Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 94 Ancient Corpse
Li Yao was slightly out of breath, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him. It wasn't that his divine power was exhausted, but rather that his body felt tired.

Cultivating the Yao Guang Emperor Scripture, which is perfectly suited to him, made his divine power as vast as the sea, and its recovery speed was astonishingly fast, making it almost impossible for him to experience the phenomenon of divine power depletion.

In comparison, the physical body, though now terrifyingly powerful, is still weaker than divine power.

"It seems I need to speed up my training of the Starry Battle Body," Li Yao thought to himself.

In fact, his physique was already very strong, comparable to that of an ordinary holy body, but it was still somewhat inferior to his powerful divine strength.

This divine power was immense, but his physique couldn't keep up, giving Li Yao a sense of disharmony. If his physique could keep up with the divine power, his combat strength would probably not be at the peak of the seventh level, but would have completely entered the eighth level.

"If I'm this powerful, just how powerful is Wu Shi, who's at the same level?" Li Yao couldn't help but wonder.

If we were to compare him to Wushi now, their divine power would be roughly the same, but Li Yao's physique would be slightly weaker.

"Hmm... no wonder he's a ruthless guy who went toe-to-toe with the Immortal Emperor in his first lifetime!"

Li Yao originally thought that with his current combat strength, he should be able to compete for the first place throughout history, but upon closer reflection, he realized that there might still be an immortal monument ahead of him!
"What's wrong? You seem to have overexerted yourself," Elder Liu Jie of Yaoguang asked curiously.

He was the most powerful among the Yao Guang elders present, at the peak of the ninth transformation of the Dragon Transformation, only one step away from the Immortal Platform.

Moreover, Liu Jie is not very old, only a little over two hundred years old, and has a great chance of breaking through to the Sendai Secret Realm. In the Yaoguang Holy Land, his status is not even lower than some of the elderly elders who are nearing the end of their lives.

But at this moment, he lowered his stance and asked Li Yao about his current condition in a gentle manner. After such a fierce battle, Li Yao had completely won over everyone present.

"Although I'm a little tired, it's not too exhausting. I just feel that my physique is a bit weaker," Li Yao said earnestly.

Everyone was speechless, recalling the scene of Li Yao's bloody battle against the Eight Desolations, where each punch and kick could tear apart the bodies of powerful savage beasts.

Does this have anything to do with being physically weak?
"His Highness is still too perfectionistic. If it were anyone else, they would never have such thoughts." This is the sentiment of many.

"There is an extremely powerful body-refining divine technique within the Holy Land, inherited from a quasi-emperor. However, only the Holy Lord can borrow it. After we return this time, my Tianxuan Mountain can request the Holy Lord to pass on this body-refining divine technique to you," Liu Jie said, patting his chest.

“That’s right, my Tianquan Island will also go and request the Holy Lord’s help then.”

"My Tianji Mountain..."

"Mount Tian Shu..."

"Mount Yuheng..."

The elders spoke up one after another, their chests pounding loudly. At this moment, Li Yao was the center of attention, his talent so great that all factions would put aside their struggles and come to support him.

Ultimately, they were first the elders of the Yao Guang Holy Land, and then the various factions. If Li Yao becomes emperor, the Yao Guang Holy Land will rule the world for the next ten thousand years, overlooking the eight wastelands.

Such a temptation is something everyone should look forward to, because it is also in their best interest.

"Thank you for your kind offer, elders. However, it is too early to discuss this now. Seeing that we are ahead, the various factions will definitely not sit still and will use every means to catch up."

"boom!"

Li Yao's words were immediately proven true when a terrifying force swept across all directions, shattering the clouds in the sky and destabilizing this small world.

"The weapon of an ancient sage!"

Just as Li Yao said, seeing the Yao Guang Holy Land smash through the beast horde, the other holy lands couldn't sit still anymore, and some used holy weapons to sweep across the land.

"Hmph, one step behind means another step behind. If you use a sacred weapon now, let's see what you do next." Liu Jie was not flustered at all.

The divine power required to activate the sacred weapon is simply outrageous. In an instant, it is enough to drain the divine power of seven or eight Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators, rendering them completely powerless for a short period of time.

