"It is not just one Great Emperor," Ruo Xianxue continued, rising from her meditative posture and walking around the Devil Tree of Life. "Great Emperor Zhu and Great Emperor Hua are both here. In every Plain where there is an Ancient Clan, there lies a Great Emperor's Tomb. The Xing Luo Plain is ruled by the Ancient Zhu Clan and the Ancient Hua Clan."

  Ruo Xianxue stopped pacing and looked up at the sky of the Sea of Consciousness. "The pyramid outside that you saw was not formed by mortals like you. Rather, it has existed since the Great Emperors themselves fell here. With their flesh and bone, they built eternal resting places that are not easily erased by Time."

  "So you see it now; these Tombs are what split a Single Lower Realm Plain into the Nine Plains as they are today. Thus, your arrogance here is merely dust in the eyes of the Great Emperor's Tomb," Ruo Xianxue concluded, her voice cold and clarifying an incomparable knowledge.

  Spiritually, Zhi Xuan felt his Sea of Consciousness vibrate violently. He had ignored the fact that the Xing Luo Plain was only one of the Nine Plains in the Lower Realm. However, hearing that these tombs, established by the corpses of Great Emperors, were the cause of the Plain's fragmentation sent a cold shiver across his Dao foundation. This was a scale of power and cruelty that the Consciousness Transformation realm could not comprehend.

  "A Great Emperor, even building a tomb with his own body," Zhi Xuan murmured, bowing slightly for a moment to pay respect to the peerless Great Emperors. "This Zhi pays his respects to the Great Emperors."

  He rose again, then stepped to head deeper. This cavern felt dense, and Zhi Xuan could conclude that these were the meridians of the Great Emperors, carrying the Emperor's Law and an incredibly strong oppression. He could see subtle pulsations that occasionally appeared due to the Extreme Yin-Yang colliding and pulling at each other.

  Zhi Xuan channeled his spiritual blood to strengthen the Divine Cauldron circling his body; only that Cauldron was able to slightly suppress these colliding essences. He did not dare to release the Four-Directional Blood Shield, choosing to suppress his essence so that he could step firmly and safely.

  Zhi Xuan's first step into the main cavern zone felt like piercing through a dense layer of swamp. The pressure from the Extreme Yin-Yang Law, added to the decaying Emperor's Law in the air, was an unbearable burden. Even with thirty Slaughter Seals supporting his physical foundation, he felt his muscles tensing.

  BRUK! BRUK! BRUK!

  Zhi Xuan gasped; he immediately pressed himself against the cavern wall and pushed the Heavenly Samsara Wheel to suppress all of his spiritual aura. The sound of footsteps felt heavy and echoed throughout the cavern. Accompanied by whispers that briefly sounded like cultivators also entering the Tomb, Zhi Xuan dropped down in silence, pulling the Divine Cauldron back and merely hiding behind the darkness of the cavern.

  Zhi Xuan held his breath, disguising his spiritual essence until it was nearly non-existent, letting the thirty consolidated Slaughter Seals lock down his physical presence. It was a wilderness instinct that had saved him many times. The sound of footsteps drew closer, heavy, rhythmic, and clearly not the footsteps of slaves.

  WHUMP! WHUMP!

  The sound of footsteps continued, growing louder, and now Zhi Xuan could hear the resonance they emitted. It was a pure Five Element resonance, but the entity was suppressed to the Consciousness Transformation realm by the oppressive Emperor's Law. The footsteps were heavy, as if the entity were made of steel.

  From the darkness of the passage on the right side of the cavern, six figures emerged. They were not ordinary mine guards. They wore loose silver robes, but over them, they wore partial armor infused with defensive runes. Their faces were covered by cold masks, and their eyes radiated a calm light, indicating they were elite disciples of the Righteous Sect.

  "Senior Mu, where exactly is the Tomb of Great Emperor Zhu?" asked one of the silver-robed women, her face looking alert and slightly tense as she glanced at the man beside her. "Holy Son Zhu has given orders that we must search for clues regarding the Emperor's Weapon legacy and the Azure Dragon bone powder."

  "We still have to find a way out of this cavern and find the Tomb Gate," replied the man named Senior Mu, his voice deep and full of authority, though there was a hint of exhaustion. He was the most powerful cultivator among them, his foundation radiating fluctuations that far exceeded his five companions. "Holy Son Zhu Yanghai said that whoever brings the Emperor's legacy back to the Ancient Zhu Clan is the one worthy of becoming the Dao Protector for Holy Princess Zhu."

