Not long after Ling Chong left, Ling Ying arrived to inform the two that the Heavenly Tomb would open in two days.
All the guests immersed themselves in the lush greenery, their worries seemingly cast aside. Chen Guan and Xiao Yan remained indoors, their two days fleeting in this tranquil life.
No one disturbed them during these two days, and they both relished this tranquility.
Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived. When the morning light of the third day poured down from the sky, a strange atmosphere permeated the mountain range, enveloping even Chen Guan and Xiao Yan.
"Today is the day for the Heavenly Tomb to open."
Opening the door, Chen Guan summoned Ling Ying, once again mounted the Sacred Skeleton Beast, and swiftly soared upward with familiarity. Finally, at Ling Ying's gentle command, the Sacred Skeleton Beast flapped its wings and soared eastward toward the mountains.
"My two lords, the location where the Heavenly Tomb is opened lies deep within the Ancient Sacred Mountains. It's generally considered a forbidden area for the ancient clan, and entry is forbidden under normal circumstances. It's only open when the Heavenly Tomb opens."
Ling Ying, slightly hunched, explained diligently on the back of the Holy Skeleton Beast. If one didn't know his special identity, it would be hard to imagine this was a deliberate arrangement by the ancient clan.
"I've heard from those within the clan who have entered the Heavenly Tomb that it's also dangerous. Countless ancient masters are buried there. Although their souls have long since vanished, due to the magical nature of the Heavenly Tomb, their energies from their past lives have been transformed into their former forms. These energy forms possess immense offensive power and possess fighting techniques from their past lives, making them quite formidable to defeat. All eight clans have suffered casualties there."
"It's said that even the energy forms of some incredibly powerful masters, even those who were once incredibly powerful, possess some intelligence of their own. They can even be considered extraordinary creatures."
Ling Ying recounted the information the two had already gathered, his tone fluctuating slightly, tinged with longing.
However, he also understood that the Heavenly Tomb, opened by the eight ancient clans every twenty years, was limited to two entries per clan. The Ancient Clan, due to occupying the Xiao Clan's quota, was only able to admit four members.
Such precious slots naturally wouldn't be reserved for servants like him.
As Ling Ying spoke, the Holy Skeleton Beast gradually advanced deeper into the mountains.
Along the way, Chen Guan and Xiao Yan spotted others heading their way. Most of them were powerful figures from the other six clans and some from the Ancient Clan. Although they encountered each other, they didn't engage in much conversation. Only Gu Xun'er and a few members of the Yan Clan gave Chen Guan a friendly nod from afar before quickly departing.
After another ten minutes of flight, the Holy Skeleton Beast finally came to rest amidst a precipitous mountain range.
By then, there were already quite a few figures gathered around, and Chen Guan's glance revealed a number of familiar faces.
Chen Guan's gaze swept across the surrounding peaks, his gaze suddenly fixed. Three black-robed figures hovered in the air, a chilling aura slowly emanating from their bodies.
Xiao Yan followed suit, his expression instantly cold, his fists unconsciously clenched.
"Hun Ya."
In terms of hatred for the Soul Palace, and even the Soul Clan, Xiao Yan's hatred was no less than Chen Guan's.
Xiao Yan was gazing at Hun Ya's eighteen generations of ancestors when suddenly, a fierce, unfriendly gaze came from behind him.
Xiao Yan turned sharply to see several figures suspended in mid-air. On their foreheads, each bears a medicine gourd pattern.
He had learned from Yao Chen that this pattern represented members of the Medicine Clan.
Chen Guan noticed the eye contact between Xiao Yan and these individuals, but he paid no mind. The Soul Clan, the Medicine Clan, and even the Ancient Clan were all within his expectations.
In stark contrast to Xiao Yan, the glances directed at Chen Guan were mostly kind, including those from the younger generation of the Thunder Clan standing to the east, led by Mang Tianchi.
As easily recognizable as the Yan Clan, the Thunder Clan lived up to their name. The group of young men behind Mang Tianchi all bore lightning bolt marks on their foreheads, conspicuous yet unobtrusive.
Continuing his gaze, Chen Guan soon settled on a group to the west.
They were gray-white individuals, with a massive stone clan emblem on their foreheads. Even from a distance, one could sense the explosive power hidden beneath their defined muscles.
Clearly, they possessed formidable physiques.
The Stone Clan!
Like the Spirit Clan, they were an ancient race with a relatively low presence in the Far Orbit.
Although this place was deep within the mountains, the space was vast. The dozens gathered here were not crowded, and no one spoke loudly, instead assessing each other and whispering about their perceived rivals.
Even for them, such an opportunity rarely occurred, as the elite young minds of the eight clans gathered together.
Time ticked by, and as the sun rose to its full height, everyone, save for a few leading warriors, paled slightly.
