Chapter 277: East Wilderness Who Is King

Chapter 281: Who Is King in the Eastern Wilderness?

On the outskirts of Licheng, many cultivators were active, all searching for ancient tombs, entirely for the Nine Secrets.

As soon as the Nine Secrets were revealed, the Northern Region was shaken. No sect could remain indifferent; even the Desolate Ancient Aristocratic Families openly declared their intent to compete for them.

"Caw!"

An old crow cawed, its miserable cry sending shivers down one's spine.

This was a desolate burial ground, barren and sparse, with only a few withered trees and old vines. The rest of the area was bare, covered in broken grave mounds.

"These people are too much! They don't spare any grave. It's infuriating," Ji Ziyue grumbled, displaying a hint of her innocent nature.

They didn't know how many ancient tombs they had already seen, but all had been thoroughly searched. Every tomb was cracked open, and some even had dried bones dug out.

Duan De said, "It was all caused by a bronze bell, which leaked the heavenly secret of the Nine Secrets' existence. That's why cultivators from the Northern Region have rushed here."

"Caw! Caw! Caw!"

In the desolate ancient cemetery, a few old crows flapped their wings, hovering among some dried bones, conveying an ominous feeling.

"They've all been dug up already. Why are we still wasting our effort?" Ji Ziyue asked, clearly displeased.

"Who am I? I know five thousand years into the past and five hundred years into the future. Trust me," Duan De declared shamelessly. Despite his portly build, he was remarkably agile, moving back and forth across the ancient tombs as if measuring something.

"Are you sure, Daoist Priest, that we should dig here again?" Yao Xi's pretty face was filled with confusion.

"I'm not asking you to dig on the surface, but for the deeper underground mausoleum. Over a hundred thousand years have passed; the true ancient tombs are buried deep underground. The surface burial areas are nothing," Duan De said, looking as if everything was under his control.

Ye Fan had long anticipated that the others had brought him along mainly to use him as labor. His cultivation was not high, incomparable to the others present.

Indeed, the task of digging fell to him. He didn't mind, considering it a small price to pay for the Nine Secrets.

Unfortunately, their luck was not very good. They did unearth ancient tombs below, but they were unrelated to the ancient aristocratic family from 105,000 years ago and contained no Nine Secrets.

By then, night had fallen, and the world was plunged into darkness.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the sky lit up, indicating a great battle was underway.

Two figures, like two small suns, streaked across the night sky, causing the heavens to tremble repeatedly. The battle was incredibly fierce.

"It's the Saint Son of Yaoguang! Who is the other person? They can actually contend with him!" Ji Ziyue exclaimed in surprise.

At this moment, Ji Haoyue's Divine King Physique shone brightly, and his fighting spirit soared. He looked up at the night sky and muttered, "Golden hair, unparalleled combat strength... Could it be the Golden-Winged Little Peng King of the demon race?"

Ye Fan's gaze was profound. He hadn't expected the Golden-Winged Little Peng King to encounter the Saint Son of Yaoguang so soon. The two were like divine beings, battling fiercely, shaking heaven and earth, before disappearing into the horizon.

Ji Haoyue was about to soar into the air, but Ji Ziyue quickly grabbed his arm, saying, "Don't go."

She was worried for her brother, knowing that both were exceptionally gifted and capable of contending with a Divine King Physique. She didn't want him to get involved.

Duan De asked, "Aren't you worried for the Saint Son of Yaoguang, Fairy Yao Xi?"

Yao Xi smiled charmingly and replied, "Daoist Priest, you're asking why I didn't go to help, right? If I were to intervene, he would certainly refuse. In a sense, the 'Emperor Qualification Battle' has begun, and he wouldn't want my assistance."

"The Emperor Qualification Battle..." Ji Haoyue's eyes grew even brighter, and the divine light around his body burned fiercely like raging flames.

"My blood is also starting to boil, but unfortunately, my talent is ordinary, so I can't compete," Duan De said, shaking his head.

"Little Daoist Priest, why are you so quiet?" Ji Ziyue asked. "The Emperor Qualification Battle is too far from me right now; thinking about it is useless..." Ye Fan shook his head.