In other words, from now on, even if each side uses sacred weapons to catch up, the cost will be the loss of seven or eight dragon-transformation combatants.

"Let's go, every step we can take is a step faster," Li Yao said.

Soon, the Yao Guang group arrived at the central area, but just as they got close, a golden lightning bird shot out, its speed reaching its limit, not much weaker than a roc.

"You beast, it's not your place to be arrogant now!" Liu Jie shouted, unleashing a large black and gold cauldron.

This is a forbidden artifact modeled after the Black Gold Cauldron with Dragon Pattern. Although it now has several cracks, it still does not diminish its power.

The black gold cauldron trembled, like a mountain, heavy as a mountain, pressing down and causing the void to collapse.

Dark light rose and descended, possessing unimaginable suppressive power, directly pressing Zapdos down from the sky.

The terrifying Dao transformed into a giant mountain, suppressing Zapdos to the ground.

"Wow..."

Zapdos roared and struggled desperately, but to no avail. The massive mountain formed by the Dao principles unleashed by the forbidden artifact was incredibly heavy, making it difficult for it to move.

"Let's go, let's cross over." Liu Jie retrieved the Black Gold Cauldron and took the lead, crossing over the Lightning Bird.

Li Yao flashed forward and took the lead, while inwardly complaining that Liu Jie was too ruthless. He could have killed him directly, but he only suppressed him, intending to let Zapdos continue to block the people behind.

At the very least, it would waste the remaining uses of the forbidden artifacts from other factions.

Forbidden weapons are purely consumables, consuming a great deal of resources, but can only be used a few times. Even the wealthiest holy lands will not produce many such weapons, as each use reduces their availability.

A quarter of an hour later, a terrifying roar came from behind. Zapdos had broken free, and streaks of terrifying lightning appeared between heaven and earth, filled with rage.

It wanted to turn back and chase after the people of Yao Guang Holy Land, but at that moment, another group of people arrived, and then an ancient mirror appeared in the sky, banishing it to the boundless void.

At the same time, the powerful figures from the Yao Guang Holy Land approached the standing palace.

However, when they got closer, everyone realized that it was not a palace at all, but a city gate.

This is a great rift valley. The buildings that look like palaces in front of us are just a huge bronze city gate. Behind the city gate is an ancient city. Only a corner of the magnificent city gate is revealed to the world. The real ancient city is hidden under the mountains.

"This is an underground palace. Could it be the palace of an ancient sage?" someone couldn't help but speculate.

Normally, palaces shouldn't be built under mountains; only ancient cities like mausoleums are built deep underground.

The underground palace, built tens of thousands of years ago, is indestructible and perfectly preserved. Undoubtedly, it is engraved with profound Daoist patterns, which has made it immortal and preserved to this day.

The massive ancient city gates were tightly closed, isolating them from the outside world, and could not be opened by ordinary means.

The elders of Yaoguang unleashed their divine power, bombarding the ancient city gate and making the gate to the underground palace shake the heavens and earth. Unfortunately, the effect was minimal, and the massive city gate remained unharmed.

"Let's attack together and blast this door open!" Liu Jie roared.

"boom"

Finally, with the combined efforts of more than thirty Dragon Transformation Elders, the bronze furnace, longsword, Bagua mirror, dragon scale blade, halberd, and other weapons simultaneously crashed into the gate of the ancient hall, finally shaking it and opening a crack amidst a rumbling sound.

Instantly, an ancient aura rushed towards them, and a powerful wave surged like a vast ocean. The city gate, sealed for tens of thousands of years, was now flung open.

Liu Jie took the lead and rushed in first.

With ancient scriptures and weapons of sages right before their eyes, it was impossible to remain calm. Even Li Yao was no exception, and he followed Liu Jie into the city gate.

This underground world is vast, with deep underground palaces connected together, and it's unclear where they lead. It doesn't resemble a large tomb, but rather a large underground castle.

They rushed into an ancient temple, which was empty except for a huge coffin placed in the center.

"Could this be the palace of the ancient sages?!" Everyone was shocked.

