Chapter 376: When He Suspects You're the Culprit, You'd Better Be...
In the third layer of the Heavenly Tomb, bone chilling winds swept through the air as a series of crisp, melodious shouts echoed, carrying a piercing frost and violent killing intent that made onlookers shudder in fear.
The Blood Blade Saint carried his execution blade on his shoulder, his eye twitching wildly as he observed Qing Lin, whose figure was shrouded in cold mist and baleful energy.
"These two are no ordinary people…" he muttered to himself.
The man, Lu Bu, could command a peak powerhouse like Xiao Xuan to work on his behalf while casually setting up a formation that even someone like the Blood Blade Saint found troublesome.
The woman, Qing Lin, was even more extraordinary. Before going into seclusion, she was only at the two star Dou Venerate level, but after emerging, she had shot straight to six star Dou Venerate. Her cultivation speed was practically meteoric.
But that wasn't all. Somehow, the girl had acquired the soul of a Nine Headed Heavenly Serpent. Even more terrifying, she had managed to tame and wield this unruly spirit for her own use.
With the addition of the Nine Headed Heavenly Serpent, Qing Lin's combat prowess became so formidable that even nine star Dou Venerates or early Transition Venerates would avoid facing her directly. Her strength was undeniable.
To challenge opponents across four levels with such ease if it were him back in the day… Pfft, what a joke. If I could've done that back then, would I have ended up here in the Heavenly Tomb?
If he'd had that level of power, he'd have become a Dou Saint long ago and would be roaming the world freely instead of stuck here!
The Blood Blade Saint let out a deep sigh, resigning himself to the role of a mere guardian. He shook his head, knowing it was better not to overthink things. Dwelling on this too much was bound to give him a headache.
At least he was already dead, reduced to an energy form. If he were alive, the series of shocks he'd endured recently would've given him a heart attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the distance, ice and frost exploded outward, snowflakes swirling in the air as icy blue Dou Qi swept everything in its path. In an instant, three energy beings at the nine star Dou Venerate level let out screams before being reduced to streams of light, leaving behind three shimmering energy cores.
"Phew… a decent haul!" Qing Lin said with a satisfied laugh. With a wave of her delicate hand, a small, fluffy rabbit appeared in her palm.
Ignoring the rabbit's struggles and squeals, she stuffed it directly into her mouth. The moment she swallowed, her previously depleted aura surged back to its peak, sweeping away all traces of exhaustion.
"An eighth tier pill… just for energy recovery? This is insane…" The Blood Blade Saint's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Clearly, his understanding of extravagance was far too limited. Who in their right mind used eighth tier medicinal pills just to recover Dou Qi?
"Forget it, forget it. I don't envy this at all… I'm just an energy form, a dead man. Pills don't do much for me anyway. I'm not envious at all…" The Blood Blade Saint's body trembled slightly as he muttered to himself, his unfocused gaze fixed on the horizon. If he didn't see it, he wouldn't feel bad. If he didn't feel bad, his heart wouldn't ache.
Suddenly, a deafening boom erupted from the direction of a distant mountain peak, followed by a blazing, domineering aura that shot into the sky.
"Another breakthrough?!" The Blood Blade Saint turned abruptly, staring at the source of the aura with a look of shock and horror.
How long had it been? Was the Transition Venerate level really this easy to advance through?
Then why had he progressed so slowly back in the day?
"Oh? It's the young master!" Qing Lin's eyes lit up with joy as she recognized the aura. Without hesitation, she activated her movement technique and sped toward the mountain.
Beside her, the purple armored Heavenly Demon Puppet emitted a faint glimmer of light in its hollow eyes. With a heavy step, it shot forward like a cannonball, following closely behind Qing Lin.
Atop the mountain, black and purple flames roared like writhing dragons, their intense heat distorting the very air around them.
"Five Star Transition Venerate…" The Blood Blade Saint's face twitched uncontrollably. He was now convinced that the Dou Qi he cultivated and Lu Bu's Dou Qi were two entirely different things. Otherwise, how could they both be pursuing the Nine Rotations to Sainthood and yet see such an absurd disparity?
Were there no rules in cultivation anymore? Who advanced like this?
"The young master has grown even stronger…" Qing Lin's delicate face lit up with joy as she gazed at Lu Bu.
In the air above, Lu Bu, however, wore a frown. The energy contained within the Dou Saint energy core was far too immense for his current body to fully absorb. If he forced it, while he might achieve a slight boost in strength, a significant portion of the energy would be wasted.
"I can't let this go to waste…" Lu Bu's eyes sharpened as his hands formed a series of seals. Activating the Azure Dragon Transformation Technique, he directed the immense energy within the Dou Saint energy core to condense azure dragon patterns.
A burst of brilliant purple gold light erupted from the mountain, radiating a dazzling splendor as a majestic draconic aura spread outward.
"What is this pressure? It's not just the aura of a Five Star Transition Venerate or a Heavenly Flame. What is this terrifying presence?" The Blood Blade Saint's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked toward Lu Bu's radiant figure, too overwhelmed to gaze directly at him.
