**The Imperial Tomb**
Before long, Ye Xuan and Zhou Xin arrived at the site of the Imperial Tomb.
The Imperial Tomb was nestled within a mountain range. As soon as they approached, Ye Xuan sensed a mysterious force.
Beside him, Zhou Xin said softly, “The aura of an emperor! I never imagined that after so many years, the imperial aura here would still be so potent!”
Ye Xuan turned to Zhou Xin. “Has your Zhou Clan never entered this place?”
Zhou Xin shook her head. “We couldn’t get in!”
Ye Xuan frowned, puzzled. “Why not?”
After a moment’s silence, Zhou Xin explained, “Firstly, this place is guarded by the God-Slaying Formation left by the Shangqiu Emperor. It’s incredibly powerful—even Life Mysterious Realm experts struggle to break it. Secondly, there’s the residual sword qi left by that sword cultivator. My Zhou Clan has slowly eroded the formation, but this lingering sword qi…”
She trailed off, her expression turning grave. “Back then, my Zhou Clan tried to dispel the sword qi but failed. Not only did we fail, we lost a Life Mysterious Realm expert in the process!”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “You want me to deal with that sword qi?”
Zhou Xin nodded.
Ye Xuan gave a slight nod. “Let’s go in, then.”
Zhou Xin looked at him. “Do you really know that sword cultivator? If you don’t, there’s still time to back out. Otherwise, we might not make it out alive!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Let’s go.”
With that, he walked toward the distance.
After a moment’s hesitation, Zhou Xin followed.
They hadn’t walked far when Ye Xuan spotted a scattering of giant stone statues in the distance, alongside some armoured male statues.
Ye Xuan suddenly asked, “Miss Zhou Xin, was the Shangqiu Kingdom very powerful back then?”
Zhou Xin nodded. “Very powerful!”
Ye Xuan pressed, “Did they have anyone above the Life Mysterious Realm?”
Zhou Xin shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Ye Xuan’s brows furrowed. “You don’t know?”
Zhou Xin nodded. “We don’t know much about the Shangqiu Kingdom.”
Ye Xuan was about to speak when Zhou Xin pointed ahead. “Look there!”
Ye Xuan followed her gaze. Not far off was a plain, where dozens of tombs stood. Among them was an exceptionally large tomb, gleaming in resplendent gold, exuding opulence.
Zhou Xin gazed at the golden tomb and said softly, “That must be the tomb of Emperor Ming, the last emperor of Shangqiu.”
Ye Xuan glanced around, his brows knitting as a faint unease stirred in his heart.
Suddenly, Zhou Xin said, “Something’s happening!”
Ye Xuan looked at her. Zhou Xin was staring at the golden tomb. “There’s someone inside! Alive!”
Someone alive!
Before Ye Xuan could respond, a wisp of sword qi drifted down from the sky like a feather.
Seeing it, Zhou Xin’s face paled. This was the sword cultivator’s qi!
But Ye Xuan opened his palm, and the sword qi gently floated into his hand.
The sword qi had a spirit!
Not to mention the qi of the Three Swords, even his own sword qi had developed a spirit.
Ye Xuan looked at the qi in his hand and smiled faintly. “Where’s Big Brother?”
The sword qi trembled slightly, as if responding.
Ye Xuan fell silent.
The qi’s message was clear: Big Brother was far, far away.
After a moment, Ye Xuan snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at the sword qi. “Come with me, then.”
The sword qi quivered, seemingly delighted.
Ye Xuan tucked it away. Just then, the cluster of golden tombs began to tremble faintly.
Zhou Xin, beside him, said gravely, “Be careful!”
Ye Xuan looked at the golden tomb. Suddenly, it split open, and a middle-aged man in a dragon robe slowly rose into the air.
Zhou Xin whispered, “Emperor Ming!”
Ye Xuan watched him, inwardly on guard.
Emperor Ming opened his eyes, his gaze landing on Ye Xuan. “Who are you to that sword cultivator?”
Ye Xuan replied, “He’s my sworn brother!”
Zhou Xin turned to him. “Brother? Sworn?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Zhou Xin’s expression grew odd.
In the distance, Emperor Ming stared at Ye Xuan. “He’s so powerful, yet you’re so weak. How could he swear brotherhood with you?”
Ye Xuan was silent. *Can this guy even talk properly? No wonder Big Brother beat him so badly back then.*
*In this world, how you speak and carry yourself matters!*
Emperor Ming suddenly asked, “Where is he now?”
Ye Xuan looked at him. “Why?”
Emperor Ming smirked. “Why?”
Ye Xuan said, “Are you seeking revenge?”
Emperor Ming flicked his sleeve and grinned. “Is that not allowed?”
Ye Xuan was quiet for a moment before saying, “Who gave you the courage?”
Emperor Ming chuckled. “What, you think your brother is that strong?”
Ye Xuan frowned. “If he wasn’t, would your Shangqiu Kingdom be in this state?”
Emperor Ming was briefly stunned, then laughed. “What do you think happened to my Shangqiu Kingdom?”
Ye Xuan’s brows furrowed.
At that moment, Zhou Xin said, “Something’s wrong!”
As her voice fell, the other tombs began to tremble. Moments later, they cracked open, and powerful figures emerged!
