Chapter 338: Lei Thirty-Six Tombs

The Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, legend says, fell from the celestial sphere beyond the cosmos. It is surrounded by thousand-zhang high cliffs on all four sides. Only four Sky Veins connect to it, serving as the four paths leading to Soaring Heaven City.

The Mount Xu Sky Vein is one of them.

Thousands of years ago, the Thunderclap Sect was the master of the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain.

At its peak, everyone within the Thunderclap Sect claimed to be a Heavenly God, looking down upon all living beings. Their power was so immense that they could suppress the Four Directions Underworld.

The "Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums" in the Mount Xu Sky Vein are rumored to be the burial sites of thirty-six transcendent figures from the Thunderclap Sect's history. Each of them cultivated thunder techniques, capable of flight and burrowing, and were omnipotent. The Eternal Realm grandmasters and Dao Seed Realm cultivators buried with them were innumerable.

Such a vast complex of tombs held treasures that countless cultivators coveted. Yet for thousands of years, no one had ever been known to open any of the transcendent mausoleums. Instead, people frequently vanished within them, leaving no trace.

Various legends abound.

Some say that at the Thunderclap Sect's peak, a Martial Dao Son of Heaven laid down a deadly grand formation here. When each transcendent thunder technique practitioner built their tomb here, they set up new clusters of killing formations, connected to the main formation.

One trap linked to another, ensuring that anyone who dared to plunder a tomb would die without a burial place.

Others say that the Thunderclap Sect's guardian beast, "Annihilator," is not dead, but hiding inside one of the mausoleums, intending to reclaim the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, avenge itself, and revitalize the Thunderclap Sect.

In short, this mountainous area of the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums is shrouded in mystery and fraught with danger. Aside from the Thunderclap Sect cultivators who come to worship their ancestors every sixty years, few other cultivators dare to trespass.

The ash-covered region that Li Weiyi and the other two encountered earlier spanned over ten li, like a black desert filled with deathly aura. It was evident how formidable the Ash Spirits within were.

Tuoba Butuo, learning that Lu Cangsheng had returned, said, visibly moved: "Lu Cangsheng is known as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy of the Thunderclap Sect. He cultivated thirty-six Thunderclap Formations in the Five Seas Realm, and now he probably has seventy-two. He is the future sect master of the Thunderclap Sect. If he enters the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums to pay respects, he will surely have powerful protectors with him."

"Were those the protectors of Lu Cangsheng and Luansheng Linyou clashing just now?" Qi Xiao asked.

Tuoba Butuo said: "Highly likely! Senior figures won't participate in the struggles between juniors. They won't let them feel they always have backing to act recklessly. They need to be tempered, to experience trials of life and death. Otherwise, their ability to withstand pressure will be extremely poor in the future. They won't know when to advance or retreat, nor how to make decisions for survival. If they become a sect master, they will harm the entire sect. The existence of protectors is to prevent older generations from making underhanded moves."

Li Weiyi stopped on a ridge and gazed forward.

In the night, ancient and majestic mountains stood before them, grand and layered. Snow on the mountain peaks reflected light, while strange rocks jutted out from the mid-slopes, and dense, dark forests covered the base.

On some mountains, they could see structures typically found outside large tombs, such as observation towers, square cities, tomb walls, and spirit paths.

Silence reigned; birds and beasts were nowhere to be seen, creating an eerie and chilling atmosphere.

Li Weiyi's expression was grave: "We've traveled at least 150 li away from the mountains, yet we can't see any sign of Thunder Tomb City. But I remember we only went less than 100 li into the mountains... Have we taken a wrong turn?"

Qi Xiao's face fell: "No doubt, we've definitely stumbled into the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums. It's said that the ancient Heavenly Son of the Thunderclap Sect, long ago, set up a magnificent formation here, greatly expanding the area and filling it with spatial energy. The worldly spiritual energy here is completely different from outside."

