Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
The piercing sound of divine rainbows tearing through the sky echoed continuously. More cultivators arrived, rushing toward the Demon Emperor's tomb. Ye Fan watched all this without much excitement. He strode forward into the distance, gradually leaving the ruins behind, retracing his path to the region where the five finger-like mountains were located.
"What's going on..." Ye Fan was shocked.
It was still the same place, but the lush, vibrant landscape had vanished. In front of him stood five bare stone peaks, utterly barren, not a single blade of grass in sight. They were no longer tall or majestic but had become squat and unremarkable, like five massive stones lined up in a row.
Passing through the five stone mountains and walking further, he neither lost his direction nor saw any paradise. All that lay ahead was rubble and yellow sand, a desolate, silent wasteland, utterly unfamiliar and lifeless.
"I didn't go the wrong way..." Ye Fan was certain this was the same region, but the scene before him had completely changed. That pure land had utterly disappeared.
Ye Fan suspected he had stepped into an illusion. He closed his eyes and tried to sense the Imperial Demon Heart with his own, but detected nothing. The area was eerily silent, truly a barren land.
He searched the area meticulously and, with a sense of helplessness, confirmed the truth: it was all real. There was no pure land here, only a desert of sand and stone spanning dozens of miles, no vitality, only death.
"How could this happen..." Ye Fan frowned and returned to the central stone mountain, where he suddenly spotted the corner of a robe.
"It's Pang Bo's..."
Ye Fan searched the entire area again, but ultimately, it ended in disappointment. This barren land held nothing. Pang Bo and several greater demons had completely vanished.
After who knows how many searches around the region, Ye Fan, exhausted, lay down on the sand, deep in thought. At last, he sighed. With his current strength, he couldn't find Pang Bo, and even if he did uncover a clue, he wouldn't be strong enough to rescue him.
In the end, Ye Fan could only choose to leave. He didn't know if he would ever see Pang Bo again.
They had crossed the universe together, surviving life-and-death situations, always supporting one another. Now, separated like this, Ye Fan felt deeply lost as he walked away, one step at a time.
After walking several hundred miles, Ye Fan passed by ancient ruins not far from the Demon Emperor's tomb. Now, that place was packed with cultivators. The ancient tomb floated in the sky, radiating divine brilliance.
Suddenly, a deafening rumble shook the sky.
An ancient war chariot, exuding a killing aura, rolled in from the horizon. Made of solid gold and inscribed densely with Dao Runes it was pulled by nine powerful green flood dragons. Thunder and wind boomed as it crushed the skies, surging with an overwhelming battle will like a tidal wave.
In the distance, countless cultivators gasped. Another major figure had arrived. Many turned pale, only the Ancient Desolate Royal Ji Clan looked pleased.
The golden war chariot, pulled by the nine flood dragons, raced across the clouds and mist. It stopped in front of the Ji clan members, and silence followed.
Before people could react, divine music like heavenly chimes drifted through the air. Countless petals rained from the sky, sparkling and fragrant. Beautiful figures floated gracefully like celestial maidens, their flowing sleeves ethereal and elegant.
Amid the flower-draped sky, they surrounded a fragrant carriage woven from divine blossoms, gliding lightly through the air. The falling flower rain turned the ruins into a dreamlike spectacle.
In front of the Demon Emperor's tomb, all the cultivators were stunned. Another formidable presence had arrived. This ancient tomb truly attracted mighty cultivators from all corners of the world.
Ye Fan had calmed down. Although he hadn't found Pang Bo, he firmly believed Pang Bo was still alive. One day, they would meet again.
"I must become stronger. I must keep growing stronger, never let others control our fate again!"
Ye Fan swept aside his sorrow. Light flashed in his eyes, revealing unshakable determination and confidence. Since he had embarked on this cultivation path, his top priority was to grow powerful. Only then could he save Pang Bo.
He didn't leave. Instead, he withdrew several miles and climbed a tall mountain eight or nine miles from the tomb to watch from afar. With his current cultivation, he stood no chance in the contest for the tomb's treasures. Even the weakest cultivators there could easily kill him. Observing from a distance was just a way to gain insight.
By now, countless cultivators had arrived, and many had already taken action. Still, no one had managed to open the tomb. Numerous lives had already been lost.
