Chapter 279: King's Combat Power

As night fell, an ominous energy surged, dark clouds pressed down, black as ink, and old crows wailed mournfully, creating a scene of desolate horror.

Thousands of spectral soldiers and horses, shouting and neighing, their iron armor glinting, advanced with an overwhelming murderous aura. They swept forth like a great flood, making the earth tremble and rumble.

It was a truly breathtaking sight. Thousands of monstrous beasts thundered forward, forming a dark, sprawling mass that stretched across the horizon. They transformed into an unstoppable torrent of steel, crushing everything in their path. Wherever their spears pointed, all was reduced to dust.

The ghostly wind howled, uprooting ancient, towering trees from the ground. They splintered in the sky, sending wood chips and scattered leaves swirling chaotically.

This was a powerful, destructive force, sweeping away everything in its path. Trees and ancient vines were torn from the earth and hurled into the sky. Even massive stones, dozens of meters long, instantly crumbled.

Nothing could withstand these spectral soldiers and horses. Wherever their spear points aimed, all tangible matter was annihilated.

"There are treasures, astonishing divine hoards, deep within the earth."

Many cultivators, unable to contain their excitement, surged forward.

It was clear to everyone now that a great secret lay beneath this land. Even if it wasn't one of the Nine Secrets, it was undoubtedly something extraordinary.

In mere moments, thousands of spectral beings and horses surged forth. Such a massive emergence was incredibly rare, making it difficult to fathom what lay beneath the earth.

Under the cloak of night, dazzling light flashed as many cultivators unleashed their magic artifacts, striking at the flood of spectral soldiers and horses.

"Crack!""Ah..."

To everyone's astonishment, dozens of cultivators at the forefront had their magic artifacts shattered and their bodies severed. They met their demise in an instant.

Blood sprayed and heads fell. Thousands of soldiers and horses swept through, trampling dozens of corpses into a bloody pulp. There was simply no way to halt their advance.

The powerful spectral soldiers and terrifying spectral horses, with their iron spears, were beyond the resistance of many cultivators.

A roar...

Thousands of spectral soldiers roared, and black, ominous energy surged and rolled upwards, plunging the land into darkness. The dark clouds seemed to descend almost to the ground.

Everyone retreated. Each of these countless soldiers and horses was terrifying on its own, but together, they were truly petrifying. Fighting them alone would mean certain death.

Another roar...

Thousands of spectral soldiers and horses roared again, unleashing a deathly aura that surged skyward, shaking a few cultivators from the air. Their fate was tragic: they were trampled into bloody pulp by the charging horses.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

From the ancient mausoleum deep beneath the earth, a muffled, mournful drumming suddenly echoed, striking fear into everyone's hearts.

The spectral soldiers and horses on the ground immediately soared into the air, their steeds treading the void as they ascended to the heavens to attack.

Ominous energy swirled through the sky. Thousands of spectral figures, a dense, dark mass, wielding their iron spears, charged towards the cultivators.

Everyone was stunned. The prowess of these spectral soldiers was beyond imagination; they could all fly, forming an incredibly formidable fighting force.

Furthermore, their speed was astonishing. Each wave of spectral beings surged forth like a vast, black tide.

There were too many cultivators in the sky for everyone to escape. Many were unable to flee in time and were forced to engage in combat.

"Clang! Thud! Whirr!..."

Black mist surged and iron armor glinted as various weapons clashed in a desperate battle for survival. The spectral soldiers were incredibly powerful. Hundreds of cultivators, trapped within the encirclement, found themselves unable to resist.

Iron spears hacked, shattering many weapons. Blood bloomed as the spectral soldiers charged through. Wherever their spear points passed, hundreds were reduced to bloody pulp, dying gruesome deaths.

Of course, in the process, many spectral soldiers were also slain, dissolving into black mist that dissipated into the sky.

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable..."

A compassionate Taoist chant, like the sound of the Grand Dao, echoed across the heavens. The ancient Taoist temple, simple and unadorned, built entirely of bluestone, appeared above the great tomb.

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable..."

These four words resonated continuously, like a heavenly tsunami, grand and righteous. The people from Dao Yi Holy Land had intervened, using supreme Grand Dao methods to suppress the ferocious spectral soldiers.

Leading the chant was the voice of a young female Taoist, a divine melody as beautiful and pleasant as heavenly music, lingering sweetly. This sacred sound filled the entire world.

From the ancient Taoist temple, ripples of sound flowed outwards like water, spreading in all directions. Many people quieted down.

Under the young female Taoist's celestial melody, the thousands of spectral soldiers and horses began to fade, frantically rushing towards the ground, attempting to escape back into the underground palace.

