Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 259 The Heavenly Emperor's Tomb
With a single move, Xiao Qiao created a mid-stage second-tier restriction array.

Although the formation was set up a bit too quickly, it was still acceptable; it just shows that her formation skills were superb.

As for the mid-stage second-tier magic array, that was far from her limit.

With her current strength as a third-tier Earth Spirit Master, she can theoretically construct a third-tier formation by leveraging the power of heaven and earth.

What pleased Li Ji'an the most was that after Xiao Qiao finished setting up the formation, she hurriedly sat down to regulate her breathing, seemingly unsettled.

This shows that Xiao Qiao kept his advice from back then in mind and was always careful not to reveal her supernatural abilities as a geomancer.

"Young friend, your array formation skills are superb. I admire you," Wu Weixiong praised, and hurriedly handed over a Spirit Nourishing Pill.

"It's my duty, no need to be polite." Xiao Qiao did not accept the pill and focused on regulating her breathing.

"Haha, alright, then young friend, please rest first. We'll take care of things for now." Wu Weixiong said, nodding to Gao Yang and the other four.

Gao Yang's team was very satisfied; this single mid-stage second-tier formation had eliminated almost 90% of the harassment.

"The entrance to the tomb is right below here." As he spoke, his magical power surged, and he suddenly swung towards the ground covered in black water.

In an instant, the black water beneath their feet churned, and the underground silt was pushed away by the magic power, quickly creating a pit maintained by the magic power.

The pit went down another three zhang (approximately 10 meters), where the black water almost disappeared, the silt gradually solidified, and the bluestone slabs finally appeared.

"It is indeed the style from ancient times!" Wu Weixiong's eyes lit up when he saw the bluestone slab.

"This stone slab is the entrance to the tomb, and the restrictions are also located here!" Gao Yang explained.

“Master Niu, Fellow Daoist Gao’s magic power is insufficient. He is being eroded by the black water and cannot maintain his position for long. Please help to expand this place to make it easier to break the seal!” Wu Weixiong said to Qin Henian again.

Qin Henian withdrew his gaze from scrutinizing the bluestone slab and nodded.

He then waved his hand, and his magical power, several times stronger than Gao Yang's, instantly expanded the pit to a diameter of three zhang, enough for the group to descend into.

"The real person's skills are truly extraordinary." Gao Yang and his group of five were overjoyed.

Then the group all fell into the pit and examined the restrictions in front of them.

Li Ji'an lagged behind the crowd, observing from afar.

The inscriptions on the bluestone slab make it look unlike any ordinary object.

Judging from its appearance, this is not the actual entrance to the tomb; it is merely a passage through the tomb wall that allows entry into the tomb chamber.

Fortunately, perhaps due to the passage of time or the erosion caused by the black water, the restrictive aura here is not particularly strong.

The external restrictions on the cave dwelling beneath the ruins of Dazeshan are somewhat weaker than those of the past.

If Duanmu Qin hadn't been holding the jade pendant, they wouldn't have been able to enter that restricted area back then.

With his current pseudo-core cultivation level, and if Xiao Qiao finds a weak point in the formation, there is hope for him to overcome the restrictions here.

"Young friend, please excuse me!" Wu Weixiong looked at Xiao Qiao, who was pretending to have recovered, once again.

Xiao Qiao didn't say much and walked to the barrier.

Two hours later, Xiao Qiao finally raised her sword with one hand and used her magic to mark nine restriction nodes on the bluestone slab in front of her.

This left Li Ji'an unsure whether Xiao Qiao was deliberately concealing her strength as an Earth Spirit Master, or whether the restrictions here were truly difficult to find the key points to.

"Alright, young friend, you've worked hard. Please rest in the back. Leave the rest to us," Wu Weixiong said politely.

He then took out a barrier-breaking talisman from his storage bag and, together with Gao Yang and the other four, activated it simultaneously according to the node pointed out by Xiao Qiao.

With a deafening roar, the earth shook violently, and countless specks of dust were shaken off the bluestone slabs.

However, even after all the barrier-breaking talismans were used up, the bluestone slab remained unbroken, though it had developed a few cracks.

"We beg for your help, esteemed sirs!" Wu Weixiong stepped forward and carefully examined the cracks in the bluestone slab, his expression somewhat grave.

It was much more solid than he had expected.

I felt a little uneasy for a moment.

Originally, it was expected that the third-tier restriction could be broken as long as the formation master found the weak point, and with the help of two pseudo-core cultivators and a few others, it would be possible to break through it.

However, judging from the current situation, the restriction here must be more than just level three.

Having endured at least six thousand years and been eroded by black water, it still possesses such power. Even a fourth-order rank might not be able to withstand it, and it could even be a fifth-order rank ...
Fifth rank! That corresponds to the level of the Nascent Soul Heavenly Monarch. In the past six thousand years, the entire Great Swamp cultivation world has only been able to glean clues about it from ancient ruins.

Almost all the top True Monarchs of this era want to take another step forward.

"Could this really be the tomb of an ancient celestial being?"