In the following days, Duan De led the group in digging up hundreds of ancient tombs, but they still found nothing, no clues about the Nine Secrets.

Only now did the others realize why Duan De had partnered with them: to use a Divine Physique and the Saintess of Yaoguang as free labor. This was a hugely profitable venture for him.

"Duan De, for the past few days, you've been ordering us to dig graves everywhere, and we've nearly turned these ancient burial grounds upside down. Do you even have a plan?" Ji Haoyue asked in a low voice.

The future Divine King doing such tasks all day long was starting to become unbearable for him. He felt Duan De was deceiving them.

"Don't you have important clues left by Gai Jiuyou?" Yao Xi also expressed her dissatisfaction.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely find it. The clues left by Gai Jiuyou are very valuable, and I'm following that trail. Otherwise, do you think we could find the ruins of the ancient Licheng after 105,000 years?"

Five days later, Duan De showed excitement and said, "Found it!"

"Did you find the tomb of that ancient aristocratic family?" Ji Ziyue pressed.

"No, I found the ancient site of Licheng from 105,000 years ago," Duan De replied.

This was a desolate plain, completely barren, covered in shattered stones, located more than two hundred li away from the current Licheng.

"What's the use of finding the Licheng ruins? It's not the mausoleum of that ancient aristocratic family."

Duan De's face glowed with excitement. "Based on this city, we can determine their burial area. I expect it won't be too far, and the search area has become much more precise."

"Good heavens, you're not planning to make us dig up the entire surrounding region, are you?" All of them gave him murderous glares.

"Don't worry. The ancients were very particular about burials; they wouldn't just inter people anywhere. I have some expertise in this field of study..."

"...and I can pinpoint a few key locations."

That very day, Duan De identified fifty-four geomantically auspicious locations around the ancient Licheng site. However, on the same day, others began to arrive in the area.

"Experts are here! Someone else made the same judgment as me," Duan De exclaimed, sensing trouble. The next day, the number of people quadrupled, and the area became crowded with even more cultivators.

"This is bad. The Nine Secrets truly shocked the world. Many strange individuals who understand tomb lore must have been invited, otherwise, they absolutely couldn't have found this place," Duan De frowned.

"So, Daoist Priest, you're also a strange individual?" Yao Xi chuckled.

"To be frank, when it comes to tombology, I am indeed an expert. Even the Demon Emperor's Yin Tomb couldn't trap me, as you should know."

The others knew he spoke the truth.

In the past two days, they had dug up eighteen of the selected geomantically auspicious sites in one go. The results were either empty or large tombs belonging to other ancient figures.

"This is bad. We selected fifty-four locations, and others have already dug up twenty-seven of them. We've indeed run into experts."

Duan De's face clouded over with uncertainty.

Only the last nine burial areas remained, with nine large tombs left to dig. If there were no surprises, the mausoleum of that ancient aristocratic family was very likely about to see the light of day again.

"We need to act fast and get ahead of them, otherwise, someone else will beat us to it!" Duan De exclaimed urgently.

Duan De was anxious, sensing that powerful experts had arrived.

On this day, the crowd grew larger and larger. Almost all cultivators had caught wind of the situation and rushed to the ancient site.

Suddenly, Duan De smeared some dirt on his face, then used a bone-shrinking technique to alter his physique. While this change in appearance couldn't fundamentally alter his essence like the secret techniques recorded in the Scripture of the Source Heaven, it was enough to deceive most ordinary people.

Only then did Ye Fan notice Wu Zhongtian appearing not far away. He had arrived in the area with Li Heishui, Liu Kou, and Jiang Hairen.

Duan De, having dug up their ancestors' graves, naturally felt guilty. If discovered, Wu Zhongtian would surely come at him with all his might.

"The Golden-Winged Little Peng King!" Ji Haoyue's eyes flashed like lightning as he looked towards the sky. A golden light streaked across, and the Little Peng King of the Sky Peng race descended in the distance.

"Brother, don't fight him today!" Ji Ziyue quickly pulled him back.

"Could it be that the Saint Son of Yaoguang was defeated?" Ye Fan wondered.

