The Dao of Reincarnation (147-148) (Patreon)

Chapter 147: The Eldest Senior Brother of Falling Emperor Mountain (Part 12)

"This place may be even more terrifying than the Demon Abyss Forbidden Zone…"

Su Chen's mood grew heavy.

Fang Bubai was currently battling deep within the Demon Abyss Forbidden Zone and had no attention to spare for the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone. How many horrors were still hidden within heaven and earth?

Su Chen asked, "Have you explored the other regions here?"

Yuwen Wushuang gave a bitter laugh. "Those who went to explore other areas never came back."

Not returning meant they were dead.

In an instant, the group's morale plummeted to rock bottom.

No matter which path they chose, death awaited.

Staying here—even Saint Kings would eventually transform into horrifying monsters.

Su Chen spoke calmly. "Everyone, I intend to venture deeper and search for any trace of a miracle. If you are willing to come with me, follow along. If not, I will not force you. Wait for the corpse tide to disperse—there may still be a slim chance of survival."

Xiao Qianling was the first to respond. "I will follow Senior Brother."

Yuwen Wushuang followed immediately. "I had already planned to risk everything and go deeper. I never expected to see all of you arrive here as well. Nangong Chen, I believe you will not die in this place."

The two surviving Saint Kings also spoke up. "Saint Nangong, we will go with you as well. We seek any chance of survival. Even if we die, we refuse to wait passively for the end."

The remaining Saints hesitated. Some preferred to stay and wait for the corpse tide to pass, hoping to find an exit to the outside world. Others chose to place their faith in the number-one genius of the Azure Nether Dao Domain, believing he could once again create a miracle. If even the Saints wavered, the rest needed no further persuasion.

In the end, only about one-third of the group decided to follow Su Chen.

At that moment, from the Black Nether Demon Domain side, Zhu Huangtian spoke up. "Nangong Chen, we are willing to leave with you!"

Few Black Nether powerhouses remained. Apart from Zhu Huangtian, only one Saint King had survived.

Su Yanbai had vanished without a trace. The rest had perished in the corpse tide, torn apart by countless frenzied creatures.

Su Chen nodded. The Black Nether survivors fell in step behind him. Their figures gradually faded into the depths.

…

Su Chen lost track of how much time had passed. The deeper they went, the stronger the strange, oppressive force became. Danger mounted with every step. He personally witnessed a Saint vanish into thin air. He also saw a terrifying monster tear a Saint King apart alive.

After surviving one deadly crisis after another, Xiao Qianling suddenly spoke. "Senior Brother, look over there—is that Second Senior Sister?"

In the distance stood an ancient bronze tree. Skulls condensed along its branches like grim ornaments.

Beneath the tree sat an elderly woman, her face covered in deep wrinkles. Yet from the faint traces around her eyes, one could tell that in her youth she must have been an unparalleled beauty.

Su Chen looked closely. It was indeed Ye Jinghong, missing for a century. For some unknown reason, she had aged into this frail, withered state. Yet… she was still alive. Though extremely weak, a thread of vitality remained.

She had been trapped in the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone for a full hundred years. And she still lived.

The sight rekindled hope in everyone's hearts.

"If we can rescue Junior Sister Ye, we may uncover the truth behind all this."

Su Chen understood clearly. The only path to survival lay with Ye Jinghong. Her current situation was extremely perilous.

A Saint stepped forward to scout ahead.

The group watched the bronze ancient tree closely.

It remained still. No movement.

Just as the Saint was about to reach Ye Jinghong, everyone suddenly noticed that he was aging at an alarming rate.

In mere moments, the youthful cultivator turned into a white-haired elder. His face twisted in terror as though he wanted to cry out. Then he collapsed to the ground, reduced to a pile of bones that gradually dissolved into nothingness, vanishing completely from the world.

A Saint—someone who, in the outside world, could found a great orthodoxy capable of enduring for thousands of years—had died in such a bizarre and horrifying manner. This was far more chilling than being torn apart by some grotesque creature.

Xiao Qianling suddenly spoke up. "Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister is changing!"

The moment the Saint perished, Su Chen noticed that the previously withered and aged Ye Jinghong appeared to be rejuvenating. Color slowly returned to her pallid, lifeless face.

A short while later, Ye Jinghong opened her eyes.

"Senior Brother Nangong? Junior Sister Xiao?"

Surprise and joy flashed through her gaze.

The mysterious bronze ancient tree rapidly shrank and landed in her palm.

