The Eighth Son, Forces Split in Two
These three were all skilled individuals selected by Li Yunjing to join the main branch of the Luozhen Sect in the Tianyuan Dao Realm after their cultivation reached the Dao Union Perfection Realm.
If they break through to the Void Refinement Realm in the future, the Luozhen Sect will suddenly have several more Void Refinement.
Besides the people from the Luozhen Sect, there were also more than ten rogue cultivators from Tianyuan Rogue Cultivator who rushed to the scene after hearing the news.
These Rogue Cultivator were all at the Dao Union level and were well-known in the Great Wilderness. At this moment, they all consciously followed behind Li Yunjing's group with a respectful attitude.
Everyone knows that only by following someone like Li Yunjing, who has both strength and luck, can one get a piece of the action in the secret realm.
Zhi Qianshu led twenty warriors with the Biyuan Totem at the forefront. The Black Bird Totem on his chest was slightly warm, and his eyes were burning. "That's right! It's the aura of the Primordial Ancestor! I can feel it; the Primordial Ancestor's soul is in the deepest part of the main hall!"
Yuanchu walked beside Li Yunjing, his eyes slightly closed and his brows furrowed.
"How is it?" Li Yunjing asked in a low voice.
"Closer now." Yuanchu opened her eyes, her clear gaze fixed on the layers of palaces at the end of the sacred path. "It's at the very back, a bit safer than before, but still quite shy."
Dao Fruit hid in the deepest part of the Burial Ground, instinctively using the great formation left by the First Ancestor to conceal himself.
If the secret realm had not been opened and the great formation had not been loosened, its existence would have been completely imperceptible to the outside world.
"Then let's go deeper in," Li Yunjing decided immediately. "The main forces of the Demonic Path and the Immortal Alliance will be here soon. We need to get ahead and find the Dao Fruit first."
The crowd responded and hurried forward along the sacred path.
The journey was not without its challenges.
We had only walked about half a mile when the stone statues on both sides suddenly moved.
Roar!
The stone warrior swept his stone spear horizontally, slamming it down on the warrior at the very front of the formation with a heavy, whistling sound.
The High Antiquity totem power attached to the stone spear was able to shatter the Spiritual Qi shield.
"Protect both sides!" Ren Wen waved his whisk, and several white threads flew out, binding the stone spears. "It's a tomb guardian statue! It will only trigger when you get within three zhang (approximately 10 meters), everyone be careful!"
Without saying a word, Liao Xingjian leaped into the air, his iron fist slamming into the chest of a stone statue with a whooshing sound.
With a loud bang, stone chips flew everywhere, but the stone statue only swayed slightly before swinging its spear in a backhand motion.
"These stone statues are empowered by totem power; brute force won't work!" Zhi Qianshu shouted. "They recognize bloodlines! I'll handle this!"
He strode forward, cut his fingertip, and flicked a drop of Essence Blood onto the stone statue's forehead.
The moment the Essence Blood touched the stone statue, the totem patterns on the stone surface lit up with a pale golden light.
The previously raging stone statue instantly quieted down, slowly retracted its stone spear, returned to its original position, and reverted to an ordinary stone sculpture.
"It works!" Zhi Qianshu exclaimed with delight. "Everyone, follow me. I'll activate the bloodline imprint on the statue, and then it won't trigger the attack."
With him leading the way, the team's progress was much faster.
Although they encountered several waves of poisonous miasma and illusion arrays along the way, they managed to overcome them all without serious danger thanks to the combined efforts of Zhenyangzi and Ren Wen.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the secret realm, the main force of the righteous path had already entered.
Zhang Jianchen and two Loose Immortal stood before the divine path, followed by the leaders and elders of the seven core sects, as well as thousands of elite disciples.
Luo Chen, the newly appointed Grand Elder of the Heavenly Evolution Sect, held a divination compass, made hand Hand Seals, and the compass needle spun rapidly, finally pointing steadily into the depths of the Burial Ground.
"Alliance Leader, two Ancestors," Luo Chen bowed and said, "The primordial aura of the Dao Fruit is in the direction of the main hall at the core of the Burial Ground."
There are three forks in the road. The middle road is the shortest, but it has the most restrictions. The left and right roads are a bit further away and relatively safe.
