Chapter 278: Saints' Lands

Lincheng, a city 15,000 years old, now lies in ruins, buried under dust and sand, with almost nothing left.

Numerous cultivators arrived at the ruins. The Golden-winged Young Roc King, the Jiang family's Divine Physique, the Yaoguang Saint Son, and Ji Haoyue stood in the four cardinal directions, their battle intent soaring as they surveyed the world, like four deities descended upon it.

In the sky, a massive divine ship hovered, followed by chariot after chariot, causing the heavens to tremble continuously in this region.

“The Great Evolution Holy Land, the Myriad Beginning Holy Land,” Yao Xi murmured, her beautiful eyes gleaming with divine light.

Two pairs of incredibly sharp gazes descended from the divine ship and the ancient chariots, respectively, seemingly piercing into people's very bones. Their power was awe-inspiring; the successors of these two great Holy Lands were truly startling.

The Great Evolution Holy Land and the Myriad Beginning Holy Land had immense backgrounds. The terms 'Great Evolution' and 'Myriad Beginning' carried extraordinary significance, as both were among the oldest Holy Lands in the Eastern Wasteland.

Suddenly, boundless and vast purple energy appeared from the east, indescribably noble, sacred, and inviolable, enveloping the eastern sky.

The purple energy from the east, ethereal and grand, has been regarded as an auspicious and sacred omen from ancient times to the present, symbolizing an aura of peace and harmony.

A floating immortal palace appeared, borne by the purple energy, hazy and indistinct, surrounded by splendor, infusing the entire world with an ethereal aura.

“The Purple Mansion Holy Land has sent people,” Duan De said, narrowing his eyes.

They did not ride chariots, nor did they command divine ships. Instead, they traveled directly on a purple immortal palace, soaring through the air, astonishing everyone.

The Purple Mansion, legend has it, is a place where immortals reside. A sect daring to name itself thus naturally possessed immense power.

Silently, a Daoist temple manifested high in the sky. Its Daoist charm was boundless, and it seemed to have stood there since ancient times, so subtly that many people hadn't noticed when it had appeared.

It was not grand, nor was it adorned with pearls or beautiful jade. Built entirely from ordinary temple stones, simple and unadorned, it nevertheless conveyed a feeling of boundless Dao.

“The Dao One Holy Land has also sent people,” Ji Ziyue exclaimed, her small mouth wide open in surprise.

The purple immortal palace hovered in the sky, and the ancient Daoist temple remained still. Many young disciples from both Holy Lands arrived, all dressed in Daoist robes, including numerous female Daoist priests, like goddesses descended to the mortal world.

However, their strongest successors did not exude powerful divine energy. They all stood quietly in the air, showing no discernible intent.

Clearly, they had no intention of competing at this moment.

At the Lincheng ruins, besides the Jiang, Ji, Yaoguang, and Yaochi Holy Lands, other Holy Lands were also rushing over. The Nine Secrets had shaken the world, and this ownerless divine technique made everyone restless.

Savage beasts roared, their cries shaking heaven and earth. In the distant sky, besides Wu Zhongtian, Li Heishui, and Jiang Hairen, more young people arrived, joining them—all the descendants of the Northern Region's Thirteen Great Bandits had gathered.

With a rumbling sound, a fearsome ancient ship, a thousand zhang long, appeared. Like a fierce beast from ancient times, its dragon head held high, it came riding the wind and waves, signifying that the demon race had sent its strongest members.

Behind the thousand-zhang ancient ship, dozens of warships followed, surrounding it as escorts. Yan Ruyu stood atop the ancient ship, which was now paused in the distant sky, observing everything. Beside her, three young and powerful demon cultivators stood abreast.

The Nine Secrets had astonished the world, and more and more people were arriving. Major powers other than the Holy Lands had also sent representatives, for no one would miss this opportunity. These were the ownerless Nine Secrets; whoever obtained them would claim them.

Duan De said with a smile, “Ji Haoyue, Divine King Body of the Ji family, didn't you want to fight a great battle? Now that the various Holy Lands have appeared, though you possess a Divine Body and might be able to defeat one person, against so many, you certainly won't be a match. Furthermore, some among them are likely no weaker than you.”

