Deep within the black expanse of the ocean, a soft and mysterious glow shimmered, tinged with faint golden radiance, like a divine moon rising from the sea.
Shi Hao stared unblinkingly, his gaze fixed on the sight. *What exactly is emerging from there?*
Indeed, an artifact had appeared, sending shockwaves through the hearts of those present.
Especially the young lord of the Imperial Clan—he was the primary force behind this operation, tasked with retrieving the mysterious object hidden here. Now, hope had finally dawned.
“This is unbelievable! Over the long ages, so many have perished here, even supreme experts, yet we are the ones who succeeded!” exclaimed a young powerhouse of the Gu Clan.
“It’s truly manifesting! I thought it was just a legend, something that would never emerge—but now it’s coming forth!” The golden lion’s skeletal frame trembled, its eyes blazing with intensity.
The young lord of the Imperial Clan clenched his fists, his excitement barely contained. No one understood better than him the immense cost this endeavor had exacted.
*I hope you, heir of the Imperial Clan, can see this hope—not as a stroke of luck, but as the result of long preparation and countless contingencies.*
To ensure this success, Yu Tuo and others had bestowed secret artifacts upon him, revealing methods to break through the barriers. They had prepared numerous safeguards.
Not long ago, countless formation banners had been destroyed—banners brought from the foreign realm, some even crafted from immortal metals!
“It’s emerging!” the young lord of the Imperial Clan murmured, his eyes burning with fervor.
Though none of them had flesh and blood, their spirits blazed with formidable energy, their auras terrifying as they watched intently, unwilling to miss a single detail.
Even Shi Hao had ceased all movement, his gaze locked onto the depths of the black ocean.
*What could possibly lie within this cursed land, something so valuable that Anlan and Yu Tuo would go to such lengths, sending wave after wave of seekers here?* Shi Hao burned with curiosity.
Deep within the black divine sea, towering waves crashed against the heavens, yet the glow only grew brighter, undisturbed.
Finally, it fully parted the waters, rising from the depths.
“That is—” The young lord of the Imperial Clan’s eye sockets blazed with divine light as he stared at the black expanse.
The others were equally stunned, for what they saw defied their expectations.
There, a dark crimson tomb was emerging from the black energy sea, rising to the surface.
The tomb was massive—even from this distance, its overwhelming presence could be felt, its oppressive aura like that of an ancient city descending from the cracks of time and space into the mortal realm.
*Why a tomb? Is this what Yu Tuo and the others sought?*
“The sacred radiance is emanating from within it!” the Fearless Lion declared, maintaining its composure despite the shock.
Then, the fissures widened, and the towering ancient tomb split apart, revealing a soft golden glow, like the sun rising from darkness.
*What artifact could this be?*
*Hidden within a tomb, no less!*
The gathered experts tensed, their excitement mounting. The legendary object that had drawn the attention of even the Immortal Kings was finally about to emerge—what made it so special?
“Could it belong to the Burial Clan?” Shi Hao muttered.
Burying artifacts within tombs was indeed the Burial Clan’s style.
Yet, this was the Cursed Land, not the Burial Domain. Moreover, the Burial Clan despised this place, avoiding it at all costs.
*Could it be that this very artifact drove the Burial Clan away, making them loathe this ancient land?*
Shi Hao searched for the female Burial Clan member but found no trace of her. He wondered where she might be within this sacred ground.
Logically, such a massive disturbance should have drawn her attention.
**BOOM!**
The black waves surged violently, deafening roars shaking the heavens as towering waves, tens of thousands of feet high, crashed toward the sacred land.
Yet, this sacred ground was extraordinary—as if an invisible barrier stood firm, unyielding, preventing the black waves from encroaching even a single step.
“The tomb is collapsing!” the golden lion roared.
At that moment, the grand ancient tomb at the heart of the forbidden land crumbled and cracked, golden light bursting forth—clearly, something within was about to break free.
“After sacrificing so many treasures, even those forged by the Immortal Kings, we are finally rewarded—it’s emerging!” the young lord of the Imperial Clan exclaimed.
In the distance, Shi Hao was awestruck. The foreign realm had indeed paid a steep price for this artifact’s emergence—Yu Tuo, Anlan, and others had indirectly intervened.
**BOOM!**
With a final deafening roar, the black waves swallowed the heavens and earth, plunging everything into darkness. Only a faint glimmer remained in the deepest reaches of the ocean.
