Atop the verdant peak, a graceful figure darted like lightning, appearing before Xiao Yan in the blink of an eye. Her eyes were full of concern. “Brother Xiao Yan, are you alright? Just now…”
Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head, seeing the tense look on Xuner’s face. “It’s fine. That was your father, Chief Gu Yuan.”
“I knew it.” Xuner’s willow-like eyebrows slightly furrowed, her words carrying a hint of anger. She hadn’t expected that after the elders took turns to challenge them, even her father appeared.
“Ha, Chief Gu Yuan didn’t say anything to hinder us. He only discussed some matters related to the Xiao Clan with me,” Xiao Yan explained with a smile.
“Really? He didn’t mention anything about us?” Xuner hesitated, clearly surprised.
Xiao Yan touched his nose, then suddenly leaned close to Xuner’s delicate ear, whispering a few words. Hearing his soft whispers, Xuner’s exquisite cheeks instantly turned rosy. She gave Xiao Yan a playful glare but her expression visibly relaxed. Gu Yuan held a high status within the Gu Clan. If he opposed them, she would be caught in a dilemma—a situation she truly didn’t want.
“Let’s go back for now, Brother Xiao Yan. You already have a spot in the Heavenly Tomb. Now, we just need to wait for two days, and then we can enter,” Xuner said, gently pulling Xiao Yan’s hand, her voice filled with laughter.
Hearing this, a trace of joy flashed through Xiao Yan’s eyes. His biggest worry was that the elders of the Gu Clan would use various reasons to prevent him from entering the Heavenly Tomb. But now, based on Xuner’s words, it seemed the problem was resolved.
“Thank you, Xuner…” Xiao Yan’s hand gently rubbed the soft, jade-like small hand in his palm as he spoke softly. He could guess that she must have helped in the matter. Her rush to the Gu Clan today was likely related to this.
Xuner smiled, lightly twisting her slender waist, her cheeks slightly flushed as she leaned gently against Xiao Yan’s shoulder. Her beautiful eyes closed, breathing in the warm, reassuring scent.
Looking at the jade-like beauty in his arms, warmth welled up in Xiao Yan’s heart. His arm gently encircled her delicate waist, and he buried his head in her flowing hair, inhaling the faint, fragrant aroma. It felt as if all the fatigue from these days had quietly dissipated.
In the void of the sky, Gu Yuan’s figure slowly appeared, looking at the young couple on the mountaintop. He couldn’t help sighing, then his form moved, dissipating once more.
“Xiao Xuan, you still play a masterful game…” In this land of green mountains and clear waters, all worries seemed to be abandoned. The next two days passed quickly in this peaceful life…
During these two days, no one from the Gu Clan came to disturb Xiao Yan and the others. This tranquility was quite enjoyable, but it could not last. When the morning light of the third day poured down, an unusual atmosphere spread across the mountain range, enveloping Xiao Yan and the others…
“Today is when the Heavenly Tomb opens,” Xuner smiled, standing in front of the bamboo house.
Xiao Yan smiled back, and with a wave of Xuner’s hand, the snow-white unicorn swooped out from the forest. Xiao Yan and the others quickly hopped on, and under Xuner’s guiding whistle, the unicorn spread its wings and flew towards the east of the mountain range.
“The location of the Heavenly Tomb’s entrance is deep within the Ancient Sage Mountains. It is generally considered a forbidden zone of the Gu Clan, usually off-limits, opening only during the Heavenly Tomb’s activation,” Xuner explained, her flowing hair caressed by the gentle breeze as she spoke.
“The Heavenly Tomb also harbors danger. Countless ancient powerhouses are buried there. Though their souls have long since vanished, the mysterious power of the tomb transforms their lifeforce into beings resembling their former selves. These energy bodies possess powerful attacks and retain the combat skills they mastered in life, making them quite formidable,” Xuner said, her face slightly serious.
“So, if you encounter too powerful an energy body, try to avoid it. It’s said that some extremely powerful beings, even in their energy forms, possess wisdom, almost like strange creatures.”
