Silence fell upon the ancient hall.
After digesting the energy core in his hand, Chen Guan opened his eyes, only to find Xiao Xuan no longer there.
This didn't surprise Chen Guan.
To this day, he had been cultivating within this tomb for a full two years, with less than ten days remaining until the three-year deadline.
Over these two years, drawing upon the tomb's richest celestial energy, aided by the energy core, Chen Guan's strength had steadily increased, and he had already reached the peak of the Eight-Star Dou Zun realm!
During this time, Chen Guan had lowered his profile and repeatedly consulted Xiao Xuan, asking why his mental strength seemed to be constantly improving, yet his sensory breakthrough had yet to materialize.
Xiao Xuan's answer echoed the old Dragon Emperor's own explanation: it
was likely due to his Dou Qi lagging behind.
Xiao Xuan and the old Dragon Emperor shared similar views: the human body is like a bucket; physical strength, Dou Qi cultivation, and soul strength are all planks within it, each requiring simultaneous advancement to lay the foundation for reaching the pinnacle.
Otherwise, if any one aspect falters, reaching peak perfection will be difficult.
For Chen Guan, his soul strength far surpassed all others. Simply put, he was too "biased."
Under these circumstances, achieving another breakthrough in his soul would require a thousandfold more effort! Having
been warned by one peak expert, Chen Guan began to take it seriously. But now, with another peak expert saying so, he was forced to take it seriously. Gradually, he let go of his obsession, felt calmer, and focused more on cultivating his Dou Qi.
"Senior, please escort me out."
Chen Guan's voice fell, but Xiao Xuan's presence was nowhere to be seen. Only the stone wall behind him distorted slightly.
Clearly, Xiao Xuan had heard but remained silent.
Chen Guan was accustomed to this. He was certain there was something more behind this simple, ancient stone chamber, but it was beyond his reach, and curiosity was futile.
Emerging from the tomb's stone tablet, Gu Xun'er remained seated in meditation not far away.
Sensing movement, Gu Xun'er's beautiful eyes flickered as she glanced over. Then, with a flick of her jade hand, five perfectly round, semi-saint-level energy bodies floated before Chen Guan.
Chen Guan smiled faintly and accepted it without hesitation.
This wasn't a gift from Gu Xun'er, but rather a collaboration between the two.
On the third level of the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Xuan's tomb was a strictly forbidden area. No energy entities could be seen within a ten-thousand-mile radius.
Even those active beyond that distance were all true Dou Sheng-level energy entities, and the closer they were to the tomb, the stronger they were.
Consequently, if Chen Guan and Gu Xun'er wanted to cultivate with energy cores again, they would have to spend considerable time traveling far and wide to hunt down a Semi-Saint-level energy entity or a low-star Dou Sheng.
Hence, their collaboration.
After a period of training and needing energy cores, one of them would temporarily leave to till the fields. After spending about two weeks, they would bring back enough energy cores at once, allowing them to continue their cultivation in peace.
This was the simplest and most effective way to avoid leaving the vicinity of the tomb, as the cultivation environment there was truly captivating.
"I only have ten days left before leaving. I plan to achieve a breakthrough in the Tomb Mansion and will not be hunting for energy cores from now on. If you wish to join Gu Qingyang and the others, you can go ahead."
Putting away the energy core, Chen Guan unilaterally announced the end of their partnership.
Despite having been together for two years, they hadn't met often, and each encounter was simply to exchange energy cores. As a result, their relationship had grown slightly closer than three years ago, but only slightly.
It was probably just ordinary friendship at best.
Disclosing this might spark envy and hatred from the younger members of the Ancient Clan, accompanied by deep contempt. "You've given me this opportunity, but it's useless."
Chen Guan, however, was unfazed.
He came to the Heavenly Tomb to improve his strength!
Everything else was aside.
Furthermore, during his several exchanges with Xiao Xuan, Chen Guan had learned a not-so-secret secret.
Those of these ancient races, possessing divine bloodlines, gradually perfect their minds with age. Under this perfection, they rarely harbor any special feelings towards the opposite sex, which is the fundamental reason for their rather aloof appearance.
In their hearts, reason always prevails!
As for why Gu Xun'er treated Xiao Yan the way she did in the original trajectory, perhaps it was due to a childhood experience, or perhaps it was due to some unknown reason. In any case, it is impossible to determine, and it is terrifying to think about it.
