Chapter 283: The Asura's Past

Xu Yang and the Empress felt a tremor in their souls. Tuoba Yun's appearance was enough to explain many doubts, but the image continued.

In the light screen, beside Tuoba Yun stood a dozen unparalleled experts from Northern Jin, almost all with unfamiliar faces, their hair and beards white. These were the true hidden powerhouses of Northern Jin's cultivation world, brought forth by him in full force. All these elders stood on either side of Tuoba Yun, personally guarding him. In front of Tuoba Yun, a completely blood-red tombstone faintly emanated an incredibly terrifying crimson glow.

Although this was a simulated scene generated by the Grand Sumeru Path, preventing them from feeling the true fluctuations of that power, even just by observing it, it was clear how terrifying this crimson power was! Xu Yang and the others could almost confirm that the awakening of this mysterious power was the true source of the earth-shattering roar in their parallel space.

Indeed! After the power within the tombstone was released, it was all transferred into Tuoba Yun's body using a special method.

Throughout the viewing, everyone else was merely surprised. Only the Sword Spirit, who understood the true meaning of it all, revealed terror in its eyes. The only power that could make the spirit of a dragon-slaying sword feel fear was probably of that caliber...

As the crimson power was being transferred, Tuoba Yun laughed wildly and wantonly, his appearance strikingly similar to Tuoba Hong's near-demonic state after he used the Rashomon technique. Following this, wisps of black energy emanated from his body and spread outwards. At the same time, this black energy enveloped the dozen old men behind him, seemingly altering each of their states slightly.

Before they could fully observe the entire process, the light screen in the illusory sky began to rapidly dim, eventually disappearing completely...

Indeed, Xu Yang and the Empress had exhausted their spiritual energy. Under the protection of the Ancestral Dragon Soul, neither of their souls was harmed, but this near-depletion of energy would require at least a few days of unconsciousness to fully recover. The spiritual energy of the others who helped was far inferior to Xu Yang and the Empress. After completing the divination of the Grand Sumeru Path, everyone fell into a deep sleep. Taotie silently guarded them.

Three days later, everyone gradually woke up, except for young Xiaotuantuan, who remained asleep.

"I didn't expect the Grand Sumeru Path to be so draining, but its effects are truly extraordinary. Being able to glimpse into the past is an astonishing feat in itself." Xu Yang was very satisfied with this casting. It also further improved his spiritual energy and deepened the soul connection between him and the Empress.

"Sword Spirit, please help us interpret what we observed. I sensed your emotional fluctuations within the Grand Sumeru Path's illusion, which greatly surprised me." Xu Yang glanced at the Sword Spirit with a half-smile, having long realized that the observed content must be an incredibly important clue!

"Sigh... I can tell you with certainty that this time, you're in deep trouble. What you observed is related to the legendary Asura Power."

"The Asura Path again! Tuoba Hong caused us so much danger using this lineage's cultivation method." Xu Yang expressed his frustration, but was immediately interrupted by the Sword Spirit.

"No, not the Asura Path, but... the power of the true Asura himself!"

"What did you say??" Everyone gasped, leaping to their feet and staring dumbfounded at the Sword Spirit.

"Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a great calamity befell the Three Thousand Dao States, leading to the collapse of the Ancient Desolate Dynasty's lineage. You should have already experienced these events in the Ancient Desolate Imperial Tomb. The world believed that the Ancient Desolate Dynasty's demise was due to a natural disaster. In reality, it wasn't a natural disaster at all. Instead, it was an incredibly powerful peerless genius who completed his tribulation crossing within the Ancient Desolate Dynasty's territory, triggering what was called a 'natural disaster.' Overnight, the vast dynasty's foundations were completely destroyed. The perpetrator of that calamity was Asura."

Hearing this, Long Kun, Ling Yao, and others from Xu Yang's team subconsciously looked at the sleeping Xiaotuantuan in Xu Yang's arms, their eyes filled with a trace of sadness and sympathy.

"So that's how it is... The tribulation you mentioned, that must be the ascension tribulation, the final hurdle to breaking through the human limit, right?"

The Sword Spirit nodded: "Yes. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, Asura was known as the most mysterious and terrifying devil on the continent. This is because he either didn't appear, or when he did, he never left any survivors in his wake, employing utterly destructive methods. And the souls of those he annihilated would be controlled by him even after death, continuing to suffer his enslavement."

Xu Yang and the Empress exchanged glances. What the Sword Spirit described was identical to the scenes they had encountered when fighting Tuoba Hong.

"So, the Asura Path that madman Tuoba Hong inherited is the cultivation method created by *that* Asura back then?"

"That's right. Those who inherit this lineage's cultivation methods are all the most terrifying devils in the world. The Ghost Shadow Asura lineage of old was also targeted and hunted by the continent due to its ferocious reputation for killing, and later mysteriously disappeared from the continent, fleeing to the East Sea. After Tuoba Hong's death, his elder brother Tuoba Yun should now be the sole successor of the Asura Path. And the scene we divined in the Grand Sumeru Path is a depiction of him inheriting Asura's mantle! If my judgment is correct, the Asura Path's inheritance method is very special, similar to a bloodline sacrifice, capable of instantly pushing the inheritor's strength to its peak. Tuoba Yun is now likely at the peak of tribulation crossing or even the Great Perfection stage."

After listening for a while, this was the most crucial point that worried Xu Yang's team. As undying archenemies, Tuoba Yun had now ascended to power overnight, inheriting the most terrifying Asura Power, which complicated matters significantly.

"It seems we really need to prepare for a desperate fight. Tuoba Yun ascended to power overnight, inheriting Asura's mantle within this Cultivator Burial Ground. Even if he isn't in a hurry to find the three major mediums for Qilin Mountain, he can perfectly well wait for us and target us first!" Long Kun sighed resignedly. Yet, even so, he had never regretted joining Xu Yang's team. For Long Kun, following Xu Yang was the greatest fortune of his life.

Hearing this, Xu Yang couldn't help but turn his gaze to the Sword Spirit: "If those departed souls were released by Tuoba Yun, with his current cultivation, he could directly come after us. Why has he been so slow to appear?"

"That's because the Asura Power he inherited isn't complete yet. And there's an even more important reason: after he completes all of this, he will receive the call of the Asura Soul! At this moment, he should already be on his way to find the Asura Soul."