"Rumble"

Suddenly, the coffin began to shake, as if there were living creatures inside.

Li Yao was startled and instinctively wanted to back out. The scene before him was somewhat frightening and easily reminded him of some bad things.

"Could it be that a sage has been resurrected from the dead?" Yao Xi asked uneasily, following beside Li Yao. Liu Jie shook his head and said, "Whether it's a resurrection or not is unclear, but this is not the coffin of an ancient sage. This is just a side hall. As the master, the ancient sage's coffin would not be placed here."

"Rumor has it that some powerful figures, after their fall, are unwilling to die and want to walk the path of proving their Dao through their corpses. Could it be that we have encountered one of them right now?" An elder couldn't help but swallow hard, somewhat nervous.

Since ancient times, those who have successfully traversed the path of proving their Dao through corpses possess invincible power. Now, the coffin before us is shaking, and there may be an ancient corpse within that has proven its Dao through corpses. Who wouldn't be nervous?

“Regardless of whether it is true or not, let’s get out of here first. This place gives me a very uneasy feeling,” Li Yao suggested.

Whether it was because his senses were too sharp or not, whenever he looked directly at the coffin, he always felt that something inside was watching him.

This feeling made him uneasy, and a sense of unease welled up inside him.

"Could it be that you're too nervous?" Liu Jie frowned. He possessed a sacred weapon and was confident that he could suppress all evil spirits, so he didn't want to leave now. Instead, he wanted to open the coffin and see if there were any rare treasures inside.

"Roar..." Suddenly, a roar rang out outside the hall, and everyone quickly turned to look.

This was a colossal creature, ten meters long, with incredibly sharp claws that gleamed with a cold light. It resembled a black panther, but its body was covered in scales; it was strong and powerful, with teeth like daggers, flashing with a cold light.

"Such heavy Yin energy! This is no ordinary creature!" Everyone's pupils contracted.

The large creature exuded a surge of yin energy, billowing like smoke, and its aura was incredibly powerful.

"Roar……"

The black panther roared, unleashing a deathly aura. It transformed into a streak of black light and pounced, as swift as black lightning.

"You're courting death!" With a low shout, Liu Jie unleashed a burst of blazing holy light, displaying the unparalleled ultimate technique of Yao Guang—Holy Light Art!

As an elder who has undergone the ninth transformation of the Dragon Transformation and is about to reach the Sendai Secret Realm, Liu Jie's strength is incredibly terrifying. Moreover, the Holy Light Technique is just right to suppress all evil spirits in the world, including Yin creatures.

The black panther was struck by the holy light and exploded with a "poof," turning into a thick cloud of yin energy and leaving behind a pool of filthy blood.

An elder of the Yao Guang Sect said with a solemn expression, "The Yin body has produced blood. This place is truly dangerous. It has probably been sealed for twenty or thirty thousand years."

"Bang!"

"Ah..." Just then, a loud bang and a scream rang out at the same time. Everyone turned around and saw that the coffin lid on the coffin had flown off and crushed several disciples into meat patties.

"A terrible calamity is about to be born!"

Dense yin energy surged from the coffin. On the upper edge of the coffin, a pitch-black hand pressed down, and then a creature ten feet tall stood up.

This is a humanoid creature with incredibly agile muscles, covered with scales that look like they were cast from molten iron, shimmering with a faint, cold light.

It was not a living thing, exuding a strong aura of death, with pitch-black pupils staring intently at the crowd.

"The Yin Corpse has become sentient!" A voice came from outside the main hall. The Ji family members entered the hall and saw the creature, and were surprised.

"Roar..." The towering ancient corpse roared, shaking the entire hall. Then, it took a step forward, moving at an extreme speed, and rushed into the crowd in an instant.

The palm, as large as a prayer mat, was swung around like a millstone, seemingly cast from gold and iron. Anyone struck by it was instantly torn to pieces and exploded into a bloody mist.

It is incredibly brave and powerful, with an unbelievably strong body and unstoppable power. Even elders are extremely vulnerable in its presence.

"boom!"

A burst of intense holy light suddenly appeared, and a thick beam of divine light struck the ancient corpse, leaving a charred mark there.