The majestic ancient tomb, forged from five-colored god-jade, was covered with densely packed demon glyphs. Five-colored god-radiance flared. Dragon-shaped, phoenix-shaped, tortoise-shaped characters seemed to come alive. Baleful energy surged like smoke, soaring to the heavens. The demonic power surged like a raging ocean, no one could get near. Anyone who crossed the boundary was instantly reduced to ash.
"A generation of demon emperors laid down this immortal-slaying power. Though it has weakened over the ages, we've grasped its rhythm. The time has come, we can act now." A cold, clear voice emerged from a jade carriage drawn by nine qilin beasts before the tomb. The voice wasn't loud, almost low, but it spread clearly to every corner, making many cultivators tremble.
A super-powerful figure was finally going to strike!
"Indeed, the tomb can be opened now." A gentle female voice replied. Though her presence remained unseen, no one doubted her strength. To converse with the jade carriage's master, she had to be of equal standing.
"Our clans hold a geographical advantage. Opening the tomb now will benefit us greatly!" Another voice echoed from the sky, filled with authority. Each word hit like thunder, leaving cultivators' ears ringing.
Beneath the flowery sky, a crisp and melodic female voice came from the floral carriage: "In that case, let us begin."
"We are about to forcefully open the Demon Emperor's tomb. To avoid harming the innocent, all must retreat!" An aged, sea-like voice thundered from the Ji Clan's golden war chariot, shaking the heavens with peerless might.
Five great figures spoke one after another, their voices blending into a terrifying, heart-shaking force like claps of thunder. At that moment, all cultivators' minds trembled, and their bodies staggered as they instinctively retreated.
The five mysterious powerhouses could wait no longer. As other top forces approached, they had to act, joining forces to shatter the tomb and seize its treasures ahead of time.
Even eight or nine miles away, Ye Fan felt the terrifying fluctuations. Without hesitation, he retreated several more miles.
Boom!
Not long after, a deafening explosion came from the direction of the tomb. It was soul-shaking. Brilliant god-light pierced the clouds and connected heaven and earth. Like a volcanic eruption, infinite baleful power burst forth. Dazzling light surged outward like a tidal wave. Many cultivators, like floating weeds, were flung away by the energy blast. Even at a great distance, they were still affected.
Far away, Ye Fan was horrified. The shockwave reached him too. Vegetation snapped, boulders rolled. Even hidden behind a stone mountain, he felt jittery.
This Demon Emperor's tomb was terrifying. Though countless ages had passed and its immortal-slaying force had greatly diminished, when triggered, it still unleashed such monstrous power. One could only imagine how terrifying the Demon Emperor was in life when he ruled the Eastern Wilderness!
"Truly worthy of being the ancient tyrant who dominated the East, the might of his seal alone reflects his unmatched brilliance!"
In front of the grand ancient hall, only five remained, unseen, appearing as blinding light clusters. All of them sighed in awe.
"A once-in-a-lifetime genius, the Demon Emperor truly was unparalleled."
"The remaining baleful power here is likely less than one-tenth of his original strength, yet it's still so terrifying. Just imagining it is staggering."
Despite these words, the five powerhouses did not relent. They unleashed even more savage and domineering attacks with all their godpower.
Boom!
Like divine seas raging or galaxies overturning, the heavens were awash in blinding brilliance. Divine radiance clashed everywhere. The tomb site was a cauldron of frenzy and fury.
All cultivators retreated far away, none dared linger.
The five figures attacked without pause, summoning their weapons to strike directly at the Demon Emperor's tomb. Their blows darkened the sun and moon, shaking the entire world.
Endless god light and terrifying baleful energy exploded outward.
No one knew how long it lasted. Even the five powerhouses lost count of how many times they struck. Eventually, they finally cracked a corner of the Demon Emperor's tomb.
Boom!
With one last joint blow, five weapons glowing with god-light, infused with their full essence and power, they finally tore open a section of the tomb.
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
In that moment, beams of radiant light burst from the crack in the tomb, flying in all directions. Sentient weapons were escaping on their own!
The five figures reached out with massive hands, grabbing at the sky. But some beams still got away, shooting into the sky or vanishing into the forest below.
Instantly, all the watching cultivators moved, rushing in every direction, some toward the sky, others into the forests, chasing those streaks of light.
Shhh!
One streak of cyan light shot into the stone mountain where Ye Fan was hidden, piercing the rock wall like it was paper. Ye Fan was stunned. He never imagined that hiding this far away would actually bring him a chance encounter.
Boom!
At the same time, the five powerhouses attacked once more, unleashing their weapons against the Demon Emperor's tomb again!