  "Is the Ancient Zhu Clan not searching for someone said to be the Black-Haired Devil?" said one of the men beside him, who was slightly stout with a face full of desire. "However, some say that the Holy Princess intentionally hid information about the Black-Haired Devil. Even Holy Son Zhu Yanghai was pressured by his own younger sister not to interfere in her business."

  "True, the Holy Son dearly loves his sister!" said one of the large-bodied men, whose head was bald and who chuckled lowly. "He only wants the best for his sister, especially knowing the karmic bond that even shook the Ancient Clan? How could a Holy Fairy establish a karmic bond with a Devil?"

  "Ssstt! Do not be loud!" hissed the silver-robed woman, her tone giving a warning. "Holy Princess Zhu is not someone you can talk about; she even cold-bloodedly threatened the Geniuses in the Xing Luo Plain! We cannot know what her plans and wishes are."

  "True, her nature is very different from Holy Son Zhu!" murmured the slightly stout man, smiling so wide it looked strange. "They are brother and sister, yet their natures are like the reversal between a piece of silk and an iceberg."

  "Holy Fairy Zhu is the purest jewel in the Xing Luo Plain," Senior Mu said calmly, his face cold yet harboring strong determination. "And, finding the Emperor's legacy is no easy feat. Many have tried but ended in death; this is also why this mission attracts many geniuses yet also takes lives."

  Zhi Xuan, hiding behind the darkness of the rocks, felt his Sea of Consciousness churning violently. Holy Son Zhu Yanghai—the brother of Zhu Qinglan—and the Azure Dragon Bone Powder. This information was a double blade piercing his Dao. First, the existence of Zhu Yanghai as a direct competitor in the search for the Great Emperor's legacy, aiming to make the finder the Dao Protector for Zhu Qinglan.

  Second, the Azure Dragon Bone Powder was an extraordinary treasure, surely sought after as a foundation strengthener. Then, there were whispers about the Black-Haired Devil and Zhu Qinglan's role in hiding his information. Although those whispers were mixed with speculation and gossip, the truth felt real. That Holy Fairy protected a Devil—a karma that shook the Ancient Clan.

  "Holy Princess Zhu is not someone you can talk about; she even cold-bloodedly threatened the Geniuses in the Xing Luo Plain!" Zhi Xuan smirked coldly behind the shadows. That was the Zhu Qinglan he knew. A girl who appeared cold as an iceberg, yet possessed unmatched decisiveness.

  He had to be careful. The six cultivators walking by were clearly not easy opponents. They were elites, suppressed to the Consciousness Transformation realm, but their experience and foundations clearly exceeded those of the Wind Bandits or mine guards. They moved with calm coordination, showing strict sect training.

  "Great Saint," Zhi Xuan murmured in his sea of consciousness, a smirk adorning his closed lips. "It turns out, the one they are talking about is a Holy Son who will be my brother-in-law."

  "Brother-in-law?" Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice containing a mixture of mockery and irritation. "He is a loyal dog sent to seize the legacy that should be yours. And do not forget, he is part of the Ancient Zhu Clan that considers your Devil Dao an abomination. Focus, Monkey. Do not let your fantasies about relationships interfere with your survival instincts."

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Zhi Xuan only nodded nonchalantly, his smile vanishing, replaced by a cold tranquility. The legacy of Great Emperor Zhu Yan Tian would indeed determine the fate of Zhu Qinglan and himself. He had to obtain the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit and the legacy information before Holy Son Zhu Yanghai.

  The six silver-robed figures continued their steps, circling the walls of the Extreme Yin-Yang cavern. They were clearly searching for another hidden passage that could take them deeper into the Tomb. Their movements were wary, but their intent was too focused on the legacy, making them ignore the dangers that might be lurking in the shadows.

  Zhi Xuan did not move. He waited for them to step further away, letting the sound of their footsteps fade amidst the hum of the Extreme Yin-Yang essence. Their presence gave him an advantage; they would clear any traps that might exist on the path they took.

