Eternal Heavenly Emperor-Chapter 378 - 368: Entering the Ancient Tomb
"Chu Hao?"
"Who is Chu Hao?"
Seeing Yuan Tiangang stop in his tracks, and even lose his composure a bit, everyone couldn’t help but be greatly surprised.
"I remember now, isn’t Chu Hao the new number one on the Fledgling Dragon List for this session?"
"What, is that the dark horse who defeated Yuan Tiangang?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"That’s right, according to the information I obtained, this person emerged from the Middle Nine Counties."
"The Middle Nine Counties? No way, can someone that strong really come out of a place like that, and take down the title of number one on the Fledgling Dragon List?"
Everyone was somewhat incredulous. The people from the Upper Three Counties held a sense of pride, and even if they themselves were not geniuses or particularly strong, they would still confidently face a War King from the Middle Nine Counties.
Therefore, it was genuinely difficult for them to accept that someone from the Middle Nine Counties had taken the title of number one on the Fledgling Dragon List.
"Hmph, Yuan Tiangang must have been careless; otherwise, how could he have lost to someone from the Middle Nine Counties."
"Exactly. As the saying goes, ’Foes often meet where one would least expect it.’ I’m guessing Yuan Tiangang is going to have another bout with Chu Hao. This time, he will definitely reclaim his number one ranking."
"A momentary victory or defeat really proves nothing."
Amid the quiet discussions of the crowd, Yuan Tiangang strode towards Chu Hao and said, "You haven’t disappointed me, you really did make a breakthrough beyond Warrior. What Tier are you at now?" He knew Chu Hao had means to conceal his cultivation, so although he appeared to be First Tier, he should be more than that.
Chu Hao smiled faintly and said, "I didn’t break through just to avoid disappointing you!" He then removed the Concealment Jade.
"Hmm?" Yuan Tiangang’s gaze suddenly sharpened because Chu Hao’s aura became unfathomable.
This meant that Chu Hao’s cultivation was above his own.
"Just one Tier higher than you," Chu Hao stated lightly; he clearly saw that Yuan Tiangang was a Third Tier Warrior.
Don’t say it so casually!
Yuan Tiangang thought to himself that since the end of the rankings battle on the Fledgling Dragon List, he didn’t know how many perilous ancient relics he had visited, how many battles of life and death he had experienced, how much hardship he had endured, and how many difficulties he had suffered to achieve his current accomplishments.
Yet, he was still one level behind in the realm. Under Chu Hao’s casual words, it felt as though all his efforts had been in vain.
"Chu Hao, I look forward to fighting you at the Heaven Talented Assembly," Yuan Tiangang said formally.
But Chu Hao appeared somewhat unenthusiastic as he replied, "Yuan Tiangang, it’s not that I look down on you, but someone I’ve surpassed... will never again be considered an opponent by me. I’m not looking forward to a fight with you."
Although this statement was somewhat offensive, it was the truth.
Yuan Tiangang couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly, his eyes suddenly emitting a three-foot-long beam of light, his black hair moving on its own, fluttering constantly. Just when everyone thought he couldn’t contain himself and would lash out, he managed to calm down and said with an incredibly composed tone, "At the Heaven Talented Assembly, I will definitely defeat you."
Chu Hao didn’t continue to bring down his opponent. In fact, there were at least ten peers in Yue State alone whose talents, potential, and strengths were no less than Yuan Tiangang’s. The Heaven Talented Assembly even extended participation age to as much as fifty years old, so he could expect to see many geniuses from past lists of Fledgling Dragons and Earth Tigers vying for supremacy.
Yuan Tiangang might be able to claim some dominance in Cang State and that too only before he came along, and even then, only within the age restrictions of the Fledgling Dragon List. Chu Hao naturally didn’t think he would achieve anything remarkable at the Heaven Talented Assembly.
Unless he could attain a meteoric rise within the next six months.
Chu Hao merely smiled without responding; he didn’t need to flex his might before a defeated adversary to elevate his own status.
Yuan Tiangang gave Chu Hao a deep look before withdrawing his gaze, but when he caught a glimpse of Gu Qingcheng, he couldn’t help but be stunned once more, taken aback by the beauty and charm of this breathtaking woman.
How could there be such an incredibly beautiful woman in this world?
He couldn’t help but tighten his fists again; he would definitely defeat Chu Hao, and his reward would be this Heavenly Immortal-like beauty—he believed Gu Qingcheng must be following him because of Chu Hao’s fame.
He stepped forward again and entered the Ancient Tomb; his tall figure was quickly swallowed by the darkness.
"That was Yuan Tiangang, huh." Gu Qingcheng oh’d.
"Is he on your recruitment list too?" Chu Hao asked.
"Hmm, he’s somewhat inferior compared to you, but reaching Double Great Perfection in the Three Minor Realms is still a rare talent." Gu Qingcheng nodded.
"What does your family need so many talents for?" Chu Hao couldn’t help but wonder. Given they were all outsiders, it seemed unlikely they would form any deep connections with the Gu Family—after all, there was only one Gu Qingcheng. Who would she marry?
Gu Qingcheng looked up at the sky, her voice ethereal, "This world may seem peaceful, but an invisible disaster is fermenting within. When the time comes... rivers of blood will flow, and corpses will be strewn everywhere. Our Gu Family merely wishes to create good karma, hoping that among you someone will grow to be strong enough to support the heavens and the earth. If so, then my Gu Family will be able to lean on a strong backer and avoid this catastrophe."
