The Desolate Dragon Tomb

The five individuals, employing their various movement techniques, finally reached the formidable stone gate after what felt like an eternity, though only a quarter of an hour had passed.

The three members of the Qi clan, born into royalty, naturally possessed superior movement techniques from their family’s esteemed collection. Yet, Su Hanxing, having mastered the divine ability ‘Starfall Step,’ surpassed even their speed. The true reason it had taken all five of them a full quarter of an hour to reach the stone gate was Chi Qiu’s ‘Seven Stars Step,’ which proved exceptionally slow.

In his haste, Su Hanxing had even entertained the thought of simply scooping up Chi Qiu and employing ‘Starfall Step’ to speed their journey. Alas, his cultivation realm was not yet sufficient to carry another while using the technique.

The stone gate, hundreds of zhang tall, loomed colossal and ancient. A faint golden light now bled from a narrow crack, the gate itself slightly ajar.

Initially, Chi Qiu and the others had attempted to circumvent the stone gate, hoping to reach the towering mountain beyond. However, an invisible golden pattern repelled them. After several failed attempts, they conceded, retreating once more to stand before the gate.

With the Black Armored Imperial Guards still valiantly struggling against the relentless beast tide behind them, the five knew they could not afford any further delay. After a swift discussion, they resolved to combine their strengths and force open the stone gate.

“All right, let’s push with all our might,” Qi Feng declared, planting his hands against the colossal stone gate and bracing his feet slightly back. “We only need to create a gap wide enough for one person to squeeze through.”

Adopting identical stances, they waited. As soon as Qi Feng counted “three, two, one,” they unleashed their combined power. True qi erupted in that instant, a palpable force that sent tremors through the very earth.

The stone gate was, in fact, already destined to open. Under the collective might of the five, the massive barrier slowly began to recede, the golden crack widening with each passing moment.

“It’s wide enough,” Qi Feng called out. “Quickly, enter the Yinglong Tomb. I’ll send a signal to the Black Armored Imperial Guards, instructing them to retreat immediately.”

The stone gate now stood ajar, revealing a gap precisely wide enough for a single person to pass. Upon seeing this, the group ceased their efforts. Chi Qiu, taking the initiative, was the first to slip through the opening.

Meanwhile, Qi Feng crushed a command token. He lingered before the stone gate for a moment, only stepping inside once he saw a golden warship ascend into the sky, confirming his signal had been received.

“What in…?”

“How could it be like this?”

No sooner had Qi Feng stepped through the gate than the astonished cries of Chi Qiu and the others echoed, even before his eyes could fully discern the landscape beyond.

Beyond the stone gate, the ethereal spiritual mountains and treasure-filled abodes that had shimmered with immortal qi from above had vanished entirely. In their place lay an oppressive darkness, its vaulted ceiling obscured by decaying gray mists. The ravaged earth was a tapestry of cracks, occasionally illuminated by fleeting golden flashes. On the towering peaks behind, the previously lush spiritual herbs and immortal ganoderma were gone, replaced by grotesque piles of bones upon the bare rock. The once-grand cave dwelling was now nothing more than an abyssal crater, its depths unknown.

This was, without a doubt, a desolate wasteland, choked with the stench of death and utter ruin.

“The ethereal, immortal scene outside was likely nothing more than an illusion,” Chi Qiu murmured, her gaze sweeping across the desolate expanse. “The true nature of this place only reveals itself once one passes through the stone gate.” She felt as though she had crossed into an entirely different world.

“Let us proceed,” Su Hanxing stated, a nod of his head affirming his decision. “To the summit of that colossal peak.” He then set off, his strides steady, toward the distant mountain.

With solemn expressions, they deliberately slowed their pace, unwilling to show even a hint of carelessness as they cautiously approached the towering peak.

Whoosh—whoosh—

Imperceptibly, the distant roar of surging water reached their ears. Carried on its currents, an acrid, metallic scent of blood assailed Chi Qiu and her companions.

When Chi Qiu and the others finally traced the sound to its origin, the sight that greeted them froze them in their tracks, utterly stunned.