  Once he felt it was safe enough, Zhi Xuan stepped out of the shadows. He moved toward the rock vein radiating black and white light, the place where the Natural Gap Xiao Die mentioned earlier was located. He had to take a route opposite to those six people and perhaps several other factions also present here.

  Zhi Xuan was about to step out; he rose from leaning against the wall. He brought out the Divine Cauldron, and it spun around his body, allowing him once again to breathe with relief and calm. However, just as he took a step, the cavern vibrated violently, accompanied by echoing screams from where the six disciples had walked.

  "Great Emperor's Formation! You fool for triggering it!"

  "I did not know, Senior Mu! Quick, we must go!"

  DENTUM! GETAR! GETAR!

  Senior Mu's voice, filled with panic and anger, was heard faintly, drowned in a deafening roar. Apparently, their arrogance in searching for an exit from the cavern had triggered an ancient Formation left by the Great Emperor.

  Zhi Xuan staggered because the vibration was so powerful, as if it were about to collapse the earth. The cavern shook hard, rocks began to fall, and the entire cavern was jolted. The flow of Extreme Yin-Yang began to shake the cavern ceiling and caused essences to pull at each other, making the atmosphere in the cavern suffocating.

  Behind Zhi Xuan, specifically in the direction of the rock crack he had broken with his hand, it began to close again. From there emerged a group of insects, not just one group but like a sea of insects heading for his head and anyone else inside the cavern.

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw, his sapphire eyes glowing beneath his Tattered Hood. That vibration was a sign that the Great Emperor's Tomb defense Formation had awakened, and it did not care who triggered it. Rock falls and chaotic essence fluctuations immediately swept through the cavern.

  "Master, insects! Poison insects nurtured by the Yin-Yang pressure!" hissed Xiao Die, her voice filled with decisiveness and controlled panic; she who had now become the Thousand Feather Moth was more sensitive to other insects. "They are Triple-Layered Poison Spores! Do not let them touch your skin!"

  Zhi Xuan did not waste even a fraction of a second. He glanced behind him, at the hole he had broken. The Natural Gap was now slowly closing, pushed by the pressure generated by the awakened Formation. However, more urgent was the sea of nail-sized insects coming from all directions. The insects were pitch black, radiating a lethal and foul poison aura.

  "You are right, Little Moth," Zhi Xuan replied, his voice cold and firm. He had to act quickly; he could not get trapped here, and he could not let those insects block his path.

  Zhi Xuan no longer hid; he raised the Divine Cauldron high and spread his essence into it, channeling the Azure Holy Flame which immediately made the Cauldron glow like a meteor. The Summer resonance struck, radiating a searing heat wave around where Zhi Xuan stood.

  WHIRL! WHIRL! WUSHH!

  Zhi Xuan let the Divine Cauldron hover behind him, providing a heat wave that swept away some of the insects. Zhi Xuan quickly darted forward; he felt the pressure of his steps becoming heavy without the help of the Cauldron, but safety from those strange insects was more important.

  WHUSH! ZZZHHH! WHUSH! ZZZHH!

  The sea of Triple-Layered Poison Spores advanced with shocking speed, utilizing the jolting and the chaos of the essence. They whirred like lethal small blades; the poison they carried was capable of dissolving even divine stone. Several Triple-Layered Poison Spores managed to pierce the heat wave and struck the back of the Cauldron. Zhi Xuan felt a sharp jolt in his Sea of Consciousness, and the Cauldron vibrated violently, the Four Seasons runes dimming.

  "Return, Cauldron!" hissed Zhi Xuan, his breath ragged from the pressure and controlling the cauldron. He pulled the Divine Cauldron back and let it surround him. "The spores are too strong; even this Bronze can collapse from being gnawed by them."

  Zhi Xuan paid no heed to anything else; here he could not bring out the Seven-Star Boat, let alone use the cosmic step runes. He could only use his steps forged by the Slaughter Seals to run from the pursuit of the Spores. Zhi Xuan let the Triple-Layered Poison Spores draw close. He had to reach the Natural Gap and seal himself there immediately.

  "Master, you must be quick!" hissed Xiao Die, her voice now sounding tense, fighting her insect instincts to flee from a far superior predator. "The gap will close completely in a fraction of a breath!"

  Zhi Xuan channeled essence into his feet. Thirty Slaughter Seals exploded with the Heavenly-Blood Law, providing an explosive surge of strength. He shot forward like black lightning, moving in a straight line that cut between falling rocks and essence jolts.

