Chapter 377: Digging Graves for Two Hundred Years, Zhao Xing's First Pot of Gold

A golden full moon hung in the dim sky. Below, emaciated mountain peaks jutted upwards like sharp spikes, threatening to pierce the firmament. Cen Qionghua brandished lightning, striking out at a viperine. The viperine dodged with a twist of its head, slipping into a nearby cave.

"Hua Zi, are you alright? How can you struggle so much just to strike a Tier 1 viperine?" Le Yao mocked gently, a smile playing on her lips.

"I was just careless!" Enraged and embarrassed, Cen Qionghua plunged directly into the cave, using the rope dao artifacts on his person to forcibly bind and pull the viperine out.

In the distance, Zhao Xing gazed at the Lunar Star in the sky, continuously confirming his position. This was a star-land within the Moonfall Mausoleum, designated as South Luo 2413. Zhao Xing glanced at the quest list in his star-mirror and chuckled softly.

Coordinate Confirmation Quest (Completed, repeatable)You have corrected the coordinates of the original star-land South Luo 2413.Reward: 500,000 Yuanhai Coins. Merit Points: 5.

The map function built into his panel provided more precise star-land coordinates, allowing Zhao Xing to complete a minor quest instantly. Of course, this particular star-land had been uniformly marked by powerful individuals before; this was merely a correction, so the monetary reward wasn't substantial. Still, to immediately gain 500,000 upon arrival was quite satisfying.

"I could simply rely on the map function to correct star map coordinates everywhere and still earn a fortune." Zhao Xing closed his panel. The Moonfall Mausoleum had a unique environment; most areas only possessed Lunar Stars, with Solar Stars being rare. It was for this reason that the Heavenly Pivot King had recently expended great effort to transport Solar Stars here to illuminate the star-lands, facilitating exploration.

"As a Chronomancy Division Farmer, it's quite logical for me to correct star maps." Zhao Xing flew with ease. The advantage of cultivating dual origins was evident in this special environment. Le Yao and Cen Qionghua couldn't even reach the speed of light here, but Zhao Xing remained unaffected. Le Yao and Cen Qionghua both cultivated the "Purple Sun" technique; their origin dao bodies were suppressed here, not only slowing them down but also diminishing their spell power.

"Hua Zi, Le Yao, how's the hunting going?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I've killed eight viperines; the eastern area has been cleared," Le Yao replied.

"What about Hua Zi?" Zhao Xing asked.

"He's still killing," Le Yao said, looking at Zhao Xing. "Zhao Xing, you're really fast."

"Still not as good as Brother Tianqing," Zhao Xing said, looking at the mechanical warrior Tianqing. He had cleared the western area even earlier and was now recuperating his spiritual energy nearby.

"Brother Zhao, is there any real benefit to killing these things?" Le Yao asked. "Though they're in the Origin Realm, they don't have any valuable materials on them."

Cen Qionghua had just dealt with a viperine himself and flew over. "A beast of the dignified Tier 1, yet its intelligence is incredibly low. Its entire body yields nothing valuable except the venom sac in its tail, which only fetches 80,000 each. What a cheap life."

In truth, as Tier 1 monsters, viperine corpses shouldn't have been so cheap. But their numbers were too vast; they were found everywhere in the Moonfall Mausoleum. Over seven thousand years, numerous cultivators had relentlessly driven their price down from millions to less than 100,000. The ancient kingdom had collected so many viperine corpses that many parts were no longer accepted; only the tail venom sacs were still worth something.

Le Yao and Cen Qionghua didn't quite understand why Zhao Xing would bother with such small gains. Tier 1 viperines weren't difficult to kill, but the money was too little, and it was a waste of time.

Zhao Xing explained: "Viperines are tomb guardian beasts. Where there are viperines, there's a high probability of a tomb."

"When all the viperines in an area are killed, the tomb's array will activate."

Le Yao looked at Cen Qionghua skeptically: "Is this true?"

"I have no idea," Hua Zi said, looking somewhat confused.

Le Yao then looked at Tianqingzi, who also shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

"My teacher, Qingyuzi, has some knowledge of ancient tombs and once mentioned viperines to me," Zhao Xing said. "Of course, I'm just trying it out. With these viperines running all over the place now, it might not be entirely accurate."

