"The ancestor wishes to bestow upon you his cultivation, I will take you to the ancestral hall!"
Su Qian said and turned, flying towards the ancestral home.
Inside the ancestral hall, more than ten Su family elders knelt in unison.
Su family ancestor Su Qian knelt on both knees, kowtowing respectfully.
Everyone bowed their heads, their expressions solemn and reverent.
Rumble—
A muffled thunderous sound echoed from the Su family forbidden area.
The Su family elders looked up in surprise. They saw the stone tablet at the entrance to the forbidden area crack, stones falling, revealing a deep, dark cave that exuded a terrifying aura.
"This is..."
Su Qian was stunned.
"The corpse of our Su family's ancestor has been moved to this cave. Generations of Su family members have guarded it from the outside, preventing demons from coveting the ancestor's treasures."
"Demons?"
Su Qian frowned slightly.
"Let's go in quickly!"
Su family's second elder reminded everyone.
Su Zilin, Su Chen, and other young people rushed into the deep cave impatiently.
Rumble!
Another deafening sound echoed.
The Su family elders all pricked up their ears, feeling the sound coming from the forbidden area. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with suspicion.
"Is there something hidden in the forbidden area?"
An elder guessed in surprise.
"Let's go in and see!"
Another elder suggested. The other elders nodded in agreement, then got up and rushed into the black hole.
The black hole was very large. The group passed through a narrow passage and reached the end, seeing a stone bed placed in a spacious area, along with two lifelike stone statues.
The stone statues were of the Su family ancestors.
Around the two stone statues of the Su family ancestors stood more than twenty elderly people with white hair. These twenty-odd elders were the most respected figures in the Su family.
Each of them, with a stomp of their foot, could shake the entire Southern Province.
Such power was enough to shake the Su family's position.
Su Qian stared at the bloodstains on the stone statues, his face immediately darkening. He realized that someone had infiltrated the forbidden area and stolen the treasures left by the ancestors.
"Look, there's a jade ring on the ancestor's finger. It should be some kind of token, and this jade ring is the inheritance of our Su family. It must not be desecrated. We must retrieve it."
A Su family elder reminded Su Qian.
Su Qian nodded in understanding.
"At this moment, we Su family members must unite and resist the enemy together. Anyone who dares to pursue private gain and disrupt family unity will not be pardoned. Remember, according to the Su family's rules, violators will be killed without mercy!"
The Su family elders all expressed their stance.
These old fellows had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, and had long mastered the art of concealing their emotions. Even if their hearts were stirred, their faces remained impassive.
Su Qian scanned the Su family members and said loudly, "Although we old folks no longer concern ourselves with worldly affairs, we know that the Su family is facing a catastrophe. This so-called catastrophe is that someone is coveting our Su family's ancestral tomb."
"Catastrophe?"
The Su family elders looked at each other, clearly unaware of this matter, including Su Zilin and Su Chen.
Su Chen whispered, "Father's so-called catastrophe, could it be referring to..."
Su Qian glanced at Su Chen and said calmly, "Whether it is a catastrophe or not, we should unite and resist the enemy together."
Su Chen nodded and said, "Your son agrees."
The other Su family disciples also nodded.
Su Qian looked around and said, "Everyone, follow me into the tomb!"
The entrance to the tomb chamber was at the deepest part of the underground palace. The Su family elders filed into the tomb chamber.
Su Zilin followed her father into the tomb chamber and couldn't help but look around. She discovered that the walls of the tomb chamber were adorned with a massive ink painting, so lifelike it seemed alive, which was chilling.
At the bottom left of the painting, there were also some words written.
Su Qian read the entire article and frowned.
"Father, what's wrong?"
Su Zilin curiously asked her father. This article was written by her grandfather.
Su Qian sighed, "Our Su family's ancestral tomb has been coveted by thieves, and many burial objects have been destroyed."
Su Zilin paused for a moment and continued to walk forward.
Su Chen followed closely behind Su Zilin, muttering to himself, "What kind of article is this?"
Su Zilin ignored her brother and walked directly towards a pile of broken stone artifacts.
Su Qian saw his niece staring at the broken stone artifacts and frowned, "These are the protective gear that the ancestor wore when he was alive. No one else is allowed to touch them!"
