Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Taking a deep breath, Li Wudao decided to continue.

Now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to move forward; there is no way back.

Inside the mine, it was dark and gloomy, with scattered pieces of ore on the walls gleaming faintly.

The further you go in, the more you see skeletons everywhere, with grayish-white ashes covering the path, which is somewhat eerie.

After some observation, Li Wudao discovered that these well-preserved skeletons all shared a common characteristic.

The cervical bone was comminuted and visibly blackened, which should undoubtedly be a fatal injury.

"Could these people have been attacked by monsters?"

Li Wudao secretly guessed and became somewhat uneasy.

Unable to figure it out, he simply strode forward, ready to face whatever came his way; there was nothing to worry about.

After going about ten miles into the distance, the road ahead was no longer a boring one-way street.

The narrow space opened up, revealing a dozen or so crisscrossing passages, all deep and seemingly endless.

Standing at the intersection, he felt a headache coming on; he was suffering from decision paralysis.

After hesitating for a moment, I decided to start from the far left and try to figure it out slowly by process of elimination.

After walking five miles, his worst fears came true: the road ahead was blocked, with no way forward.

Helpless, Li Wudao had no choice but to turn back and try again one by one.

Thus, after wasting a great deal of time, he arrived at the seventh passage.

Unsurprisingly, it's another dead end.

Li Wudao sighed wearily, withdrew his gaze, and turned to leave.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a vast space reflected on one side of the wall.

Li Wudao was slightly taken aback. It looked like an underground palace!

After standing by the wall and peering through it for a while, I could vaguely see quite a few stone chambers. They were quiet inside, and there seemed to be nothing unusual.

After hesitating for a while, he decided to go in and take a look, hoping to find something.

"boom--"

With a powerful punch, a large hole appeared in the wall, and the entire underground palace gradually came into view.

"Cough cough."

A slightly choking cloud of dust hit him in the face, and Li Wudao frowned, covered his nose, and couldn't help but cough twice.

This underground palace has been sealed for who knows how long. The air is murky and stuffy, with a hint of decay, making one frown.

The underground palace is 500 square meters in size. The floor and pillars are made of the finest white jade. On both sides are various auspicious beasts made of bronze, each as tall as a person, and carved with lifelike detail.

There are many stone chambers, more than twenty in total, of various sizes.

With a hint of curiosity, Li Wudao strolled around one by one.

Believe it or not, there were quite a few good things. I looked through several rooms, and each room was filled with different treasures, including cultivation techniques, weapons, elixirs, and so on.

Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, those pills had oxidized and deteriorated, turning to ashes at the slightest touch and rendering them inedible.

However, the martial arts manuals and weapons were well preserved, allowing him to snag a bargain.

"The Five Elements Gathering Technique...this seems to be a Saint-level cultivation technique..."

Li Wudao picked up an ancient book covered in thick dust, somewhat surprised.

The owner of this room seems to be of extraordinary status, possessing more than a dozen Saint-level cultivation techniques, all of which are of superior quality.

As for weapons, they are quite lacking, with most being King-level treasures and only two being Emperor-level.

After accepting these treasures, the young man couldn't help but feel that this trip hadn't been in vain. If he could get a holy weapon for free, that would be even better.

However, after searching the outer rooms, he found nothing; they were filled with miscellaneous items.

Suddenly, Li Wudao realized something and asked in surprise:

"Strange, why isn't there even a table or chair?"

Without exception, none of these stone chambers had any facilities for daily living, not even a bed for sleeping.

Suppressing his confusion, he walked deeper into the underground palace.

The innermost rooms are significantly larger and of a higher standard.

Entering one of the side rooms,

Li Wudao froze on the spot as soon as he took a step, completely bewildered.

There was nothing inside except a yellow wooden coffin, lying quietly in the center.

"Damn, this couldn't be...!"

The boy's expression changed slightly, somewhat incredulous.

He then entered the second and third side rooms, and as expected, found a coffin there as well.

"......"

For a moment, Li Wudao felt a chill run down his spine and a cold sensation on his back.

He had just been wondering why the room's layout was so strange, as if no one lived there.

Now he suddenly understood.

From beginning to end, this was never a place for the living; it was an underground tomb!

"So, I've become a tomb raider?!"

Recalling what he had just done, Li Wudao's expression became somewhat strange.

So what he took were all burial items.

next moment,

A flash of inspiration struck him, and he connected the dots with the people in the mine, leading to a bold guess.

Could those people not be miners, but craftsmen or servants who built this large tomb?

If that's the case, then it's likely that they were sacrificed as human offerings.

The fact that tens of thousands of living people were buried with the deceased, and that the tomb was located within the Sword Ruins, is enough to prove that the tomb owner was an extraordinary person, undoubtedly a great figure.

After clearing his mind, Li Wudao shook his head and turned to walk outside.

Since this is a burial chamber, the one deeper inside is probably the main burial chamber, so there's no need to go any further.

Although he was very curious about the identity of the tomb's occupant, he decided not to disturb the deceased since they had already been laid to rest.

He did not rush to leave the underground palace, but instead found a clean stone chamber.

Although this is a tomb, the environment is quiet and undisturbed, making it an ideal place for cultivation.

Since entering the Hundred Flowers Secret Realm, one thing after another has happened, and my cultivation has not improved for a long time.

Now that we're in a forbidden place, it's time to improve our cultivation level; that way, our chances of survival will be much greater.

"Ah-"

With a flash of red light, Li Wudao took out the "Fire-Repelling Pearl" that he had stolen from Zhong Shan.

The bead was the size of a fist, as bright as crimson blood, crystal clear, with scorching heat rising from within.

Grasping the Fire-Repelling Pearl, he instantly felt the holy blood within his body stirring, flowing much faster, and a desire to devour it arose within him.

Without hesitation, Li Wudao silently activated the Emperor Scripture and began refining the Fire-Repelling Pearl.

Before long, the Fire-Repelling Pearl seemed to be drawn by something, and its red light blazed brightly, transforming into wisps of blood-red mist that merged into the boy's body.

Two and a half hours later.

The fire-repelling pearl became dull and lifeless, resembling an ordinary gray stone. With a "crack," it shattered into dust and vanished without a trace.

At this moment, Li Wudao was radiating heat, his face was rosy, and his yang energy had reached a new peak.

He stood up and moved around a few times, and immediately his joints made a series of cracking sounds like popping beans, showing his immense strength.

"Huh, I think I've broken through to the Martial Grandmaster level?!"

The boy was somewhat surprised by his current state.

Even back in the secret realm, he had a premonition that absorbing the energy from the Fire-Repelling Pearl would be of great benefit.

Unexpectedly, far exceeding expectations, not only did the Pure Yang Holy Body make great progress, but the blood and qi also became twice as refined and powerful.

Moreover, his cultivation level broke through three realms in succession, directly advancing to the early stage of Martial Grandmaster!

In the midst of excitement,

Li Wudao took out a pile of spirit stones and herbs and began to consolidate his realm, preparing to hone his skills steadily.

Sometimes, breaking through too quickly isn't a good thing, as it can lead to insufficient potential.

"Om-"

A dazzling light shone, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy instantly filled the entire room, continuously emanating outwards.

"Hiss...what happened?"

A quarter of an hour later, Li Wudao suddenly felt a chill and stopped cultivating.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped drastically. Even with his Pure Yang Holy Body, he felt a chill, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. It was truly strange.

At the same time, a putrid stench permeated the air, making people want to vomit.

He stood with a frown, walked out of the stone chamber, and listened to the faint vibrations coming from within, his face turning slightly pale.

Something seems off!