Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 158 Journey to the Underground Palace

The fierce battle did not only result in the deaths of cultivators; many Yin soldiers were also killed in the process, turning into black mist and dissipating into the sky.

"Infinite Heavenly Venerable..."

The compassionate Taoist chant, like the heavenly sound of the Great Way, resounded through the sky. A simple and unadorned ancient Taoist temple, entirely built of bluestone, appeared above the tomb.

The Dao Yi Holy Land made its move, led by its Holy Maiden, whose voice was like a heavenly melody, extremely beautiful, melodious and pleasing to the ear, and this holy sound filled the world.

"Amitabha..." The young Taoist's melodious voice was clear and distinct, like pearls falling to earth, echoing throughout the heavens and earth.

With nowhere to hide, the ghostly soldiers quickly became ethereal and then turned into mist. In just a moment, most of the thousands of soldiers disappeared.

The heavenly sound was like water, cleansing the ten directions. The soldiers and horses scattered with the wind. When the moving sound disappeared, all the ghostly soldiers vanished. Even this void was purified, leaving behind a peaceful and serene atmosphere, with stars and the moon twinkling.

"The Holy Maiden of Dao Yi Holy Land is indeed remarkable." The Queen Mother of the West exclaimed in amazement, for that kind of Daoist Heavenly Sound could dispel evil energy.

"If Ling'er knew that the Queen Mother of the West praised him so highly, she would surely be proud." Dao Yi Holy Master smiled, but when he saw the young man standing next to him, he shook his head helplessly and sighed, "However, in front of Dong Yaoguang, all the younger generation pale in comparison."

Dao Yi Saint Lord had lived for two thousand years. In all those long years, none of the geniuses he had ever seen or heard of were as dazzling as the young man before him, stealing the spotlight from everyone else.

With a peaceful mind, the Queen Mother of the West said, "No matter how bright the moon is, it will not obscure the light of the stars. No matter how outstanding Dong Yaoguang is, it will not affect the fact that Dao Yi Saintess is equally excellent."

The Holy Land of Yaochi seems to possess a transcendent state of mind. Throughout the original work, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi clearly possessed great talent and was still alive six thousand years later, with a long lifespan. Such a powerful figure, throughout her life, almost never engaged in a major battle with anyone.

This doesn't fit the ongoing cosmic war depicted in the novel "Covering the Sky".

Later, Emperor Ye invited her to join the Heavenly Court, where they ascended to immortality in the Immortal Realm.

Such a temptation would be irresistible to anyone, but the Holy Maiden of Yaochi refused, choosing instead to remain in the mortal world and pass away peacefully, rather than ascending to heaven with the entire Heavenly Court.

She could have had something even the Supreme Being of the Forbidden Zone couldn't let go of, yet she refused it outright. This kind of mindset is truly too transcendent.

"Dong", "Dong", "Dong"...

Just then, from the depths of the earth, a muffled drumbeat sounded again, and yin energy surged out, billowing like smoke, instantly obscuring the stars and moon, turning the place as dark as the ocean.

Clearly, the Yin soldiers and Yin horses will soon emerge again. Many cultivators on the surface of the earth paled. The great tomb underground is very fierce, and the Yin spirits cannot be completely eradicated.

A dazzling holy light soared into the sky, like the rising sun, instantly turning the once dark sky as bright as day, with golden light shining everywhere.

This is a peerless holy technique renowned throughout the Eastern Wilderness. Once unleashed, it burns away all obstacles and possesses the power to purify everything.

The golden light shone brightly, as brilliant as the sun, perfectly suppressing the yin energy. It rushed into the tomb passage, and the water-like golden light annihilated the yin energy that resembled smoke.

"The former Holy Maiden of Yao Guang Holy Land has actually broken through to the Dragon Transformation Realm?!" The various Holy Lords looked at the ground, all somewhat surprised.

They never expected that after the emergence of Dong Yaoguang, the former Holy Maiden of Yaoguang Holy Land would also possess such strength!
It seems that the Yao Guang Holy Land is really about to rise, because they have thought of another person. Although he is not as dazzling as Dong Yao Guang and is very low-key, he defeated the Golden-Winged Roc King, so his strength is by no means low-key.