"Ah..."
Su Zilin screamed and retreated.
"This..."
Su Chen was stunned.
The Su family elders looked at each other, unable to understand why Su Zilin had suddenly lost control, not only retreating but also screaming in fright.
"Zilin!"
Su Qian called out to his niece with concern, as Su Zilin's reaction was too bizarre, and he was more worried about something happening.
Su Zilin covered her mouth and retreated, not daring to look at the pile of broken stone artifacts again.
"Xiao Chen, look after Zilin."
Su Qian calmly instructed his nephew, then leaped forward to check on his niece. Confirming that his niece was not injured, his worried heart settled slightly.
"Uncle, just now... just now..."
Su Zilin had not yet recovered.
"Zilin, what's wrong with you?"
Su Qian frowned and stared at his niece, suspecting that she was mentally breaking down.
"I..."
Su Zilin stammered.
"Our Su family's ancestor was a martial arts master of his generation, who cultivated to a very high level. Anyone or any demon that can destroy the ancestor's tomb must be far stronger than us Su family members. Zilin, you must not overthink things."
Su Qian advised his niece.
Su Zilin shook her head, her eyes vacant, and muttered to herself, "It's not him, it's not him... it's not him..."
Everyone became more confused, unable to figure out who Su Zilin was referring to.
"Zilin, we must quickly find the ancestor's remains and that item, otherwise..."
Su Chen was worried that Su Zilin's overthinking would affect her cultivation, so he decided to change the subject, wanting his niece to focus on cultivation and avoid distraction.
"Yes, we must find the ancestor's remains."
Su Zilin nodded and walked with Su Chen to the central area of the tomb chamber.
The Su family elders and younger generation standing around the stone statues also left, leaving only Su Zilin and Su Chen.
"Uncle, I want to see the ancestor's remains," Su Zilin said earnestly, making her request.
"Okay!"
Su Chen agreed to his niece.
Su Qian cautioned his niece, "Be careful."
Su Chen helped Su Zilin walk up to the stone statues.
The stone carvings were lifelike, especially the pupils, which were particularly striking.
"Where are the ancestor's remains?"
Su Chen searched around.
"They're gone!"
Su Zilin shook her head.
Su Chen frowned and glanced at the stone coffin next to him.
"There are no ancestor's remains in the coffin?"
Su Chen asked Su Zilin.
Su Zilin shook her head.
"Could it be that..."
Su Chen mused, then looked at the stone coffin.
"What did you find?"
Su Zilin asked Su Chen.
"Uncle, look at the stone coffin, could it be..." Su Chen lowered his voice.
"The stone coffin doesn't contain a body, but... but what?"
Su Qian pressed.
Su Chen said, "As far as I know, there is a passage in our Su family's ancestral teachings that says our Su family's ancestor once had a miraculous encounter and obtained a drop of spiritual liquid, which he integrated into his body."
Su Qian fell silent upon hearing this.
"Spiritual liquid!"
"The ancestor consumed spiritual liquid?"
The other Su family elders' eyes widened, both shocked and excited.
Su Qian raised his right palm and placed it on the stone coffin lid. He circulated his cultivation technique, attempting to push open the stone coffin lid, but it didn't budge, as if it were locked.
"This... this is impossible, the stone coffin lid has never been locked."
An elder muttered in astonishment, then shook his head.
"Could it be that the stone door is closed, locking the stone coffin?" another elder guessed.
"Quickly go and open the stone door!"
Su Qian immediately ordered.
Several elders rushed out of the tomb chamber and towards the door outside the main tomb. In just a few seconds, they returned, their faces pale.
"What happened?"
Su Qian anxiously asked.
The few elders shook their heads tremblingly.
Su Qian frowned and stared at the stone coffin, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
The stone coffin would not open, the ancestor's tomb had been violated, and the stone door was closed. This was no coincidence.
"Rumble—"
The stone door shook, emitting a muffled, deafening sound like thunder.
The atmosphere in the tomb chamber changed dramatically, and everyone stared in horror.
Crack!
The stone door shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground.
"Ancestor!"
Su Qian knelt on both knees and kowtowed.
The elders and younger generation of the Su family also knelt in unison, bowing their heads.