The dim sky was illuminated by a golden full moon, casting a pale light over the jagged peaks below, which resembled skeletal spires piercing the heavens.
Cen Qionghua wielded thunder, slashing at a giant stingfly. The creature twisted its head and swiftly burrowed into a nearby underground cavern.
"Hua Zi, are you serious? Why is it so difficult for you to kill a mere First Stage stingfly?" Fairy Leyao chuckled softly, her voice tinged with merciless mockery.
"I was just careless!" Cen Qionghua flushed with embarrassment, his frustration evident. Without hesitation, he dived into the cavern, using his rope-bound Dao Soldier to forcibly drag the stingfly out.
In the distance, Zhao Xing gazed at the Lunar Star in the sky, constantly verifying their coordinates. This place was a star continent within Moonfall Mausoleum, designated as [Southfall 2413].
Checking his [Star Mirror], Zhao Xing glanced at his mission list and let out a small smile.
[Coordinate Correction Mission (Completed, Repeatable)]
[You have corrected the previous coordinate records for Southfall 2413.]
[Reward: 500,000 Yuanhai Coins, 5 Merit Points.]
The map function embedded within the interface provided far more accurate star continent coordinates, allowing Zhao Xing to complete a minor task immediately. Since this continent had already been mapped by previous explorers, he was only correcting a slight deviation, which meant the reward wasn't particularly high.
Still, earning 500,000 just by landing? That was a satisfying start.
"I could probably make a fortune just flying around and fixing coordinate errors," Zhao Xing mused, closing the interface.
Moonfall Mausoleum was known for its peculiar environment, where Lunar Stars dominated the sky, and Solar Stars were exceedingly rare. It was only recently that King Tianji had gone through great efforts to transport a Solar Star here to improve visibility for explorers.
"As a Heavenly Timing Shennong, it makes perfect sense for me to adjust the star map," Zhao Xing commented as he glided effortlessly through the air.
His Dual-Origin Dao Body granted him a significant advantage in environments like this. While Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua struggled to maintain even sub-light speeds, Zhao Xing moved with ease.
Both Leyao and Cen Qionghua cultivated Purple Sun, meaning their Origin Dao Bodies were heavily suppressed in this region. Not only were their speeds reduced, but their spell power was also weakened.
"Hua Zi, Leyao, how's the hunt going?" Zhao Xing asked.
"I've killed eight stingflies. The eastern area is cleared," Fairy Leyao replied.
"And Hua Zi?" Zhao Xing turned to Cen Qionghua.
"He's still at it," Leyao glanced at Cen Qionghua before shifting her gaze back to Zhao Xing. "Your speed is impressive."
"Still not as fast as Tian Qingzi," Zhao Xing remarked, glancing at their Mechanist Martial Artist teammate, who had finished clearing the western sector and was now meditating to recover his spiritual energy.
"Brother Zhao, does killing these creatures really have any purpose?" Leyao asked. "They might be First Stage Origin creatures, but they don't have any valuable materials on them."
Cen Qionghua had just finished off another stingfly and flew over. "A First Stage beast, yet its intelligence is rock-bottom. The only thing worth anything is the venom sac in its tail. Even then, it's only worth 80,000 per sac. Talk about cheap."
In truth, First Stage monster corpses shouldn't have been this devalued.
However, stingflies were so abundant that over seven thousand years of relentless hunting had driven their market price from millions per corpse to barely 100,000.
Ancient Kingdoms had collected so many stingfly corpses that they stopped purchasing most of their body parts. Only the venom sacs retained value.
Neither Leyao nor Cen Qionghua could understand why Zhao Xing was bothering with such a small profit.
First Stage stingflies weren't difficult to kill, but the payout was barely worth the effort.
Zhao Xing, however, simply said, "Stingflies are grave guardians. If there are stingflies, there's a high chance that a tomb is nearby."
"When an area is completely cleared of stingflies, the tomb formation activates."
Fairy Leyao looked at Cen Qionghua in confusion. "Is that true?"
"I have no idea," Cen Qionghua admitted, looking just as bewildered.
Leyao then turned to Tian Qingzi, who simply shook his head, indicating that he also didn't know.
