Chapter 181: Sad Five-Man Group

Long Kun felt a slight panic. Although he had allied himself with Xu Yang's team, he wasn't confident enough to believe he could one day stand against the entire Yuanyang Empire's royal family.

"What's there to fear? If they dare to come, we'll fight our way out. We've even endured the Imperial Mausoleum; why should we be afraid of a mere Yuanyang Empire?"

Ling Qingshu's spirits lifted. Aside from how astonishing their current team's overall combat strength was, even before, when the Tianlan Sect was besieged by various other sects, she, as the female sect leader, had faced it without fear, long embracing the idea of death.

"No. The Yuanyang Empire is not to blame. The fault lies in the principle that an innocent man with a treasure becomes a target. Since we have already obtained the Imperial Mausoleum's legacy, there's no need to overthrow the empire's foundation. As long as Yuan Haotian can understand his predicament, I still have a way to appease his resentment."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's words, everyone's hearts finally settled.

"That's wonderful! Brother, you finally succeeded!"

Little Tuantuan couldn't wait any longer and swiftly rushed to Xu Yang, affectionately embracing her brother.

Now, Xu Yang was more than just Tuantuan's brother. As the inheritor of the Ancient Desolate lineage's deep legacy, protecting Tuantuan had become both his responsibility and his mission.

"Once the Heavenly Array is activated, it will inevitably conflict with the Imperial Mausoleum's internal Heavenly Array. The Barren Heaven Unbounded was originally the core of the Imperial Mausoleum's formation. Now that you have inherited it, there is no longer a need for this Imperial Mausoleum to exist. The Ancient Desolate lineage is finally meant to see the light of day!"

As soon as the Guardian Dragon finished speaking, it suddenly unleashed a world-shaking roar that reverberated in all directions. Golden dragon light spread, reviving all the soldiers and generals still sealed within the soldier figures. All the carriages and stone coffins were also unsealed.

"Take all the legacies from here, quickly!"

With a thought, a transfer mark swiftly appeared in Xu Yang's palm. He had transformed the small world within his Sea of Consciousness into a unique storage space, through which all the gold, silver, treasures, and ancient legacies from this place were transferred into his body via the mark in his palm.

Considering both security and capacity, the small world was incomparable to ordinary storage spaces; moreover, its confidentiality was exceptionally strong.

With Xu Yang's current strength, only top continental powerhouses beyond the God Transformation realm could detect the existence of his small world, let alone plunder these legacies.

During the transfer, all eight thousand revived elite soldiers and generals of the Ancient Desolate were also drawn into it.

In an instant, Xu Yang had almost entirely emptied the Imperial Mausoleum. When the group flew back to the floating stone platform entrance that connected to the outside world, they cast one last glance at the Mausoleum, their hearts filled with endless emotion.

"The past of the Ancient Desolate has ended, completely becoming history. From the moment you step out of here, a new chapter continuing the civilization of the Ancient Desolate Dynasty will officially begin!"

Carrying this conviction, Xu Yang and his group finally began their journey back. The massive array totem atop the Imperial Mausoleum, as grand as a sky curtain, also began to crack, having fulfilled its mission, and all the structures within the Imperial Mausoleum started to collapse.

"Hurry!"

Xu Yang and his group soared with the wind, swiftly flying through the exit passage with extraordinary agility and speed, quickly departing in the direction they had come from.

The moment they exited the mountain entrance, the entire Imperial Mausoleum entrance collapsed completely, and the protective power of the outer Heavenly Array also began to weaken.

*Boom!*

Xu Yang raised his hand and unleashed a powerful palm strike, shattering all the surrounding array light. Due to his action, the dragon pulse energy that the Yuanyang Empire relied upon for its survival was also severed.

In fact, even if Xu Yang hadn't acted, with the collapse of the Imperial Mausoleum, the dragon's essence that the Yuanyang Empire relied upon would have vanished sooner or later.

"Someone's coming..."

Ling Yao, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke, her eyes seemingly radiating an incredibly powerful sword light. This was a special ability she had comprehended during the Heavenly Array Sword Tribulation, allowing her to preemptively lock onto the aura of a large group of Yuanyang Empire powerhouses a thousand miles away.

"No fewer than five hundred people are approaching, each a seasoned cultivator above the Nascent Soul stage. This likely represents more than half of the Yuanyang Empire's cultivation foundation!"

Ling Yao's report startled Long Kun and the others.

"Oh my goodness, really? Has Yuan Haotian lost his mind?"

Ling Qingshu glared at Long Kun. "If you were him, I guarantee you'd be even more distraught. The immediate priority is for us to find an exit and quickly leave this dreadful place!"

In the pitch-dark space, although Ling Qingshu's moonlight guided them, it continuously depleted her spiritual energy, leaving the girl feeling quite overwhelmed.

"The path we took to get here is now impossible to find. I expect this place must have another exit."

"Hmph, you think you can just leave? It won't be that easy!"

They initially thought it was the first wave of powerhouses from the Yuanyang Empire arriving. However, upon closer inspection, those speaking from behind were actually students from the Holy Soul Academy!

Indeed, it was the final team comprised of five champions, who had previously been thoroughly defeated by Xu Yang and his companions in the arena.

"Heh, just you guys? Are you serious?"

Long Kun scoffed disdainfully.

"We are indeed no match for you, but what kind of situation would it be if we brought in all those royal forces who are pursuing you?"

The captain suddenly smirked chillingly, conjuring a scepter in his hand. With a gentle tap on the ground, a vibrant and magnificent array pattern swiftly materialized.

"Oh no, this is the academy's Spatial Teleportation Hexagram Array! We're in trouble now!"

As a teacher from the academy, Long Kun recognized the array's pattern at a glance.

"Since you recognize it, can't you break it?"

Ling Qingshu looked at Long Kun with astonishment, realizing that despite all his talk, he had no intention of intervening to stop it.

"It's useless. This is an inherited array of the academy's Elder Council. Only inner disciples privately taken in by an Elder are qualified to inherit it."

Xu Yang and the others were speechless.

"Forget it. Since it's unavoidable, let's just fight fiercely!"

Ling Qingshu was the first to declare her stance, and the brilliant moonlight behind her brightened even further. Almost at the same moment, a large number of imperial knights surged from the center of the array, completely sealing off the surroundings, and an intense murderous aura burned to its extreme.

"So it was indeed you few guest students who caused this immense disaster! His Imperial Majesty is enraged and has sworn to dismember you all. Why don't you surrender immediately?!"

The leader wore general's armor. He was Long Ju, the Deputy Commander of the Yuanyang Empire's military, a first-rank official, who possessed a mid-stage Primordial Spirit cultivation and was exceptionally skilled in battlefield combat.

"I advise you, do not resist needlessly. I will personally go and speak with your emperor. If you insist on blocking our path, you will bear the consequences."