Chapter 543: Entering the Heavenly Tomb

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing how to attack the Hun Clan and how to allocate forces during the attack.

Xiao Ming didn't have much to say about these matters. Whenever someone mentioned the Heavenly Court, he would simply nod with a slight smile.

At this critical juncture, with life and death hanging in the balance, Gu Yuan and the others had no bad thoughts about Xiao Ming's seemingly accommodating demeanor.

There was little room for doubt or suspicion anyway, as their plan was straightforward. They would choose an opportune moment to catch the Hun Clan off guard and mobilize all their forces for a surprise attack into the Hun Realm.

The casualties would be inevitably high, but the plan was straightforward. It saved them a lot of bickering.

In reality, even if the Three Clans wanted to use more complicated tactics at this stage, success would be unlikely.

Subterfuge and cunning would prove futile against someone like Hun Tiandi, and there was no point in dwelling on other, less direct methods.

A true clash of forces was what would ultimately matter.

As the meeting drew to a close, Gu Yuan began to wrap things up.

"Now, according to our plan, please speed up the gathering of your forces. We must unite and wipe out the Hun Clan in half a month!"

"Understood!" came the spirited response from the group.

Once the meeting's atmosphere had settled, Xiao Ming stood up slowly and respectfully addressed Gu Yuan.

"Clan Head Gu, I've heard that the Ancestor of my Xiao Clan, Xiao Xuan, lies in the Heavenly Tomb. With our plan against the Hun Clan set, I wonder if I might be allowed to visit and pay my respects."

Lei Ying, Yan Jin, and the others in the hall felt their hands tremble when they heard the words 'Xiao Xuan'. Even after thousands of years, that name was still deeply engraved in their minds. That was the only person who had nearly managed to kill Hun Tiandi in the many years that had passed!

"Well..."

Gu Yuan, who was sitting in the main position, paused visibly when he heard this request.

"The Xiao Clan is also one of the Eight Ancient Clans, and of course, you have the qualifications to enter the Heavenly Tomb. However, the Heavenly Tomb only opens once every twenty years. Considering the time, there is still a little over two years until the next natural opening."

As he spoke, Gu Yuan seemed to feel that it was a bit awkward to turn down Xiao Ming right after they had discussed how to attack the Hun Clan together. After thinking for a moment, he sighed.

"Very well, I will forcefully open a crack in the Heavenly Tomb and let you in. But remember, don't stay inside the Heavenly Tomb for too long, or you might cause the Heavenly Tomb to reject you."

"Thank you, Clan Head Gu," Xiao Ming nodded in agreement. He hadn't planned on staying in the Heavenly Tomb for too long anyway.

"You are entering it for the first time, do you need someone to accompany you?" Gu Yuan asked, but his head was tilted in the direction of Gu Xun'er.

Xiao Ming smiled and shook his head. With his current strength, even if he took the wrong path, there was probably no one in the Heavenly Tomb who could harm him. He was free to roam as he pleased and didn't need to be accompanied.

Seeing Xiao Ming's insistence, Gu Yuan didn't press further. He nodded towards Yan Jin and Lei Ying, signaling them, and then waved his hand.

In an instant, Xiao Ming and his figure vanished from the great hall.

...

In the deep mountains of the Gu Clan, two figures were floating in the air, their gaze fixed on the space above the mountain range. It was as if they could see through space to catch a glimpse of the figure that once ruled the winds and clouds of the Central Plains.

When Gu Yuan looked at Xiao Ming, who had achieved extraordinary feats at such a young age, his expression became somewhat complex. He remembered how Xiao Xuan had been similarly full of spirit and vigor in his youth. Sadly, things had turned out like this...

Sighing inwardly, Ge Yuan said, "This is the location of the Heavenly Tomb. Back then, I snatched Xiao Xuan's body from the hands of the Hun Clan and placed him there myself. In reality, his soul did not completely dissipate."

"However, the Xiao Xuan in the Heavenly Tomb is, in a sense, only a remnant soul. But due to the peculiarities of the Heavenly Tomb, he has taken shape and gained an incredibly powerful strength. If it were possible to resurrect him... Well, that's probably highly unlikely."

Gu Yuan shook his head. If Xiao Xuan really could be resurrected, then dealing with the Hun Clan wouldn't be as difficult.

'Resurrection, huh...' Xiao Ming looked out into that space and thought about the only Di Tier Pill recipe in his hands.

Resurrection was not impossible, but Di Tier Pills were not so easy to refine.

However, there was no need to mention this to Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan, seeing Xiao Ming's silence, did not say much more either. He waved his hand and the surrounding energy suddenly whistled. Faint sounds of crashing waves could be heard. Immediately after that, the seemingly empty space began to fluctuate violently. A pitch-black crack was violently torn open, and within that crack, an exceptionally ancient and wild aura permeated.

"Xiao Ming, be quick and return soon!" Gu Yuan spoke in a deep voice as he watched the space crack ripped open.

