"Old friend, it's been a long time," Lin Hao said softly.
The star chart shone brightly, transforming into a stream of light that entered Lin Hao's brow and hovered deep within his sea of consciousness, standing alongside another artifact.
"Thank you." Lin Hao nodded to the Yaoguang Holy Lord.
"No need." The Yaoguang Holy Lord his hand and sat down again. "Are you going to the Demon Emperor's Tomb next?"
"You knew?" Lin Hao wasn't surprised.
"A great change is about to occur in the Eastern Wilderness. As the Yaoguang Holy Lord Eastern Wasteland, how could I not know?" the Yaoguang Holy Lord said in a deep voice. " The Demon Emperor's Tomb will appear in the Nether Abyss of the Southern Region in three days. Now, all the major forces in the Eastern Wasteland have already moved upon hearing the news, and powerful figures from the Central Province, the Western Desert, and even the Northern Plains are also rushing here. This time, there will likely be a bloody battle."
"As expected." Lin Hao said calmly.
"Now that you have retrieved the Zhoutian Star Disc, you should know its wondrous uses," the Yaoguang Holy Lord reminded him. " The Demon Emperor's Tomb contains a restriction left by the Azure Emperor, forming its own small world. Entering it will suppress your cultivation level below the Immortal Platform. Moreover, the space is chaotic, and without a locator, it is extremely easy to get lost."
"I understand." Lin Hao nodded.
Snow Empress listened with alarm. Cultivation suppressed below the Immortal Platform? Doesn't that mean that even Saint and Great Sage entering would only be able to unleash the power of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm? In this way, the advantage of those old monsters would be greatly weakened, while the younger generation of geniuses would have a chance to compete.
"Furthermore," the Yaoguang Holy Lord said solemnly, "I received a secret report that Forbidden Zone Offspring has been born and is also eyeing the Demon Emperor's Tomb."
" Forbidden Zone Offspring?" A strange light flashed in Lin Hao's eyes.
"Indeed. Successors have emerged from the Primordial Ancient Mine, the Undying Mountain, and the Reincarnation Sea, all aiming for the Southern Region," said the Yaoguang Holy Lord. "These people possess terrifying bloodlines and ancient lineages, making them virtually unmatched among their peers. Although you are strong, you are still... it's best to be cautious."
Lin Hao laughed, " The Forbidden Zone Offspring, huh... Fine, let's see what kind of trash the forbidden zone has produced in this Lifetime."
Yaoguang Holy Lord knew that it was useless to persuade him, so he said no more.
After catching up for a while, Lin Hao got up to take his leave.
The Yaoguang Holy Lord personally escorted the two out of the main hall. Before parting, he suddenly said, " Tianxuan, if you truly wish to tread that path, Yaoguang... is willing to protect you for Dao Yi journey."
Lin Hao paused slightly, turned around to look at him, and nodded. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
After leaving the Yaoguang Holy Land, the Snow Empress finally couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, are you and the Yaoguang Holy Lord old acquaintances?"
"I suppose so." Lin Hao didn't elaborate. "Eighty thousand years ago, I gave guidance to the founder of the Yaoguang School, and later I also had some connections with the successive Holy Lords of Yaoguang."
Eighty thousand years ago...
Snow Empress was shocked, but this time, she didn't ask any more questions. She knew that some things were not for her to know.
"Let's go to the Southern Region." Lin Hao looked up towards the south. " The Demon Emperor's Tomb is about to appear; it's time to meet up with those old friends."
The two transformed into streaks of light, piercing the sky and heading towards the Southern Region.
Shortly after they left, deep within the Yaoguang Holy Land, in an ancient cave, an old man who had been sleeping for countless years suddenly opened his eyes.
" Tianxuan... you're finally back."
In the old man's eyes, there are the ephemeral nature of stars and the passage of time.
" In this Lifetime, will you take that step?"
Southern Region, Nether Abyss.
This is a forbidden land, shrouded in black mist year-round, its bottom unseen. Legend has it that in ancient times, a True Immortal perished here, his blood staining the earth red and forming this abyss. The abyss is filled with extremely heavy yin energy, and ghosts often appear, so ordinary cultivators dare not approach it.
