The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 488: Xuanyuan Yin

"The core area's formation is just one step away from being broken. Who knows how long those useless fools will take? I'll go down and break it myself. You wait for me up here."

As soon as Di Xin finished speaking, she immediately walked toward one of the tomb-raiding tunnels.

There were many such tunnels on the ground, each one excavated by a different clan, leading to different parts of the tomb.

Some tunnels led to relatively safe areas, while others were extremely perilous.

The tunnel chosen by Di Xin was the most dangerous of all. Countless people had died when the Eight Great Clans excavated it. It had long been abandoned, and no one dared to enter it anymore.

Seeing someone suddenly enter this tunnel, many people revealed mocking expressions, staring at her like watching a dead person. Yet not one spoke up to stop her.

Long Xuan did not intervene. He had full confidence in this old friend. If she dared to go in, then this tunnel certainly wouldn’t take her life.

Long Xuan stood in place, patiently waiting. With Di Xin’s mastery in formations, breaking the final formation would not take long.

Once the last formation was broken, the Gu Kings on the surface would descend into the tomb. Once they all entered, he could choose a safe time to go down himself.

Meanwhile, in the distance, a massive white warship was speeding toward them.

On board, Xuanyuan Zhi gazed toward the ancient tomb, his smile growing increasingly wide.

Behind him stood a host of formidable Gu cultivators—one after another exuding the aura of Gu Kings—over ten thousand in total.

"Is the Xuanyuan Grand Formation fully deployed?" Xuanyuan Zhi suddenly asked.

An elderly man stepped forward, cupping his fists and sneering coldly:

"Your Highness, the Xuanyuan Grand Formation has been fully set. Once activated, not a single soul inside it will escape."

Xuanyuan Zhi's expression remained grave. "This matter is of utmost importance. Even one person escaping would be disastrous."

"Although the Xuanyuan Grand Formation defies the heavens and only a few can break it, the Eight Great Clans have brought many talented formation masters just to crack the formations of the Cangyue Imperial Tomb."

The elder stroked his beard and laughed,

"Rest assured, Your Highness. I never underestimate the world’s talent, nor do I arrogantly believe that no one can break the formation."

"But even the most skilled formation master still needs time. It can’t be broken instantly."

"Our numbers outmatch theirs ten to one. Plus, the Xuanyuan Formation suppresses enemy strength. We hold a crushing advantage in this battle."

"As long as we strike swiftly and deny them any chance to break the formation, there will be nothing to worry about."

Hearing this, Xuanyuan Zhi nodded slightly, the tension in his face easing.

"Indeed. Even if they have someone capable of breaking it—so what? Once chaos erupts, they’ll have no time to do so anyway."

A handsome young man sneered arrogantly and added:

"Last time at the Western Region Tournament, I was unlucky and injured, finishing only fifth."

"But fifth is not my limit. When the battle starts, I will duel Qin Mingyue one-on-one to prove my strength. None of you are to interfere!"

Xuanyuan Zhi frowned slightly. He had planned to crush all opposition swiftly, not waste time on duels.

Moreover, the Fifth Prince’s status was prestigious. If he wasn’t a match for Qin Mingyue and got swiftly slain, how could Xuanyuan Zhi explain that to the Xuanyuan Emperor?

But remembering that within the Xuanyuan Grand Formation everyone’s combat strength would drop by one entire realm, the Fifth Prince should not be instantly defeated. So, Xuanyuan Zhi nodded in agreement.

“Accelerate forward!”

Now that the Xuanyuan Grand Formation was ready, Xuanyuan Zhi gave the command. The giant ship surged ahead with increased speed.

Three hours later, the massive ship arrived above the Cangyue Imperial Tomb, floating directly over its center.

The sudden appearance of such a large ship made everyone on the ground look up. Upon seeing the number of people aboard, their pupils shrank in shock.

Over ten thousand people were aboard. Who wouldn’t feel dread at such overwhelming numbers?

“That’s Xuanyuan Zhi? Must be the royal family. Didn’t expect them to deploy so many troops. Seems this tomb is far from ordinary…”

The head of the Han Clan frowned deeply, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

The Jiang Clan’s patriarch looked at the figure on the ship and said, “So it is His Highness. Would Your Highness care to descend and discuss the distribution of the tomb’s treasures with us?”

Xuanyuan Zhi slowly curved his lips into a wicked smile as he gazed below.

“No need. The royal family will take everything in the tomb. No discussion necessary.”

