The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 493: Beholding the Tomb Gurdian Treasure

One month later.

Long Xuan slowly opened his eyes within the spatial realm. Feeling the power surging through his body, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—using the Distorted Jade had cost him a whole month of recovery. The price was indeed steep, and this technique must be used with extreme caution in the future.

Now back at his peak condition, Long Xuan clenched his fists. He finally felt assured.

“A whole month has passed. I wonder what’s happening inside the ancient tomb now. It’s about time to head out.”

Retracting his smile, Long Xuan finally stepped out of the internal space within the Heaven-Devouring World Toad.

The moment he emerged, the first person he saw was Di Xin, who had apparently been standing guard by his side for quite some time.

Seeing Long Xuan finally awaken, Di Xin gave him a once-over and, upon confirming his wounds had healed, sighed in relief.

“You’re finally awake. If you hadn’t come out today, I was about to go in and call you myself.”

“It’s been a month. The Gu Kings have already cleared most of the dangers within the Cangyue Imperial Tomb. Today, Lan Yan is likely to break through the royal chamber. If we don’t catch up now, we’ll be too late.”

Hearing this, Long Xuan instantly perked up. Waking now was more than timely—it was perfect. Just in time to swoop in and claim the rewards.

Thanks to the month-long effort of the Gu Kings, most of the tomb’s mechanisms had already been dismantled. He could now proceed to the sleeping palace (royal burial chamber) with no risk. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Long Xuan beamed with excitement:

“Didn’t expect those workers to be so efficient. They really managed to clear the Cangyue Imperial Tomb. I don’t even know how to thank them!”

Di Xin gave him a sidelong glance and chuckled:

“Don’t underestimate them. Everyone who entered the tomb was a powerhouse from the imperial capital—including patriarchs of the Eight Great Clans. Clearing the tomb was always a possibility.”

“But even if they did, the cost must’ve been heavy. By my estimation, over 90% of them perished inside.”

“The number of survivors still alive in the tomb is now very few.”

“That group of Lan Clan Gu Cultivators who were following us chose the most perilous path, and now, only Lan Yan remains. Tragic, isn’t it?” Di Xin smiled.

“Hehe! Only one Gu King left? That simplifies things. You and I can each disguise ourselves as peak-stage Gu Kings. With the rule of 'finders keepers,' we can demand an equal share of the treasures. With two powerhouses of the same realm confronting him, he’ll have no choice but to agree! Hahaha…” Long Xuan burst into maniacal laughter.

“He’s almost at the royal chamber now, right? No time to waste—let’s move.”

Knowing there were few survivors left in the tomb, Long Xuan was delighted and didn’t want to delay. He immediately began heading deeper into the tomb path.

At the same time, he used the Seventy-Two Transformations to casually disguise himself as a peak Gu King.

Di Xin’s lips curled into a smile as she followed suit. Her appearance shifted instantly, and a formidable aura of a peak Gu King burst forth.

As time passed and they delved deeper, the number of corpses littering the ground increased. The closer they got to the royal chamber, the more tragic the battlefield appeared. Mechanisms were devastated, signs of intense fighting surrounded them.

The trail of corpses had bought them a path of absolute safety.

Yet despite the many bodies, all of their storage rings and storage pouches had been looted. Long Xuan felt a twinge of disappointment.

Furthermore, the tomb chambers connected to the path had also been ransacked. Though traces of combat and bodies remained, not a single treasure was left behind.

This was the downside of letting in so many Gu Kings. While they could clear most of the dangers, they also took most of the loot. It was unavoidable.

Long Xuan searched a few chambers without finding a single treasure and felt somewhat dejected.

Eventually, whenever they encountered another tomb chamber, he merely glanced at it before walking past. There was no point wasting time.

With all the dangers along the tomb paths eliminated, their journey was swift. Before long, they arrived at the sleeping palace.

Coincidentally, at that very moment, Lan Yan had just broken through the final dangers of the royal chamber at the cost of grievous injury. Before he could even enjoy the spoils, he saw two peak Gu Kings approaching from behind.

His face instantly twisted with frustration. He felt a surge of blood rush up—he was ready to cough it out.

He had just risked everything to unlock the final mechanisms, yet before he could reap the benefits, two powerhouses showed up out of nowhere. The timing was too perfect. Damn it, what rotten luck!

They hadn’t helped at all and now wanted a share of the spoils? How could he accept that?

