Chapter 123: Supreme Bloodstone!

  "Another coffin? Why is it always these cursed things? What exactly is sealed inside?" Cold sweat dripped down their backs as they realized the overwhelming killing intent was emanating from the coffin. Whatever was sealed inside, preserved for countless years, might still be alive.

  "Who knows whose tomb this is? Probably some great figures from the past," one of them muttered as they cautiously retreated from the cave. The coffin was too eerie, and they feared provoking a catastrophe.

  "Let's not worry about it for now. Let's keep moving deeper," Yang Tian clenched his fists, glancing at the nearby caves before shaking his head and pressing forward.

  The underground world was saturated with an overwhelming killing intent. The treasures hovering above Yang Tian and his companions trembled incessantly, their divine patterns dimming.

  Those who followed them were not so lucky. Many had already perished at the entrance, their bones nearly blocking the way. Only those wielding Dao artifacts dared to venture further.

  Moving cautiously, Yang Tian and his group huddled together. Yang Tian focused all his energy on the Golden Dragon Seal, using it to shield them. The energy consumption was terrifying, and they had to conserve their strength.

  "Roar!" As they advanced, a grotesque monster suddenly appeared. Its body was covered in yellow slime, with several fangs exposed. It lunged at Yang Tian with terrifying speed.

  Yang Tian remained calm. The small golden seal above his head trembled, releasing a brilliant crimson light that shot toward the creature.

  "Pfft!" The scorching heat of the light struck the monster, piercing its head and splattering blood everywhere.

  "Roar!" Despite the fatal wound, the monster wasn't dead. Its astonishing vitality allowed it to flee, though its head was nearly destroyed.

  "It's still alive? What kind of monster is this? Its vitality is insane," one of them exclaimed, but they didn't pursue it. They had encountered many such creatures, none of which they had successfully killed.

  "These must be creatures that haven't fully evolved into demons," Shan Qu finally spoke up, unable to hold back any longer.

  "Demons... demons..." Qing Yuan muttered, his face paling. "Weren't they supposed to be extinct? How can they still exist?"

  "I don't know..." Shan Qu shook his head, then revealed a shocking secret.

  In the ancient times of the Tianyang Continent, humans were weak and often oppressed by other races, even enslaved. It wasn't until the emergence of numerous peerless experts and grand cultivators that humanity stabilized its position.

  The late ancient period was the zenith of human power, when humans could rival other races. However, a devastating war broke out, claiming the lives of countless experts and grand cultivators. It was a tragic era, with ancient powerhouses nearly wiped out.

  By the end of the ancient period, the other races were driven out, and humanity entered the prehistoric era. It was then that the demon race suddenly appeared—a vile and evil race capable of rivaling humanity.

  The demons sought to dominate the Tianyang Continent, leading to an even more brutal war. The entire continent was drenched in blood. Eventually, the eight great families from the ancient era emerged, and one of them produced a grand cultivator who single-handedly suppressed the demon race.

  After that war, the demon race was severely weakened, and the grand cultivator disappeared. Some say he perished after suppressing the demons.

  "Which family was that grand cultivator from?" Qing Yuan asked, his blood boiling with excitement.

  "No one knows. That family has vanished, and no one wants to talk about it. It seems to be related to the secrets of the eight great ancient families," Shan Qu replied, shaking his head.

  "If this place becomes known to the outside world, chaos will ensue," Yang Tian muttered. If this truly was the burial ground of demons, it would be a monumental discovery.

  "Let's hope it's not demons..." Shan Qu sighed. Demons were too terrifying, and no one wanted to face such a threat. The current human experts were nothing compared to those of ancient times.

  "Arf!" Just as they fell silent, Xiao Bai emerged, barking excitedly. His eyes gleamed with intense focus as he stared at a particular cave.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Little guy, what's in there?" Yang Tian felt a surge of excitement. Following Xiao Bai's gaze, he licked his dry lips. They had gained nothing so far and had even lost the Qian Yuan Cauldron.

  "Let's check it out," Qing Yuan urged, rubbing his hands together.

  They hurried toward the cave, but before they could get far, a series of sharp sounds echoed from outside.

  Five or six monsters charged at them, their ferocity unmistakable, as if warning Yang Tian's group to stay away.

  "There must be treasure inside. Let's kill them," Yang Tian's eyes turned cold. He activated the Golden Dragon Seal, sending streaks of crimson light to strike the monsters.

  "Roar!" The monsters were terrified of the crimson light, but they didn't retreat. Instead, they charged forward fearlessly.

  "Bang! Bang!" The crimson light pierced their bodies, and the Golden Dragon Seal clanged violently. The monsters were torn apart but still managed to escape.

  "Only after taking a beating do they finally run," Qing Yuan scoffed, his face full of disdain.

  "Something's not right," Yang Tian suddenly stopped, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He could sense something approaching.

  "Tap! Tap!" The sound of countless footsteps echoed as a horde of monsters rushed toward them, their eyes locked on Yang Tian's group.

