Chapter 659: Reentering the Heavenly Tomb, Meeting Xiao Xuan
In the deep mountains of the Ancient Clan, several figures floated in the air.
"Mo Yu, Xiao Yan, according to the rules, the Heavenly Tomb opens once every twenty years. You two have already entered once, and there is still quite some time before it opens naturally again," Gu Yuan said, standing with his hands behind his back as he glanced away from the vast space before them.
"However, I will forcefully tear open a rift in the Heavenly Tomb so you can enter. But remember, do not stay inside for more than a year, or the tomb will begin to reject you."
"Thank you, Uncle Gu," Mo Yu and Xiao Yan exchanged glances and nodded.
At the same time, Mo Yu was quite curious about the legendary Xiao Xuan. This man had once come so close to stepping into the Dou Emperor realm. If the Dou Qi Continent still had Emperor Qi, Xiao Xuan, with his talent and strength, would likely have been the next Dou Emperor after the Tuo She Ancient Emperor. Even Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan feared Xiao Xuan.
Gu Yuan waved his hand, and the energies of the heavens and earth began to stir violently, echoing like crashing waves. Suddenly, the space in front of them rippled intensely, and a dark crack slowly tore open. From within the crack emanated an ancient and wild aura.
"Mo Yu, Xiao Yan, go quickly and return soon!" Gu Yuan called out as the spatial rift was torn open.
"Got it."
Without further delay, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan transformed into two streaks of light and shot into the rift, disappearing from sight.
...
In the Heavenly Tomb, a thick mist enveloped the entire space, where loneliness and silence seemed to be the dominant forces.
In the middle of the hazy space, the air twisted, and two figures appeared out of thin air.
Mo Yu looked around at the familiar environment and sighed softly. The last time he had come here, he had only been at the Dou Zun level. Now, he had become one of the strongest people on the continent.
"Let's go meet Senior Xiao Xuan," Mo Yu said with a smile.
Xiao Yan nodded and scanned the surroundings. His vast soul power spread out like a net before he pointed in one direction. "Over there."
Following Xiao Yan's lead, Mo Yu nodded, and the two transformed into streams of light, heading toward the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb at high speed.
The Heavenly Tomb was filled with countless energy bodies, many of which were quite powerful. However, upon sensing the overwhelming power radiating from the two figures flying overhead, none of these energy bodies dared to act recklessly. They could only watch in awe as the two figures disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.
With Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's current speed, and with no obstacles in their way, they reached the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb in just an hour—a journey that had taken them months on their first visit.
At the deepest part of the tomb lay a desolate plain with an ancient gravestone standing solemnly in the center.
When Mo Yu saw the gravestone, his brow raised slightly. He knew this must be the tomb of the legendary Xiao Xuan, the ancestor of the Xiao Clan.
Xiao Yan approached the gravestone, knelt gently, and bowed his head in respect. "I, Xiao Yan, a descendant, pay my respects to my ancestor."
Mo Yu also stepped forward, bowed slightly to the gravestone, and offered his respects.
"Alright, enough bowing, you two," a gentle voice suddenly echoed in Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's ears.
They looked up to see a relaxed figure leaning casually against the gravestone. The man's face wasn't strikingly handsome, but it had a unique charm. His long black hair fell over his shoulders, and his deep, dark eyes seemed like bottomless black holes, filled with wisdom and a quiet allure. The warm smile on his face made those around him feel at ease, like a comforting spring breeze.
This figure was none other than Xiao Xuan!
"A mid-level Six-Star Dou Saint, a perfect Heaven Realm soul, and several types of Heavenly Flames, including the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame..." Xiao Xuan's star-like eyes swept over Xiao Yan, and in just a glance, he had completely seen through Xiao Yan. Smiling, he nodded, "Young one, you've done quite well."
Then, Xiao Xuan turned to Mo Yu, his expression slightly surprised. His deep, black eyes revealed a hint of curiosity. After a moment, he said, "Strange. Apart from your Seven-Star Dou Saint strength, I can't see through the rest of you. And the lightning around you—it doesn't seem to belong to this continent. Young one, it seems you're hiding quite a few secrets."
If Xiao Chen were here to hear Xiao Xuan's assessment, he would have been astounded. No one in the Xiao Clan had ever been able to escape Xiao Xuan's perceptive gaze.
Hearing this, Mo Yu was also a bit surprised. The mysterious lightning on his body indeed didn't belong to the Dou Qi Continent, but Xiao Xuan was the first person to state that so confidently. Even someone as knowledgeable as Gu Yuan couldn't claim to recognize all the rare treasures of the continent. This showed just how extraordinary Xiao Xuan's insight was. He seemed to have an understanding that extended beyond the Dou Qi Continent itself.
At the same time, Xiao Yan introduced Mo Yu to Xiao Xuan. After listening to Xiao Yan's enthusiastic praises, Xiao Xuan's interest in Mo Yu grew even more.
"Hehe, so Mo Yu is from the Thunder Clan. No wonder you wield such powerful lightning. I thought my descendants were among the best talents of this age, but it seems you are no less impressive," Xiao Xuan said, even offering praise, despite his esteemed status.
If Mo Yu had been a genius groomed by the Thunder Clan, it wouldn't have surprised Xiao Xuan. As a former leader of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Xuan knew that with the resources of the ancient clans, even a weakling could be raised to the Saint level if they invested enough in them. But Mo Yu, like Xiao Yan, had risen from humble beginnings through his own hard work. That alone earned Xiao Xuan's admiration.
"Hehe, you flatter me, Senior," Mo Yu replied with a modest smile.
Xiao Yan smiled as well and added, "Cousin Mo Yu has always been my role model."
