The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 487: The Conspiracy of the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan

Three days later, the patriarchs of the eight major clans of Xuanyuan City gathered in a small pavilion. Sitting around together, all of them wore dark, grim expressions, appearing on the verge of exploding in anger.

“Damn it! That little brat played us all. He actually sold the ancient tomb’s location to everyone!”

“So many people know about it now; there's no way to keep it a secret. It won’t take long before every major faction gets wind of it and rushes over to get a piece of the pie.”

“We spent valuable treasures for that information. Now we look like fools—damn it!”

The Jiang Clan Patriarch slammed the stone table in fury, nearly driven insane with rage.

“Sigh! We were careless! I thought the transaction could be trusted because of the Integrity Gu. That’s why I let my guard down.”

“Who would've thought that brat would be so sinister and cunning, pulling such a trick on us? The eight great clans of Xuanyuan have been thoroughly duped.”

The Han Clan Patriarch sighed heavily, head hanging in dismay.

“What’s done is done. We can only accept our misfortune. At the very least, under the effect of the Integrity Gu, the existence of the ancient tomb here is definitely real.”

The Lan Clan Patriarch, one of the eight great clans, said, “I just used a Gu insect to investigate. Directly beneath this pavilion lies an expansive ancient tomb.”

“However, the tomb is buried extremely deep. Digging a tunnel wide enough for people to enter will take a considerable amount of time.”

“Moreover, this ancient tomb is far from ordinary. The tomb’s protective formation is exceptionally powerful. Even if all eight clans join forces, breaking the formation will take a long time.”

“With so many people staying here for an extended period, there’s no way to keep it hidden from others.”

“Not to mention, this place isn’t far from Xuanyuan City. At the speed of a Gu King, it’s just a three-day journey. There’s no way we can hide it from the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan’s spies.”

At the mention of the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan, the faces of all the patriarchs darkened.

No matter how powerful the eight great clans of Xuanyuan City were, they couldn’t surpass the authority of the imperial family. The royal clan could mobilize the entire nation’s power and command all Gu cultivators, including those of the eight clans.

If the imperial family learned that there was a large ancient tomb near Xuanyuan City and showed interest, sending imperial experts over, it would truly spell trouble for them.

If the Xuanyuan Emperor gave the order to take the lion’s share, would they dare defy an imperial decree?

“What should we do now? This place is too close to Xuanyuan Imperial City. There's no way we can keep it from the royal clan.”

The Yan Clan Patriarch furrowed his brow deeply, speaking in worry.

“What can we do? The money we spent buying the tomb’s location is as good as gone. Let’s accept it—monopolizing the treasures in the tomb is no longer possible. But it’s not like we’ll walk away with nothing. At least we can recover our investment.”

“For now, we should figure out who this tomb belongs to. Lan Clan Patriarch, could your Gu insect determine the tomb owner’s identity?”

The Jiang Clan Patriarch looked at him with anticipation.

Knowing the identity of the tomb owner would allow them to judge whether it was a poor or rich tomb. If it belonged to an emperor, it would surely be filled with unimaginable treasures—an imperial tomb was bound to overflow with wealth.

Lan Clan’s Patriarch shook his head with a wry smile and sighed. “It’s difficult to determine the tomb owner just by examining the tomb’s exterior.”

“To know who it is, we’ll likely have to break through the outer formations and at least retrieve one burial artifact. Only then might we uncover the tomb owner’s identity.”

“But based on the tomb’s sheer size, the number of burial items inside must be immense. It definitely can’t be a poor tomb.”

“That’s good enough for us. As long as it’s not a poor tomb, we can break even,” Han Clan Patriarch nodded in excitement. “Now that we’ve confirmed the tomb’s existence, let’s start digging the tunnel.”

“One step at a time—let’s focus on getting the tunnel dug first.”

The other patriarchs nodded in agreement, summoning their clan’s Gu cultivators to begin excavating the tomb-robbing tunnel with great fervor.

...

Xuanyuan City, Within the Imperial Palace

A dignified man sat upon a dragon throne, gazing at a silk scroll laid out on the table. The scroll recorded the top ten rankings of the recent Western Region Genius Tournament.

“Zhang Renshan, Long Dan, Qin Mingyue, Mu Yi, and Jiu Qingqing—were you able to contact these five?” Emperor Xuanyuan suddenly raised his head to ask the old man standing before him.

“I contacted them all, but each of the five refused to join the Xuanyuan Empire. No matter how generous my offers were, none of them were persuaded.”

Xuanyuan Zhi replied with a calm face, unflustered even under the emperor’s imposing presence.

