groan, dislodging dust from the ceiling above.

"Open it," Gabriel commanded.

VV stepped forward without delay.

The formidable, armored figure placed a hand against the door, while two other ChaosKnight members lent their assistance. The stone entryway resisted for a moment before finally groaning inward with a deep, grinding sound.

GRRRRKKK!!!

A wave of chilling air billowed out from the darkness beyond.

Gabriel passed through the opening without hesitation. IceQueen followed closely, while the others entered with more caution, their eyes immediately sweeping the newly revealed passage.

The corridor ahead was narrow. Dark veins snaked across the walls from floor to ceiling, spreading over the stone like ancient roots hidden beneath the skin. Some veins pulsed faintly with dark Qi, while others disappeared into the cracks overhead.

One of the members voiced his unease instantly. "I don't like this place."

"No one asked you to," another member muttered in response.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask.

The veins exuded a subtle toxin into the air. It wasn't potent enough to affect him directly, but the Qi intertwined with it carried hazardous properties.

One ChaosKnight member, positioned further back, inhaled a little too deeply, and his body instantly seized up.

Before anyone could react, his skin turned a ghastly gray around the neck and jaw, spreading rapidly upward like ash moving beneath flesh. The man crumpled to the floor without even a gasp.

The entire corridor fell silent as horrified gazes fixed upon the scene.

Gabriel glanced down at the fallen comrade briefly before speaking in a calm tone. "Cover your mouths. Those veins are emitting a toxin."

IceQueen flicked her fingers, and ice instantly formed around the lower half of her face. Several others hastily tore strips from their clothing to block their airways. VV simply lowered his helmet visor completely with a metallic click.

The guide’s expression soured further. He displayed no signs of discomfort, and any keen observer would notice he wasn't truly affected by the veins. Nevertheless, he still adjusted his clothing over his nose.

The group pressed onward. No one wished to linger near the fresh corpse any longer than necessary. Their footsteps grew quieter, and the confined space of the narrow corridor intensified the oppressive atmosphere as the black veins continued their faint pulsing all around them.

Gabriel led the way in silence. His senses extended carefully through the walls, while his Qi Manipulation subtly deflected some of the ambient pressure from his body. The deeper they ventured, the more peculiar the Qi became.

Several minutes later, Gabriel abruptly halted.

IceQueen almost inquired about the reason before Gabriel moved.

FWOOOSH!!!

His blade sliced sideways, impacting the wall with a resounding crack.

BOOM!

Stone fragments exploded outward, and several ChaosKnight members instinctively recoiled in alarm as dust billowed through the narrow passage. One ChaosKnight member almost raised his staff before realizing Gabriel’s action was not random.

Something stirred within the fractured wall.

Initially, it resembled smoke.

Gradually, the ash coalesced, forming the shape of a face pressed against the stone. Vacant white eyes opened within the wall, and a thin slit appeared where a mouth should have been.

The entity stared directly at them.

The ash face twitched minutely.

Its maw gaped wider, contorting unnaturally against the fractured wall as a portion of its form began to extrude. Dark soot cascaded from the stone, and elongated digits started to coalesce beneath the visage.

Gabriel moved with swiftness before its full emergence.

SHIIING!!!

His blade descended with a sharp flick.

The ash entity was sundered instantly, failing to complete its egress from the wall. Black particles erupted throughout the corridor, rapidly dissipating into oblivion.

A minuscule object then impacted the floor.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

A solitary ebony bead scuttled slowly across the stone, halting near IceQueen’s footwear.

All eyes fixed upon it with apprehension.

The bead appeared smooth and jet-black, with faint qi undulating beneath its surface. Minute fissures marred its exterior, resembling desiccated veins encased in frozen glass.

Gabriel assumed a low stance and carefully retrieved it.

[Ash Listening Core]

[Description: A rudimentary surveillance artifact composed of residual qi and ash. Capable of capturing nearby vocalizations and emotional states.]

"What is that?" IceQueen inquired, reaching for the bead. Upon closer inspection, her eyes widened in surprise.

Gabriel’s senses had registered its presence prior. Not the entity itself, but rather the peculiar preternatural awareness that had lingered within the walls surrounding them.

Something had been observing their party since their entry into this passage.

...

Deeper still within the sepulchre, a man clad in black robes opened his eyes.

He was seated in meditation within a desolate chamber. Encircling him, several cadavers dangled from the ceiling, impaled by dark nails driven through their palms.

A fractured bead situated before him crumbled into dust.

Another robed individual glanced over.

"The listener has been obliterated?"

The seated man inclined his head gradually. "By whose hand?"

A moment of silence ensued. Then, a smile touched his lips.

"The masked individual."

A woman positioned near the wall turned her head. Her robes were cleaner than the others', and a small, dark nail hovered lazily behind her shoulder.

Her gaze remained placid as she posed the question, "Is he the one who traversed the corpse formation?"

"Affirmative, Senior Sister Mo."

Mo Shiyun directed her gaze toward the distant passage, her eyes gleaming.

"Intriguing."

The seated man inquired further, "Shall we eliminate them ere they reach the guidance spike?"

Mo Shiyun offered no immediate reply, appearing lost in contemplation before she abruptly refocused, a faint smile gracing her features.

"Nay. Permit them to approach."

The others bowed their heads in acknowledgment.

Mo Shiyun contemplated the shadowed path ahead.

"If he can discern our markers, then he might prove valuable before his demise. Who can say? Perhaps he will finally succeed in dispatching that oaf guarding the spike."