The ancient tomb was opening!
This tomb that had appeared out of nowhere had set all of Five Phoenix ablaze. Nearly every powerful cultivator on the continent had gathered outside its gates.
Above the vast sea, waves surged violently.
Figures stood upon the water, letting the waves crash against them, rising and falling with the tide.
Once one reached Nascent Soul, flight became possible, and many present had already stepped into that realm.
Yet none flew. The closer the tomb came to opening, the stronger the oppressive fluctuations it released. The air grew so heavy it pinned them in place, making even breathing difficult.
Qi Liujia stood with hands clasped behind his back, spine hunched, face etched with deep gullies.
He stared at the tomb, excitement flickering across his features.
As the master of the Liujia Array Sect, he bore the crushing weight of restoring the glory of Emperor Ha’s era.
For most of his life, he had found nothing related to Emperor Ha except the Nine-Word Array Proverbs.
He had wandered destitute, barely surviving.
Now, at the end of his days, he had discovered a tomb from Emperor Ha’s era.
It might even be Emperor Ha’s own tomb.
How could he not be excited?
Yet soon, Qi Liujia looked up.
Beyond the firmament, terrifying rumbles echoed.
The grand formation he had laid outside Five Phoenix had activated and was trembling.
Qi Liujia’s expression shifted.
“They’ve come, as expected.”
He sighed.
“Master, what has come?”
Li Sansui asked in puzzlement, his daoist robes flapping in the wind.
Qi Liujia did not answer.
Some burdens, some pressures, should not be placed on the young.
Rumble!
The vast sea quaked. A dreadful aura spread.
The towering wordless stele atop the sea radiated mysterious fluctuations.
The palace city’s radiant lights grew ever more brilliant, dyeing the clouds in the sky.
The ancient gates trembled, dust falling away—each speck heavy with the weight of history, striking the water with dull thuds.
Creak… creak…
The long-drawn sound made the sea quiver irregularly.
The ancient gates opened.
When the first crack appeared—
Powerful winds gusted out, parting the sea.
Everyone’s robes whipped high in the gale.
They raised arms to shield their faces, expressions turning grim.
The wind was bone-chillingly cold, as if it could freeze the soul.
“This opportunity belongs to the Void Heaven… You are the first High Martial world born here. Seize these fortunes with both hands. That this tomb appeared in Five Phoenix must be fate.”
Qi Liujia’s white-streaked hair danced in the wind.
He swept his gaze across every cultivator present.
Taking a deep breath, he declared, “As cultivators of Five Phoenix, grasp this chance firmly. There may be supreme inheritances within. Remember—never let them fall into the hands of beings from the other heavens!”
His words carried the weight of an elder’s final instruction.
Every cultivator’s face tightened.
They all revered this old man.
Overlord and the others knew he had risked his life weaving formations to hold back countless Mighty Beings.
“We understand.”
They answered solemnly.
Qi Liujia smiled.
Then, step by step, coarse robes fluttering, he began walking upward as though ascending the heavens themselves.
With each step, a formidable aura radiated from him—the aura of a Mighty Being.
Though his injuries had not fully healed, he still possessed the strength of one.
And with the grand formation he had laid outside Five Phoenix, he might just be able to buy some time.
Above the sea, watching Qi Liujia defy the tomb’s pressure and soar skyward,
Everyone’s expressions grew heavy.
Li Sansui especially panicked—was his master truly leaving like this?
Though they had not spent much time together, Li Sansui deeply respected this gentle teacher.
BOOM!
Qi Liujia’s figure vanished.
Yet no one’s attention lingered on him.
All eyes fixed on the tomb.
Behind the wordless stele, the palace gates had fully opened…
Seven-colored radiance flashed within like another Immortal Legacy Ruins, radiating irresistible temptation.
But the passage beyond the gates was pitch black.
Everyone stood motionless, none daring to act rashly.
The lessons from the Immortal Legacy Ruins were still fresh—many had been swept away by the River of Time and aged to death in misery.
Secret realms like this always hid supreme dangers.
Every person was on high alert.
Fortunes were wonderful, but great fortunes came with great peril.
From the outer sea, someone approached on foot and stood at a distance.
A middle-aged man, plump and jade-like, dressed in coarse farmer’s clothes, yet carrying an extraordinary aura.
It was Lu Changkong.
He had reached Nascent Soul realm, but he had not come to fight—he only wanted to see what rare spirit herbs the tomb might hold.
So he did not compete, content to watch from afar and slip in later to browse.
After all, at Nascent Soul, he could not contend with the stronger cultivators anyway.
Ripples spread across the water.
Bu Nanxing sat cross-legged on the sea and glanced at the farmer-dressed cultivator beside him.