The golden light disappeared, and the tomb calmed down. Clearly, the ruler below knew that the people above were not easy to deal with, and therefore did not send out any more troops forcefully.

Yao Xi has a beautiful figure, graceful posture, and skin as smooth as jade. Her long hair, like a waterfall, dances in the wind. She is surrounded by dazzling golden light, like a goddess. When she unleashes her holy light magic, she is unparalleled in the world!
"boom!"

Golden divine light condensed and emerged, like a celestial sword, as thick as a mountain, piercing through the sky and the earth. Its powerful aura was terrifying, and many people couldn't help but tremble.

The divine light was like a sword, cleaving the heavens and splitting the earth. Nothing could stop it. Many people, even those who watched from afar, could not bear it. There was no murderous intent in it, but the overwhelming force made everyone feel as if they were about to be torn apart.

"Holy Light Technique, truly heaven-defying, reaching its ultimate level, it can break through anything!" Ji Haoyue was surrounded by divine light, but at this moment he was extremely solemn.

"Their strength is formidable, awe-inspiring, and truly astonishing," Ye Fan nodded in agreement.

"So this is my sister-in-law. Among the younger generation in the Eastern Wilderness, only you, brother, can suppress her now," he thought to himself.

Before long, the earth was ripped open, and hundreds of meters of soil were cut away, revealing the mysterious tomb to the world.

This is a great rift valley where an ancient tomb appears. Below it is a huge underground palace, not a typical mausoleum, but an ancient city, with a corner of its magnificent city gate peeking out and revealed to the world.

The underground palace, built more than 10,000 years ago, is indestructible and perfectly preserved. Undoubtedly, it is engraved with profound Daoist patterns, which has made it immortal and preserved to this day.

The massive ancient city gates, which were originally half-closed with wisps of black mist escaping from them, suddenly slammed shut with a loud "bang," isolating them from the outside world.

But at that moment, the brilliant holy light descended once more, crashing against the gate with a deafening roar that seemed to puncture everyone's eardrums.

"Crack!"

Even the immortal underground palace could not withstand such an impact, and the city gate collapsed with a loud crash.

Suddenly, a sound like a raging flood came, and countless ghostly soldiers and horses rushed out of the underground palace, attacking Yao Xi.

But such methods could not stop Yao Xi, who had already reached the Dragon Transformation Realm. Her body was crystal clear and radiant as she unleashed the Primordial Holy Light Technique and charged directly towards the Yin Soldiers and Yin Horses.

Instantly, wherever the dazzling holy light passed, people and horses fell over, and it could not stop it in the slightest.

Seeing this, the others dared not delay and all sprang into action, charging into the underground palace.

The ghostly soldiers were endless. If they wanted to enter the city, they could only fight their way through a "ghostly path." There was no other way. All the powerful figures cleared the way and fought their way to the front.

The Jiang family's divine body left behind a fleeting afterimage, disappearing within the city gate in a flash.

Ji Haoyue was enveloped in divine radiance, like a god-king descending to earth. He used his peerless technique, the Great Void Technique, to walk through the void. When he reappeared, he was already behind the city gate.

Then, people from the Great Evolution Holy Land, the Myriad Beginnings Holy Land, the Purple Mansion Holy Land, and the Dao One Holy Land all descended and disappeared in a flash, entering the underground palace.

"kill!"

The battle cries shook the heavens as powerful figures from all walks of life and disciples from numerous major sects charged forward, unwilling to fall behind, and engaged in fierce combat with the Yin soldiers.

No one knew what lay deep within the underground palace, or how terrifying it was, but everyone rushed in, scrambling to get inside.

The fog was thick, and even the Holy Maiden of Yaochi was moved, no longer indifferent, and entered the ancient city.

Then, Yan Ruyu bloomed like a divine lotus, bathed in the glow of the sunset, and vanished in a flash.

"A good opportunity to fish in troubled waters has arrived, Zhengde, let's get ready." In an inconspicuous corner, a fat Taoist priest chuckled at the handsome young man beside him.

Ye Fan nodded, deeply agreeing: "Coming here solely for the Nine Secrets is all for naught."

"The Nine Secrets are probably very difficult to obtain; there are likely things inside that are impossible to deal with." Duan De paced back and forth, not taking immediate action, clearly harboring some ill intentions.

