The sun shone brightly in the sky, rippling the forest.
Amidst the lush mountains, figures suddenly emerged, hovering in the sky. Their overwhelming auras frightened the magical beasts below, sending them fleeing in all directions.
A closer look revealed the leaders of the eight ancient clans, led by Elder Tongxuan, including the dean of Canaan Academy, Mang Tianchi.
No one spoke, all eyes fixed intently on the twisting space.
Today marked the end of the three-year period.
Of course, this was within the Heavenly Tomb; in the outside world, only six months had passed.
"I wonder who will make the most progress this time?"
"Hun Ya and Hun Li should have met their ancestors. Killing Gu Xun'er should be difficult, but Chen Guan and Xiao Yan will undoubtedly die!"
A dozen or so powerful figures had their own thoughts, yet all shared a common anticipation.
With a swish!
At that moment, a black rift suddenly opened within the space, and a figure flashed out from it.
"It's Xiao Yan!"
"Dou Zun?!"
"It's truly beyond imagination. This little fellow was only a low-level Dou Zong when he entered, and he's made such progress. No one has ever been there before, and probably no one will ever be there again."
"..."
Upon seeing the figure clearly, the group of powerful individuals couldn't help but chatter in astonishment.
It wasn't unreasonable to say there had never been anyone before, and no one with Dou Zong strength had ever entered the Heavenly Tomb.
Xiao Yan was the first, and likely the last.
While the lower the strength, the greater the room for improvement, Xiao Yan's achievement of Dou Zun in three years was truly astonishing.
Of course, that was all.
Only the two black-robed elders of the Soul Clan had gloomy expressions. They couldn't understand how, with Hun Ya and Hun Li's strength, Xiao Yan had survived.
Within the Heavenly Tomb, each level had a strength limit. Without reaching that level, there was no way to advance. This meant that Xiao Yan was confined to the first level of the Heavenly Tomb.
Could it be Xiao Xuan…
The two Soul Clan elders exchanged glances, a hint of fear etched deep within their eyes. Clearly, they'd considered escaping; this was perhaps the only plausible explanation they could come up with.
"Wait for Hun Ya and Hun Li to come out and see what they say,"
they glared sinisterly at Xiao Yan, and for
the moment, they suppressed their murderous intent. Soaring in mid-air, Xiao Yan scanned his surroundings but didn't spot Chen Guan. He immediately realized he was the first to emerge.
He nodded politely to Mang Tianchi, who was looking in his direction, and without greeting anyone else, Xiao Yan flew off to the side to wait.
Time ticked by, and before long, ripples began to form in that space again.
"Thunder Clan people."
"Quite an improvement. Judging by their auras, they're much stronger than before they went in."
"Haha, not bad. Come here,"
Mang Tianchi's worries vanished, and he greeted them with a laugh.
The two young Thunder Clan men obediently took their places behind Mang Tianchi, their attention quickly withdrawing, clearly communicating through telepathy.
Following the two from the Thunder Clan, more people emerged from the space one after another.
Most of these individuals' auras had grown significantly stronger than when they entered the Heavenly Tomb six months prior. In particular, a sturdy young man from the Stone Clan had ascended directly from a Seven-Star Dou Zun to a Nine-Star level, drawing considerable envy.
"They've all emerged. Now the only ones missing are the Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan. Oh, and Chen Guan."
As soon as the countdown ended, Gu Qingyang and the other three emerged. Judging from their expressions, they had also made significant gains.
Elder Tongxuan nodded slightly, a hint of a smile playing across his aged face. "
It's good they've emerged! "
These young men, even among the Ancient Clan, were rare talents. Every loss was a colossal loss.
As for the last one, Gu Xun'er, Elder Tongxuan showed no concern.
He believed that even if all of the people who had entered the Heavenly Tomb were combined, they would hardly pose a threat to Gu Xun'er!
The Heavenly Tomb's space was turbulent again, but this time, the person who appeared stunned everyone present.
It was a corpse, wrapped only in a simple black robe!
Nothing of value was left on its body!
"Hun Li!"
Two elders from the Soul Clan exclaimed, approaching Hun Li's corpse. Their murderous aura emanated, their venomous eyes scanning each person emerging from the Heavenly Tomb.
Yet, no one was intimidated. Staring at the now-mummy-like Hun Li, everyone felt nothing but gloating.
"Hun Li has emerged, but why is Hun Ya missing?"
"He deserved his death. He tried to attack us when we met them on the second level. He deserved it!"
"This isn't a simple matter. While Hun Ya and Hun Li are extremely bad characters, their combined strength is probably second only to the four from the Ancient Clan..."
The young men emerging from the Heavenly Tomb exchanged whispers, their gazes unconsciously gravitating towards Gu Qingyang and the other two.
