Tens of thousands of Terracotta Warriors formed a battle formation.
Led by a General, they faced outward, their weapons bristling and their imposing presence overwhelming.
The sight was terrifying. No one dared approach carelessly.
The Terracotta Warriors were not living beings. They were made of fired clay, not creatures of flesh and blood. What was more, they were relics left behind more than two thousand years ago, ancient beyond measure. Yet now they stood before the world like living people.
Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and thunder rumbled now and then.
It was as if the one within the imperial tomb were roaring in anger,
warning everyone not to come any closer.
Even after dying more than two thousand years ago, did the Ancestral Dragon of China still possess such an imposing presence?
"They're nothing but clay Terracotta Warriors. We're Awakened, with supernatural powers. What's there to fear?"
"Exactly. The more mysterious and astonishing it is, the more likely it is that something incredible lies inside."
"That's right. Fight our way in, enter the tomb, seize the supreme fortune, and evolve again!"
After a brief moment of shock,
someone finally came to their senses.
They were no longer ordinary people. They were Awakened who had embarked on the path of evolution.
They had powerful abilities and could ignore many dangers. They were only Terracotta Warriors, after all.
At once, several hundred people at the front charged forward without hesitation. Some drew long blades, others took out iron swords, while still others swung spears. With a single leap, they covered dozens of meters.
The Awakened possessed supernatural powers, and their combat strength and physiques far surpassed those of ordinary people.
Now they were making their move, halos of light flowing over their bodies.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sure enough,
in the blink of an eye,
an Awakened man wielding a long blade struck once and shattered several Terracotta Warriors.
Another opened his mouth and spat out flames. The attack was powerful enough to turn the enemies before him back into dust.
Light of all kinds flashed. Many Terracotta Warriors truly couldn't withstand the attacks; they were shattered in an instant and fell to the ground.
This was how the Awakened fought—unlike ordinary people, their battles were more like something out of mythology.
"Hahaha! The Terracotta Warriors guarding the imperial tomb are nothing special!"
The Awakened man with the blade laughed loudly. In that brief moment, he had already destroyed dozens of Terracotta Warriors and found it easy. Behind him stood tens of thousands of people just like him. If they all joined in, it wouldn't take long to wipe out this army.
The others were excited too. They thought it was simple and that their earlier worries had been unnecessary.
They had wondered how strong the Terracotta Warriors resurrected after more than two thousand years would be.
But now?
They were just some powerful Awakened.
A few people remained where they were, their expressions solemn.
Winged Sky God also hovered high in the air, arms folded, with no intention of joining the fight just yet.
They were watching and judging the situation, waiting for the right moment to act.
Lu Yuan was the same, standing quietly.
But at that moment,
he suddenly sensed a stir from the Great Luo Sword Embryo. It let out a rumble, as though it were yearning for something.
"Hm?" Lu Yuan was curious. Examining it closely, he realized the stir had been caused by those Terracotta Warriors.
But he had no idea why. He needed to find out more.
So he decided to wait a little longer.
"You dare attack His Majesty's imperial tomb! Soldiers, charge with me!"
At the foot of the imperial tomb,
the leading Terracotta Warrior General spoke.
He held a spear, and there was no trace of a living person's aura about him.
Yet now he was loudly issuing orders, while the warhorse beneath him whinnied.
The moment his voice rang out,
the Terracotta Warriors behind him
raised their weapons high and shouted in unison, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
As their cries died away, they advanced together. Dust billowed, turning the area into a battlefield. At the same time, the Terracotta Warriors that had just been shattered somehow reassembled, returning to their original forms before advancing with the army, weapons thrusting forward.
How was that possible?
The Terracotta Warriors couldn't be killed?
The people stared in astonishment.
But they still weren't afraid. They thought they could just kill them again.
At last, the battle truly began.
An army from more than two thousand years ago clashed head-on with Awakened from the new era.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All kinds of sounds rang out.
The Awakened were indeed fierce, fighting their way into the formation and slaughtering their enemies.
But the Terracotta Warriors reassembled in almost the span of a single breath and attacked again.
They weren't numerous, but no matter how many times they were killed, they just wouldn't stay dead. What was more, they were veterans of countless battles, able to form all kinds of military formations. They surrounded the Awakened one by one, then brought down their spears and blades.
More importantly, these Terracotta Warriors were stronger than before.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Weapons met, clashing against one another.
Some Awakened did possess supernatural powers, but they weren't particularly strong.
They soon failed to hold their ground. Blood streamed from their bodies, and they were wounded.
Those with slightly stronger physiques were singled out for special attention and surrounded by the Terracotta Warriors.
The Awakened had held the upper hand at first, but as time passed, they gradually began to falter.
Meanwhile, more Terracotta Warriors emerged from the pit. Their numbers began to grow, forcing even the Awakened who arrived later to join the battle.