With a "crack," the intense holy light caused the scales to split open, revealing the rotting flesh beneath.

"Roar!" The ancient corpse roared in pain, its dark eyes fixed on Liu Jie. A terrifying yin energy erupted, transforming into a giant fist that made the void tremble, and it struck directly at Liu Jie.

This attack wasn't particularly clever, and Liu Jie easily dodged it.

"boom!"

But at that moment, Li Yao also stepped forward. His whole body was blazing with light, like the sun god, and holy light burned fiercely, illuminating the sky. He stepped into the void and struck forward.

"boom"

The Holy Light spell was terrifying beyond compare. Li Yao was like a divine furnace burning, his fist bursting with golden light, covering the ancient corpse below.

The ancient corpse let out a low growl. Although it feared the holy light, it was not absolutely afraid. It struck out with its black hand and retaliated fiercely.

The light was dazzling. Li Yao was protected by holy light. His golden hand and the black hand clashed violently three times.

Divine light filled the sky, and with Li Yao at the center, the world was bathed in eternal light.

"Dengdengdeng!"

But the next moment, the holy light dissipated, Li Yao staggered and retreated, his arm, which was comparable to divine iron, exploded, and blood gushed from his palm and fingers.

His blue robes were stained with blood. Even among the horde of savage beasts, his clothes remained unblemished, but now, they were stained crimson with his own blood.

Half of Li Yao's body was cracked. The ancient corpse's physique was unimaginably powerful, comparable to a Supreme Elder, and he was unable to contend with it.

"boom!"

At this moment, the others also joined in, unleashing various divine arts and weapons that engulfed the ancient corpse.

But it was all in vain. The ancient corpse's large black hand waved and slammed, shattering both divine magic and weapons.

"Ah..." The screams continued. The ancient corpse was too powerful. It was no weaker than the wild beasts outside, and its body might even be stronger.

At this moment, Yaochi and the Jiang family's teams also arrived and joined the battle. The situation was finally brought under control, but it was only slightly suppressed and could not cause much damage to the ancient corpse.

Only forbidden artifacts or sacred weapons can directly sever it!

However, no one is using it now, because this is only the first palace, and the number of times the forbidden artifact can be used is limited.

They used it at least twice while they were outside. With such waste, it will soon be ruined.

Moreover, with so many forces present, who should take charge?

Li Yao got up, used the True Phoenix Treasure Technique to heal his injuries, and joined the battle.

At this moment, all the younger disciples stepped aside, leaving him alone to fight the ancient corpse against the older generation of cultivators.

It must be said that the ancient corpse is really powerful. There are about a hundred Dragon Transformation Realm warriors in the main hall now, but it is still not at a disadvantage. Its offensive is just slightly suppressed.

"This ancient corpse has not yet fully developed; the transformation time is insufficient. Currently, it only possesses a powerful body and relies on instinct to fight. Its application of divine arts is very rudimentary. Do not engage in hand-to-hand combat with it; use divine arts to suppress and kill it from a distance," a powerful elder of the Jiang family shouted.

For an ancient corpse to gain spiritual connection, it requires an incredibly long time. Although this ancient corpse has undergone a preliminary transformation, it is not complete and its intelligence is extremely low, which prevents it from freely using its vast Yin energy.

This undoubtedly gave everyone hope. If this ancient corpse is truly in its complete form, even a single forbidden artifact probably wouldn't be enough to suppress it. Several forbidden artifacts would likely need to be used simultaneously to kill it.

The group stood scattered, continuously unleashing divine spells that bombarded the ancient corpse, suppressing it.

However, those present were still unable to kill him; they could only suppress him.

However, that was enough, because other forces were also arriving in droves.

Dao Yi, the Heavenly Demon Palace, the Demon Clan, and the Purple Mansion Holy Land soon joined in as well.

"Roar……"

The ancient corpse roared repeatedly and charged forward, but no one fought it hand-to-hand; they simply avoided it from a distance and then blasted it to pieces with divine magic.

Nearly three hundred dragon-transformation warriors paid a heavy price to finally obliterate the ancient corpse.

(End of this chapter)