Cen Qionghua and Le Yao didn't give it much thought; Qingyuzi was, after all, the beloved disciple of the Purple Moon Manor Lord, so it was natural for him to know more.

"How large an area have we cleared so far?" Zhao Xing asked.

"About 10.51 billion square kilometers," Tianqingzi interjected. "There are no viperines left within this range."

Zhao Xing looked at Tianqingzi: "Brother Yu, do you feel any fluctuations from a spell array?"

Tianqingzi's real name was Yu Tianqing, and he was also a royal descendant of the Great Marsh Dynasty.

"No," Tianqingzi shook his head. Tianqingzi was a mechanical warrior; he possessed a spell called "Awareness Boundary," a passive effect gained after mastering cultivation methods from different professions. It was similar to how a Farmer's cultivation method inherently developed the "Seasonal Order," granting them a natural advantage in environmental control and celestial positioning. If Tianqingzi said there was nothing, it was highly probable there was nothing there.

Zhao Xing pondered: "Let's search thoroughly. If we find nothing after a month, we'll try another spot."

Zhao Xing clearly remembered that South Luo 2413 had yielded 25 Origin Realm tombs. For a small star-land, this was a relatively low density of tombs. He had checked before arriving; only 18 had been discovered so far, all of them Tier 1, meaning seven had yet to be unearthed.

"Even if history deviates from my past life, the total number of tombs shouldn't suddenly decrease; at most, their geographical locations might have shifted," Zhao Xing thought to himself. He planned to clear out all remaining tombs here to accumulate his first substantial wealth.

"Let's go, time to get to work." Cen Qionghua was full of enthusiasm. Everyone had been quite motivated upon their arrival.

After searching for a month, the area still yielded no traces of tombs. So the foursome moved to another location and continued hunting viperines.

South Luo 2413 was vast. Zhao Xing and the others hunted viperines for a full year without encountering anyone else. In the first year and five months, they did encounter a twenty-person team that arrived at South Luo 2413. However, earning a small amount of money by killing viperines was common, so this group observed from a distance for a few days before proceeding with their own search. Three months later, the unnamed squad flew away. Killing viperines wasn't their main objective; who knew if those venom sacs would still be valuable in a few hundred years? Seeing no significant prospects, they departed to explore the next star-land.

Two years and six months later.

*Splat* Zhao Xing wielded his lightning-infused magical sword, and a bolt of lightning, like a crescent moon in the sky, sliced through the viperine's body, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

"Collect!" A ten-thousand-meter-tall venom sac floated up and was collected into his Qiankun pouch.

"This is the 108th venom sac. Even a tiny mosquito is still meat. We've accumulated over eight million here," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "It just takes up too much space."

His Origin Space still couldn't store non-plant life forms (pure spiritual energy entities were an exception). His Qiankun pouch was also a World-Star Dao Artifact, with space roughly equivalent to a small world. However, these venom sacs were huge; even if he kept collecting them until the pouch was full, it wouldn't amount to much money.

"We've been killing for so long, we should have found something by now. Is Tianqingzi's skill lacking?" Just as he began to doubt Tianqingzi's mechanical master abilities, suddenly—

"Hua Zi, Zhao Xing, quickly! Come quickly! We found something!" It was Le Yao's voice, and she sounded excited.

*Whoosh~* Zhao Xing transformed into a streak of light, first picking up Hua Zi from the east, then flying with him towards the south.

*Rumble~~~* In the south, a section of the earth began to split and shift. The earth veins were exposed, and as the dark yellow veins were revealed, they rapidly expanded, forming a series of mountains. The mountains were curved and tilted, resembling human ribs, interweaving to form an irregularly shaped, colossal underground palace. The eerie light of the Lunar Star in the sky illuminated the scene, casting a layer of black light over the surface mountains and earth veins, making them appear somewhat sinister. Within the crevices of the jagged earth veins, a black sarcophagus was faintly visible.

Zhao Xing flew over and first looked at the sky, then at the mountains.

"Jagged Crypt Tomb, Lunar Origin Coffin, Viperine Guardians, Void Concealed Lair."

"This is a Tier 2 tomb."

The Jagged Crypt Tomb, also known as the Dog's Head Tomb, was named for its appearance, which resembled the snarling head of a vicious dog. This array also utilized crypt magic, merging with the array itself. Tier 1 tombs in the Moonfall Mausoleum were usually simpler, lacking the "Void Concealed Lair" technique, and might not even use earth veins to construct the crypt. However, Tier 2 tombs almost always employed the "Void Concealed Lair" technique.

