Shengjing, the underground mausoleum of emperors.
This architectural complex lies beneath the Dashang imperial palace, not only deeply buried underground, but also protected by thick layers of rock, several zhang to tens of zhang thick, along with forbidden spells.
Even a terrestrial immortal would find it time-consuming to force an entry, and might suffer backlash from the enchantments if not careful.
In comparison, entering through the proper passage is naturally the most convenient.
At this moment, two groups of people are clearly separated on the tomb passage, each proceeding cautiously and with mutual wariness and hostility.
“Damn it!”
The Demon King of Trampling the Sky reveals his true form—now a towering bull-headed giant standing twenty feet tall, with eyes as large as eggs, constantly scanning his surroundings: “All of this is high-quality granite, infused with spells inside, seamlessly interconnected like the sands of the Ganges (a metaphor for countless grains). This is undoubtedly the handiwork of those bald monks! It truly infuriates me!”
“This place was originally a cage for imprisoning the dragon monster… such formidable protection is only natural!”
The Main God’s will glances at Yansheng with nonchalance: “Otherwise, why else would we go to the trouble of involving Commander-in-Chief Yan?”
“I hope you will keep your promise!”
Yansheng, with a cold expression, gazes at the figures ahead.
In front of these two groups, Prince Yong appears dazed, walking step by step, his facial muscles stiff, like a walking corpse.
Yansheng certainly wouldn’t dare harm a prince directly, but the royal secret technique had indeed left its mark.
“Although the dragon essence was successfully transferred, the First Prince was still tainted slightly by malevolent energy, rendering him mentally impaired?” He couldn’t help but feel disbelief: “Is the malevolence too potent, or is there a flaw in the royal secret art?”
This issue is too grave for Yansheng to contemplate further, forcing himself to stop thinking and forget everything.
“The bait ahead makes for a fine meal; why not let me have it afterwards?”
The Demon King of Trampling the Sky eyes Prince Yong, whose expression is vacant, with a faint black serpent mark on his forehead.
“Trampling the Sky Demon King!”
Cui Jue doesn’t even turn his head as he coldly rebukes: “He who does much evil will eventually destroy himself! That you escaped imprisonment is already a stroke of luck. Do you want to be sealed again or cast into the underworld, never to be reborn?”
“Heh, what a big mouth you have! Do you think you are the Flat Heaven Immortal?”
The Demon King of Trampling the Sky cackles.
“I may not be the immortal who sealed you back then, but do you know what happened to the Flat Heaven Immortal since then?”
Cui Jue smiles: “The Flat Heaven Immortal has attained complete virtue, and his Flat Heaven Realm has ascended to a divine grotto. We should now respectfully address him as ‘Immortal Lord’!”
“So the old Flat Heaven fellow has indeed attained the status of a Celestial Immortal…”
Unexpectedly, the Demon King of Trampling the Sky does not erupt in fury as expected. Instead, he mutters in a low tone and quickly retracts his aggressive stance, leaving Yansheng astonished.
Shasha!
The group ascends the steps, appearing as small as ants compared to the vast, silent mausoleum.
Yet amidst the emptiness, occasional rustling sounds arise, along with the footsteps and roars of beasts.
“It’s the dragon monster!”
Yansheng is startled, but seeing Prince Yong ahead of him, his expression relaxes: “With the dragon essence’s secret art concealing us, we should be safe…”
As he speaks, Cang Feiyan in the group follows closely behind Chou Yi with her head lowered, her eyes flashing with an unusual light.
“The tomb entrance has been breached!”
Without the dragon monster’s interference, Yansheng reaches the tomb entrance smoothly, gazing thoughtfully at the large hole in it.
“In ancient times, the Jade Clarity Immortal calculated the heavenly cycles, burying nineteen undecayed Dashang emperors, and prophesying that nine years later, the dragon monster would reappear, immensely powerful, capable of tearing tigers and leopards apart, immune to divine powers, and destined to eternally guard the imperial tombs. Alas, we descendants almost couldn’t even reach this place…”
His tone carries a sense of melancholy as he leads the group deeper, entering the chamber leading to the ancestral dragon’s lair, only to find the walls used for concealment shattered, his expression changes, and he hurries inside.
Upon seeing the final rock wall, its pearl luster dimmed and the imperial edict erased, Yansheng’s face is filled with rage: “Traitor!”
“Now that it has come to this, we should quickly check inside and find a way to remedy the situation…”
The Main God pretends to be concerned and helpful, yet his eyes flash with an unusual light: “The Controller killed Gongsu Zhe, and must have obtained all his treasures, returning here. He’s probably here to refine the Twelve Golden Men! Heh heh… Unfortunately for that fool Gongsu, how could his petty schemes escape my notice? Soon, I’ll make the Controller’s efforts come to naught, and he’ll end up hurting himself with his own schemes…”
“That’s true… but…”
Yansheng exchanges glances with Chancellor Xiang and Cui Jue, their faces all grave.
They know that buried here is a terrifying dragon king, and if released, it would wreak havoc.
“However… if that dragon king really breaks free from its seal and escapes, would we even have our lives? According to the secret edict, the ancestral dragon should be under the strongest bindings, not easily broken…”
As Yansheng wrestles with his thoughts, a distant dragon roar and sounds of battle send a jolt through him: “What is this…”
“Someone has followed us… and is now engaged in battle with the dragon monster!”
Cui Jue says gravely.