These words caused the expressions of everyone below to darken instantly.

“What does Your Highness mean by this?” The Lan Clan’s head clenched his fists, suppressing his fury.

Until this moment, they had not imagined that the royal family intended to kill everyone just to monopolize the Cangyue Emperor’s treasures.

Xuanyuan Zhi’s gaze turned cold. “You still don’t understand? Since I brought this many people, what else do you think we’re here to do?”

Then, with a wave of his hand and a chilling voice:

“Kill them all. Leave none alive!”

At his command, royal guards began pouring off the ship like dumplings in boiling water. Once they landed, they charged the stunned crowd below.

Simultaneously, a massive barrier rose around the area, centered on the warship, sealing everyone inside.

Those trying to flee slammed into the barrier and were bounced back, only to meet the blades of the elite royal guards.

Caught unprepared, many were slaughtered instantly. The battlefield fell into utter chaos as screams and blood filled the air.

Though the tomb-raiding side had higher average cultivation realms, under the Xuanyuan Formation’s suppression, their strength plummeted.

They were completely overpowered. In just a single clash, the tide turned against them. It was now only a matter of time before they were exterminated.

The Jiang Clan’s head glared fiercely at Xuanyuan Zhi, his face twisted in rage.

“What is the royal family doing? We Eight Great Clans have been loyal, even if not always meritorious, we’ve toiled faithfully!”

“All this for a mere ancient tomb—you really had to go this far?”

He clenched his fists, eyes bloodshot as he watched his clan’s Gu cultivators fall one after another.

Xuanyuan Zhi sneered, “A mere ancient tomb? Seems you idiots still haven’t figured out whose tomb this is.”

“Fine. I’ll let you die knowing. This tomb belongs to the Cangyue Emperor.”

“The value of the Cangyue Imperial Tomb—I don’t need to explain it, do I?”

“I’ve heard that within the tomb lies the secret of eternal life. Such a secret cannot be shared. You tell me—don’t you all deserve to die?”

“Hmph! So that’s the truth. No wonder the formations were so hard to break,” the Jiang Clan head said bitterly.

“Every emperor dreams of eternal life—fools, the lot of you. If the Cangyue Emperor truly knew that secret, how did he die in the first place?”

Xuanyuan Zhi sneered, “Even if the secret is unbelievable, those near the end of their lifespan will believe anything, won’t they?”

Then, his face turned stern.

“No more talk. All eight of you—come at me together!”

With those words, Xuanyuan Zhi leapt from the ship, hands behind his back.

“You want to take on all eight of us? Arrogant fool! We’ll see what the so-called strongest warrior of the Xuanyuan Empire is made of!”

“Even if we die today, we’ll drag you down with us!”

With madness in their eyes, the Eight Clan Leaders charged at Xuanyuan Zhi.

Long Xuan’s expression changed dramatically as he watched them clash. He quickly scanned the surroundings, trying to find a way to escape.

But the entire area was already sealed tight by the barrier. There was no way out.

As for breaking this damn formation, that was entirely out of the question. Though he was indeed skilled at breaking formations, this particular array wasn’t carved on the ground or nearby—otherwise, even if others here didn’t discover it, he certainly would have.

This grand array’s formation patterns were all engraved on the massive ship hovering in the sky. Moreover, there was more than one Gu King stationed on that ship as guardians. It wasn’t something he could just break through at will.

Long Xuan gave a bitter smile. This unexpected turn of events had truly caught him off guard.

He had never imagined that the Emperor of the Xuanyuan Empire would actually intend to massacre everyone here and take all the treasures for himself. That was sheer madness.

After all, this place was filled with many of the strongest cultivators from the Xuanyuan Empire. To launch such a slaughter would undoubtedly bring massive damage to the empire.

Was it really worth it—to severely wound the entire Xuanyuan Empire just for the treasures inside the tomb? He couldn’t understand.

Seeing a large group of Xuanyuan imperial guards charging at him with ferocious expressions, Long Xuan didn’t hesitate any further and immediately sprinted away at full speed.

Although his movements were restricted by this great formation, with his speed, as long as he wasn’t being pursued by a Gu King, it was nearly impossible for cultivators of the same realm to catch him.

Like taking a dog for a walk, Long Xuan circled the circular barrier while pulling a Hundred-Mile Talisman from his insect bag, a hesitant look flashing in his eyes.