He smiled out of habit. “Here for treasures too, fellow daoist?”
Lu Changkong shook his head. “My strength is meager. I’m only here to watch the excitement. I enjoy planting spirit herbs and plants. If the tomb contains rare specimens, I’d like to record them in my Herb Compendium.”
He was mild-mannered and polite.
Moreover, Bu Nanxing’s cultivation far surpassed his—he had no desire to offend.
Bu Nanxing nodded deeply. “This world is too dangerous. If not for how shocking this tomb is, I wouldn’t even bother coming. Unknown things are the most deadly.”
“In this world, staying alive… that’s what makes one strong.”
The two chatted idly from afar.
Bu Nanxing displayed Infant Transformation realm strength, yet he conversed happily with the mere Nascent Soul Lu Changkong.
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Ice Towers.
Sunlight glinted off the frozen walls, radiating cold air, yet the towers never melted.
No guards stood outside.
After all, these towers were crafted by Young Master Lu. Five Phoenix cultivators revered him almost fanatically.
No one believed the Holy Sons and Maidens could escape.
Thus, everyone had run off to chase the tomb’s fortunes.
Inside, the imprisoned heirs wore expressions of bitter unwillingness.
Many pounded the walls in frustration, to no avail.
Watching the soaring radiance, they could only sigh in regret.
Hadn’t they come to Five Phoenix for opportunities?
Now a great one lay before them, yet they had no chance to claim it.
Tuoba Holy Son, still perched on his ferocious bird, kept his palm on Azure Spirit Holy Son’s shoulder.
“Now.”
He transmitted.
Azure Spirit Holy Son, clad in cyan armor and seated on his spirit boat, smiled.
He did not refuse.
Buzz…
He raised a jade-like arm and pressed it against the ice.
His arm seemed to melt into the wall.
Then, bringing Tuoba Holy Son with him, he slowly passed through.
The flowing formation runes on the tower’s surface completely ignored his arm.
“What are you doing?!”
A sharp-eyed Holy Son shouted.
Seeing Tuoba and Azure Spirit walking through the ice, the others instantly panicked.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Terrifying auras erupted within the towers.
The Holy Sons attacked without hesitation, unleashing devastating strikes at the pair.
“You can leave the towers?!”
Black-White Holy Son and Holy Maiden especially descended into madness.
“Hmph!”
Tuoba Holy Son snorted.
His blood and qi exploded outward.
A single horizontal punch forced every attacker back.
His Distraction realm aura utterly dominated them.
With savage, barbaric power, he crushed all resistance, leaving the others in despair.
Soon, Tuoba and Azure Spirit stepped out of the ice towers.
“Let’s go!”
They did not linger or spare a glance for the furious prisoners pounding the walls.
The two shot toward the tomb.
Their callousness plunged the remaining heirs into despair.
…
The palace gates stood wide open.
Dark, deep, with cold winds gusting out incessantly.
Faint weeping seemed to echo within—some said it was just the wind, others swore ghostly creatures wailed inside.
The atmosphere was oppressive for a long while.
Finally, someone moved.
The sea exploded as cultivators shot forward like streaks of light into the palace.
Once the first moved, no one could stay still. They all followed.
Of course, some waited to see what happened to the vanguard.
But when no response came from those who entered…
Even the patient lost their composure.
Overlord, Nie Changqing, and the others charged in.
Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Ni Chunqiu, Young Master Tianxu, and the rest crossed the dark threshold.
Ni Yu, black cauldron on her back and Little Yinglong in tow, slipped inside.
Zhulong arrived atop the red dragon and stepped through.
Wuuu… wuuu…
The weeping grew louder within the passage.
Yet the cultivators’ hearts burned hotter than ever.
From the distant sea,
Bu Nanxing smiled at Lu Changkong and cupped his fists. “After you, fellow daoist?”
“Together.”
Lu Changkong returned the smile.
The two walked side by side, leisurely trailing at the rear.
Just as they were about to enter the palace—
Whoosh!
A spirit boat streaked in.
Tuoba Holy Son and Azure Spirit Holy Son had finally arrived.
“You…”
Tuoba Holy Son’s eyes flashed as he stared at Bu Nanxing.
He remembered him—the cowardly Holy Son who had fled.
He hadn’t expected the man to survive and reach the tomb.
“Oh? You know each other?”
Lu Changkong asked, surprised.
Bu Nanxing gave a wry smile and nodded.
“Then… shall we go together?”
Lu Changkong offered.
He did not recognize these Holy Sons, so his expression remained unchanged.
Tuoba and Azure Spirit narrowed their eyes. They had escaped the ice towers in secret; their only goal was the tomb’s fortunes.
They had no desire for unnecessary trouble.
Thus, the four proceeded together into the tomb.
