Two days later.
Chen Qingyu and his group finally arrived at the location of the " Great Tomb of a Thousand Autumns ".
Looking into the distance:
In the void, a colossal tomb, spanning hundreds of billions of miles and vast in scale, stands silently.
The entire tomb is bluish-gray in color, seemingly constructed from special bricks and stones, exuding an ancient and desolate atmosphere.
"This tomb is really huge..."
Chen Qingyu couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement:
"Even the legendary ancient giants who could pluck stars from the sky and swallow mountains and seas wouldn't need such a large tomb, would they?"
"I wonder what's buried there..."
The Great Emperor Blazing Sun, standing to the side, took a deep breath and instructed:
"Brother Hemp Robe, Brother Wanjie."
"Once we enter the tomb, we must not separate. Remember our previous method of communication, and do not give them a chance to defeat us one by one."
"Once you discover clues about the Earthly Branch Alliance thieves, remember..."
"Um."
Chen Qingyu and the Hemp-Robed Ancestor both nodded slightly with solemn expressions upon hearing his instructions.
After giving his instructions, the Great Emperor Blazing Sun waved his hand and said in a deep voice:
"Come with me into the tomb!"
As soon as he finished speaking:
He took the lead, transforming into a streak of crimson light and instantly rushing into the tomb's only massive entrance.
Chen Qingyu and the Hemp-Robed Ancestor naturally followed closely behind; the five hundred reinforcing Emperor Venerable also activated their escape lights and surged into the entrance of the tomb.
"Rumble..."
Hundreds of streaks of light rushed into the entrance of the massive tomb, disappearing as quickly as they had entered the sea.
Inside the tomb entrance:
Looking out, there is a long passageway, and on the other side, one can vaguely see the dimly lit and shadowy silhouettes of palaces, which seem to be a very large underground palace complex.
"What's going on? Nobody's here?"
Great Emperor Blazing Sun was slightly startled, and his vigilance grew even stronger.
He had assumed that the Earthly Branch Alliance would be lying in ambush here, and that a fierce battle would ensue near the entrance.
Surprisingly, the place was completely deserted.
"Keep going!"
He hesitated for a moment, but then waved his hand and led the many Emperor Venerable deeper into the passage.
After a dozen or so breaths:
A group of several hundred people flew through the underground passage and officially entered the area of the underground palace complex.
"Let's look around first..."
Great Emperor Blazing Sun spoke, he subconsciously slowed down his escape, while cautiously looking around.
There is a very important mechanism in the Great Tomb of a Thousand Autumns: one cannot use divine sense to explore, otherwise it will cause unforeseen disasters.
But at this very moment:
"Boom!"
The Hemp-Robed Ancestor suddenly accelerated his escape, and in an instant, he was far away from the group of hundreds of people, flying to the other side.
Great Emperor Blazing Sun was startled and instinctively looked up, questioning:
"Brother Hemp Robe? What are you doing?!"
The Hemp-Robed Ancestor robes stood still, a complex look in his eyes, and sighed softly:
"I'm so sorry, Brother Yanyang... please don't blame me."
"Um?!"
Great Emperor Blazing Sun's expression suddenly changed, sensing that something was amiss.
At the same time, an extremely intense and unprecedented sense of crisis descended upon him, almost causing the alarm bells in his heart to explode.
"Not good!"
Chen Qingyu was the first to sense something was wrong. His expression changed drastically, and he abruptly grabbed Great Emperor Blazing Sun and retreated.
"Retreat immediately!"
Before the words were finished:
"Rumble..."
A vast expanse of pale white light, interspersed with countless shimmering rings, surged forth from the underground palace passage.
Wherever it passed:
The hundreds of Peak Emperor Venerable following behind the three had almost no time to react before their bodies froze, and without uttering a sound, they all turned into ashes!
As the light spread, five hundred Emperor Venerable perished on the spot!
"This is..."
Chen Qingyu's pupils contracted, and he was shocked and horrified.
The nature and aura of this radiant power were almost identical to the divine light condensed from the " Law of Jade " that he had seen on the fifth level of the Kunyu Divine Throne!
In other words--
This is truly the immense power and might of Half-Step Heavenly Lord Monarch!