"Tombs are generally built by their owners, and even if assistance is sought, the full details aren't revealed, as that ensures maximum concealment. The Void Concealed Lair is a Void Realm technique." Zhao Xing smiled faintly; it seemed the current situation didn't deviate much from his memories.

A Tier 2 tomb had been unearthed on South Luo 2413!

"Only one good item after searching for two and a half years?" Cen Qionghua's eyes lit up. In his opinion, funerary objects from a Tier 2 tomb were, of course, valuable!

"Brother Yu." Zhao Xing looked at Tianqingzi: "It's your turn to shine!"

The tomb was still protected by a spell array; the mountains formed by the earth veins were twisted like ropes, with numerous secret patterns swirling on them, clearly indicating an array. Zhao Xing, Cen Qionghua, and Le Yao had all purchased "Boundary-Breaker Mechanical Beasts," but Zhao Xing wasn't sure if these tombs had self-destruct functions. A Boundary-Breaker Mechanical Beast certainly wasn't as effective as a mechanical master like Tianqingzi, who was once in Tier 2.

Tianqingzi began to act, flying around the tomb. On South Luo 2413, Tianqingzi was the only one besides Zhao Xing who could still maintain light speed flight. At this moment, the gigantic mountain tomb became a tomb of light, a visual impact created by Tianqingzi's circling flight.

Tianqingzi flew for a full two and a half months, and Zhao Xing and the others stood guard for the same duration.

*Hum~* Two and a half months later, Tianqingzi stopped.

"It's broken." He flew back and uttered just two words.

"You worked hard, Tianqing." Le Yao was thrilled, as she could now see the sarcophagus inside, surrounded by Lunar starlight.

"Fortune from the coffin!" Zhao Xing smiled faintly and flew over.

The subsequent events proceeded smoothly. Yu Tianqing had once been in Tier 2; a living person was always more capable than a dead one. As a mechanical warrior, he easily opened the triple restrictions, allowing everyone to smoothly enter the interior.

*Swish swish swish swish!* The four first searched the area outside the sarcophagus. They quickly collected sixteen grave artifacts. Upon inspection, they were all low-grade World-Star Dao Artifacts, shaped like cold weapons such as swords, spears, and halberds.

"Why are they all low-grade? Is the Tier 2 of the Moonfall Ancient Kingdom so poor?" Cen Qionghua was somewhat disappointed. "The Moonfall Mausoleum was believed to be the burial ground of an ancient kingdom, and the Tier 2 funerary objects here were just these low-grade dao artifacts?"

"Why the rush? The Lunar sarcophagus hasn't been opened yet. The good stuff is inside there," Le Yao said.

"That's true." Cen Qionghua's expectations rose again.

It was still Tianqingzi who took action. The 'guan' (inner coffin) and 'guo' (outer coffin/sarcophagus) were separate; the 'guan' held the corpse, while the 'guo' was the larger coffin enclosing it.

*Clatter~* After opening the 'guo', a large cascade of starlight immediately poured out. Zhao Xing, who was deploying his Boundary-Law Veil to protect the three, instantly chuckled.

"Brother Zhao, what are you laughing at? What are these things?" Cen Qionghua asked. Tiny specks of starlight, upon closer inspection, appeared like copper coins floating beside the coffin.

"Seven-Star Ancient Coins," Zhao Xing said. "They're used to embed between the inner and outer coffins."

"You can think of it as the starry ceiling of the Lunar Coffin."

"Ancient people were quite romantic," Le Yao said with a smile. Romance wasn't what Hua Zi cared about; he just wanted to know how much each coin was worth.

"Don't bother checking your star-mirror. The listed recovery price on the treasure list is between 50,000 and 200,000 per coin," Zhao Xing said. "The Seven-Star Ancient Coins aren't just decorative; they're made from source ore of high-grade Lunar Stars, capable of prolonging the corpse's preservation time. Their condition is quite good, so let's take the middle ground and estimate 100,000 per coin."

"100,000 each?" Cen Qionghua's eyes immediately sparkled. "There are thousands of them here!"

"More than that," Zhao Xing chuckled. "There are more inside the coffin. For a Tier 2 tomb of this caliber, there should be at least ten thousand Seven-Star Ancient Coins."