“This might be the tomb of the Ancient Emperor…”
“The oppressive aura makes one tremble, yet also excited.”
Tuoba Holy Son remarked.
His voice echoed in the dark passage.
Yet no one responded.
Azure Spirit Holy Son stayed silent.
Bu Nanxing followed the principle: speak less, live longer.
As for Lu Changkong—he simply had no idea what an “Ancient Emperor” was, so he had nothing to add.
Suddenly!
A bone-chilling gust swept through the passage.
The next instant, it transformed into deafening war cries.
All four paled.
They sensed living creatures attacking.
In the darkness, something cold crawled up the back of Tuoba Holy Son’s neck.
BOOM!
Tuoba Holy Son unleashed his aura without restraint.
The creature behind him instantly exploded.
Crimson blood sprayed.
His Distraction realm presence was terrifying, making the passage feel suffocating.
Azure Spirit Holy Son remained calm, but even he grew wary.
They were both Holy Sons of Derivation Seven sacred grounds, yet Tuoba’s control was overwhelming.
Tuoba Holy Son’s gaze swept the darkness, gleaming brightly.
He saw the creatures lunging at Bu Nanxing.
Maidservant yin spirits—tattered clothes, rotting faces…
Tuoba Holy Son’s aura pulsed.
The yin spirits burst into bloody mist.
“Yin spirits producing blood… these are no ordinary ghosts. A terrifying Yin Spirit Ghost King could be born among them.”
Azure Spirit Holy Son observed.
“They’re weak—probably just awakened. Once fully revived, even these maidservants would be fearsome. For now, they only have Golden Core-level strength. Nothing to fear.”
Tuoba Holy Son glanced at Lu Changkong and Bu Nanxing—both remained unfazed.
They continued deeper.
The moment they emerged from the passage, blinding light assaulted them.
It felt as though they had stepped into a small world.
Looking up, they saw an enormous sun hanging low, almost close enough to touch.
It blazed fiercely, yet its light was deathly cold.
“Hiss!”
Azure Spirit Holy Son sucked in a breath.
“Is this the legendary immortal-tier mineral ‘Lunar Stone’?”
“Even a fingernail-sized piece is priceless and can forge immortal artifacts. Yet there’s one this massive in this tomb! If word spreads, all of Pingyang Heaven will go mad!”
Tuoba Holy Son’s eyes were already red with greed, but he dared not touch it.
“Lunar Stone may radiate cold, but its surface burns hotter than fire. Even a Mighty Being would be incinerated on contact!”
A stone that size was beyond their ability to harvest.
Lu Changkong, however, showed no interest in the mineral overhead.
He had come for rare spirit herbs.
Only now did they have time to survey their surroundings.
Splash.
Their feet landed in blood.
They stood at the base of stone steps leading up to another palace city.
Cold blood covered the ground, forming pools filled with fresh corpses—cultivators who had entered earlier and died.
The blood on the ground came from shattered yin spirits.
Farther ahead, maidservant yin spirits gnawing on corpses raised their heads and charged.
“Hmph!”
Tuoba Holy Son’s blood and qi surged.
The yin spirits exploded into blood that flowed into the pools.
More yin spirits crawled from the pools, merging and reforming into maidservants.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Armored yin spirits with powerful auras charged out.
“Too many—and they won’t stay dead!”
“We need to reach the inner palace quickly!”
Tuoba Holy Son barked.
He no longer cared about the others and rushed toward the palace city alone.
Lu Changkong frowned. Just as he prepared to act, a yin spirit leapt onto him.
It let out a wretched scream and melted into black blood.
Lu Changkong blinked.
Bu Nanxing glanced at him curiously but saw nothing unusual.
The four entered the palace city.
Yet the moment they stepped inside, their bodies froze.
Within the palace, countless figures sat cross-legged.
They were the cultivators who had entered earlier.
Ye Shoudao, Du Longyang, Overlord… even Zhulong sat quietly with eyes closed.
Little Yinglong and the red dragon were unusually calm and serene.
Whether powerful Yang God realm experts or Golden Core cultivators, all were immersed in some strange state of enlightenment.
Atop the palace tower,
A rocking chair swayed.
Upon it lay a skeletal figure in a tattered pink dress, thin as a corpse.
Creak… creak…
The chair rocked rhythmically.
…
Rumble!
The Black-White Holy Lord rode his immortal crane—an Out-of-Body realm spirit beast.
Only a Holy Lord would dare use such a creature as a mount.
Staring at the formation enveloping Five Phoenix, his face grew colder.
His wife had died here, his children were imprisoned, and even Zuo Xu, the array master he had invested so much in, had perished.
He was furious.
“Amitabha.”