"I ran into them this time when I went out. They have all made great progress, so there will be no danger. In addition, the Tianmu Tomb will send us all out in ten days, whether you are on the first floor or in Senior Xiao Xuan's tomb. So, there is no need to worry about cousin Xiao Yan."
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Gu Xun'er glanced at the tomb's stone tablet and said, "
She had come here only for Xiao Xuan.
Sadly, she hadn't achieved her goal."
Fortunately, Xiao Xuan had remained sensible and allowed her to practice around the tomb, which had allowed Gu Xun'er to make some progress.
On the surface, Gu Xun'er's gains were far less significant than Chen Guan's, and she hadn't experienced any major breakthroughs. But at her level, every tiny improvement was more precious than the breakthroughs before the Ninth Shift!
This was a qualitative improvement, not a quantitative one!
"Okay, I'll make a note of that. Thank you."
Chen Guan nodded, then glanced at Gu Xun'er, shaking his head slightly.
Three years later, she still couldn't fathom Gu Xun'er's strength. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had reached the Ninth Shift realm.
Without further ado, Chen Guan turned and entered the tomb.
He sat cross-legged, and five energy cores fell to the ground. Chen Guan flipped his palm again, and an energy body, significantly more vast and powerful than the five before him, emerged.
This energy core was the work of a true Dou Sheng!
This was the only Dou Sheng-level energy core Chen Guan had ever obtained. He had been planning for this for a long time, and fortunately, the Dou Sheng energy body wasn't a true Dou Sheng, which made his success possible.
During that time, Chen Guan's return of Semi-Saint-level energy bodies was relatively small. Gu Xun'er had clearly noticed this, but she didn't expose it.
Perhaps, to her, the difference between one and five Semi-Saint-level energy cores was minor.
Placing the energy core in his palm, Chen Guan closed his eyes, his cultivation technique suddenly activated, and the Dou Qi within him surged like a mighty river.
Guided by the technique, the energy within the energy core surged frantically, transforming the surrounding world. A humming sound followed, the sound of rapidly surging celestial energy.
Not far from the stone chamber, Xiao Xuan sat cross-legged at the edge of a mysterious blood pool. This was a separate dimension. From there, he could see Chen Guan, but Chen Guan couldn't see him.
Noticing the fluctuations in the stone chamber, Xiao Xuan's eyes remained calm, and then a hint of joy crossed his brows.
With a wave of his hand, a scene appeared within the blood-red pool.
Xiao Yan had broken through to the first level of the Heavenly Tomb!
"Not bad! With this gift from me, I'll have some ability to protect the Xiao Clan."
With a thought, the scene shattered, and the blood-red pool began to surge. The energy of heaven and earth converged frantically, the movement even louder than that of Chen Guan 'next door'.
Yet, at such close distance, with a single wave of Xiao Xuan's hand, it was as if they were in two separate worlds, unaffected by each other.
...
Ten days later.
Chen Guan and Gu Xun'er stood before the tomb's stone tablet and bid Xiao Xuan farewell.
"Thank you for your care, Senior. I'll remember it. Take care,"
Gu Xun'er said, a simple greeting.
Chen Guan was more sincere. Whether it was a deal or some other reason, he had truly benefited. He had indeed been taken care of this time.
"Well, go ahead. Remember what I told you. That item must be given to Xiao Yan after he breaks through to the Seven-Star Dou Zun realm. If..."
"If he doesn't reach the Seven-Star Dou Zun realm within ten years, there's no need to tell him about this. If you have the chance to visit the Heavenly Tomb again in the future, I'll discuss it with you in detail."
Xiao Xuan had a feeling he'd see Chen Guan again.
At his level, his intuition was incredibly accurate.
Chen Guan nodded and took note. He'd definitely come back here!
Apart from anything else, the Heavenly Tomb Soul was the only visible path to a breakthrough to the Emperor Realm!
Before Chen Guan could say anything else, he suddenly felt the surrounding space violently tremble. An irresistible suction emanated from the surrounding space, as if forcibly sucking him in.
The three-year deadline had expired!
The Heavenly Tomb was forcibly sending them out.
"Senior, farewell."
A large crack opened in the space around him, and the suction surged. Without hesitation, Chen Guan, with a slight fist, stepped in.
Gu Xun'er looked at Xiao Xuan, as if she still wanted to fight for something at the last moment, but she saw that Xiao Xuan had closed his eyes. She immediately understood his intention and did not force it anymore, allowing the space crack to swallow her in.