Chapter 1025: Mound of Xuanyuan, Imperial Mausoleum of the Founding Emperor

Almost instantly, the two of them appeared in a strange space they had never seen before.

The mountains, the earth, the trees, the rivers… even the starry sky and the sun and moon overhead, everything appeared in a monotonous black and white, devoid of any other colors.

At the very center of this space, a towering and magnificent earthen mound stood quietly. Even after countless ages, it still radiated an aura of solemn, inviolable majesty.

As far as the eye could see, there was no trace of any living being, nor was there the slightest hint of foul, evil Qi; there was only empty black and white and silence.

Where is this?

Just as Qi Yuan was filled with doubt and uncertainty, the voice of the Fengdu Ghost Emperor, tinged with a bit of sighing, echoed in his mind:

“I didn't expect that in my lifetime, I would have the chance to come to the Mound of Xuanyuan to pay respects to an old friend. For this alone, I owe you a debt of Karma.”

On the other side, Xuanyuan Wei, who had entered this space with Qi Yuan, stared at the earthen mound somewhat dazedly, her expression appearing a bit trance-like.

For some reason, from the moment she arrived here, a strange throbbing arose in her heart, as if in the unseen depths, some important existence was calling for her to come…

At this moment, Qi Yuan did not notice Xuanyuan Wei's abnormality. Instead, with a Face full of astonishment, he questioned the Ghost Emperor within the ring:

“Senior Fengdu, are you saying this is the legendary Mound of Xuanyuan?”

The reason he had put on this niean pagoda ring was to have the widely experienced Fengdu Ghost Emperor help him find clues about the human emperor sword.

After all, this old ghost was a veteran powerhouse from the same era as the Donghua Immortal Emperor and the Great Qian Founding Emperor, and he knew countless ancient secrets.

Although this Ghost Prison Supreme was now like a fallen Phoenix, no longer as majestic as before, his original knowledge and experience remained. He was more than capable of acting as a resident old mentor responsible for answering questions.

“Correct.”

The Fengdu Ghost Emperor's tone carried a hint of melancholy, as if he were recalling those glorious years of the past, as he slowly replied:

“This is the Imperial Mausoleum of the Great Qian Dynasty's Founding Emperor. Buried within is the invincible first-generation Human Emperor, Xuanyuan Yang, who single-handedly created the prosperous age of the Human Dao.”

“Although Xuanyuan Yang rose from humble beginnings, he was open-minded and had an extraordinary bearing. He was the close friend I admired most in my life.”

As he spoke, the Fengdu Ghost Emperor suddenly sighed and said gloomily:

“It's a pity that heaven was jealous of his talent. Xuanyuan Yang, a peerless expert comparable to the Creation Realm, actually died suddenly in the prime of his life. His death was mysterious and unexplained, which truly makes me lament…”

What?!

Hearing these lamentations, Qi Yuan was instantly stunned, a look of bewilderment appearing on his Face.

He had once been to the Primordial World and had even pretended to be the Great Qian Founding Emperor for a period of time, so he had naturally heard of this legendary figure's life experiences.

According to the records of the Great Qian Imperial Clan, the Great Qian Founding Emperor clearly died of old age after living for over ten thousand years. How did he become 'died suddenly' in the Ghost Emperor's mouth…

Just as he was about to ask for clarification, he saw Xuanyuan Wei, who had been staring blankly beside him, suddenly tremble. She quickly set off, running straight toward that towering earthen mound.

Seeing this scene, Qi Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He could no longer bother with further questioning and hurriedly followed her.

This place was treacherous and unpredictable, and it was the sacred burial ground of the Great Qian Founding Emperor. It was bound to be not as simple as it appeared. If one barged in recklessly, heaven knows if there would be any danger.

Even for Xia Hanjun's sake, he couldn't sit by and watch this last remaining direct descendant of the Great Qian Imperial Clan meet with an accident.

However, Qi Yuan did not step forward to stop her. Instead, he allowed Xuanyuan Wei to continue forward, planning to act only when she encountered danger.

After this period of being infused with Calamity Luck, his strength was already far from what it used to be. Combined with the Annihilation Divine Light he had copied from Wu Miaozhen, unless the Creation-level Great Qian Founding Emperor suddenly came back to life, he simply didn't fear any fancy tricks.

Shortly after, he saw countless white bones at the foot of the mound. These bones belonged to men and women, young and old, with different states of death, filling deep, bottomless pits.

What's going on?

Seeing this, Qi Yuan was instantly shocked.

Could it be… that the dignified Great Qian Founding Emperor also followed the practice of sacrificial burial?

As if sensing his doubt, the Fengdu Ghost Emperor in the ring took the initiative to explain:

“Xuanyuan Yang was kind-hearted and placed great importance on virtue during his life. He would never have actively carried out sacrificial burials. These remains were all left by those who volunteered to be buried with him.”

Qi Yuan nodded, clearly accepting this explanation.

If it were a large-scale forced sacrificial burial, for the sake of efficiency, the state of death of these remains would be uniform; it wouldn't be in so many different ways.

With this, he gained a deeper understanding of the Great Qian Founding Emperor's prestige at that time. To have so many people volunteer to be buried with him after his death, his personal charisma was definitely extraordinary.

While Qi Yuan was lost in thought, Xuanyuan Wei had already climbed the earthen mound and stood before the entrance of the Imperial Mausoleum.

At the same time, Xuanyuan Wei was in an indescribable, strange state. Looking down at the piles of white bones below from her high vantage point, her Face was filled with intense emotion and excitement as she shouted loudly:

“Who exactly are you? I have already felt your summons. I have come…”

Seeing this situation, Qi Yuan frowned and subconsciously spread his Divine Sense, becoming cautiously alert.

Crack, crack, crack—

Amidst Xuanyuan Wei's shouts, the white bones below suddenly moved, emitting bursts of tooth-grating friction sounds.

At the same time, these white bones that had been silent for countless years began to rapidly assemble and reorganize, and a tall skeleton crawled out from the bone pile.

Swish!

After standing up, two clusters of bright flames suddenly ignited in the skeleton's hollow eye sockets. Mist swirled around it, and its originally withered body was quickly covered with filling flesh and blood. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a dignified middle-aged man dressed in Imperial Robes.

The middle-aged man first glanced at Xuanyuan Wei on the high platform, a look of gratification appearing on his Face, and then he turned his gaze toward a certain person's location…

In the next moment, the joy on the man's Face froze, and his gaze toward Qi Yuan was full of disbelief:

“You… You are the Heaven and Earth Society Grand Helmsman, Chen Jinnan?!”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan, who had intended to subdue the opponent first, was instantly stunned and couldn't help but ask:

“You know me?”

The middle-aged man took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice:

“I am the last Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty, Xuanyuan Kun, and I am also the guardian of this Imperial Mausoleum.”

Xuanyuan Kun?!

Upon hearing this, not only was Xuanyuan Wei dumbstruck, but even Qi Yuan's eyes widened. He felt as if life was full of unexpected encounters.

He never expected to encounter the last Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty here, Xuanyuan Hao's elder brother, Xuanyuan Kun.

No wonder this guy knew his identity. Back then, the news of the Great Qian Founding Emperor's Reincarnation had spread far and wide in the Primordial World. As the Crown Prince, it would be strange if Xuanyuan Kun hadn't sent someone to investigate him thoroughly…