"My teacher, Qing Yuzi, had some knowledge of ancient tombs and mentioned stingflies before," Zhao Xing explained. "Of course, this is just a theory. Since stingflies are everywhere now, it may no longer be reliable."
Cen Qionghua and Fairy Leyao didn't think too much of it. Qing Yuzi was the Lord of Purple Moon Mansion's personal disciple—it wasn't surprising that he had picked up some rare knowledge.
"How large is the area we just cleared?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Approximately 10.51 billion square kilometers," Tian Qingzi answered. "There are no stingflies left in this range."
Zhao Xing turned to Tian Qingzi. "Brother Tian, do you sense any formation fluctuations?"
Tian Qingzi, whose real name was Yu Tianqing, was a former prince of Pangze Ancient Kingdom.
"No," Tian Qingzi shook his head.
As a Mechanist Martial Artist, Tian Qingzi possessed a special passive ability known as [World Awareness], derived from his unique cultivation path.
Just as Shennongs naturally awakened Seasonal Qi Commands, allowing them to manipulate their surroundings and predict celestial events, Tian Qingzi's ability granted him an innate sense of spatial distortions.
If Tian Qingzi said there was nothing, then there was most likely nothing.
Zhao Xing, however, remained deep in thought. "Let's do a thorough search. If we find nothing after a month, we'll move to another location."
He was certain that Southfall 2413 had once contained twenty-five recorded First Stage tombs. Given that this was a relatively small star continent, that number was already quite low.
Before coming here, he had reviewed the current records. Only eighteen tombs had been discovered, and all of them were First Stage. That meant seven tombs were still unaccounted for.
"Even if history has diverged slightly, the total number of tombs shouldn't have changed too drastically. At most, the locations may have shifted," Zhao Xing speculated.
His goal was to unearth every remaining tomb in this region, securing his first real fortune in the process.
"Alright, let's get to work," Cen Qionghua said enthusiastically.
Now that they had just landed, everyone was still full of motivation.
After one month of searching, however, they still hadn't found any trace of a tomb formation in this area.
Zhao Xing and his team relocated to another area and continued hunting stingflies. Southfall 2413 was vast, and they had been exterminating stingflies for an entire year without encountering another soul.
In the first year and five months, they finally encountered a team of twenty people arriving at Southfall 2413. However, stingfly hunting for small profits was a common activity. This group observed them from afar for a few days before minding their own business and conducting their own search.
Three months later, that nameless team flew off on their own. Hunting stingflies wasn't their real goal. Who knew if these venom sacs would still be worth anything in a few hundred years? Seeing no real opportunity, they moved on to another star continent to continue their exploration.
Two years and six months later.
"Boom!" Zhao Xing swung his Thunder Sword, a streak of lightning shaped like a crescent moon slicing through the air. It struck a stingfly, shattering its body into hundreds of pieces.
"Collect!" A ten-thousand-meter-tall venom sac flew into the air and was stored in his Qiankun Pouch.
"The 108th venom sac... Even if it's just scraps, it adds up. This alone is worth over eight million," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "But it takes up too much space."
The Origin Space still couldn't store non-plant life forms—except for pure spiritual energy entities. His Qiankun Pouch was a World Star Dao Soldier, with internal space equivalent to a small world.
However, these venom sacs were massive. Stacking them inside would eventually take up all available room, yet they weren't particularly lucrative.
"We've been hunting for so long... We should have found something by now. Could it be that Tian Qingzi's skills as a Mechanist Martial Artist aren't up to par?"
Just as Zhao Xing began doubting Tian Qingzi's ability, suddenly—
"Hua Zi! Zhao Xing! Hurry! We found something!"
It was Fairy Leyao's voice, carrying clear excitement.
"Whoosh!"
Zhao Xing transformed into a streak of light, first flying eastward to grab Cen Qionghua, then bringing him along as they sped south.
"Rumble—!"
In the southern area, the ground split apart and shifted, exposing the earth veins beneath. The dark yellow veins expanded rapidly, forming a series of towering peaks.
The peaks were curved and slanted, resembling giant ribs, interwoven to form an irregular and massive underground palace.
The Lunar Star above cast its eerie glow, covering the mountains and earth veins in a layer of black light, making the scene look even more ominous.
Between the jagged earth vein ridges, a black coffin was faintly visible, concealed in the darkness.