Eventually, someone couldn't take it anymore and was cut down on the spot.
At last, someone had died.
The scene was recorded too, because countless people were following the Mount Li Imperial Tomb incident.
There was blood everywhere, and many had died. It would have been major news anywhere else.
"Hmph, a bunch of fools. Why bother fighting? Watch me fly over." An Awakened with wings sneered. He flapped them and shot dozens of meters into the sky, intending to soar over the battlefield and fly across.
Though he also had a pair of wings, they were clearly nothing like Winged Sky God's. He had no special abilities and could only fly in the simplest sense.
Someone looked up to see what would happen. If it worked, they would find a way to do the same.
Rumble!
Pfft!
Just as the man was about to reach the imperial tomb's gate,
the dragon-shaped vital energy on the mountainside shook. A terrifying pressure burst forth and crushed him into a shower of blood.
The Awakened below saw this and were all shocked, fear plain on their faces.
As expected, it wasn't so easy to trespass on the resting place of the Ancestral Dragon.
"Looks like we have to fight our way through and enter the imperial tomb on foot. And every time those warriors are shattered, they come back stronger. Even melting them with fire is useless. They've also inherited their battle instincts from more than two thousand years ago. This is going to be difficult."
Winged Sky God came down and joined Zhou Yunqiong. After learning a great deal, he spoke at once.
The fact that the Terracotta Warriors grew stronger each time was especially troublesome.
"This is the Mount Li Imperial Tomb, after all."
Zhou Yunqiong remained calm as ever, her voice cool.
"Why did you stop me just now? Why wouldn't you let me kill that man?"
Winged Sky God spoke, his gaze sharp. "I've regained my true form. No one is my match now."
"There's no need."
Zhou Yunqiong shook her head, then looked toward Lu Yuan, who stood in the distance without moving. "He seems different now. Beyond expectations."
After that, she ended the topic and continued, "It's about time. Get ready to make your move."
"But four people still haven't arrived."
Winged Sky God shook his head. "Though I can already sense their auras."
Up ahead, the battle continued.
Nearly all the Awakened present had joined the fight, and the slaughter was underway.
But the Terracotta Warriors were numerous, and each time they were shattered, they returned stronger than before. Even if the increase was slight, it accumulated until they became difficult to resist. Cries of pain began to rise from the battlefield. Some tried to flee, but got trapped and couldn't escape.
Blood began to flow across the ground, filling the air with its stench.
The imperial tomb had been open for less than half an hour,
yet blood had already been spilled.
As the old saying went, fortune and danger went hand in hand.
Boom!
Just then,
a huge crimson figure suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
In an instant, blade energy surged, and dozens of Terracotta Warriors exploded, scattering across the ground.
At the same time, a man appeared, clad in a black cloak and wielding a blood-red saber.
As soon as he appeared, powerful energy surged through his entire body, and killing intent filled the air. Even surrounded by Terracotta Warriors, he broke through them with a single strike, wounding the Awakened beside him as well.
"It's Asura! Asura is here!" someone cried out, utterly astonished. His combat strength was incredible.
Sizzle, sizzle...
At the same time, in another direction,
a bone-chilling cold swept over the area.
One Terracotta Warrior after another was encased in ice, then shattered.
A woman dressed in white walked onto the battlefield. She was serene and graceful, with fair skin and her hands clasped before her abdomen. Every enemy within a yard of her froze solid.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Elsewhere, a short-haired man two meters tall appeared.
His skin was the color of bronze. He had no special abilities and relied on nothing but his fists.
He struck a mounted general with one punch, shattering him on the spot. Even the warhorse was not spared.
Last came a man of noble bearing, handsome and arrogant, with light of various colors swirling around him. A single strike split the earth, and the Terracotta Warriors couldn't withstand it.
"Ice Fairy, Northern Emperor, Southern Emperor, Asura, and Winged Sky God from earlier—the Five Great Supremes have gathered."
"As expected of the top Awakened of this era. They're so powerful!"
"They've carved a path through the army."
The people nearby watched, their faces filled with astonishment and awe.
Compared with ordinary Awakened, these four were truly powerful. In no time at all, they had carved a path forward. The imperial tomb's gate was still far away, but they were steadily closing in.
"Now it's my turn to act, Yunqiong. Just wait."
Seeing this, Winged Sky God finally couldn't hold back. He spoke, battle intent welling in his eyes.
That was right. He hadn't acted earlier because he thought it was too soon and pointless; it wouldn't show how powerful he was.
Now the other four had arrived.
Winged Sky God's thinking was simple: he would use this battle to crush everyone else.
After all, only through comparison could the extraordinary nature of his bloodline be made clear.
Rumble!
The next moment,
the wind-and-thunder wings behind him beat, unleashing a tremendous roar.
In the next instant, Winged Sky God charged onto the battlefield. Lightning crackled around him, and every Terracotta Warrior in his path exploded, unable to stop his advance.
