NOVEL NEXT Chapter 325: Tomb
Reaching the outskirts of the tomb, an overwhelming stench of blood filled the air.
Countless severed limbs were scattered all around, along with intestines and entrails, making it a nauseating sight.
Song Qingyi frowned slightly and lifted her head, trying her best not to look at the gore on the ground.
Lu Hong was also serious, these corpses must have been left by the prodigies who arrived here, indicating a fierce battle had erupted at the tomb's outskirts.
The outskirts of the tomb were eerily silent, and Lu Hong led Song Qingyan through the grand entrance of the tomb.
They ventured deeper into the tomb.
The enormous tomb corridor stretched hundreds of meters, each corridor filled with a strong scent of blood.
"How many people have died here?!" Lu Hong couldn't help but exclaim.
Song Qingyan sighed lightly, "Though the White Slayer Secret Realm is called a secret realm, its actual size is not inferior to any world within the All Heavens and Myriads of Worlds. Every hundred years, the White Slayer Secret Realm opens for only ten days, so all forces strive to enter and seek fortunes. Each time it opens, the number of various prodigies entering is certainly not less than a million."
"Damn," Lu Hong cursed inwardly. A million prodigies—what a concept, and top family prodigies from different worlds too. If they form an army, they'd easily sweep across the heavens unless a Heavenly God intervenes.
Of course, not all those million prodigies reached the tomb, as the White Slayer Secret Realm is too vast. Even if some got the message, not everyone possessed Song Qingyan's kind of Spatial Transportation Divine Artifact to reach the tomb's surroundings.
Nonetheless, roughly estimating those who died at the tomb's outskirts and the corridor include thousands of prodigies, highlighting the brutal battle.
Stepping over the bodies of predecessors, Lu Hong and Song Qingyan ventured deeper into the tomb.
The sounds of killing and the clangs of battle intensified.
Passing through the corridor, a fierce battle erupted in the expansive tomb hall as various prodigies formed temporary battle arrays, clashing with the Soul Corps of the Celestial Tyrants.
Though the soldiers of the Celestial Tyrant Army had long perished, their souls retained memories from life and were proficient in battle formations. Even if their power was suppressed at the Third Transition, their destructive ability was not to be underestimated.
The various prodigies, while powerful individually and capable of crushing the Celestial Tyrant Army, found war different from ordinary skirmishes. The power of 1+1 far exceeds 2, and so it was with the cohesive, formation-skilled Celestial Tyrant Army.
Each prodigy had their own motives, and the push of the Celestial Tyrant Army back from the tomb's outskirts to the hall could only be achieved by sacrificing lives.
Considering the chaos before him, Lu Hong had plans to intervene, but noticing Song Qingyan's gaze, which pointed toward several hundred top-level prodigies also standing in the corridor, watching the slaughter indifferently, he realized they were the real protagonists in this tomb treasure hunt!
These individuals remained motionless, so Song Qingyan would never waste her Magic Power. In the White Slayer Secret Realm, relying on the air's Spiritual Energy to restore Magic Power was impractical.
Although all prodigies carried many Magic Power-recovery potions, ultimately they were limited. On the way here, Song Qingyan used up a third of her stock to recover Magic Power expended against the God's Formation Furnace.
And those onlookers among the prodigies—how much better could they be compared to her?
Lu Hong comprehended Song Qingyan's intention but slightly shook his head, "I'm not like those cold-blooded prodigies who only care about their own interests. I can't stand these senseless sacrifices."
"But even if you save them, these prodigies will stab you in the back for treasures. Such ungrateful people, do you still want to save them?"
"Saving is from my heart's instinct. Whether they repay me is not within my concern, like how I saved you. It's just about seeing injustice and aiding based on instinct."
Upon hearing Lu Hong's words, a peculiar sparkle glinted in Song Qingyan's eyes as she closely examined the man who had strongly subdued his opponent and saved her.