These two scourges have finally come together; one is wicked, and the other has no bottom line.

No, there's also that big black dog hiding in the shadows.

Well, those are the three great scourges!

In this life, Ye Fan is much stronger than in the original story. He has no shortage of cultivation scriptures and possesses the All-Character Secret, the Heavenly Pivot Step, the Cross Star Domain Crossing, and the Fighting Character Secret. Naturally, his combat power is much stronger.

These secret techniques are all incredibly powerful. The "All" secret technique amplifies combat power and raises its upper limit; the Heavenly Pivot Steps increase speed and agility; and the Cross Star Domain and the "Fight" secret technique enhance attack power.
In particular, the Cross Star Domain Intersection filled the gap in Ye Fan's life before he obtained the Dou Zi Secret, so he didn't have to be forced to get close to the enemy and smash him with his fists like in the original story.

While being strong in close combat is important, having ranged combat ability is a completely different matter.

The cross-shaped star field greatly enriched Ye Fan's combat scenarios, making up for his lack of long-range combat ability before obtaining the Dou Zi Secret.

Li Yao noticed Ye Fan and Duan De's subtle movements from the sky, but only glanced at them before turning his gaze back to the battlefield below.

However, he was still amazed. It had only been a short time since they last met, yet Ye Fan had already reached the third level of the Dao Palace realm.

Clearly, because of his intervention, Ye Fan's trajectory has changed, making him even more powerful than he was at the same stage in the original story.

Ye Fan, now at the third level of the Dao Palace, is already capable of defeating cultivators at the first and second levels of the Four Extremes Secret Realm. Whether it's the All-Encompassing Secret, the Fighting Secret, or the Great Emperor's Sacred Technique, all of these have greatly enhanced Ye Fan's combat power.

It was impressive, but not enough for Li Yao to take seriously. After all, with the combat power of the Four Extremes Secret Realm, he could kill a massive number of them with a casual wave of his hand.

"buzz"

After a moment, the underground palace shook violently, and the yin energy inside became even heavier. Many cultivators cried out in alarm, followed by deafening shouts of battle. Countless cultivators fled in misery, no longer daring to enter the underground palace.

Just then, the demon race made a move, sending out many powerful figures, including even those from the first level of the Immortal Platform.

"It seems your plans are going to fall through; the demon race is clearly going to make their move," Li Yao said with a light laugh.

"You should go too, and protect the Yao Guang disciples while you're at it."

Instead of just watching, he waved his hand, and instantly, the several Supreme Elders standing behind him transformed into rainbow light and rushed into the underground palace.

The Jiang family, Ji family, Zifu and other forces were not to be outdone, and all sent their strong members out to enter the underground palace.

The Queen Mother of the West was somewhat helpless, but she had no choice but to follow along, allowing the powerful figures from the Jade Pool Holy Land to enter as well.

Soon, the noise in the underground palace subsided, as the group of powerful figures swept through it.

At this moment, only the giants at the second level of immortality remained in the arena. Each of them was a top expert standing in the Eastern Wilderness, and a stomp of their foot would shake the entire Eastern Wilderness.

Li Yao's presence in this scene seemed somewhat out of place. Everyone present was over a thousand years old, yet he, a young man in his early twenties, was placed alongside these giants.

Now, both sides are staring at each other, neither moving.

This is where the contrast becomes apparent. The demon race, though smaller in number, is far more united. The Peacock King, the Old Roc King, and two other demon kings work together, subtly confronting the various holy lords. On the other hand, the human race's holy lords are merely putting on a show; they are allies against the demon race, but also rivals among themselves.

If the Nine Secrets truly appear in the underground palace, the alliances of the various Holy Lords will vanish instantly, each wanting to seize the Nine Secrets for themselves.

Therefore, it was very clear to each other that there was absolutely no trust between them.

Unlike the other holy masters, Li Yao was very relaxed and showed no sense of urgency whatsoever.

He hadn't expected to gain anything from this trip to the underground palace. He came simply because his long period of seclusion had made him want to get some fresh air.

The path of spiritual practice should not be one of constant tension, as that will exhaust the mind and spirit. Sometimes, taking a break and then resuming practice can actually yield better results.