"*Hiss*~ We're rich, we're rich!" Cen Qionghua rubbed his hands together.

Tianqingzi moved the 'guo' and proceeded to open the inner coffin.

*Clatter~* As Zhao Xing expected, after opening the coffin, there was another pile of Seven-Star Ancient Coins, though their quality varied. Some also had different colors, and their shapes included sun and moon motifs.

"Collect!" As the captain, Zhao Xing was naturally the one to store the treasures.

"Exactly 10,000 coins," Zhao Xing counted.

"10,000 coins?" Cen Qionghua was overjoyed.

"It seems the tomb owner had a bit of an obsession with symmetry," Zhao Xing speculated. Not a single coin more or less, exactly ten thousand Seven-Star Ancient Coins.

"At 100,000 per coin, that's a billion here!" Cen Qionghua couldn't help but exclaim.

"Is there anything else inside?" Le Yao asked Tianqingzi.

"Yes," Tianqingzi replied, taking out two items. "However, after opening the coffin, only these two items remained fully preserved."

"They look like weapons, don't they?" Le Yao looked over curiously. Tianqingzi held two crescent-shaped artifacts with handles and hollowed-out patterns adorned with secret runes.

"Sun Golden Wheel and Moon Golden Wheel," Zhao Xing said. "They are mid-grade World-Star Dao Artifacts. Though they appear as two separate items, they are actually a single unit."

"How much are they worth?" Cen Qionghua asked.

"Including their research value, the two pieces are probably worth about 180 million," Zhao Xing said. "A set was acquired thirty-six years ago, and the reference price was 180 million. Actually, selling mid-grade World-Star Dao Artifacts wouldn't fetch such a high price; it's mainly due to their research and collection value."

"So, the biggest haul is actually the Seven-Star Ancient Coins," Cen Qionghua said. "The people of the Moonfall Ancient Kingdom truly practiced lavish burials."

Indeed, wasn't it a lavish burial? The funerary objects alone exceeded a billion. Cen Qionghua calculated a Tier 2 individual's net worth based on the earning capacity in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom: a Tier 2 cultivator might save a few billion yuan after a lifetime of hard work. Even by Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom standards, Tier 2 cultivators from great dynasties like Tianqingzi found it harder to earn money. A severe injury, just for treatment and survival, could easily bankrupt him. Yet this was a burial; would someone truly take all their wealth with them, leaving nothing for their descendants? Therefore, possessing over a billion in funerary objects was considered a lavish burial.

"Your statement isn't entirely accurate," Zhao Xing said. "The Moonfall Ancient Kingdom dates back a long time, so anything found here naturally carries additional collection value."

"Considering the items themselves, they wouldn't be worth this much."

"It's possible that Seven-Star Ancient Coins were even cheaper during the era of the Moonfall Ancient Kingdom."

"We still need to deal with these items quickly. The price of Seven-Star Ancient Coins is on a downward trend, and if a third or tenth set of the Sun and Moon Golden Wheels appears, their price will also fall."

"Of course, this tomb owner was indeed wealthy among Tier 2 cultivators."

The Moonfall Mausoleum had been discovered for over seven thousand years. On average, Tier 2 funerary objects found here were worth no more than two or three hundred million, with anything exceeding a billion being relatively rare.

Again, people don't take all their wealth into the grave when they die. Finding a few hundred million from a Tier 2 tomb is considered quite normal.

"Do we want the sarcophagus?" Cen Qionghua asked.

"Yes," Zhao Xing said. "However, this type of coffin is quite common; many have been unearthed, so it's not rare. In terms of its inherent value as an item, it's only worth a few million, akin to the price of an ordinary World-Star Dao Artifact."

"Only?" Hua Zi quickly went up, closed the sarcophagus, and packed it. "Zhao Xing, you really are a spendthrift."

Zhao Xing smiled faintly. Now that he was in the Moonfall Mausoleum, it would be difficult for him to be poor in the future!

"Come on, let's get out of here and split the money."

In a cave on South Luo 2413, the foursome was dividing their earnings.

"I estimate the total value of this haul to be around 1.28 billion, give or take a small margin. Prices are based on the Purple Spirit Manor's acquisition list."

