The scene was grand and overwhelming. Thirty-six divine rainbows streaked ahead, followed by twenty-seven desolate beasts carrying twenty-seven powerful cultivators. Though their numbers were few, they descended like an army of thousands. The sky trembled under their might, as if a host of god-soldiers had arrived.
Cries of people and roars of beasts filled the sky. Clouds surged and rolled with overwhelming killing intent, like a tidal wave bearing down. Ye Fan was stunned. There were more cultivators here than those from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven, at least twice as many.
"Radiant Light Sacred Ground… is that the sacred ground Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven is affiliated with?" Ye Fan muttered. The name "Radiant Light" held great significance, both in ancient China and here on the other side of the stars.
"What an imposing show of force by Radiant Light Sacred Ground!" A cold voice came from another direction. The skies rumbled as eighteen ancient war chariots thundered in, radiating killing intent that made the heavens groan and quake.
"The Ji Clan, an ancient aristocratic clan from the Desolate Era!" The cultivators from Radiant Light Sacred Ground narrowed their eyes at the sight of the eighteen primeval chariots. All of them became highly alert, murderous intent surging as their aura intensified.
The two factions stopped, each occupying their own section of the sky, locked in a distant standoff.
"Everything will be determined by strength!"
Their thunderous declaration rang out. They didn't immediately clash, but both groups rushed toward the grand ancient temple above the volcano crater.
Ye Fan felt a chill. The sacred grounds and ancient clans from legends were showing up one after another. Clearly, the emergence of the Demon Emperor's Tomb was monumental, so much so that these two colossal powers had arrived in the State of Yan at the first sign.
"The Ji Clan… a lineage that dates back to ancient times," Ye Fan mused. The Ji surname is one of the oldest in Chinese history, steeped in myth and legend. He never imagined it would carry such weight even on the other side of the stars, standing as an equal to a sacred land.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE…
The sky seemed to flood as Radiant Light Sacred Ground and the Ji Clan charged forth and arrived at the grand ancient temple in an instant.
Around them, ferocious birds and beasts scattered. Though not yet capable of taking human form, they had gained intelligence and sensed danger. They retreated without hesitation.
On the other side, the elders of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven turned pale. Though affiliated with Radiant Light Sacred Ground, they hadn't reported the tomb's emergence. Now that their superior had shown up in person, they felt uneasy. Worse, the Ji Clan, the closest ancient clan to the State of Yan, had also arrived. With two giants now on the scene, Desolate Spirit's cultivators were filled with bitterness. They knew it was unlikely they'd gain anything now.
Inside the ancient temple, fierce combat raged. Several great demons and the leaders of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven, including its head and grand elders, clashed violently. The dull, echoing sounds were so powerful they caused pain even from afar.
Radiant Light Sacred Ground swiftly surrounded the temple. Dozens of desolate beasts stampeded through the air, snorting clouds and mist, shaking the sky with every step. The Ji Clan was no less formidable. Their eighteen war chariots formed a battle formation in the air, sealing off the temple and preparing for the possibility that the Demon Emperor's tomb might suddenly ascend.
Then, eight or nine elders emerged from the ranks of both Radiant Light and the Ji Clan. With a flash of light, they stepped into the air and disappeared into the temple entrance.
BOOM!
The tomb trembled more violently than before. The battle inside had reached its climax. Weapons glowing with god-light shot from the doorway.
The arrival of the sacred ground and ancient clan broke the stalemate. Many restrictions within the tomb were quickly unraveled, and before long, streaks of multi-coloured light burst forth.
Everyone surrounding the temple sprang into action, racing on divine rainbows to intercept the flying light, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be glowing weapons, clearly no ordinary artifacts.
THUD!
A sudden shockwave rocked the area. Everyone near the ancient temple went pale and was sent flying. A vast, unfathomable force burst from the temple, like a furious ocean, toppling four of the Ji Clan's war chariots and sending Radiant Light Sacred Ground's desolate beasts and cultivators tumbling through the sky.
