80,000 Years

80,000 Years

The tension in the air was palpable as Xia Sheng, Zai Qiu, Quinn, Siko, Baim, Tu Leng, and the other group leaders stood their ground. They were all formidable individuals, their unwavering wills pushing back against the overwhelming pressure exuding from those towering auras. These leaders had been chosen for their exceptional combat prowess and unyielding determination. However, it wasn't just the leaders; others in their group also possessed the inner strength to resist.

"Baim, Xia Sheng, could you enlighten us now? What is this place, and are those floating objects truly immortal-ranked weapons? Those ancient texts, do they contain immortal arts?" Baim, his shock of white hair billowing in the wind, leaned forward to ask Xia Sheng.

"Not all of them, but the majority of those points of light are indeed either immortal-ranked weapons or immortal arts." Xia Sheng's words sent a shiver through the hearts of those gathered. There were so many of them?

"However, remember this—never touch any of them. Understand this well, under no circumstances should you make contact with those items, or disaster will befall us. Those immortal weapons and immortal arts serve as seals for the immortal tombs beneath. If we were to disturb them, the tombs' seals would break, and the buried immortals would be free to emerge."

"Are you jesting with us? Immortals lie beneath these tombs? Then why have we ventured into this peril? Are you leading us to our doom?" Tu Leng's temperament was fiery, his eyes aglow with a crimson hue as he vehemently demanded answers.

"The immortals within the tombs have had their cultivations sealed," Xia Sheng replied, his voice laden with gravity. This revelation left everyone present stunned.

Sealed immortals?

Who possessed such unimaginable power?

"What level are their seals?" Quinn inquired.

"I cannot say," Xia Sheng admitted. "But listen carefully. Within this place, never wield a fifth-ranked divine weapon. The moment you do, the immortals within the tombs will have their cultivation unsealed, and they will reach the peak of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. If that happens, we will all meet our demise here. As long as we refrain from using fifth-ranked weapons, the seals will confine their cultivation to the peak of the Heavenly Dipper Realm."

"Incredible! These seals can adjust according to our cultivations? Is this why individuals at the supreme-tier of the Heavenly Dipper Realm are deemed the most suitable candidates to explore this immortal palace?" an inquisitive voice chimed in.

"Yes, you are correct. Even with their cultivations restricted to the peak of the Heavenly Dipper Realm, these immortals can effortlessly annihilate us. Had Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants ventured here, their cultivations would be similarly restricted, but even then, there hasn't been a single Celestial Phenomenon Ascendant in our Royal Sacred Region who could contend with their might. Throughout history, no matter how many peak-level Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants entered, an equal number met their end." Xia Sheng's revelation sent shockwaves through the hearts of everyone present.

What a place of dread and mystery!

"Who are those voices? Are there still beings alive here?" someone inquired, their voice trembling with unease.

Xia Sheng shook his head, his expression grim. "The immortals' tombs are countless, and this immortal palace is vast beyond imagination. Each time our Royal Sacred Sect sent explorers, we focused on investigating only a small fraction of this place. For now, we should gather more people before we begin claiming the immortal arts. The sect has promised us the opportunity to cultivate them if we obtain any."

"You are free to explore this place, but do not act recklessly without my orders. We must wait for everyone to gather before making a move. Disobey this, and I will show no mercy." A surge of menacing aura emanated from Xia Sheng, heavy with a promise of ruthless consequences.

Qin Wentian rose to his feet, beginning to explore the vast and desolate landscape. Countless tombs dotted the landscape, and he found himself standing before an ancient, weathered tombstone. Hovering above it was a page of an ancient text, its runic words shimmering tantalizingly. Yet, despite his keen perception, he couldn't decipher its meaning. An intense longing welled up in him, urging him to reach out and seize the page.

Suppressing the temptation, Qin Wentian moved on, wandering through the desolation. Before him loomed an ancient blood-red long spear, radiating an overwhelming, divine power that threatened to overwhelm his very being. His body trembled, his blood roiling uncontrollably. The allure of these objects floating above the tombs was overpowering, tugging at their desires.

Bzzz!

Suddenly, a deafening buzz pierced the graveyard's eerie silence. All heads turned toward the source of the disturbance. In the distance, a beam of light pierced the heavens, capturing the attention of every explorer. Xia Sheng's face darkened, fury gleaming in his eyes.

"Mo Yong, you dare to defy death!" Xia Sheng's voice roared with rage. "Everyone, return immediately and gather around me!"

Figures blurred as the explorers rushed back to Xia Sheng's side. Qin Wentian's gaze remained fixed on Mo Yong.

Mo Yong, a Heaven Chosen of the Great Earth Sect, had stumbled upon an exceptionally powerful immortal weapon, brimming with earth-elemental energy. Greed drove him to claim it as his own, but the moment he touched it, the tomb beneath crumbled, revealing a figure within.

This man had a sinister visage, his unruly yellow hair fluttering wildly. Dressed in a tattered brown robe, his eyes locked onto Mo Yong, their depths sending shivers down the spines of all who witnessed it.

"Who are you?" The yellow-haired man's face appeared emaciated, yet his presence was sharply menacing. His eyes bore into Mo Yong, filling him with fear and dread.