Zhao Xing flew closer, first glancing at the sky, then carefully examining the mountains.
"A Fanged Earth Palace Tomb, a Lunar Origin Coffin, stingflies as spirit guardians... and a hidden void chamber."
"This is a Second Stage tomb."
The Fanged Earth Palace Tomb, also known as the Dog-Head Tomb, was named after its sinister design, resembling a snarling, fanged beast.
The formation had also incorporated Earth Palace techniques, merging seamlessly with the surrounding geography.
In Moonfall Mausoleum, First Stage tombs were typically simpler, lacking Void Concealment Chambers and sometimes even skipping the use of earth veins to construct burial palaces.
However, from Second Stage onwards, most tombs employed Void Concealment Chambers, a method commonly used in the Void Realm.
"Tombs are usually built by their owners themselves. Even if they hire someone, they wouldn't disclose all the secrets. That's how they remain hidden. Void Concealment Chambers are a Void Realm technique," Zhao Xing mused with a faint smile. It seemed that the situation here hadn't deviated much from his past-life knowledge.
A Second Stage tomb had surfaced in Southfall 2413!
"Two and a half years of searching, and we finally found some real treasure?" Cen Qionghua's eyes gleamed.
To him, Second Stage burial items were bound to be valuable!
"Brother Yu." Zhao Xing turned to Tian Qingzi, "This is where you shine!"
The tomb was still protected by formations. The earth veins had twisted into a labyrinthine structure, covered in flowing secret sigils, clear signs of a defensive array.
Zhao Xing, Cen Qionghua, and Fairy Leyao had all purchased Boundary-Breaking Mechanized Beasts, but Zhao Xing wasn't sure if these tombs had self-destruction mechanisms. Compared to their mechanical tools, Tian Qingzi, who was once a Second Stage Mechanist Martial Artist, was far more reliable.
Tian Qingzi took action, flying in circles around the tomb.
In Southfall 2413, he was the only one besides Zhao Xing who could still maintain light-speed flight.
At this moment, the massive mountain tomb became a ring of light, a stunning visual distortion caused by Tian Qingzi's rapid motion.
For two and a half months, Tian Qingzi analyzed the formation while Zhao Xing and the others remained on high alert.
"Whoosh—"
After two and a half months, Tian Qingzi finally stopped.
"Broken."
He returned to them, speaking only a single word.
"Thanks for the hard work, Tian Qingzi," Fairy Leyao said excitedly. She could already see the coffin inside, surrounded by Lunar Starlight.
"Seeing the coffin means fortune!" Zhao Xing smiled and flew forward.
What followed was a smooth operation.
Yu Tianqing was once a Second Stage expert, and the living are always superior to the dead.
As a Mechanist Martial Artist, he easily broke through the three-layered restriction, granting them access inside.
"Swish, swish, swish—"
The four of them first searched the outer area of the tomb.
In no time, they had collected sixteen burial items.
Upon examining their finds, all of them were Lower-Tier World Star Dao Soldiers, primarily blades, spears, swords, and halberds—various cold weapons.
"Why are they all lower-tier? Was Moonfall Ancient Kingdom's Second Stage so poor?" Cen Qionghua was a little disappointed.
The Moonfall Mausoleum was believed to be the burial ground of an ancient kingdom, yet the Second Stage burial goods were only lower-tier Dao Soldiers?
"What's the rush? We haven't even opened the Lunar Coffin yet. The real treasures are inside," Fairy Leyao reminded him.
"That's true," Cen Qionghua said, his excitement returning.
Tian Qingzi stepped forward again.
The coffin and outer shell were separate. The coffin contained the corpse, while the outer shell was an enormous sarcophagus that encased the coffin.
"Whoosh—"
As the lid was lifted, a cascade of starlight immediately spilled out.
Zhao Xing, who was shielding the group with a World Law Barrier, couldn't help but grin.
"Zhao Bro, what are you laughing at? What is this stuff?" Cen Qionghua asked.
Tiny dots of starlight drifted in the air. Upon closer inspection, they resembled ancient copper coins, floating around the coffin.
"Seven-Star Ancient Coins," Zhao Xing explained. "They were originally embedded between the coffin and its outer shell."
"You can think of it as the starry sky ceiling of the Lunar Coffin."