"I wonder if this will unlock the secret of why people in the post-ancient era could not advance to the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Thump thump thump~" The more Wu Weixiong thought about it, the more suffocated he felt, and his heart pounded like a drum.

Not only him, but Qin Henian and Li Ji'an also sensed the extraordinary nature of the restrictions here.

Just now, Li Ji'an could clearly sense that the aura of the restriction here was not very strong, but after the restriction-breaking talisman blasted small cracks into the bluestone slab, he sensed that a powerful aura emerged from within.

Ordinary ancient ruins and cave dwellings, after thousands of years of weathering, have lost much of their internal grandeur, and the difference between the exterior and interior is not significant.

Because of the erosion by black water, the outer stone slabs have been eroded by both time and black water, while the interior has not been eroded by black water, only by the passage of time, resulting in the interior being more imposing than the exterior.

"No wonder Xiao Qiao took so long just now," Li Ji'an nodded to himself.

"I'm afraid the opportunities here will far exceed expectations. Master Huang, make your move!" Qin Henian's eyes were filled with burning anticipation.

If it is merely the tomb or cave of a Core Formation cultivator, the chances of finding a Core Formation treasure are slim. However, if it is the tomb of a True Monarch, or even a Heavenly Monarch, then the chances are much higher.

"Okay!" Seeing that Xiao Qiao did not react, Li Ji'an nodded.

"Boom boom boom~" Apart from Xiao Qiao, Gao Yang and his five companions, Wu Weixiong and his favorite, plus Li Ji'an and Qin Henian, a total of nine people, each used their magic power to bombard the restriction nodes marked by Xiao Qiao.

After attacking hundreds of times in succession.

"Crack!" The node where Li Ji'an was located was the first to shatter, and spiderweb-like cracks then spread to the other eight nodes.

"Master Huang is mighty!" Gao Yang and the others were overjoyed. Their attacks landed on the key points, and apart from exhaustion, it was almost impossible to break the formation.

"Crack!" Immediately afterwards, the node where Qin Henian was located shattered.

Immediately, Wu Weixiong and his pet could no longer hold out against each other's attacks.

With a deafening roar, the entire bluestone slab's protective barrier collapsed the moment the nine nodes shattered.

However, at the very moment of the collapse, Qin Henian's expression changed.

"Watch out!" He immediately summoned a Yellow Rock Shield to protect everyone.

Block~
A tremendous force suddenly erupted from the broken barrier, forcing Qin Henian back several steps.

"It's the spiritual pressure from within the tomb!"

Fortunately, the withered aura that burst forth from within quickly dissipated after the initial impact. "Thank you, Master Niu!" Gao Yang and the others, still shaken by the impact marks on Qin Henian's Yellow Rock Shield, bowed deeply to Qin Henian in gratitude.

"It's alright, hurry up and go in. You'd better follow behind me." Qin Henian was extremely anxious at this moment.

The surge of spiritual pressure just now indicates that the spiritual energy inside this tomb was abundant in ancient times, and even after thousands of years, it still retains spiritual energy. This is enough to show that many treasures here are probably still nourished by spiritual energy, unlike other cave dwellings and ruins where spiritual energy has been severely lost.

Of course, this may also be related to the fact that the black water in this place isolates the air and slows down the dissipation of the internal spiritual energy.

"Master Huang, are you sure you don't want to go in?" A glint of light flashed in Wu Weixiong's eyes.

Li Ji'an nodded without hesitation: "The commotion just now was quite loud and may have attracted the attention of other cultivators in the area. I will stay here to prevent anyone from breaking in."

This surprised both Wu Weixiong and Qin Henian. After all, it was already clear that this tomb was extraordinary and must hold great opportunities. They were still unmoved, but they did not insist.

"Alright, then we'll leave this young friend in your care, Master." After saying this, the group took out their protective magical artifacts and rushed inside.

Xiao Qiao had made it clear from the beginning that she needed to preside over the formation, so she remained where she was at this moment.

After Li Ji'an sensed that Qin He'nian and the others had gone deep into the tomb and that he had lost contact with them, he finally slowly turned around and looked at Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao's expression was indifferent, giving off a sense of distance that kept people at arm's length.

"Xiao Qiao!" Li Ji'an smiled slightly, no longer trying to hide his feelings.

"Huh?" Xiao Qiao suddenly opened her eyes, staring at Li Ji'an in surprise.

With her extraordinary abilities as a third-tier Earth Spirit Master, she could sense Ning Sujin's abnormal primordial spirit, so she couldn't possibly fail to see through an ordinary True Person's disguise.

However, the voice and tone of the transmitted message...

Li Ji'an then retrieved Huang Jie's essence blood into the Wuxiang Mask, revealing his true form.

"Uncle Li!" Xiao Qiao was overjoyed, but she still cautiously used her third-level earth spirit master's senses to confirm before quickly stepping forward.

"Quack quack~" At the same time, Li Ji'an released the quack.

This left Xiao Qiao with no more doubts.

"Uncle Li, what's wrong?"

“It’s just a little trick, nothing important. Can you sense the situation of this tomb?” Li Ji’an asked quickly.

