Xu Ning and his group followed closely behind Long Lingtian, continuously advancing deeper into the secret realm.
Along the way, they did encounter a few demonic beast attacks, but only a handful. Xu Ning didn’t even need to act—each time, the Great Zhou Empire’s royal experts swarmed forward and wiped the beasts out.
Compared to the vast and dangerous nature of this secret realm, such minor encounters felt almost trivial, leaving the royal experts somewhat puzzled.
“A secret realm where even spatial laws are chaotic… yet there’s so little danger?”
“Could it be someone came here before us?” one royal expert wondered aloud, looking at the traces of battle scattered around.
“We’re almost at the Heavenly Tomb. His Highness is truly unfathomable!” another said, gazing at the massive tomb suspended in the sky.
Listening to their discussions, Xu Ning’s back seemed increasingly mysterious and unpredictable in the eyes of Zhou Shuxian and the other two women.
At this moment, they had already reached the shadow beneath the Demon Lord’s Heavenly Tomb.
Xu Ning stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the enormous tomb hanging just within reach.
Thanks to Long Lingtian clearing the way ahead, Xu Ning had encountered almost no fierce beasts along the journey.
Even the powerful and strange formations and mechanisms had mostly been dismantled by Long Lingtian.
“Tsk, tsk… Long Lingtian really saved me a lot of trouble. Without him clearing the path, just dealing with all these traps would’ve taken quite some effort.”
“The owner of this tomb is quite cunning as well, completely disrupting the spatial rules. Without a token, it would be impossible to even locate the tomb. Truly worthy of being an experience dungeon set up by the heavens.”
“That just makes things easier for me. After all, I’ve got a treasure-hunting rat.”
A wider smile appeared on Xu Ning’s face.
If Long Lingtian heard this, he would probably cough up blood from anger.
…
At the same time, Long Lingtian had already arrived at the Heavenly Tomb.
Inside the tomb, everything was pitch black. A cold, damp wind howled through the passage.
Staring at the dark corridor ahead, greed flickered in his eyes. His breathing unconsciously grew heavier, burning with excitement.
“The Demon Lord’s inheritance is right before me. Xu Ning, soon I’ll grind your bones to dust!”
“Judging by the time, you should have discovered this place by now. Too bad—you’re too late! By the time you arrive, everything will be settled. I’ll have already inherited the Demon Lord’s legacy! Hahaha!”
He laughed wildly, a hint of madness in his voice, then rushed headlong into the depths of the tomb.
Behind him, Yuwen Shuang’s face was filled with anxiety. She couldn’t help glancing back.
Why hasn’t Master arrived yet? If he doesn’t come soon, Long Lingtian will inherit the Demon Lord’s legacy… and when that happens, everything will be over!
The thought made her heart tighten.
The two pressed deeper into the tomb.
The interior was far more dangerous than the outside—countless traps and formations emerged one after another, and corpse parasites and puppet constructs appeared endlessly, making progress extremely difficult.
Yet Long Lingtian’s eyes burned red with madness. He burned his essence blood without hesitation, unleashing various divine techniques and secret arts, activating his hidden trump cards. After a full day and night of fierce struggle, he finally reached the deepest part of the tomb.
A massive stone gate stood before them, engraved with strange runes and exuding a sinister aura.
“Finally… I’ve arrived!”
His breathing was chaotic, and his body was in a miserable state.
Yet the brilliance and fanaticism in his eyes hadn’t diminished in the slightest. His face was filled with excitement.
Behind him, Yuwen Shuang was covered in wounds, barely conscious, her vitality drained to the limit.
Throughout the journey, Long Lingtian had shown no concern for her life or death. With her mere 3rd transformation of the Primordial Essence Realm cultivation, surviving this place had been nothing short of a miracle.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Long Lingtian took out the Twelve-Armed Demon Idol and waved it before the stone gate.
A blood-red glow flashed in the idol’s eyes, as if resonating with some fundamental law. With a dull rumble, the stone gate slowly opened to both sides, dust billowing into the air.
When the dust settled, an immense, magnificent hall appeared before them.
Bone-chilling winds blew from within, accompanied by wailing cries. Strange demonic energy surged endlessly.
Inside the hall, white bones were piled everywhere. Ancient formation patterns were carved across the ground, though most had dimmed over time.
Atop the mountain of bones stood an eternal throne, radiating Dao intent and endless power, silently proclaiming the former glory of its master.
Sit upon the throne, and stand immortal…
Sit upon the throne, and ascend to the pinnacle…
A strange yet seductive voice suddenly echoed in Long Lingtian’s ears.
His eyes turned blood-red as Xu Ning’s hateful face appeared in his mind, twisting his expression with rage.
“Go in,” he said, glancing at Yuwen Shuang with an unquestionable command.
Sensing the eerie aura within the hall, Yuwen Shuang’s face turned pale. She stepped back, shaking her head frantically. “N-no… this is your opportunity, Lingtian…”
Fear surged uncontrollably in her heart.
“Go in!”
Long Lingtian ignored her completely and barked the order.
“No!” Realizing something was wrong, she turned to flee.
But Long Lingtian reacted instantly. With a sudden burst of speed, he appeared before her, grabbed her wrist, and forcibly dragged her into the hall.
“Lingtian, what are you trying to do?!” she cried out, spiritual energy surging as she prepared to resist.
“Behave yourself!”
Without hesitation, Long Lingtian threw a punch straight into her abdomen. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Pfft!
She spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking into his blood-red eyes, her heart sank into utter despair.
Tears streamed down her face, forming a tragic and beautiful picture.
If life were only like the first meeting, why would the autumn wind turn the painted fan so sorrowful?
The Long Lingtian before her filled her with both cold dread and deep fear.
In that moment, another face appeared in her mind—a handsome figure. That man might command her, but he was always gentle.
“Master… save me…”
Looking at her tearful face, Long Lingtian’s eyes remained cold.
He knew clearly that the owner of this tomb had not been a benevolent figure. After hearing that seductive voice, he became even more certain.
There was no such thing as a free lunch. This so-called Demon Lord’s inheritance was likely a trap—most likely a scheme for possession.
How could he give such an opportunity?
Back when he first entered the secret realm, an idea had already formed in his mind.
Since Yuwen Shuang was nothing more than a useless ornament now, why not make use of her one last time?
With that thought, the coldness in his eyes deepened. He dragged her forward step by step and forcibly placed her onto the throne.
In the next instant—
A piercing wind howled through the hall, carrying terrifying energy.
Streams of demonic qi surged from all directions. The dim formation patterns lit up once more, radiating dazzling light.
A majestic figure gradually condensed above the hall—a being wearing a purple-gold crown, clad in demonic armor, its aura vast and unfathomable.
Even as a mere remnant consciousness, its strength far surpassed the Sovereign Law Realm and Immortal Realm, approaching the Great Saint Realm!
“As I expected… this so-called inheritance is nothing but a lie. Forced possession is the real goal!”
“Good thing I brought an extra person along. Otherwise, this would’ve been troublesome!”
A sinister grin spread across Long Lingtian’s face.
At the same time, terrifying divine light gathered in his palm, ready to strike down Yuwen Shuang the moment possession was complete.
On the throne, Yuwen Shuang’s face was filled with despair, as lifeless as ash.
Suddenly, she seemed to sense something. Hope ignited in her eyes.
In the next moment, two Great Zhou Empire royal experts rushed to her side and pulled her off the throne.
Seeing this, Long Lingtian’s pupils shrank to pinpoints, his mind trembling violently.