Chapter 127: Three Years Later

Boom!

Before the bidding could conclude, a sudden commotion erupted outside. A figure flew in and violently crashed into the young scholar’s stall. Following closely behind were several individuals dressed in imperial attire.

Two rows of sword-wielding guards entered in formation, escorting three powerful members of the Luxury Nation’s royal family at their center.

All three were at the peak of Qi Refinement realm:

The two on either side stood at the tenth and eleventh layers of Qi Refinement, while the one in the middle was at the thirteenth layer, a top-tier Qi Refiner capable of attempting Foundation Establishment breakthrough.

“Big Bro.”

Amidst the wreckage of the destroyed stall, a bloodied figure struggled to speak. Surprisingly, this person also wore clothing indicative of the Luxury Nation’s imperial family.

“The patriarch is here, hurry, escape!”

“You traitorous wretch, daring to conspire with outsiders for our imperial treasures.”

Upon hearing these words, cold glints flashed in the eyes of the three imperial cultivators. One of them immediately raised his hand, aiming a strike towards the speaker’s head.

Boom!

Just as the attack was unleashed, the young scholar intercepted it effortlessly. His strength, originally Late Stage Qi Refinement, suddenly shifted, matching that of the attacking elder at the tenth layer of Qi Refinement.

“Huangfu old ghost, aren’t you being too ruthless!” The young scholar, filled with malevolent qi, fearlessly stood against the three powerful elders.

“Big Bro, run! They’ve brought tier-2 magical artifacts,” shouted the severely injured imperial disciple from the ground.

Tier-2 Magical Artifacts!

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions drastically changed. Some quick-thinking solo cultivators had already reached the edge of the entrance. However, before they could escape, the three imperial patriarchs produced golden foils.

Instantly, the entire area was sealed off.

“What do you intend to do?”

“Are the Huangfu planning to kill us all as well?!” someone couldn’t help but angrily exclaimed. For solo cultivators, having their means of retreat cut off was highly taboo. Concealed within the crowd, several individuals with hidden cultivation bases grew restless.

“We are here solely to apprehend the culprit. Please remain calm, everyone,” stated the leading patriarch of the Huangfu Family. With that, he opened his mouth and gently bellowed at the young scholar:

“Surrender immediately!”

“Surrender immediately!!”

The sound reverberated, indicating a divine soul attack.

The young scholar’s face paled, instinctively attempting to flee. However, just as he moved, he realized that the surrounding space had been locked by the golden foils.

Simultaneously, one of the others summoned a fire dragon using a spirit talisman, while the third conjured electricity in his palms, all closing in on the young scholar.

“Three old patriarchs from the imperial family have arrived; seems like they’ve lost something significant,” a voice whispered near Chen Luo’s ear.

Wang Tianji, who had gone to attend to some matters earlier, had returned unnoticed and now stood beside Chen Luo, observing the commotion.

Their lodgings were located on the top floor of the reception hall. The golden foil did not seal this area, as even the three elderly members of the imperial family recognized that Peak Stage solo cultivators should not be provoked lightly. Disturbing just one could lead to uncontrollable situations, serving as a gesture of goodwill towards them.

“The strongest within the imperial family are these three old patriarchs?”

“Yes, three at the peak of Qi Refinement, with one being a tier-one array master. Their combined strength makes them virtually invincible in the Luxury Nation. Without Foundation Establishment cultivators intervening, the imperial family remains unshaken.”

Wang Tianji appeared preoccupied with something, but upon seeing the imperial family’s top experts, certain thoughts seemed to recede in his mind.

Though unintentionally spoken, Chen Luo took heed of Wang Tianji’s words. His eyes suddenly flickered, unable to suppress a particular idea any longer:

‘If their top experts are here, wouldn’t their home territory be left vulnerable?’

An opportunity!

‘It’s time to loosen the soil of the Imperial Tomb.’

Chen Luo decisively abandoned his thoughts of spectating and turned towards the stairs.

“Fellow Daoist Chen?”

Wang Tianji continued speaking but soon realized that Chen Luo had left without notice at some point.

Not even bidding farewell.

Earlier, while purchasing medicine, Chen Luo had inquired about the location of the Imperial Tomb. It was easy to find, not being a secret.

After leaving the exchange venue, Chen Luo utilized Wan Ming’s knowledge to discreetly alter his appearance. Taking advantage of the night, he infiltrated the imperial city undetected.

Once inside the palace grounds, the security was exceptionally tight, with sentries every few steps and guards stationed everywhere. Hidden in the shadows were Peak Zongshi-level experts, making it akin to impenetrable fortifications for ordinary individuals.

But Chen Luo was a cultivator.

Using spiritual energy to manipulate wind, he effortlessly evaded the guards and reached the deepest recesses of the Imperial Tomb within the palace.

This particular Imperial Tomb, located deep within the palace, was reserved exclusively for burial rights. Throughout the generations of the Luxury Nation’s royal family, only those possessing aptitude for immortal cultivation could be interred here upon their passing. Those without such aptitude were buried in the royal cemetery outside the city.

Upon descending, Chen Luo effortlessly bypassed the guards and entered the Imperial Tomb.

“Who’s there?!”

Finally, Chen Luo encountered a cultivator at the Mid-stage of Qi Refining. Sensing the spiritual energy fluctuations, the cultivator swiftly reached for his magical artifact.

Thud!

Before he could react, a staff struck him on the back of the head. His eyes went blank, and he instantly collapsed unconscious. Combining physical attacks with Soul Techniques proved simple, effective, and silent.

After dispatching the guard, Chen Luo searched briefly to confirm the entrance location.

“It’s time to breathe some fresh air.”

He retrieved a shovel and deer-hide gloves, prepared beforehand, and skillfully began digging.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had excavated the tomb passage.