"If sold to the official Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, the total value would be discounted by 15%, but it would come with merit points." Merit points were tied to exploration rights and noble titles within the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. The Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom had established twenty exploration bases, and of course, they would depress prices to recover their investment. Large factions, however, would offer higher acquisition prices but fewer merit points. How to weigh this depended on whether the adventurer sought money or power. Of course, regardless of the choice, taxes had to be paid—this was unavoidable, and no one dared to evade them.

"According to our prior agreement, I discovered the pattern of burial sites on star-land South Luo 2413. If it proves effective, I can take 30% first," Zhao Xing said. "That's 384 million. The remaining 896 million will be divided based on individual contributions."

Everyone agreed to this. Opening a tomb involved three processes: first, searching. Since Zhao Xing discovered this pattern first, and it proved effective, it was perfectly normal for him to take 30% of the total value upfront. The second stage was killing viperines, and the third stage was opening the tomb.

"For killing viperines, everyone contributed roughly equally. Half of the 896 million, or 448 million, will be divided equally, so 112 million for each person."

"The remaining 448 million is allocated to the tomb-opening stage. Yu Tianqing contributed the most, handling the breaking of arrays and opening of the coffin. He neutralized all the dangers and mechanisms involved. He will receive 70% of this, while the three of us will each receive 10%."

"I've finished speaking. Who opposes, and who approves?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I have no objections," Le Yao and Cen Qionghua said.

Yu Tianqing said: "Zhao Xing, I'm taking too much. The tomb-opening process isn't dangerous for me."

"That's not how it's calculated," Zhao Xing replied. "It's not dangerous for you because you possess the capability."

"If it were us, we might encounter danger or even cause the treasures to self-destruct."

"This is what you deserve."

"Our saving you before was an act of rescue; now, this is a cooperative exploration. They are two different matters."

Tianqingzi nodded and said nothing more. As someone who was once in Tier 2, he also acknowledged Zhao Xing's authority in distributing the spoils.

The final distribution resulted in Zhao Xing receiving 540.8 million. Tianqingzi received 425.6 million, and Le Yao and Cen Qionghua each received 156.8 million. Everyone was very satisfied. In just two and a half years of exploration, they had unearthed their first significant fortune, each accumulating over a hundred million, and crucially, without encountering any major dangers. Under normal circumstances, a Tier 1 cultivator might not discover a single tomb in a hundred years, let alone a Tier 2 tomb. How could their usual gains compare to this?

"Brother Yu, since you don't have Ancient Kingdom citizenship, you won't receive merit points. If you trust us, we can sell your share for you. The three of us can help you find a way to set up an anonymous account, though you'll need to cover the processing fees yourself, which should only be around two or three million."

"Alright," Yu Tianqing nodded. Having members of the Purple Spirit Manor from the Ancient Kingdom willing to help find such a channel was a great help.

"You have money now; this amount should, theoretically, be just enough for you to recover your Tier 2 strength."

"We are teammates and friends. If you regain your strength and wish to venture to more advanced places, there's no need to stay with our team out of gratitude. If you want to leave, just let us know anytime. We will not hinder a friend's progress."

This was something Zhao Xing, Le Yao, and Cen Qionghua had already discussed. Yu Tianqing was considered a genius even among Tier 2 cultivators. If he had the means to recover and wanted to leave, they would let him. Binding someone with heavenly vows and gratitude wasn't necessarily a good thing. Forcing someone to stay might turn a good connection into a bad one.

So Zhao Xing spoke frankly, giving the future ruler full freedom of choice.

"I understand," Yu Tianqing said, looking at Zhao Xing and nodding seriously.

"Hahaha, Brother Zhao, Brother Yu, don't be so serious," Cen Qionghua laughed. "Now that we're making big money, why talk about splitting up? Isn't that right, Le Yao?"

"It is," Le Yao smiled. "Let's keep digging. Who knows, we might unearth a second or even a third fortune right here on South Luo 2413."

The atmosphere instantly livened up. Even the usually stern Yu Tianqing's lips stretched into a faint smile. In his adventures across the universe, he had always encountered cruelty and schemes. It had been a long time since he had felt such warmth from friends.

"Let's earn another billion, no, ten billion, then we'll go back and upgrade our gear!" Cen Qionghua exclaimed, waving his fist.

"Let's go, let's open coffins and get rich! Keep killing viperines!" Le Yao's beautiful eyes glinted with ferocity. "Let's slaughter all the viperines on South Luo 2413! Turn this place inside out!"