A blinding light erupted from the Demon Emperor's tomb, making it impossible to look directly. The boundless force surged like a mountain collapsing into a sea. A tiny crystal coffin, less than a foot long, burst forth. The immense power and blinding brilliance were coming from it.
Thump… thump… thump…
The coffin pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. It was filled with powerful life force, radiating immense energy.
"Stop it!"
Shouts echoed from within the tomb. A dozen figures charged out. Leading them was Pang Bo. He was now enveloped in green aura. The dragon and phoenix runes on his face were denser, and now extended to his arms, even revealing symbols of black tortoises and kirins. His eyes emitted green light several meters long. His demonic aura was so intense it surpassed even the great demons behind him. At that moment, he had eyes for nothing but the crystal coffin, chasing it relentlessly.
The elite cultivators of Radiant Light and the Ji Clan looked shaken as they rushed out of the temple. They barked orders, demanding that the coffin be stopped. Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven's leader and two remaining elders also emerged, pale and desperate. Though outnumbered, they still hoped to compete, otherwise all their effort would be for nothing.
The great demons looked furious and reluctant, but facing so many powerful human cultivators, they had no choice but to back off and look for an opportunity.
The Ji Clan's eighteen war chariots formed a formation to intercept the crystal coffin. Radiant Light's cultivators, some riding beasts, some flying on divine rainbows, joined the chase.
The foot-long coffin was soon surrounded. All the powerhouses who had escaped the tomb rushed forward simultaneously, reaching out to seize it.
CRACK!
More than a dozen glowing hands reached for the crystal coffin, all formed of divine light rather than flesh. They fought for it and fought each other at the same time.
The Ji Clan's war chariots surrounded the area. Radiant Light's people surged forward in all directions. Desolate Spirit's head and two grand elders looked grim, though strong, they were hopelessly outmatched.
Pang Bo was even more alone, but he didn't give up. His demonic aura reached the heavens, and the green beams from his eyes extended over ten meters, his power still rising.
CRACK… CRACK…
The crystal coffin began to crack under the pressure of so many cultivators. Then, BANG!, it shattered.
BOOM!
A wave of monstrous demonic power exploded out, blasting everyone away. Not a single person could withstand it.
Four of the Ji Clan's foremost chariots were utterly destroyed. The twelve cultivators aboard them disintegrated like dust.
Radiant Light suffered heavy casualties as well. More than ten were torn apart by the storm of demonic power, beast and rider alike, turned into bloody mist.
The head and grand elders of Desolate Spirit were pale as ghosts. They were thrown back hundreds of meters and barely regained control, even they had nearly been crippled.
Far off, Ye Fan's heart tightened. He feared something might happen to Pang Bo. Even though he was currently controlled by the unknown entity, that was still Pang Bo's body.
But Pang Bo was unharmed. He had already retreated farther than anyone, as if he'd anticipated the explosion all along.
From the shattered crystal coffin surged a life force more vast than an ocean. Even if you combined the life force of everyone present, it wouldn't match what was now released.
At the center of that demonic power was a blood-red heart, no bigger than a fist, gleaming like a ruby. Brilliant blood-colored light swirled around it. The vast demonic power and overwhelming life aura were emanating from this heart.
Thump… thump… thump…
It beat rhythmically, still pulsing with life. This was a living, vibrant heart.
No one could approach. Each beat of the crimson heart made everyone's blood surge, their vessels on the brink of bursting. Their own hearts ached as if being crushed. Many coughed blood and were forced to retreat.
A terrifying heart, just beating normally, was enough to overwhelm everyone!
"The Emperor's Heart… It's the Imperial Demon Heart!" gasped several great demons from the sky, stunned.
The gleaming heart pulsed once more and suddenly shot into the sky, turning into a streak of bloody divine light and vanishing into the distance.
"Stop it! Don't let it escape!" an elder from Radiant Light shouted, panicked.
"Intercept it! At all costs, seal it!" a Ji Clan elder cried. "That's the heart of a Demon Emperor, the source of his power. If another greater demon obtains it, we might see the rise of a new Demon Emperor!"
Several greater demons had already charged after it. But one figure moved faster than all, Pang Bo. His body merged with the heavens and earth, transforming into a green beam of light, vanishing in the blink of an eye, almost simultaneously following the heart into the sky.
