Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique, One Hundred Thousand Eight Thousand Caves, Curtain Call

The terracotta warriors revived before the imperial tomb formed the first checkpoint.

No shortcuts existed—only a forced breakthrough.

The formation of Underworld Soldiers.

This was the second checkpoint, and for most intruders, it was where they stopped and found their grave. Without the key, passage was impossible.

Yet along the way, some Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grass appeared as rewards, hinting that one should know when to turn back.

The final gate of the Ancestral Dragon Hall was the third checkpoint, the ultimate trial.

Even with skill, one could not force entry.

Thus.

To reach the final destination, both strength and the key were indispensable.

But Lu Yuan possessed all of this and had completed everything.

Now he had entered the hall.

Having passed through every barrier.

He stood in the hall, his expression calm, then walked toward the Emperor's seat.

This was the only chance, and also the last. Once Lu Yuan stepped forward and obtained the fortune, even if later arrivals held the key and met all conditions, the Ancestral Dragon Hall would never appear again.

That was why, ever since entering the Mount Li Imperial Tomb, he had been so cautious.

There was no choice. The thing inside had to be obtained—it was of utmost importance.

Soon.

Lu Yuan ascended all the steps and stood before the Emperor's seat.

There, no one sat, just as the imperial tomb had silently existed for over two thousand years.

However, on the Emperor's seat lay a jade bamboo slip, short, no longer than a finger.

It appeared utterly unremarkable, emitting no light at all. If placed outside, most people would overlook it. Its only value lay in being entirely made of jade, and nothing more.

But when Lu Yuan saw it, a glimmer finally lit up in his eyes.

"After all this preparation, you're what I've been waiting for."

He murmured to himself, then stepped forward.

Yet he did not pick it up immediately. Instead, he bowed slightly to the Emperor's seat, showing respect to the tomb's master.

After all, he was taking something from within. He could not rush, and his attitude had to be proper.

Even knowing that skipping this step would change nothing.

Done.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and lifted the jade slip.

It was cool to the touch, with no discomfort.

No characters were engraved on it.

Seeing this, He did not hesitate. He clenched his fist.

Crack~

In the next instant, the jade slip was crushed directly, turning into powder.

The moment it shattered.

The entire Mount Li Imperial Tomb seemed to tremble lightly. The dragon-shaped essence on the mountain thinned slightly, its imposing aura less heavy than before. But the change was subtle, unnoticed by anyone.

Below the hall.

Lu Yuan stared at the crushed powder of the jade slip, his gaze burning.

The powder did not fall. Instead, it radiated a hazy, brilliant light, drifting in midair.

Finally, its glow grew brighter and brighter, forming ancient pre-Qin characters!

Most people could not recognize these characters, including Lu Yuan.

Of course, recognition was unnecessary.

As time passed.

The characters stabilized—over a hundred of them, not many.

They drifted in the air for a while, then all surged into Lu Yuan's brow.

In his mind, the golden figure representing the Innate Spirit and the God of Wisdom sat cross-legged beneath the Bodhi tree, beginning to comprehend those characters.

His billion-fold talent activated, and in an instant, he fully understood the content.

And Lu Yuan now knew what the jade slip recorded.

The Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique!

After cultivation, using oneself as the foundation, one devours the world's dragon veins, causing every cell in the body to fully transform into a dragon, opening up One Hundred Thousand Eight Thousand Caves. Within each cave dwells a true god; when one true body appears, it doubles combat power.

One Hundred Thousand Eight Thousand Caves means one hundred thousand eight thousand true bodies, one hundred thousand eight thousand times combat power!

That's right, this was precisely the breathing technique he had been searching for all along.

Indeed.

In this world, there are many breathing techniques.

For instance, certain ancient families, or even existences like Longhu Mountain and Zhendan Academy, all possess breathing techniques, and quite good ones at that.

But Lu Yuan didn't care, because the one he now had was the most unparalleled kind, completely surpassing all others.

If a comparison had to be made, it would be like the complete Classic of the Way and its Virtue compared to various visualization methods.

Both were the best, the most perfect kind.

Living one life anew.

The things he planned were naturally not simple.

"One hundred thousand eight thousand times combat power—if it were applied to me, how terrifying would that be?" Lu Yuan's eyes brightened. He knew this contained a peerless breathing technique, but he hadn't expected it to be this powerful.

What concept was one hundred thousand eight thousand times combat power?

It was simply unimaginable.

And with his billion-fold talent, he could almost comprehend the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique in a short time.

For others, forget about comprehending it—they'd probably still be studying how to cultivate it.

So Lu Yuan's next step.