"Are you the one who imprisoned me here? Stole my treasure? Determined my fate?" His voice seemed to echo from a time long past, and as he stepped forward, Mo Yong was overwhelmed by an immense pressure.

Paling in fear, Mo Yong vehemently shook his head. "No, it wasn't me."

"You've stolen my treasure, sealed my destiny, and buried my soul! You must die, DIE!" The yellow-haired figure took another step forward, while Mo Yong desperately retreated. But the figure merely extended his palm, and with a deafening crash, the earth erupted, creating a prison that trapped Mo Yong and bore down upon him with crushing force.

"YOU SHOULD DIE!" The man's eyes burned with murderous intent. Strands of his yellow hair transformed into countless razor-sharp swords, exploding outward.

"NOOOO~ SAVE ME!" Despair filled Mo Yong's face. Then, a sword pierced through his head, pinning him to the ground.

Xia Sheng and the others arrived near the yellow-haired figure. They froze, witnessing him pull the sword out, which transformed back into a strand of his yellow hair. It glimmered with blood, blinding yet exuding incredible power.

"How formidable," Xia Sheng and the others muttered. This man's aura was on par with their own, at the peak of the Heavenly Dipper Realm, just like them. Mo Yong wasn't an ordinary fighter; his combat prowess was considerable. However, he was utterly defenseless before the yellow-haired figure.

The figure's gaze shifted to Xia Sheng and the rest. His eyes gleamed with a yellow light, sending shivers down their spines and making their souls tremble.

"Are you the ones who sealed my destiny, buried my soul, and stole my treasure?" The figure stared at Xia Sheng and the others, his gaze unsteady. Then, he muttered to himself, looking up at the sky. "And who am I?"

"Prepare to join forces. We must use all our strength to defeat him," Xia Sheng said quietly. Everyone began to unleash their auras, causing the entire space to quake.

"Who am I?" The figure appeared unaware that Xia Sheng and the others were preparing to attack. He continued to gaze at the sky, lost in thought.

"Let's bring him under control first. ACT NOW!" Xia Sheng shouted. As his voice rang out, ancient vines, iron chains, and spatial powers all acted in unison, erupting simultaneously to bind the yellow-haired figure.

BOOM!

The figure snapped his gaze back to Xia Sheng. The earth surged, forming a protective dome around him. Simultaneously, Xia Sheng and the others' attacks struck the earthen dome with relentless force, trying to shatter it.

The dome cracked and broke apart, revealing the yellow-haired figure. However, he had already broken free from the restraints that once held him.

BOOM!

The figure stepped forward, and with a casual palm strike, he buried a random opponent beneath the earth. Then, he raised his hands and slammed them forward. This simple action shattered the earth and killed the unfortunate soul trapped inside earlier.

Meanwhile, the experts under Xia Sheng launched another volley of attacks. Xia Sheng's hair billowed in the wind as he threw a powerful punch. Brilliant fist light illuminated the area, causing even the void to tremble under its might. Yet, the yellow-haired figure simply raised his hands. A golden screen of light materialized before him, absorbing the impact of Xia Sheng's punch. Thunderous cracks spread across the golden screen, but it held firm against Xia Sheng's assault.

"Could that be infused with true intent? The energy feels similar to what I encountered on the path to the grass hut. It must be a fusion of true intent, but it's impossible to discern the specific Mandates at play. This power is extraordinary. When the yellow-haired figure cried out 'who sealed my destiny, buried my soul,' could it be that he's already dead? Or is he truly an immortal with a sealed cultivation base?"

Qin Wentian was in awe. Xia Sheng hadn't exaggerated earlier. Any random expert who escaped their tomb, despite their restricted cultivation base, could easily kill anyone present, including Xia Sheng.

The figure with yellow hair, they realized, was no ordinary being; he was an immortal. Despite his sealed cultivation base, within the same realm, he stood as an unrivaled presence, deserving the true title of 'Unrivalled in Heavenly Dipper.'

"If I were as powerful as him," Qin Wentian mused silently, "I'd undoubtedly be the reigning champion of the Royal Sacred Region."

As this thought crossed his mind, a commanding, icy voice resonated from the void, sending shivers down their spines. The once towering auras and formidable streams of perception vanished without a trace. Even Xia Sheng, who was currently engaged in combat, felt his heart pound violently, though the voice hadn't been directed at them. Who, they wondered, was the owner of that chilling voice?

And just how formidable was he?

In another undisclosed location within the vast expanse of the immortal palace, two pairs of eyes peered through the fabric of space, observing the scene unfolding in the graveyard.

One of the figures was dressed in pitch black, exuding an intensely demonic aura. His eyes were razor-sharp, and their cold, emotionless gaze fixated on the ongoing battle. He spoke in hushed tones, "Once again, a group of reckless fools who underestimate the value of their lives. With such feeble combat prowess, they can't even navigate the immortal graveyard. Do they truly harbor hope that these individuals will seize control of this immortal palace and claim its ultimate inheritance?"

He paused for a moment, his voice dripping with cynicism, "It has been 80,000 years. Will you never awaken from your delusions?"