Chapter 156: The Forbidden Zone Besieged, Forty‑Nine Ancient Supremes!

Gu Cangsheng tore through the void, taking Gu Yuan straight to the next target—Blood Phoenix Mountain.

Blood Phoenix Mountain lies deep in the South Ridge of the Burial Emperor Star Domain; it is named for the year‑round blood‑colored mist that shrouds the mountain and the ancient phoenix‑shaped parasol tree on its peak.

This place was once the dojo of a Blood Phoenix Ancient Emperor from the mythic era, where dozens of ancient supremes who had severed their own path lie in slumber.

Their battle prowess and tyranny are in no way inferior to that of the Taichu Ancient Mine!

At this moment, a deathly silence pervades this forbidden zone; the blood‑colored mist is several times thicker than usual, as if it would devour all vitality.

When the silhouettes of Gu Cangsheng and his grandson appeared above Blood Phoenix Mountain,

the Blood Phoenix Mountain supremes, whose nerves had long been taut, did not roar and clamor like the Taichu Ancient Mine supremes.

They had already been frightened out of their wits by the outcome of the Taichu Ancient Mine.

"Look, good grandson, these old fogeys are far more obedient than those from the Taichu Ancient Mine."

Gu Cangsheng pointed downward and teased Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan heard this and curled his lip.

"This shows my grandfather's education is highly effective, with tremendous deterrent power."

Deep within Blood Phoenix Mountain, several faint origin fluctuations, unmasked fear and despair, fled wildly toward the outside of the void.

They are the supremes of Blood Phoenix Mountain, and upon hearing the news of the Taichu Ancient Mine's downfall they had already begun laying plans for escape.

Yet they still harbored a pitiful fantasy in their hearts.

Perhaps they won't come after all?

But in fact, they really did come!

After destroying the Taichu Ancient Mine, now they're coming to wipe out Blood Phoenix Mountain!

Thus, the moment Gu Cangsheng and his grandson appeared, they instantly activated their plan, without hesitation, choosing to flee.

Even if the surrounding space had been sealed, they still had to escape!

"Want to run?"

A glint of cold light flashed in Gu Cangsheng's eyes.

He didn't even raise his hand; he merely glanced lightly at those fleeing silhouettes.

In an instant, the entire void seemed to turn into an invisible great net.

The dozen or so Blood Phoenix Mountain supremes who were desperately burning their origin to tear open space and escape suddenly stalled.

They horrifiedly discovered that the space around them had become as viscous as a mire.

No matter how they struggled, they could not move an inch.

"Since you're so eager to run, then stay forever."

Gu Cangsheng's voice was flat, yet like the pronouncement of a death god.

He curled his five fingers into a vague grasp and gave a light squeeze.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A dozen or so muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously.

Those fleeing supremes didn't even have time to utter a miserable cry before being utterly crushed from within by an irresistible force.

Their Imperial Dao laws, indestructible imperial bodies, and primordial spirits were as fragile as paper before this force.

A dozen or so blazing clumps of Great Emperor origin flew out from their shattered bodies, hovering in mid‑air and emitting an alluring light.

"Grandfather, the quality of this origin seems a bit better than that of the Taichu Ancient Mine."

Gu Yuan's eyes lit up as he carefully examined those origin light clusters.

"Hmm, these old fogeys of Blood Phoenix Mountain proved the Dao via the Phoenix Nirvana path, so their origin contains a richer vitality."

Gu Cangsheng nodded, waved his hand casually, and collected all those Great Emperor origin clusters.

"But that's about it—enough to nurture another three or four eighteenth‑realm cultivators."

He said it lightly, as if merely discussing today's harvest.

"All right, Yuan'er, keep moving—there are still several more places ahead."

……

……

On Blood Phoenix Mountain.

"Grandfather, don't waste it; these ores look not bad either."

Gu Yuan left no corner unchecked, scouring Blood Phoenix Mountain for its rare ores, ancient treasures, and even the stockpiles of the mountain's monster‑clan supremes sealed within divine sources.

"All right, Grandfather, next stop!"

Gu Yuan clapped his hands, feeling satisfied.

Gu Cangsheng nodded, just about to tear the void, when his brow furrowed ever so slightly.

"Immortal Mausoleum… these rats are a bit more cunning than I imagined."

Gu Cangsheng muttered to himself.

Gu Yuan also noticed Gu Cangsheng's oddity and immediately opened the system map.

On the star map, the coordinates of the Immortal Mausoleum were shrouded in a thick red light, far deeper than other forbidden zones, and dozens of tiny red dots were converging toward its core region.

"Grandfather, over there in the Immortal Mausoleum it seems many forbidden‑zone supremes have gathered." Gu Yuan pointed at the star map, smiling: "There are… over forty of them."

Upon hearing this, a hint of playfulness flashed in Gu Cangsheng's eyes.

