Ch. 60 - Clouds Stirring From All Sides

The State of Yan was merely a remote corner of the Eastern Wilderness, like a drop in the ocean. If word of this got out, this ruin would be overwhelmed by a flood of cultivators.

At this moment, the one most disheartened was the head of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven. With both a Sacred Ground and an ancient aristocratic family present, he knew there was likely little to be gained. Competing with such giants was simply out of the question.

One of the Ji Clan’s ancient war chariots rumbled through the sky, shaking the heavens as it sped off into the distance. The cultivators of Radiant Light Sacred Ground turned pale at the sight. An elder urgently ordered two of the nearby cultivators: “Return to the Sacred Ground at once and report this! Tell them to send reinforcements immediately!”

There was no hiding the fact that the Demon Emperor’s tomb had emerged. The news would surely rock the vast Eastern Wilderness. Countless sects would soon descend upon this site. Other Sacred Grounds and Ancient Clans, peers of Ji and Radiant Light, would inevitably come. Both factions had no choice but to request backup.

“Let’s join forces and break open the Demon Emperor’s tomb as soon as possible. What do you think?” said one elder from Radiant Light, looking toward the Ji Clan’s cultivators, then at the dozen or so women from Jade Pool Sacred Ground, and finally giving a passing glance to the head of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven.

“Agreed. Let’s do it,” replied a Ji Clan powerhouse atop an ancient war chariot without hesitation.

The dozen Jade Pool women remained serene and otherworldly. Each of them was graceful and detached, clearly disinterested in the treasure hunt. They all took a step back. The leading woman gently parted her lips and said, “We’re only passing by. We have no intention of fighting for the relics of the Demon Emperor.”

“In that case, we won’t insist. Let’s move forward together and break open the tomb,” said the elders of Radiant Light and Ji Clan. They were more than happy to have Jade Pool step aside. The fewer the competitors, the better.

“Sect Master Li, bring your people as well,” said a Radiant Light elder casually, glancing at the head of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven.

Desolate Spirit’s head felt bitter inside. He replied, “We’ll give it our all.”

The elder nodded. “Your sect has already done much. Once the tomb is opened, you’ll be satisfied.”

Immediately, more than twenty powerful cultivators re-entered the tomb, aiming to fully open the ancient burial ground.

BOOM!

The ancient hall, built from five-colored god-jade, shook violently. Rays of dazzling light burst forth, making the very sky and earth tremble.

“Something’s not right…” The dozen Jade Pool women watched from afar, their expressions changing.

“The demonic script on the hall is getting brighter.”

“The ancient characters seem alive, they’re trembling and about to burst through the walls!”

The runes engraved on the hall emitted a strange radiance. Dragon-shaped characters twisted like tiny serpents, phoenix-shaped ones flapped as if about to fly, and black turtle runes crawled in slow motion…

A mysterious energy filled the air. Powerful demonic force gathered, and the tomb became shrouded in a layer of mist.

“This isn’t good. Something’s wrong with this Demon Emperor’s mausoleum…”

The women from Jade Pool looked shocked. The baleful energy was growing, swelling like an oncoming ocean wave.

Not all of the Ji and Radiant Light cultivators had entered the tomb. Those standing guard outside sensed the change too. Their expressions turned grim, and they shouted, “Something’s wrong! Get out of there, fast!”

But they weren’t needed to say it, those inside had already realized something was off. The leading few were instantly turned to blood mist. It happened so fast that no one knew what was going on.

SHUA SHUA SHUA

Everyone retreated at full speed, transforming into divine rainbows and rushing toward the exit.

BOOM!

Suddenly, endless light burst from within the tomb. The ones bringing up the rear were instantly set aflame, screaming in agony, but it was futile. They turned to ash in the blink of an eye.

“Run!”

The sect leader of Desolate Spirit and two grand elders barely escaped. Four or five from both the Ji Clan and Radiant Light also fled. The rest were sealed inside.