“You bad fatty Daoist priest, don't provoke my brother!” Ji Ziyue said, playfully baring her small teeth at Duan De.

“With the Nine Secrets not yet revealed, I doubt anyone will make a move,” Ji Haoyue said calmly. All his battle intent was restrained, and his divine power had become as calm as water.

As a Divine King Body, he clearly sensed powerful killing intent and genuine threats. Once the Nine Secrets appeared, a great battle would surely commence, marking the first emperor-level clash.

A moment later, everyone from all sides reined in their terrifying killing intent, and for a time, this area became surprisingly calm.

“The Eastern Wasteland has indeed entered a prosperous era, with extraordinary talents emerging simultaneously,” Duan De sighed softly. “If they all survive, the future will surely see a hundred flowers blooming, reaching an extreme peak of prosperity.”

“I'm afraid many people won't share your view, Daoist priest,” Yao Xi said with a smile, as captivatingly beautiful as a breeze in spring. “One or two exceptional talents are enough. If there are five or six or more, that would likely be a disaster and a tragedy. The future clashes would be unimaginably brutal.”

She seemed to be an outsider, unwilling to get involved. However, Ye Fan knew well that Yao Xi was by no means simple; if a real battle erupted, her strength would be absolutely terrifying. She possessed an unparalleled and powerful divine sense, no weaker than his own—a terrifying trump card unknown to others.

Duan De cursed, saying, “These bastards are truly cunning! They deliberately let their killing intent soar just now to intimidate everyone, and now they're secretly sending people to seize the last nine major tomb areas.”

He had identified a total of fifty-four major tomb areas, all located around the Lincheng ruins. Currently, all parties were in action, and forty-five areas had already been excavated, leaving only nine remaining.

“Let's go, we need to act quickly, or others will get there first,”

Ye Fan felt that everything else was secondary. He didn't care about fighting to the death; what was most important now was truly finding the Nine Secrets.

The remaining nine major tomb areas had almost all been claimed. When Ye Fan and his group rushed over, they did not trigger a large battle and successfully claimed an area. This was entirely thanks to Ji Haoyue's presence.

Currently, he was one of only two Divine King Bodies in the Eastern Wasteland, and almost no one dared to confront him directly. Even the few who could stand on equal footing with him did not wish for a life-or-death battle at this moment and implicitly avoided him.

Aside from the Holy Lands and the demon race, people from other sects naturally moved away immediately. The Divine King Body's influence was evident; his invincible immortal might was deeply ingrained in people's minds, causing everyone to retreat without exception.

“Daoist priest, are you confident in choosing this spot?” Yao Xi asked.

Duan De's expression was calm as he said, “This humble Daoist priest has thoroughly studied tombology and has some insights. I believe that among these nine major tomb areas, this place is the most likely to yield the Nine Secrets.”

“Do you have any basis for that?” Ye Fan asked.

“Come and see, this area has great significance,” Duan De said, pointing towards the seemingly boundless tomb area.

This place was terraced, gradually ascending as if reaching towards the heavens. In the distance, a river like a dragon surged and roared past. Standing here and gazing into the distance truly made one feel at ease and refreshed.

“The terrain ascends step by step towards heaven, and a silver dragon seems to coil through it,” he explained. “It is the renowned 'Silver Dragon Sweeping the Sky' treasure land among yin dwellings.”

Upon hearing this, the others quickly looked around. Indeed, it closely resembled the imagery he described, truly looking as if a silver true dragon was about to sweep across the high heavens.

“Ordinary people certainly cannot be buried in a place like this,” Duan De continued. “Those who can occupy this tomb are usually individuals of extraordinary background. In the former Lincheng, the ancient family that cultivated the Nine Secrets was the most distinguished. Therefore, I believe this place is worth excavating.”

“You can even justify grave digging…” Ji Ziyue asked, biting her small canine teeth. “Daoist priest, you really know a lot. You must have practiced by robbing quite a few tombs, haven't you?”

A tremendous rumbling sound came from the earth as the group forcibly began digging a path, drilling downwards and penetrating deep into the earth.