Was to find a way to open the caves mentioned in the breathing technique.

But this required enormous energy; it couldn't be achieved through mere cultivation alone.

One cave, one god—how difficult would it be to manifest it?

However, Lu Yuan had long been prepared.

He slightly turned his hand.

The Nine-leaf Golden Rhyme he had obtained earlier in Qingyang City appeared.

This was a Spiritual Fruit, an Exotic Grass, a heavenly treasure.

An ordinary person swallowing it could immediately become an Awakened, because the energy contained within was extremely vast.

Now.

It directly became nourishment for Lu Yuan to open his caves.

Without hesitation.

He sat down cross-legged before the Emperor's throne.

Since he had obtained the breathing technique, naturally he would start cultivating right away. He also hoped to use this opportunity to break through the Gene Shackles once more, continue evolving, and strengthen his power.

Immediately, Lu Yuan placed the Nine-leaf Golden Rhyme into his mouth. The next moment, he felt a surge of pure energy emerge.

His body began to emit a radiant glow, like the most perfect creation from last time.

Every inch of his flesh flowed with light.

After feeling that power, Lu Yuan closed his eyes and began to cultivate according to the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

His chest began to rise and fall, and streams of white vapor were exhaled from his mouth and nose.

At the same time, as he inhaled, the surrounding energy actually transformed into small dragons, which he devoured and absorbed.

Hum!

In an instant, Lu Yuan felt all the pores on his body open wide.

His five viscera and six bowels began to tremble, his blood and qi surged like boiling magma.

This sensation was too unique, extremely comfortable, as if his physical body was sublimating—it was the beginning of genetic transformation.

Ancient texts recorded: Those who eat meat are brave and fierce; those who eat grains are wise and clever; those who eat qi are divine and long-lived; those who eat nothing are immortal and divine.

At this moment, Lu Yuan was turning Heaven-Earth Essence into food, inhaling it into his body.

It allowed every inch of his cells to gain unimaginable benefits.

However, the cultivation of the breathing technique also had to be paired with a visualization method.

So Lu Yuan began operating both together.

Thump, thump, thump~

His heart beat powerfully, like a war drum, resounding through the great hall.

His aura grew heavier and heavier, and his presence became increasingly terrifying.

"The energy contained in the Nine-leaf Golden Rhyme is vast. Fully absorbing it will take two or three days. Although I don't know if it can help me open the first cave, there's no doubt it will allow me to continuously break through several Gene Shackles."

Lu Yuan cultivated while sensing the changes in his body, finding that every part was benefiting at this moment.

Moreover, the fifth Gene Shackle had completely loosened, showing signs of breaking.

So, after this.

His strength would once again soar.

But as he had expected, this would take some time.

Of course.

Lu Yuan was not in a hurry; after all, no one would disturb him here, so he could be completely at ease.

While he silently cultivated, continuing to evolve and increase his strength.

The situation in the other areas was different.

Although many people had picked some Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses, facing the relentless attacks of the Underworld Soldier army, some lost their lives before they could even hold onto their gains. The longer it went on, the more people died.

There were tens of thousands of Awakened who entered, but in less than an hour, over a thousand had died.

Finally, some couldn't take it anymore. After obtaining some benefits, they chose to leave directly.

They knew that staying any longer would cost them their lives, let alone any fortune.

Once the first person left.

Soon, others followed, all fleeing the Mount Li Imperial Tomb.

But unlike when they entered, they left through the giant gate.

The small bronze door behind them no longer appeared, meaning they couldn't enter again for now.

When people saw others emerging from the Imperial Tomb, they immediately surrounded them, and those who hadn't entered eagerly asked about the situation inside.

Upon learning about the endless Underworld Soldier army, many couldn't help but shiver, imagining the danger within. However, when asked if they had gained anything, those who had entered fell silent.

This stirred malicious intent in some, who secretly made their move.

That the Mount Li Imperial Tomb held fortune was almost universally acknowledged.

Those who escaped alive.

Couldn't possibly have come out empty-handed.

As the saying goes, men die for wealth, birds die for food. Those outside also began to intercept and kill, plunging the situation into chaos again.

Soon, a day passed, and more people fled out, including Awakened of the fifth and sixth ranks who couldn't hold out either. After obtaining some Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses, they chose to stop, find a place to heal their injuries, and use the spoils of their adventure to evolve and strengthen themselves.

Admittedly, the opening of the Mount Li Imperial Tomb, though causing chaos, also allowed many Awakened to continue evolving.

After the second day passed, the people from Zhendan Academy also emerged.

Dean Zheng's expression was grim.

Entering the Imperial Tomb had brought far less benefit than he had imagined, and some teachers had been severely injured.

