Chapter 1093: Who Watches Over the Imperial Tomb?

"It's not time to go in yet... The great tomb hasn't fully opened up... It's only revealed the tip of the iceberg..." Duan De whispered, his brow furrowed with unease.

Ten thousand threads of immortal light and countless imprints of the Dao emanated from this cursed land. The highland had collapsed, and misty clouds swirled upwards from below.

However, the auspicious glow wasn't constant; it erupted only periodically. Most of the time, the area remained tranquil.

The great tomb had split open above ground, revealing a massive, terrifyingly dark abyss whose bottom could not be seen.

Only when the immortal mist evaporated could people peer inside, but they still saw nothing clearly. Instead, they felt an aura of creation and universal reverence emanating from within.

This place was connected to ancient Great Emperors! This was everyone's consensus.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible. Anyone who approached the abyss, even a Grand Accomplishment King, would tremble uncontrollably, wanting to kneel, their body and mind shaking.

From that day forward, in the Hundred Thousand Mountains surrounding this highland, all beasts fell silent, and all birds trembled, none daring to cross. Any creature passing by would bow in this direction before going around.

Ye Fan meditated, questioning his heart, but he couldn't discern what was calling him, making his mind restless.

In the following days, countless cultivators from all over the world arrived, causing Duan De and the Black Emperor to curse incessantly. They had originally planned to exploit the discovery alone, but now the whole world knew.

The Divine Dynasty of Central State, the Sacred Lands of Eastern Barren, the Buddhist Sect of Western Desert, the Demon Emperor Palace of Southern Ridge, and others all had large numbers of masters arriving. As for the ancient races, it went without saying they had already occupied advantageous positions.

"I hope the secret passage we left will be useful, allowing us to seize the initiative," the Dragon Horse said.

"Poor... uh... I feel uneasy, though I don't know why. I've roamed the underground world for so many years without a single defeat, so why this anxiety?" Duan De muttered to himself.

"Stop boasting and quickly use your trump card to pinpoint the exact location of the immortal treasure!" the Black Emperor said with eager eyes.

This was the tomb of an ancient Great Emperor, now known to the whole world without a doubt. Heaven knew what kind of figures it would attract.

The Primordial Ancestor Kings weighed heavily on people's minds like mountains; this was the concern of many. With such a mysterious Emperor's tomb appearing, even Saints would have to emerge.

Ye Fan's return, amidst public discussion, spread everywhere. He had slain the Son of the Heavenly Emperor in one battle, and in another, he had forced the pursuing Golden Princess to flee naked in defeat. This had caused a huge sensation.

By now, he was fearless. He would be leaving in half a year, and the fragmented immortal cauldron could conceal his aura, making it impossible even for a Saint to divine his every move.

However, he still took some precautions. There were certainly Saint-level Ancient Kings displeased with him, and if they found him, they would undoubtedly strike without mercy.

His performance was too dazzling. Even among those of Emperor-Son caliber, who would dare claim they could definitely defeat him? Once he matured, apart from a few Ancient Imperial Princes, who in the world could contend with him?

Time flew by quickly; half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The Emperor's tomb became increasingly unfathomable. Each time immortal mist erupted, the aura of an ancient Great Emperor permeated the air, as if a true ancient being was about to awaken.

The collapsed highland and the expanding abyss had transformed into a massive sinkhole with no discernible bottom. Even Heaven's Eye couldn't see through it, as strands of Dao imprints intertwined below, baffling even Saints.

"That's right, the legend is true! The origin of Yao Guang's Imperial Weapon is highly suspicious; it wasn't naturally forged by moving the heavens!"

Now that the ancient Great Emperor's tomb had appeared, all past secrets would be unveiled, and various ancient legends were close to being revealed.

The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron was hailed as the greatest miracle in the world, and after long ages, its truth was finally about to be revealed.

Was it a miracle, or a divine feat?

With the appearance of a great tomb and the pervasive aura of an ancient Great Emperor, little more needed to be said. It confirmed some records found in unofficial histories.

The black divine gold was indeed found by Yao Guang themselves, but it was most likely not the result of their fifty thousand years of worship, nor could it have been forged by successive generations of sages. It was related to an Emperor!

On that stormy, thunderous, and rainy night, a Great Emperor descended, reversed destiny, and forged the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron with supreme divine art.

All of this was too mysterious. An Emperor-level being appearing amidst heavy rain and lightning made one feel increasingly unfathomable the more one pondered it.

"Yao Guang was built on a great tomb, which was already mysterious enough. But for an supreme being to emerge from beneath the ancient mausoleum in the end, how incredibly bizarre is that?"

People speculated endlessly, and even felt some fear!

Was it a human or a ghost? If a tomb had been built and one had been buried, how could they still be alive and emerge?

From ancient times, there had been a secret rumor of "proving the Dao with a corpse," a very old legend. Could this be true? Was there such an existence beneath Yao Guang's great tomb?

But through the long eons, as the river of time flowed, if he had proved the Dao with a corpse, he would have gained new life, defied heaven, and lived again. He wouldn't be nameless in history!

"Yao Guang's Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron appeared relatively late. Let's think, based on this, which Great Emperor's era is it closer to?"

"It's later than the Hengyu Furnace, later than the Void Mirror. If we consider it carefully, it seems to be close to that one..."

When people reached this point in their deductions, they all froze, feeling a chill in their bones, each with a strange expression.

...It actually involved a supreme being, unparalleled throughout history, who had been invincible and solitary since ancient times, powerful enough to suppress the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, silencing all adversaries in the world.

"That era... isn't far from Emperor Wushi!"

