Chapter 32: Dug Up a Coffin.
“Of course it’s real. There’s a certain probability it can summon souls,” the system explained.
“However, this Soul Summoning Lamp has absorbed some Yin energy, becoming a Yin artifact, and thus has significant value. It’s recommended that the host collect seven of them and fuse them; it will have great use.”
“Fuse… Yin artifact…” Chen Fan murmured, realizing that he had certainly found a good treasure this time. Since the system said it would have great uses, fusing the Soul Summoning Lamps might turn them into a super treasure.
“Not surprisingly, the remaining six lamps should be buried under this soil,” Chen Fan thought to himself.
“It seems like this is cemetery trash—did an ancient tomb collapse and spill here?”
“Better not let these Soul Summoning Lamps break,” he prayed internally as he continued digging. To avoid damaging the lamps, Chen Fan opted to dig with his hands.
“Could there be any evil spirits down here?” Chen Fan thought uneasily, sensing a chill down his spine.
He wasn’t afraid of immortal corpses or battlefield debris, but this was an ancient tomb, and the presence of Soul Summoning Lamps and the system’s mention of Yin energy made him wary.
Could there have been some ghostly or evil presence in the tomb?
Before long, Chen Fan’s hand touched something hard and cold, the same material as the previous Soul Summoning Lamp.
Carefully, he dug it out, and indeed, it was another Soul Summoning Lamp, identical to the first one.
“It seems to have absorbed Yin energy as well…” After sensing it carefully, Chen Fan found that it had the same aura.
So, it seemed all the Soul Summoning Lamps had absorbed Yin energy and turned into Yin artifacts.
After cleaning it, he saw that the lamp still had some oil in it, and the wick was about half full.
“So, these Soul Summoning Lamps must have gone out before the oil was fully used up? Did they summon the souls back?” Chen Fan pondered.
“But, according to the system, one lamp can burn for a thousand years. There isn’t much oil left, so could the souls have been summoned after hundreds of years?”
“If that’s the case, the souls may have been reincarnated many times by now, and their bodies long decayed…”
His brow furrowed as he felt something wasn’t quite right. He put the Soul Summoning Lamp into his storage ring and continued digging.
“Crack…” Suddenly, Chen Fan’s fingernails scraped across something with a harsh sound. Following the mark, he saw a large piece of greenish metal.
“Could it be a coffin, a bronze coffin?”
Chen Fan was mildly surprised and took a few steps back, keeping his gaze on the coffin. If anything unusual happened, he would leave immediately through his mark.
Digging into tombs felt strange to him, especially with those Soul Summoning Lamps being so eerie.
“System, is this bronze coffin valuable?” Chen Fan asked.
“It’s an ordinary ancient bronze coffin, eroded by Yin energy for many years, but still holds some value,” the system replied.
“The coffin’s been eroded too?” Chen Fan said.
“So, there’s a Yin object lying inside, right? The Yin energy in the lamps and the coffin likely comes from whatever is inside. Could there be a zombie in the coffin?”
“Yes,” the system confirmed. “Indeed, there is a zombie inside the bronze coffin.”
“Huh…”
Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. A zombie, even if strong, was a visible threat. If it broke out of the coffin, he would have enough time to leave.
What he feared were ominous things like ghostly spirits—those that could strike without a sound.
“System, should I collect the zombie?” Chen Fan asked, feeling somewhat eager.
“Zombies have a higher value than ancient corpses. They can certainly be collected,” the system explained.
“However, the system only collects things from the host. So, the host must either kill or subdue the zombie before the system can collect it.”
Chen Fan wasn’t surprised by this limitation. Without it, anyone could point to anyone on the street and have the system collect them.
“Subdue…” Chen Fan mused. “I won’t provoke it for now. What if I can’t beat it? I’d have to escape in a hurry, and I’d lose the chance to collect the other five Soul Summoning Lamps. There might be other treasures here as well.”
With his attention fixed on the coffin, Chen Fan shook his head. He decided to continue digging from another angle, staying vigilant. If the coffin showed any sign of movement, he would immediately prepare to leave. If the zombie turned out to be too strong, he would leave at once.
“Looking for treasure, picking up trash—feels like a tomb-raiding adventure…” Chen Fan muttered helplessly.
To collect the remaining five Soul Summoning Lamps, he picked up the iron rake he had discarded earlier and accelerated his digging.
This time, he wasn’t as cautious. If he broke something, he could just use his points to fix it. Missing out on the lamps would prevent him from fusing them later.