"Hmm." Xiao Ming nodded. Without any delay, his figure turned into a stream of light and plunged directly into the crack, disappearing from sight.

Watching Xiao Ming vanish into the spatial crack, Gu Yuan swept his hand across the empty space, causing the crack to slowly close and dissipate.

...

A faint energy mist drifted slowly on the breeze over a desolate grey-brown land. The hazy world gave an added sense of mystery. It seemed that even the concept of time was lost to this silent world.

Suddenly, distortions appeared in the misty space. A figure appeared in the air and looked around. Immediately, his vast soul power spread out, and with a step, he transformed into a streak of light that quickly headed towards the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb.

The gusty winds of the Tomb, which were dangerous to the younger generation of the Ancient Clans, failed to hinder his progress.

Xiao Ming's bold actions naturally attracted the attention of many energy bodies within the Heavenly Tomb.

But before they could react, Xiao Ming had already vanished from their sight at lightning-like speed, leaving them yelling in frustration.

However, only first and second-tier energy bodies, those with limited spiritual intelligence, would react like that. For those with more intact spiritual intelligence, the encounter with Xiao Ming made them prefer to bury themselves in the ground for fear of being targeted by the sudden appearance of this terrifying entity.

It was just that the more some unlucky fellows feared something, the more they would face it.

Saint Xue Dao happened to be one of those unlucky fellows.

In the depths of the Heavenly Tomb, amidst a chaotic area filled with scattered rocks, a figure clad in blood-red armor lay disheveled on the ground, next to a scimitar that had been broken in two, emitting a thick, bloody scent.

Surrounding him were scattered nine-star energy bodies lying in disarray.

Seeing the dire situation of himself and his subordinates, Saint Xue Dao suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. He quickly stood up and rushed over to Xiao Ming, who had just slapped them, and said enthusiastically:

"Your Excellency must have some tasks for Little Dao to do, right? Rest assured, Little Dao will take care of everything. How about that?"

Xiao Ming looked at the survival-wise Saint Xue Dao and smiled.

"There's no need to worry, it's not like this Saint is going to eat you."

Hearing this, Saint Xue Dao chuckled nervously, thinking that the persuasiveness of someone who had just beaten him down with barely a word wasn't particularly strong. Of course, on the outside, his smile became even more sincere.

"I came here to pay my respects to my Ancestor, Xiao Xuan. You should know the location of his tomb, right? Lead the way."

"You're from the Xiao Clan? But isn't the Xiao Clan supposed to be extinct..."

Saint Xue Dao was a bit astonished by what he heard and couldn't help but mumble through his teeth. As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily glanced towards the depths of the Heavenly Tomb, a deep-seated fear flickering in his eyes.

"Hmm?" Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow.

"Cough, my Lord, I mean, I'll take you there."

Saint Xue Dao regained his composure, realizing that he had misspoken, and quickly put on a reassuring smile.

He deeply regretted his hasty words. Someone of the other party's caliber had no reason to stoop so low as to deceive him. What if the other party was offended and decided to retaliate?

To the Saint Xue Dao's relief, Xiao Ming didn't blame him.

"Stop fooling around, get going!"

"Oh oh, all right, my Lord. You're the descendant of Lord Xiao Xuan, so it should be much easier."

Saint Xue Dao forced a smile, then quickly floated forward, Xiao Ming following.

In the depths of the Heavenly Tomb, there were several formidable energy bodies, some of which were comparable to Dou Saint-level experts. As Xiao Ming advanced into the depths, these energy bodies sensed his presence. However, as they were about to surround him to feast on his flesh, Saint Xue Dao casually uttered a phrase that caused them to scatter in horror.

"He is a descendant of the great Xiao Xuan…"

These seemingly casual words sent the energy bodies within the Heavenly Tomb, who were the equivalent of overlords in this realm, into a frenzy. One by one, they turned and fled faster than anything else. As old demons that had existed within the Heavenly Tomb or an unknown number of years, they clearly understood who the true master of this place was.

Xiao Ming felt that this was a pity. The energy cores of Dou Saint energy bodies were also rare treasures. He wouldn't mind accepting them if they presented themselves. But now that they had fled, there was no need to chase after them.

Led by Saint Xue Dao, Xiao Ming walked almost unhindered to the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb. In that desolate plain, he caught sight of an ancient tomb...

"My lord, I shall take my leave now…"

When there was still a distance of three thousand meters between them and the tomb, Saint Xue Dao didn't dare to come any closer. He informed Xiao Ming and then retreated slowly, bowing his body respectfully. From beginning to end, the color of deep reverence was extremely thick on his face.

This awe was not directed at Xiao Ming, but rather at the tomb.

Xiao Ming looked at the distant tomb and could not help but feel a sense of emotion. This Ancestor of the Xiao Clan was indeed an extraordinary figure. Not only did he dominate his era, but even now, as a mere remnant soul, he still commanded great respect.

"Alright, you may leave."