Half an hour later, several figures rushed out of the underground palace, each a powerful figure from their respective factions.

"Holy Lord, there is a great discovery in the underground palace. A peerless expert wants to prove the Dao with his corpse. Moreover, in the deepest hall, there is imperial aura and a Chaos Stone."

An elder from the Yao Guang Holy Land rushed to Li Yao's side and whispered his report.

Of course, this was completely unnecessary, because apart from him, there were powerful figures from various forces who came out together.

The Holy Lord present was taken aback.

A grand hall exuding imperial aura! Someone wants to prove their Dao through a corpse! And there's also a Chaos Stone present!

Could it be that some great emperor in ancient history was unwilling to perish and wanted to prove his Dao through his corpse after death?
This news was so shocking that it made everyone lose their composure, because the meaning behind these words contained so much information.

If we break it down, we can see that there might be the corpse of a great emperor in the underground palace, as well as a supreme divine material, the Chaos Stone!

Both of these are supreme treasures. If we can obtain the Emperor's corpse and study it carefully, we will definitely gain extraordinary results. There is also the Chaos Stone, which, although not immortal metal, can also be used to forge supreme holy weapons!
"boom!"

Someone made the first move, and demonic energy soared into the sky. The Peacock King transformed into a five-colored divine light and rushed into the underground palace in an instant.

The others were equally determined. The old Peng King possessed the world's fastest speed and followed closely behind the Peacock King. The other two demon kings, although a little slower, were still incredibly fast.

Meanwhile, on the human side, the Holy Lord of the Ji family swayed slightly and merged into the void, as if shrinking the earth to an inch.

The Holy Lord of the Jiang family also unleashed his immense power and stormed into the underground palace. Immediately afterward, the Holy Lords of Dayan, Zifu, and others also stormed in.

Even the Queen Mother of the West is no exception, because if there really is a body of an emperor, it would certainly be worth seeing.

Only Li Yao stood still, unlike the demon kings and the holy lord, who rushed into the underground palace.

"Holy Lord?" Elder Yaoguang was puzzled, not understanding why his Holy Lord didn't break in.

"No rush. With so many Holy Lords charging in at the same time, they're bound to clash. There's no point in rushing in first," Li Yao said casually.

"Our Holy Lord is wise," praised Elder Yaoguang.

Li Yao set off and entered the underground palace. He also wanted to try to take the Chaos Stone. If he could take it, he would bring it back to the Holy Lord's Hall and sit on it to cultivate. This would speed up his progress in cultivation.

The underground palace was in complete disarray, littered with corpses, including those of Yin corpses and cultivators. Black blood and fresh blood stained the palace, creating an overwhelming stench of blood.

Li Yao moved with incredible speed, using the "Xing" technique to navigate the underground palace as if it were empty. Some of the Yin soldiers who had managed to escape being killed were torn apart by a surge of martial will before they could even get close to him.

Soon, he arrived at a great hall that radiated light, shining brightly in the dark underground world.

The depths of the earth are vast and empty, making this palace seem exceptionally distant. Suspended in mid-air, it appears even more ethereal and majestic.

"boom!"

Inside the last main hall, a fierce battle was clearly taking place, with terrifying energy fluctuations causing the hall to tremble.

The entire underground world was shaking, but this magnificent hall remained standing, its splendor unbroken, clearly bearing extraordinary Daoist patterns.

In this great hall hangs a plaque with four large characters: Temple of Light.

Just then, Li Yao spotted three enormous objects, nestled in the darkness, that did not emit any light.

There were three ancient coffins, the smallest of which was as big as a palace. The three large coffins were taller than the last, standing in the darkness.

"Six ancient halls and three large coffins together constitute the ultimate number, but unfortunately, they are of little use," Li Yao thought to himself.

At this moment, the Holy Lords and several Demon Kings were facing off, their target being the three ancient coffins, which they wanted to obtain the corpses inside.

Although everyone understood upon entering that this was not the corpse of a great emperor, it was still extraordinary. Its former owner was very powerful, at least at the Dao Severing Realm, and possibly even an ancient saint!

This is something that no one wants to miss. The corpses of powerful figures have endless uses. If they were used to forge weapons, they would be unparalleled forging materials.