Suddenly, the very world trembled violently. A vast, ancient aura could be felt, slowly emanating from the void. This ancient aura filled the souls of everyone present with awe.
"The Heavenly Tomb is about to open,"
a powerful figure whispered, gazing at the suddenly darkening sky.
Boom!
As soon as the powerful figure's words fell, the void erupted with a resounding explosion.
Immediately, a massive spatial rift, a thousand feet wide, spread across the sky. At its center, a ball of silver light gradually emerged, transforming into a vast portal a hundred feet across. From this portal emanated that vast, ancient aura.
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The gate to the Celestial Tomb had opened!
The ancient dimensional portal stood between heaven and earth, its ancient aura causing everyone's soul to tremble.
"Everyone, you should all be familiar with the rules for entering the Celestial Tomb. Each clan is entitled to two entries, and no more than one entry is permitted." Elder Tongxuan's aged figure appeared in the sky, his gaze sweeping over the figures around him as he spoke calmly.
Everyone nodded slightly at his words. The rules for entering the Celestial Tomb had always been the same, and the two entries per clan had persisted to this day. However, the Ancient Clan, as guardians of the Celestial Tomb, received a greater privilege.
Previously, they had occupied the Xiao Clan's two entries, but this time, they were occupying the Spirit Clan's.
This treatment made the other clans jealous, yet they had no choice. After all, the Celestial Tomb was within the Ancient Clan.
Furthermore, the Ancient Clan was ostensibly the strongest, and this was the fundamental reason.
"When you enter later, stay with me, and don't stray too far away," Chen Guan turned and reminded Xiao Yan.
The Sky Tomb's special rules meant that if they entered separately, they would be instantly transported to different locations.
With Xiao Yan's limited strength, if they were truly separated, he would likely be smitten by a single claw from any random soul. After all, the Sky Tomb had been opened so many times, and the souls within it were constantly fighting and devouring each other. The weaker souls would have long since vanished.
"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded solemnly, then silently stepped forward and grasped a corner of Chen Guan's shirt.
He clearly understood the gravity of the situation.
If the sight of two grown men holding hands wasn't so abstract, he would have wanted to grab Chen Guan's hand for safety.
"Boom!"
As Xiao Yan nodded, a sudden, loud rumbling sound erupted from the ancient gate within the spatial rift in the sky. Then, a crack slowly opened within the gate, and a dazzling light burst forth, illuminating the entire world.
"If your quota has been allocated, then prepare to enter the Heavenly Tomb. Remember, you can only remain within it for three years. After three years, the Tomb will automatically expel you."
Elder Tongxuan spoke again in a deep voice, gazing at the slowly cracking ancient gate.
The time ratio between the Heavenly Tomb and the outside world is six to one: three years in the Heavenly Tomb, six months in the outside world.
For a genius, the greatest shortfall is always time. Saving two and a half years in the Heavenly Tomb will undoubtedly allow them to more quickly catch up with those far ahead, even the older generation of masters.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Tomb is a perfect training ground. Anyone who makes it out alive will undoubtedly achieve significant improvement.
This is undeniable!
"Boom!"
Above the sky, the crack in the ancient gate widened, eventually reaching a massive ten feet. A rich, ancient aura billowed out like mist.
"Swish!"
As the ancient gate swung open, the forest was suddenly filled with the sound of breaking wind. Four figures, led by Gu Xun'er, streaked across the sky like lightning, then, under the gaze of countless eyes, darted directly into the opened gate.
Surprisingly, the ancient demon wasn't among them.
It seemed the challenge two days ago must have dealt a heavy blow to the ancient demon. Otherwise, given the ancient demon's aptitude, it wouldn't have made sense that even Gu Zhen could enter, but he couldn't.
Without further ado, Chen Guan turned and said, "Let's get going too." He
then gave a slight bow to Mang Tianchi and the Yan Clan members who were looking in their direction.
"Go ahead."
He had no habit of being the last to be conspicuous. With that, he suddenly sprang into action, transforming into two streaks of light with Xiao Yan. They simultaneously darted towards the ancient gate, disappearing into the intense light within.
Following Chen Guan and the other two, the rest of the tribes also set off one after another, transforming into streams of light and rapidly rushing into the giant gate.
When the last figure entered the giant gate, the ancient gate also shook violently, and then, under the gaze of everyone, it slowly became illusory, until it completely disappeared.
"In three years, how far can this little guy grow?"
Watching everyone enter the Heavenly Tomb, Mang Tianchi murmured to himself, very much looking forward to it, but he didn't know who he was talking about.
After a soft murmur, Mang Tianchi glanced at the strong men of the tribes who were not yet ready to leave, laughed, and disappeared from the spot first.
Slipping away...
There is still half a year left, only a fool would wait here.
(End of this chapter)