Tuoba Butuo scratched his head: "After leaving the city, I deliberately avoided the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums when leading the way, so we shouldn't have accidentally entered. Could it be... On the courier boat, I heard that the strange power beneath Fuzhou has already enveloped the entire Liangzhou. Thunder Tomb City is right next to Fuzhou, so how could it not be covered?"

"Could it be that the Rice Cult's Yin Corpse Rice Cultivation power has awakened the bones within the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums, causing this land to undergo a strange change?"

As soon as these words were spoken, combined with the cold wind on the ridge and the swaying tree shadows around them, all three felt a chill as if falling into an ice cellar.

Li Weiyi calmly said: "Even if strange changes have truly occurred in the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums, it's for the Thunderclap Sect and the imperial court to worry about. Our top priority is to find a way to leave this accursed place. Conceal your aura, there's movement!"

Accompanied by muffled rumbles of thunder.

Four figures enveloped in lightning fled from a mountain pass in a snow-covered peak over ten li away. They moved swiftly, each employing movement techniques, rushing towards the open plain between the mountains below.

Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that they were wearing Thunderclap Sect robes.

Immediately afterward, a resounding cry echoed through heaven and earth.

The sound waves pierced the eardrums of all three, including Li Weiyi, causing them pain, indicating the profound level of cultivation involved.

A silver-feathered giant eagle, with a wingspan of dozens of meters, flew over the mountain pass, stirring up powerful gales, and pursued them into the plain. Its body quickly shrunk and transformed into a human figure, grabbing the slowest of the lightning-enveloped figures.

"Pfft!"

Amidst a sinister laugh, the Thunderclap Sect true disciple shrieked and was torn in half by claws, internal organs spilling onto the ground, a scene of extreme gore and cruelty.

Tuoba Butuo, standing in the shadow of a tree, his eyes wide, transmitted a message with his spiritual energy: "That guy is the Silver-Winged Great Sage of Yin Mountain, a descendant of the Silver-Feathered Eagle King. He's extremely bloodthirsty, feared by everyone in the Northern Territory, and is on par with my father's generation. Those being hunted appear to be true disciples of the Thunderclap Sect."

The Silver-Feathered Eagle King was one of the four transcendent demon masters of the Soaring Heaven Realm, and once the master of the eight-thousand-li Yin Mountain range.

"A demon in the Dao Seed Realm daring to call himself a Great Sage, how arrogant," Qi Xiao snorted coldly. "Even the Silver-Feathered Eagle King perished outside Qiuzhou City. What is he?"

When demons killed humans, all humans felt a sense of sorrow for their kin and were filled with rage.

Li Weiyi looked at the other three Thunderclap Sect members, all of whom were in the Dao Seed Realm.

A middle-aged man with a full beard was followed by a young male and a young female true disciple, both of Pure Immortal Physique.

The woman was tall and slender, and Li Weiyi actually recognized her.

It was Qin Qian, who owed him five hundred thousand Spring Coins.

The Silver-Winged Great Sage opened his mouth wide, a silver light emanating from his throat, and swallowed the Thunderclap Sect disciple, torn in two, in one gulp, then patted his belly. Then, his enormous silver wings spread from his back, and he pursued the remaining three, letting out a sinister laugh: "Don't run, none of you will escape. Pure Immortal Physiques in the Dao Seed Realm must taste even better."

Li Weiyi's gaze shifted, and on the tops of snow-capped mountains in two other directions, he saw two more figures of formidable demon masters. They had transformed into human forms, blocking the escape routes of the three Thunderclap Sect members.

He had no particular ties with the Thunderclap Sect, but if he could weaken Luansheng Linyou's strength, Li Weiyi would gladly do it.

Moreover, the Thunderclap Sect members surely knew how to get out of the Thirty-Six Thunder Mausoleums.

"Want to make some money?" he asked.

