Battle Through the Heavens: Starting from the Jia Ma Empire

At the summit of Baizhang Mountain, a young figure stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance with deep, unfathomable eyes that seemed to encompass the heavens and the earth.

Beside him, a figure shrouded in a murderous aura knelt on one knee, his right hand wielding a large, ghost-headed sword, thrusting it straight into the mountain peak.

After a long while, Lin Feng seemed to come to his senses, and waved his hand to signal him to get up.

"Blood Blade, besides you, how many other experts above the demigod level are there in the Heavenly Tomb?"

"The Heavenly Tomb is the graveyard of the weak and the paradise of the strong. Many strong people can still devour their own kind to become stronger after entering the Heavenly Tomb, thanks to its special rules."

Seemingly afraid that Lin Feng would misunderstand, Blood Blade followed up with an explanation.

"Such a cruel method could only be committed by a few completely irrational powerful individuals or members of the Soul Clan within this Heavenly Tomb!"

Lin Feng understood the unspoken meaning in the Blood Blade Saint's words: the mutual devouring of souls is the devouring of their own kind, and these souls were also human beings before entering the Heavenly Tomb.

So, devouring energy cores is tantamount to cannibalism!

"Deep within the Heavenly Tomb lies its third level. Even Transcendent Realm Dou Zun has not yet entered the first two levels, so there is no need to elaborate."

After embracing his energy core, Blood Blade regained his half-saint's coldness, his words revealing his disdain for Dou Zun.

Seemingly realizing he had gotten a little carried away, Blood Blade glanced at Lin Feng's expression without noticing the change in his face, and continued speaking.

"In the third level of the Heavenly Tomb, the weakest among them were all at the Transcendent Dou Zun realm in their previous lives, and there are also many Half-Saints like me."

"However, a half-saint on the third level can only be considered mid-tier combat power. Every region contains true Dou Sheng (Battle Saint) level experts!"

Blood Blade's tone unconsciously revealed a hint of apprehension. The difference between a Battle Saint and a Half-Saint is only one word, but the difference is as vast as the difference between heaven and earth!

"However, before Xiao Xuan, the uncrowned king of the Heavenly Tomb, all the overlords and fighters from various regions within the Heavenly Tomb are as insignificant as the Dou Zhe!"

"Xiao Xuan?"

A hint of doubt appeared on Lin Feng's face at just the right moment, so naturally that no one could detect it.

"Xiao Xuan was the strongest person on the Dou Qi Continent in his lifetime, someone who once challenged for the Dou Di realm. Even in this Heavenly Tomb, the spirit of the Heavenly Tomb has to give him some leeway!"

Blood Blade's eyes were filled with awe, and even a hint of barely concealed anticipation.

Lin Feng knew that he was already disgusted with this endless fighting, but he was powerless to do anything about the spirit of the Heavenly Tomb that caused all of this.

Only Xiao Xuan, the strongest being on the continent, has any hope of freeing them. This is not only true for Blood Blade, but also for other beings in the Heavenly Tomb and even members of the Soul Clan.

While Lin Feng was communicating with the Blood Blade Saint, in the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb, on a plain and unremarkable plain, a middle-aged figure dressed in a blue robe slowly appeared and looked toward this place.

"He is not a descendant of the imperial family, yet he was able to enter the Heavenly Tomb. He is at the Half-Saint realm, his physical body seems to be quite strong, and his Heavenly Realm soul seems to have undergone some kind of mutation. He is in his early thirties."

"The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, having grown to this level, still possesses a rare elemental attribute in its battle aura. And this dragon's might?"

"Interesting! It's been a long time since I've met such an interesting junior!"

The middle-aged man in the blue robe laughed heartily, only stopping after a long while, his face revealing a desolate expression.

"So many years have passed, and still no descendants of the Xiao clan have come. Was I really wrong back then?"

If outsiders saw Xiao Xuan in this state, they would surely find it unbelievable that Xiao Xuan, who was once confident and invincible and dared to challenge for the title of Dou Di, had fallen so low.

This is simply unbelievable!

"Hmm, what is this aura?"

Xiao Xuan, who had originally planned to take advantage of the once-in-a-century opening of the Heavenly Tomb to see the many new faces of the imperial clans, was now filled with surprise and delight.