He had long anticipated the risks of exploring the tomb alongside Gu Kings and naturally came prepared. This Hundred-Mile Talisman was his trump card to escape from a Gu King's pursuit. He only had one, painstakingly crafted through rushed repairs and overtime work by his Gu insect.

This was a deadlock. He had now reached the point where he had no choice but to use the Hundred-Mile Talisman.

But to leave now—he was utterly unwilling.

Once this talisman was activated, not only would he lose the Heavenly Spirit Tree, but more critically, many of the chess pieces he had placed on the board would be ruined.

Both Di Xin and Qin Mingyue were among the brightest of those pieces.

If they both died here today, the pain would be unbearable. How could he just leave?

“Damn it! Plans never keep up with changes!”

Long Xuan cursed angrily. Seeing Qin Mingyue in dire peril under a young man’s assault, he gritted his teeth and immediately rushed over.

Others he could choose not to save, but this brightest chess piece—he had no choice but to protect.

“Hahaha! Qin Mingyue! Ranked third in the Grand Tournament, and this is all the strength you have? What a reputation built on false fame!”

“If this is all you’ve got, then be a good girl and become my furnace. As long as you agree, I promise you’ll be the only one to survive this place!”

Watching Qin Mingyue struggling under his attacks, Xuanyuan Yin laughed maniacally, his gaze filled with lecherous lust.

Qin Mingyue clenched her silver teeth, her eyes glaring at him with fury. If it weren’t for the Xuanyuan Grand Formation suppressing her strength, forcing her to fight only with late-stage Spiritual Sea power, how could Xuanyuan Yin possibly be her match?

She glanced around from time to time, and seeing that the entire area was completely covered by the Xuanyuan Formation with no chance of escape, her heart grew cold, and a look of despair crept onto her face.

She understood clearly: if she couldn’t escape today, she knew exactly what fate awaited her. Rather than endure that, death would be preferable.

“Hahaha… What are you looking at? You’re not getting out. You’re mine—my furnace, no one else’s.”

Xuanyuan Yin licked his lips, his eyes glinting with twisted desire.

Just then, he suddenly sensed a burst of wind behind him—a figure was sneaking up on his back. He smirked. In this suppressed state, someone actually dared to ambush him? Ridiculous.

“Courting death! Would it kill you to stay alive?”

Xuanyuan Yin spun around and punched toward the incoming fist with all his might.

Under the suppression of the Xuanyuan Grand Formation, even peak Spiritual Sea stage Gu cultivators could only muster late-stage Spiritual Sea power. With that in mind, he didn’t bother dodging, opting to clash head-on instead.

Seeing someone daring to clash fists with him, Long Xuan smirked, a mocking smile curling at his lips. To this day, no cultivator in his realm had ever dared fight him directly and walked away unscathed.

All those who dared had paid dearly.

In the domain of body cultivation, he considered himself absolutely invincible.

Knowing that any genius capable of suppressing Qin Mingyue wouldn’t be weak, Long Xuan didn’t dare hold back. He instantly summoned three Dharma Aspects, channeling his full power into this one strike.

Boom!

The two fists collided with a deafening impact.

Under that strike, Xuanyuan Yin’s arm instantly exploded into a mist of blood, shattered bone and flesh flying everywhere. He couldn’t withstand the sheer force—his arm was obliterated.

With a miserable scream, Xuanyuan Yin’s body was flung through the air by the terrifying force.

“Now’s my chance!”

Seeing this, Qin Mingyue’s eyes lit up. At that moment, Xuanyuan Yin lost his balance and was flying straight toward her, completely exposed. She would not let such a golden opportunity slip by.

Qin Mingyue raised her right palm, and a crescent-shaped Gu insect flew out of her sleeve, heading straight for his head.

Though Xuanyuan Yin had lost an arm and was nearly unconscious from the pain, he was still a seasoned battle-hardened genius. He hadn’t lost all his reflexes.

Seeing the crescent Gu fly toward him, he gritted his teeth and prepared to dodge to the side.

However, he was now facing two opponents.

Long Xuan revealed a malicious grin, retrieved Little White from his insect pouch, and cast a Slowing Domain. Under its effect, Xuanyuan Yin’s evasion slowed to a crawl.

“No! Stop!”

Xuanyuan Yin’s expression changed dramatically. Under such speed suppression, it was impossible to dodge the swift attack. He only managed to shout four words before the Crescent Gu sliced through his neck. His head flew high into the air.

His eyes were wide open in death, unable to comprehend how a genius, even with one realm suppressed, could completely overpower him. He died with unresolved hatred.