Tuoba Butuo chuckled: "Seizing two Dao Lotuses and selling them would provide a large amount of cultivation resources."

"The flesh of Dao Seed Realm demons is a supreme delicacy for the dinner table. The Heavenly Pavilion and Immortal Forest have always purchased it," Qi Xiao said, very interested.

Li Weiyi said: "Killing people doesn't earn as much as saving them."

Luansheng Linyou gazed into the distance, where below a magnificent mausoleum, Lu Cangsheng and Long Ting were clashing.

Lightning interwoven, azure dragons soared, and figures moved like phantoms.

After listening to Long Xiangcen's account.

Luansheng Linyou smiled slightly: "The Fifth Divine Son, Sikong Jingyuan? You were deceived by him!"

A puzzled expression appeared in Long Xiangcen's eyes: "No way, a Divine Son's life token can't be fake."

"He is indeed a Divine Son of the Rice Cult! But why would he wear a special artifact mask to conceal his aura?"

Luansheng Linyou continued: "According to your description, this person has cultivated the Disguise Art to a point where true and false are indistinguishable. His psychic power attainment and martial arts are both among the top tier of the younger generation. For such a person, I can only think of one. On this trip to the Rice Cult's main altar, someone happened to reveal information about him to me. Unfortunately, time was short, and I couldn't meet him."

"Damn him, daring to deceive me! I'll go chase him down right now. Whether he's a Divine Son of the Rice Cult or not, I'll cut off his lying tongue first!" Long Xiangcen said.

"If it truly is him, then I must go personally. You stay here; Lu Cangsheng is yours."

Luansheng Linyou looked at the distant battlefield: "The Tribulation Crossing Monastery is truly not simple. Lu Cangsheng can completely suppress Long Ting without even using his Thunderclap Formations. Long Ting inherited the Dragon Soul and Azure Dragon will of the Dragon Palace; he shouldn't be losing to him at the same cultivation level."

Across the vast plain, spanning over ten li, melted snow from the mountains gathered into rivers and lakes.

The Silver-Winged Great Sage unleashed his Dao Heart Manifestation; silver spiritual energy, like threads, coiled around Qin Qian and the other Thunderclap Sect true disciple, pulling them towards him like marionettes.

The middle-aged bearded man, who was an outer elder of the Thunderclap Sect, unleashed lightning Dao techniques.

"Rumble!"

Bolts of lightning streaked horizontally and vertically, continuously striking the Silver-Winged Great Sage.

The Silver-Winged Great Sage used the pair of silver feathers on his back to protect himself, let out a hearty laugh, employed a wind-controlling movement technique, and, like a silver streak, crashed into the outer elder, sending him flying.

Bones cracked and popped within his body, blood flowed from all seven orifices, as he fell to the ground.

Qin Qian and the other Thunderclap Sect true disciple broke free from the silver spiritual energy and lunged forward from left and right to rescue him, but were swatted away by a wave of the Silver-Winged Great Sage's hand. One plunged into the bitterly cold lake, the other crashed into a cliff face.

The cultivation gap was too great; the three of them combined were no match for the Silver-Winged Great Sage.

Qin Qian surfaced from the icy water, her long hair dripping and hanging, her face pale, her entire body aching to the point of numbness, and her internal spiritual energy difficult to mobilize.

Seeing the Silver-Winged Great Sage holding the outer elder, preparing to tear him in half as he had done before, she gritted her teeth in hatred but was powerless to stop him. She cried out with a tragic voice: "Senior Brother has returned! When he arrives, all of you will die!"

The Silver-Winged Great Sage glanced at her and chuckled: "Lu Cangsheng? If he could arrive, he would have come to save you already. Clearly, he's quite bothered by what Long Ting said earlier and is just waiting for me to kill all of you. But I, the Great Sage, will spare your life. The woman he doesn't want, I'll take! Haha... Who's there?"

"Impossible... He's being held back by Long Ting..."