"The ancients were quite romantic," Fairy Leyao said with a smile.
Romantic? Cen Qionghua didn't care about that. He only wanted to know how much each one was worth.
"Don't bother checking the Star Mirror. The official recovery price listed in the treasure catalog ranges from fifty thousand to two hundred thousand per coin," Zhao Xing said. "But Seven-Star Ancient Coins aren't just decorative. They're crafted from high-grade Lunar Star ore, which prolongs the preservation of the corpse."
"The condition of these coins is pretty good. Let's take the median price—one hundred thousand per coin."
"One hundred thousand per coin?" Cen Qionghua's eyes lit up. "There are at least a few thousand here!"
"More than that." Zhao Xing smirked. "And there will be more inside once we open the coffin. A Second Stage tomb of this caliber should have at least ten thousand of these."
"Hiss—! We're rich!" Cen Qionghua rubbed his hands in excitement.
Tian Qingzi stepped aside and continued opening the inner coffin.
"Whoosh—"
As expected, just as Zhao Xing predicted, another pile of Seven-Star Ancient Coins was revealed. However, these had variations in color and shape, some even molded into sun and moon motifs.
"Collect!"
As the team leader, Zhao Xing was responsible for storing the loot.
"Exactly ten thousand coins," Zhao Xing counted.
"Ten thousand?" Cen Qionghua was overjoyed.
"It looks like the tomb's owner had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder," Zhao Xing mused. Not one more, not one less—exactly ten thousand Seven-Star Ancient Coins.
"At one hundred thousand per coin, this haul alone is worth one billion!" Cen Qionghua marveled.
"Is there anything else inside?" Fairy Leyao asked Tian Qingzi.
"There is," Tian Qingzi replied, retrieving two items. "But aside from these, everything else has deteriorated after the coffin was opened."
"They look like weapons," Fairy Leyao observed curiously.
Tian Qingzi held up two crescent-shaped artifacts, each with a handle and intricate sigils carved into the hollow sections.
"Sun Gold Wheel and Moon Gold Wheel," Zhao Xing identified them immediately. "These are Mid-Tier World Star Dao Soldiers. Though they appear as two pieces, they're actually a single set."
"How much are they worth?" Cen Qionghua asked.
"Taking into account their research and collector's value, the set is worth about one billion eight hundred million," Zhao Xing estimated. "A similar set was purchased thirty-six years ago for that price."
"Normally, Mid-Tier World Star Dao Soldiers don't sell for this much. But because of their historical and collector's value, they fetch a higher price."
"So the Seven-Star Ancient Coins were actually the biggest find?" Cen Qionghua remarked. "The Moonfall Ancient Kingdom sure loved extravagant burials."
Extravagant indeed. The total burial goods exceeded ten billion in value.
By calculating based on the average wealth of a Second Stage cultivator from the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, Cen Qionghua figured that even if someone worked hard for a lifetime, they might only accumulate a few dozen billion at best.
And that was assuming the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's economy. Someone like Tian Qingzi, who came from a major dynasty, would have an even harder time accumulating wealth.
A serious injury alone could wipe out all their savings just to afford treatment.
Yet here, all of this was buried in a tomb. Did the tomb's owner really bring all their wealth to the afterlife, leaving nothing for their descendants? The fact that they took over ten billion in wealth with them already counted as a luxurious burial.
"That's not entirely accurate," Zhao Xing said. "The Moonfall Ancient Kingdom is ancient. Anything from that era carries added collector's value."
"On its own, none of these items would be worth this much."
"Who knows? Maybe Seven-Star Ancient Coins were dirt cheap during their time."
"We should sell everything quickly. The price of Seven-Star Ancient Coins is on a downward trend, and if more Sun and Moon Gold Wheels show up, their value will also drop."
"That said, this tomb's owner was wealthy for a Second Stage cultivator."
"The Moonfall Mausoleum has been explored for over seven thousand years, and on average, Second Stage tombs yield about two to three billion. Ones that exceed ten billion are rare."
After all, even in death, people wouldn't bury all their wealth with them. If a Second Stage tomb yielded a few billion, that was already considered normal.
"Do we want the coffin shell?" Cen Qionghua asked.