When he asked others, the situation was the same, forcing him to doubt.

Did the Imperial Tomb truly hold the great fortune everyone imagined?

There were only some Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses.

And none of them were particularly rare; with luck, one could encounter them in certain famous mountains and great rivers.

At this moment, everyone also noticed that the giant gate was moving, slowly closing. According to calculations, it should be three days later.

So some factions deduced that the Imperial Tomb would only be open for five days. Whether it would open again, and when, was unknown for now.

Even so, some people still waited outside.

The Five Great Supremes, including the Winged Sky God, hadn't come out yet.

Perhaps these people.

Had gained tremendous benefits in the Imperial Tomb.

Of course, it was just curiosity; no one dared to rob them, given the gap in strength.

Soon, the third day passed, and even the Winged Sky God and the others couldn't hold on any longer, choosing to leave the Mount Li Imperial Tomb.

Although they had only obtained some Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses, they had gathered a large quantity, nearly stripping the entire area they were in.

With their formidable strength as a deterrent, naturally no one dared to act rashly.

Wuzhou Group, Tianshen Technology, and others also directly concluded that while the Mount Li Imperial Tomb did hold fortune, it wasn't as great as imagined, and couldn't compare to some famous mountains and great rivers.

From the information gathered, almost all the areas behind the gates were overgrown with Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses.

There were no special divine objects.

And they had paid a heavy price for them.

Of course, some believed that perhaps the Imperial Tomb hadn't fully opened.

After all, from start to finish, no one had seen the place where the Ancestral Dragon slumbered.

Unfortunately, they had come out and couldn't go back in for now.

The ultimate secret remained elusive.

With that, some major factions chose to withdraw, leaving this place to head for Chang'an City to rest and prepare for their next moves.

Because the world's transformation was still ongoing, major events were unfolding in many places, and perhaps extraordinary items would emerge.

They naturally wouldn't let such opportunities slip by, wanting to expand their power as quickly as possible.

The earlier the stage, the more chances there were.

"Let's go."

Zhou Yunqiong glanced at the imperial tomb and also chose to leave.

"That Lu Yuan hasn't come out yet," the Winged Sky God said, standing still.

He had been suppressed twice, the first time suffering a major loss, and wanted to reclaim his dignity.

"Even if he does come out, with that sword in his possession, can you defeat him?" Zhou Yunqiong was very calm, continuing, "We've gained a lot in the imperial tomb, and Father has also sent word that there are gains elsewhere. Relying on these, you can reach the Awakening Realm, or even stronger."

"A true strongman doesn't seek momentary satisfaction but sees who can last until the end. Your bloodline is extraordinary, your potential high."

"Moreover, perhaps before long, your clansmen from the Ancestral Star will descend—that will be the time for your rise."

"I... I understand."

The Winged Sky God agreed with Zhou Yunqiong's words and nodded immediately.

Yes, wasn't Lu Yuan's strength reliant on external things?

But external things were always just external things. His own clan's bloodline had legends across the entire starry sky; there was no need to rush.

So in the end, he chose to leave.

Zhou Yunqiong turned back once more.

Lu Yuan.

This man was much stronger than she had imagined, but soon, her bloodline would also be fully awakened. Bloodline was the greatest asset of the new era!

With the Wuzhou Group's departure, other factions also left, believing the Mount Li Imperial Tomb expedition had come to an end.

As for those who hadn't come out, either they were dead or still persisting.

But at best, they were just Spiritual Fruits and Exotic Grasses.

"Second Young Master."

On the other side, the Long-robed Elder from Chang Sheng Gene spoke: "The First Young Master has left. We should withdraw."

Upon hearing this, Wang Tao shook his head directly: "If you want to leave, go ahead. I'm staying."

With that, he looked toward the imperial tomb, his eyes sharp and vicious.

"I know what you're thinking, but..."

The elder hesitated, aware that the other party had his sights set on that sword, wanting to ambush Lu Yuan when he came out. But with that sword, the gap between them was too great.

"So what?"

Wang Tao sneered: "Over the past few days, through Mother, I've mobilized a lot of resources. The firepower is sufficient. Even if he's strong, can he withstand thermal weapons?"

He, too, believed that Lu Yuan's strength lay in the sword, not in himself.

As long as it was sudden enough.

Combined with powerful thermal weapons, there was no fear of missing the opportunity.

After all, with Mother's authority backing him.

What he had mobilized were heavy thermal weapons—firepower enough to level a small hill.

Wang Tao was confident that under these circumstances, Lu Yuan couldn't escape. No matter how strong he was, he was still just flesh and blood!