"This... this?!"
Great Emperor Blazing Sun's heart also contracted violently and almost stopped beating.
Amidst the vast expanse of pale white divine light:
A majestic figure, shrouded in spiritual light and whose form and face were obscured, slowly moved forward, its aura as ethereal as the clouds and as fluid as a stream.
" Hemp Robe pays respects to Emperor Huan!"
Without saying a word, the Hemp-Robed Ancestor bowed deeply, his attitude extremely respectful.
"... The Emperor Huan?"
Great Emperor Blazing Sun's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
Chen Qingyu, standing to the side, also felt his breath catch in his throat, and his heart sank straight to the bottom.
The name of the Emperor Huan is known to everyone in the entire Endless Battlefield. He is one of the seven Half-Step Heavenly Lord who rule the Earthly Branch Alliance!
He never even considered it:
To run into a hostile Half-Step Heavenly Lord in this place and at this time!
"Old dog in Hemp Robe!!"
Great Emperor Blazing Sun suddenly turned to look at Hemp-Robed Ancestor, his eyes bloodshot and his teeth clenched, and said:
"You deliberately betrayed your comrades guarding the Great Tomb of a Thousand Autumns, attracting the Emperor Huan, didn't you?!"
"Last time at Mount Taishi, I had some doubts. Even if the Earthly Branch Alliance launched a surprise attack, they shouldn't have been able to so easily capture half of the fortress and occupy the other side of Mount Taishi!"
"So, you've always been a traitor, a piece of trash who betrayed your allies!"
Hearing his words:
The Hemp-Robed Ancestor showed only a slight change in expression, then, without any remorse, he snorted and said indifferently:
" Great Emperor Blazing Sun! If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be condemned by heaven and earth!"
"Anyone can see that the Heavenly Stem Alliance's defeat was inevitable; there was simply no other way!"
"Those Four Heavenly Lord sang eloquently, talking about turning defeat into victory and accumulating great merit, making us all stride closer to the Gift of Eternal Life... It's all a bunch of lies!"
"This dilapidated ship is leaking everywhere and about to capsize. Why shouldn't I abandon the darkness and seek refuge in a better place?"
For him:
He simply didn't believe that the Heavenly Stem Alliance could pull off a miracle and turn the tide. Continuing down this path would only result in his merits being wiped out and him being expelled from the Endless Battlefield.
Therefore, he secretly joined the Earthly Branch Alliance, acted as a high-level spy, and betrayed intelligence and his comrades.
As long as the Earthly Branch Alliance wins in the end:
He could at least obtain a supreme elixir that would extend his life by tens of thousands of years from the seven Half-Step Heavenly Lord, and he might even have a chance to try again for the Gift of Eternal Life in the future!
"Okay, okay!"
Great Emperor Blazing Sun, enraged, laughed coldly and roared:
"Old dog in Hemp Robe!!"
"If I don't die today, I will make you pay with your life tomorrow!!"
As he spoke, he had already reported the situation here to the council through the Heavenly Lord Talisman Edict, pointing out the spy identity of the Hemp-Robed Ancestor.
The Hemp-Robed Ancestor could naturally guess his actions, but he didn't care at all.
He had already obtained the promise from the Emperor Huan through secret channels, and the biggest benefit was already in his hands. At worst, he could just hide in the headquarters of the Earthly Branch Alliance. He wasn't afraid of the Heavenly Stem Alliance's subsequent repercussions at all.
"So, the Hemp-Robed Ancestor was a traitor..."
Chen Qingyu's gaze was deep and his expression grew increasingly somber.
This operation to support the " Great Tomb of a Thousand Autumns " was probably a trap set against him from the very beginning!
It's obvious without even thinking that the Emperor Huan is after him!
It is highly likely that his true identity was exposed for some unknown reason after the last battle at Mount Taishi!
As expected:
" The Great Emperor Wanjie, right?"
The figure, enveloped in a hazy aura, looked at Chen Qingyu, and a clear, melodious voice rang out:
"You're quite good; it wasn't in vain that I came all this way to find you!"
You provided the starting sign-in rewards for the legendary Zhuang Shisan, featuring Chen Qingyu from the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Transformations Zhuang Shisan.