Commanding the Underworld Army, the Ancestral Dragon's Sleeping Ground!

When Lu Yuan walked out of the passage.

The next instant.

Streaks of white light surged forth.

The surrounding scenery shifted continuously, finally settling on a vast, empty plaza filled with an ancient, weathered aura.

Bronze lamps stood in various places, already lit, ancient as if they had burned for a thousand years. The ground beneath his feet was perfectly flat, seemingly stretching without end.

And looking up at the dome above.

There, one Night Pearl after another, each the size of a fist, radiated light like a starry sky.

Especially the two on either side, larger than millstones, representing the sun and moon.

The dome was extremely high.

At least ten thousand meters.

If it weren't a self-contained space, this would be impossible.

Truly a hidden world within.

Further in the distance, rivers flowed continuously.

But they weren't filled with ordinary water.

They were mercury.

"As the Records of the Grand Historian records: 'Using mercury to create a hundred rivers, streams, seas, and oceans, with machines to circulate them; above, the heavens; below, the geography. Using Mermaid Fat as candles, enduring without extinguishing for ages.' It was indeed correct, only grander in scale than imagined—worthy of the Ancestral Dragon's handiwork."

Lu Yuan recalled the records of Mount Li Imperial Tomb, a smile spreading across his face.

And the key was.

In that plaza.

Many Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses grew, emitting a hazy, radiant glow.

Anyone who saw them would know that eating them might promote their own evolution.

But Lu Yuan made no move at this moment, standing still in place, then speaking softly.

"This place is dangerous. You should all withdraw immediately."

As his voice fell.

Behind Lu Yuan.

Several dozen Awakened suddenly leaped out.

"Don't misunderstand—we just followed you in," the leader quickly said, continuing, "And we'll only pick a little, not too much."

"If I were you, I wouldn't have that thought." Lu Yuan shook his head, telling them not to entertain the idea.

The reasoning was simple.

To reach the final place and obtain the greatest fortune.

The things there, especially Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses, could not be touched.

As the saying goes, you must give up something to gain something.

Lu Yuan had been here once before, had experience, and knew how to choose.

"What do you mean? Do you want to take it all for yourself?" Some Awakened thought Lu Yuan wanted all the Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses, and immediately grew indignant.

But he didn't dare act recklessly, since before the Mount Li Imperial Tomb, this man alone had swept through the Terracotta Warriors.

"Actually, if you hadn't followed me in, you might have been safe. Unfortunately, you came in."

Lu Yuan looked at the crowd and continued, "There were so many Bronze Doors outside the tomb—why did you have to choose the same one as me?"

He was heading to the final place to obtain that powerful Breathing Method. Under these circumstances, he couldn't allow any mistakes, even if it cost certain people their lives.

"What do you mean? Are you going to kill us?"

"We haven't offended you—we're just after fortune."

"You're too tyrannical. Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses—everyone who sees them gets a share."

Hearing this, the crowd grew alarmed, thinking Lu Yuan would strike them down.

"It's not me who will act."

Lu Yuan chuckled lightly, standing still.

Boom, boom, boom~

And in the next moment, the plaza began to tremble violently.

In the distant Mercury River, waves surged and crashed heavily, looking very eerie.

More importantly, within it, pitch-black figures slowly walked out from inside.

There were many of them—some on horseback, some drawing bows, some holding halberds, each different, forming an army of a thousand. They seemed very similar to the Terracotta Warriors outside, but the difference was that this army was not made of clay.

Their bodies were withered, like skeletons, clad in armor, with green mist churning beneath their feet.

Like the Underworld Army from myth and legend, they appeared before everyone.

Standing in a single line across the square, they fixed their gaze on all present.

This army radiated a terrifying presence.

Not a single one bore the breath of the living; they were shrouded in heavy yin energy, each no weaker than an Awakened on the path of evolution.

"An Underworld Army? Are these Underworld Soldiers? How could there be Underworld Soldiers in the imperial tomb?"

"Legend says the Ancestral Dragon ruled the world in life and sought to unify the underworld in death—could it be true?"