Upon seeing Li Yao arrive, everyone's expression changed slightly.

Li Yao's combat strength remains a mystery. No one knows exactly how powerful he is, but according to intelligence, he may be able to rival the Holy Lord.

This is a formidable enemy, and no one dares to underestimate it.

But just as the holy lords and the demon king were on guard, Li Yao simply stepped over them and walked into the main hall.

He was not interested in corpses, nor did he want to use them to forge weapons or anything like that. He felt it was going too far to use someone's corpse after they had died.

"boom!"

Just then, the main hall trembled, and a terrifying divine power emerged, making the entire underground world seem as if it were about to collapse.

"Azure Emperor's weapon, Princess Yan!" The Peacock King was shocked. He ignored the ancient coffin and rushed into the main hall.

Li Yao was the same; his form vanished, disappearing like wisps of smoke.

The Great Hall of Light was vast and deep, and the supreme immortal power still emanated from it. A blue lotus bloomed in Yan Ruyu's hand, and beside her was a mutilated corpse and a broken ancient tower.

In the center of the magnificent and spacious hall, there is a suspended altar, entirely black, yet it emits beams of auspicious light that descend, making it extremely mysterious.

At this moment, a fat Taoist priest was surrounded by everyone, and the smile on his face was more like a grimace.

After entering the main hall, Li Yao first looked at the Chaos Stone, which was empty, and then turned to look at the animal skin in Duan De's hand.

Well, those without any bottom line can never outdo those with a ruthless heart.

With just one glance, he knew that it was a map of Purple Mountain, and the brocade containing clues to the Xingzi Secret had been taken by Ye Fan, who had already crossed the void and left.

Duan De couldn't escape; he was left behind to take the blame. Everyone was watching him, including many powerful experts at the first level of the Sendai realm.

In this situation, no matter how many tricks Duan De used, it would be useless. Even the small broken bowl on his head couldn't save him, because there was a flawless supreme imperial weapon in the field, which had also locked onto him.

"Ye Fan told me that the animal hide is not a good thing, and its destination is a dangerous place. He told the Yao Guang Holy Land not to go there." Yao Xi walked to Li Yao's side and transmitted her thoughts.

"You believed it?" Li Yao asked, somewhat surprised.

Yao Xi nodded. She could tell that Ye Fan was very polite to her, and the way he addressed her as "sister-in-law" made her think that Ye Fan was a very perceptive person.

Of course, the main reason was that she knew that Ye Fan and Li Yao had a close relationship, and that the Xuanhuang essence in the Four-Colored Immortal Furnace was of the same origin as the Mother Qi Cauldron of All Things.

"Let's wait and see," Li Yao replied, then strode towards the Chaos Stone.

His movement instantly attracted a lot of attention.

The Chaos Stone emitted countless auspicious lights, and a terrifying force appeared, but Li Yao walked calmly, completely unaffected.

With his cultivation level, he was able to withstand the Chaos Force and easily approach the Chaos Stone.

The Peacock King moved slightly, wanting to step forward as well, but was stopped by Yan Ruyu.

"The Azure Emperor's weapon has a sense of presence; the Dragon Pattern Cauldron should be on Dong Yaoguang's person." She transmitted this information to the Peacock King through divine thought.

"We also have imperial weapons, so there is nothing to fear."

"Forget it, although Chaos Stones are precious, there's no need to fight Dong Yaoguang."

Yan Ruyu was very wary of Li Yao and did not want to clash with him. Although the Chaos Stone was very good, it would be a loss if she were to fall out with Li Yao because of it.

Ultimately, she only has the Peacock King and the Old Roc King by her side now; the other demon kings won't follow her down this dark path.

The Peacock King hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not step forward.

Li Yao's power was so immense that no one wanted to provoke him unless absolutely necessary.

Although the Peacock King was arrogant, he was also well aware that his talent was no match for Li Yao's, and that it wouldn't be long before he would no longer be Li Yao's opponent.

It might feel good to act impulsively now, but things could get complicated later.

Before Wang Teng was defeated by Ye Fan, all forces treated him with great respect. Even his father benefited from this and became a guest of honor in various forces.

Li Yao's current power is even greater than Wang Teng's was back then.

(End of this chapter)