Zhang Jianchen pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Divide the troops. I and the two elders will lead the main force, take the central route, and head straight for the main hall to seize the fruit."
The Purple Yang Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect split into two routes, one on the left and one on the right, to clean up the side halls and eliminate any potential hazards, while simultaneously supporting the central route.
All sects must be careful; the secret realm is dangerous, and reckless advance is not permitted.
"As the Alliance Leader commands!"
The crowd responded in unison, splitting into three groups and heading deeper into the Burial Ground.
At almost the same time, the demonic army also entered the secret realm.
Yan Tianjin, clad in a black dragon robe, his body surging with demonic energy, swept his gaze across the Divine Path and sneered, "The Burial Ground of the Biyuan Clan. I didn't expect that old bastard to have been dead for so long, only to have his efforts benefit the Dao Fruit."
Behind him, the leaders of the Thirty-Six Devil Sects bowed in unison.
"Your Majesty, which way do we go?" the Devil General Blood Baleful Intent asked in a deep voice.
"We'll split into two groups," Yan Tianjin calmly. "The main force will follow me down the central route and head straight for the Dao Fruit in the main hall."
"Jue'er, lead the younger generation along the side path, flank them from behind the main road, and harass their rear. Kill as many as you can."
From the crowd, a young man dressed in a black robe with silver patterns stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "Your subject obeys the decree!"
This young man was none other than the Eighth Prince Yan Xuanjue. He had a handsome face, sharp eyes, and his aura as Early Void Refinement was as steady as a rock.
He was Yan Tianjin's youngest son, and was known for his exceptional talent. However, he had been overshadowed by his older brothers, Yan Xuanfeng and Yan Xuanye, and had never had a chance to stand out.
Now that his elder brothers have died in battle one after another, he has become Yan Tianjin's key protégé.
"This trip is a test for you," Yan Tianjin said calmly, looking at him. "Don't end up like your seventh and third brothers, unable to even handle Li Yunjing. If you mess this up, you won't need to come back."
Yan Xuanjue's heart tightened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Your subject will certainly not fail in your mission! I will definitely take Li Yunjing's head and present it to Father Emperor!"
He had been holding back his energy for a long time.
Yan Xuanfeng and Yan Xuanye died at the hands of Li Yunjing, and the entire demonic path was talking about how powerful Li Yunjing was.
He refused to believe it. A country bumpkin from a second-rate sect, who had gotten lucky with a fortuitous opportunity of luck, dared to call himself a genius? Today, he would use that man's head to solidify his own position in the demonic path.
"Go." Yan Tianjin waved his hand.
Yan Xuanjue accepted the order and selected twenty young Devil Cultivator cultivators, all of whom were at least at the Late Dao Union, and two elders at the Early Void Refinement accompanied him to assist him.
The group turned and took a side road on the left, menacingly circling behind the main road.
Yan Tianjin watched his retreating figure and shook his head slightly.
"Still too green," he muttered to himself. "Hopefully, he won't die too quickly."
Having said that, he said no more and led the main force of the army along the central sacred path, marching mightily towards the main hall.
Li Yunjing and his group did not walk slowly.
With the bloodline of Zhi Qianshu clearing the way, and with the two knowledgeable seniors Fang Hexuan and Zhenyangzi providing support, the restrictions, stone statues, and poisonous miasma along the way did not take up too much time.
Half an hour later, the group passed through the sacred path and arrived at a spacious plaza in front of a side hall.
Eight enormous totem poles stand around the square, each carved with a pattern of Black Bird chasing the sun, the designs ancient and simple.
In the center of the square, a dilapidated altar stands, scattered with many broken jade pieces and bone artifacts, presumably the place where the first ancestor was worshipped.
"Let's rest for a while before continuing." Li Yunjing stopped. "The main hall area is just ahead. The restrictions will only get stronger. Everyone, take a moment to adjust your breathing and recover your spiritual energy."
Everyone nodded and found a place to sit cross-legged and meditate.
Yuanchu walked to the altar, looked down at the broken bone artifacts, and seemed lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Li Yunjing walked to his side.
"It looks somewhat familiar." Yuanchu lightly touched a fragment of bone with his fingertip. "These bones have the aura of Dao Fruit on them."