Lu Bu's rise from a Two Star to a Five Star Transition Venerate was already astonishing. But the strange aura radiating from him was even more terrifying. It bore a striking resemblance to the Void Ancient Dragon but carried the regal dominance of the Ancient Sky Phoenix.
How had he managed to combine the powers of these two mortal enemies?
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
Purple gold light surged around Lu Bu, and the energy core pressed against his body emptied its vast power into him. Gradually, brilliant purple gold dragon patterns emerged, circling and coiling around him with an awe inspiring majesty.
Seventeen patterns… twenty three… thirty nine… fifty seven… eighty four…
When the energy core was finally depleted and the radiant light dimmed, a total of eighty four purple gold dragon patterns gleamed on Lu Bu's body.
"No wonder it's a Dou Saint energy core… I've really struck gold this time!" Lu Bu exclaimed. A sudden thought crossed his mind what if he could take down someone like Gu Yuan or the Soul Heavenly Emperor, bring them into the Heavenly Tomb, and refine their energy cores? How incredible would that be?
Wait… wasn't Xiao Xuan already on the same level as the Soul Heavenly Emperor and Gu Yuan? Why not just go after him instead?
"…Forget it." Lu Bu shook his head, forming a series of hand seals to stabilize his aura. It wouldn't be right to target Xiao Xuan after just making a deal with him. Besides, the main reason was simple he wasn't strong enough to win.
If he could win, though? Forget energy cores! He'd go after the Ancient Eight Clans, seizing their Tou She Ancient God Jade pieces directly. Wouldn't that be better?
"Young master!" Qing Lin's sweet and clear voice brought Lu Bu out of his battle hungry musings.
"Oh, Qing Lin, you've completed your seclusion too?" Lu Bu beamed as he turned to her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "Six Star Dou Venerate? Not bad at all. You've improved by four levels slightly more than me."
"That's not how it works…" Qing Lin rolled her eyes, pouting. "Transition Venerate breakthroughs are far harder than ours. You're just trying to flatter me."
"Haha… How many energy cores do we have left?" Lu Bu asked, holding her close.
"Hmm… I used five nine star cores and two eight star cores. We still have over twenty nine star cores and a few eight star ones left…" Qing Lin said, her cheeks reddening slightly. Her tone carried a hint of embarrassment, though not unpleasantly so.
"Alright." Lu Bu calculated silently for a moment before saying, "We've got about a month left in the Heavenly Tomb. Let's spend the rest of our time gathering Transition Venerate energy cores."
"Sounds good!" Qing Lin nodded eagerly before showing off with a bright smile. "Actually, I started doing that as soon as I came out of seclusion. Look, here's what I've collected so far!"
With a flip of her hand, she revealed six Transition Venerate energy cores and nine nine star cores in her palm.
"Qing Lin, you're amazing!" Lu Bu exclaimed, raising an eyebrow in admiration.
"Hehe... actually, a few of those were thanks to the Blood Blade Saint's help," Qing Lin admitted honestly. While she could hold her own against a Transition Venerate, completely killing one was still somewhat difficult given her current level of cultivation.
"Thank you," Lu Bu nodded slightly, expressing his gratitude.
"It's the least I can do," the Blood Blade Saint said hurriedly. The fact that Lu Bu hadn't killed him was already a great kindness. Moreover, thanks to Lu Bu, he now had a connection to Xiao Xuan, a peak powerhouse. Within the Heavenly Tomb, this was equivalent to having a protective shield. Even Dou Saints would now think twice before trying to kill him.
"In that case, let's continue hunting. It's not like we've got anything better to do," Lu Bu said casually.
"I'll follow the young master's lead," Qing Lin replied cheerfully.
The two exchanged a few words before their figures flickered and disappeared, heading toward a strong energy fluctuation deeper in the tomb.
"Well, looks like the Heavenly Tomb won't know peace anytime soon…" The Blood Blade Saint sighed softly. Those Transition Venerates who had thought they were safe after Xiao Xuan's purge were now in for a surprise this pair was even scarier.
"I just hope they leave me out of it…"
Deep in the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Xuan's burial grounds.
Xiao Yan let out a long howl as a crimson rune began to form between his brows. The moment the rune settled, his aura surged dramatically, and a faintly desolate and annihilating energy swept through the air, followed closely by a fiery, terrifying heat.
"Peak one star Transition Venerate…" Xiao Yan grinned broadly, almost overcome with the urge to laugh out loud. At long last, he could finally begin to catch up to Lu Bu!
"Something's not right… Soul Yu's clan pattern didn't provide this much of a boost," Xiao Yan murmured, frowning as he noticed an inconsistency.
Currently, his cultivation base was at the peak of eight star Dou Venerate. However, after activating his clan pattern, his strength surged directly to the peak of one star Transition Venerate. Yet Soul Yu who was a nine star Dou Venerate with a ninth grade bloodline barely achieved a similar boost when using his clan pattern. That didn't add up. Soul Yu's bloodline had been refined since birth!
"Xiao Yan, your bloodline was gathered from the collective power of the entire Xiao Clan by Xiao Xuan. It even contains some of Xiao Xuan's own energy. It's only natural for it to have this effect," Xiao Xun'er explained gently.