Seeing them, Ye Xuan and Zhou Xin’s faces changed.
All of them were Life Mysterious Realm experts!
Forty-nine in total!
So many Life Mysterious Realm experts?
Not only Ye Xuan but even Zhou Xin paled.
Emperor Ming looked at Ye Xuan and laughed. “How laughable. You actually thought my Shangqiu Kingdom was destroyed by that sword cultivator… Who gave you the courage to think that?”
Ye Xuan glanced at him but said nothing.
Zhou Xin suddenly spoke. “Sir, if it wasn’t because of that sword cultivator, then why did Shangqiu Kingdom…”
She stopped, her pupils shrinking.
Was Shangqiu Kingdom destroyed?
No!
Not only was it not destroyed, it seemed to have grown stronger!
According to ancient records, Shangqiu Kingdom didn’t have this many Life Mysterious Realm experts back then!
Now, with forty-nine Life Mysterious Realm experts, plus Emperor Ming, there were fifty in total!
This lineup was, without a doubt, terrifying!
Emperor Ming suddenly said, “You seem puzzled.”
Zhou Xin nodded slightly. “We are, because as far as we know, your Shangqiu Kingdom didn’t have this many Life Mysterious Realm experts.”
Emperor Ming smiled. “Back then, we didn’t.”
He glanced at the figures behind him and continued, “We sacrificed most of our people, concentrating our resources and giving them to the most exceptional individuals in our kingdom. Understand?”
Zhou Xin’s brows furrowed. “Sacrificed most of your people?”
Emperor Ming nodded. “Yes.”
Zhou Xin fell silent, shocked.
Sacrificing most of their people—what did that mean? It meant Emperor Ming and his elites had plundered all the resources, abandoned the common people of Shangqiu, and funneled those resources to the kingdom’s most talented individuals.
The result?
Over the years, the ordinary cultivators of Shangqiu had perished, while those behind Emperor Ming had advanced, reaching the Life Mysterious Realm!
Ruthless!
Zhou Xin glanced at Emperor Ming and his group, saying nothing.
Ye Xuan suddenly asked, “So, what happened between you and my brother?”
Emperor Ming looked at Ye Xuan and smiled. “He came to my Shangqiu Kingdom, wanting a one-on-one duel. But I was in seclusion at the time, so I asked him to wait. He seemed to have other matters, so he left a wisp of sword qi and told me that if I ever came out of seclusion, I could destroy his sword qi, and he’d appear. Today, I just emerged, ready to destroy his sword qi, and then you showed up!”
Ye Xuan was speechless.
*Damn it!*
*What a coincidence!*
Emperor Ming looked at Ye Xuan and grinned. “Since you say you’re his sworn brother, I’ll spar with you first. Fighting you is no different from fighting him!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened. *Damn it, the difference is huge!*
As Emperor Ming prepared to act, Ye Xuan quickly said, “Didn’t he leave you a wisp of sword qi? Why don’t you spar with that first?”
He opened his palm, and his brother’s sword qi appeared.
Emperor Ming stared at Ye Xuan. “You want me to fight a wisp of sword qi?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Emperor Ming’s eyes narrowed. “Are you insulting me?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Emperor Ming added, “Or do you think you’re inferior to a wisp of sword qi?”
Ye Xuan’s face was pitch-black. *Damn it, Big Brother, why didn’t you finish the job properly back then and put this guy in his place?!*
Emperor Ming smirked. “Let’s just spar!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment and said, “You’re an opponent my brother chose. If I fight you, I’m afraid he’ll be upset. You…”
Emperor Ming frowned. “Why are you so talkative? You’re his sworn brother, so fighting you is the same as fighting him, isn’t it?”
Ye Xuan’s face couldn’t get any darker.
Little Pagoda suddenly sighed softly. “The difference… is massive!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
At that moment, Emperor Ming opened his right hand. Instantly, the space around Ye Xuan rapidly folded, layer upon layer—tens of thousands of spatial layers in a flash. Ye Xuan felt an overwhelming pressure from the compressed space.
Zhou Xin’s eyes narrowed, a trace of solemnity in her gaze.
This opponent was beyond the Life Mysterious Realm!
Just then, Ye Xuan’s Qingxuan Sword shot out from his hand.
*Slash!*
With one strike, the countless layered spaces were obliterated.
Seeing this, Emperor Ming was momentarily stunned, then laughed. “You’re not *that* weak, it seems!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Do you really want to fight me?”
Emperor Ming nodded. “Of course. Or you can call your brother here!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment and said, “Alright, I’ll call my brother.”
Emperor Ming: “…”
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and his brother’s sword qi floated toward Emperor Ming. “If you want to find him, it’s simple. Sense this sword qi. I believe you can track him through it.”
Emperor Ming glanced at the sword qi, then at Ye Xuan. After a moment’s silence, he said, “Forget it. Too much trouble. I’ll just fight you. Make your move!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Little Pagoda suddenly said, “Little Master, what now?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then walked up to Emperor Ming, holding out the Qingxuan Sword. “I’ll give you another opponent. Hold this sword and sense it—someone will come for you!”
Emperor Ming looked at the Qingxuan Sword, then at Ye Xuan. “No way.”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Little Pagoda chimed in, “We’re done for! This guy isn’t playing by the rules…”
…