Despite meeting for the first time, Mo Yu and Xiao Xuan found their personalities to be quite compatible. Before they knew it, the three of them had been chatting casually for nearly half an hour.
"Alright, let's talk about recent events," Xiao Xuan said, sitting down on the ground with a smile.
Mo Yu turned to Xiao Yan, who nodded and began recounting the various events and challenges he had faced over the years, as well as the current situation with the Soul Clan.
Throughout Xiao Yan's story, which was filled with life-threatening encounters and shocking twists, Xiao Xuan listened with a smile, never once showing any change in his expression.
"With the Soul Clan so powerful now, I came to the Heavenly Tomb hoping to find a way to bring you back, Ancestor. If you were to return, even the Soul Clan wouldn't dare cause trouble," Xiao Yan said earnestly, his eyes filled with hope as he looked at Xiao Xuan.
Mo Yu also turned his attention to Xiao Xuan. Though he knew reviving Xiao Xuan was a difficult and possibly unrealistic task, he was curious to hear what this former rival of Hun Tiandi thought about it.
"Revive me?" Xiao Xuan was momentarily taken aback before smiling and shaking his head. "I'm nothing more than a remnant soul, and even that is stretching it. If not for the unique nature of the Heavenly Tomb, I would have faded into nothingness long ago. As for resurrection, I'm afraid it's not possible."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression fell with disappointment.
Mo Yu patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and asked, "But, Senior, wouldn't achieving the Dou Emperor level allow us to revive you?"
"Dou Emperor?" Xiao Xuan muttered softly, repeating the title that had once been his greatest ambition. A complex look flashed in his eyes, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. "Don't waste your energy on an already dead man like me."
Despite his words, for some reason, Xiao Xuan had a strange feeling about this silver-eyed young man. It was as if Mo Yu might actually have the potential to reach the Dou Emperor level.
"Ancestor, do you know what's inside the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's tomb? Is it really possible for someone to become a Dou Emperor?" Xiao Yan asked after regaining his composure.
"Let's start with the Dou Emperor," Xiao Xuan said, his eyes flashing with memories. "No one knows why reaching the Dou Emperor level has become so difficult in this era. Back in my time, when I reached the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Saint, I tried to break through that barrier. But each time I got close, I felt something was missing."
"Missing something?" Xiao Yan asked, his curiosity piqued. Mo Yu, too, listened intently, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Yes. Every time I attempted to break through, I felt an emptiness deep in my soul. That emptiness made me realize that I was lacking a critical element necessary for ascending to the Dou Emperor realm," Xiao Xuan explained, his face serious.
"I call this missing element the 'Origin Emperor Qi.' Only by obtaining this Origin Emperor Qi can one truly break through that barrier and become the strongest being in the world."
"Origin Emperor Qi..." Xiao Yan repeated softly.
"Ancestor, are you saying that in ancient times, this Origin Emperor Qi existed, which is why there were Dou Emperors? But now, it's gone, and that's why no one can reach that level?" Xiao Yan asked.
"That's right. I traveled across much of the Dou Qi Continent but never found any trace of the Origin Emperor Qi," Xiao Xuan nodded.
"So, could it be that the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's tomb contains this Origin Emperor Qi?" Mo Yu asked, pretending to be surprised.
"I'm not sure if the tomb has the Origin Emperor Qi, but I do know that it holds an embryo of an Emperor-grade pill. That pill is what Hun Tiandi is after," Xiao Xuan said.
"And that Emperor-grade embryo is likely the only one of its kind in this world. If Hun Tiandi obtains it, he may absorb the Origin Emperor Qi and finally break through to the Dou Emperor level."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression grew more serious. Just the thought of that pill was enough to drive any Nine-Star Dou Saint to madness.
Mo Yu, meanwhile, recalled the Emperor Qi left behind for him in the Cloudy Mist Sect by Wind Emperor Feng. If they couldn't stop Hun Tiandi from getting the Emperor-grade pill, he might have to use that hidden trump card.
"Ancestor, do you know where the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's tomb is?" Xiao Yan asked, hopeful.
"I don't know the exact location," Xiao Xuan said, shaking his head. "I only learned about the Emperor-grade pill from the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's jade before it was split into eight pieces. But before I could fully decipher the jade's secrets, the eight ancient clans were already at war over it, which led to the jade being divided."
"So, we still need to gather all eight pieces to find the tomb and unlock it," Xiao Yan muttered, frowning.
Xiao Xuan smiled gently and said, "Don't worry too much. We're not here to change the world. We cultivate for the sake of protecting those we care about."
"Senior Xiao Xuan is right. Our purpose in training is to protect what we love. If we worry about too many things, it will only lead to inner demons," Mo Yu said with a smile.
Xiao Yan nodded, "You're both right."
Xiao Xuan stepped forward, gently placing his hands on Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's shoulders. "I really like you two, but it's a shame you were born so many years too late."
Hearing this, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan exchanged a wry smile.
Standing tall, Xiao Xuan looked out into the misty expanse of the Heavenly Tomb and smiled.
"Enough talk. Although I can't personally help you fight the Soul Clan, I can still give you a gift."
"The Heavenly Tomb is full of the souls of many powerful individuals. You two are already strong enough that I can't help much with your physical strength, but I can assist with your soul realms."
Spreading his arms wide, Xiao Xuan's smile deepened as he seemed to embrace the entire tomb.
"This unnatural place never should have existed. I've wanted to erase it for a long time."
"I will merge with the soul of the Heavenly Tomb and assist you both. Whether you can break through to the Emperor Soul Realm depends on your own fate!" (End of Chapter)
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