Shi Hao emerged from the underground cavern and began searching for the Golden Bull. If it was nearby, it could undoubtedly send even a Void Treading cultivator to their doom, condemning them to eternal suffering.
The Divine Medicine Mountain Range was anything but peaceful. Cultivators from the foreign realm roamed in groups, scouring the land for traces of Shi Hao.
Of course, they were cautious, avoiding certain forbidden areas at all costs—places like the territory of the Blood Vine Ancestor or the swamp shrouded in billowing black mist.
The Divine Medicine Mountain Range was unique, home to many powerful creatures that seemed to have lost their will, lying dormant in these perilous lands. Normally, they remained hidden, but if anyone trespassed into their domain, they would erupt with fury.
As Shi Hao traversed the mountains and forests, he encountered many people but refrained from acting, not wanting to risk alerting the powerful cultivators lurking in the caverns.
“Divine Medicine, chase it!”
Someone exclaimed, spotting a White Tiger Vine—its snowy-white jade-like leaves shaped like tiger heads, rooted on a cliff face, shimmering with radiant light.
Whoosh!
The divine medicine fled swiftly, capable of traversing thousands of miles in an instant through earth escape techniques.
Shi Hao also considered giving chase, but after witnessing this scene from the shadows, he suddenly sensed something amiss. Activating his Heavenly Eye, he noticed an eerie aura clinging to the divine medicine.
“Is that… a trace of death energy?”
He was much closer than the other cultivators, in a prime position to capture the medicine. Yet, he hesitated, recalling records from ancient bone scriptures—some divine medicines, for unknown reasons, became tainted with sinister energy, their divine nature reversed, harboring netherworldly power.
Legends spoke of their terrifying nature—consuming one could kill even a Supreme Being!
Shi Hao found it hard to believe that such a cursed medicine existed in the Divine Medicine Mountain Range. A single misstep here could spell disaster.
Some of the divine medicines here were truly bizarre!
Glancing back at the cliff, he noticed faint black mist seeping from cracks in the rock.
Without hesitation, Shi Hao retreated, observing the foreign cultivators from a distance.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Someone unleashed a treasure—a massive net forged from star sand. With a flick of the wrist, it unfurled like a celestial snare, enveloping the entire area.
Boom!
The cliff collapsed, boulders tumbling as fissures tore through the mountain. The net plunged into the earth, dredging up soil and debris.
No layer of earth could hinder it—this net was indestructible, capable of capturing all living beings.
One had to remember: the Divine Medicine Mountain Range was incredibly resilient. For a treasure to display such power, it had to be extraordinary!
Yet, disaster struck.
Black mist surged, death energy billowing from the depths, an unimaginable wave of malice rising from below.
“Stop! Withdraw the net now!”
“Abandon the treasure! Leave it behind!”
Someone screamed, their face pale with terror. The Divine Medicine Mountain Range was far more horrifying than they had imagined—they had kicked an iron plate.
The earth churned as the net resurfaced, its wielder halting too late. From the depths, it dredged up piles of withered bones.
Most terrifying of all was a corroded bronze coffin, barely recognizable amidst the mud, its shape barely intact.
Shi Hao was stunned. The Divine Medicine Mountain Range wasn’t as sacred as he thought—what was something like this doing buried beneath?
The broken coffin split open, and a corpse tumbled out—rotting wings on its back, its body pitch-black, exuding overwhelming death energy.
“Damn it! How is this possible? This isn’t the Ancient Burial Grounds—it’s the Divine Medicine Mountain Range!” The foreign beings trembled, retreating rapidly.
“Have you forgotten? The Divine Medicine Mountain Range borders the Heavenly Beast Forest and the Ancient Burial Grounds. Clearly, veins of the burial grounds extend beneath these lands, hidden until now!”
“It’s just a broken coffin. Surely it’s not as terrifying as we think—probably just a mindless corpse, not a true Burial Guardian.”
“It’s not moving. It must be a low-tier ancient corpse, devoid of consciousness.” Someone observed, sighing in relief.
The group relaxed slightly, though tension lingered.
“Then why is there such horrifying death energy?”
“It must be seeping from the burial veins, unrelated to this corpse.”