“This formation was laid by Qi Liujia of the Liujia Array Sect…”
The Venerable within the ancient temple spoke.
“Qi Liujia and this monk share old karma. Today, I shall break his array.”
“With the world’s protective barrier gone, once the formation falls, we may descend freely.”
The Venerable smiled.
Long ago, he had declared that when Five Phoenix became High Martial, he would come to “save” every soul here—including the white-robed youth who kept opposing him.
The other Holy Lords remained silent.
Buzz…
The Venerable in the temple smiled gently.
He flung out a golden alms bowl engraved with Buddhist script, radiant with golden light, smashing toward the formation.
Wherever the Buddha-light touched, formation runes collapsed.
Suddenly—
The golden bowl froze.
All the Holy Lords’ eyes narrowed, fixing on Qi Liujia stepping out from roiling clouds.
Old and seemingly on death’s door,
Yet he gazed fearlessly at the terrifying lineup beyond the void.
Four Derivation Seven Holy Lords and one Venerable!
This lineup was absurd.
How could Five Phoenix survive such overwhelming might?
Qi Liujia’s cheeks trembled with rage.
A High Martial world had finally emerged in the Void Heaven after so long.
Yet these people wanted to eradicate it completely!
They truly intended to leave no path to survival.
Five Phoenix had already fallen so low. The Void Heaven had already declined so far…
Why still press them like this?
“You are Holy Lords of sacred grounds—why must you relentlessly hunt a newborn High Martial world?”
“Why?!”
Qi Liujia demanded, voice old and furious.
“Donor Qi, long ago this monk warned you: do not obsess, do not try to forge a High Martial in the Void Heaven. It is a cursed land. You would only doom yourself and your Liujia Array Sect. Look at you now…”
The Venerable spoke slowly from the temple.
“The beings of this world have offended this monk and repeatedly slain my reincarnations. This is karma that must be resolved. This monk wishes only to save them all.”
Qi Liujia shook his head.
There would be no negotiation.
He knew full well what the Buddha Realm Venerable meant by “salvation”—the slaughter of every living soul.
He had seen it countless times when he was in the High Martial Buddha Realm.
“Donor Qi, this monk invited you to break the formation together, yet you side with this world. Truly disappointing.”
The Venerable’s voice grew colder.
“Enough talk.”
“Break the array and slaughter our way in!”
The Black-White Holy Lord said indifferently.
A mere Unity realm cultivator meant nothing to him—especially one whose primordial spirit was crippled.
The formation was the only nuisance.
Far away, the Northern Palace Holy Lord aboard his bronze warship said nothing, eyes closed.
The expert atop the ferocious bird remained expressionless.
A newborn High Martial—at most Derivation Nine.
Their purpose was simply to retrieve their captured heirs and investigate the secret of a High Martial born in the Void Heaven.
“Amitabha.”
A long, mournful Buddhist chant rang from the ancient temple.
The next instant—
The ancient Buddha struck.
A palm shot out from the temple, radiant with golden light, slamming into the golden bowl.
BOOM!
Qi Liujia suddenly felt terrifying pressure crush him from all sides.
The formation he had woven shattered under the strike.
His body trembled violently.
The overwhelming might of a Venerable left him unable to breathe.
Qi Liujia slowly closed his eyes.
So this was death.
What a pity—he would never see this world grow and restore Emperor Ha’s glory.
If he could start over…
Would he regret everything he had done?
No. Qi Liujia had no regrets.
If the Void Heaven never birthed a High Martial, never grew strong—all its worlds and beings would remain nothing but cultivation resources or playthings to be slaughtered at will by the strong of Pingyang Heaven.
He had seen too much of that cruelty.
Sadly, he lacked the power to change it.
Buzz…
Countless fragments of the shattered formation swirled around him.
Suddenly,
Qi Liujia opened his eyes, a trace of bewilderment within.
The terrifying Venerable pressure… had vanished.
Unbeknownst to him,
A wheelchair had appeared before him.
A white-robed youth sat calmly within, holding a bronze cup of wine.
Eyes like a painting.
He glanced at the Venerable in the ancient temple.
The youth smiled lightly, took a sip, and spoke with a warm, gentle voice that echoed through the void.
“Bald donkey… it’s time you and I settled our karma.”
The moment the words left his mouth—
Terrifying, uncontrollable auras erupted across the Void Heaven.
The Buddha in the temple, whose face had been serene, suddenly contorted with rage, instantly becoming a wrathful Buddha.
Yet what shocked the Venerable most—
Why had the previously silent Northern Palace Holy Lord and Tuoba Holy Lord suddenly exploded with such powerful auras?
As though the insult had been directed at them.
For a moment, the Buddha Realm Venerable was stunned.
Who exactly… was this “bald donkey” cursing?
