Dugu Ao said indifferently, “I do not have an opinion.”
Yang Kai looked towards the straw-caped old man. Since Xiao Chen and Dugu Ao already agreed, the old man naturally did not object.
“Good. I just knew that everyone would not be satisfied with just this much gains. This is an Eight Star dragon grave. How can we go back with so little?”
Yang Kai smiled happily to himself and led the way out of the burial ground. The others quickly followed behind.
After passing through the burial ground, the group continued to delve deeper into the vast and complicated cave system.
The farther in the group went, the denser the Demonic Qi became. The initially indistinct and illusory Demonic Qi was already visible with the naked eye here.
As the strands of Demonic Qi lingered in the air, they writhed about like snakes, appearing extremely strange.
The entire group found them somewhat grotesque. Yang Kai showed a cautious expression. Now, he rather regretted his suggestion to explore further.
Aside from finding the remains of the true master of this dragon grave, Yang Kai had made his suggestion to see if he could take advantage of the situation to kill Xiao Chen.
However, things seemed out of Yang Kai’s control now. The atmosphere was simply too strange. How could there be such dense Demonic Qi in this dragon grave?
Furthermore, this Demonic Qi was extremely pure. If there were any Demon cultivators from the Deep Abyss Demonic World or a Demon mixed-blood here, they would definitely enjoy this place a lot.
To such cultivators, this was a utopia for cultivating.
However, Xiao Chen discovered that Dugu Ao displayed a somewhat unsightly expression. In the first place, Dugu Ao was very sensitive to Demonic Qi. Although Demon mixed-bloods would enjoy the Demonic Qi, it seemed like Dugu Ao was loathe to come into contact with it.
Xiao Chen recalled how Dugu Ao was not willing to use the abilities that came from the Blood Demon bloodline. There had to be a story behind this.
However, Xiao Chen could not be bothered with what it was, nor was he nosy enough to inquire into it.
The thing that concerned Xiao Chen the most was what lay in the depths of this dragon grave.
The journey ahead was unexpectedly calm. Due to the age of the restrictions and traps, the group easily broke them. The excursion could be said to be peaceful with no surprises.
There were many forks in the road. However, they did not need to worry about getting lost. They simply chose the fork with the densest Demonic Qi.
However, towards the end, the five felt their hair stand on end. Even when circulating their energies, they found it hard to block the dense Demonic Qi seeping into their bodies.
This was still fine for Dugu Ao. However, the Demonic Qi was like poison when it entered the bodies of the others. After this was over, they would have to spend some time before they could eliminate it.
“Let’s go!”
Yang Kai steeled himself and continued forward. Retreating after getting this far would be too hard to accept.
After passing through a passageway filled with a mist of Demonic Qi, the group’s eyes lit up when the visibility suddenly improved.
When everyone saw the scene in front, they gaped in disbelief.
An enormous black True Dragon skeleton lay on the vast empty ground before them. The True Dragon skeleton emanated puissant Dragon Might. Even from a distance, the group felt an intense pressure.
Eight thick, heavy chains crossed the back of the remains and firmly locked down the black skeleton from every direction.
Thick, heavy chains, an enormous black True Dragon skeleton, and Dragon Might that had not dispersed for millions of years.
The shock that this scene brought to the group was indescribable. One would understand only if they experienced it for themselves.
Eight flaming stone pillars surrounded the black True Dragon skeleton. A set of upright purple dragon bones was tied to the top of each of the stone pillars.
Compared to the enormous black dragon bones, these eight sets of dragon bones tied to the flaming pillars were significantly smaller.
Even so, these eight sets of purple dragon bones were much larger than the True Dragon bones they obtained at the earlier burial ground. Furthermore, the Dragon Might from these dragon bones had not dispersed yet. Which was better was very clear.
Be it the purple dragon bones on the flaming stone pillars, or the enormous black skeleton tied down by the chains, they all emanated extraordinary auras.
“What kind of flame is this? To think that it is still burning even after millions of years.”
Even with the experience of a half-step Martial Emperor, Yang Kai felt that his knowledge was insufficient; he could not identify what kind of flame this was.
Xiao Chen frowned slightly and muttered, “This is a Heavenly Flame.”
This was indeed a Heavenly Flame, similar to the one in Chu Chaoyun’s eye. However, the Heavenly Flame that Chu Chaoyun grasped did not have an Origin Flame. It was merely form without substance.
However, the flames on these stone pillars were ignited by someone with the Heavenly Flame’s Origin Flame. Their might was simply incomparable.
Xiao Chen thought about the Heavenly Flame’s Origin Flame sealed in the Azure Dragon Palace. Could it be that the Azure Emperor was the one who kindled these flames?
Upon thinking about it deeply, he concluded it was actually quite possible. There happened to be a Heavenly Flame’s Origin Flame in the Azure Dragon Palace, and it happened to have been brought over by the Azure Emperor.
“What is going on here? Why did the master of this dragon grave lock itself here? Why does it feel like someone sealed the dragon bones on the stone pillars?”
Without a doubt, the enormous black dragon skeleton was the master of this dragon grave. However, why had it locked itself now?
“Look there—the decorative item at the very top of that stone pillar. Doesn’t it look like a sword hilt?” the sharp-eyed, straw-caped old man suddenly said.
The top of each stone pillar had a smaller stone pillar in the middle of it that was about the length of a palm. It happened to be a size that one could grasp with one hand.
If one did not think of a sword’s handle, the smaller stone pillar was unlikely to attract anyone’s attention. However, once this connection was made, the similarity became pronounced.