Xiao Qiao said seriously, "This place is beyond my ability to sense the earth's energy. I can only judge from the terrain that it is an excellent feng shui treasure land. If it weren't for the black water and poisonous fog above, it would be a treasure trove guarded by nine dragons. The person who can be buried here must be someone of extraordinary status."

"Ancient tombs can still exceed your perception today? Does that mean they are at least at the fourth level?" Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Qiao nodded and added, "If I go in myself, it should be better."

“There’s no need to take the risk. Let’s just stay outside and keep watch.” Li Ji’an shook his head.

"Mm." Xiao Qiao nodded in agreement.

The reason she initially decided not to enter the tomb was not only because Qin Henian was worried about her safety and would have trouble explaining things to Liu Jingchun in the afterlife if something happened to her, but also because she couldn't reveal her abilities as a geomancer.

Li Ji'an reverted to Huang Jie's appearance and instructed Guagua, "Go."

"Quack~" Quack quack grinned at Xiao Qiao and then hopped and skipped inside.

"Be careful!" Xiao Qiao shouted hurriedly.

After Guagua entered, Li Ji'an flew to the ground, sensed the area with his divine sense, and then frowned slightly.

The spiritual pressure that had just surged out from the tomb, although it had been weakened by seven-tenths by Qin Henian's Yellow Rock Shield, still released residual spiritual energy, causing the surrounding black mist to become somewhat abnormal.

"Xiao Qiao, let's set up another illusion array," Li Ji'an suggested after a moment's consideration.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiao immediately used her divine sense to connect with the earth's veins without saying a word.

With a hum, the area outside the restrictive magic circle began to become illusory and uncertain.

Li Ji'an sensed that it was a near-third-order illusion array, similar in function to the illusion runes he had drawn years ago.

"Not bad, you can even set up a near-third-order illusion array with a wave of your hand!" Li Ji'an praised.

Xiao Qiao smiled and said modestly, "Uncle Li, if I really wanted to set up such a formation, it would normally take at least half an hour. However, the earth veins here are rich in spiritual energy, which is why it was so fast."

Li Ji'an nodded, after all, the Blackwater Swamp bordered the Phantom Forest.

"You just stay here and guard the top. If anyone attacks, send me a message immediately." Li Ji'an's divine sense couldn't extend very far here, not as far as Xiao Qiao's earth vein perception.

Afterwards, Li Ji'an returned to the pit.

After taking out a top-quality shield for protection, he began to connect with the soul of the frog.

"Is this a tomb? Such a large tomb?" Through the eyes of the croaking ...

They thought it would be just two burial chambers and three coffins, but what they found was an enormous space. They had only opened one of the top bricks.

Moreover, judging from what Guagua saw along the way, such a large space was just one of the corridors.

Nearly half an hour later, Guagua finally caught up with Qin Henian and his group.

It was at this moment that they finally emerged from the corridor and arrived at a huge stone chamber.

The stone chamber is comparable to the main hall of the Biyun Sect.

However, the room was empty at the moment, except for a ring of murals and reliefs.

“This is only the last burial chamber! And there are at least three more!” Gao Yang and his five companions were tomb raiders who had excavated no fewer than fifty tombs in the Blackwater Swamp. They were very knowledgeable about the style and rules of ancient tombs.

While experiencing the awe-inspiring journey, we also made our judgments based on the terrain of the rock walls and the murals.

"Is it really a tomb?" Qin Henian was somewhat incredulous, preferring to believe that it was an ancient relic.

"This junior is certain it is a tomb, and a very large one at that. According to the ancient ritual system, no one other than the Holy Lord of a Holy Land, the Supreme Being of the Immortal Clan, or the Royal Family of an Immortal Dynasty could have more than three layers of tomb chambers. This place... is probably at least the tomb of an ancient Holy Son or a prince of an Immortal Dynasty!" Gao Yang's voice trembled slightly.

The holy sons of ancient times are not comparable to the holy sons of the demonic sects of today. According to records unearthed in ancient times, the holy sons of holy lands were basically all seeds of the Nascent Soul stage.

"It truly is the tomb of the Heavenly Lord!" Qin Henian was overjoyed; there was now real hope for such a precious treasure that could help one achieve the Core Formation stage.

“Let’s go, let’s go further. This last tomb is only a place for burial according to the ritual system. However, the practice of burial with other objects has been abandoned by the world in the late ancient period. Most of the last tombs are empty.” Gao Yang took a deep breath, his face showing some excitement.

Immediately, everyone became even more excited, their expectations for the trip rose higher and higher, and they couldn't help but quicken their pace.

The once empty passageway no longer felt lonely.

An hour later, they finally arrived at the end of the passage.

This place is another huge stone chamber, and compared to the first one, this stone chamber has significantly more things. A medicinal field in the center is visibly radiating spiritual energy.

One of Gao Yang's men hurriedly headed towards the medicinal herb field.

"Watch out!" Suddenly, Qin Henian's expression changed, and he hurriedly warned him, but it was too late.

(End of this chapter)