  SRAK! WHUSHH!

  The sea of Triple-Layered Poison Spores responded, darting in pursuit, utilizing the chaotic air currents. They now felt like a lethal black cloud, only a few zhang behind him. The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron spun wildly around Zhi Xuan, radiating a chaotic Four Seasons resonance, struggling hard against every Spore that tried to pierce the shield.

  BRUK! DENTUM!

  Zhi Xuan reached the Natural Gap, which had now narrowed to a slit just wide enough for his body to pass. The Extreme Yin-Yang mist radiating from the gap now felt much wilder and more aggressive. He pushed his body, forcing himself through the narrow slit. Just as he managed to get half his body in, the sea of Triple-Layered Poison Spores arrived. They struck the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron with devastating force.

  WHUMP! KRRKK!

  The bronze cauldron vibrated violently, and this time, the Four Seasons resonance truly shattered. The Cauldron was thrown aside, slamming into the shaking cavern wall, before Zhi Xuan immediately pulled it back into his storage bag with a hitched breath.

  The Spore attack was now focused on Zhi Xuan's back. Even his tattered robe was unable to withstand the brutal poison attack. Zhi Xuan exerted the thirty Slaughter Seals to their full extent. The skin on his back radiated a somber black light, forming a shield of flesh forged by blood and abomination.

  The stings of the Spores felt like countless needles of fire. That sharp and intoxicating pain attacked Zhi Xuan's senses, but he held back a scream, clenching his teeth. He channeled all his Consciousness Transformation essence to keep his muscles from contracting.

  DUG!

  With a final surge, Zhi Xuan pushed himself entirely into the Natural Gap. The gap, which was now only as wide as a hair, closed behind him with an absolute click, pushed by the Law of the awakened Great Emperor's Tomb. He was released from the pursuit of the sea of Triple-Layered Poison Spores.

  Zhi Xuan fell freely in the narrow passage that sloped steeply downward, enveloped by the Extreme Yin-Yang mist. He groaned softly, immediately turning over and touching his back, which felt hot and painful. The thirty Slaughter Seals had saved his life, but the Triple-Layered Spore poison had managed to pierce and damage the outermost layer of his defense.

  "Dammit," Zhi Xuan hissed, spitting out blood and coughing hard; he immediately sat cross-legged and calmed his back, which was beginning to blacken. Zhi Xuan exerted the Heavenly Samsara Wheel to rotate the flow of his essence; the Tree of Life helped flow that vitality throughout his body. "This poison, it even corrodes the body very quickly!"

  He felt a burning sensation crawling beneath his skin. The poison from the Triple-Layered Poison Spore, forged by the Extreme Yin-Yang Law, possessed corrosive and lethal properties. If it were not for his brutal physical foundation, he would surely have turned into a puddle of black liquid by now. He activated his Heavenly-Blood Body Law. Thirty Slaughter Seals glowed beneath his skin, radiating extreme heat. That heat was not just from power, but from an effort of forced neutralization.

  "Destroy several Slaughter Seals, Monkey!" Ruo Xianxue hissed sharply, her voice dripping with an urgent warning. "Although it will feel like you are losing flesh, it will prevent you from being corroded into your divine organs!"

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw, his face pale from pain now filled with cold determination. He knew Ruo Xianxue was right. The poison from these Triple-Layered Poison Spores was too lethal to be handled by ordinary purification. He had to use his Heavenly-Blood Body Law to fight poison with its own abomination—severing circulation in the infected area and sacrificing part of his physical foundation.

  With a suppressed roar, Zhi Xuan focused the Heavenly Samsara Wheel to rotate in the opposite direction in the area of his corroded back. He did not try to absorb the poison; he tried to sever the connection.

  KRRAKK!

  The sensation that hit him was worse than a Consciousness Transformation bomb explosion. It was an intoxicating pain as he forcibly severed ten Slaughter Seals that had been consolidated with his foundation. It felt like pulling out ten major veins simultaneously.

  "This is incredibly painful!" Zhi Xuan growled, a mouthful of blood dripping from his mouth. Slowly, one by one, the seals detached and evaporated into the air, his blood boiling hard. "Destroy!"

  KRAK! KRAK! KRAK! KRAK!