"They probably didn't have a true life-or-death battle that night," Yao Xi said, looking into the distance, as she could sense the Saint Son of Yaoguang's aura, his divine power still as vigorous as a roaring fire in a divine furnace.

"The Jiang Family has also arrived!"

Savage beasts roared in the sky. Hundreds of exotic beasts charged forth, each ridden by a powerful, iron-clad knight. The sky rumbled from the pounding hooves of the beasts.

"The Divine Physique of the Jiang family has arrived; I can sense his aura!" Ji Haoyue exclaimed, his body shining brilliantly, like a segment of a divine rainbow, and a bright moon hung high above his head.

In the sky, the hundreds of knights charged past and landed on the distant horizon. Everyone, however, felt an incredibly intense gaze sweep over them, as if it could pierce into their very bones. It was undoubtedly the Divine Physique of the Jiang family.

The top young powerhouses all sensed each other. If they were to clash, it would surely shake the heavens and earth. Several of them had the potential to walk the path of a Great Emperor.

The gentle strains of string and wind instruments drifted, mist swirled, and flower petals danced. A group of white-clad maidens, like ethereal fairies, appeared in this world.

"I didn't expect people from the Jade Lake to come as well..." Yao Xi's beautiful eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

Ji Ziyue was surprised. "The Jade Lake has always been aloof from worldly affairs, almost never participating in conflicts. Yet this time, for the Nine Secrets, they've even sent people, and the Saintess of Jade Lake herself has arrived."

"This is bad. I have a bad feeling about this, Daoist Priest. I don't want to stay here anymore," Duan De said, wanting to back out.

"What do you mean, Daoist Priest?" Yao Xi asked.

Duan De replied, "We two are just small figures. Those people all have powerful backgrounds, but we are minor characters. We'll have no say here and can only follow others' lead entirely. It's just torture!"

"Daoist Priest, you worry too much. We are allies. How could it possibly be disadvantageous to us?" Yao Xi chuckled.

"Forget it," Duan De said, his expression grim. "The young generation has appeared, so those old fellows must have arrived too. They're all watching from the shadows, and they'll surely jump out at the critical moment."

"There are only nine large burial areas left. Are you really giving up just like that, Daoist Priest?" Ji Haoyue said. "Don't worry, with me here, your life will be safe."

It was almost certain that one of the nine great tombs would be the mausoleum of that ancient aristocratic family. Duan De hesitated.

"Boom!"

It was as if thousands of soldiers and horses were galloping. Dozens of ancient chariots rumbled across the sky, making the firmament tremble.

"Another Holy Land! And all young experts!"

"Woo..." A long, deafening horn blast resounded.

The clouds in the sky were dispersed by the sound. A massive golden warship, hundreds of zhang long, flew into view, dazzling and resplendent with golden light.

Duan De sighed, "Does this mean all the great Holy Lands will come?"

Ye Fan also spoke, asking, "Why are they all from the young generation?"

"This is probably a deliberate arrangement by all parties, to let the young generation have a true grand showdown and see who is truly superior," Yao Xi analyzed.

"Exactly. The old masters aren't absent; they just haven't shown themselves yet. The battle for the Nine Secrets will likely begin first among the young generation," Duan De cursed under his breath, feeling unlucky.

"Brother, is that true?" Ji Ziyue asked worriedly.

Ji Haoyue's fighting spirit was high, his divine power surging throughout his body, and a divine moon slowly rose above him, intimidating all directions. He nodded and said, "Yes, it seems today will determine who is superior. Let's see who can truly become invincible in the Eastern Wilderness in the future!"

At the same time, an unparalleled fighting spirit erupted from the Jiang Family's side. The Jiang Family's Divine Physique had finally emerged.

On the other side, the Saint Son of Yaoguang stood alone like a sun god, radiating ten thousand rays of light, resembling a true deity.

In the distance, the Golden-Winged Little Peng King let out a long cry, his golden hair wildly fluttering. His majestic body exuded unparalleled demonic power, and terrifying fluctuations emanated from him, showcasing an air of unchallenged supremacy, as if he alone ruled heaven and earth.