At that moment, the ancient hall’s doors slowly closed. Through the small gap left open, glimpses of the interior could be seen. It was glowing brightly, and the trapped cultivators inside couldn’t move. Their bodies became translucent, their blood ignited, organs charred in moments, followed by flesh and bone, all reduced to ash in an instant.

Their horrific expressions at the moment of death sent chills through everyone present, especially those who had barely escaped. Had they been a second slower, they would’ve met the same fate.

“How could this happen? What’s going on? Why has this tomb suddenly become so terrifying…” The Radiant Light elder’s face darkened. They hadn’t even obtained the treasure yet and had already suffered heavy losses, an ominous sign.

“This must be a trap left by the Demon Emperor. Without any greater demons here, this ancient hall is a deathtrap for human cultivators!” said a Ji Clan expert grimly.

The others thought it over and agreed. Nothing had gone wrong while the greater demons were present. Only after they left did the tomb turn into this deadly, mysterious place.

“That makes sense. The Demon Emperor clearly didn’t want his inheritance to fall into human hands.”

“So what now? Should we try to capture a few greater demons? It might be too late, many sects are likely already on their way.”

After a quick discussion, Radiant Light and Ji decided to launch an external assault to break open the ancient hall before more forces arrived and complicated things.

“We must open it first!”

Together, Radiant Light and Ji could overpower ordinary sects. But if powerful factions or other Sacred Grounds and ancient clans arrived, things would get messy. Those rivals wouldn’t hold back in the slightest.

The Eastern Wilderness was simply too vast. Not only were its cultivators countless, even the nations couldn’t be fully counted. No single Sacred Ground could dominate the entire region.

Zzz zzz zzz…

Weapons gleamed as they were unleashed toward the tomb. Powerful energy waves blasted the ancient structure. Yet to everyone’s shock, the mausoleum remained completely intact. Instead, the ancient script on it grew even more radiant.

“The demonic runes are moving!”

At that moment, all cultivators were stunned. Tiny dragons slithered upward from the tomb’s foundations. Phoenixes spread their wings, preparing to fly. Black turtles slowly crawled. The imperial demonic script came to life, creeping from the base of the hall until it covered the entire structure.

It was as though the hall had been inscribed with countless spells, glowing with mysterious demonic energy. Power surged through the air.

Radiant Light and Ji launched several more powerful attacks, but all failed. They lost two more war chariots and seven or eight desolate beasts. The runes on the tomb possessed unpredictable power, occasionally emitting divine beams that pierced their attackers.

“It’s over. That’s the Demon Emperor’s imperial script. It must’ve been left by the last Demon Emperor himself!” said a pale elder from Radiant Light, clenching his fists tightly, his knuckles white. “We’re not strong enough to open it. We’ll have to wait for reinforcements from the Sacred Ground. But by then, who knows how many factions will be here?”

A Ji Clan expert stood atop a war chariot, his expression equally grim. The Demon Emperor’s tomb was proving to be eerily dangerous. All they could do now was wait.

Zzz zzz zzz…

Sounds of tearing wind echoed through the sky. Dozens of divine rainbows arrived, first waves of cultivators who had caught wind of the news. Seeing that they were merely the other five sects from the State of Yan, everyone present sighed in relief. At least they weren’t powerful major sects.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…

Far off, clouds billowed and divine light flashed. A massive godship, forged from sacred jade, broke through the air and approached rapidly. The cultivators from Radiant Light and Ji turned pale. Their worst fear was becoming reality, one of the superpowers had arrived.

But the real shock came just moments later. From another direction came a wave of terrifying energy, like a tsunami crashing across the land.

Dozens of divine rainbows led the way. Behind them, nine massive primordial beasts, each resembling a Qilin, pulled a radiant jade carriage, trailing god-light as they surged through the clouds with thunderous roars.

The cultivators from Radiant Light and Ji immediately turned ashen. Whoever this was, they were a truly terrifying figure, no one else would arrive with such a grand and overwhelming presence.

“That kind of person… actually came…”

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