However, after digging more than a hundred meters deep, they still didn't encounter any ancient tombs. It was all rock and barren earth, bearing no resemblance to a burial site.

“Daoist priest, you've got the wrong place. There's no ancient tomb here; it's an empty area,” the others said, all disappointed.

“No, there must be something down there,” Duan De insisted. “Over a hundred thousand years have passed, and it's impossible for no one to have been buried in such a geomantic treasure land.”

They dug another three hundred meters downwards. Finally, a tremendous rumbling sound echoed, sounding incredibly hollow, as they broke through to the deep underground.

Duan De had indeed been right. Deep underground, there was an ancient mausoleum of immense scale, and a gush of chilling Yin energy immediately surged upwards.

“Quick!” The group quickly retreated, rushing to the surface. The foul energy sealed underground was manageable if only for a few thousand years, but if it had accumulated for over ten thousand years, it might even dissolve cultivators' lives into nothingness.

“Well, what did this humble Daoist priest say?” Duan De exclaimed, his face glowing with satisfaction. “Everything is within my calculations.”

By then, it was dusk. The last rays of the setting sun were fading, and a few old crows, unafraid of people, cawed incessantly on a withered tree.

“Daoist priest, can we go in now?” Yao Xi asked.

“Wait a little longer. We'll go in after the sun sets,” Duan De replied.

“Why?” Ji Ziyue asked, puzzled.

“I'm afraid there might be something down there,” he explained. “Let's not go in yet; let it come out first.” He said this with a calm and experienced air.

“It seems the Daoist priest has spent quite a lot of time in tombs,” someone remarked, and the others were speechless.

Rumbling sounds emanated from deep within the earth, the sudden thunder of a thousand horses galloping. The sound was incredibly loud and terrifying, like a deafening tsunami.

Immediately after, a chilling Yin energy surged skyward, like the biting cold of the twelfth lunar month. Even cultivators couldn't help but shiver.

“Oh no, this great tomb is not simple,” someone exclaimed. “There's something extremely ferocious down there, probably terrifyingly powerful.”

Boom! Massive waves of Yin energy surged skyward, instantly darkening the sky, like an endless black cloud surging forth and obscuring the heavens.

“It's even more terrifying than I imagined,” Duan De said, his expression flickering between worry and solemnity. “There's a great fiendish creature down there, turned into a demon, and there are many of them. Most likely, there will also be beings we can't handle.”

The enormous commotion from this place naturally alerted everyone at once, and numerous cultivators rushed over.

Even Ji Haoyue, as a Divine King Body, could not deter them, because the Golden-winged Young Roc King, the Yaoguang Saint Son, and others had also arrived. The top young powerhouses from the Great Evolution, Myriad Beginning, Dao One, Jiang family, Purple Mansion, and other great Holy Lands all rushed over, followed by the leading figures of the demon race who also appeared one after another.

Heirs from various major sects and the Thirteen Great Bandits swarmed over, surrounding the area completely, making it impenetrable.

Boom! The moment the sun set and night fell, horrifying sounds emanated from deep within the earth. It was hard to describe what exactly was down there.

Next, massive waves of Yin energy surged skyward, like endless black clouds sealing off the heavens.

Rumble, rumble, rumble... A thousand horses galloped, and the earth shook violently. In the very next moment, troop after troop of soldiers and horses emerged, their killing intent soaring to the sky.

These figures were all riding various savage beasts. They wielded long spears and iron halberds, and were clad in ancient iron armor, which gleamed with a cold light.

“Powerful Yin-people and Yin-horses! How can there be so many?” many people exclaimed in shock.

In just a short moment, thousands of Yin-people and Yin-horses had already surged out, shaking heaven and earth. The Yin energy was so dense it was almost tangible, and more figures and mounts were continuously emerging from the ground.

“The numbers are too great!” someone cried out. “And these Yin beings are very powerful. How can we deal with them?” Everyone's expression changed to one of alarm.

“Just how vast is the ancient mausoleum underground, to have so many Yin-people and Yin-horses emerge all at once?” someone wondered aloud. “It's hard to imagine how many more there are beneath, and what exactly is controlling them?”