"Boundless Heavenly Venerable..." The young female Taoist's captivating celestial voice, each word distinct, echoed throughout the vast world like falling pearls.

The spectral soldiers had nowhere to hide. They rapidly dematerialized, turning into mist. In just a few moments, more than half of the thousands of spectral figures had vanished.

The celestial melody flowed like water, permeating all directions, and the spectral forces scattered like wind. When the enchanting sound faded, all the spectral soldiers were gone. Even the very void had been purified, leaving it serene and tranquil, with stars and moon twinkling.

Many people gasped in awe and couldn't help but feel admiration. The methods of Dao Yi Holy Land were indeed elegant and wondrous. The young female Taoist's ability to purify thousands of specters with her celestial voice was truly astonishing.

Duan De nodded and commented, "The young Taoist nun from Dao Yi Holy Land is indeed extraordinary. Ji family's future God King, you were truly born at an inopportune time. You should have been invincible in the Eastern Wasteland, but now there are several formidable rivals."

"You rogue Taoist, stop stirring up trouble," Ji Ziyue retorted, giving him a huge eye-roll.

"Master, should we retreat or stay?" Ye Fan asked.

"We're just common folk," Duan De replied, "no match for these disciples from the Holy Lands. We really should retreat, but the situation now is somewhat different."

Ye Fan nodded. "So many people from various Holy Lands have arrived, and the ancient mausoleum underground is no trivial matter. Can we perhaps 'fish in troubled waters'?"

"Precisely, no need to rush off," Duan De wholeheartedly agreed.

Yao Xi, Ji Ziyue, and Ji Haoyue were left somewhat speechless. These two were discussing their schemes openly, without any attempt to hide it from them.

Of course, both men harbored ulterior motives and were certainly not genuinely consulting each other. "Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

Deep underground, the muffled drumming resumed. Ominous energy surged forth, billowing like smoke signals, instantly obscuring the stars and moon, making everything as black as a vast ocean.

It was clear that the spectral soldiers and horses would attack again. Many cultivators on the surface paled, realizing the immense danger of the underground mausoleum and the seemingly endless supply of specters.

Purple qi rose from the east, and a brilliant light shone in the sky. An ethereal immortal palace floated above the great tomb, scattering specks of purple radiance. These light motes streamed along the tomb path and rushed inside.

Immortal music drifted through the air. The palace above, like a pavilion from the immortal realm, appeared distant and dreamlike, almost unreal.

The purple qi wafted, incredibly serene, a holy omen of good fortune. It was perfectly suited to counter the ominous energy, as its fluid purple light annihilated the smoke-like dark aura.

"The people from Zifu have acted. Is it one person, or are many young disciples performing the purification?" Ye Fan inquired.

Duan De gazed up at the purple immortal palace. "If it's just one person acting," he said, "that would be truly extraordinary. And it's quite possible that it is."

The purple qi then vanished, and the great tomb grew still. Clearly, the entity residing below understood that the individuals above were formidable opponents and refrained from sending out any more forces.

"This isn't good," Duan De muttered, frowning. "I have a premonition that there's something unconquerable down there."

At that moment, a magnificent golden ancient ship, hundreds of meters long, flew into view and hovered in the air. A dazzling sword beam descended from it, instantly splitting the earth.

The people from Dayan Holy Land had made their move.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!..."

Sword energy, like a dragon, massive as a mountain, pierced through the heavens and earth. Its chilling murderous intent sent shivers down spines, making many people involuntarily tremble.

The powerful sword intent was overwhelming, effortlessly slicing through the earth.

Nothing could obstruct it. Even those observing from afar found it unbearable. It felt as though heaven itself had unleashed a murderous intent, shifting stars and chilling people to the bone. Faced with such a sword beam, one felt compelled to prostrate oneself in reverence.

"The Dayan Sacred Sword is truly extraordinary," Yao Xi murmured to herself. "Reaching its pinnacle, it can sever anything and even manifest miniature worlds."

"Its power is immense, truly awe-inspiring," God King Body Ji Haoyue also nodded in agreement.

It wasn't long before the earth was carved open, with hundreds of meters of soil removed. The mysterious grand mausoleum was about to be revealed to the world.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!..."

The sword beam, resembling a true dragon, struck the earth, causing it to shake violently.

The sword beam encountered resistance. The hundreds-of-meters-long golden ancient warship flew away, and the people from Dayan Holy Land ceased their attack. What appeared was a massive rift valley, revealing the ancient mausoleum. Below it lay a colossal underground palace, not merely a tomb in the conventional sense, but more like an ancient city. A corner of its imposing city gate was now visible to all.