Before them stretched a colossal river, composed entirely of dark red blood. Its length was immeasurable, its width nearly a hundred li. Beyond this sanguinary expanse rose the colossal peak, the very site of the Yinglong Tomb.

The crimson river flowed ceaselessly, encircling the colossal peak. It was abundantly clear that without traversing this river of blood, reaching the formidable mountain would be an impossibility.

“This is the blood of Great Demons,” Qi Yun stated, standing at the river’s edge, his expression grim after a thorough examination. “All of them, Great Demons who had ascended beyond the God Concealing stage.”

“One can only imagine how many Great Demons perished to form a river of such magnitude,” Qi Feng mused, leaning down as if to touch the viscous liquid.

“Careful—” Qi Yue exclaimed, swiftly intervening.

“There’s no need for concern,” Su Hanxing said, his voice calm and even, as he stood nearby. “No demonic power remains within this river of blood.” He held a jade artifact, within which swirled a sample of the demon blood he had just collected.

“Such a vast quantity of Great Demon blood would undoubtedly possess overwhelming demonic power,” Qi Feng observed, a trace of concern in his voice. “Yet, where has all that power gone?”

To accurately gauge a demon’s cultivation realm, one could generally rely on its physical size. Demons cultivated their bodies, meaning a higher realm corresponded to a stronger physique. Their demonic power, used in combat, was stored within this very body. To accumulate greater demonic energy, a demon would continuously grow larger, thus establishing a direct correlation between size and cultivation realm.

This method, however, was not infallible. Great Demon Gods and Devils, those beyond the Dharma Manifestation Realm, possessed the ability to freely alter their physical size. Moreover, some unique demonic creatures were born with innate spiritual apertures, allowing them to store immense demonic power without needing to increase their bodily dimensions. Such beings could not be judged by mere appearance.

“Let us cross this blood river first, then we can deliberate,” Chi Qiu proposed. Observing the absence of demonic power within the crimson currents, she summoned her blue warship, preparing to traverse the expanse directly.

“Quite right, we must make haste.” Qi Feng nodded in agreement, then summoned his own flying magical artifact—a gleaming golden shuttle.

Su Hanxing’s personal flying artifact had long since been destroyed, leaving him without means. Therefore, he boarded Chi Qiu’s warship, and together, they prepared to cross the river of blood.

A formidable restriction permeated the air above the blood river. Even Qi Feng’s golden shuttle, typically swift, found flight impossible. They were left with no choice but to traverse the river by conventional means.

The four magical artifacts drifted slowly across the river of blood. Aside from their small group, this vast expanse seemed utterly devoid of life, exuding an air of profound desolation and solitude.

“Look closely,” Chi Qiu remarked, her gaze fixed on the crimson depths. “There are quite a few skeletal remains within this blood river.” She spoke while deftly maneuvering the blue warship, ever vigilant for any disturbances beneath the surface.

“These colossal skeletons suggest that the Great Demons they once belonged to were of no mean cultivation in life,” Su Hanxing observed, nodding thoughtfully. He had already summoned his imposing great spear, resting it upon his shoulder, prepared for any sudden turn of events.

“Stay closer to me,” Chi Qiu called out softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “That way, should a sudden attack occur, we can better protect each other.” She was already channeling her true qi to control the warship, wary of being caught off guard, and had noticed Su Hanxing’s restless pacing with his great spear.

“Very well,” Su Hanxing assented with a nod. He moved closer to Chi Qiu, his great spear held ready, until he stood less than two chi from her.

At such proximity, Su Hanxing could discern the rich, yet not cloying, floral fragrance that clung to Chi Qiu. The delicate scent was so pervasive that it even managed to significantly mask the acrid, metallic tang of the blood river.

Su Hanxing drew a slow, deep breath, his gaze lingering on Chi Qiu beside him. He found himself wishing that, were it not for the perilous confines of the Yinglong Tomb, this moment could stretch on indefinitely.

Chi Qiu, of course, remained oblivious to Su Hanxing’s internal musings. Her entire focus was on deftly maneuvering the warship, her senses heightened as she vigilantly scanned the blood river for any signs of disturbance around their vessel.