“Distant Ancient Divine Weapon!”
The eyes of the swordsman Yang Kai immediately lit up. Although Wu Ke and the straw-caped old man did not use swords, they understood the value of a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon.
Divine Weapons already equaled Emperor Grade Secret Treasures; they were weapons that were very hard to find. A Divine Weapon could raise a Martial Emperor’s strength by at least twenty percent.
As for a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon, it could only be stronger than modern Divine Weapons.
Dugu Ao frowned and said, “It is best to not mess around with them. I feel that these stone pillars are seals. These eight dragon skeletons and the gigantic dragon skeleton in the center are already no longer those of the Dragon Race. The Demonic Qi coming from them is even purer than that of high-ranked Demons.”
Given Dugu Ao’s identity as a Demon mixed-blood, his words were pretty reliable.
Xiao Chen also felt that the Distant Ancient Divine Weapons on these stone pillars should not be moved. So he advised, “Let’s go back. This place is too strange. The Azure Emperor must have added the Heavenly Flame. It is very possible that the original seal could no longer suppress this thing, so he added the Heavenly Flame.”
The other three wavered over their decisions. Given their knowledge and experience, they knew that Xiao Chen and Dugu Ao made sense.
However, the temptation of a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon was simply too great. If they missed this chance, they might never get such a chance again.
Yang Kai, who desired these Divine Weapons the most, said, “Perhaps you are all overthinking this. These might just be ordinary True Dragon remains, just like the other dragon graves. They died millions of years ago and are already only skeletons.”
Xiao Chen smiled coldly and said, “You sure are excellent at reassuring yourself.”
After being mocked, Yang Kai felt extremely upset. Disdain appeared in his eyes as he said sullenly, “This old man does not need you to lecture me. If there really is any trouble, you don’t have to worry about me.”
These words sounded extremely irresponsible, but he was right. If the sky fell, there would naturally be someone to deal with it.
As long as Yang Kai grabbed the Distant Ancient Divine Weapon here and fled right away, even if the seal broke in the future, the ones to worry about it would be the Primes and the Sovereign Martial Emperors. It would have nothing to do with a half-step Martial Emperor like him.
“Whoosh!”
Yang Kai’s figure flashed, and he landed on top of one of the stone pillars. There was no Heavenly Flame there, only some wisps of it in the surroundings.
He bent over carefully and extended his hand to grasp the sword handle.
Seeing Yang Kai’s action, Xiao Chen and Dugu Ao quickly retreated ten steps, their expressions changing drastically. Greed flashed in the eyes of Wu Ke and the straw-caped old man; they did not move back at all.
Obviously, Wu Ke and the straw-caped old man also wanted a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon. If nothing happened after Yang Kai pulled one out, the two would rush over as quickly as possible and pull out the rest of the Distant Ancient Divine Weapons without leaving any behind.
Yang Kai took a deep breath of air beneath everyone’s gaze. Determination flashed in his eyes as he slowly extracted the sword.
As the sword came out gradually, fragments of stone fell off, and the blade shone with a brilliant light. A strong and plain might spread out. This sword was indeed a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon.
Yang Kai, a swordsman, could not hold back an expression of joy. However, he suppressed his emotions and continued to pull out the sword carefully.
A trace of strong emotion appeared in the eyes of Wu Ke and the straw-caped old man. They looked around, wanting to see if the purple dragon bones bound to the stone pillars made any strange movements.
There were no movements at all. These dragon bones were like ordinary True Dragon bones. There was no sign of life or any strange sound.
Everything was calm and peaceful.
The two released their bated breaths. A cunning look flashed in their eyes as they stepped forward. Without waiting for Yang Kai to finish pulling out the sword, they each flew to the top of a stone pillar.
“Hah!”
Compared to Yang Kai’s caution, the two were hot-headed and did not display any prudence. They used force to pull, yanking their respective swords out in one go.
The two ended up only slightly slower than Yang Kai. The three of them extracted the Distant Ancient Divine Weapons at nearly the same time. Joy filled their faces.
When the three of them felt the surging energy coming from the swords, they were incomparably elated.
Xiao Chen maintained a calm expression; his emotions did not fluctuate. He kept feeling like something was going to happen.
It was definitely not normal for the situation to be this calm now. The Distant Ancient Divine Weapons were no doubt crucial items in the sealing. After they were gone, there would surely be great changes to the seal.
However, Xiao Chen harbored some doubts in his heart as well. The bound dragon skeletons had already been dead for a long time. It was possible that they were of no threat by now.
No matter what, it was better to be cautious. Thinking of this, Xiao Chen moved his feet, shifting himself back further.
“Hahaha! A Distant Ancient Divine Weapon! It really is a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon! With this Distant Ancient Divine Weapon, what is there for me to fear from the Great Tribulation of wind and fire?!”
After clearing the Great Tribulation of wind and fire, one would step onto the path to become a Martial Emperor. Now that his dream of several hundred years was within reach, the straw-caped old man entered into a deranged state, laughing maniacally.
Yang Kai glanced at Xiao Chen and Dugu Ao, who had distanced themselves far away. He laughed and said, “There are still five Distant Ancient Divine Weapons. Are you sure that the two of you don’t want them? If you really don’t want them, then don’t blame us for not leaving any for you two.”
A tempted look flashed in the eyes of both Xiao Chen and Dugu Ao. No one could deny the allure of a Distant Ancient Divine Weapon.