As Le Yao and the others grew excited, the tomb-guardian viperines fell into great misfortune. Every day, they were either fleeing for their lives or on the verge of doing so. Though their intelligence was low, the species could still communicate with each other. Twenty-five years after their arrival on the South Luo star-land, all the viperines on the entire land knew that four "racial predators" had appeared. They killed every viperine they saw and vowed not to stop until their goal was achieved. Even companions who burrowed into deep underground caves could not escape. Among them, the woman with the "Wokong Harp" and the man holding the "Boundary-Law Veil" were the most ruthless killers.

Viperines had tough hides and thick flesh, nourished by pure Yin energy from birth. They were naturally skilled at burrowing, making other attacks largely ineffective against them. However, Zhao Xing commanded geomancy. His self-created Origin Method, "Mystic Earth Divine Concealment," was an evasion technique, and "Star Tread," also an Origin Method from the "Treasure Mountain Cultivation," both reached Tier 7. Evasion techniques granted speed, facilitating quick searches. "Star Tread" was an earth-splitting method that could affect earth veins, greatly weakening the viperines' burrowing speed. He was simply a perfect bane for viperines. Le Yao's sonic attacks, on the other hand, were extremely potent. As long as Zhao Xing led her to a target, their combined efforts could quickly kill a viperine.

"Where do you think you're going!" Le Yao plucked the Wokong Harp, her jade-like fingers emanating captivating light. It seemed as if she was plucking the earth veins, causing the surrounding veins to pulsate in response. The viperine, fleeing five hundred li underground, was instantly whipped, squeezed, and pierced by the earth veins, emitting a pained shriek.

*Wail* After two days of pursuit, the viperine died with regret deep underground.

"Phew~ Finally killed it," Le Yao said, standing in the underground cavern and looking at the viperine.

"These guys have gotten smarter; I feel like they've evolved quite a bit."

"When we first arrived, they were silly and didn't run much when they saw people. Now, when they see us, they just keep burrowing underground," Le Yao complained. Le Yao sounded annoyed. Why wouldn't they let themselves be killed?

"It's all survival instinct, forced out of them," Zhao Xing also remarked with some emotion. "I feel that in a few more decades, the viperine race will be forced to develop intelligence by us."

The longer they hunted, the smarter Zhao Xing and the others found these creatures to be. There's a good saying that people are driven to their limits, and now the viperines were in the same situation.

"Then we need to hunt them down faster," Le Yao said worriedly. "If we don't kill them all, I won't be able to sleep when we get back. It's already been several years since we opened a tomb."

Zhao Xing: "..."

Killing viperines didn't actually take much time; the difficulty lay in the pursuit itself.

Mor was feeling the same way now. He had been on the Tiger's Head star-land for twenty-six years. He had initially boasted that he would receive good news within fifty years. Yet, halfway through, he hadn't even seen a glimpse of Zhao Xing.

"What seemed like a simple capture mission is anything but simple," Mor sighed. He was in Tier 3, and his subordinates were all in Tier 2; capturing a Tier 1 individual would be effortless once located. The problem was simply not being able to find the person. The Moonfall Mausoleum was located in the Illusion God Galaxy, which was part of the public star-sea region. If it were within the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's territory, finding someone would be easy. Now, it was like being outside the country, exploring an unknown region of the universe. Zhao Xing was also cautious; he didn't even buy "networked" mechanical puppets to follow him, and he used and discarded star-mirrors frequently. Unlike Zigu, who was a mechanical master himself; if he were to appear, there would be no escape.

"Lord Mor, for now, we can only wait for Zhao Xing's team to return and submit their quest," a subordinate said helplessly. "In his dynasty, it's just him and another Origin Realm cultivator, and they barely communicate."

Although Zhao Xing was a member of the Purple Spirit Manor, he operated like an undocumented person, without any network of connections, making it difficult to approach him through others.

"Ascended natives are just like this, so troublesome," Mor frowned. "Continue monitoring, don't let your guard down. He'll come back eventually to replenish his resources."

Typically, Tier 1 adventurers would need to return to base to replenish resources after about a hundred years. The environment of the Moonfall Mausoleum, lacking Solar Stars, could cause problems for Tier 1 cultivators who stayed too long. Zhao Xing was a Farmer, so his endurance was stronger. Mor adjusted the deadline to two hundred years.