Clearly, they feared the Ancient Burial Grounds deeply. Over the years, excavations had revealed remnants of an incredibly powerful civilization—one whose might once shook the ages.
Some believed it had long perished, its legacy lost.
But a minority held a strange belief—that the Ancient Burial Grounds had never truly vanished. Instead, they existed in a state between life and death.
Even among the Immortal Kings, some shared this view.
Moreover, the supreme Ancestor Yu Tuo once made a cryptic remark—the Ancient Burial Grounds were tied to the origins of their world!
Everyone knew that An Lan and Yu Tuo had transcended epochs, remaining at their peak, standing unrivaled through the ages.
Rumors said that since the last epoch, they had cautiously excavated the burial grounds. After all this time, they must have uncovered shocking truths.
As they whispered these secrets, Shi Hao listened intently from afar, his mind reeling. Today had opened a door for him—one that would inevitably lead him to confront what lay beyond.
Suddenly, black mist erupted violently.
The creature in the broken coffin sat up abruptly, its rotting wings spreading wide, blotting out the sky. Its eyes snapped open—two beams of silver light piercing the darkness.
Amidst the inky blackness, only its terrifying silhouette was visible as it rose, its cold silver gaze locking onto them.
“It’s conscious! This is a Burial Guardian, not some mindless corpse!”
“Run!”
Though usually arrogant, the foreign cultivators were utterly terrified, fleeing without hesitation.
Burial Guardians were rarely unearthed—they were living corpses, possessing earth-shaking power. Only a Supreme Being could oppose them, and even then, not always.
Higher-tier Burial Guardians required the intervention of Immortal Kings to suppress.
Legends spoke of one such guardian, unearthed long ago, who slaughtered all those who disturbed its resting place—even exterminating three royal clans involved in the excavation.
The incident shook the higher echelons, though it was later suppressed.
It was said that Yu Tuo himself had to intervene to slay the guardian. That battle deepened his and An Lan’s understanding of the burial grounds.
Afterward, excavations slowed—no clan dared act recklessly.
Because in that battle, Yu Tuo hadn’t easily subdued the guardian. The fight had lasted a considerable time.
Boom!
The rotting wings flapped, shaking heaven and earth. The guardian’s power was unimaginable—far surpassing even Void Treading cultivators.
For the younger generation, this was a death sentence.
The foreign cultivators scattered in panic. Once awakened, a Burial Guardian would slaughter all who disturbed its slumber.
Pale-faced, they fled for their lives, recalling the horrifying tales.
In the past, three royal clans had been annihilated by a single guardian—their ancestors slaughtered without mercy.
Splat!
One youth died instantly, crushed into pulp by a rotting hand.
Screams followed as seven or eight experts perished in mere moments.
“Scatter!”
The survivors split up, fleeing in all directions.
The guardian’s silver eyes gleamed coldly as it pursued.
Hidden in the shadows, Shi Hao also retreated—but not before snatching one of the foreign cultivators.
“Speak. Tell me everything you know about Burial Guardians,” Shi Hao demanded coldly in a secluded spot.
The captive, though terrified earlier, now remained stubbornly silent.
But resistance was futile. Shi Hao would scour his soul if necessary.
“I’ll talk!” the youth finally relented.
“What? Yu Tuo once fought a Burial Guardian?” Shi Hao was stunned.
To annihilate three royal clans and battle Yu Tuo—how terrifying was that guardian?
This was Shi Hao’s first encounter with such legends. His heart pounded—he knew he would eventually face the secrets of the Ancient Burial Grounds.
Why else would An Lan and Yu Tuo persist in their excavations? There had to be something they coveted.
Soon, distant screams echoed—most of the fleeing youths had met their end.
Suddenly, Shi Hao’s hair stood on end.
He whirled around.
Black mist swirled as the guardian appeared silently behind him, its rotting wings spread, death energy radiating.
“So fast… and so eerie!” Shi Hao’s heart clenched.
The captive before him trembled, unable to speak.
Shi Hao sighed. This journey into the Divine Medicine Mountain Range had been fraught with peril.
He had no choice.
Clang!
Drawing the Great Luo Sword Embryo, he prepared to defend himself.
But then—something unexpected happened.
The moment the guardian saw the sword, its silver pupils contracted.
It trembled.
Then—it knelt.
Prostrating before the sword!
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