The underground palace, dating back over a hundred thousand years, was indestructible and perfectly intact. Undoubtedly, it was inscribed with profound Taoist patterns that had preserved its integrity to this day.

The massive ancient city gate, which had been half-open with wisps of black mist drifting out, suddenly slammed shut with a resounding "thud," sealing itself off from the outside world.

"The Nine Secrets of the human race... let me see what makes them so special, why they astonish the world." The Golden-Winged Roc King was the first to act, transforming into a streak of golden light and descending into the rift valley, landing before the stone gate of the underground palace.

"Hmph!"

In his hand, a weapon as black as ink materialized, heavy as a mountain, its sheer weight causing the very void to buckle. As he swung it, the air buzzed and trembled.

"Clang!"

Wielding the Great Desolation Halberd, the Golden-Winged Roc King struck the underground palace gate with a deafening blow. The supposedly indestructible gate actually cracked.

"Crack!"

Even the seemingly immortal underground palace could not withstand such an impact, and the cracks in the city gate multiplied.

Above, everyone watched in stunned silence. This young king of the Sky Roc tribe possessed astonishing divine power. The Dayan Sacred Sword had merely attempted to cleave it, yet he had outright shattered it with brute force.

"Clang!"

As the Golden-Winged Roc King swung the Great Desolation Halberd for the third time, the formidable black weapon caused the very void to tremble. With a mighty crash, the enormous city gate was utterly obliterated by his blow.

His courage and strength were unparalleled; it was difficult to imagine the true extent of his combat prowess. He was truly capable of toppling mountains and dominating the world.

Suddenly, a sound like a surging flood erupted. Countless spectral soldiers and horses burst forth from the underground palace, charging towards the Golden-Winged Roc King.

"Do you truly think you can kill me?" he roared, standing alone before the city gate, his black Great Desolation Halberd held high. "One hundred and eight thousand swords!"

At that very instant, thousands of golden lights erupted. Tens of thousands of massive golden swords vibrated, shaking heaven and earth. This was an indiscriminate attack, designed to obliterate all resistance.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!..."

With all hundred and eight thousand swords moving in unison, every spectral soldier and horse that charged forward was annihilated. Only he remained standing alone in the center of the field.

The Golden-Winged Roc King had a robust physique. Strands of his golden hair fluttered wildly without a breeze, shimmering like a blazing golden sun. His gaze was incredibly sharp, like a divine sword drawn from its sheath, and the light radiating from his eyes made hearts pound.

"The Nine Secrets of the human race—I'll examine them first!" he bellowed, then charged into the underground palace.

"No! The demon race must not acquire it!" cultivators above cried out. They all sprang into action, rushing into the underground palace.

The spectral soldiers were endless. To enter the city, one had to carve a "spectral path" through them; there was no other way. The most powerful cultivators led the charge, fighting at the forefront.

Jiang Family's Divine Body left behind a lingering afterimage, flashing and vanishing inside the city gate.

The Yaoguang Holy Son, radiating dazzling holy light and invulnerable to all laws, was like a divine furnace. His sacred flames surged as he stormed into the city.

Following him, individuals from Dayan Holy Land, Wanchu Holy Land, Zifu Holy Land, and Dao Yi Holy Land all descended, flashing into the underground palace.

"Kill!"

Shouts of battle shook the heavens. Powerful figures from all paths and disciples from numerous great sects charged forward, unwilling to be left behind, engaging in fierce combat with the spectral soldiers.

No one knew what truly lay in the depths of the underground palace, or how terrifying it might be. Yet, everyone vied to be first, pushing and fighting their way inside.

Amidst the swirling mist, even the Jade Lake Saintess, no longer detached, moved and entered the ancient city.

Following her, Yan Ruyu, like a divine lotus bathed in shimmering light, also flashed and vanished from sight.

"Ziyue, wait here. Don't follow me. A terrifying battle is about to erupt inside. I'm going in now," said the future God King of the Ji family. He instantly vanished, leaving behind only the faint outline of a divine moon where he had stood.

Yao Xi let out a light laugh and vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Brother..." Little Ziyue called out, but received no reply.

"A prime opportunity to fish in troubled waters has arrived, young Ye Fan. Let's get ready," the unscrupulous Taoist chuckled mischievously.

Ye Fan nodded. "We came only for the Nine Secrets; everything else is secondary."

"The Nine Secrets will likely be difficult to obtain. There's probably something inside that we can't handle," Duan De mused, pacing without immediate action.

"Kill!" Shouts of battle shook the heavens. Outside the underground palace, cultivators and spectral soldiers were everywhere.