When he turned his gaze to the first level of the Heavenly Tomb, he actually sensed a long-lost aura.

"It's a clan crest! Hahahaha."

No one was more familiar with the Xiao clan's insignia than Xiao Xuan, and he even incorporated the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire into the original design to modify it.

With a wave of his hand, an energy screen appeared in front of him, and Xiao Yan's figure immediately appeared. He was using his exclusive black ruler to hit Lai Fu again.

"Not bad, not bad. An eight-star Dou Zun, his bloodline has actually recovered to a level comparable to a sixth-grade, and his soul power is also at the Heavenly Realm, with fire and wood within it. He might even be a high-level alchemist."

Although Xiao Yan was far inferior to Lin Feng, Xiao Xuan was filled with joy.

"This is his only son! Who is this girl?"

Xiao Xuan turned his gaze and saw Gu Xun'er protecting Xiao Yan. He would never forget that familiar aura, even if he turned to ashes.

"Hahaha, Gu Yuan, you spineless coward! You never thought your junior would be taken advantage of by a descendant of my Xiao clan!"

Clearly, he hadn't realized Gu Xun'er's true identity; otherwise, he would have been laughing even more heartily.

"In that case, that thing we left behind back then has finally come in handy!"

"Mr. Lin Feng, do you mean we should go and find Xiao Xuan?"

On the hundred-zhang peak, the Blood Blade Saint exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide open, looking at Lin Feng with a hint of doubt.

"You're just a nobody, not even a Dou Sheng. Even if I, this Saint, am no match for you, how dare you face Xiao Xuan?"

"Just lead the way!"

Blood Blade Saint's subtle actions were completely exposed to Lin Feng's mid-stage Heaven Realm soul power.

He truly hadn't expected that beneath his ruthless and bloodthirsty exterior lay a goofy character, and with a wave of his hand, he stopped himself from speculating further.

"Forehead"

Blood Blade was about to be persuaded again, but suddenly remembered his current status as a prisoner. Going to see Xiao Xuan might give him a chance to live.

After all, it had been many years since he had cleaned the Heavenly Tomb, and if the being in front of him did not perform well, he might become a half-saint energy core.

Deep within the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Xuan wore a slight smile, seemingly aware that Lin Feng and Blood Blade were heading this way.

His figure slowly disappeared, and an aura of pressure emanated from him. The Blood Blade Saint and the many overlords in the area were all intimidated by this pressure and dared not show their faces.

After a long while, intermittent sounds of communication finally rang out across the land.

"Does anyone know what that lord's intention is in doing this?"

"Hehe, how dare we presume to guess what you are thinking, sir?"

"Perhaps the master is simply moved by the reopening of the Heavenly Tomb. We just need to keep a low profile for a while, and we can once again reign supreme!"

"Another three years of silence are coming."

"Xun'er, I never expected there to be such benefits within the Heavenly Tomb. We must seize this opportunity during these three years and strive to enter the Transformation Realm!"

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and looked at Gu Xun'er who was guarding him, his eyes filled with joy.

"Brother Xiao Yan, this first layer of soul form is no longer of much use to us now."

Xun'er smiled slightly. Being able to fight alongside Xiao Yan was the happiest thing for her.

"In that case, let's go all out and enter the second level of the Heavenly Tomb first!"

"Um!"

Inside the third level of the Heavenly Tomb, two figures sped across the ground at a speed that was not much slower than flying.

The immense energy converged on the third level, forming a thick fog. Fortunately, the beings living in this place were all top-tier powerhouses on the continent in their previous lives.

Otherwise, with perception suppressed by the thick energy fog, even discerning directions becomes a problem.

It was as if in the primitive world of low martial arts, a Great Luo could take three meters in one step, and even a supreme and noble saint would fall over if he did a somersault, and could jump as high as ten meters!

"Strange, although the closer we get to Lord Xiao Xuan's territory, the fewer overlords there are, we've traveled at high speed without making a sound. It's really puzzling."

Blood Blade was filled with doubts. Despite his cold exterior, he was actually restless inside. After hesitating for a moment, he told Lin Feng about this strange phenomenon.

"Presumably, Senior Xiao Xuan already knew our destination and warned these overlords along the way, which is why the journey has been so peaceful."

Lin Feng was somewhat enlightened. The Heavenly Tomb had existed for countless years, and it was said to be an artifact of a Dou Di (Battle Emperor).