"How, how is this possible? Thousands of Underworld Soldiers, and every one of them no weaker than us. We're going to die."

At the sight of the Underworld Army, these people panicked.

If you could say.

The terracotta warriors outside the tomb meant nothing to them—mere clay constructs.

But this was different now; they looked like an army of the dead.

At the same time.

Within the spaces behind the other ninety-eight bronze doors, upon seeing the Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses, everyone began fighting over them, erupting into fierce battles with blood flowing endlessly. No one showed any restraint at this moment.

They had come for fortune, and now that they saw it, they hesitated not at all.

The Winged Sky God, the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, the Southern Emperor, the Asura, and others.

These few were formidable.

Their strikes were ruthless, and they had the backing of their respective factions.

Right now, they were seizing the Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses within, using them to evolve and expand their power.

Wherever they went, the spoils were almost entirely claimed, with no one daring to contend, forced to watch helplessly.

But soon, everyone began to cry out in alarm, because here too, the Underworld Army appeared. They stared at the intruders who had breached the imperial tomb and, without any hesitation, charged straight into battle.

In an instant.

What had been a war among Awakened turned into a clash between the Underworld Army and the Awakened.

And these Underworld Soldiers were strong, far fiercer than the terracotta warriors outside.

In no time, blood soaked the earth.

Even the Winged Sky God and the others could not escape; they fought back, but the Underworld Soldiers seemed endless, emerging ceaselessly from the Mercury River. Countless in number, dense and thick, the sounds of battle cries and roars rose and fell, more brutal than the fighting outside the tomb.

Everyone was locked in struggle.

This was the second trial of the Mount Li Imperial Tomb: the Underworld Soldier Formation.

If you could say.

The terracotta warriors outside were the Ancestral Dragon's army in the realm of the living.

Then these Underworld Soldiers were his elite in the underworld.

Even powerful Awakened found it extremely difficult to handle, destined to run out of strength sooner or later.

Even someone like the Asura began to take wounds, swarmed and attacked by the Underworld Soldiers.

At this moment.

In the area where Lu Yuan was.

Those thousands of Underworld Soldiers also began their assault, showing no mercy to the invading Awakened.

"Why? Why do these Underworld Soldiers only attack us, but not him?"

But soon, these people discovered a terrifying truth.

After the Underworld Soldiers appeared.

They headed almost straight for them.

Yet Lu Yuan, who was closer, stood still, receiving no attacks at all.

The Underworld Soldiers seemed to deliberately bypass him.

No one could understand.

But they would never get the answer to this question.

Under the overwhelming assault, the several dozen Awakened who had come were quickly killed, not a single one left.

Once it was done, the Underworld Soldiers halted their movements, then all turned their heads to look at Lu Yuan.

Still, they did not attack, standing motionless as if turned to stone.

"Just as I imagined."

Lu Yuan smiled, took a deep breath, and retrieved something from the Zi Wu Bu Tian Furnace.

It was the Ghost Seal he had purchased earlier at the Treasure Pavilion.

After the mutation...

The Ghost Seal showed no change.

But that didn't mean it was useless.

Thud thud thud!

The moment Lu Yuan took out the Ghost Seal, a strange aura emanated from it, enveloping him.

All the Underworld Soldiers—including those behind the other ninety-nine doors—knelt at almost the same instant.

They lowered their heads, all facing one direction: where Lu Yuan stood.

The people in those other zones had no idea what was happening.

They only saw the Underworld Soldiers kneeling.

The Winged Sky God, Zhou Yunqiong, the Ice Fairy, Dean Zheng—all of them were stunned.

None of them understood what was going on.

The Underworld Soldiers, who had been so murderous just moments ago—why were they all kneeling now?

That's right.

This was the Ghost Seal's true purpose.

He had bought it for only fifty million back then.

Now that he'd taken it out, it commanded the army of Underworld Soldiers within Mount Li Imperial Tomb.

"Rise."

On the other side, Lu Yuan spoke softly.

Whoosh~

Instantly, all the Underworld Soldiers stood up.

The strange aura from the Ghost Seal slowly settled as well.

At this moment, he was like an emperor commanding a vast army.