The Ji Clan sent out eight war chariots in pursuit, while Radiant Light Sacred Ground dispatched half of their forces as well. The rest remained behind to surround the Demon Emperor's tomb.
"If we had known it was the Demon Emperor's tomb, we would've reported it up the chain!" an elder from Radiant Light sighed. "We came too hastily. Our strength is insufficient…"
"We thought it was just an ordinary cave dwelling. Who would've guessed it was the tomb of a Demon Emperor? This is a matter that will shake the entire Eastern Wilderness!" a Ji Clan cultivator added, full of regret. They, too, had come without informing higher authorities.
From afar, Ye Fan was deeply shocked. Among these people, at least ten were no weaker than the leader of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven. Yet from their words, it was clear, none of them were even the true elites of their respective factions. The realization was chilling.
These sacred lands and ancient clans truly were incomprehensible giants.
"Sect Master Li, did your sect obtain the legendary Dao Scripture?" one of the elders from Radiant Light asked Desolate Spirit's leader. Upon realizing this was the Demon Emperor's tomb, he immediately suspected what divine relics were buried here.
Besides the demon race artifacts the emperor used in life, there were likely three major treasures:
– The Dao Scripture,
– A peerless treasure of the human race from the Eastern Wilderness,
– The Demon Emperor's own body.
The heart, the source of the Demon Emperor's power, had already escaped. It was uncertain if it could be recovered. As for the remaining two relics, Radiant Light and the Ji Clan were determined to seize them.
Desolate Spirit's leader felt bitter. They had failed to report the tomb to Radiant Light and gained nothing in the end. Had he known, he might as well have handed over the relic as a gesture of goodwill. He explained hastily:
"The Dao Scripture, the first divine treasure, vanished. Only an empty box remains. No one saw the actual scripture. The third divine treasure, the Demon Emperor's heart, was accidentally released. Only the second remains, and we've barely broken half its restrictions. We suspect the human race's treasure is inside. Some demon artifacts used by the emperor may also remain."
"The Dao Scripture vanished? How could that be?!" The cultivators from Radiant Light and the Ji Clan stared at Desolate Spirit's leader in disbelief.
His heart was heavy. There were a few ancient scriptures in the Eastern Wilderness that rivaled the Dao Scripture, all in the hands of sacred lands and ancient clans. Though they already had such texts, they still wanted to seize this one. He could only sigh and say helplessly, "We truly didn't see it…"
Just then, from the distant sky, soft celestial music drifted over. A dozen women floated gracefully through the air, passing directly above Ye Fan. He was stunned.
These women were all dressed in snow-white robes. Though not stunning beauties, each was elegant and otherworldly, untouched by mortal dust. Light as feathers, they moved like immortal maidens dancing on air, like spirits in flight, ethereal and pure.
Some gently played bamboo flutes, their music soft and melodious. Others smiled faintly, like spring sunshine. These women, each with finely drawn features, seemed like immortals, serene and transcendent.
Ye Fan was amazed. This, he thought, is what cultivators should look like, ethereal, detached from the mundane, riding rainbows and wandering freely through the world.
"Even the long-hidden Jade Pool Sacred Ground has been stirred, surely, the rest of the Eastern Wilderness will soon swarm here," someone said.
"Jade Pool has always avoided worldly conflict. Are they really here to fight for the Demon Emperor's relics?"
The cultivators from Radiant Light and the Ji Clan greeted the women cautiously, both probing and testing the waters.
"We were only passing by," one white-clad woman said with a light smile. "But we sensed a vast ocean of baleful energy and came to investigate. We never expected to encounter all of you here." Her expression grew solemn. "We didn't expect the tomb of a Demon Emperor to emerge. In the days to come, the entire Eastern Wilderness will be shaken. Every sect will surely send their people."
From afar, Ye Fan was once again shocked. Names like Radiant Light, Ji, and Jade Pool were far from ordinary. Especially Jade Pool, a name etched deep into ancient Chinese mythology. Who would have thought it carried such weight even on the other side of the stars?