This is the Forsaken Land, a vast void transcending beyond the foreign realms!
It should have been desolate, barren, devoid of any life. Yet now, a procession of beings traverses it, wailing in sorrow as if mourning the ancient departed Sacred Emperors.
Shi Hao’s eyes sharpened, certain he wasn’t mistaken—his heart was truly shaken!
Those creatures varied in size, some as small as chopsticks, others as thick as arms or even half a zhang long. Each bore different hues, crackling with lightning, radiant and multicolored.
At a glance, they might be mistaken for a swarm of serpents!
But in truth, they were anything but. These were beings of immense power, the rarest of species in the world, scarcely one or two ever found across the ages!
These were Thunder Spirits—creatures that devoured heavenly tribulations, feasting on thunder and lightning. Once matured, they were said to be invincible, unrivaled within their own realm.
Shi Hao had encountered them before—and even subdued three.
They were once nurtured by the Wang Clan of the Eternal Family, who sought to harm him. During his tribulation at the Imperial Pass, they unleashed these Thunder Spirits, nearly dooming him.
Yet in the end, all three were tamed by him, sealed within a Thunder Pool.
Such beings were rare beyond measure, unable to exist in the outside world. Before attaining the Dao, they dwelled in thunder seas, feeding on lightning, seen by none.
The Wang Clan had stumbled upon three by sheer luck, raising them as treasures.
For once matured, these creatures became legends of invincibility, capable of sheltering a clan for millennia, said to crush all rivals of their rank.
Back then, Shi Hao had fought fiercely against the three, expending tremendous effort to triumph. But how many in this world could rival the likes of Huang in the same realm?
Had he not been peerlessly strong, he would have perished that day. Few in the same realm could ever match Shi Hao—none so monstrous!
Thus, Thunder Spirits were rightfully called invincible. At their peak, each defied the heavens!
Over the eons, the world had changed drastically. Heavenly tribulations had vanished, and few could summon them. When they did appear, it signified the ultimate thunder, surpassing prehistory!
Such tribulations could annihilate the challenger—yet Thunder Spirits fed on them.
Thus, they were beings transcending the mundane world, unseen in the mortal realm.
At this moment, how could Shi Hao not be shocked? To witness hundreds of Thunder Spirits at once defied all reason, surpassing logic.
A swarm like this, once matured, could sweep across the world, becoming a calamity. If they descended upon a land, none could stop them!
“Are those… Thunder Spirits?”
Shen Ming paled, recognizing the creatures, her heart trembling. So many Thunder Spirits—if even a few were at the Dunyi Realm, the consequences would be unimaginable.
For she knew that even one such creature emerging could spell disaster.
“Too many… hundreds of them!” Sanzang’s expression darkened, his golden hair fluttering as holy light spilled forth, his aura solemn and vigilant.
The smaller Thunder Spirits were chopstick-sized, akin to those Shi Hao had subdued.
The larger ones, however, were as thick as arms—utterly terrifying!
They resembled serpents, yet their scales bore dragon patterns, exuding true dragon auras, wreathed in lightning, fearsomely powerful.
Some were crimson, as if soaked in blood, radiating dread. As they moved, their bodies clanged like immortal metal colliding.
Others were golden, noble and imperious, like royalty on parade, their radiance domineering and dreadful.
Still others were silver-white, gleaming coldly, collapsing the void in their wake, effortlessly tearing space apart—such were the Thunder Spirits.
Hundreds of them arched their bodies, the lower halves crawling while the upper halves rose into the void, their heads held high, scales exuding dragon qi, cold and gleaming.
Simply by gathering, without even attacking, they struck awe into the soul.
Upon their arched backs lay a figure obscured by a straw mat, covered in the same, the sound of mourning emanating from them, stirring sorrow in all who heard.
Hundreds of Thunder Spirits weeping for him—who was this?
As Shi Hao focused, his expression grew graver. The dirge was vaster than it seemed, as if all living things in the cosmos mourned for this being.
This person’s origins were terrifyingly grand!
Ancient ancestors, beings of yore, all prayed and mourned for him, weeping as he neared burial, shaking the heavens and earth.
