Chapter 741: Explored (Four Thousand)

"Those few people must be the so-called Domain Lords." Xiao Yan's Soul Force Perception passed through the Heavenly Tomb, sweeping across its first layer, and he discovered countless people densely gathered around the meteor crater outside—their midst, several radiated powerful Spiritual Pressure.

Although these people could not threaten Xiao Yan, he was after all a foreign dragon, while they were local worms; he could not guess what methods the Supreme of the Great Thousand World might possess.

"Let the Supreme of the Great Thousand World show me what true Supremacy is."

His gaze shifted: after several days, the warped space of the Heavenly Tomb's first layer had been entirely assimilated by the Great Thousand World. Now, the Heavenly Tomb resembled a vast landmass suddenly emerging from the meteor crater, completely filling the entire massive crater.

The first layer of the Heavenly Tomb was a mist-shrouded strange land, where eerie flames flickered occasionally in the distance, vanishing instantly; a deathly silence enveloped this alien earth.

What had once been a grim and silent Heavenly Tomb was now extraordinarily lively.

Ever since it became known that the Supreme Secret Treasury had fallen from the heavens, countless factions and powers from the Western Realm had converged here—after all, every opening of the Supreme Secret Treasury made everyone salivate!

For those below the Supreme, a single drop of Supreme Spirit Liquid was enough to significantly boost their strength.

"Great opportunity—we've arrived!"

"Supreme Secret Treasury!" After the Heavenly Tomb opened, the young generation who stepped into this realm stood stunned by the sight for a long while—then, regaining their senses, they surged with blazing passion, roaring loudly as they charged into the vast expanse of the Heavenly Tomb.

All the young generation's strong ones snapped back to reality and scattered in all directions: some headed south, others flew north, while a few remained where they stood, meticulously searching the ruins and tomb earth for any Treasure.

In an instant, young ones from every corner of the world surged like a tidal wave in all directions, each young person stepping into this mysterious realm with dreams in their hearts.

"Is this the true face of the shattered continent? Why does it look like a mass grave?"

"Indeed—what exactly happened to this continent in the past?"

Although the first layer of the Heavenly Tomb featured rolling mountains, many coffins were visible—some suspended from mountain cliffs, one after another: copper coffins, stone coffins, even golden coffins.

Yet, shortly after they charged into the Heavenly Tomb, from within the gray mist, one after another energy shadows suddenly emerged—all were special energy entities of the Heavenly Tomb.

When Xiao Yan and Xun Er had entered the Heavenly Tomb before, they had hunted many such energy entities to obtain energy cores.

These energy entities had no consciousness whatsoever—they were byproducts of the Heavenly Tomb. Now that the Heavenly Tomb had been fully assimilated by the Great Thousand World, these entities had mutated, also assimilated by the Great Thousand World's Spiritual Energy.

"What is this?!"

"Kill!!"

The disciples of this sect had long prepared for battle; with a loud shout, they immediately slashed toward these eerie energy entities.

Yet these energy entities made no cries, no shouts—they silently lunged at the cultivators.

Xiao Yan, cloaked in black robes and observing from the shadows, was surprised: the attacks launched by these energy entities, now at Dou Zun level, were not Diao Qi beams—but Spiritual Energy—and these entities were far more spirited than before!

Beneath his black robe, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. He had come to the Great Thousand World hoping to revive his Ancestor Xiao Xuan; now, seeing this, he realized the Great Thousand World's Spiritual Energy could replenish the lost spirit of the Heavenly Tomb's energy entities.

"Be careful—these ghostly things are strong; some have reached the Penetration Heaven Realm of the Three Heavens Realm."

"Hmph, mere Three Heavens Realm." An elder who had reached the Body Trial unleashed a palm strike, instantly erasing several low-level energy entities of the first layer.

Clang! Clang! A few energy cores, the size of fingernails, fell from the energy entities.

"Huh? This is…" The old man who slew the entity picked up the energy core on the ground, sensed it, then his eyes lit up with delight: "This energy core contains abundant Spiritual Energy! Who'd have thought there'd be such a benefit!"

