Zu An and the others were surprised. "Your true form is inside that great tomb?"
Jing Teng nodded. The others thought, *No wonder she's so cautious. If this news got out, it would surely cause a bloodbath.*
"So this great tomb was built for you by Immortal Monarch Baopu," Zu An mused. *Immortal Monarch Baopu must truly care for her.*
Jing Teng shook her head. "I don't have such good fortune. This great tomb has existed for a very, very long time. The Immortal Monarch discovered it and spent many years exploring it without completion. He merely placed my true form inside while he was there."
Zu An was stunned. He had already been surprised to think the great tomb was built by Immortal Monarch Baopu; he never imagined the Monarch was merely a discoverer.
Just then, a commotion echoed from the direction of the great tomb. Faintly, they could see the crowd around it beginning to stir, with wave after wave of people rushing in as if in a frenzy.
Wei Su immediately grew anxious. "Miss Jing, they're all rushing into the great tomb! If they get a head start and accidentally destroy your true form, it will be over!"
Jing Teng smiled faintly. "Don't worry, this great tomb isn't so easy to enter."
***
Meanwhile, Zhao Hao, accompanied by Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing, also arrived before the Zhichuan Great Tomb.
Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing had mostly recovered from their injuries on the journey, but they felt incredibly stifled. Among Grandmasters, they were considered top-tier, the most esteemed figures in their respective sects. In the martial arts world, they held immense influence, accustomed to crowds serving them, ensuring every detail was perfectly handled. Yet, throughout this journey, they had been forced to bow and scrape, serving others, even fearing they weren't serving well enough. The crucial point was that their master was the powerful Zhao Hao, so despite their displeasure, they dared not show it.
Seeing the vast crowd around them, most of whom clearly had lower cultivation levels, their minds finally settled somewhat. They wondered if they should find an opportunity to recruit a few servants, as this kind of menial work was truly difficult to manage on their own.
Zhao Hao's gaze fell upon the great tomb nearby. Sensing its mysterious and ancient aura, he was instead overjoyed. *Could there truly be an opportunity for immortality here?*
"Go ask these people why they're hesitating," Zhao Hao casually ordered.
"Yes!" Li and Xuan hurried into the nearby crowd to inquire. Not long after, they returned. "Reporting, Your Majesty, it seems there's a restriction on the great tomb; they can't get in."
Zhao Hao scoffed. "Lowly individuals, daring to covet immortal opportunities?" Ignoring the crowd, he walked directly towards the tomb entrance.
Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing exchanged glances and quickly followed him. *Clinging to this powerful figure, perhaps they too could gain an immortal opportunity.*
"Who is that person?" Various factions quickly noticed them.
"Never seen him before. He doesn't match any known masters in the world."
"Look at how arrogantly he walks, like his eyes are on the top of his head. He must be some country bumpkin from a forgotten corner."
"Not necessarily. The world is vast, and masters are as numerous as carp crossing a river. Not all are famous. He might be a reclusive master from somewhere."
***
Among the crowd, several others' expressions changed drastically. They quickly pulled down their bamboo hats and melted back into the throng.
"How could it be him!"
"And why are Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing his lackeys?"
By then, Zhao Hao had reached the tomb entrance and punched directly at it. "Open!" A golden fist grew incredibly large, striking directly at the tomb entrance. Those around felt an aura of destruction and were all greatly alarmed. *How is this person so powerful? Such power from a casual punch!* Some powerful individuals among the various factions, who had initially viewed the three approaching figures like clowns, now wide-eyed, stared with grave apprehension.
With a thunderous boom, the tomb entrance remained unharmed.
Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing's eyes were filled with horror. They naturally knew how terrifying Zhao Hao's punch was; it could smash even a mountain, let alone a mere tomb entrance. Yet, this tomb entrance hadn't even lost a speck of dust?
Laughter erupted from the surroundings, comments like "overestimating himself" and "doesn't he know his place?"
Zhao Hao's face turned ashen. He never expected to be so humiliated.
Suddenly, a gigantic golden phantom, almost identical to him but magnified countless times, emerged from his body. The golden giant went directly to the tomb entrance, extended its massive hands, and pulled them apart. The entire great tomb immediately shook violently.
"Is that the legendary Yang God?" Those watching were all greatly astonished. Everyone present was a master—weaker individuals had already been cleared out from the periphery—so they naturally recognized his extraordinary power. Across the land, only a handful of people could reach this level of power: the Ghost King of the Yin-Yang Realm, Sun En, the former leader of the Divine Firmament Sect, and the legendary elder from the Adventurer's Guild. Where had *this* person come from? If it were just an ordinary top master living in seclusion, it would be one thing, but how could such a supreme being remain hidden?
