Translator: CinderTL
"Heh..."
If an ordinary person had been caught off guard by this attack, they might have been struck. But Xu Sanyan's physical body had long surpassed the mortal realm, and his reflexes were lightning-fast. He clasped his palms together, and the hidden weapon obediently fell into his hands.
At a glance, it was a dagger barely an inch long.
The blade emitted a faint, eerie glow, suggesting it was no ordinary weapon—likely a treasure.
"After hundreds of years without cultivation, it still retains this much power?" Xu Sanyan's anticipation grew.
The stone door swung open, revealing the chamber within. The small, perfectly square stone room appeared to have been artificially constructed, with a stone table at its center.
The table's surface was carved with a complex pattern that resembled a formation.
Xu Sanyan stroked his chin and approached for a closer look. Another formation. It seemed the Imperial Advisor's skill in formations had been quite profound.
The formation formed a semi-circular, milky-white light barrier, trapping the stone table upside down inside. He couldn't see what lay beneath.
Xu Sanyan frowned. He knew nothing about formations. How was he supposed to break it?
Should he force his way through?
Xu Sanyan controlled the Ferocious Demon on the shore, turned to the Old man, and then crouched down to write in the sand: "There's a formation below. How do I break it?"
The old man stroked his beard and shook his head slowly. "I don't know either. The Second Generation Ancestor never mentioned this matter. If the ancestor were to revive, such a trivial array would pose no obstacle."
Xu Sanyan found his words reasonable and decided to shatter the light barrier by force!
As for whether breaking it would damage whatever was inside, that wasn't his concern. If he succeeded, it was his fortune; if he failed, it was his fate. After all, it was all free!
Xu Sanyan channeled his Spiritual Power, and a layer of white light coalesced on his right hand. He slammed it against the light barrier with a resounding boom!
The impact was like a thunderclap, sending waves of energy rippling outward. The light barrier flickered momentarily.
Xu Sanyan was knocked back by the force, slamming hard against the stone wall. He dusted himself off as he stood up, completely unharmed.
Above him, fragments of the stone chamber's ceiling began to fall, threatening to collapse entirely.
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes at the light barrier. The milky white curtain had become slightly transparent, but he still couldn't make out what was inside.
"This is trouble..." he muttered to himself. A few more strikes, and he was confident he could shatter the barrier, but the chamber might not hold up.
"This array... truly remarkable," Xu Sanyan marveled. A mere curtain of light, yet after nearly a thousand years, it remained so resilient. Truly extraordinary.
Xu Sanyan's brow furrowed. The Ferocious Demon on the shore suddenly turned its head, and he saw a figure standing nearby, having appeared out of nowhere.
She wore a simple long dress, her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her bare feet, like white jade, were spotless.
It was the woman from the tomb!
Xu Sanyan frowned inwardly. The commotion just now had been too loud, attracting her attention.
The woman's dress fluttered as she walked gracefully toward the old man, flashing a toothy smile. "Hehe... you haven't been honest, have you?"
The old man's eyes were filled with melancholy, but he forced a carefree smile. "Greetings, Xiangtan Princess."
The woman shook her head. "Don't call me Xiangtan Princess anymore. Xiangtan has long since vanished. My name is Liu Wanjun."
The old man nodded. "The actions of my Second Generation Ancestor back then were unforgivable. If you still harbor resentment, I am willing to die to atone for his sins. But I beg you not to involve the villagers. They know nothing of what happened."
Liu Wanjun chuckled. "It's been hundreds of years. I've long since let go of the past."
The old man breathed a sigh of relief, his face filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Princess."
Liu Wanjun smiled faintly and nodded. "There's no need to thank me. You're the only one left in the village now. You must live well."
The old man froze, a sudden sense of foreboding gripping his heart. His voice trembled as he asked, "Princess... what do you mean?"
"Wasn't I clear enough?" Liu Wanjun tilted her head. "When I said you're the only one left, I meant... there are no other living people left in the village."
When she awoke, she no longer needed the villagers to provide her with their vital essence. Therefore... they were no longer useful.
The old man's face turned deathly pale as he collapsed to the ground. Tears welled in his aged eyes as he pointed at Liu Wanjun. "How... how could you bring yourself to do this? They are all citizens of Great Liang!"
"Great Liang?"
"But this isn't our Great Liang..." Liu Wanjun shook her head.
Centuries of solitude had twisted her mind. Though she appeared normal on the surface, her heart was consumed by boundless resentment.
"I can sense it... the thing is here," Liu Wanjun closed her eyes, feeling a faint connection drawing her in.
Xu Sanyan's recent attack had weakened the light barrier's protective power, allowing her to finally perceive the object.
Though she didn't know what it was, she knew it was crucial to her.
Incredibly crucial!
After all, she had extended her life by eight hundred years. Such a feat came at a price: she could never leave the area covered by the Great Formation.
The moment she stepped outside the formation's protection, she would instantly turn to dust and vanish from this world.
This area encompassed a ten-mile radius around the tomb.
Only by finding that crucial item would she have a chance to escape this place and return to the Imperial Capital she longed to see.
Therefore, she was determined to succeed!
No matter the cost!
Liu Wanjun stepped lightly into the water. The Ferocious Demon made no attempt to stop her, knowing Xu Sanyan was no match for her.
The old man stared blankly at the village, his eyes devoid of life. He was consumed by despair, unsure if the Imperial Advisor's actions years ago had been right. For the sake of a vague hope of rebirth, his descendants were now suffering the consequences.
Perhaps even if the Imperial Advisor had known, he wouldn't have cared...
The old man stumbled into the water, no longer willing to live alone.
The stream gradually rose, submerging his chest, then his mouth and nose, finally his head...
Until he vanished completely.
Following the current, Liu Wanjun easily found the hidden undercurrent. When she surfaced, she saw Xu Sanyan watching her with a calm expression.
"We meet again, Princess," Xu Sanyan said with a smile, waving his hand.
"Indeed," Liu Wanjun replied, leaping out of the water. Water dripped from her wet hair as she glanced past Xu Sanyan's shoulder at the milky-white light barrier within the stone chamber.
"Give me the item inside. Name your price," Liu Wanjun said directly.
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. "A price? What do you have to offer?"
He didn't believe Liu Wanjun could offer anything he'd care about, especially since the light barrier might contain relics of a Soul Refinement cultivator.
Liu Wanjun thought for a moment. "How about I help you seize the throne of Great Liang?"
"Become emperor? Hahaha..." Xu Sanyan burst into laughter. He had just abdicated not long ago and had no interest in the throne.
Seeing his lack of interest, Liu Wanjun changed her offer. "I'll help you break the formation. I'll take only one item from inside, and everything else, no matter how much there is, will be yours. How does that sound?"
Xu Sanyan frowned in thought, simultaneously sizing up Liu Wanjun's curvaceous figure. If only he knew her cultivation level.
(End of the Chapter)
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