This was clearly not something crafted by the ancient emperor Tuoshe; it was more akin to the methods of weapon refiners and treasure craftsmen. These industries are now extremely weak, which shows how long the Heavenly Tomb has existed.

The accumulation over these long years means that even the rare Dou Sheng powerhouses in the world are not the same few depicted in the original work.

A soul at the Dou Sheng level can already resist the influence of the Heavenly Tomb Spirit. If they do not engage in battle, they can even survive indefinitely by relying on the rules of the Heavenly Tomb.

Of course, most of these Dou Sheng powerhouses are not of high level; Xiao Xuan is just an exception.

His clan is gone. If it weren't for his desire to pass on the last trace of Dou Di bloodline, Xiao Xuan, with his ambition, probably wouldn't be living like this, neither human nor ghost.

Just like the Yellow Spring Demon Saint, with his strength, if he wanted to enter the Heavenly Tomb after death, many imperial clans would probably not refuse him and would even wholeheartedly support him.

This means the inheritance of a half-emperor, and it's a rare soul-related aspect.

"Is Lord Xiao Xuan already aware of this?"

Blood Blade's body trembled involuntarily, and he subtly put the blood-red cloak on his back into his storage ring, his whole demeanor seemingly revealing a hint of Mr. Runtu meeting Mr. Tree Man.

Originally, seeing that Lin Feng hadn't noticed, he planned to put it away when they were almost at Xiao Xuan's territory.

Who doesn't know that thousands of years ago, everyone knew his title of Blood Blade Saint, but its connection to that Ghost Head Greatsword was actually not that significant.

What truly revealed its imposing power was the blood-red cloak that danced wildly in the wind when the sword was unleashed in a single, powerful strike.

He had described his invincibility and countless moments of loneliness, but alas, the past is gone with the wind, and now he can only put on a show in front of those younger generations.

Blood Blade's感慨 (feelings of deep emotion) didn't last long. After guessing that they would have no worries on the way, the two of them hurried on their way. In just over half an hour, they stopped at a certain place.

"Senior Xiao Xuan, this junior is Lin Feng. I possess intelligence about the Xiao Clan. Please show yourself!"

Lin Feng glanced around discreetly, not sensing the presence of any powerful figures. Undeterred, he knew that the methods of a half-emperor were beyond his current comprehension.

Perhaps because of the long loneliness of the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Xuan's domineering and arrogant nature had been hidden deep in his bones. At least, on the surface, he appeared gentle and refined, showing no sign of the nobility of a half-emperor.

"Young man, just speak your mind. Since I'm in a good mood today, I might as well have a chat with you!"

A middle-aged man in a blue robe suddenly appeared not far in front of Lin Feng, standing with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.

As for the Xiao clan that Lin Feng mentioned, he didn't say a word about it. Clearly, this kind of old fox who has lived for so long is not so easy to manipulate.

However, Lin Feng didn't harbor any thoughts like, "Lord Xiao Xuan, you don't miss the Xiao Clan either, do you?" Given Xiao Xuan's perception, he probably already sensed Xiao Yan entering the Heavenly Curtain.

The reason for mentioning the Xiao clan is merely to provide a good start.

"Senior Xiao Xuan, there's no need for me to elaborate on the affairs of the Xiao Clan; I'm sure you already have some guesses."

Lin Feng smiled slightly. He had prepared his explanation back when he was with the Blood Blade Saint, and even back in the Ancient Saint City of the Ancient Realm, so he was naturally not flustered at all.

"The remaining members of the Xiao clan are few after the extermination by the Soul Hall. Fortunately, with the rise of Junior Brother Xiao Yan, they may be able to recover some of their strength in the future."

As the smile on Xiao Xuan's face gradually faded, Lin Feng remained unmoved. To mock a half-Emperor level expert was clearly unwise. This initial move was merely a ploy to break Xiao Xuan's Heaven-Rank Battle Technique—the Smiling Skill.

"The Soul Palace, as the name suggests, is a subordinate force of the Soul Clan!"

Lin Feng stopped there, saying that as the strongest person on the continent back then, Xiao Xuan's wisdom was also not to be underestimated, in addition to his strength.

Otherwise, the matter of Origin Qi would not have been discovered.