While everyone was in shock, Zhao Hao's expression was also grim. What was going on with this great tomb? He had used all his might, yet the tomb entrance still wouldn't open.
Just then, ancient and desolate characters suddenly illuminated around the great tomb. The entire tomb seemed to come alive, like an ancient dragon stirring from its slumber. Even Zhao Hao felt a sense of danger.
At that moment, people from the foremost factions surrounding the tomb shouted, "Stop! If you activate the great tomb's defensive array, no one here will survive!"
Zhao Hao's face darkened. If it were just about killing the people around him, he would have continued without hesitation. But he felt that these strange characters could seemingly threaten his own life, causing him to hesitate instantly. However, he was somewhat unwilling to retreat at this point.
Then someone shouted, "The great tomb's seal is about to open automatically soon. Why be in such a hurry, respected sir?" Clearly, someone had guessed his thoughts and quickly offered him a way out, to prevent him from causing mutual destruction.
Hearing this, Zhao Hao withdrew his hands. "Specific time?"
"Approximately half an hour!" someone quickly replied. "This is a prophecy left many years ago; it shouldn't be wrong." They had intentionally kept the weaker individuals out, not allowing them in, precisely to avoid others snatching a share. But such a powerful newcomer was definitely qualified to participate, and the major factions didn't want to make things too difficult.
"Very well, what's another half an hour?" Zhao Hao's figure flickered, retreating dozens of yards, and the golden phantom naturally returned to his body. Feeling Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing's glances — wanting to look but not daring — his face grew somewhat hot. He had boldly rushed forward only to be so utterly humiliated. Fortunately, hardly anyone in this world knew him. He became even more interested in the great tomb. A restriction that even his full power couldn't break surely meant whatever was inside was worthy of being called an immortal opportunity.
At this point, various factions came forward to greet him. "May I ask for your esteemed name, fellow Daoist? We haven't seen you before."
Zhao Hao's eyelid twitched. *I was just feeling humiliated and wanted no one to know, and now you all come crowding around.*
***
Meanwhile, dozens of miles north of the great tomb, Chu Chuyan walked along a path, drawing admiring glances from everyone she passed. Her beauty was so exceptional that she seemed to emanate a faint aura, and her clear, serene eyes made people reluctant to meet her gaze directly, only daring to steal a few glances.
Chu Chuyan paid no mind. She had encountered such things countless times since childhood and had accumulated ample experience. To avoid trouble, she subtly circulated the Snowflower Divine Sword energy around her. As expected, once people sensed her powerful cultivation, they didn't dare provoke her lightly.
However, there are always exceptions in this world. At that moment, a group of riders galloped past. Their attire wasn't standard armor but rather a disordered mix of styles, clearly not cavalry from any nation; they looked more like a band of mountain bandits.
"Huh?" The group had already ridden past Chu Chuyan, but they all reined in their horses and turned back to look at her, their faces filled with awe.
"Boss, this woman is so beautiful!"
"Indeed, I've never seen such a beautiful woman."
"If we could capture her to be a bandit chieftain's wife, it would be worth dying tomorrow!"
Chu Chuyan's expression darkened. These ruffians' vulgar words were truly repulsive. However, these were no ordinary mountain bandits; several of them displayed cultivation fluctuations no less than her own.
"Worth it?! What the hell are you talking about?!" The leader slapped his companion on the head. "In our line of work, life is the most important thing. 'Worth dying tomorrow,' my foot."
"Boss is right," the man said, offering an embarrassed apology.
"But this girl really is beautiful. Why don't we capture her first and let everyone have some fun?" another man said with a wicked grin.
The leader gazed deeply at Chu Chuyan, then reluctantly shook his head. "Forget it. This woman is trouble. Taking her down would definitely cause us casualties. Right now, completing our mission is paramount. That person arriving in our territory is a gift from heaven. Now that we've found his trail, let's not create new complications and risk someone else getting ahead of us." Seeing his companions still somewhat unwilling, he chuckled, "Once we kill our target and collect the bounty, we'll have enough to enjoy a different courtesan every day."
The morale of the others immediately lifted. They whistled approvingly. "The boss is right!" With that, the group blew a kiss to Chu Chuyan, then laughed loudly as they galloped away, kicking up clouds of dust.
Chu Chuyan frowned. Though angered, she was not a reckless woman. In this chaotic secret realm, there was no need to fight to the death with a group of powerful individuals over trivial matters. Her priority was to find her companions and figure out a way to return to her own world.
Just then, her gaze sharpened. She picked up a pursuit warrant that the group had accidentally dropped nearby. Seeing the familiar face on it, her heart instantly tightened.
[2 hours ago] Chapter 350
[2 hours ago] Chapter 449: Lamp Phoenix Princess
[6 hours ago] Chapter 2930: Abandoned Dragon City
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