Chapter 937 Missing One
"I see... none of you will be able to leave!"
The one speaking was Luo Xiaohao.
At this moment, Luo Xiaohao's eyes held no trace of his previous tension. Instead, they were filled with a hint of mockery. He was like a completely different person from before, exuding intense spiritual power fluctuations.
Upon witnessing this scene, Chen Yang and Zhou Lihao exchanged a look, immediately understanding the meaning behind each other's eyes. Those within this space had indeed left a contingency plan. If nothing unexpected had occurred, the contingency plan would likely involve the bamboo pole.
Unperturbed by Luo Xiaohao's sudden change, Rong Yuqing cupped her hands towards Luo Xiaohao and smiled, "Esteemed senior, if a person is dead, why cling to them so fiercely? Wouldn't it be better to pass down your legacy for future generations to admire?"
Chen Yang glanced at Rong Yuqing with a hint of curiosity. Had this woman encountered such situations many times before?
"Dead? Who says I am dead? This place is precisely where I achieved nirvana. Since you have come, you shall remain here!"
As Luo Xiaohao spoke, he swung the bamboo pole in his hand towards Rong Yuqing. The overwhelming power contained within the bamboo pole directly repelled Rong Yuqing.
"This old fellow's spiritual power is still quite strong!"
"Chen Yang, since you brought them in, you can't just stand by and do nothing, can you?"
Although Rong Yuqing had dodged the attack, she chose not to continue fighting him. Instead, she directly posed the challenge to Chen Yang.
Chen Yang nodded slowly, and in the next instant, his vast spiritual power surged forth, enveloping Luo Xiaohao. Simultaneously, Chen Yang sensed two strands of spiritual power clashing within Luo Xiaohao's body. The weaker strand, having undergone no refinement, was desperately attempting to expel the powerful spiritual force from the body. Despite its efforts, it could not move the stronger entity an inch. As for the powerful spiritual force, although it occupied the body, there was a clear repulsion towards it. This was likely the contingency plan left within the tomb.
Chen Yang discovered something peculiar: no matter how Luo Xiaohao acted out, the spiritual force within the tomb did not attack him.
"If I'm not mistaken, Senior, you had already chosen Luo Xiaohao as your successor, hadn't you?"
The spiritual force that was occupying Luo Xiaohao's body locked its gaze onto Chen Yang upon hearing his words. Four peak mortal cultivators... if it came to a fight, they would only be able to deal with these four by destroying the entire place. And this was his legacy ground; if it were destroyed, his legacy would truly be broken!
The spiritual force within the Celestial Venerable's tomb had long since made all these arrangements. The bamboo pole, being his personal treasure, had been sent out, and he had been secretly observing Luo Xiaohao ever since. Although he couldn't leave, he had been protecting Luo Xiaohao through the faint connection with the bamboo pole. If not for the sudden intrusion of these four peak mortal cultivators, he wouldn't have wanted to open the space prematurely.
"If you people have intruded here for treasures or anything similar, I advise you not to waste your efforts."
"Time has long since turned everything here to dust. Even the finest objects cannot withstand the erosion of time."
After the spiritual force within Luo Xiaohao's body finished speaking, it manifested its own spiritual form. Chen Yang couldn't discern its appearance, not because of any special technique, but because its spiritual force was dissipating at an extremely rapid pace. After speaking, it turned its gaze to Rong Yuqing not far away and said, "There is a peculiar power within you, a trace of the Heavenly Mechanism Exquisite. I was once a regular customer of yours back then. You truly possess the demeanor of the former Pavilion Master Rong, always manipulating others to your will."
Rong Yuqing's brow furrowed, and she said in a low voice, "The former Pavilion Master Rong of the Heavenly Mechanism Exquisite was indeed my ancestor."
"The Heavenly Mechanism Exquisite changed hands for a period. Although my grand-disciple eventually reclaimed it, but..." A torrent of troublesome memories flashed through Rong Yuqing's mind. She then inquired, "That was a very long time ago! Senior, may I know your name?"
The spiritual force seemed to fall into silence, and after a long while, it murmured, "My name is Que Yi!"
Before Rong Yuqing could speak, Zhou Zeya's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "Four-nine of the drought cultivators, Heaven spares not one!"
"Celestial Venerable Que Yi!"
"Impossible! How could you... impossible!"
Zhou Zeya seemed to have heard something incredibly significant, something he couldn't accept. Rong Yuqing hadn't reacted immediately, but upon hearing Zhou Zeya's words, her body trembled.
"Celestial Venerable Que Yi." Rong Yuqing certainly knew that this place was the tomb of an extremely powerful venerable being. However, she had never imagined that this was the final resting place of Celestial Venerable Que Yi.
Seeing Chen Yang staring at him strangely, Zhou Zeya's lips felt dry as he transmitted his voice, "This fellow entered the world thousands of years before I did. I had heard of such an existence, but I never thought I would actually encounter him today!"
Now, Chen Yang finally understood why these two were so shocked. The era of Zhou Zeya and Rong Yuqing was merely two thousand years ago. This Celestial Venerable Que Yi before them was an even more ancient being than them. Had this Celestial Venerable Que Yi already made his arrangements back then?
Celestial Venerable Que Yi naturally sensed the confusion of those before him and chuckled, "Some things are best not to be probed too deeply. When the time is right, you will naturally understand the reasons."
Saying this, Celestial Venerable Que Yi looked at Chen Yang and said, "You guessed correctly just now. Luo Xiaohao is the successor I have chosen."
"Originally, I planned to guide Luo Xiaohao into it after some time, when the world underwent changes. However, individuals at the peak of mortal cultivation frequently visit this place. Today, the four of you are here to investigate, so I had no choice but to resort to this plan."
A strong killing intent emanated from Celestial Venerable Que Yi as he spoke. If Luo Xiaohao had truly encountered danger outside just now, he would have done everything in his power to bring him in. He would never let his legacy fall into the hands of those with impure intentions. Fortunately, the young man before him not only refrained from acting but also brought him in, saving him considerable effort.
Chen Yang and the other three now understood that their actions had long since attracted the attention of Celestial Venerable Que Yi, and today they had directly disrupted his plans.
Chen Yang looked at Rong Yuqing and tentatively transmitted, "We just entered, and we can't fully trust everything he said."
"Moreover, even if pills and similar items lose their efficacy, their formulas remain. And some sect secret manuals are preserved through special secret arts."