"He'll have to return to replenish resources in two hundred years at most," Mor snorted. "By then, there will be many ways to apprehend him. Go ahead and refine your new capture plan."

"Yes," the Tier 2 subordinate withdrew. Mor, meanwhile, closed his eyes again and began to cultivate. For a Tier 3 cultivator, two hundred years was nothing; it could pass with a casual meditation session, not even qualifying as secluded cultivation.

Star-land South Luo 2413.

"It's open! It's open!" Le Yao and Cen Qionghua exclaimed excitedly, looking at a tomb ahead. "Brother Zhao, come quickly! The Heavenly Deer Tomb has opened its portal!"

"Wow, another Tier 2 tomb!"

"Money!" Cen Qionghua eagerly went to collect the Seven-Star Ancient Coins.

"Coming right away," Zhao Xing replied, slowly opening his eyes. Time flowed, and in the blink of an eye, it had been 157 years since the four of them arrived on the South Luo star-land. Because killing viperines was time-consuming, Zhao Xing and the others' pace of opening tombs became slower and slower, averaging around thirty years to find one. Sometimes, not all of them were needed to hunt viperines, so Zhao Xing would stay on the South Luo star-land to cultivate.

"I am now in the mid-stage of Tier 1," Zhao Xing said, opening his panel. Purple Yin Second Layer: 78; Purple Yang Second Layer: 63.

"Since only Lunar Stars illuminate the South Luo star-land, the progression of my Origin Dao Body's Purple Yang Second Layer is now 15 points behind Purple Yin Second Layer."

"Such an imbalance cannot continue. In a while, Purple Yin will make no progress, and it will also affect Purple Yang's progress," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "After opening this tomb, there will only be one left on the South Luo star-land. I should return to replenish and recuperate, converting the money into strength."

Other aspects of cultivation:Yuanhai Realm Second Layer: 25Treasure Mountain Cultivation First Layer: 99Extreme Land First Layer: 1

"Over a hundred years, the spiritual energy resources I brought with me are almost depleted. My Yuanhai Realm has progressed to the second layer, 25%, which can slightly accelerate the evolution of the Cloud-Touching Vine."

"Treasure Mountain Cultivation has reached the limit of its first layer. After breaking through, my legs will become as heavy as small World-Stars."

"The first layer of Extreme Land has finally reached 1%. It's truly heartwarming."

Zhao Xing's "Extreme Land" first layer had reached 1% progress, finally beginning the stage of gathering spiritual energy to form meridians.

"After we're done here, we'll go back, stock up properly, and recuperate."

The spiritual energy index was relatively low across the Illusion God Galaxy. Zhao Xing's progress relied entirely on the spiritual energy resources he purchased for his cultivation. After opening the last tomb, he planned to return and purchase extensively. Even if not for himself, Old Brother Moyun would need to eat.

*Hum~* Zhao Xing transformed into a golden streak of light, flying towards the tomb.

Time flowed. The last tomb was opened in their 205th year on the South Luo star-land. After Zhao Xing's foursome finished their salvage, they embarked on their journey back. Their small World-Boat carefully navigated the original void channel, passing through the Moonfall Mausoleum's stellar array. The outward journey only took three months, as the Tiger's Head star-land's launch naturally provided greater speed. The return journey, however, would take three years, all because the stellar array obstructed tomb raiders like them.

"After 208 years, we're finally back!" On the small World-Boat, the foursome looked at the Tiger's Head star-land, now visible in the distance, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Although the harvest was huge, I'm almost going crazy," Cen Qionghua said, standing by the viewport with red eyes. "After more than two hundred years without exposure to solar power, I feel like I'm on the verge of qi deviation."

"You're exaggerating again," Le Yao chuckled. "But if you had to do it all over again, would you still be willing to endure such torment?"

"Yes! Absolutely yes!" Cen Qionghua blurted out.

"Haha." Zhao Xing and Le Yao both laughed. Compared to the gains, what was a little torment? In over two hundred years, they had excavated seven tombs! Five of them were Tier 2 tombs, and only two were Tier 1. Even so, the funerary objects from those two Tier 1 tombs were far from meager. After all, the fact that they remained undiscovered by others for so many years proved that the methods used were similar to those for Tier 2 tombs, so the funerary objects naturally wouldn't be inferior.

