Chapter 1393: Ten Thousand Years of Injustice

These strange birds resembled crows but were much larger, almost the size of golden eagles. They flew incredibly fast, emitting sharp, piercing cries. Even from a distance, a strong sense of menace could be felt.

Only then did everyone understand why the octopus monster hadn't pursued them earlier; clearly, the sky held many dangers as well.

While the octopus sea monster could fully exert its power in the water, it would be severely restricted in the sky and likely fall prey to airborne creatures. Though these strange birds were individually much weaker, their sheer numbers, forming a dense swarm, would be more than enough to overwhelm and hunt it down.

Their scalps tingled with dread. If even a Heaven-Piercing Soul stage octopus sea monster gave these creatures a wide berth, they naturally gave up any thought of fighting them.

"Run!" the women cried out in unison.

Zu'an had already begun to move before they spoke, rapidly diving diagonally downwards on his Wind-Fire Wheels. He had just spotted the direction of the land.

He had initially worried that the strange birds would pursue them, as their speed was comparable to his Wind-Fire Wheels, which would have led to another fierce battle.

To his surprise, however, the flock of strange birds did not pursue them. Instead, they continued flying straight ahead, either avoiding something or rushing towards a particular destination.

"Is the Unknown Land really this dangerous?" Yan Xuehen moaned softly, collapsing completely into Zu'an's arms. "No wonder legends say survival here is one in ten."

In normal circumstances, Yun Jianyue might have seized the opportunity to scold her for such a moan, but now she felt no abnormality. Instead, she agreed, "More than a one-in-ten chance of survival? I'd say it's a certain death."

Although they were injured, they were still Grandmasters who had recovered seventy percent of their combat strength, making them far more powerful than ordinary masters.

Yet, even with their strength, they had narrowly escaped death multiple times just now.

The crucial point was how little time they had spent in this secret realm, yet they had already encountered so many terrifying beings. It was truly unimaginable how anyone could ever leave here alive.

Zu'an said gravely, "Actually, the Unknown Lands I've experienced before, while dangerous, weren't as perilous as this one. I feel like there's something very wrong with this particular Unknown Land."

Hearing him, the other women became interested and were about to ask for details about other Unknown Lands. However, a surge within their bodies immediately made them lose focus, and they all concentrated on suppressing the toxins.

Soon, Zu'an found a quiet grove and landed with the women. He helped them sit comfortably against large trees, then said, "Let me help you."

"No!" the three women exclaimed simultaneously, opening their eyes and glaring at him with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

Zu'an was taken aback. He gave a wry smile, "You misunderstood. I meant to help you circulate your energy to expel the poison."

"No need," Yan Xuehen said, her face flushing. She was well aware of the effects of Zu'an's true energy when he helped heal injuries.

Yun Jianyue had previously witnessed Yu Yanluo being healed by him and certainly didn't dare let him help. "Don't worry," she said, "we just accidentally inhaled a little. We're not truly poisoned, and the effect is minor. We can expel the toxins with our own cultivation; we just need quiet. Please stand guard for us."

"Oh, I see," Zu'an replied, feeling a little disappointed.

"Brat, you seem quite disappointed, don't you?" Yun Jianyue glared at him, while Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo also watched him with knowing smiles.

Zu'an's face flushed. "Of course not! I'm happy for you," he stammered, "Haha, I'll guard you here, so you can focus on expelling the poison."

Only then did the women withdraw their gazes, not daring to delay further. They quickly used their cultivation to force the toxic energy out of their bodies.

Zu'an scouted the surroundings, finding no dangerous creatures nearby.

He gazed at the boundless sea on one side, then at the vast mountains on the other, and fell into deep thought.

Based on the numerous creatures and artifacts from ancient myths and legends they had encountered, it seemed probable that this Unknown Land was connected to the Xia Dynasty.

Only the Xia Dynasty would have so many connections to ancient myths.

Even Taotie, one of the legendary Four Fiends, had appeared; he wondered if even more powerful mythological figures would emerge.

If that were the case, this endeavor would likely prove extremely difficult.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he summoned Mo Xi.

She wore a bandeau leather armor and an ultra-short tiger-skin skirt, with clearly visible abs on her toned abdomen. Her wheat-colored skin glowed like honey, and her thighs were round and firm. She was like a beautiful, sexy, yet dangerous female leopard.

"This is a secret realm related to the Xia Dynasty," Zu'an said, looking at her with anticipation. "Do you feel anything familiar?"

Mo Xi tilted her head and stared at him, showing no reaction whatsoever, as if he were an idiot.

Zu'an was momentarily speechless; it seemed he had overestimated her.

Considering her skill had just saved him, he didn't say much and simply recalled her.

He could only wait idly by for the women to finish expelling the poison.

Meanwhile, the Demon Emperor and his party continued towards the tall mountain. The surroundings were lush with thriving vegetation, yet no living creatures could be seen—not even insects, let alone birds or beasts.

Wu Liang held his spinning compass and said with a mournful face, "There are no living beings here; this is a dead end."

Perhaps his words had an effect, for the Demon Emperor suddenly stopped.

Before Wu Liang could rejoice, the Demon Emperor kicked him, sending him flying forward.

"It's over," Wu Liang thought, his heart turning cold. "The Demon Emperor is making me scout ahead. If there's any danger, I'll be torn to shreds instantly."

To his surprise, however, no danger occurred even after he landed.

When he got up, he was astonished to find an ancient tomb at the foot of the mountain. Outside its entrance were some broken walls, ruins, and faintly discernible statues, though most had weathered away, leaving only their stone bases.

Upon seeing the ancient tomb, his eyes immediately lit up, and all fear was instantly cast aside. He began ceaselessly examining the surroundings, sometimes looking at the remaining statues, sometimes closely examining the carved patterns. He then took out his compass to investigate the area, all while his steps seemed to be measuring something.

Seeing that Wu Liang was fine, the Demon Emperor and Prince Golden Crow hurried over, their brows furrowed as they stared at the ancient tomb before them.

"This ancient tomb seems quite dilapidated," Prince Golden Crow said with a frown, thinking that such a ruined tomb likely wouldn't contain anything valuable.

To prove his usefulness to the Demon Emperor and avoid being easily sacrificed, Wu Liang hastily explained, "Prince, you mustn't underestimate this tomb. Although it looks extremely dilapidated now, its layout and specifications clearly indicate that the tomb owner was an emperor-level figure in life."

"An emperor? Why is it so simple?" the Demon Emperor asked suspiciously.

"The site's orientation, the tomb's facing, and the details of these statues all indicate this is indeed an imperial tomb; it's just that the scale is quite disproportionate," Wu Liang said after a moment's thought. "There are several possible reasons for this. One is that the tomb owner's country was on the verge of collapse when the mausoleum was built, lacking sufficient national power to construct a grand imperial tomb. However, I observe that the details of this mausoleum seem quite complete in all aspects, so this scenario seems unlikely."

"The second is that the tomb owner was likely an emperor who reigned for a very short period or died young."

"And there's another possibility: the tomb owner was an overthrown emperor who was deposed, so the various forms and specifications of the burial are much cruder than those of a normal imperial mausoleum."

As he was explaining, a long sigh suddenly echoed: "Hahaha, how many years has it been? Finally, someone knows my injustice."

Wu Liang shuddered and quickly retreated behind the Demon Emperor, for the sound came directly from the tomb, and it was identical to the voice that had lured them earlier!

The Demon Emperor also looked solemn, gazing towards the ancient tomb. "Are you human or ghost?"