“We must decide quickly!”
Yansheng grits his teeth and glances at Prince Yong: “With the cover of the dragon essence, even the ancestral dragon won’t detect us immediately! Chou Yi, He Qu, open the door!”
…
Behind this group, on the vast square in front of the imperial mausoleum, numerous permission holders are under attack by four or five dragon monsters.
“Roar! Roar!”
These dragon monsters have thick hides and are fast as the wind, unafraid of spiritual attacks and capable of piercing magical defenses, their explosive power rivaling that of a martial saint, causing heavy casualties among the permission holders in no time.
Pfss!
A level-three permission holder hasn’t even reacted before his body is torn into pieces by the dragon monster’s sharp claws.
“Ahh…”
A scream echoes as a cute, girl-next-door-type female cultivator on the other side loses her entire left arm. After the scream, she grits her teeth, her right hand weaving threads, summoning a guardian spirit resembling a one-horned white-scaled serpent to protect her.
They are seasoned reincarnators after all, and the initial casualties were just due to their unfamiliarity with the dragon monsters. Once they get a feel for them, they quickly adapt with targeted tactics.
“Heavenly Immortal’s wondrous method, I command!”
Yu Luoyan’s white silk scarf glows, protecting a three-foot radius around her while her hand flashes with light, causing petals to fall, each carrying various beneficial enchantments.
“Purity and Wondrous Appearance!”
“Thunder Sect’s Law Venerable!”
Two beams of light descend, manifesting as two divine figures, providing healing and strength enhancements.
Yu Luoyan’s cultivation method, surprisingly, already exhibits slight capabilities of a terrestrial immortal’s realm at level four.
“Excellent! Fairy Luoyan is truly kind-hearted!”
“Deservedly so, Fairy Luoyan… this Immortal Spirit Realm will surely evolve into a terrestrial immortal realm, and even a true celestial paradise in the future!”
…
Amidst the praises, the previous sword-bearing Taoist remains expressionless, his jade sword on his back suddenly flying forth, darting like lightning, each rune of inner force glowing with light.
“Primordial Chaos, Supreme Sword to Exorcise Demons!”
The sword turns into a streak of light, piercing through the dragon monster’s scales, which had resisted all other divine techniques.
Puchi!
A dragon monster lets out a scream as half its body is sliced off.
“Bravo!”
“Brother Sword God’s Myriad-Year Jade Flying Sword is indeed worthy of its treasure status!”
The flying sword darts back and forth, wounding several dragon monsters severely, forcing them to flee.
“Heavenly Nectar of the Nine Heavens, transform into a gentle breeze, descend!”
Yu Luoyan activates her domain, a breeze swirling around to heal and rejuvenate her companions, earning more praise.
“Hmph!”
Yet in her heart, she sneers: “Old Ghost Hengdao, Iron-Headed Monk, and Five-Poison Lady, these seasoned experts didn’t act earlier, clearly holding back on purpose to conserve strength!”
This is actually quite normal; if one doesn’t know how to preserve oneself in such a mission state, one would truly become a fool.
Yu Luoyan has no doubt that if it weren’t for the Blood Oath Alliance Leader and the Old Demon Trampling the Sky, along with the fear of an unknown hidden adversary, the colleagues she gathered would instantly turn on each other in bloody conflict.
“This is the dragon monster… truly excellent material!”
At this moment, a group approaches the dragon monster that was cut in two by a sword.
An old man with messy hair, resembling a bird’s nest, scratches his head: “The body of an emperor, infused with dragon malevolence, with copper skin and iron bones, indestructible. If I could have it, I could forge a war puppet!”
“Old Ghost Hengdao, if you don’t understand, don’t speak nonsense…”
Another permission holder resembling a monk with glowing eyes interjects: “Who doesn’t know the most valuable part of the dragon monster is its dragon malevolence, which, after transformation by the emperor’s layout, can be harnessed for oneself!”
“Hehe… Do you have the blood of dragons running in your veins, and the secret methods of the Zhou imperial family?”
A graceful woman standing nearby smiles as she chimes in: “Without the proper techniques, you might end up possessed by the malevolence, becoming brothers with these dragon monsters. That would be quite amusing!”
Among these high-level reincarnators, there are already deep-seated grudges and conflicts. Upon encountering situations, merely exchanging verbal jabs is already showing great leniency.
“Well… I think this monster was slain by Divine Sword Master, so the right to dispose of it should naturally belong to him!”
Yu Luoyan timidly interjects, immediately pushing Divine Sword Master into the spotlight.
“I don’t mind…”
Divine Sword Master, with a jade sword on his back, gazes toward the top of the imperial mausoleum. Around him, a circle of sword light, sharp and fierce, swirls continuously, even driving away the dragon malevolence: “But if we delay the major task due to this trivial dragon monster, wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse, which would be quite unwise?”
As he speaks, his eyes, sharp as swords, fix on Yu Luoyan.
“Of course, that’s exactly what I think…”
Yu Luoyan smiles awkwardly, feeling a sudden sense of being seen through.
“Roar! Roar!”
Just then, a dragon roar pierces through the heavens and earth, carrying supreme dominion, causing these people’s faces to change drastically: “What is this… a dragon monster?”
“No… it’s the Ancestral Dragon!”
Divine Sword Master gazes toward the tomb entrance, his face a mixture of sorrow and joy: “The Ancestral Dragon has broken free!”
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