"Yes," Zhao Xing nodded. "But this type of coffin is fairly common. Many have been unearthed already, so it's not considered rare. Purely in terms of material value, it's worth a few million at most—about the price of an ordinary World Star Dao Soldier."
"A few million is still something!" Cen Qionghua quickly sealed up the coffin shell and packed it away. "Zhao Xing, you're really filthy rich."
Zhao Xing chuckled.
Now that he was in Moonfall Mausoleum, poverty would no longer be a concern!
"Let's go, let's split the money."
Inside a cave in Southfall 2413, the four of them began dividing their earnings.
"I estimate the total haul to be around twelve billion eight hundred million," Zhao Xing said. "Give or take a little, but we'll use Purple Moon Mansion's official acquisition prices as the benchmark."
"If we sell everything to the official authorities of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, the total value would be reduced by fifteen percent—but we'd gain merit points in return."
Merit points were tied to exploration rights and noble titles in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. The kingdom had established twenty exploration bases, so naturally, they had to suppress the prices to ensure profit recovery. Meanwhile, major powers offered higher purchase prices, but granted fewer merit points. Choosing between them depended on whether an adventurer prioritized wealth or status.
Of course, regardless of the choice, taxes had to be paid. There was no escaping them, and no one dared to try.
"According to our prior agreement, I mapped out the burial site patterns on Southfall 2413. Since the method proved effective, I take an initial thirty percent of the earnings," Zhao Xing stated. "That comes to 3.84 billion. The remaining 8.96 billion will be split based on contributions."
No one objected. Opening tombs had three main stages—finding the site, clearing out the guardians, and excavation. Since Zhao Xing had been the one to identify the pattern and it had worked, it was only fair that he took a cut first.
The second stage was killing the guardian beasts, and the third stage was excavation.
"For the guardian beasts, we all contributed equally. Half of the 8.96 billion, which is 4.48 billion, will be divided evenly—1.12 billion per person."
"The remaining 4.48 billion was earned from the excavation phase. Tian Qingzi contributed the most—he broke the formations, opened the coffin, and handled all the dangerous mechanisms. He takes seventy percent, while the rest of us get ten percent each."
"I've laid out the terms. Who's against it? Who's in favor?" Zhao Xing asked.
"I have no objections," Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua responded immediately.
Tian Qingzi hesitated, then said, "Zhao Xing, I think I'm taking too much. The excavation process wasn't particularly dangerous for me."
"That's not the point," Zhao Xing replied. "It wasn't dangerous for you because you have the skill."
"If any of us had done it, we might have been injured or even triggered self-destructive mechanisms on the relics."
"This is your fair share."
"Saving you before was a separate matter—that was rescuing a comrade. This is an expedition, and the profits should be distributed accordingly."
Tian Qingzi nodded and fell silent. Even as a former Second Stage expert, he acknowledged Zhao Xing's ability to allocate rewards fairly.
In the end, the final distribution was:
Zhao Xing: 5.408 billion
Tian Qingzi: 4.256 billion
Fairy Leyao: 1.568 billion
Cen Qionghua: 1.568 billion
Everyone was more than satisfied. In just two and a half years of adventuring, they had struck gold—and each of them had earned over a billion. Most importantly, the process hadn't been too dangerous.
Under normal circumstances, a First Stage cultivator might not even find a single tomb in a hundred years, let alone a Second Stage tomb. Their harvest was beyond extraordinary.
"Brother Yu, you don't have citizenship in the ancient kingdom, so you can't claim merit points. If you trust us, we can sell your share for you," Zhao Xing suggested. "We'll find a way to set up an anonymous account, but you'll have to cover the processing fees—should be around two to three million."
"That's fine," Tian Qingzi agreed. Having Purple Moon Mansion's connections to handle this was a massive favor.
"Now that you have money, it should be just enough for you to recover your Second Stage strength."
"We're teammates and friends. If you want to explore more advanced regions, you don't have to stay with us out of obligation. If you decide to leave, just say the word. We won't stand in the way of your future."
This was something Zhao Xing, Fairy Leyao, and Cen Qionghua had discussed in advance.
Someone like Tian Qingzi, a prodigy even among Second Stage cultivators, was bound to rise again. If he recovered and wanted to move on, they would let him go.
Binding someone through oaths or gratitude wasn't always a good idea. Forcing a powerful ally to stay could easily turn friendship into resentment.