Lan Yan clenched his fists tightly.

“Oh! What a coincidence, Brother Lan! Fancy seeing you here. Ownerless treasures are shared by those who find them—such has been the rule since ancient times. We’ll divide the treasures in this coffin chamber equally among the three of us. I’m sure you don’t object?”

Long Xuan stepped forward with a shameless grin.

Lan Yan’s expression darkened. He was absolutely livid.

But now, with his severe injuries, facing two opponents of equal strength would be suicidal. Not only would he lose all the treasures, but he might also lose his life.

He dared not act rashly. Suppressing his fury, he took a deep breath and said:

“You two are pushing it. I broke through all these mechanisms alone, and many of my clan members died for it.”

“You didn’t lift a finger and now want an even split? There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Don’t go too far!”

“Let’s split the treasures 50-50 between me and the two of you. I take half; the rest you can divide among yourselves. That’s my bottom line.”

“If you can’t accept that, then let’s settle this with our fists!”

Lan Yan stared them down, ready to fight.

But it was all for show—he was bluffing to get a better deal.

Long Xuan casually picked at his ear and said shamelessly:

“You say you disabled the mechanisms—but I didn’t see it. How do I know it was you?”

“I won’t budge. The treasures must be divided equally.”

“If you refuse, then we’ll fight. If we kill you, everything becomes ours.”

“I just didn’t want the noise to attract other tomb raiders, or accidentally destroy the treasures in the coffin chamber. That’s why I’m offering a peaceful discussion. Don’t mistake kindness for weakness!” Long Xuan’s eyes turned sharp as he spoke with domineering force.

When you hold absolute advantage, most Gu Kings act boldly and aggressively. He didn’t want to show weakness and arouse Lan Yan’s suspicion.

“You…!” Lan Yan was so enraged he nearly exploded. He pointed at Long Xuan’s nose, barely holding himself back from attacking right then and there.

However, Long Xuan’s words did remind him that this matter absolutely could not be delayed. It had to be resolved peacefully as soon as possible. Otherwise, if two people had already come here, it was likely more would arrive soon. “To each his share” — the more people came, the less treasure he would end up with.

He suddenly grew anxious and hurriedly said,

"Fine! I agree to divide everything equally. All the treasures here will be split among the three of us. Let’s divide them right now—no one should harbor any selfish thoughts."

Saying this made Lan Yan’s heart bleed.

Looking at Lan Yan’s sullen expression, Long Xuan felt inwardly delighted and turned his gaze toward Di Xin.

Since entering the bedchamber, she hadn’t spoken a word. Her eyes had been fixed in the direction of the coffin the entire time.

No — to be precise, she wasn’t looking at the coffin. The coffin was placed on a towering ancient tree, and right now, Di Xin was gazing at that tree.

Her gaze was dazed, her soul seemingly wandering in the void. It was the first time Long Xuan had seen her in such a state. Clearly, this tree meant something very special to her.

Long Xuan followed her line of sight and looked at the ancient tree as well. In the air above the tree, a progress display reading “∞” (infinity) appeared, making his pupils contract sharply.

At that moment, he finally realized what the other “infinity-progress” treasure in the ancient tomb was.

It was actually the Reincarnation Ancient Tree — the tomb’s guardian treasure was one of the Ten Divine Trees.

Incredible. In his lifetime, he had actually found another one of the Ten Divine Trees. His luck was truly defying the heavens.

At the same time, the Heaven-Devouring World Toad in his insect bag began frantically thrashing about. It had already caught the scent of an unparalleled treasure. The Ten Divine Trees were considered heaven-defying treasures that provided the greatest amount of treasure energy. How could the Toad not be excited upon seeing one?

Long Xuan took a deep breath and suppressed the excitement in his heart. He looked at Di Xin, then at the Reincarnation Ancient Tree, deep in thought.

He recalled the mural he saw in the Empress’s ancient tomb.

The Reincarnation Ancient Tree. The Reincarnation Ancient Nation. That Imperial clan... could Di Xin have some connection with this Reincarnation Tree?

The Reincarnation Nation’s emperor supposedly had a secret that allowed him to reincarnate endlessly while retaining his memories. Could that be tied to this tree?

Long Xuan quickly shook his head. Although he had many questions, this was not the time to be curious.

"The treasures in the coffin will be split equally among the three of us. As for the Reincarnation Ancient Tree, we’ll also divide it into three parts. I trust you have no objections?"