But at this moment, outside the Nether Abyss, there was already a huge crowd of people.
All the major powers of the Eastern Wasteland gathered together: the Ji Family, the Jiang Family, the Jade Lake Holy Land, the Feng Clan, the Nine Li Dynasty... one after another, ancient families and holy lands, banners waving, war chariots rumbling, and powerful figures converging.
In the sky, various strange beasts pulled chariots, divine birds circled, and precious light soared into the sky, dispersing much of the black mist above the Nether Abyss.
"Look, that's the Ji Family's Golden War Chariot! Pulled by nine-headed dragons, what a grand spectacle!"
" The Jiang Family is here too! That's a phantom of the Solar Divine Furnace! My god, the Jiang Family even brought a replica of the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon?"
"The fairies from the Jade Lake Holy Land have arrived, and indeed, each one is breathtakingly beautiful..."
The crowd buzzed with excitement. The Demon Emperor's Tomb appears only once every ten thousand years, each appearance bringing bloodshed and chaos, but also extraordinary opportunities. During its last appearance, someone managed to retrieve a fragment of the Azure Emperor Scripture's Scripture, soaring to the heavens and establishing an immortal dynasty.
"Look, the people from Central Province have arrived too!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise, for a colossal divine vessel appeared in the sky, its entire body golden, as if cast from pure gold, exuding a majestic imperial aura. On the vessel, banners fluttered, bearing the large character "Xia"!
" The Great Xia Dynasty of Central Province! They've actually traveled hundreds of millions of miles to get here. It seems they're determined to seize the Demon Emperor's Tomb!"
"Not only Great Xia, look over there, those bald monks from the Western Desert have arrived too!"
In the western sky, Buddha Light Illuminates All, a group of monks dressed in robes arrived riding on lotus flowers. The leader was an old monk with a dignified appearance and a halo of Buddha's light behind his head, clearly a high-ranking monk of the Arhat level.
" The Great Thunderclap Temple of the Western Desert! Aren't they supposed to never get involved in the affairs of the Eastern Wasteland?"
" The Demon Emperor's Tomb contains Bodhi Seed left behind by the Azure Emperor, which are said to help people comprehend Buddhist teachings. The Great Thunderclap Temple would naturally not miss out on this opportunity."
As various forces arrived one after another, the atmosphere outside the Nether Abyss grew increasingly tense. If the Demon Emperor's Tomb had not yet truly appeared, a conflict would likely have already broken out.
On an inconspicuous hilltop, Lin Hao and Snow Empress arrived quietly without attracting much attention.
"There are quite a few people." Snow Empress glanced around, her heart trembling. She saw many forces she had only heard of in legends, and even sensed several auras that made her heart tremble—those were powerful figures from the Immortal Platform Secret Realm, and there was more than one.
"Just a rabble," Lin Hao said calmly, his gaze fixed on the depths of the Nether Abyss. "The real experts haven't arrived yet."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the horizon.
A savage beast, entirely black, strode through the air, causing the void to tremble wherever it passed. On its back sat a young man dressed in animal skins, with a rugged face and arrogant eyes. His aura surged like smoke from a wolf's tail, staining the sky crimson.
"That's... Jin Man from the Northern Plains Golden Family! Legend has it that he possesses Golden Bloodline and an unparalleled physical body, and once tore apart Demonic Beast at the Dragon Transformation Ninth Heaven with his bare hands!"
" The Golden Family is here too, this is going to be interesting."
Jin Man's arrival caused a stir. But he merely snorted coldly, glanced at the crowd with disdain in his eyes, and landed directly at the edge of the Nether Abyss, closing his eyes to rest.
" Golden Bloodline, huh..." Lin Hao glanced at the young man again, lost in thought.
The Snow Empress said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I have heard of this Jin Man. He is one of the leading figures of the younger generation in the Northern Plains. It is said that he has already cultivated to the Dragon Transformation Ninth Heaven and may step into the Immortal Platform at any time."