  "Attack together!" Yang Tian shouted, summoning the Golden Crow Divine Furnace. The furnace lid opened, releasing waves of scorching flames that engulfed the monsters.

  "Wail!" The flames were devastating. The monsters screamed in agony as their flesh burned.

  "Whoosh!" Xing Hao activated his Purple Gold Gourd, releasing torrents of fire that cascaded down like waterfalls.

  Thick smoke rose as the monsters, terrified of thunder and fire, were either annihilated or fled in panic.

  "Let's move quickly. Something's wrong," Yang Tian said, swallowing a few pills and rushing toward the cave entrance.

  "Damn it, I'll burn you all!" Xing Hao roared, continuously channeling energy into the gourd. The divine patterns on its surface glowed brightly, intensifying the flames.

  "I need to get myself a fire-based treasure too," Qing Yuan muttered, feeling that his Thunder God Hammer paled in comparison to Xing Hao's weapon.

  Yang Tian and his companions were exhausted, but after a short while, they finally entered the cave.

  "Clang!" Inside the cave, overwhelming killing intent surged toward them. The Golden Dragon Seal above Yang Tian's head trembled violently. The killing intent here was far stronger than in other caves.

  The intense killing intent caused Qing Yuan and the others' skin to crack. They hastily summoned protective robes, while Yang Tian, with his robust physique, remained unscathed.

  "Another coffin?" Qing Yuan frowned as they spotted a massive golden jade coffin. They had no idea what was inside, but they knew opening it would be suicidal.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai barked, his eyes fixed on a section of the stone wall, his tail wagging excitedly.

  "Shan Qu, shoot it open," Yang Tian said, frowning slightly as he observed the spot Xiao Bai was focused on.

  "Got it," Shan Qu nodded, pulling out his purple bow. He drew the string, and a purple arrow shot toward the wall.

  "Thud!" The arrow struck the wall, but not even a scratch was left.

  "This wall is incredibly hard," Shan Qu muttered, surprised. His arrow could have shattered a boulder weighing tens of thousands of pounds.

  "Looks like we'll have to get closer," Yang Tian scratched his head. The wall was still far, and the closer they got, the stronger the killing intent became.

  The air was filled with metallic clangs as they huddled together, the killing intent so intense that even the Golden Dragon Seal was trembling.

  As they approached the wall, the Golden Dragon Seal shook even more violently. The killing intent seeped through, causing Yang Tian's skin to crack and bleed.

  Xiao Bai curled up like a little hedgehog, shaking the purple-gold bell around his neck to disperse the killing intent.

  Yang Tian swallowed a few pills. When they were within three zhang of the wall, the killing intent surged again, causing the Golden Dragon Seal to wail.

  "Good thing I have three Dao artifacts," Yang Tian muttered, noticing the divine patterns on the Golden Dragon Seal flickering. The energy within was depleting rapidly.

  The interwoven divine patterns represented the artifact's power. If the patterns disappeared, the Golden Dragon Seal would lose most of its potency, leaving only its durable material.

  Yang Tian summoned a river of energy, alleviating some of the pressure, but his energy was draining quickly. He took a few more steps forward.

  "What the hell is sealed in this coffin?" Qing Yuan gritted his teeth. The overwhelming killing intent emanating from the coffin suggested that whatever was inside, if released, would be a peerless powerhouse.

  "Crack!" Finally, Yang Tian reached the wall, his body covered in cracks and bleeding. He didn't waste any time, pulling out the broken sword and starting to chip away at the wall.

  As he scraped off the outer layer, the color of the wall changed, revealing a faint red hue. A surge of energy burst forth.

  "Damn, could this be a bloodstone vein?" Yang Tian was stunned. If this was a high-grade bloodstone vein, they would strike it rich.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai wagged his tail, his eyes filled with anticipation.

  "Keep digging! Is it supreme bloodstone?" Shan Qu's throat tightened as he stared at Xiao Bai's reaction.

  "Supreme bloodstone?" Yang Tian's eyes gleamed with intense desire. Supreme bloodstone was a legendary treasure in the cultivation world, something even ancient families might not possess.

  As Yang Tian continued to chip away, the energy emanating from the wall grew stronger and purer. Yang Tian began absorbing it, rapidly replenishing his energy.

  When Yang Tian finally uncovered a stone with intricate patterns, he froze. He cleared away the surrounding debris, revealing a stone the size of two fists.

  The stone pulsed with energy, its surface covered in divine patterns. It radiated a vast, pure energy, like a Dao artifact. The stone was crystal clear, without a single impurity.

  "It really is supreme bloodstone!" The group was speechless, their eyes fixed on the stone. Yang Tian's throat moved as he swallowed hard.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai pounced on the stone, gnawing at it furiously but failing to make even a scratch. He growled at the stone in frustration.

  "Greedy little thing," Yang Tian chuckled, patting Xiao Bai's head.