A solemn killing intent gathered and lingered in the void, hovering from a distance without attacking them. The air around them cleared up, whisking both corpse qi and the fetid smell away.
The zombies and ghouls hidden in the dark hadn’t fallen to the group’s attacks, but instead retreated of their own accord.
Lu Yun and the others advanced in close formation, but they were unable to draw closer to the enormous killing intent. It seemed to be close by, but impossible to approach.
“This is it! This is the place!” Lu Yun suddenly dismissed the power of inception on his body, which deactivated the Thousand Obliteration Formation of the Six Royals.
“Here?” Ying Luo and the others blinked.
“Yes, that killing intent in the distance should be the final test. Passing it will allow us to receive the heritage from the corpse.” Lu Yun inhaled deeply. “She wants one heir, not six, so…”
“So the six of us in formation will never reach our destination. We have to advance by going our separate ways,” Li Xue finished for him.
“We can break apart the formation, but we don’t need to go our separate ways,” Wei Yuan ventured hesitantly. “We can assemble together again if we run into any overwhelming danger!”
He was viscerally afraid of death and had realized that the greatest treasure he’d reaped on this trip was the Thousand Obliteration Formation. A budding thought was taking shape in his mind—that they could use this formation to explore all of the danger zones, secret retreats, and mysterious locales of the chaos. They were sure to find unexpected treasures then!
Wang Shu and You Huoran shared his thoughts as well. Meanwhile, Wei Yuan and You Huoran no longer bore the trace of enmity they’d held toward Lu Yun since their first meeting. They had all risked their lives together, entrusted their backs to each other. Theirs was now a friendship forged through life and death.
“Mmhmm.” Ying Luo nodded. “Since we could make it this far, that means we have a shared affinity for this heritage. No matter which among the six of us wins it, it’ll be a good thing regardless.”
“Let’s go together!” The six looked at each other. Though they loosened the formation, they remained in their previous positions. Whenever someone met with undeniable danger, they would be able to return to formation in the blink of an eye.
……
Boom!
Sounds of fighting traveled from up ahead and a muffled impact rang out before a figure crashed heavily their way. Before the six could do anything, the body exploded in the void in a burst of bloody mist.
“Dead!” Li Xue looked aghast. “That wasn’t a sacred palace disciple, probably someone from the sacred lands.”
“So sacred land disciples have made their way here too, and before us.” Wang Shu’s expression was a bit unnatural. They were vaunted sacred palace disciples and members of the eminent sacred clan. They sat high over the chaos creatures and nursed a natural superiority when faced with the sacred lands.
But someone from the sacred lands had progressed ahead of them!
“They might not have been ahead of us,” Lu Yun suddenly said. “The Tomb of Heaven and Earth brims with the uncanny and unexpected. There’s also a special set of testing rules at play. They probably arrived here through some other path.
“In fact, ordinary life forms will find it even easier to get here than sacred palace disciples.”
Things were fair in the tomb. Since the sacred clan was innately stronger than ordinary life forms, the tests that awaited them here were more arduous and the ones facing regular folk were much easier.
“Though our process was a lot more strenuous, everyone is equal once we reach this stage.” Lu Yun looked at a wisp of bloody mist that had yet to disperse from the air. The Spectral Eye told him everything he wanted to know about the recently dead.
The failed adventurer was a disciple of the earth elemental land, but he was surprisingly third level mortal realm—the equivalent of a dao immortal realm. Within the chaos, there was a remarkable gap between second and third level mortal realm.
“An ant of the second level is here, hmm?” came an effeminate voice. “You there, go scout the path ahead and see what that killing intent is!”
A man dressed in long pale green robes and with a piece of green scale embedded between his brows suddenly appeared; a strong presence circulated around him.
Fourth level mortal realm!
This green-robed man was neither from the sacred palaces nor from the sacred lands, but his cultivation level made him a god to those of second level mortal realm. His soul-shaking presence pressed down on the six, making it difficult for them to breathe.
The earth elemental disciple from earlier had likely been one of his cannon fodder to scout the way.
“How dare you command us?” You Huoran stepped forward and flared his power of opposition.
“Oh? A sacred clan member from a sacred palace,” smirked the man. “In that case, you most certainly can’t be left alive. Go scout the way, or I’ll have you begging for death!”
He swept his gaze over Ying Luo and Li Xue, sizing up their bodies.
“Oh yes, you should know that your cherished soul lamps are useless here. If you die, you’re completely dead and won’t come back to life. I’ve already butchered a bratty sacred clan kid who wouldn’t listen to his betters.”
His words caused only slight ripples of emotion through five of the group—they’d already been mentally prepared when Lu Yun mentioned this possibility before.
“Do you think that the sacred palaces only have soul lamps as trump cards?” Lu Yun snorted. “We looked the other way when you killed a sacred palace disciple earlier and pretended not to know anything. But to threaten us… you’re really looking to die!”
“Me, looking to die?” The man’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Hummm.
He didn’t have time to react before six pillars of light exploded from the group. The Thousand Obliteration Formation of the Six Royals that’d just disassembled reformed within the span of a breath.
The six pillars of light radiated strength even more terrifying than fourth level mortal realm!
“What kind of formation is this?!” Shock crossed the man’s face at the unexpected challenge, but still, he felt that a formation set up by six second level mortal realm ants didn’t have the ability to send him running.
Whoosh!
A sharp great axe appeared in his hand and sliced down upon the six.
“That’s senior brother Jushan’s Chaser! You killed senior brother Jushan!!” Stung by recognition, Wang Shu almost lost control when he recognized the great axe in the man’s hand. It was an extremely powerful connate treasure that was the personal weapon of a third level mortal realm disciple of Burgeon Palace.
“So that Burgeon blockhead’s name was Jushan. Meh, killing one of them is a crime, and so’s killing six of them. You can ALL DIE!”
Swooooosh.
The great axe named Chaser swept a long arc through the air and smashed down on the formation.
“AHHHHHH!!” Wang Shu roared. The formation’s power concentrated on him and his longsword blossomed with a scintillating ray of sword light, raising him to greater heights than the green-robed man!
Clang!
Wang Shu’s strike sent the great axe flying.
