"From now on, just call me Xuanyuan. If you like, Little Xuanxuan or Little Yuanyuan is fine too, as long as you don't call me Your Highness. I don't like being underneath." Ning Xuanyuan patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder as he spoke.
"Uh..." Chen Yuan's expression immediately stiffened, while the faces of the other soldiers behind him were a sight to behold.
Little Xuanxuan? Little Yuanyuan? What the hell!
"Let's go." Ning Xuanyuan lowered his arm and led the way forward. Chen Yuan and the others promptly followed, arriving at the entrance to the Ancient Imperial Mausoleum.
The entrance to the Ancient Imperial Mausoleum was a mass of fog. Their eyes could not penetrate it to see what lay beyond, and even their senses were disrupted by a mysterious force.
A peculiar glint flashed in Ning Xuanyuan's eyes. At that moment, he could clearly feel another faint fluctuation in the Chaos World within him.
"Form up," Chen Yuan said in a low voice, his expression growing serious. The men beside him immediately took their positions. One stood at the front, two others took either side of Ning Xuanyuan, and Chen Yuan brought up the rear.
Clearly, they had placed Ning Xuanyuan in the safe position at the center, where they could protect him.
"Move!" Once they were in formation, Chen Yuan gave the order, and all five figures flashed forward at once, charging into the fog ahead.
The instant Ning Xuanyuan entered the Ancient Imperial Mausoleum, he had two immediate impressions: dark and damp.
A foul, decaying smell hung in the air, plainly mixed with a hint of something rank and bloody. It was like the stench given off by old, congealed blood and rotting corpses.
"It really is an imperial mausoleum." Ning Xuanyuan surveyed his surroundings. The walls, built from a distinctive dark stone, were engraved with ancient patterns. In some places, traces of blood that had turned black were still visible.
The Ancient Imperial Mausoleum was extremely dark. Strangely, a faint glow seemed to permeate the air, though its source was nowhere to be seen. By that faint light, they could see several dozen zhang ahead.
"Blood Scion," Chen Yuan said from behind Ning Xuanyuan, "based on what we've explored so far, the Ancient Imperial Mausoleum has nine levels. We're currently on the first level, the outermost one. The Voids roaming here are all Bronze Rank..."
Although Ning Xuanyuan had said they could call him by name, Chen Yuan was no fool. Ning Xuanyuan was not only a prince but also a Blood Scion. Whether or not the Night Watch Army bore him hostility, Ning Xuanyuan's status was there for all to see.
Beneath the Asura Emperor, he alone stood supreme!
In terms of status alone, even Ye Xuankong ranked below him. How would Chen Yuan dare be presumptuous?
"Watch out!"
But before Chen Yuan could finish, the soldier at the front of the group, Chen Huang, suddenly shouted a warning. As soon as his voice fell, a torrential rain of arrows whistled toward them from ahead, blotting out the sky and sun.
Chen Huang reacted swiftly. An enormous black shield appeared in his hand, and he planted it directly in front of the group. At the same time, a battle-axe appeared in his other hand.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A rapid series of sounds rang out as countless arrows struck Chen Huang's shield. Yet his body did not budge an inch, steady as a mountain. He raised the giant axe in his hand and hacked down, shattering everything in its path and blocking the incoming arrows.
At the same time, the two men on either side of Ning Xuanyuan also made their moves. A streak of saber light tore through the air, pressing relentlessly forward. Dazzling bolts of lightning roared out like writhing electric serpents, accompanied by peals of thunder.
"Charge through!" Chen Yuan's voice came from behind him. Without the slightest hesitation, Ning Xuanyuan shot forward like lightning.
Chen Yuan waved his hand, sending a torrent of spiritual power roaring forth. It became a terrifying hurricane that swept away the arrows raining down from the sky, clearing a path for everyone.
The group rushed forward. Ning Xuanyuan glanced at the men around him and could not help but praise them inwardly. It was clear that the members of Chen Yuan's squad worked together seamlessly. Whether attacking or defending, they needed no words at all; a single glance was enough.
Ning Xuanyuan looked up ahead, his gaze sharpening slightly.
A group of figures had appeared before them. They wore battered armor and had deathly pale faces. Their gray, clouded eyes held no trace of life or animation. They were the very picture of walking corpses.
"Holy crap, zombies?" The corners of Ning Xuanyuan's eyes twitched. These are the so-called Voids? Damn, isn't this look a little rough?
"These are only the Voids guarding the outermost part of the entrance. They don't even reach Bronze Rank." Chen Yuan's voice came from behind at just the right moment. Just then, the soldier on Ning Xuanyuan's right abruptly clenched his hand.
Terrifying light burst from between his fingers, and a dreadful chill swept out in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the "zombies" charging at them with strange howls were frozen solid.
On the other side, the soldier wielding a battle saber swung his arm, sending out streaks of fierce saber light. The flashes, accompanied by twisting currents of electricity, enveloped the surrounding space, protecting the group as they advanced.
At the very front, an earthy yellow glow of spiritual power radiated from Chen Huang. A powerful fluctuation surged out of his body.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Chen Huang charged forward, and with every footfall, even the floor of the Ancient Imperial Mausoleum seemed to tremble. His giant axe swept in broad arcs. Wherever its light flashed, nothing could stand against him; his momentum was unstoppable.
Ning Xuanyuan did not make a move. These zombies had barely reached the early Aspect Condensation Realm and posed no threat at all. With the strength of Chen Yuan's squad, they could fight their way through with ease.
The group sped forward, slaughtering the zombie Voids furiously. Ning Xuanyuan saw that when the slain Voids' bodies fell to the ground, no blood flowed. Instead, their mangled remains turned into wisps of black mist and promptly vanished. But after they disappeared, nothing appeared on the ground.
Weren't these Voids supposed to have Soul Jades inside them? Ning Xuanyuan raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"These Voids are too low-level. They don't have Soul Jades in them. Only true Copper Voids can form Soul Jades in their bodies." Clearly, Chen Yuan was a competent guide, conscientiously explaining things to Ning Xuanyuan.
Ning Xuanyuan nodded in understanding.
Before long, the group fought their way out of the encirclement. Once they had charged a certain distance away, the zombie Voids stopped pursuing them and retreated one by one with low growls.
They seemed to have fixed areas of activity and would not cross the boundary.
"Blood Scion, from here on, the Voids we encounter will be true Bronze Rank," Chen Yuan said, a hint of gravity appearing on his face.
Ning Xuanyuan nodded slightly and looked ahead.
There, a group of figures slowly came into view, approaching from the distance.