The two elders from the Soul Clan echoed the same sentiment, evidently believing that only the Ancient Clan could possess such power.
"Gu Qingyang, you were the ones who did this!" one of the elders shouted furiously, his aura surging, as if ready to explode.
"Hunlin, don't bite anyone without permission. Besides, this is the Ancient Realm!"
Elder Tongxuan frowned slightly, stepping forward to block the three. A mighty aura emanated from him, a force far more powerful than that of Hunlin.
It must be said, the Hun Clan are truly sinister!
With all these displays, before the decisive battle, who could have imagined their power so far surpassing that of the Ancient Clan?
Feeling the terrifying aura bearing down on him, Hunlin's face darkened.
"Don't be impulsive. Wait until Hunya emerges. He'll surely know the truth! Our Hun Clan members are not so easily killed,"
another elder reassured Hunlin, his voice noticeably calmer.
Ultimately, Hunya and Hun Li held a different significance than those of the other races who had entered.
To the Hun Clan, these two were geniuses, but not among the most elite. Their demise, while regrettable, was not cause for alarm.
"Swish!"
The sky's void rippled again, drawing everyone's attention.
Chen Guan walked out slowly and immediately realized that the atmosphere in the field was a little strange. When he met the eyes of the two people from the Soul Clan who wanted to eat him alive, as well as the corpse of Hun Li that he had looted and discarded, he suddenly understood what was going on.
"Tsk tsk, this Tianmu is truly unkind, spewing out all sorts of garbage."
"Chen Guan, it's you!"
Seeing Chen Guan's unfazed look at Hun Li's corpse and his inhumane words, Hun Lin's gaze locked onto him.
Chen Guan chuckled, neither acknowledging nor denying.
This mocking gesture only fueled Hun Lin's murderous intent, and he panted heavily.
The next moment, he erupted in a cloud of black mist, charging at Chen Guan.
"Be careful!"
Mang Tianchi warned, moving to rush to his aid, but was stopped by another Hun Clan elder.
In the sky, Chen Guan, watching Hun Lin's charge, remained unfazed. He quietly activated his Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor and swung his fist to meet the blow.
Boom!
The two fists collided like thunder in a clear sky, unleashing a surge of turbulent air.
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However, the result was shocking.
Hun Lin, who had attacked first, was sent flying backwards, retreating hundreds of feet before the force was dissipated.
Chen Guan, on the other hand, stood firm as a rock, not retreating a single step!
"Nine-Star Dou Zun!"
"Hiss..."
The crowd fell silent, and then exclamations erupted again.
They remembered clearly that when Chen Guan entered the Heavenly Tomb, he was only a six-star Dou Zun, and even his battles with the ancient demon were difficult to win.
But now, perhaps the ancient demon wouldn't even be a match for him?
Such progress was unimaginable!
On the surface, Chen Guan had only advanced three minor realms, far less than Xiao Yan's. But everyone present knew that these were two completely different things!
"He's truly someone who can't be judged by conventional standards." Huo Zhi, standing behind the Yan Clan's powerful warriors, smiled faintly, his eyes clear.
This time in the Heavenly Tomb, they hadn't escaped the massive energy storm, and Huo Zhi had benefited greatly from it, reaping numerous benefits. He had thought his progress was second only to Xiao Yan and the Stone Clan's opponent.
Unexpectedly, he had suddenly been bumped out of the top three.
Interesting, very interesting!
"Is this kid kid mistaken? Wasting my time, is that fun?"
Mang Tianchi snorted and waved his hand, no longer interested in tangling with the Soul Clan elder. "
I don't care, do whatever you want.
" Mang Tianchi's departure did not embolden Hunlin and the other two. They were only at the level of a Nine-Star Dou Zun, and facing Chen Guan, also a Nine-Star, they no longer had the confidence they had before.
What's more, the Ancient Clan was watching.
"Hunlin, this is the Ancient Realm!"
Elder Tongxuan roared, blocking the two of them. His aura grew even stronger, as if ready to explode at any moment.
"We met Brother Chen several times on the third floor of the Heavenly Tomb. He was mostly in seclusion cultivating. I don't think it was Brother Chen who killed Hun Li."
"I've met Brother Chen before, and we even said hello then,"
Gu Qingyang and Huo Zhi said in succession, their meaning self-evident.
Chen Guan simply smiled. This was the reality of a world where strength reigned supreme.
Hun Lin had dared to attack him earlier because he and Xiao Yan lacked the protection of powerful individuals. But now that they had revealed their strength, they had gained more friends.
However, the two men's words gave Hun Lin a chance to back down. He retreated with a snort, waiting for Hun Ya to emerge.