“Creatures born from the dead…” Xiao Yan mused. The combination of their immense power and the tomb’s mystery led to this peculiar phenomenon.
“The Heavenly Tomb has three layers. The first layer mostly contains energy bodies at the level of Dou Zun three stars or below, wandering aimlessly. They aren’t too difficult to handle. The second layer has energy bodies at the level of three to eight-star Dou Zun, which are quite challenging. The third layer is the true peak of Dou Zun, and even Dou Shengs who reached that level in life. Generally, no one enters the third layer without ample confidence; it’s far too dangerous,” Xuner continued.
“My ancestor, Xiao Xuan, is in the third layer, right?” Xiao Yan asked.
“It’s said to be in the innermost part of the third layer. Even within our Gu Clan, very few dare to enter there,” Xuner replied, somewhat helpless.
“Such a hassle…” Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed slightly. The innermost part of the third layer—ah, it seemed this wouldn’t be easy. But no matter how difficult, he had to try.
“We’ll find a way. Let’s enter the Heavenly Tomb first,” he thought, feeling a bit more at ease. He asked Xuner more questions about the tomb.
As they chatted, the unicorn delved deeper into the mountain range. Along the way, they encountered other people heading there, mostly from the other six clans and some strong Gu Clan members. Though they met, there wasn’t much conversation. Only the Gu Clan members, upon seeing Xuner, respectfully bowed from a distance before quickly departing.
After about ten minutes of flight, the unicorn finally stopped in a rugged area. Many figures were already gathered around. A glance from Xiao Yan revealed many familiar faces.
Scanning the surrounding peaks, Xiao Yan’s gaze suddenly fixed on three black-robed figures hovering in the air, exuding a cold aura.
“Hun Ya…”
Seeing them, Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, his fist tightening in his sleeve.
“Be careful, Brother Xiao Yan. The leader of the Soul Clan is named Hun Ya. He’s quite well-known among the young generation of the Soul Clan and is quite a handful. He should be the one entering the Heavenly Tomb. If you encounter him, be cautious,” Xuner whispered in Xiao Yan’s ear.
“Ah, I’ve already met him,” Xiao Yan nodded, knowing Hun Ya’s strength. By his estimates, he was as tough as Gu Yao, and such geniuses from ancient lineages truly possessed real talent, unlike the pretenders outside.
“Among the eight clans, the Spirit Clan hasn’t arrived yet. The group in the southeast are the Medicine Clan,” Xuner pointed out.
“Ah?” Xiao Yan’s gaze shifted to where Xuner indicated. Several figures floated in the air, each with a medicinal gourd tattoo on their foreheads.
As Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on them, the lead man seemed to notice, turning his head and fixing Xiao Yan with a unfriendly smirk.
In response, Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed. It seemed the Medicine Clan held some prejudice against him.
“To the east are the Lightning Clan. Elder Mang Tian Chi leads them, but he probably won’t enter the tomb. Generally, it’s the younger generation who goes in, as the Heavenly Tomb is a great place for training,” Xuner continued, as Xiao Yan nodded, spotting the group with lightning marks on their foreheads.
“You’ve already met the Flame Clan. To the west are the Stone Clan. Due to their bloodline, their bodies are extremely strong, rivaling top-tier magical beasts.”
Xiao Yan turned to the west, where a group with pale grey skin, and stone clan emblems on their foreheads, stood.
“They are the ones entering the Heavenly Tomb. However, besides the guarding Gu Clan, each clan has only two spots,” Xuner added with a smile.
Xiao Yan nodded slowly, about to speak, when he suddenly felt the world tremble violently. An ancient aura slowly permeated from the void, instilling a sense of reverence in everyone present.
“The Heavenly Tomb is opening,” Xuner said softly, watching the sky darken.
*Boom!*
Just as Xuner finished speaking, a deafening explosion erupted from the void. A vast space rift, over a thousand feet wide, split the sky. In the center of the rift, a silvery light gradually appeared, transforming into a massive portal, from which the ancient aura emanated.
“Is this the gate of the Heavenly Tomb?” Xiao Yan murmured, gazing at the towering, ancient door between heaven and earth.
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