Finally, someone uttered these words, sending a massive wave of shock through the hearts of all the cultivators present... Could it be true, related to Wushi?!

If true, it would be groundbreaking and somewhat incredible!

But if it were false, it would be hard to find another person, an Emperor-level existence, who could have been unknown throughout history. Any Emperor's emergence would be sensed by the Great Dao, resonate with heaven and earth, and be revered by all corners of the world.

In that era, who else could it be, being so close in time, if not Wushi?!

"That's unlikely, how could Emperor Wushi have proved the Dao with a corpse? Aren't there records of him before he became Emperor? He took an Imperial Weapon with his bare hands!"

"Before he became Emperor, he took an Imperial Weapon. Who can prove he hadn't truly proved the Dao then? Perhaps that very fact indicates a big problem!"

"But... that's too incredible, isn't it?"

Many people's voices trembled. The appearance of a great tomb involved some ancient secrets that could overturn certain historical truths.

That Emperor Wushi was a revived ancient corpse—no one would believe such a claim. However, the era of this great tomb's appearance and the birth of the Yao Guang Emperor Cauldron gave this hypothesis a sliver of possibility.

If it was Wushi, from what era was he in his previous life? Could he have another, even more ancient identity? It was inconceivable.

Someone who proved the Dao with a corpse would not have been an ordinary person in their previous life, when they were still alive... Perhaps they were also a Human Emperor of a past generation. Who could that have been?

At the thought of this possibility, people's souls trembled.

The highland fell into complete chaos. Everyone was shocked. This deduction, once revealed, was nothing short of a massive storm, causing everyone's hearts to tremble violently and sending shivers down their spines.

"This is impossible! How could Emperor Wushi have proved the Dao with a corpse? A bunch of idiots... They don't know what they're talking about!" The Black Emperor was agitated, dismissing it outright.

"Are you sure?" Ye Fan asked.

Beside him, Ye Tong also looked at the Black Emperor with curiosity. He had an immense longing to learn everything about the ancient Great Emperors and wished to know the slightest details of their past.

Duan De, with a rare serious expression, sighed and said, "Proving the Dao with a corpse, though rumored, is utterly unfeasible. It lacks that elusive innate vital energy, which leaves the path to immortality incomplete and imperfect. No one has ever succeeded from ancient times!"

"How can you be so certain?" Ye Fan asked.

"My Dao-fate... Who am I? I've plundered all the ancient tombs under heaven. Is there any secret in a tomb that I don't know? This is a broken path; no one has ever succeeded from ancient times... What people say... are all just rumors!"

Ye Fan looked at him strangely. Daoist Duan's origin was mysterious, and he seemed to know everything. What kind of background did he have? It remained unfathomable.

An ancient great tomb, exuding wisps of Great Emperor aura... It possessed infinite mystery. Over a hundred thousand years ago, an Emperor Cauldron was forged on a rainy night, making it impossible to see through.

Who was truly sleeping in the great tomb?

So many years had passed; had the tomb's occupant long turned to dust? What had he left behind that everyone was so eagerly anticipating?

Suddenly, a divine light blotted out the sun, enveloping the highland. A majestic figure appeared, with flowing purple hair, his back to the crowd, facing the great tomb.

He stood on the highland, making people feel as though they were facing a divine mountain, impossibly high. Their calves went weak, and many cultivators couldn't control themselves, wanting to kneel.

A Saint-tier Ancient King had arrived!

Indeed, the appearance of an ancient Great Emperor's tomb had made even Saints restless, prompting them to rush to this place.

The majestic figure suddenly turned around, facing everyone. His purple hair flowed freely, and his eyes were like deep pools, dark and profound. No one dared to meet his gaze.

"It's... Huotan, he has become a Saint!"

An ancient race member, a Half-Saint, exclaimed in shock.

Many showed expressions of surprise. Huotan was an extraordinary genius, highly renowned among the ancient races. Towards the end of the Primordial Era, he had challenged all corners of the world.

He was a newly ascended Saint, the first person to become a Saint in this era since the ancient races' revival, and he would be recorded in history.

"It really is Huotan..." In the distance, some old, venerable members of the ancient races, whose lifespans were nearing their end, showed a bitter smile.

Huotan was by no means the top genius of his generation, yet he was now the first to achieve Sainthood, thereby transcending all others. A mere half-step made all the difference.

Being a Half-Saint was a heavenly barrier that could trap someone for a lifetime, never to be crossed. Many exceptionally talented individuals were halted there.

Half-Saint and Saint—a single word difference, yet the gap was enormous. One could only look up, while the other was high above.

"Huotan actually succeeded, while the foremost genius of that generation is still struggling. And now he has become a Saint and an Ancestor..."

Many among the ancient races were unwilling to accept it, but there was nothing they could do. Huotan's achievement of Sainthood marked the rise of another generation!

"Where is the Human Sacred Body?" Huotan's pupils were like two black celestial suns, emitting terrifying light as they swept over the crowd, causing all living beings to tremble.

"Saint Huotan has appeared, and he's looking for trouble with the Human Sacred Body!" Some of the ancient race members were excited.

Few dared to defy the decree of the Victorious Fighting Buddha, but that didn't mean everyone would obey. Moreover, if one was determined to kill the Human Sacred Body, there were loopholes to exploit.

Huotan had arrived, first, to explore the ancient tomb, and second, specifically for Ye Fan. Even before becoming a Saint, he was a rising elite among the ancient race's radical faction.

"In the Primordial Era, my ancestors used Human Sacred Bodies as blood food. I've heard that the Human Sacred Body contains precious blood, and I, too, would very much like to taste it." These were words Huotan had spoken before becoming a Saint, and many still remembered them clearly.