The Yin Burial Mountain Range is the most famous ancient battlefield in the history of the Nine States of the Central Region. It has witnessed several large-scale wars, with countless bones buried, exuding an extremely heavy yin energy and overwhelming murderous aura, filled with many eerie and sinister phenomena.
Not to mention the interior of the Yin Burial Mountain Range, even within a thousand miles of its periphery, there are piles of bones, with flocks of crows flying in groups, and ordinary people simply dare not approach.
According to legend, the depths of the Yin Burial Mountain Range are filled with many strange occurrences, a place where the living should not venture. Even a Great Saint entering it may not be able to retreat unscathed.
It is indeed very peculiar that the two Golden Ni Beast Emperors would order the transfer of the sacred altar to the Yin Burial Mountain Range, and it is unclear what their intentions are.
Shangguan Que coughed lightly twice and said, “We are merely following the orders of the two Golden Ni Beast Emperors, sending the sacred altar into the Yin Burial Mountain Range, and we no longer interfere. Therefore, even we do not know who currently controls the sacred altar.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen’s brow furrowed slightly. This meant he could no longer continue to probe the secrets of the sacred altar.
Currently, the two Golden Ni Beast Emperors are in the outer starry skies of the Kunlun Realm, battling the Great Saints of the Hell Realm, and it is unknown when they might have the chance to meet.
“This king and Ruochen once saw a coffin in the Imperial Ancestral Shrine with our elder brother’s handwriting, inscribed with the character ‘Chen.’ It is presumed that the coffin was meant to hold Ruochen’s body from his previous life. But when we opened it, we found it empty. Shangguan Que, do you know anything about this?”
At this moment, King Mingjiang suddenly spoke up.
The appearance of a coffin in the Imperial Ancestral Shrine surprised King Mingjiang, and the fact that it was empty left him deeply puzzled.
If the coffin was placed there by Emperor Ming, what was its purpose? Why did the body inside vanish without a trace?
Shangguan Que turned around, walked back to the stone platform, and fixed his gaze on Zhang Ruochen, staring intently.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to speak, Shangguan Que said gravely, “Back then, when His Highness the Crown Prince was assassinated, His Majesty personally sealed the prince’s body in the coffin. Under normal circumstances, the prince’s body should have been buried in the imperial tomb forest. However, the prince’s situation was somewhat special.”
At this point, Shangguan Que paused, as if he had some reservations.
“What was special about Ruochen?” King Mingjiang hurriedly asked.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred, vaguely understanding the meaning behind Shangguan Que’s words, likely related to his previous life’s half-undead bloodline.
After a moment of silence, Shangguan Que continued, “In his previous life, His Highness the Crown Prince possessed the bloodline of the undead blood clan. If buried in the imperial tomb forest, it might cause a backlash of fortune, disrupting the feng shui pattern of the tomb forest. Yet His Majesty was unwilling to bury the prince’s body elsewhere, so he planned to place it in the Imperial Ancestral Shrine, using the shrine’s special environment and power to preserve the prince’s body.”
“Later, during the internal chaos of the Sacred Ming, followed by its rapid collapse, naturally, no one knew the situation inside the Imperial Ancestral Shrine. At such a time, it’s likely no one would have thought to arrange the prince’s burial.”
Hearing this, King Mingjiang’s expression changed drastically. “What did you say? How could Ruochen have had the undead blood clan bloodline in his previous life? Could it be the Empress…?”
Such a secret had never been mentioned to him by Emperor Ming, nor had Zhang Ruochen told him beforehand, so King Mingjiang was utterly shocked.
The Crown Prince of the Sacred Ming actually possessed the undead blood clan bloodline. If this were to get out, it would cause an unimaginable uproar.
Even now, if this matter were revealed to all the former followers of the Sacred Ming, it would likely be difficult for them to accept.
Kong Lanyou said, “Grand Tutor is correct. My cousin’s biological mother in his previous life was the Blood Empress, so he indeed had half the undead blood clan bloodline.”
“The Empress was actually the Blood Empress! No wonder she died violently after giving birth to Ruochen, and our brother hurriedly buried her without letting us see her one last time,” King Mingjiang said, a look of realisation crossing his face.
The next moment, King Mingjiang looked at Kong Lanyou and asked, “The Empress was your aunt, the daughter of Lord Kong. How could she be of the undead blood clan?”
“The Blood Empress was not actually my grandfather’s biological daughter. Back then…”
Kong Lanyou began, explaining the matters concerning the Blood Empress to King Mingjiang in broad terms.
After hearing Kong Lanyou’s explanation, King Mingjiang finally understood, letting out a sigh. He could only say that the Blood Empress was too cunning, deceiving everyone and nearly fooling even Emperor Ming, turning him into a puppet under her control.
“Since our brother placed Ruochen’s body from his previous life in the Imperial Ancestral Shrine, why did it disappear?” King Mingjiang asked again.
The Imperial Ancestral Shrine is a sacred place of the Sacred Ming Zhang family, inaccessible to outsiders. Even a Great Saint would find it impossible to break in forcibly.
Shangguan Que sat back down, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said thoughtfully, “I was the one who stole His Highness the Crown Prince’s body.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” King Mingjiang was filled with confusion.
Shangguan Que’s expression suddenly turned solemn as he said, “Because of the Blood Empress, Your Highness, I must tell you that the Blood Empress was not actually born in the Kunlun Realm as an undead blood clan. She… she…”
Before he could finish, Shangguan Que suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood. His chest exploded, revealing a massive hole, with his internal organs almost entirely shattered.
“Teacher, what’s wrong?”
Seeing this, Zhang Ruochen’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly stood to support Shangguan Que.
The others also looked shocked, unable to understand why Shangguan Que had suffered such a calamity mid-sentence.
Shangguan Que kept spitting blood, his skin rapidly shrivelling, as if he had aged hundreds of years in an instant.
The next moment, an astonishing scene unfolded.
The flesh at Shangguan Que’s chest began to regenerate at an incredible speed.
In no time, the massive hole in his chest was filled with newly grown flesh and bone, and even his shattered internal organs regrew.
On the surface, it was as if Shangguan Que had never been injured, though his vitality was greatly depleted, making him appear extremely aged.
“What is going on?”
Seeing this, everyone was somewhat stunned.
Even a Martial Saint King could not possess such astonishing recovery abilities, akin to an immortal body.
Yet Shangguan Que was not a Martial Saint King. He primarily cultivated mental strength, and his physical body was actually quite fragile. If damaged, it should not recover so quickly.
Zhang Ruochen’s brow furrowed tightly. Shangguan Que’s astonishing recovery ability reminded him of the undead blood clan.
But Shangguan Que was clearly human, so how could he possess the abilities of the undead blood clan?
“I cannot speak of it, indeed I cannot. Just half a sentence has cost me so dearly, cough, cough.”
Shangguan Que stopped spitting blood, looked up at Zhang Ruochen, and said weakly, “Your Highness, forgive this old minister for being unable to help himself. If you wish to know some truths from eight hundred years ago, go to the Endless Abyss.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen’s heart jolted. The Endless Abyss again.
Back then, the Saintly Book Maiden had come to Shangguan Que to inquire about the *Blood Clan Secret Scroll*, only to be directed to the Endless Abyss by a note.
The former Blood God Sect Leader and his wife also had countless ties to the Endless Abyss.
Now, the strange events surrounding Shangguan Que, and the words he could not speak, seemed to be connected to the Endless Abyss as well.
It seemed all clues pointed to the Endless Abyss.
Zhang Ruochen pondered silently, realising he truly must make a trip to the Endless Abyss to unravel its many hidden mysteries.