It's strange that, as a descendant of a Dou Di, he didn't know that breaking through to Dou Di required Origin Qi. Could it be that when the major Dou Di became emperors, Origin Qi was abundant, even to the point of being overflowing, so this point wasn't mentioned?

The idea only flashed through Lin Feng's mind for a moment. There was no point in discussing it now. The most important thing was to get Xiao Xuan's help, obtain more Dou Sheng energy cores, and fight more peak matches in this Heavenly Tomb.

"I foresaw the current state of the Xiao Clan when I decided to break through to the Dou Di realm!"

After a long while, Xiao Xuan sighed, and Lin Feng could detect a hint of resentment in his voice.

"It's a stroke of luck that there's this little guy named Xiao Yan, who's managing to hold up some of the energy!"

"However, the affairs between the Soul Clan and my Xiao Clan don't really concern you, little fellow, do they?"

Xiao Xuan glanced at Lin Feng with a half-smile, and in that instant, it seemed as if Lin Feng had been completely seen through.

"Um!?"

"You actually possess the essence and blood of such a powerful being within you, and this guy... have they revived now?"

With a wave of his hand, Xiao Xuan brought the Yuan Kui soul from the depths of Lin Feng's mind into the Heavenly Tomb. As for the Dragon Emperor's essence blood, he made no move.

"senior?"

Upon witnessing this scene, an uncontrollable suspicion arose in Lin Feng's mind: "Could it be that Xiao Xuan also came into contact with this extraterrestrial evil race?"

"Lord Lin Feng?"

"Boy, where do you come from with this kind of race?"

Xiao Xuan's expression was serious. When Lin Feng was with the Blood Blade Saint, he had a slight sense of it, but now that Lin Feng was close by, he could clearly sense this aura that was completely out of place with the Dou Qi Continent.

Extremely coincidentally, he had seen this aura before he made up his mind to gather the Dou Di bloodline of the entire Xiao clan and break through to Dou Di with the mindset of "if I don't succeed, I will die trying".

In order to ensure the continued prosperity of the Xiao clan's Dou Di bloodline, Xiao Xuan, who had already become a nine-star Dou Sheng, embarked on a journey across the land to find an emperor.

During this time, he also learned about some secrets, such as the Emperor Yutian of the Ancient Puppet Sect, as well as the Pure Lotus Demon Saint and the Yellow Spring Demon Saint.

Within the ruins of an ancient demigod, he witnessed this aura; it belonged to a demigod who had died of illness.

Even though its active period predates that of the ancient emperor Tuoshegu, it never became an emperor and thus died; the lifespan of a half-emperor is not endless.

Moreover, how could such a powerful being who could reach the level of a half-emperor not have tried to break through, only to suffer the backlash of failure and ultimately bring him down?

As a half-emperor, his wisdom was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. He eventually discovered the secret of the Origin Qi and even uncovered a shocking secret.

The source energy was actually exhausted due to a great battle that happened a long time ago, and one of the battle's participants was a demon from outer space.

Many powerful Dou Di fought desperately, and under the leadership of a dragon-phoenix, they finally managed to kill the strongest leader.

However, the rise of the Dragon and Phoenix clans came too late. The extraterrestrial evil races and the native people of the Dou Qi Continent actually produced offspring who were not rejected by the Dou Qi Continent.

The Dragon and Phoenix had already perished together with that supreme powerhouse. With no other option, the many Dou Di could only unite their power and use the remaining Origin Qi of the Dou Qi Continent to suppress them in a certain place.

Having lost its source energy, the Dou Qi Continent was no longer suited to its current state. On that day, the emperors ascended to the Great Thousand Realms, marking the peak of the Dou Qi Continent and the beginning of its decline.

Xiao Xuan learned from the records of that half-emperor that there was more than one world. On the Dou Qi Continent, there was also a peak Great Thousand World.

However, the Dou Qi Continent was extremely powerful at that time, and even after breaking through to Dou Di, one could still continue to improve.

Ascending to the Great Thousand Realms requires undergoing a power transformation process, which is extremely dangerous. Therefore, very few Dou Di (Battle Emperors) attempt to ascend.

"Is the Dou Qi Continent really this powerful?"

Lin Feng muttered to himself, utterly shocked. The secret hidden beneath the iceberg of the Dou Qi Continent was truly terrifying.