"Oh? Is this meant to give me a 'surprise'? Good, saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one."

He waved his hand grandly and tore the void once more.

"Come on, good grandson, let's go watch a grand show."

The grandfather and grandson's silhouettes instantly vanished from Blood Phoenix Mountain.

Meanwhile, the outside world, stealthily, finally caught up with their imperial‑level strongmen, and upon sensing the aura of Blood Phoenix Mountain, it suddenly vanished and fell into a stupor.

"Another... another forbidden zone is gone..."

"Great Emperor, do you really intend to flatten all forbidden zones?"

"Unbelievable, this is a feat that our Burial Emperor Star Domain has not achieved in countless ten‑thousands of years!"

At this moment, besides fear, they also felt an indescribable complex emotion.

It was a thrill protected by the strong, and also a sorrow of their own insignificance.

They revered Gu Cangsheng, yet were startled by his calm method of eradicating forbidden zones.

However, toward the Immortal Mausoleum, the increasingly oppressive feeling and the gathering powerful auras made them realize that this play was far from over.

……

……

Immortal Mausoleum is one of the oldest and most mysterious forbidden zones in the Burial Emperor Star Domain.

Here lie countless ancient emperor‑emperors since the age of myths; each ancient tomb represents a glorious past and the resentment of an era.

At this moment, beyond the Immortal Mausoleum, a suffocating death aura enveloped everything.

Interwoven with the death aura were dozens of extreme Imperial Dao fluctuations.

These fluctuations included survivors from the Primordial Ancient Mine, mysterious beings from deep within Undying Mountain, as well as ancient emperors from forbidden zones such as Divine Ruins and Sea of Reincarnation.

They no longer clung to any luck, but chose to fight with their backs against the river.

When Gu Cangsheng and Gu Yuan's figures tore the void and appeared over the Immortal Mausoleum, the whole world instantly fell into deathly silence.

All Imperial Dao fluctuations converged, as if even breathing had ceased.

An oppressive weight, as heavy as a thousand‑ton stone, slammed down mercilessly on the Gu Family elders and descendants.

"Ha, you all arrived quite together."

Gu Cangsheng gave a faint smile. With a single glance he pierced all the disguises of this forbidden zone, seeing the hidden powerful figures deep within.

Gu Yuan also opened the system map; on the star chart, the Immortal Mausoleum region was densely speckled with nearly fifty tiny red dots.

Each of those red dots represented an ancient supreme.

Among them, a few emitted a heart‑pounding aura, clearly those ancient emperors who, after cutting themselves once, still retained tremendous strength.

"Grandfather, this lineup is rather lavish."

Gu Yuan clicked his tongue in amazement.

This number is almost half of all the forbidden‑zone supers in the Burial Emperor Star Domain.

"Lavish as it may be, they're still a ragtag crowd."

Gu Cangsheng shook his head disdainfully.

The moment his words ended, deep within the Immortal Mausoleum, an extremely chilling divine thought erupted first.

"Immortal, you have deceived us too far! Do you truly think we are all molded from mud?!"

As the voice rang out, a pitch‑black ancient tomb exploded with a roar, and a figure shrouded in endless death aura burst forth.

He wore an imperial crown and robe, yet his whole body was rotting, exuding the chill of the Nine‑abyss Underworld.

The bone‑crafted staff in his hand radiated a death law that made one's scalp tingle.

Underworld Ancient Emperor!

Immediately thereafter, ancient emperors from other forbidden zones also revealed themselves.

Another surviving supreme from the Primordial Ancient Mine, emanating chaotic aura, wielded an ancient plain stone bell.

The supreme of Undying Mountain, surrounded by dense death aura, grasped a withered Death‑god scythe.

Ancient emperors from forbidden zones such as Divine Ruins, Sea of Reincarnation, Burial Heaven Island, and others also appeared one by one. Their number was massive—forty‑nine in total!

Forty‑nine ancient supers!

It is a number that could make the entire universe tremble.

Although they each cut themselves once, their combined might could crush any era.

At this moment, they encircled Gu Cangsheng's elders and descendants, their eyes filled with despair and madness.

"Today, we will sacrifice our lives to show you the wrath of the ancient emperor!"

The Underworld Ancient Emperor roared and erupted first.

He swung his death staff violently, unleashing a river of death imbued with the resentments of countless souls, howling toward Gu Cangsheng.

Simultaneously, the other forty‑eight supers also launched attacks.

Chaotic light, death runes, the power of reincarnation, time fragments… various broken yet still terrifying Imperial Dao laws interwove into a sky‑covering net, pressing down from all directions onto Gu Cangsheng's elders and descendants.

This force, vast and mighty, could easily tear apart a living ancient star.

The murderous intent it contained was even colder to the bone, vowing to bury the Gu Family elders and descendants completely in the Immortal Mausoleum.