"There are twelve Reincarnation Fruits on the tree. The tree itself counts as six fruits. We’ll take the tree and six fruits, and the remaining six fruits go to you. Do you have a problem with that?" Long Xuan asked Lan Yan.

With Medicinal Gu in hand, he could transplant any type of spiritual herb and even accelerate the growth of more Reincarnation Fruits. So, naturally, he preferred to take the entire Reincarnation Tree. He just didn’t know if Di Xin had any interest in the tree, so he looked at her.

Sensing his gaze, Di Xin understood his intent and shook her head. Through soul transmission, she said,

"I can’t guarantee I’d be able to cultivate the Reincarnation Ancient Tree successfully. I’ll just take the six Reincarnation Fruits."

"The Three-Legged Golden Toad you improved can absorb the treasure energy from living artifacts. This Reincarnation Tree would benefit you the most."

Upon hearing that, Long Xuan realized Di Xin was giving him the greater benefit and didn’t refuse her goodwill.

On the other side, Lan Yan showed a conflicted expression. It did seem like the whole Reincarnation Tree was more valuable than just six fruits.

But he shared the same concern as Di Xin — the rarer the spiritual herb, the harder it was to cultivate. He had no confidence that he could successfully transplant the Reincarnation Tree into his own herb garden.

If the transplant failed, it would all be for nothing. In comparison, taking six Reincarnation Fruits directly was more practical and carried no risk.

He took a deep breath and finally decided to accept the proposal. He said in a deep voice,

"We’ll do it your way."

"However, since the coffin is on the tree, we should first divide the treasures inside the coffin!"

Lan Yan’s gaze locked onto the black coffin resting in the branches, his expression becoming one of excitement. Unable to hold himself back, he strode over quickly.

Seeing this “pathfinder stone” approach the coffin without triggering any danger, Long Xuan and Di Xin relaxed a little and slowly followed.

This was the first time Long Xuan had properly examined the coffin. It was pitch black, the material unknown, and no matter how powerful one’s soul sense, it couldn’t penetrate the coffin’s interior.

The surface of the coffin was engraved with many mysterious runes. The most prominent was a line of text:

“Grave robbers, turn back immediately upon seeing this inscription. Any who disturb this coffin shall bring extermination upon their entire clan.”

Reading this line, Long Xuan was startled and immediately stopped in his tracks.

He had always been cautious by nature. Without confirmation of the warning’s authenticity, his life-preserving instincts made him unwilling to act rashly.

Long Xuan frowned deeply. He couldn’t help but consider that the inscription might just be a scare tactic to deter tomb robbers. After all, how could a dead man possibly have the power to exterminate entire clans?

But if he were scared off by that sentence, he might lose the treasures inside the coffin forever.

Even so, he just couldn’t muster the courage. He had to admit, the tomb master’s words really struck fear into people like him who were timid and valued their lives. Even if there was only a ten-thousandth chance the curse was real, he wouldn’t dare take the gamble.

Lan Yan and Di Xin also saw the inscription and stopped walking.

Di Xin furrowed her brows lightly, not making any rash moves.

But Lan Yan froze only briefly before curling his lips into a sneer and said disdainfully:

"Exterminate nine clans of tomb robbers? Who are you trying to scare? Do you think your grandpa grew up frightened by words?"

"You’re a man who’s been dead for who knows how many tens of thousands of years. What can you even do to me? I will rob your tomb. Let’s see how you plan to exterminate my nine clans!"

Hearing this, Long Xuan gave him a strange look. He couldn’t help but admire his boldness — there truly were people who feared nothing.

Indeed, using Gu Kings as cannon fodder to scout ahead was the right choice. There were plenty of people willing to do what he dared not.

Long Xuan instinctively backed away, retreating all the way outside the bedchamber, worried that some unpredictable danger would erupt once the coffin lid was opened.

Lan Yan turned around and, seeing Long Xuan’s odd behavior, sneered with contempt and mocked:

"What a coward!"

"Can’t you see this warning is just there to scare people? Most tomb masters leave a curse like this behind. It’s just to drive away grave robbers. It doesn’t actually work."

"The cowards who back off end up missing out on all the opportunities. The brave ones? They strike it rich."

"Why fear the dead? What can a tomb master who’s been dead for tens of thousands of years do to you? Come back to life and massacre your entire clan? That’s just ridiculous!"