He truly was extraordinary. With his pair of wings, silver hair, golden eyes, and imposing bearing, he instantly drew everyone's attention.
Though he was the last to enter the fray, he advanced swiftly, catching up with the four ahead.
"Winged Sky God is powerful. He should be the strongest of the five. That senior over there is a little weaker."
Seeing this, Zhu Qingyu spoke from the other side, her expression serious.
They had not joined the battle directly.
The battlefield was too chaotic.
"Exactly. With them clearing the way, it's only a matter of time before they enter the imperial tomb," Dean Zheng said. But he quickly added, "Still, it won't be easy. At this rate, it'll take quite a while. The Terracotta Warriors farther back will be even stronger."
Sure enough, just as he finished speaking,
"Kill!"
The Terracotta Warriors gathered in ever greater numbers, with more of them arriving farther ahead to block the way.
Each time they were shattered, they became stronger.
At the same time, the archers in the rear drew their longbows and fired volley after volley.
In the Qin Dynasty more than two thousand years ago, the archers had been among the most elite soldiers, with tremendous combat strength.
In an instant, a rain of arrows filled the sky and fell upon them.
The Terracotta Warriors feared nothing. Even when wounded, they could continue fighting.
But the Awakened were different. They couldn't hold out for long. People soon began to die, and the casualties kept mounting. Even the Five Great Supremes—Winged Sky God among them—were stopped in their tracks, forced to halt their advance and deal with the attack.
"Ah! These Terracotta Warriors keep getting stronger!"
"And there are more of them, too."
"How could this happen? Damn it!"
As the Terracotta Warriors continued to converge, their combat strength grew, and they hit harder and harder.
Some Awakened could no longer hold out. They were gravely injured and forced to retreat, while the casualties mounted and the earth was stained red with blood.
At the same time, people noticed something else.
If they kept a certain distance, the Terracotta Warriors wouldn't attack.
But that raised another question.
How could they reach the entrance to the imperial tomb and seize its treasures?
Meanwhile, Winged Sky God, the Northern Emperor, and the others had also been held up. They were no longer advancing as effortlessly as before.
The more Terracotta Warriors gathered, the more they needed to come up with a plan.
"Northern Emperor, Ice Fairy, Asura, Southern Emperor!"
Suddenly, Winged Sky God spoke. "We can't keep this up. It'll only get worse from here. Why don't the five of us join forces and carve out a path? Then we can enter the imperial tomb together."
His words drew the attention of many.
The Northern Emperor and the others stopped.
They considered Winged Sky God's proposal.
In the end, Asura made the first move, stepping over to join him.
The other three didn't hesitate for long before agreeing to the plan.
The five of them were in no real danger here, but reaching the imperial tomb would be difficult.
Working together would make things much easier.
"The Five Great Supremes are joining forces! Quick, let's pull back too!"
Seeing this, someone exclaimed in delight. People began to stop fighting and retreat.
After all, this was the first time the five had ever joined forces. Everyone wanted to see just how powerful they were.
Soon,
Winged Sky God stood at the front,
with the other four behind him.
Without a word, they each unleashed their strongest abilities.
A blood-red blade, a pair of fists, freezing qi, dazzling radiance—
and the wind and lightning surging from Winged Sky God's wings—all came together.
A mighty force formed and surged forward like a storm.
Rumble!
The earth shook, and dust billowed.
The force was so immense that even some Awakened turned pale.
The Terracotta Warriors before the five cracked apart in an instant and collapsed, leaving a path open. The imperial tomb's entrance was now only a thousand meters away. That single strike had shattered at least a thousand Terracotta Warriors.
"Good!"
"That's incredible!"
"As expected of the Five Great Supremes!"
People roared as they watched.
It was astonishing. Their power was downright terrifying.
There were thousands of Terracotta Warriors. For an ordinary person to slay even five in one strike would be impressive.
Now the five of them had joined forces and wiped out thousands at once. How could anyone not be stunned?
Everyone turned to look at Winged Sky God and the others.
Admiration and fear mingled in their eyes.
The five stood there, basking in those gazes.
"They really are powerful."
In the distance, Zhu Qingyu couldn't help exclaiming at the sight.
With a single joint strike, the five had wiped out over a thousand Terracotta Warriors. Though the warriors would regroup, this bought them enough time to move closer to the imperial tomb's entrance and prepare another attack.
"That's right. Their talents are truly astonishing."
Dean Zheng spoke as well. Though he knew many secrets, he still couldn't help marveling at the five's gifts.
To have reached this level so early in the cataclysm was truly terrifying.
But unfortunately, only the Northern Emperor belonged to Zhendan Academy.
Zhu Qingyu said nothing.
Then,
someone suddenly came to mind, and she turned to look.
At first, she didn't think much of it—but then she saw him and her heart skipped a beat.
Because that person had moved!
Before you continue