Entering the Imperial Tomb, Chen Luo found himself in a vast underground hall with a raised platform at its far end. The platform was divided into seven sections, each containing a coffin.

Below the platform lay a grave pit filled with the skeletal remains of those who were interred as burial offerings.

The resentment from these sacrificed individuals accumulated within the tomb, saturating the entire chamber with a dense aura of malevolent Yin energy. This energy was then channeled by a formation back onto the platform.

Upon infiltrating, Chen Luo immediately observed this scene.

“They’re attempting resurrection.”

With countless evil methods available, it was not surprising for members of the Luxury Nation’s imperial family to seek revival. Without hesitation, Chen Luo flew over and stepped onto the central coffin with his foot.

He scanned the area.

“Only seven?”

The limited number of coffins greatly disappointed Chen Luo. In such a vast Imperial Tomb, there were merely seven interred individuals. It seemed the Luxury Nation’s royal lineage wasn’t thriving; so few had aptitudes suitable for immortal cultivation.

“Well, seven will have to do.”

Chen Luo didn’t waste any more time. Since digging began, he had already been delayed for some duration. The three old imperial cultivators could return at any moment, and he had no desire to face them all in a bloody confrontation. The risk was too high, especially considering they wielded tier-2 magical artifacts.

Clang!

With a kick on the stone coffin lid, the corpse inside was revealed.

Covered in black hair, indicating signs of impending reanimation. Chen Luo paid it no heed and placed his hand on the corpse’s head.

‘Contacting deceased brainwaves, Degradation Rate 99%. Read now?’

The familiar interface appeared seven times.

Without further examination, Chen Luo collected the brain and swiftly turned to leave. In his haste, he didn’t even bother filling the grave pit back with soil—a first instance of unprofessional conduct in his career.

Nightfall.

A dark silhouette streaked across the sky, departing from the capital city.

At the exchange meet site:

The three imperial patriarchs engaged in fierce combat against the young scholar. When one of the patriarchs summoned a tier-2 magical item, the young scholar revealed his trump card as well. He produced a talisman treasure that caused the entire exchange hall to collapse in an explosion.

After their intense battle, both sides emerged battered and wounded.

The young scholar, gravely injured, fled the scene, while the three imperial patriarchs also sustained significant harm.

Just when everyone thought the incident had concluded, late at night, the three returning imperial patriarchs let out blood-curdling screams from within the palace walls. The sound was akin to someone desecrating their ancestral graves.

Several days later.

Chen Luo returned to Woodmount City without notifying anyone beforehand. His greatest gain from this trip to Jing City was acquiring seven brains from members of the imperial family. Although all were cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage, surprisingly, one of them was an artificer! This revelation fundamentally changed Chen Luo’s understanding of equipment forging. Now, whenever he picked up the broken magical artifact he had crushed and discarded, he felt it could potentially be repaired.

This newfound realization sparked Chen Luo’s interest in equipment forging. When the opportunity arose, he planned to ask Zhu Jie, through her connections with the Loose Cultivators Union, to obtain some introductory knowledge for beginner artificers.

Two days later.

Hu Qiudao and Zhu Jie returned to Woodmount City as well.

With the chaos at the exchange meet, it effectively brought an early end to the event. The subsequent developments would be of concern to the Luxury Nation’s imperial family, but had little relevance to the remote Woodmount City.

“The ancestral tomb of the Luxury Nation’s imperial family has been desecrated.”

Inside his room, Zhu Jie looked at Chen Luo with suspicion.

Upon hearing the news, she immediately thought of him—the one who, during his first visit to the capital, had inquired about the tombs of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Suspicion seemed inevitable from any angle.

Although the imperial family’s ancestral tomb lacked Foundation Establishment cultivators’ remains, it was still the largest burial site for cultivators within the capital city.

“As an alchemist, why are you discussing grave robberies with me? There’s an old fellow from the Corpse-Raising Sect outside the city; he might find this topic more intriguing.” Chen Luo, expressionless, continued blending ingredients in his hand, remaining calm and composed.

“It wasn’t you?”

Zhu Jie began to waver slightly.

“If there’s nothing else, please help me purchase materials. This month, the Loose Cultivators Union requires a significant number of medicinal pills, so I’m quite busy,” Chen Luo stated firmly, denying any involvement.

While certain actions might be taken, admitting to them was absolutely out of the question.

If word spread, wouldn’t his reputation as Pill Master Chen be ruined overnight? In the future, wherever he went, people would likely target him before he even had a chance to locate nearby tombs, severely hindering his endeavors.

“Alright.”

Zhu Jie stood up, collected the list written by Chen Luo, and also took with her the ‘Spirit Explosion Pills’ he had refined over the past few days. Although Chen Luo referred to these pills as Spirit Foundation Pills, she preferred calling them Spirit Explosion Pills due to their greater renown and ease of selling!

After seeing Zhu Jie off, Chen Luo closed the door.

Gathering the materials purchased from Jing City, he began attempting to concoct the ‘Foundation Establishment Pill’. He couldn’t obtain several key ingredients, so he used substitutes with similar properties instead.

Life settled back into tranquility once more.

Spring turned to autumn, and three years swiftly passed.

Over this period, not much changed significantly. The news from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect remained grim.

The initial probing phase had ended, and Foundation Establishment cultivators started appearing on the battlefield. The Divine Lake Immortal Sect formally declared war on both the Corpse-Raising Sect and Nine Poisons Valley. Wars between sects were far more complex than mundane conflicts, often lasting longer than the lifespan of ordinary humans. Unless an unparalleled powerhouse intervened, such wars typically persisted for at least thirty to fifty years, potentially spanning an entire lifetime for common folk.