Son-in-law Heaven Emperor Xiao Yi-Chapter 497: The Tomb Keeper, the Guardian Soul!

```

Whoosh!

Zhao Wuji stood suspended in the air, his body encircled by black flames, with only his bloodthirsty eyes gleaming like gall.

He was clad in a suit of black battle armor, ancient and weathered, covered with the marks of combat. There were scars from swords and claws, each one testament to the armor's glorious past achievements.

In his hand, he gripped a black broken sword, which seemed to have been bitten off by some creature.

The black flames emanated from within him.

Blazing fiercely, burning the very sky.

"Who would have thought that the Martial God Zhao Wuji would end up looking like this?" Xiao Yi's brows were tightly knit as he stared at Zhao Wuji before him.

In his mind, he had imagined countless appearances for Zhao Wuji.

But he never expected the Zhao Wuji he would meet to look so inhuman and ghastly.

As if a demon had come straight from the Hell Netherworld.

Zhao Wuji's eyes were fixed on Xiao Yi, void of any emotion, responding in a sharp, piercing voice, "I did not expect that a million years later, the Eternal Tomb would end up in your hands!"

"Hm?"

Xiao Yi's pupils suddenly constricted.

Ever since he acquired the Eternal Tomb, this was the first time he encountered someone who could outright identify it.

It should be known...

Even before this, neither the Twin Star Taoist nor the Wind Thunder Venerable had recognized the Eternal Tomb.

Xiao Yi said solemnly, "You actually know this is the Eternal Tomb?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Zhao Wuji snorted coldly, his voice ringing metallic and strident, as a cold harsh light flickered in his eyes, "I was once the owner of the Eternal Tomb, or rather, I was your predecessor Guardian Spirit of Heaven!"

As he spoke,

Zhao Wuji's lips curled into a slight, cruel smile.

His smile seemed laced with a touch of mockery and ridicule.

This caused an inexplicable panic in Xiao Yi's heart. The Martial God Zhao Wuji was the previous Guardian Spirit of Heaven of the Eternal Tomb?

Then why was he buried here?

As if seeing through Xiao Yi's thoughts, Zhao Wuji laughed harshly, "The keeper of the tomb is the soul that guards it. From the day you took control of the Eternal Tomb, your life became inseparable from it. Alive, you are the keeper; dead, you become the guardian spirit."

The keeper of the tomb implied the custodian of the tomb ground, also known as the Guardian Spirit of Heaven.

And the guardian spirit?

Xiao Yi stared intently at Zhao Wuji, whose body radiated black flames that swallowed the air, resembling a soul from the Hell Netherworld come to guard the entrance to the second layer of the Eternal Tomb.

Zhao Wuji's expression was indifferent, his voice lingering in the air, "Young one, the Eternal Tomb is not so easily acquired. Every Guardian Spirit of Heaven bears a great destiny, but even one as powerful as I ended up becoming a guardian spirit. Do you think you can hold sway over the Eternal Tomb?"

Xiao Yi fell into deep thought.

From a young age, Martial God Zhao Wuji had been one of his idols.

Despite the swift passage of time, the legends that had been passed down about Zhao Wuji were scarce, yet the title of Martial God alone drew countless strong aspirants.

Even such a legendary figure had eventually gone from being the keeper to becoming the guardian spirit.

Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.

Could he really do it?

But this doubt was fleeting; Xiao Yi cast it out of his mind and said coldly, "From a young age, everyone thought I was a waste, but I refused to give in and never gave up until I finally awakened the Eternal Tomb. When I first took charge of Xiaoshanhe Institute, no one believed I could revive this decaying Martial Arts Institute, yet I breathed new life into it. No one thought I could compare to Xiao Tianjiao, but now, the distance between him and me is getting shorter..."

Sigh!

```

Xiao Yi's gaze grew increasingly resolute, and he said in a deep voice, "Whether I can achieve it depends on the firmness of my will. My heart is like iron, indestructible; my heart is like a sword, pressing forward with indomitable will!"

Boom!

In that moment, Xiao Yi's mind underwent a monumental transformation.

His spiritual power surged, increasing by more than a hundredfold in just an instant.

"Hmm?"

Martial God Zhao Wuji stared at Xiao Yi, his expression filled with indescribable mystery. He repeated Xiao Yi's words over and over, and then, his face broke into a splendid, enigmatic smile, "Good, good, good, such a heart of iron unbreakable, and a heart like a sword, unmatched and diverging never! Good..."

When he looked at Xiao Yi again, his gaze no longer held the same resentment and indifference, but rather, it carried a hint of admiration.

However...

Zhao Wuji raised his hand, and the black flames continued to writhe around the broken sword. He said coldly, "I admire you greatly, but the rules cannot be changed. I was once the keeper of the grave, and now even more so the guardian spirit. If you wish to continue to wield the authority of the Eternal Heavenly Tomb, you must pass through me!"

Boom!

With a wave of Martial God Zhao Wuji's hand, a swath of black flames turned into a vast sea of fire.

His face bore coldness and indifference as he said slowly, "Every Guardian General of Heaven who dies in battle will become a guardian spirit of the tomb. I am the ninth Guardian General of Heaven, thus became the ninth layer's guardian spirit. Xiao Yi, remember, the guardian spirit of each layer will do their utmost to slay the keeper of the tomb. As long as we kill you, we can be liberated and return to the world of the living."

Hisss!

Xiao Yi's expression shifted slightly, never having imagined such an underlying connection.

If that was the case...

Then his relationship with each of the tomb's guardian spirits would also be a fight to the death!

"Either you defeat me, and suppress me within the God Sealing Seed, or you are slain by me, becoming the new guardian spirit of the tomb, while I may achieve transcendence and rebirth..."

Zhao Wuji raised his right hand, gestured as if to invite Xiao Yi, and the sweeping black flames came rolling in.

Within the sea of fire created by the ebbing black flames, waves of black flame soared high. Zhao Wuji, standing atop the black inferno, wearing black battle armor, and enveloped in black flames, appeared like a peerless War God.

Xiao Yi let out a cold snort, and the God Sealing Seed within him erupted entirely, transmitting tremendous divine power from each of the eighteen million seeds.

Crack! Crack!

The divine power turned into a set of pure white battle armor.

The armor, engraved with dragons and phoenixes, was more exquisite than the finest handmade artistry of the mortal world. On the shoulders sat a dragon on the left and a phoenix on the right, while an Azure Dragon coiled around the chest, amidst clusters of auspicious clouds.

He held the Falling Dust Sword, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, looking gallant and extraordinary.

Whoosh!

Xiao Yi walked on air, stepping down with force, as eighteen million God Sealing Seeds simultaneously burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

Shhh shhh...

Wherever the divine power reached, it met the black flames as if they were natural enemies.

Each was constantly burning and purifying the other.

The very moment they came into contact, Xiao Yi's expression rendered extremely grave as a glimpse could reveal a great deal. In clashes between masters, a mere brush past could reveal the depth of one's skill.

This was undoubtedly the most formidable opponent Xiao Yi had encountered since he took charge of the Eternal Heavenly Tomb.

And likewise...

This was a fight to the death with a mortal enemy!

Zhao Wuji called out coldly, "Show me all your strength!"

Xiao Yi's expression turned severe as he brandished the Falling Dust Sword across the sky, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"