As the nine streaks of royal aura settled upon the stone gate, it slowly creaked open before everyone.
"Buzz~~"
Flashes of white light pulsed, and everyone saw a broad, golden sarcophagus emerge from beyond the stone gate. In front of the sarcophagus, hundreds of white light clusters, each containing cultivation techniques and ultimate skills, floated within the great hall behind the stone gate.
"Act!"
The weary, aged eyes of the King of Chu suddenly gleamed with inspiration. These hundreds of cultivation techniques, placed at the core of the Xuanyuan Dynasty's secret treasury, demonstrated their immense importance. To be chosen by the Human King Mang of Xuanyuan to be buried with him in the mausoleum, one could imagine these techniques must be among his favorites.
With a wave of his hand, the King of Chu swept towards the scrolls of cultivation techniques!
"Swish!!"
The two Bixi elders and one demon king behind the King of Chu opened their massive mouths and devoured the techniques, consuming dozens of them in a single gulp.
Yu Chigong and Wang Baobao glanced at the techniques with disinterest, yet they still moved to seize them.
These ancient heroes, possessing top-tier techniques forged by the Samsara Profound Yellow Tower, were peerless. While they did not need these techniques themselves, they could be awarded to the martial artists of the Great Han to further solidify its foundation.
Zhang Qiming and his two companions watched silently, with no intention of acting. The Zhang family had stood in the capital of the Sacred Origin Imperial Dynasty for tens of thousands of years, and their inherited techniques were extraordinary, rendering the ones in the hall unremarkable.
In a short time, over a hundred techniques were swept away. The white light that had illuminated them faded, leaving only the massive golden sarcophagus emitting a faint golden glow throughout the underground palace.
Yu Chigong, Wang Baobao, the King of Chu and his entourage, and Zhang Qiming and his group all gazed at the scene. The colossal golden sarcophagus showed no fluctuation of elemental energy. When several of them released their energies to probe it, they found themselves utterly unable to penetrate its depths.
"Buzz~~"
"Crack~~"
"Crack~~"
The enormous golden sarcophagus emitted faint sounds, and then, like a lotus flower, it began to unfurl layer by layer. How many layers the sarcophagus comprised was unknown, as it slowly opened.
"Crack~~"
"Crack~~"
The final layer of the sarcophagus was pitch black. Once this last layer was fully revealed, the temperature of the entire hall plummeted to its absolute extreme.
When the sarcophagus was completely open, there was no inner coffin. Instead, a corpse clad in dark gold heavy armor lay there, its hands tightly gripping a seven-foot-long sword. The sword itself resonated with a dragon's roar that lingered, and nine golden five-clawed dragons could be clearly seen coiled around the blade.
"Whoosh!"
The sarcophagus fully opened, revealing the physical body of the Human King Mang of Xuanyuan. The three factions, however, focused their attention on different aspects.
The King of Chu and his four companions were extremely excited, their gaze fixed on the blood channels beneath the body of the Human King Mang of Xuanyuan. These channels formed a dense array, firmly locking down the Human King's physique.
Zhang Qiming and the elder Mei stared intently at the physical body of the Human King Mang of Xuanyuan. Zhang Qiming and another Zhang family member, in particular, had bloodshot eyes and clenched jaws.
Yu Chigong and Wang Baobao focused on the seven-foot-long sword in the Human King Mang's hand. This was the critical element for the kingdom's advancement to an empire, and it was their objective for this expedition.
"Crack!"
The King of Chu took out a vial filled with red blood and smashed it heavily onto the formation beneath the Human King Mang's body.
"Buzz~~"
The vial shattered, but the blood did not splatter. As if drawn by some force, it flowed entirely into the grooves beneath the Human King Mang.
"Buzz~~"
The blood light flared brilliantly!!
"Dong~~"
"Dong~~"
"Dong~~"
"What have you done!"
Zhang Qiming's hair stood on end, and everyone clearly heard a heartbeat emanating from within the Human King Mang's body, pounding with increasing vitality.
"Hehehe, my lineage of Human Kings, through ten thousand years, has guarded the Human King's secret treasury in the southwest of Tian Yue."
"Heh, Zhang Qiming, did your Zhang family not expect this? Your ancestors sealed off the Human King's escape route, thinking you had severed his dragon脉. Hahaha, unfortunately, you are merely a clan, how could you understand the methods of an imperial court? Although the dragon脉 of our Xuanyuan Dynasty was severed, the dragon's aura was not lost; it was all sealed within the seven-foot king's sword by the Human King!"
"At that time, the Human King, knowing he was no match for the Zhang family, used the Tai Yin wood for the coffin, sealed by the Blood Spirit Formation, to suspend his life and endure these ten thousand years. He was waiting for your Zhang family to decline and then exact vengeance upon your clan!"
"Dong~~"
"Dong~~"
"Dong~~"
The heart of the Human King Mang of Xuanyuan beat ferociously, and waves of elemental energy began to surge into his body.
"Not good, stop him!"
Zhang Qiming roared in anger, raising his long saber. Elemental energy vibrated, causing his hair to fly wildly. A saber's glow shot directly towards the Human King's physical body.
Ten thousand years ago, the Human King Mang of Xuanyuan had already dominated the young talents of his era; his strength was formidable. Once he awakened, they would be unable to contend with him.
"Hmph! Do you think your Zhang family is still the same as ten thousand years ago!"
The King of Chu, with his aged white eyebrows, opened his deep-set eyes, which were like sharp blades, infused with streaks of royal aura and dragon's might. Streaks of yellow royal aura surrounded him, projecting the bearing of an emperor.
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
With three roars, the two elders directly transformed into their Bixi forms, blocking the path before the Human King Mang's body. They intercepted the brilliant saber's glow, and their massive turtle shells remained undamaged, not even bearing a scratch.
The other demon king transformed into a Netherworld Blood Wolf with scarlet pupils.
"Cough!"
"Cough!"
The Human King Mang of Xuanyuan fully awakened. He shed his dark gold heavy armor, revealing a majestic face clad in a dragon robe.
But suddenly, his body convulsed violently. The Human King Mang, who had just been full of vigor, rapidly aged in the next moment. Wrinkles appeared on his face, and his skin became loose and withered.
"Your Majesty!"
The King of Chu, tears welling in his eyes, knelt to the ground with a thud.
Everyone witnessed this scene. It seemed the method of suspending life had not succeeded. His feigned death for ten thousand years had not resulted in an awakening at his peak strength. Judging by his condition, even if he lived, his time would be limited.
"Bang~~"
"Bang~~"
"Bang~~"
His strength suddenly began to climb. From Innate, to Grandmaster, to Return to Origin, to Divine Mansion, it only slowly stopped upon reaching the Spiritual Realm, above Divine Mansion.
At this moment, Zhang Qiming and his three companions, as well as Yu Chigong and Wang Baobao, felt a sense of danger.
"Hmph!"
A yellow five-clawed dragon shot out from the seven-foot-long sword and directly charged towards Zhang Qiming, elder Mei, and the third person.
"No!"
Before the yellow five-clawed dragon was even five feet from the three, their bodies were directly crushed into the ground, splattering blood three feet high.