Chapter 682: The Tomb and the Prophecy

“This territory belongs to the Gulesh Clan! Leave at once!”

The tomb’s location remained buried in loose sand; several mages were hardening part of the ground into compacted sandstone blocks, forming an arched downward passage.

Elite terrestrial naga of the Gulesh Clan surrounded the entrance.

Mostly female, with only a few males.

Crimson half-armor armored their upper bodies to the teeth, completely obscuring their faces.

Only the long hair spilling from their helmets and their voices revealed their gender to Luo De.

Facing them were fierce warriors brandishing spears and blades, warning from the ground.

Eve, naturally adept at bluffing and posturing, had no intention of retreating.

Thanks to the [Radiant Scales] she had previously cultivated, her entire body blazed with colorful light, dazzlingly brilliant.

Behind her, blue-white soul mist drifted outward.

The ancient white dragon’s battle spirit rapidly formed, roaring furiously in midair.

“ROAR!!!”

The overwhelming wave of dragon roars stunned the terrestrial naga on the ground in an instant.

“A dragon?! A dragon?!”

“How can there be a dragon in the Mirror Desert! What’s going on?!”

“Run, run now!”

Beast-like races harbored innate fear of dragons; panic erupted immediately.

They retreated en masse, some even dropping their weapons and fleeing like rats.

“Don’t panic! Stay calm! Those from the Frosty Dragon Range couldn’t possibly be here in the desert! That’s a battle spirit!”

The lead terrestrial naga wore more ornate armor and possessed greater strength.

She roared, lashing her long whip across the fleeing warriors—armor tore, flesh split open, blood sprayed.

“Princess Eve of the Braal Clan? We’ve long heard you’ve mastered the heretical use of battle spirits. I never thought it true.”

“Heretical?”

Eve threw back her head and laughed wildly, “Soul magic is judged only by effectiveness—what nonsense is this ‘orthodox’ and ‘heretical’? Ridiculous!”

The leader laughed bitterly in rage: “Fine, fine, I’ll test you.”

Saying this,

she extended her hand, soul mist surging forth—her own enlarged replica solidified and charged straight at Eve.

The two naga collided, one above, one below.

In an instant, a shockwave erupted.

The impact expanded into a massive hollow cavity, sending loose yellow sand surging backward like a tidal wave.

In moments, the battlefield was swallowed in rolling yellow dust.

Eve was only at the early stage of seventh-rank, and compared to the other girls, Luo De had nourished her far less frequently.

But she had ingested a Spirit Seed, [Battle Spirit Collision] had reached +2, and she bore the excellent soul art [Sunlight Blessing].

——[Details: When under direct sunlight, strength, speed, and constitution are greatly enhanced; affinity for fire and light elements increases; exposure to sunlight promotes soul growth.]

Losing was impossible.

A cry of agony.

The lead terrestrial naga fell like a severed kite.

Then came Eve’s wild laughter—she hovered in midair, her scales shining like the sun.

Her subordinates, witnessing this, were filled with awe, admiration, and excitement; they cheered loudly, some even shouting, “Lady Eve is the sun of the Mirror Desert!”

The Gulesh soldiers below turned pale again, stunned by Eve’s power.

“HAHAHAHAHA— I’M INVINCIBLE! Come on! Kill them all with me!”

Watching the figure in midair, Tally couldn’t help laughing:

“That smug snake of yours looks just like your master.”

“Nonsense. My master is a refined person—I’d never say such arrogant things.”

Luo De, hand resting on his sword hilt, landed slowly.

He had no interest in fighting himself; crimson soul energy surged from beneath his feet, rapidly expanding to engulf every member of the Gulesh Clan.

[Aura of Fear].

In an instant, their movements froze visibly, faces turning ashen.

Their leader defeated, shaken by the dragon’s roar, then crushed by Luo De’s [Aura of Fear]—it was impossible for them to withstand it.

Eve and her troops charged down, and within five minutes, the enemy was utterly routed.

“HAHAHAHAHA— Weak, feeble, pitiful! This Mirror Desert belongs to me alone!”

The naga princess, intoxicated by her victory, began spouting reckless boasts.

“Arrogant!”

A roar suddenly erupted from midair.

An emaciated old terrestrial naga appeared from the tomb entrance, striking Eve’s back with a punch at blinding speed.

Eve screamed, flying backward.

Just as she was about to crash face-first into the sand, a shadow caught her, steadied her, preventing her from falling disgracefully before her troops.

The [Radiant Scales] on her back exploded into sparks, leaving a massive gash.

She glared angrily at Luo De nearby.

Why didn’t that bastard catch me?!

Luo De smiled: “She’s only high-stage seventh-rank. You should’ve been able to beat her.”

“But I’m early-stage!”

“I beat eighth-rank when I was early-stage.”

“Do you think everyone’s a monster like you?!”

The old crone was gaunt, but her battle spirit manifested as her youthful, peak form—burning fiercely like fire.

“We were just wondering how to deal with your mother, Priestess Lilian. And you? You dare invade with such forces? A gift from heaven! Princess Eve, my twelve sons have spoken of your beauty—come to the Gulesh Clan for a visit!”

“Fuck your dog’s nonsense. Do you think a bunch of twisted, ugly wretches can touch me?”

“Comrades, what are you waiting for? Capture this woman! Lilian will hesitate, and the Braal Clan’s territory will be ours!”

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

Four more figures leapt from the desert—each one a high-stage seventh-rank.

The Mirror Desert is small. Even Lilian, Eve’s mother and a priestess, was only peak seventh-rank. Five high-stage seventh-ranks meant the Gulesh Clan could dominate the desert—so why were they still suppressed by the Braal Clan?

Eve’s face paled: “Impossible. You have this power?”

“Hehehe, you’ll know whether we do or not.”

A flame ray as thick as a wrist pierced the old crone’s skull, leaving a red, melted, rapidly oxidizing and charred wound—her words cut off abruptly.

The triumphant grin froze on her face, never fading as she collapsed lifelessly.

The other four naga stared at Luo De in horror, as if seeing a ghost.

Charred eyeballs squeezed out of their sockets, smoke still rising.

Luo De’s pupils flickered with an invisible domain; he smiled: “Hmm? External power forcibly elevated your rank. Interesting.”

Eve, who had never fought a losing battle, laughed again: “You’re all surrounded by me alone.”

Dealing with the four high-stage seventh-ranks took little effort.

The desert winds were strong; within moments, blood sank into the loose sand and vanished, the corpses covered by a thin layer of yellow dust.

Luo De ignored Eve’s post-battle speech to her troops—she claimed it was the perfect chance to solidify authority, boost morale, and strengthen loyalty.

Tap—

He stood before the arched tomb entrance, gazing into the dark, cold depths below.

Tested his new skill.

[Whisper of the Milky Way] has been triggered.

Instantly, the only two prophecy-sharing skills he’d received from Xiao Ke appeared on his panel.

At the same time,

Yellow sand crawled upward along the black stone stairs, gradually forming an obscure phrase on the uneven surface.

——“The chance to become a god is within reach.”

(End of Chapter)