So, Zhao Xing was very upfront, giving this future powerhouse the freedom to choose.
"I understand," Tian Qingzi nodded seriously.
"Hahaha! Zhao Bro, Yu Bro, don't make this sound so serious," Cen Qionghua laughed. "We just made a fortune—why talk about splitting up? Right, Leyao?"
"Exactly," Fairy Leyao smiled. "We should keep digging. Maybe we'll strike gold a second time—or even a third!"
The mood instantly lightened. Even the usually stern Tian Qingzi couldn't help but smile faintly.
All his life, his adventures had been filled with ruthlessness and scheming. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of camaraderie.
"Let's earn another ten billion—no, a hundred billion! Then we'll upgrade everything!" Cen Qionghua pumped his fists excitedly.
"Let's go! More coffin looting! More guardian beast hunting!" Fairy Leyao's eyes gleamed fiercely. "We'll wipe out every single one in Southfall 2413!"
The four adventurers were thrilled, but for the guardian beasts, this was a disaster.
Every day, they were either running for their lives or about to be hunted down.
Though these creatures weren't intelligent, they could communicate among themselves.
By the twenty-fifth year of their expedition on Southfall Star Continent, all the beasts knew—
There were four absolute predators roaming the land.
Wherever they went, death followed.
Even those who burrowed deep underground were not safe.
The worst offenders? That woman with the lyre, and the man wielding World Law Arrays.
The guardian beasts had thick hides and tough flesh, nourished by pure Yin essence over the years, making them experts at burrowing and escaping. Most attacks barely fazed them.
But Zhao Xing was a master of earth techniques. His self-created law, Mysterious Earth Concealment, was an elite stealth technique, while Starstep was a Seventh-Tier foundation technique that manipulated geological structures.
His stealth was fast, making it easy to locate prey, and Starstep's fissure technique disrupted earth veins, drastically slowing down the beasts' ability to escape.
A natural counter.
Fairy Leyao's sonic attacks were also devastating. Once Zhao Xing tracked them down, she shattered their defenses with pure sound energy, allowing them to finish the hunt quickly.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Fairy Leyao plucked the strings of her lyre, her jade-like fingers radiating a mesmerizing glow.
It was as if she was strumming the earth veins themselves.
The underground ley lines trembled, responding to her melody.
Deep five hundred miles underground, a guardian beast was desperately burrowing away—but suddenly, the earth veins lashed out.
Whip-like ley lines struck, squeezed, and impaled it, forcing it to let out an agonized screech.
The chase lasted two full days before the guardian beast finally succumbed underground, its life extinguished completely.
"Phew… finally killed it." Fairy Leyao stood in the subterranean cavern, staring at the beast's corpse. "These things are getting smarter. I swear they've evolved quite a bit."
"When we first got here, they were dumb as rocks. They wouldn't even bother running when they saw us. But now? The moment they sense us, they start burrowing straight into the ground."
She huffed in frustration.
"Why won't they just let us kill them?"
"It's pure survival instinct," Zhao Xing remarked, shaking his head. "At this rate, if we keep pushing them for a few more decades, they might actually develop intelligence."
The further they progressed, the more these creatures adapted.
There was a saying—desperation breeds ingenuity. And now, even these beasts were experiencing that transformation.
"Then we need to hunt them down faster," Fairy Leyao said with concern. "If we don't wipe them out completely, I won't be able to sleep at night. It's been years since we last uncovered a tomb."
Zhao Xing: "…."
The killing itself wasn't difficult. The real challenge was tracking them down.
At this very moment, on Tiger Head Star Continent, another figure was facing a similar challenge.
Mo'er had been on Tiger Head Star Continent for twenty-six years.
Back when he first set off, he had boldly declared he would bring back good news within fifty years.
But now, half of that time had passed, and he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Zhao Xing.
"A mission that seemed so straightforward turned out to be anything but," Mo'er sighed.
As a Third Stage expert, with Second Stage subordinates, capturing a First Stage cultivator should have been effortless—as long as they could find him.
The problem was, Zhao Xing was nowhere to be found.
The Moonfall Mausoleum was in the Phantom God Star System, which was part of a public star region.
If this were within Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's territory, the search would be easy.