Swish!
The Heavenly Tomb vibrated, and another person emerged.
Unfortunately, it wasn't Hun Ya again.
It was Gu Xun'er.
Upon seeing Gu Xun'er, Elder Tongxuan glanced over, but Gu Xun'er merely shook her head.
Elder Tongxuan sighed softly, but wasn't overly disappointed. This outcome was expected.
At the same moment Gu Xun'er appeared, the yawning hole in the sky suddenly vanished, leaving no trace of movement.
This meant that everyone within the Heavenly Tomb had emerged, and the next opening would likely be twenty years from now.
The powerful individuals looked around, all relatively satisfied with the outcome. Aside from the strongest Gu Xun'er, who was difficult to discern, everyone who had entered had advanced at least a small realm. Xiao Yan, Chen Guan, and the Stone Clan member had made particularly remarkable progress.
Hello, I'm fine, everyone's fine.
"Where's Hun Ya? Why hasn't Hun Ya come out?"
Hun Lin's sudden roar caused some of the forgotten warriors to be stunned, and then they smiled unkindly.
Wasn't it obvious by now? There was only one explanation for Hun Ya's failure to appear.
No trace left!
Even more tragic than Hun Li's!
Hun Lin understood the situation, but he simply couldn't accept it.
Why did everyone else advance, while his own Hun Clan not only failed to achieve their goal but were completely annihilated?
Another Hun Clan elder was also unable to remain calm. Hun Ya and Hun Li had both perished in the Heavenly Tomb, and upon their return, they would inevitably be reprimanded, perhaps even punished.
"Gu Xun'er, Chen Guan, are you aware of this?"
His voice was cold, his fists clenched beneath his sleeves, his gaze fixed on Chen Guan and Gu Xun'er high in the sky.
If he hadn't feared their strength, and even more so, that this was the Ancient Realm, he would have taken action long ago.
In the sky, Gu Xun'er's brows knitted slightly, resenting the interrogative tone, but she didn't bother to argue.
"If you think they died at my hands, then I did."
Ever since her divine bloodline was revealed, Gu Xun'er knew she was the Soul Clan's target, a target they must eliminate as soon as possible.
Given that, adding another scapegoat made no difference.
The atmosphere grew solemn. Hun Lin and the other two locked eyes with Gu Xun'er, silent, yet everyone could sense the murderous intent surging within them.
Elder Tongxuan remained silent, his gaze condescending as he gazed down upon the two.
Life and death hung on the line.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, while Chen Guan, watching with rapt interest, almost cried out, "
Fight! Fight!
" Unfortunately, he was disappointed.
The two cowards of Hun Lin ultimately succumbed to the pressure from Elder Tongxuan, their momentum waning.
This left Chen Guan, who had been prepared to sit back and watch the fight, slightly disappointed, but he finally stepped forward to clarify.
"You guessed correctly. I killed Hun Li and Hun Ya."
I, Chen Guan, will bear my own responsibilities and accept no favors from the Gu Clan!
Gu Xun'er didn't care whether the Soul Clan hated her more or less, and the same went for Chen Guan.
Regardless of whether there was this account or not, they were destined not to be able to coexist.
Seeing Chen Guan standing up at this time, Gu Xun'er couldn't help but take another look at him.
This person is really...
indescribable!
When Hun Lin and the others heard Chen Guan's admission, their murderous intent swelled, but they felt relieved.
Targeting Chen Guan is much less stressful than targeting the Gu Clan!
"Very good! Today in the ancient world, the two of us really can't do anything to you, but Chen Guan, you remember this, the Soul Clan will avenge the Hun Ya and the other one one day!"
Chen Guan listened to the popular part of the harsh words without any change in his expression.
"Oh, I'm scared to death, dean, elder Tongxuan, please help me."
Seeing Chen Guan's sarcastic tone, the eyes of Hun Lin and the other two grew even more gloomy. However, they also understood that, even without mentioning the Ancient Realm and the onlookers, Chen Guan's greatly increased strength alone would make it difficult for them to capture him.
With a wave of their hands, they could only snatch up Hun Li's corpse. With a sullen look on their faces, they transformed into two dark shadows and stormed towards the Ancient Realm's exit.
Watching the retreating figures, Chen Guan's eyes chilled slightly.
He could actually keep the two men, and it wouldn't be difficult.
However, after careful consideration, Chen Guan decided to let them go.
After all, these weren't two tigers, but at most two small Karami.
Mang Tianchi approached and kindly warned, "Chen Guan, you must be careful from now on. For the past six months, all of Zhongzhou has been in chaos. The Soul Clan's actions are no longer limited to the Ancient Clan. You now have the power to protect yourself, but to the northwest..."