Hearing the old man's words, some sect disciples who had been fighting the Heavenly Tomb energy entities together stopped holding back—they immediately unleashed powerful Spirit Spells to obliterate the energy entities.

"Indeed, very pure. These energy entities should be suitable for cultivators of the Three Heavens Realm, offering substantial cultivation boosts."

"Could this place once have been a reward zone for sect disciples?!"

"Possible! If one can pass through, they gain pure Spiritual Energy to enhance their Cultivation Realm."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan, monitoring from the third layer, could only shake his head with a wry smile—they'd actually guessed right. The Heavenly Tomb had indeed once been used to enhance cultivation, but after assimilation by the Great Thousand World, its strongest effect—sixfold time slowdown—was gone.

Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze and swept his Soul Force Perception toward several elders hidden in the sky.

"Hey, Lu Ming, how much longer are we waiting?" A middle-aged man clad in a dragon robe turned to Lu Region's Domain Lord, Lu Ming, dissatisfied.

This man was the Imperial Domain's Domain Lord, Li Huang.

"Li Huang, why the rush? If you three are confident you can defeat the Spirit Puppet with the power of a Four Grade Supreme, then go straight to the deepest depths and take the Supreme Secret Treasury—I, Lu Ming, won't stop you." Lu Ming sneered.

Upon hearing Lu Ming's words, Li Huang's face darkened; the Earth Domain's Domain Lord and the other two sect masters, also One Grade Supremes, looked equally uneasy. Though they were only One Grade Supremes, they had long ruled the Western Realm with authority and possessed their own methods.

To say they could defeat Xing Tian was impossible—they had originally planned to join forces, delay Xing Tian briefly, and seize the so-called secret treasury, not to defeat him.

Lu Ming scanned the Space, frowning slightly; what puzzled him was that his old rival, Xin Xiangyang, had not appeared at all—he could not believe the Xin Region would remain unmoved by such a powerful Supreme Secret Treasury.

At this moment, atop a distant mountain range, two figures stood: one standing, one seated. The standing figure was naturally Xin Region's Domain Lord, Xin Xiangyang.

"Master Zhu Ye, how much longer must we wait?" Xin Xiangyang asked the young boy beside him, his tone deferential.

The handsome youth named Zhu Ye was tall, with a refined face, short brown hair, and deep blue eyes.

His gaze radiated confidence and determination, compelling others to want to understand his inner thoughts. He wore a white robe. Hearing Xin Xiangyang's words, he slightly tilted his head, gazing into the distance as if deep in thought—in that instant, he looked like a perfect youth, radiating boundless charm and brilliance.

Anyone who mistook him for an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old boy would suffer great misfortune—he was an ancient monster who had lived for ages.

"No rush. Wait a little longer—we'll act. If it's ours, who dares take it?" Zhu Ye sat unmoved; though his tone was calm, his words were utterly overbearing.

Hearing this firm declaration, Xin Xiangyang was overjoyed—he knew his own strength could never defeat Xing Tian.

"A disciple of the Red River Sect unearthed a divine stone from the Ruins—this stone contains faint spatial power!"

"The Holy Son Xin Ru of the World Academy obtained an ancient Elixir in a valley!"

Hearing these rumors, many young cultivators who had yet to find opportunity were invigorated—they redoubled their efforts to explore this realm, each hoping the next great opportunity would be theirs.

Within this short half-day, many young cultivators entering the Heavenly Tomb had gained rewards—some were geniuses, others merely average students.

Yet Xiao Yan, watching from the shadows, could only laugh bitterly: those Pills and stones were probably dropped accidentally when the Heavenly Tomb was being modified, when supplies were moved in—now they were being mistaken for ancient Elixirs.

"I've explored many Ruins and Secret Realms, but being treated as one myself—that's a first." Xiao Yan, watching from the third layer, found it strangely novel: perhaps the great opportunities he once gained were themselves accidental drops left by others.

The only difference was, Xiao Yan was not dead, and he did not want to be dug up.

Boom! At that moment, someone finally discovered the entrance to the Heavenly Tomb's second layer—the ground cracked open, and with a hum, a massive Space Channel appeared before everyone's eyes.