"I need to enter the Ancestral Dragon Hall."

Lu Yuan spoke again, holding the Ghost Seal, issuing another order.

At once.

The Underworld Soldiers before him didn't hesitate. One by one, they walked toward the center of the square, chanting strange syllables.

Rumble rumble rumble!

The next moment, in the area where Lu Yuan stood, the ground began to shake, then collapsed layer by layer.

At the same time, a magnificent hall slowly rose from beneath the earth.

This hall was ancient, dozens of zhang high, made of some unknown material.

But its design resembled that of the Qin Dynasty, predominantly black. Before the hall's entrance lay tier after tier of black steps, imposing beyond measure. On the hall's plaque were three Qin Dynasty characters: Ancestral Dragon Hall.

It was overwhelmingly majestic—rivers below, stars, sun, and moon above.

Standing there, it seemed capable of anchoring the nine provinces of the world.

And this—

was the final resting place of the imperial tomb!

It had appeared right before Lu Yuan's eyes.

"Finally here, huh?"

Seeing this, a smile once again crept across Lu Yuan's face. He understood that the first key had worked.

Without another word, he walked step by step toward the Ancestral Dragon Hall.

But just as he was about to set foot on the steps, he suddenly stopped.

Lu Yuan looked at the leading Underworld Soldier General and said directly, "If anyone trespasses into Mount Li Imperial Tomb, the punishment must still be carried out. Don't stop."

After saying this, he smiled faintly, then climbed the steps.

The Underworld Soldier General said nothing.

He only nodded.

And then—

the next moment, in the other ninety-eight independent spaces, the Underworld Soldiers, who had stopped attacking, seemed to receive a new order. They launched their assault once more.

"Ahhh, didn't it just stop a moment ago?"

"Why is it coming again? Can't hold out."

"Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on?"

Those intruding Awakened were all struck with terror, having thought they were safe.

But they hadn't expected the Underworld Soldiers, which had quieted down, to strike again—and even fiercer than before.

Winged Sky God and the others also wore grim expressions as they began to fend them off, but the enemies were too many, each comparable to an Awakened. Even if they were only at the first or second tier of the Initial Realm, their sheer numbers were overwhelming.

At this rate, forget plucking those Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses—just staying alive was barely within reach.

Zhou Yunqiong's face also paled; she hadn't anticipated such an outcome.

The battle began once more.

Everyone cried out to heaven and earth.

But no one knew that all of this was entirely due to Lu Yuan's command.

Unlike those trapped in peril.

He ascended the steps one by one, utterly at ease, heading toward the Ancestral Dragon Hall. Below him, the vast army of Underworld Soldiers bowed their heads slightly.

"The secrets within the Imperial Tomb are far more complex than I imagined."

At this moment.

Lu Yuan continued forward.

As the Ancestral Dragon Hall drew nearer, a contemplative look surfaced in his eyes.

If this were the old era, even excavating the original Mount Li Imperial Tomb wouldn't have reached the place.

Because that was a decoy tomb, not the real one.

As for why this was.

Lu Yuan didn't know, nor was it recorded in historical texts.

But legend had it that there were Qi Refiners in the pre-Qin era, and what were called Qi Refiners could be understood as cultivators—equivalent to Awakened in the present day.

From this, it was possible that the world during the Qin Dynasty was different from now.

After all, since then, China had many myths that had never truly ceased.

Perhaps they weren't legends but reality.

This world held many secrets.

Even having lived a second life, he still didn't know them all; he could only explore step by step, just like the true resting place of the Ancestral Dragon.

Hidden within a folded space—who could imagine that? Who would dare to?

Of course.

Lu Yuan was here for the second time.

He wouldn't be as shocked as others.

He simply felt that China's secrets were many.

With that thought, not long after, he finally crossed all the steps and stood before the hall.

The Ancestral Dragon Hall, true to its name, was carved all around with Black Dragons. The Qin Dynasty revered water, and water in the Five Elements manifested as black.

But at this moment, the hall's doors were tightly shut.

He touched them lightly.

Found the material to be very special—not metal or stone, but extremely heavy.

Even with his current strength, forcing them open was impossible.