But now? They were outside the kingdom's borders, exploring a vast and unmapped region of the universe.
And Zhao Xing was incredibly cautious.
He never used network-linked puppets to follow him. He discarded one star mirror after another, making it impossible to track him.
Unlike Purple Bone, who was a mechanist and relied on advanced tracking mechanisms, Zhao Xing's method made it impossible to trace his movements.
"Lord Mo'er, at this point, our only option is to wait for Zhao Xing's team to return from their expedition," one of his subordinates suggested helplessly. "His faction consists of only him and another cultivator of the Origin Stage, and they barely communicate with the outside world."
Despite being a member of Purple Moon Mansion, Zhao Xing acted like a rogue cultivator, completely isolated.
There were no social ties, no network to exploit—no way to track him through others.
"These ascended natives are such a pain," Mo'er scowled. "Maintain surveillance. Stay vigilant. He will eventually return to restock supplies."
Typically, a First Stage adventurer needed to return to base every century to replenish resources.
The Moonfall Mausoleum lacked a Sun Star, making it a harsh environment for First Stage cultivators. Prolonged exposure would inevitably cause problems.
Zhao Xing was a Shennong, so he could probably endure longer.
With that in mind, Mo'er adjusted his estimate.
"At most, two hundred years. By then, he will have no choice but to return for supplies."
"When that happens, we'll have plenty of ways to capture him."
"Start refining a new capture plan," he ordered.
"Understood." The Second Stage subordinates withdrew to carry out his command.
Mo'er closed his eyes and resumed cultivation.
For a Third Stage cultivator, two hundred years was nothing—merely a single meditation session. It wasn't even long enough to be considered seclusion.
Southfall 2413 Star Continent.
"It's open! It's finally open!" Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua cheered excitedly, staring at the newly uncovered tomb.
"Zhao Bro, get over here! The Heavenly Deer Tomb just opened!"
"Wow! Another Second Stage tomb!"
"Money! More money!"
Cen Qionghua rushed forward to collect Seven-Star Ancient Coins.
"I'm coming," Zhao Xing responded lazily, his eyes fluttering open.
Time had passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, the four of them had been on Southfall Star Continent for 157 years.
Since hunting guardian beasts took so much time, their tomb excavation speed slowed down significantly—on average, it took them thirty years to find a single tomb.
Whenever fewer hands were needed for guardian beast hunts, Zhao Xing focused on cultivation on Southfall Star Continent.
"I've reached the Mid First Stage now." Zhao Xing opened his status panel.
[Purple Yin Second Layer: 78%]
[Purple Yang Second Layer: 63%]
"Since Southfall Star Continent is illuminated only by a Lunar Star, the growth of my Purple Yang Second Layer has slowed down—lagging behind Purple Yin by 15%."
"This imbalance can't continue. If it persists, Purple Yin's progress will eventually stagnate, which will also hinder Purple Yang's growth."
"Once we finish excavating this tomb, only one last tomb remains on Southfall Star Continent. That will be my cue to return, restock, and convert all my earnings into power."
His other cultivation progress was as follows:
[Yuanhai Domain Second Layer: 25%]
[Treasure Mountain Technique First Layer: 99%]
[Extreme Land First Layer: 1%]
"Over the past century, I've nearly exhausted all my spiritual energy resources."
"I pushed Yuanhai Domain to 25% of the Second Layer, which will slightly accelerate the evolution of the Mo Yun Vine."
"Treasure Mountain Technique is at the limit of the First Layer. Once I break through, my legs will become as heavy as a miniature realm star."
"Extreme Land First Layer has finally reached 1%. Damn, that took forever."
Extreme Land was at a stage where it could begin accumulating spiritual energy veins, marking the start of an important phase.
"Once we clear this tomb, it's time to go back, stock up on resources, and rest."
The spiritual energy levels across the Phantom God Star System were low. Zhao Xing's progress relied entirely on purchasing cultivation resources.
Once he finished excavating the final tomb, he planned to return for a massive shopping spree.
Even if it wasn't for himself, he still had to buy food for Mo Yun.
"Let's wrap this up!"
With a flash of golden light, Zhao Xing soared toward the tomb.
Time flew by.
Finally, in the 205th year of their stay on Southfall Star Continent, the final tomb opened.