After roughly a quarter of an hour, all four magical artifacts had successfully traversed the blood river without encountering any peril. This unexpected calm allowed the five, whose nerves had been stretched taut, to finally exhale a collective sigh of relief.

Reaching the far bank of the blood river, they found the aerial restriction still firmly in place. With no other recourse, the group stowed their magical artifacts and resumed their journey on foot toward the colossal peak.

In short order, they reached the base of the mountain. Chi Qiu gazed upward at the colossal peak, where tendrils of death qi and golden light intertwined and swirled. The once-verdant forests that adorned its slopes had entirely withered, leaving behind only desiccated, blackened tree trunks.

At the very foot of the mountain, several blackened animal carcasses lay strewn haphazardly across the ground. The bodies were completely desiccated, testament to deaths that had occurred an unknown time ago.

“These dried carcasses… they bear no trace of demonic power or cultivation,” Su Hanxing observed, his boldness a reflection of his profound skill. He approached the withered remains directly, concluding after a thorough examination, “They are likely nothing more than wild beasts.”

Qi Feng and the others nodded, dismissing the dried corpses. With a resolute step, they prepared to ascend the colossal peak.

Crack—crunch—snap—

The moment their feet touched the colossal peak, an eerie creaking sound emanated from the dried beast carcasses. Chi Qiu turned, her eyes widening as she witnessed the corpses inexplicably rising to their feet. A dark, unknown gas seeped from their forms, coiling around their shriveled bodies.

“Watch out—”

Chi Qiu unsheathed her Azure Frost Sword, instantly unleashing a ‘Flying Haze.’ Her recent cultivation had significantly deepened her mastery over this technique, making it more potent than ever.

The ‘Flying Haze’ sword qi struck the reanimated beast carcass directly as it lunged toward Su Hanxing. To their astonishment, the dry corpse, having absorbed a sword strike capable of cleaving even a green pagoda, remained utterly unscathed. It merely faltered for a fleeting instant before resuming its relentless charge at Su Hanxing.

Su Hanxing raised his great spear, a potent current of true qi swirling around its shaft. With a powerful thrust, the spear’s tip plunged directly into the dry corpse’s head.

“Everyone, be vigilant!” Chi Qiu warned, seeing that Su Hanxing had already reacted and engaged the reanimated corpse. A sliver of relief washed over her before she called out to the remaining three, “These dry corpses have come alive!”

“Mmm, you all be careful too,” Qi Feng nodded in response. He then summoned a large flag, waving it forward. Several golden light thorns flew from the banner, heading straight for the dry corpse closest to the three.

“Little Chi, quickly, help me!” Su Hanxing’s expression was grim. His wrist flickered, and the immensely heavy great spear moved with surprising agility in his hands, thrusting out like scattered pear blossoms.

Despite Su Hanxing’s powerful spear technique, he was still being suppressed by the dry corpse, forcing him to call for Chi Qiu’s assistance.

Chi Qiu drew her sword, and a stream of fresh blood flowed, followed by the blossoming of a blood lotus. The blood lotus emitted a sweet, pungent fragrance, and intricate spiritual patterns emerged upon its petals. After a slight tremor, it soared forth, encircling the dry corpse.

After learning this Blood Lotus technique, Chi Qiu had consumed nine-petal azure lotus seeds. Subsequently, by comprehending the profound patterns on the nine-petal lotus, she had significantly amplified the power of her Blood Lotus.

Now, with the Blood Lotus aiding him, Su Hanxing gradually adapted and began to suppress the dry corpse.

“These dry corpses are incredibly bizarre,” Su Hanxing cautioned, a hint of relief in his voice as he saw Chi Qiu’s Blood Lotus assist him. “Their bodies are incredibly tough, even my great spear can’t pierce them. What’s more terrifying is the black qi they emit; it can even corrode true qi. I was careless just now and got caught, which is why I was suppressed.”

Chi Qiu nodded, drawing her sword closer to the dry corpse. Together with Su Hanxing, they forced the dry corpse into a steady retreat.