Chu Hao was shocked because Fat Cat had said something similar. But Fat Cat was from Ancient Times, while the Gu Family was an ancient lineage. In fact, there was quite a gap in years between the two.
Wait, Fat Cat mentioned that in Ancient Times there was a Nine Charm Demoness who also had the bloodline of the Nine Charm Profound Body, and her bloodline was much more pure than Gu Qingcheng’s... Could it be that she was the forebear of the Gu Family?
If that were the case, the glory of the Gu Family was not just about being descendants of the War God. It was something much more awesome and ancient.
"Is your family from Ancient Times?" Chu Hao decided to ask clearly.
Gu Qingcheng was slightly surprised. The world only knew that the Gu Family had produced a War God, which was the family’s most glorious achievement. However, only central members of the Gu Family knew that their glorious past went far beyond this. In Ancient Times, the Gu Family’s illustrious name also resonated throughout the world.
How did this guy know?
"Indeed, the Gu Family’s legacy is very ancient," Gu Qingcheng revealed a big secret, "and the prophecy of the world’s impending disaster also comes from the deduction of an old ancestor in Ancient Times. It has been passed down as a core secret from generation to generation. The start of the great catastrophe will be the emergence of a large number of geniuses."
Fat Cat also said that a great chaos would arise and had always urged him to quickly improve his cultivation.
Looking at the previous Fledgling Dragon List, First Tier martial masters were eligible, but this time, only Martial Sects qualified, and even Nine Meridians martial masters were not eligible. By comparing with the list from the cycle before the last, one could find that the requirements to be listed were even lower at that time.
"What exactly is this great chaos?" Chu Hao asked.
"I do not know," Gu Qingcheng shook her head, "That forebear only mentioned a great disaster that could potentially annihilate the entire Sky Martial Star. But what specifically it is, the forebear did not say."
Just like Fat Cat, clearly knowing something but unwilling to disclose it.
Chu Hao thought for a moment, then said, "If it’s destined to rain, a mother has to marry her daughter off. There’s nothing we can do about that. We can only endeavor to improve our cultivation as quickly as possible and hope to have a chance to survive in the midst of this great disaster and chaos."
"You will protect me, won’t you?" Gu Qingcheng said ethereally, her magnetic voice incredibly moving.
Chu Hao knew she was deliberately coquettish, yet he still got somewhat distracted and said, "Within the scope of my abilities, I will protect you."
He certainly hadn’t promised more than he could deliver. He was only a little Warrior now.
Gu Qingcheng pouted her lips. The answer wasn’t what she most wanted to hear, but at least it was some progress.
The topic of great disasters was somewhat heavy and clearly unsuitable for Gu Qingcheng, the demoness who charmed all living beings. She soon switched to talking about fun things and didn’t forget to tease Chu Hao to avenge the "great grievance" of him always ignoring her charm.
Xiaocao watched them, her index finger twitching with an intense murderous intent. She could hardly resist the urge to poison Gu Qingcheng so that she would never again be able to use that enchanting face to bewitch anyone.
Being Martial Artists and traveling, they weren’t fussy—they set up a tent and dealt with the night as best they could. Early the next morning, after breakfast, they decided to enter the Ancient Tomb.
Through the long corridor, they quickly entered the tomb complex. It was an immensely huge group of ancient tombs. As far as the eye could see, it was densely packed with one tomb after another. This level was about a hundred meters high, making the place seem incredibly grand.
There were over a dozen such tomb clusters, layered one below the other, occupying the belly of Seven Extremes Mountain.
"The Grandmaster is really mean, not telling us which level or which chamber the Fist Manual is hidden in, forcing us to find it ourselves. How hateful!" the Barbaric Girl complained bitterly.
War Emperor Tianshuang only said he had marked the door of the chamber containing the Fist Manual, but he did not disclose which level it was on. Therefore, they had to compare and check every level and every chamber.
"Stop complaining, let’s go!" Chu Hao patted the girl’s shoulder.
The four of them stepped forward and started to carefully check the doors of each tomb, looking for the mark left by War Emperor Tianshuang. The place was quite dim, but the least cultivated among them, Xiaocao, was a Martial Sect, and their eyesight wouldn’t be too affected. Moreover, Chu Hao had activated his physique, and flames soared above his head like a human torch, so they didn’t need to worry about lighting.
They quickly checked all the tomb doors on that level and did not find War Emperor Tianshuang’s mark, so they proceeded to the second layer.
Because it was funnel-shaped, the space on the second layer was much larger than the first, and the number of tombs had also increased significantly. It was clear that the further down they went, the larger the space and the more tombs there would be.
Crack—the Barbaric Girl stepped on something that made a crisp sound.
They looked down only to find that it was actually a human femur, which the Barbaric Girl, being a Body Cultivator with weight comparable to a wild elephant, had crushed with her foot.
Looking ahead, they saw a skeletal corpse that had long been reduced to bones, unknown how many years it had been dead. Obviously, it did not belong to the Ancient Tomb; it must have been a Trial Participant who entered here later but met their end in this place.
Just then, they heard faint footsteps approaching. With the flames burning above Chu Hao’s head, they could clearly see that a cadaver was staggering towards them. Astonishingly, a black snake slithered out of its dry eyes, then went back in through the other eye socket. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