The emperor frowned slightly, speaking in a deep voice, “It’s understandable the others declined since they have powers backing them. But I didn’t expect even Zhang Renshan, a poor lone cultivator, to look down on my imperial court.”

Annoyance was evident on Emperor Xuanyuan’s face.

“This man has cultivated the number one body-refining technique under the heavens, the Nine Heavens Ten Earths: I Alone Reign Supreme Art. Once completed, he will be invincible under the heavens. His ambitions clearly lie in the Central Land. It’s only natural he wouldn’t care for our Xuanyuan Empire,” Xuanyuan Zhi shook his head with a bitter smile.

“The number one body-refining technique, huh? Truly enviable. Since he refuses to show respect, and he has no backing yet, we must eliminate him before he matures—and while we’re at it, seize that supreme technique.”

“This must be handled in complete secrecy. Not a single trace must be left behind.” The emperor narrowed his eyes, a glint of killing intent flashing through them.

Xuanyuan Zhi nodded, face turning serious. “He’s still in the city, so it’s not convenient to act now. I suspect he’s waiting for news on that ancient tomb, intending to seize the opportunity when it opens.”

“All geniuses are like that—if there's a chance, no matter how dangerous, they won’t miss it.”

“Qin Mingyue is also still in the city, probably waiting for the same thing. The other three left earlier and are no longer here.”

The emperor’s lips curled into a smile. “That makes things easier. Killing someone inside the ancient tomb can be done silently—no one will suspect a thing. If Zhang Renshan dies in the tomb, everyone will assume it was due to the dangers inside, not our doing.”

“And since Qin Mingyue is also eyeing the tomb, capture her as well. I’ve heard she possesses the Supreme Furnace Physique—with dual cultivation, progress will be several times faster. She must be captured alive.”

The emperor’s smile widened. “Our spies have confirmed that the eight great clans are all converging on the same location. Without a doubt, that must be the ancient tomb’s hidden entrance.”

He burst out laughing, “Looks like they were tricked—that brat actually sold the tomb’s location to everyone. What a cunning little bastard. The eight clans must be seething with rage right now. Hahaha…”

Xuanyuan Zhi chuckled as well. But after the laughter faded, his expression turned solemn. He said in a low voice, “The eight clans may not recognize the tomb, but I’m completely certain—this is the long-lost Cangyue Imperial Tomb we’ve been searching for all along.”

“As expected, the most dangerous place is indeed the safest one. The Cangyue Imperial Tomb is buried right beneath our feet. And to think the Xuanyuan clan never discovered it—how utterly ironic,” Xuanyuan Zhi said with a bitter smile.

“The Cangyue Imperial Tomb, huh?” The Xuanyuan Emperor narrowed his eyes, his expression turning solemn as he said, “The Cangyue Emperor was the founding ruler of the Cangyue Empire. The burial treasures within his tomb are unimaginably vast—and there must be artifacts that defy the heavens.”

“If any of the Eight Great Clans obtain the treasures of the Cangyue Imperial Tomb, they might very well possess the strength to overthrow the Xuanyuan royal family.”

“We cannot afford to treat this matter lightly,” the Emperor said, his gaze turning cold and murderous. “Since things have come to this, we’ll go all the way. If the Eight Great Clans manage to break through the tomb's protective formation, lead the army and slaughter everyone there.”

“That includes all Gu cultivators outside the Eight Great Clans. The value of the Cangyue Imperial Tomb is far too immense. If we obtain it, the strength of the Xuanyuan royal family will soar. We must claim all its treasures for ourselves!”

The Xuanyuan Emperor slammed the table heavily, his eyes glinting with ruthless resolve.

Xuanyuan Zhi gave him a startled glance. The Emperor’s order had truly shocked him. He had a foreboding feeling—the Gu cultivators drawn to that ancient tomb would come in massive numbers. To massacre so many people... how many would have to die?

The Emperor’s methods were brutal and ruthless. Whether such actions would benefit or harm the Xuanyuan Empire was something Xuanyuan Zhi himself wasn’t sure of.

But ultimately, he did not dare question it to his face. With a respectful “Yes, sir,” he turned and left.

As he departed, silence once again descended over the imperial palace.

…

As expected, news of a large ancient tomb being discovered near Xuanyuan Imperial City spread like wildfire. Within a single night, it was known throughout the city.

Moreover, the information was rapidly spreading to surrounding regions.

Soon, countless powers—large and small—as well as hordes of rogue cultivators and demonic cultivators began to gather at the tomb site.

At first, the Eight Great Clans struck down the first wave of intruders with thunderous force. However, they ultimately failed to scare everyone off.