Facing the stunned expressions of the crowd, Ye Jinghong patted her chest with lingering fear. "This damned place nearly did me in."

Xiao Qianling blinked. "Second Senior Sister, how exactly have you managed to survive all this time?"

Ye Jinghong gave a proud smile. "Naturally, thanks to this treasure. I found it in this cursed place. It can resist the invasion of the strange substances here, though it consumes lifespan in exchange. I was just a hair's breadth from sitting down and passing away. Fortunately, some unlucky fool showed up."

Su Chen's gaze fell on the bronze divine tree in her hand.

It emanated an eerie aura. Capable of effortlessly slaying a Saint and absorbing and refining their vitality.

Xiao Qianling exclaimed, "Second Senior Sister is truly amazing!"

Ye Jinghong clearly enjoyed the praise. To the group, she now looked like their savior.

"Ye Jinghong, do you know how we can leave this place?"

Faced with their hopeful gazes, Ye Jinghong shook her head without hesitation. If she had known a way out, she would have left long ago.

Disappointment swept over the crowd.

But then she continued. "Everyone, although I don't know how to escape, I discovered something enormous here—a heaven-defying opportunity. An opportunity left behind by an ancient Great Emperor!"

The group's eyes instantly blazed with heat. An opportunity from an ancient Great Emperor? Perhaps within it lay the key to leaving this place.

Under Ye Jinghong's guidance, they followed her to the front of an ancient hall.

"There's actually an ancient hall here?"

Everyone was stunned.

In such a sinister and terrifying place, where most beings avoided even approaching, there were still traces of habitation.

"Could this have once been the residence of the mastermind behind everything?"

Guesses swirled in their minds. If that were true, then this truly might be a site once belonging to an ancient Great Emperor.

Chapter 148: The Eldest Senior Brother of Falling Emperor Mountain (Part 13)

Faced with what appeared to be the inheritance of an ancient Great Emperor, no one could remain calm. Even a supreme orthodoxy like Falling Emperor Mountain could not possibly turn a blind eye to a Great Emperor's legacy.

"Ye Jinghong, how exactly do we enter the bronze ancient hall?"

The crowd had not yet been completely swept away by the allure of a Great Emperor's inheritance. If such a legacy were truly so easy to obtain, would it have waited until now for them?

Ye Jinghong answered, "There is naturally a way to enter the bronze ancient hall. You simply need to use the vitality of living beings to blast open the barrier. That will briefly open a passage into the hall."

In an instant, one of the Saint Kings seized a nearby Saint—along with dozens of Nirvana Realm cultivators—and turned them all into a mist of blood.

Just as Ye Jinghong had said, under the impact of surging vital blood, the gates of the bronze ancient hall swung open. The Saint King acted without hesitation and charged straight inside.

Others rushed to follow, but the moment they approached the threshold, their bodies exploded into pools of blood.

Ye Jinghong continued calmly, "Once the bronze ancient hall is opened, only one person can pass through at a time."

At those words, everyone turned on those beside them without mercy. Under the temptation of a Great Emperor's inheritance, no one could hold onto reason—especially after witnessing someone actually enter the hall. All notions of morality and restraint vanished to seize the chance to enter the bronze ancient hall.

Xiao Qianling noticed that Su Chen remained motionless and asked curiously, "Senior Brother, aren't we going in with them?"

Su Chen shook his head.

When the bronze ancient hall finally stood empty outside—only Su Chen, Xiao Qianling, and Ye Jinghong remained—Ye Jinghong suddenly asked, "Senior Brother Nangong, are you truly not interested in the Great Emperor inheritance inside the bronze ancient hall?"

Su Chen looked at her steadily. Their gazes met. He spoke evenly, "Who would not be interested in the inheritance of a Great Emperor? But compared to that, I would much rather know what exactly you went through here, Junior Sister Ye. This ancient bronze hall is far from simple. Are those who entered still alive?"

Ye Jinghong suddenly laughed. "As expected, I still can't fool you, Senior Brother Nangong."

Xiao Qianling's eyes widened. "Second Senior Sister, everything you just said… was a lie to them?"

Ye Jinghong shook her head. "There truly is a heaven-defying opportunity inside the bronze ancient hall. But it is not an opportunity they are fortunate enough to enjoy."

Xiao Qianling suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. "If I had gone in with Senior Brother just now… wouldn't I have ended up the same as them?"

Ye Jinghong nodded without the slightest evasion. She asked curiously, "Senior Brother Nangong, how did you realize I was deceiving them?"