The Space Channel resembled a giant glowing sphere, appearing before all.

"Is this the entrance to the Ruins' second layer?!" Seeing the second layer's passage revealed, Lu Ming and the other Supremes were stunned, murmuring.

Seeing the immense energy radiating from the entrance, everyone's eyes blazed with terrifying lust.

"No wonder we never saw that Spirit Puppet appear—this Secret Realm has a second layer!"

"The Supreme's legacy must lie within the second layer!"

A loud bang echoed—the instant the passage appeared, someone rushed forward and slammed into it, only to be instantly bounced back.

Even though the passage on the second level had been gradually assimilated and its power greatly weakened, it was still not something any weakling could break through.

"Such immense spatial power!"

"Break it!" Someone refused to believe it, roaring loudly, wielding an Ultimate Spiritual Artifact and immediately striking it—BOOM! The man screamed in agony and was flung backward.

"Shatter it!" In an instant, many were eager to try; numerous figures launched attacks, hoping to be the first to breach the passage—but the outcome was obvious: all were blasted away.

Seeing the passage exposed deep within the Heavenly Tomb, Lu Ming and other Supreme beings could not help but turn their eyes bloodshot, breathing heavily; whoever had left such a Flame Sealing must have been a mighty powerhouse in life, and the Treasure Vault he left behind was enough to stir the heart of any Supreme.

"I don't believe it."

At that moment, the passage suddenly twisted, and a headless Spirit Puppet slowly emerged from within. Though it emitted no trace of Spiritual Energy, its very appearance sent an icy dread rising from the very core of everyone present.

"That's the headless Spirit Puppet!!"

Lu Ming and the others exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with greed—the Spirit Puppet guarded the entrance! That meant the passage led straight to the Treasure Vault!

Men die for wealth, birds die for food!

Lu Ming's eyes were drowned in greed; he growled low: "Attack!"

Lu Ming roared—and instantly, the several Supreme beings who had been waiting no longer held back; they all struck at once. As the five Supremes unleashed their power, their aura surged violently, terrifying Spiritual Energy roaring like a tidal wave.

This terrifying outburst of Spiritual Energy made Xiao Yan feel as if these Supremes were rooted in the Great Thousand World itself, drawing upon and channeling the Heaven and Earth Power.

"On the Dou Qi Continent, one must cultivate a Heaven Grade Cultivation Method to command the Heaven and Earth Power." Xiao Yan began comparing internally.

As the five Supreme beings advanced, everyone present trembled inwardly, for they radiated an aura that suppressed all else. What were called "Minor Third Difficulty Supremes" were nothing but chicks before true Supremes—utterly incapable of resistance.

"Xing Tian, kill these five." Xiao Yan used Soul Resonance to speak.

"Understood." Xing Tian had now fused with the spiritual essence of the Imperial Grade Embryonic Pill and possessed self-awareness.

BOOM! Though Xing Tian could not command the Heaven and Earth Power or spatial power of the Great Thousand World, nor even fly, his physical strength was terrifyingly immense. He bent his legs slightly, then leapt—like a streak of light, he shot toward the five Supremes.

"Incredible speed!" Seeing Xing Tian hurtle toward them, Li Huang sucked in a sharp breath.

"Just as rumored—this Spirit Puppet's physical strength has reached Four Grade Supreme!" Some onlookers could not help but be stunned.

Xing Tian punched through the air at the five—his fist struck, and the entire Space seemed to suffer a horrific impact; invisible wind from the punch tore apart everything around it.

Sensing the terrifying power of Xing Tian's punch, Lu Ming and the other four knew that none of them could stand against him alone; they struck simultaneously, Spiritual Energy surging around them, forming a massive Spiritual Energy shield in an instant.

A deafening, earth-shattering CRASH rang from the heavens—Xing Tian's punch could shatter mountain ranges and pierce through peaks; even united as five Supremes, they still could not withstand his blow.

Stagger! Stagger! Stagger!! Even united, all five were thrown back, their blood surging wildly, staring in shock at the headless puppet before them, like a battle god.

(End of Chapter)