"That makes sense…" Xiao Yan nodded in realization.
"You've been here long enough. There's only about a month left before you'll have to leave," Xiao Xuan said calmly, standing with his hands behind his back. "In this remaining time, go out and fight. Treat it as a form of tempering, and you can also collect some energy cores to take with you."
"Yes, ancestor!" Xiao Yan replied with a wide grin.
This kid… Xiao Xuan shook his head slightly, then added nonchalantly, "Oh, I almost forgot to mention Lu Bu has already reached five star Transition Venerate and is currently collecting energy cores. You'd better hurry, or there won't be anything left."
"What?!" Xiao Yan's face changed drastically. On one hand, he was shocked by Lu Bu's cultivation speed; on the other… Damn it, that guy was probably going to wipe out all the nine star Dou Venerates and Transition Venerates in the tomb! Wasn't he planning to snatch up all the energy cores?!
"Ancestor, Xun'er and I will leave now!" Xiao Yan wasted no time, grabbing Xiao Xun'er and vanishing in an instant.
"Haha… a bit of pressure is always good," Xiao Xuan said with a smile. However, his expression gradually became more serious. Whether or not the Xiao Clan could survive under the pressure of the Soul Clan depended entirely on Xiao Yan.
As for reigniting the bloodline… that was hopeless. Even back then, with all the advantages of time and circumstance, he hadn't succeeded. Instead, it had led to his death and the clan's destruction.
The Ancient Realm, near the Sacred Ancient Mountains.
Above a lush green peak, figures floated in the air, their gazes fixed on a distant area of warped space.
Half a year had passed, which meant three years in the Heavenly Tomb. It was time for the younger generation who had entered to emerge.
"I wonder who will have made the most progress this time…" some elders of the Gu Clan murmured among themselves.
"It doesn't matter. Once Qing Yang and that brat Gu Hua are back, they need to head out for their assignments immediately. The Soul Hall is causing trouble again…"
"Damn those Soul Clan bastards. What are they up to now, daring to provoke even the Black Submerged Army?"
"Who knows? But if they've come, they shouldn't be allowed to leave alive!"
As they spoke, a faint tearing sound broke through the air, like fabric being ripped apart. Several dark spatial cracks appeared, and one by one, twelve figures emerged.
Among them were members of the Gu Clan, Yan Clan, Lei Clan, and Shi Clan, as well as Lu Bu and Qing Lin, along with Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er. However, notably absent were the two from the Soul Clan and the two from the Yao Clan.
"Tsk tsk… The Soul Clan didn't fare so well, huh?" Seeing this, several Gu Clan elders couldn't help but smirk, clearly enjoying the unexpected twist.
Above, members of the Lei Clan, Yan Clan, and Shi Clan exchanged glances before silently looking away. This wasn't their problem. Don't ask, they didn't know, and they didn't care.
Gu Qing Yang and Gu Hua glanced at each other, their expressions turning a bit strange. They hadn't expected Lu Bu to be so ruthless none of the four were left…
"Where's Soul Yu? Where's Soul Hu?"
At that moment, two dark cloaked elders of the Soul Clan shot forward like lightning, their eyes scanning the twelve figures. Seeing no sign of their people, they let out a furious roar, their bloodshot eyes filled with madness.
"Stop shouting. You're giving me a headache," Lu Bu said, lazily rubbing his ears. "If you want to find them, go look for them in the Heavenly Tomb yourself."
"It's you! It must be you who killed Soul Yu and Soul Hu!" Before Lu Bu could finish speaking, the two elders turned their venomous gazes toward him, their voices filled with rage.
Lu Bu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What makes you say that?"
"If it wasn't you, why would you be the first to speak?!" one elder roared. "If it wasn't you, why would you stand out immediately?!"
"Exactly! You're clearly guilty!" the other elder screamed, his bloodshot eyes bulging in fury. "Boy, surrender yourself and come back to the Soul Clan to confess!"
"How dare you!" Qing Lin snapped, trembling with anger as her delicate face flushed red. "You old bastards dare to slander us?!"
"I don't care! If it wasn't you, why would you speak first? Explain yourself!" one Soul Clan elder shouted shamelessly.
"If you don't explain, you're the culprit! You deserve to die!"
Qing Lin trembled with rage, her face flushed crimson. This was outrageous!
Meanwhile, the elders of the other imperial clans frowned, clearly annoyed by the Soul Clan's absurd behavior.
Lu Bu, however, merely patted Qing Lin's shoulder to calm her before turning his gaze toward the two elders. He smiled faintly and said, "You're right. I did kill Soul Yu. What are you going to do about it?"
When someone suspects you of having a weapon of mass destruction, you'd better really have it.
When the Soul Clan suspects you're the culprit, you'd better actually be.
"Hahaha… Boy, you're dead…"
Before the Soul Clan elders could finish laughing, a surge of purple gold light erupted. A vast and oppressive draconic aura swept across the heavens.
"Well then, tell me… What are you going to do about it?"
Lu Bu's teasing voice rang out. The Soul Clan elders froze in place, their faces going pale as they stood motionless, stunned.
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