Indeed, this man was unlike those who only cared about their selfish interests; he genuinely just wanted to save people rather than curry favor with the Palace of Darkness behind her.
"Okay, I'll help you." Song Qingyan changed her mind. In this era, hot-blooded people like Lu Hong were rare. Even if helping now meant risking an ambush by those strong bystanders nearby, leading to serious injury, it didn't deter her.
"No need."
As Song Qingyan prepared to shoulder all consequences, Lu Hong interrupted her thoughts: "I alone am enough. Just... do you have such a Divine Artifact to protect one's meridians?"
"Protect one's meridians?" Song Qingyan was puzzled, "Why do you need such an artifact?"
To prevent bursting from the inside out!
Lu Hong scoffed, given that too many prodigies had died at the tomb's outskirts and corridors; just their blood would be enough to make him explode if combined with the hidden Divine-Demon blood around the tomb. When he rescued Song Qingyan earlier, he realized his limits weren't high, so to be safe, he decided to ask her on a whim, hoping she had such an auxiliary Divine Artifact, as the Palace of Darkness wouldn't lack such treasures.
"I have one, though...," Song Qingyan hesitated briefly before straightforwardly handing it to Lu Hong.
"Is there a taboo?" Lu Hong asked, noticing Song Qingyan's concern.
Song Qingyan shook her head and explained, "This is a Divine Wood Armor. Wearing it allows it to merge into your body, protecting all your meridians. The power of a Mortal Realm Celestial can't break this defense, so rest assured."
Lu Hong was pleasantly surprised. He just asked by chance, not expecting she actually had one.
Also, Lu Hong became curious, "You possess many Divine Artifacts, so why are you restrained by Yan Sheng World?"
Presumably, the Palace of Darkness would know the principle of wood countering fire and would provide Song Qingyan many treasures to counter the Fire Element's power.
Regarding this, Song Qingyan could only smile wryly, "Yan Sheng World uses the Extreme Flame True Fire Formation, which bans the use of Divine Artifacts. In such a formation, Divine Artifacts can't be activated, including those of the world."
Hearing this, Lu Hong arched an eyebrow, "Is Yan Sheng World really equipped with such potent formations?"
Song Qingyan was stunned, "Potent?"
Lu Hong retorted, "Isn't it potent?"
"There are many such formations; the principle is the same: severing the Divine Soul from the body, sealing space, restraining Controllers from connecting to Divine Artifacts."
"Alright then."
The more he spoke, the more Lu Hong felt ignorant, so he simply stopped.
This Divine Wood Armor could be adjusted in size; upon wearing it, it immediately adapted to Lu Hong's physique, significantly shrinking at the chest area dramatically.
This caused Lu Hong to display a strange expression as he squinted at Song Qingyan. Couldn't it be that she took it off herself?
Seeing Lu Hong's suspicious gaze, Song Qingyan's cheeks flushed red, turning her head aside, "What are you looking at? Weren't you going to save those people? Stop dilly-dallying and go!"
"Alright." Knowing now wasn't the time to discuss such things, Lu Hong, with the Divine Wood Armor merged into his body, felt a solid layer of protection within himself.
This time, he could truly unleash his Bloodthirst without reservation!
In the next moment, as Bloodthirst ignited in Lu Hong, the whole tomb quivered.
Amidst the rumbling, various prodigies and battling Celestial Tyrant soldiers halted, seeking the source of this anomaly.
In a short while, a torrent of bloodthirst surged in from all directions of the tomb's corridors, relentlessly converging toward Lu Hong's position.
Song Qingyan witnessed firsthand the layers of power surging within Lu Hong, almost growing exponentially with no visible limit.
In a blink, Lu Hong reached his physical limit. The swelling, excruciating pain in his meridians forced a grimace, but the Divine Wood Armor's protection kept the surging energy within from bursting his meridians.
However, Lu Hong's meridians always had a limit.
This was Divine-Demon blood, after all. Should he attempt replacing his original stored energy within his 108 acupoints?