As more and more forces continued to arrive, their numbers grew too large. The Eight Great Clans realized they couldn’t afford to make enemies of everyone. In the end, they had no choice but to compromise and agree to jointly excavate the tomb.

However, the tomb was far more perilous than anyone had expected. All the major factions suffered heavy casualties upon entering.

But through their collective efforts, they finally managed to break the outer defensive formation after a full month.

At that moment, Long Xuan and Di Xin deemed it the right time and proceeded together toward the location of the Cangyue Imperial Tomb.

Inside the tomb, a large portion of the formations still remained unbroken. The treasures were hidden deep within the core, and the formations and traps in that central region were the deadliest.

But the two of them could wait no longer. Once all the traps and formations were broken, it would be too late—the treasures would already be plundered. They dared not delay.

Many other Spiritual Sea Gu cultivators had similar thoughts. Hoping to reap some benefits, they quickly formed teams and moved out.

Although there were many Gu Kings present who intended to loot the tomb, their presence alone wasn’t enough to intimidate all Spiritual Sea cultivators. Once the number of Spiritual Sea cultivators grew large enough, even a powerful Gu King could be surrounded and killed.

When Long Xuan arrived at the location, he noticed the once-prominent small pavilion was long gone, replaced by numerous large and small digging pits. The surrounding forest had already been completely cleared.

A massive crowd had gathered—roughly estimated, there were easily over a thousand people.

But don’t be mistaken—this number was no small matter. Neither Spirit Gathering nor Marrow Cleansing realm cultivators dared come here to dig tombs.

These thousand-plus individuals were all either Gu Kings or Spiritual Sea Realm cultivators. For a group of such high cultivation to gather in such numbers was truly terrifying.

And that didn’t even include those who had already perished within the tomb.

It had only been a month since the tomb's discovery. Had more time passed—say, a few more months—Gu cultivators from distant foreign regions would surely rush here as well. Who knew how many powerful experts would have gathered by then? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“Tsk tsk! So many Gu Kings, so many Spiritual Sea cultivators. Are you sure the two of us can snatch the Tomb Guardian Treasure from this crowd?” Long Xuan asked, clearly losing confidence.

The number of Gu Kings had far exceeded his expectations. He began to wonder if this entire operation had been a mistake.

Di Xin smiled faintly and said, “This idea was mine. Since I dared to use Gu Kings to probe the way, I naturally have full confidence.”

“As for fighting Gu Kings head-on to seize the Tomb Guardian Treasure—I’m not so arrogant as to guarantee success.”

“But don’t forget—our target from the beginning was never the Tomb Guardian Treasure. It's the Heavenly Spirit Tree!”

“The fruit of the Heavenly Spirit Tree increases the chance of breaking through to Gu King. This effect is useless to those who have already reached Gu King level.”

“That means our real competitors are not the Gu Kings—but the other Spiritual Sea cultivators.”

“Are you telling me you don’t even have the confidence to compete with others at your own level?” Di Xin smirked, her voice brimming with self-assurance.

Hearing that, Long Xuan relaxed considerably. He realized Di Xin was right. As long as they didn’t get greedy and focused solely on the Heavenly Spirit Tree, their plan was nearly flawless. It shouldn’t be too hard to retrieve it.

His original intention had been just that—obtain the tree, avoid greed. But to say he had no desire for the other treasures? That would be a lie.

If he could get his hands on more treasures, of course he would. Who would ever complain about having too many rare treasures?

After all that effort, only taking the Heavenly Spirit Tree? He felt a bit unwilling.

“You seem quite familiar with the Cangyue Imperial Tomb. The Heavenly Spirit Tree is a legendary peak-grade spiritual herb—how can you be so certain it isn’t the Tomb Guardian Treasure?”

“Could it be that you know what the true Tomb Guardian Treasure is? Care to enlighten me?” Long Xuan asked with a probing smile.

Di Xin glanced at him, chuckled, and said, “Any treasure can be invaluable to one person and worthless to another.”

“But this particular treasure—I can say with certainty—is universally precious. It could drive anyone mad with greed and desire.”

“As for what it actually is? I’m not telling you.”

“I don’t want to awaken your greed and get you killed trying to compete with a bunch of Gu Kings over it.”

“Men die for wealth, birds die for food. Not telling you is for your own good. So stop asking.”

Di Xin gave a cryptic smile and continued walking.

Upon hearing this, Long Xuan’s curiosity intensified. He muttered in frustration, “If you weren’t planning to tell me, why say so much? Telling me it’s useful to everyone… you’re clearly just trying to tempt me!”

“I swear, you’re doing it on purpose!” Long Xuan gritted his teeth and quickly chased after her.