Although she had followed Chen Yu all this way, Yan Ruyu had previously harbored doubts about his powers of divination.
It was not that she doubted Chen Yu's abilities, but that divining the location of Qing Emperor's Tomb was simply too far-fetched.
What sort of beings were the ancient sovereigns and Great Emperors?
Every ancient sovereign and Great Emperor could be called a taboo, an invincible existence throughout heaven and earth. Unless the legendary immortals descended into the world, no one could rival them.
For such beings, every trace surrounding them could be considered taboo, utterly impossible for anyone to divine.
Even if a Great Emperor from Desolate Antiquity returned to life, they might not be able to divine the location of Qing Emperor's Tomb. What made Chen Yu capable of it?
She had continued following Chen Yu only because she still cherished a faint hope, while also taking the opportunity to befriend him and build a good relationship with this emperor's son.
But now, the truth lay right before her eyes.
Chen Yu really had led her to Qing Emperor's Tomb.
As a descendant of the Azure Emperor, the moment she entered the vicinity of Spirit Ruins Paradise, she felt an inexplicable resonance, instinctively sensing certain things.
Qing Emperor's Tomb was definitely nearby.
That sensation immediately filled Yan Ruyu's heart with reverence. Could the art of divining heavenly secrets truly be so wondrous that it could even reveal the location of a peerless Demon Emperor's tomb?
No, that was certainly not it.
It was not that the art of divining heavenly secrets was wondrous, but that His Highness was simply too heaven-defying.
She recalled how Chen Yu had set up an altar to divine heavenly secrets, only for the tortoise shell to crack and for him to suffer a backlash and cough up blood. All sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind.
"Now that we've confirmed Qing Emperor's Tomb is here, I'll leave the rest to you, Ruyu."
"There isn't much I can help with in this regard," Chen Yu said casually.
Even though he had read the original work thoroughly, all he knew was that Qing Emperor's Tomb lay beneath Spirit Ruins Paradise.
As for precisely how it was arranged, or how to activate and open it, he had no idea.
One thing was certain, however: compared with the circumstances when Qing Emperor's Tomb originally opened, the Azure Emperor Lineage now had his help, as well as over half a year more to explore. Their preparations would certainly be far better than before. At the very least, they would not be left as helplessly on the back foot.
"Please feel free to attend to your own affairs, Dao Brother."
Hearing Chen Yu's words, Yan Ruyu was brimming with confidence. "Just leave this place to me."
As a descendant of the Azure Emperor, there had been nothing she could do before finding Qing Emperor's Tomb. But now that they had found it, could opening it still pose a problem?
She carried the Azure Emperor's true bloodline and had already reached this place. She refused to believe she could not find the entrance to Qing Emperor's Tomb.
Seeing Yan Ruyu so full of confidence, Chen Yu could not help feeling something strange stir within him.
For some reason, he kept feeling that she might end up disappointed.
If Qing Emperor's Tomb were that easy to enter, that elder of Yan Ruyu's would not have become trapped inside, eventually reduced to a lone wisp of a wandering soul.
Still, since Yan Ruyu had said as much, he could not be bothered to meddle. "In that case, I'll await your good news."
Yan Ruyu nodded and chatted with Chen Yu for a while before swiftly turning into a streak of light and vanishing.
By the looks of it, she was certainly full of drive.
And she was not the only one. Upon learning the news, the entire Azure Emperor Lineage erupted with excitement.
After taking the precious medicine Chen Yu had given him, Elder Qing had successfully advanced to Dragon Transformation. Now, upon hearing the news, he could not even spare the time to stabilize his realm before hurriedly bringing people over to help.
For the sake of Qing Emperor's Tomb, the Azure Emperor Lineage had practically mobilized all its experts. Every expert who had reached a sufficient level had been dispatched.
Had they not feared leaking the news and attracting prying eyes, Elder Qing and Yan Ruyu would even have contacted several demon race mighty figures and invited them to explore the Demon Emperor's Tomb together.
The entire Azure Emperor Lineage grew busy, leaving Chen Yu with little to do.
So he simply headed up to Spirit Ruins Paradise, intending to visit friends there.
Back when Ye Fan and the others had emerged from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, Bitter Seas had formed within them on their own. The six great paradises had therefore regarded them as fine cultivation seedlings and divided them among themselves.
Because Pang Bo and Ye Fan had consumed divine fruits, they had been regarded as first-rate immortal seedlings and kept in Spirit Ruins Paradise.
Of course, Pang Bo was the one they had chiefly wanted to keep. As for Ye Fan, he still bore the label of someone with a crippled physique.
"Who are you looking for, sir?"
Upon seeing Chen Yu, the disciple of Spirit Ruins Paradise behaved very respectfully and courteously.
Although Chen Yu was young, looking only about sixteen, his whole body seemed suffused with pure Qi, and a faint divinity enveloped him. One glance was enough to tell that he was extraordinary.
In the Eastern Wasteland, those who possessed such bearing were invariably cultivators with profound cultivation.
"I'm an old friend of Pang Bo and Ye Fan. I've come to visit them."
Chen Yu smiled as he explained his purpose, then casually took out a spirit herb. "A small token, hardly worthy of your regard. I hope you can make things convenient."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly."
The gatekeeping disciple's eyes lit up. Though his mouth voiced embarrassment, he accepted it faster than anyone.
Still, he did have a fair amount of professional integrity. After taking the gift, he swiftly got the matter handled.
"They're still cultivating on the rear mountain. I've already notified a few senior brothers. Just take this talisman seal and head straight in, fellow Daoist."
The gatekeeping disciple respectfully handed over the talisman seal and offered a few instructions.
"Thank you."
Chen Yu smiled, then strode inside.
At that moment, Ye Fan and Pang Bo were still completely baffled.
"With the state we're in, who would still come to visit us?"
In a secluded part of Spirit Ruins Paradise, Pang Bo and Ye Fan exchanged puzzled looks. "We don't have any relatives here on the Big Dipper."
"Could it be Yiyi, Lin Jia, and the others?"
"Do you think that's possible?"
Ye Fan shook his head. "It's only been such a short time. We're still reviewing the Dao Scripture and have only just set foot on the path of cultivation. Yiyi and the others are probably the same. How would they have time to visit us?"
"You have a point."
Pang Bo nodded, finding that reasonable too. "Then who could it be?"
They raised their heads and looked into the distance, both filled with curiosity.
Under their gazes, a youth appeared in the distance and slowly walked toward them.
The youth had handsome features and an inexplicable air of spiritual refinement that made him feel distinctly different. Like a divine son descended into the world, he possessed a bearing utterly unlike that of ordinary people.
Watching the youth approach from afar, Ye Fan and Pang Bo first froze, then their faces filled with wild joy.
"Teacher Chen, it's you!"
They looked deeply excited and abruptly sprang to their feet, their bodies trembling slightly.
After parting in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, they had thought they might never again see this mysterious man from their homeland. Yet they had always remembered his kindness and bearing, and seeing him again naturally stirred their excitement.
It was as though they had found their organization, found a thigh to cling to.