In the original story, Xiao Xuan did not explain things to Xiao Yan in such detail, but only mentioned the matter of Origin Qi.

Indeed, Xiao Yan was at a certain level back then. Moreover, Xiao Yan was the only remaining member of the Xiao clan, and Xiao Xuan didn't want him to die because of that.

"The reason I'm willing to gamble everything on the Xiao clan is because after that half-emperor, there was also the ancient emperor Tuoshe who defied the heavens and became a Dou Di!"

"Alas, what a pity, such is fate!"

"Lin Feng, when you get back, tell this to the strongest member of the Dragon Clan behind you!"

Xiao Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, having regained his composure. Now that he was dead, these things were no longer his concern.

In his current state, if he were to leave the Heavenly Tomb, he would die in no time. Moreover, without a physical body, even though he is a half-emperor, he might not be able to defeat a nine-star Dou Sheng.

"Senior Xiao Xuan, why don't you tell Senior Gu Yuan about this?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Xiao Xuan did not answer directly, but Lin Feng could hear the disdain in his smile.

"After I die, those who tend the fire and those who refine the elixir will surely pass away one after another, won't they?"

Lin Feng's lips twitched. He never expected that two nine-star Dou Sheng powerhouses would be so vulgar in Xiao Xuan's mouth.

"I don't know about the ancestors of Burning Flame Valley, but the ancestors of Pill Tower were ambushed and killed by the Soul Clan."

As he spoke, Lin Feng gave a general account of his identity in the Pill Tower, as well as the current situation in the Central State, the Imperial Clan, and the Beast Domain.

"You've got some powerful connections, kid!"

"Boy, I roughly know why you've come. How about we make a deal?"

Before Lin Feng could refuse, Xiao Xuan waved his hand, and the void in front of him suddenly cracked open, with more than a dozen energy cores flying out one after another, bringing a strong threat to Lin Feng.

The Blood Blade Saint, who had remained silent all along, suddenly lit up his eyes, his desire quite evident.

"Please speak, senior. If it is within my power, I will do my utmost and will not dare to be negligent!"

Despite having the help of the Dragon Emperor's essence blood and the Void Thunder Pool, he could still improve rapidly, but who wouldn't love a free Dou Sheng energy core?

"Xiao Yan, the last descendant of my Xiao clan, must be protected until he becomes a Dou Sheng. How about it?"

Seeing Xiao Xuan's smiling expression, Lin Feng pretended to be in a very difficult situation, but in reality, he was about to burst out laughing.

Even if the Flame Emperor in the original work had many opportunities taken away from him, he would definitely still become a Dou Sheng.

As for their safety, with Senior Zhugong watching over them, that's not a problem.

As for how to persuade Senior Zhugong, well, as a prince consort of the Dragon Clan, he can still put in a lot of influence. Just the fact that Xiao Yan is a descendant of the Xiao Clan and that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade might exist is enough for Zhugong to make a move.

Of course, this move wasn't a direct takeover. Before being certain of obtaining all the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, taking one or two pieces wouldn't be of much use.

"Senior Xiao Xuan, even if you hadn't said anything, as his senior brother, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing if Junior Brother Xiao Yan were in danger. It's just that this is a Dou Sheng..."

Lin Feng didn't say the rest, but Xiao Xuan understood. Although the Dou Qi Continent was vast, becoming a Dou Sheng was truly one in a billion.

Without the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan is just a rogue cultivator. It is extremely difficult for a rogue cultivator to become a saint!

"Don't worry, I'll give him that potential. You just need to make sure he doesn't die!"

"In that case, I will accept these Dou Sheng energy cores."

Seeing Xue Dao's eager expression, Lin Feng put away the Dou Sheng energy core, intending to absorb it in the time to come.

"Senior, I have another request. Are there any remaining souls of Battle Saints within this Heavenly Tomb? I wish to engage them in a life-or-death battle!"

Seeing Lin Feng's suddenly serious expression, Xiao Xuan smiled, his face showing appreciation.

"Indeed, true strength is forged in battle. You and my vanished cousin are quite similar!"

As he laughed, Xiao Xuan's figure suddenly became illusory. A few breaths later, he reappeared, with two bewildered figures staring at each other beneath his feet.

"Who am I? Where am I?"

(End of this chapter)