Qin Qian's eyes reddened; not only was her body in pain, but her heart was also incredibly distressed, unable to accept everything the Silver-Winged Great Sage had just said.

The silver spiritual energy injected into her by the Silver-Winged Great Sage was difficult to refine, and she lacked even the strength to leap out of the water.

Li Weiyi, cloaked in a wide black robe, wearing a golden mask, and holding the Staff of All Things, walked step by step to the edge of the lake-like body of water beneath the snowy mountains.

The spearhead pointed downwards, with the Earth Spirit upward.

From the Earth Spirit's mouth came an eerie, childlike laugh, echoing through the mountains.

Li Weiyi absorbed all light around him, turning an area of several zhang into a zone of darkness, making him appear utterly sinister.

Not only was the Silver-Winged Great Sage on alert, secretly circulating his spiritual energy, but the Thunderclap Sect true disciple and Qin Qian also felt their hair stand on end, realizing that the person before them did not seem benevolent.

Li Weiyi glanced at Qin Qian in the water and chuckled darkly, his voice hoarse: "It seems the Thunderclap Sect is doomed today. Three Dao Seed Realm lives should be worth at least one million five hundred thousand Spring Coins. Who's willing to pay that?"

Li Weiyi's prices were always fair; he disliked taking advantage of others' misfortunes.

The Thunderclap Sect true disciple, with blood at the corner of his mouth, asked uncertainly: "Senior, are you here to save us?"

"I'm here to do business," Li Weiyi corrected him.

The Thunderclap Sect true disciple's face lit up with wild joy; he had thought there was no escape today, but unexpectedly there was a turning point.

As long as he could survive, any amount of money would be worth it. He eagerly said: "As long as Senior can save us, let alone one million five hundred thousand Spring Coins, what about two million?"

"Alright, two million it is."

Li Weiyi agreed: "However, can you make that decision? Can you produce that much money?"

"I..."

Two million Spring Coins was indeed a fortune he couldn't produce even if he lost everything. So, his gaze turned to Qin Qian.

Although Qin Qian felt Zhao Qianfeng was incredibly foolish for raising the price from one million five hundred thousand to two million, there were priorities. At this moment, agreeing to it and saving their lives was the most urgent matter.

As for repayment?

Without concrete proof, who would dare go to the Thunderclap Sect to demand debt repayment?

She said: "As long as Senior can save Elder Lin and escort the three of us back to Thunder Tomb City, we'll acknowledge this money!"

"Good that you acknowledge it."

Li Weiyi nodded slightly.

Qin Qian and Zhao Qianfeng were overjoyed; unexpectedly, this person was so easy to deceive, he didn't even force them to swear in the name of the Thunder Department Deities.

Li Weiyi looked at the Silver-Winged Great Sage across the lake: "I'm here to make money; I don't want to fight and kill. Give me the people and leave!"

"Cackle!"

The Silver-Winged Great Sage's laughter was strange, like the cry of some poultry, his eyes cold: "Old man, do you even know who you're provoking? We are subordinates of Lord Qilin Zang. If you don't want to die, scram."

The two demon master figures in the distance moved quickly, coming from behind to encircle them.

Li Weiyi stood straight, released his psychic power, and infused it into the Staff of All Things.

"Whoosh!"

The Earth Spirit on the spear's end cried loudly, and the light within its belly surged.

Instantly, the Yin energy from underground converged furiously towards the Staff of All Things, transforming into a grayish-black storm vortex that enveloped Li Weiyi.

This was a power possessed by the Earth Spirit!

It was born from absorbing the earth's Yin energy and had lived for several millennia.

Feeling Li Weiyi's aura fluctuate, growing stronger and bitterly cold, the Silver-Winged Great Sage's eyes changed abruptly, his wings spread from his back, intending to flee far away.

"Where do you think you're going? Stay for this old man!"

Li Weiyi locked onto him with his psychic power and struck out with his staff through the air.