From a total of seven tombs, the largest haul came from the first tomb, amounting to 1.28 billion, while the smallest came from the fifth, just over 200 million. The value of the others fluctuated around 500 million. Although Cen Qionghua and Le Yao received less than Zhao Xing and Tianqingzi, both of their individual hauls exceeded 500 million! After all, it wasn't just the tombs; even the accumulated viperine venom sacs amounted to tens of millions.

Of course, the greatest beneficiary was still Zhao Xing.

"My personal gains are approximately 2 billion," Zhao Xing said happily. "This first fortune is quite substantial." Primarily, for any tomb, he first took 30%, with the remainder then being divided, which led to him having the largest share. Of course, there was also a hidden benefit: the excavation rules derived from the conditions on the South Luo 2413 star-land.

"Brother Zhao, does that rule you mentioned apply to other star-lands?" Cen Qionghua asked.

"The viperine guardianship rule? It should apply in most cases for Tier 1 and Tier 2 tombs," Zhao Xing said. "Of course, that also requires places where viperines exist."

"So, we can keep getting rich indefinitely?" Cen Qionghua's eyes lit up. Star-lands with viperines were abundant.

"In many places, the tomb-guardian beasts are quite intelligent, or even extremely intelligent tomb-guardian puppets. Even if you know the rule, you won't be able to overcome the raw strength barrier. However, this one rule alone is enough for us to prosper," Zhao Xing chuckled.

"Hua Zi, don't go blabbing about this," Le Yao warned. "This is our way of making a fortune."

"You still don't trust me? Should I make another soul vow?" Cen Qionghua quickly said.

"No need to be so dramatic," Zhao Xing chuckled. "The Moonfall Mausoleum is vast enough that even if we eventually part ways, you can use this experience to improve your own efficiency." It was just a small profit, and he didn't mind sharing it with his friends. Of course, a Life-Soul Vow could be broken with a Divine Earth Pill. Although such a pill cost over a hundred million, it was no guarantee that Cen Qionghua, Le Yao, and Tianqingzi wouldn't succumb to temptation. However, the moment a Divine Earth Pill was used to break the vow, Zhao Xing would immediately know that the Life-Soul Vow connected to him had wavered. He would certainly be able to sell this experience for money before anyone else, ensuring they got nothing. If the three of them were foolish enough to leak it, it would be a futile effort for them. Zhao Xing could also see what kind of people they were: if they kept silent, they could still make some money. He believed any normal person would know how to choose.

*Rumble~* The small World-Boat landed on the plaza of the Tiger's Head star-land.

"We're here! We're here!" Cen Qionghua exclaimed, greedily inhaling several times after stepping off the World-Boat. "This is great. I can finally see the Solar Star, and this abundant spiritual energy... so comfortable."

The other three felt the same, as if weary travelers had finally reached a cozy fireplace indoors. However, the most pressing matter now was to tally their gains.

"Stop breathing it in for now; let's go submit the quest and exchange for money first!" Zhao Xing smiled. "Once the money is split, you can rent a high-grade spiritual gathering room and absorb as much as you like, for as long as you like!"

"Alright, alright, let's split the money!" Cen Qionghua grinned. "Let's go."

The four put their small World-Boat into their Qiankun pouches and then headed straight for the Twentieth Stellar Fortress. Their greeter was still the artifact spirit 'Cang Yu.' Cang Yu, an artifact spirit crafted by a Dao Domain-level mechanical master, had countless avatars and could simultaneously process trillions of pieces of information. It was precisely because all information on the Tiger's Head star-land was handled by Cang Yu, without any lower-level departments or other artifact spirits, that privacy could be maximized.

"Qingyu Squad, you've returned quite late," Cang Yu said with a smile. "Typically, only small World-Boats can pass through the grand stellar array, and they can't carry much in the way of supplies. Enduring a century outside is considered remarkable. You actually undertook one mission that lasted 208 years. Judging by your expressions, did you have a good haul this time?"

"Lord Cang Yu," Zhao Xing smiled. "We indeed have some gains. Please arrange a World-Star-grade inspection space for us." Ordinary spaces simply couldn't accommodate the spoils of their trip; after all, the viperine venom sacs alone took up a significant amount of room. In their two hundred-plus years, they had nearly wiped out all the viperines on South Luo 2413.

"Oh? You need such a large space?" Cang Yu said with a faint smile upon hearing this. "Very well, then follow me."