Su Chen smiled faintly. "If the treasure were truly so easy to obtain, Junior Sister Ye, you would have joined forces with me long ago to eliminate everyone else and claim the opportunity for yourself."

Ye Jinghong sighed with genuine regret. "You really do understand me best, Senior Brother."

She had still wanted to test whether she could lure even this senior brother to his death. Unfortunately… Su Chen was far too cautious and far too familiar with her nature. Still, with so many dead, she had achieved at least part of her goal.

Ye Jinghong continued, "Senior Brother Nangong, have you ever heard of the legendary Innate Nine Supreme Treasures?"

The Innate Nine Supreme Treasures—Su Chen's heart jolted. Of course, he had heard of them.

Legend held that the nine supreme treasures had existed since the dawn of the cosmos. In the most ancient era, five mythical figures had each obtained one of the nine treasures. Relying on them, they transcended this heaven and earth entirely. Treasures capable of driving every Great Emperor throughout history into madness!

Su Chen admitted—he was moved. No one in the world could remain unmoved at the mention of one of the legendary nine supreme treasures.

Su Chen asked, "Could it be that inside this bronze ancient hall lies one of the legendary Innate Supreme Treasures?"

Ye Jinghong nodded.

A portal appeared within the bronze ancient hall. Through it emerged a skull oil lamp, its wick burning with ghostly blue flame, just like the bronze divine tree in Ye Jinghong's hand.

Su Chen reached out and grasped the skull oil lamp.

The lamp was forged from some unknown material, as though it did not belong to this world at all. Like the bronze divine tree, it could completely isolate the strange substances permeating this place.

The moment Su Chen touched the bronze oil lamp, he clearly felt it—the flow of his life force accelerated sharply. This was an object that had emerged from within the bronze ancient hall.

Ye Jinghong explained, "By offering up life force as sacrifice, one can obtain corresponding items from the bronze ancient hall. Whether it's the bronze ancient lamp in your hand, Senior Brother Nangong, or the bronze divine tree in mine—both came from inside that hall. Apart from allowing free movement within this divine mountain, they possess all sorts of extraordinary uses."

Su Chen understood immediately. The rapid aging and death of that Saint earlier was almost certainly connected to Ye Jinghong drawing on his vitality. These were divine objects capable of preserving life in this bizarre and perilous place. Perhaps they could even extend lifespan in the same way as those supreme treasures of legend.

Ye Jinghong continued, "According to legend, during the Mythical Era, an unparalleled existence sacrificed countless living beings in pursuit of one of the legendary Nine Innate Supreme Treasures—the Book of the Dead. The goal was to transcend heaven and earth and forge an immortal realm of the undead. In the end, he failed. If my guess is correct, the Ancient Tomb Forbidden Zone is none other than that legendary realm of the undead."

If Ye Jinghong's conjecture proved true, the implications were horrifying beyond measure. The Mythical Era earned its name precisely because it lay so unimaginably distant from the present age. Could those grotesque creatures actually be remnants that had survived from the Mythical Era?

Su Chen sighed softly. "No wonder you were willing to slaughter them all, Junior Sister Ye. The secret of one of the Nine Innate Supreme Treasures is simply too shocking. Anyone would want to claim it for themselves."

Ye Jinghong looked at him. "Senior Brother Nangong, your talent surpasses even mine. If the two of us joined forces, perhaps we could share in one of the greatest secrets of all time."

Su Chen shook his head.

Ye Jinghong was momentarily stunned. Then she sensed danger and immediately tried to retreat.

Su Chen struck.

A single palm—simple and unadorned—yet it unfolded into millions upon millions of Daos and laws.

Ye Jinghong's expression changed dramatically. "Senior Brother Nangong… you have actually reached this step?"

She did not sit passively. A demonic halberd appeared in her hand, radiating an overwhelming aura as though a Demon Emperor had awakened.

Su Chen raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was actually a Great Saint artifact.

Though startled, he was not without means. With a casual gesture through the air, an ancient black-jade sword appeared in his grasp.

Ye Jinghong's face darkened. "Nangong Chen, are you planning to kill me and monopolize the secrets of the bronze ancient hall?"

Su Chen did not hesitate.

The black-jade ancient sword erupted with heaven-shaking power. A single sword beam slashed toward Ye Jinghong.

In their brief exchange, Ye Jinghong realized she was no match for him. She awakened the full might of the demonic halberd and fled toward the outside of the mountain.

In that instant, the heavens and earth shook violently.