This was beyond astonishing, exceeding Shi Hao’s wildest imaginings.
In this barren wasteland, this desolate void of an ancient cosmos, such phenomena were inconceivable.
Even Sanzang’s eyelids twitched, clearly startled. As a Burial Knight, though long dormant, he knew much of ancient mysteries.
His expression said it all.
“For ancient ancestors to mourn in unison, their cries enduring through the ages, the dirge still resonating—what monumental feats must he have achieved?” Sanzang murmured, unable to remain calm.
“They’re coming!” Shen Ming’s face whitened.
The swarm of Thunder Spirits darted forth, swift as lightning, their bodies crushing the void as they bore the straw mat and its occupant, closing in rapidly.
Would they clash? Would a bloody battle ensue?
They had no answers. Beside them, the fish resembling a Kun remained placid, merely flicking its tail fin.
Yet to their astonishment, the Thunder Spirits ignored them entirely, passing by without a glance.
Thunder Spirits were no gentle beings—each was tyrannical, feeding on heavenly tribulations. Any matured specimen was unpredictably savage.
For such a swarm to pass without attacking defied their warlike nature.
“Wuuu…”
Their mournful cries continued, as if in funeral procession, thick with grief, their auras shaking the boundless starry void.
For such creatures to be so devoted, escorting him thus—no mere miracle could describe it.
For any one of them, once grown, could become an undefeated legend. Yet here were hundreds!
As they passed, Shen Ming’s brow glowed, misty light raining down as she invoked a forbidden burial art, capturing the aura left by the figure on the mat, glimpsing past events.
Few could attempt this without dire consequences!
Boom!
In an instant, the world blurred. Faintly, they saw myriad beings, all creatures of the earth bowing and weeping in unison.
Every race, every living thing, mourning together for one being—the one upon the straw mat.
What manner of treatment was this? All races united, all life grieving, the entire world praying, ancient dirges resonating through the cosmos—utterly staggering.
Faintly, the sounds seemed to traverse time, crossing from antiquity to this desolate void, shaking Shi Hao, Shen Ming, and the others to their souls.
They felt as if baptized, their emotions unstable, nearly moved to weep alongside.
Pfft!
Suddenly, Shen Ming coughed blood, her face ashen, her brow cracking as her soul nearly shattered.
For she had attempted to probe the figure on the mat—and suffered terrible backlash.
Even dead, even after eons, a Dunyi Realm Golden Burial Knight could not observe him without invoking terrifying Dao laws!
Shen Ming nearly perished—a truly shocking outcome.
Her burial art failed, and she coughed blood repeatedly before finally calming.
“Was this the burial of an ancient emperor?” Sanzang said gravely.
As the light faded and the visions vanished, they recalled an inexplicable truth.
If this being had been buried in antiquity, why were the Thunder Spirits now carrying his straw-wrapped corpse through the stars?
Where were they taking him?
Where was his original tomb?
In an instant, countless questions arose.
This was no simple matter. A swarm of Thunder Spirits crossing the void, wailing in highest tribute, transporting his corpse—what was their purpose?
Most crucially, why traverse star after star, crossing unfathomable distances?
“Something’s amiss. We thought this was the starry sky, a broken cosmos, but perhaps it’s something else entirely—who knows where we truly are?” Shen Ming suddenly spoke.
Her enchanting beauty now replaced by solemnity, her fair face drained of color, she gazed toward the departing Thunder Spirits.
“Indeed. This place transcends beyond the foreign realms, beyond the known worlds. It’s impossible to determine our true location,” Sanzang agreed.
They glanced at the Kun fish, then at the retreating Thunder Spirits.
Legends said true dragons might be matured Thunder Spirits—why else would they be so strong? Perhaps they were dragon seedlings!
Thunder Spirits and Kun fish seedlings—both appearing here was eerie, sparking endless speculation.
“Pursue!”
Shi Hao spoke but a single word, urging action.
He wished to see where these Thunder Spirits were headed, what purpose drove them to carry that corpse, and where their journey would end.
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