At this moment, all held their breath, waiting in tense silence.
Finally, as the storm subsided, the black ocean revealed the shattered tomb—within it, a wooden chest floated, bathed in a hazy golden glow.
“This is what we sought?!” the young supreme of the Gu Clan gasped in disbelief.
Even from afar, with their divine sight, they could see it clearly—an ancient, dilapidated wooden chest, weathered by time, yet emanating a sacred and serene golden light.
The black ocean had calmed, no longer turbulent.
In truth, this so-called “ocean” was a vast sea of energy, now placid yet refusing to recede, guarding the wooden chest.
From a distance, Shi Hao observed intently, his heart in turmoil. *How can we retrieve that chest? Crossing this ocean is impossible!*
By now, he understood—the black ocean held unimaginable dangers. Countless had died seeking that chest throughout the ages.
Every supreme expert who had come here had perished—none had succeeded.
This time, the young lord of the Imperial Clan and the heirs of the Gu Clan had only succeeded because they carried secret artifacts personally forged by Yu Tuo and Anlan.
The sheer amount of immortal metal consumed in this endeavor was staggering.
Opening this place had cost more than an all-out war.
“We have surpassed many predecessors—but now, how do we retrieve that rotten wooden chest?” the young lord of the Imperial Clan muttered, frowning.
“Deploy the powerful servants!”
“Indeed, it’s their turn,” the young heir of the Gu Clan said coldly.
At this, the two of them each retrieved a beast-skin treasure pouch, loosening the openings to release dazzling divine light.
In succession, twenty powerful figures emerged, each radiating terrifying auras.
From afar, Shi Hao’s heart jolted—these figures looked familiar, far from ordinary!
“Veterans!” In the next instant, he realized why they seemed familiar—their attire and aura matched the nameless veterans from the immortal ruins beneath the Heavenly Deity Academy.
These were warriors of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, clad in ancient armor, their presence steeped in the aura of primordial times.
*Yes, they are indeed the same kind of veterans.*
“These are puppets refined by my ancestors during the great war—each one immensely powerful, like loyal hounds raised by mortals,” the golden lion remarked.
This description ignited Shi Hao’s fury. He nearly charged forth to slay the lion on the spot.
These were heroes of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, warriors who had fought and bled against the foreign realm—only to meet such a wretched fate.
Moreover, the Fearless Lion lineage had once been denizens of the Nine Heavens, yet they had betrayed their own, slaughtering many and refining some into puppets—a despicable act.
The Gu Clan was no different—traitors who had defected, wreaking havoc with their immense power.
“I have several elite soldiers here,” the young lord of the Imperial Clan said, retrieving a spatial artifact and releasing five armored veterans.
With the Heavenly Abyss blocking the path, the Immortal Kings could not cross—thus, these puppet servants had become the three young powerhouses’ most crucial trump cards.
From a distance, Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with cold fury. He yearned to strike them down, his heart ablaze with rage.
These veterans were the ancestors of the Nine Heavens, now suffering such a tragic fate—some refined after death, others forcibly turned into puppets while still alive.
Now, after countless millennia, they were still enslaved—how pitiful.
“Go! Retrieve that rotten wooden chest!” the three young powerhouses commanded.
The twenty-five veterans, their expressions blank and devoid of emotion, gripped black halberds and spears as they marched out of the sacred burial ground, advancing into the black ocean.
**SPLAT!**
Yet, mere moments after entering, several veterans were crushed into bloody pulp.
“It’s no use—the power here is too overwhelming!” the golden lion gasped in horror.
The young lord of the Imperial Clan’s eyes darkened—he knew they were in deep trouble.
The veterans surged forward with incredible speed, but the black energy ocean posed an insurmountable threat.
Soon, the remaining veterans were obliterated, their bodies and souls annihilated.
The black ocean was far more terrifying than they had imagined—untouchable!
“No wonder every supreme expert who came here perished. If we push recklessly, we’ll meet the same fate.”
Now, they were at a loss—the overwhelming power here was beyond their means to confront.
Shi Hao, too, felt the oppressive force, realizing how futile any attempt would be.
Retrieving that rotten wooden chest seemed impossible—there was simply no way.
At that moment, the young lord of the Imperial Clan assumed a solemn stance and intoned, “I beseech Yu Tuo and Anlan to descend and act here!”
Shi Hao’s heart lurched—*Could the Immortal Kings truly cross the Heavenly Abyss?*
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