Of course.

Lu Yuan had long been prepared.

He sat cross-legged.

Once again, he took something out from the Zi Wu Bu Tian Furnace.

It was Chen Song's family heirloom, the Small Green Bronze Tripod—three-legged, two-eared, and indeed extraordinary in appearance.

Especially after the world's mutation, it had begun to occasionally emit a green glow, coiling around the tripod's body.

"Now, it's time for you to be of use."

Lu Yuan murmured to himself.

He had prepared for a full three months.

Entering the Imperial Tomb—how could he still go through all kinds of setbacks and hardships like everyone else? Wouldn't that make all his preparations pointless?

And this fifty-thousand-yuan tripod was the most important key.

He said nothing more.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and produced the Great Luo Sword Embryo.

The sword embryo, having absorbed the special substance within the Terracotta Warrior, now shimmered with streaks of light—sharper, its Sword Qi more condensed.

Its patterns were also far more distinct than before, and as time passed, they continued to shift.

Clearly, its transformation was not yet fully complete.

But for now, he had to use it.

At once, Lu Yuan focused his mind, and the sword embryo shrank to the size of a dagger. He used it to slice open his palm.

There was no other choice—his current physique was impervious to blades and bullets alike.

Without the sword embryo, he couldn't even draw blood.

After doing this, Lu Yuan clenched his fist and channeled all the blood into the Green Cauldron.

The cauldron was small, yet it seemed bottomless, absorbing the blood without any sign of overflow.

Moreover, as the blood increased, the green radiance on the cauldron's surface grew ever more dazzling.

A cauldron was a ritual vessel, an object of sacrifice.

In ancient times, whenever something important occurred, a cauldron had to be used.

Legend said it could communicate with the heavens, letting the gods know one's intentions.

Lu Yuan didn't know if that was true, but to open the gates of the Ancestral Dragon Hall, it was necessary.

Hum hum hum~

Soon, the entire cauldron was steeped in green light.

This green light spilled out like water, flowing toward the hall's doors.

Dong dong dong~

The gates of the Ancestral Dragon Hall trembled, emitting a resonant sound, but still showed no sign of opening.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan spoke.

"I, Lu Yuan, a descendant of the Chinese bloodline, come bearing the Ghost Seal, offering sacrifice with this cauldron, wishing to meet the Ancestral Dragon of China. I implore the Ancestral Dragon to grant permission."

His voice was not loud, but through the sacrificial green cauldron, it seemed to take on a miraculous effect, piercing through the hall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As if answering the call, the hall rumbled, producing sounds like thunder.

And the light from the green bronze cauldron covered the entire gate.

Zizi zi~

At last, in the next moment, the gates of the Ancestral Dragon Hall opened.

And quickly—soon, they were fully thrown wide.

Then, Lu Yuan put away the cauldron and, imitating the ancients, gave a slight bow.

To him, no one alive today was worth such a gesture, but the Ancestral Dragon was different—an ancestor, a hero. The proper respect had to be shown.

After doing this, he strode directly into the hall.

The hall was vast and empty.

It resembled the court where ancient officials held audience.

There were twelve pillars, each so thick it would take over a dozen people to encircle them, carved with various patterns.

An aura of antiquity, vicissitude, and majesty rushed toward him from all sides.

It was hard to imagine

that this was built over two thousand years ago.

But it would be different if that era had Awakened like those of today.

Lu Yuan paid no attention to these things. He raised his head and walked forward.

At the far end of the hall.

There were also steps, and atop the steps stood a high platform.

And upon that high platform sat a black Imperial throne.

In a daze, he seemed to see that Ancestral Dragon from over two thousand years ago, who had swallowed the world, seated high upon it, gazing down at his mountains and rivers.

"What I need is right there on that Imperial throne," Lu Yuan murmured to himself. The goal of this journey was finally within sight; he only had to walk up and take it!

Two chapters, ten thousand words.

Nearly a hundred thousand words updated in ten days.

Brothers, don't say I'm slow—I've been typing all day, my back and neck aching. It's really not a small amount!

Please give some support!

PS: Guess what the protagonist will get?