172: Chapter 172 Inside the Burial Immortal Palace: The Remains of the Immortal Emperor!

And when that time comes, I, Lin Feng, will reach the heavens in a single bound and obtain the Immortal Emperor's entire Legacy!

And you, Chu Xiao, will become nothing more than a stepping stone beneath my feet!

At this thought, Lin Feng's nearly shattered Dao Heart was forcibly held together once more by this surge of frantic obsession!

The dullness and despair in his eyes gradually receded.

In its place was a madness born of burning one's bridges!

He no longer wasted time searching for minor Opportunities to test the waters.

Those things had lost all meaning in front of Chu Xiao.

He was going to activate the final plan directly!

Lin Feng slowly raised his head, his face once again squeezed into a smile that looked more painful than crying.

He walked quickly to Chu Xiao, adopting a posture even more humble than before.

“Young Master Chu... your Divine Might is peerless; it was I who was blind.”

“Those things before were just appetizers. The true... the true great Opportunity is just ahead! Let us... let us hurry!”

Princess Ji Ziyue blinked her large, curious eyes, glanced at Lin Feng, then at Chu Xiao, and whispered, “Brother Chu Xiao, he seems to be in a real hurry.”

Chu Xiao remained in that same lazy manner, only giving a casual “Mm” in response.

That single word, however, was like a needle.

It stabbed ruthlessly into Lin Feng's heart.

Disregard!

It was that total disregard once again!

Fine! Very well!

Be as arrogant as you want!

Once we reach the Heavenly Palace, I'll see if you can still act so arrogant!

Lin Feng roared frantically in his heart.

But he dared not show a hint of it on his face, merely leading the way respectfully in front.

This time, his speed was significantly several times faster.

He no longer cautiously introduced the traps everywhere as he had before, but instead traversed the complex passages frantically like a desperate outlaw.

Though his teammates were in a daze,

they still instinctively followed behind him.

With Lin Feng leading the way with "all his effort," they crossed this area in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Suddenly, the view ahead opened up!

An unimaginably massive underground cavern appeared in everyone's sight.

This cavern looked as if a Small World had been hollowed out from deep underground by brute force.

And in the very center of the cavern, a magnificent, ancient, and massive palace radiating an endless aura of ill omen stood silently.

The surface of the palace was carved with countless hideous murals.

There were gods and demons falling, their corpses piled like mountains!

There was immortal blood drifting, dyeing the entire galaxy red!

There were myriad races wailing, and heaven and earth shared in the sorrow!

An aura of desolate silence and boundless despair rushed toward them.

Just standing at a distance and looking at it made one's Divine Soul throb and heart grow cold.

It was as if witnessing the end of a glorious era!

The Heavenly Palace of Buried Immortals!

This was the mausoleum built for himself by that Immortal Emperor who was unwilling to perish after the fall of the Ancient Celestial Court!

It was also the ultimate goal of Lin Feng's journey!

“We... we're here...”

Looking at the black Heavenly Palace radiating the aura of death, Man Niu's face turned pale with fright, and his teeth chattered.

Shi Potian and Leng Yuexin also looked solemn.

They could feel that the palace contained a terrifying power sufficient to make heaven and earth change color.

Just then, standing at the entrance of the Heavenly Palace, Lin Feng quietly sent a Divine Sense transmission to the three teammates behind him.

“Are you all ready?”

“Once we enter the great hall, the moment you hear my command, immediately activate the Four Symbols Blood Sacrifice Formation at any cost!”

“Remember! Use him as a blood sacrifice to the Immortal Emperor's remains to open the final Legacy!”

“This is our only chance, and our chance to reach the heavens in one step! If we succeed, we are the Dominators of the new world! If we fail, it is eternal damnation!”

Man Niu and the other two were shaken!

They looked at Lin Feng's determined back, then looked back at the dutian boat floating silently in the air, radiating supreme Divine Might.

A flash of struggle crossed their eyes.

But they no longer had a way to retreat!

From the moment they chose to believe Lin Feng and followed him into this Abyss of Buried Immortals,

their fates had been tied deathly close to Lin Feng's.

The future Lin Feng described—a future where they became titans and ruled over the world—

was their only hope!

After a brief struggle, fear was replaced by greed!

The three of them nodded secretly almost at the same time.

Their eyes were full of determination and madness!

Seeing his teammates' reaction, the last trace of concern in Lin Feng's heart vanished.

He slowly turned around to face Chu Xiao once more.

This time, the humility and fear on his face had disappeared.

In its place was anticipation.

He made a gesture of "please" toward Chu Xiao.

“Young Master Chu! The Immortal Emperor's Legacy is inside! Let us... let us go in!”

He stared intently at Chu Xiao, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

This was his final gamble!

Looking at Lin Feng's acting, which was so clumsy it was almost laughable, Chu Xiao really felt like laughing out loud.

An ant thinks that by digging a trap, it can bury a divine Dragon?

Truly interesting.

He could even sense the subtle Divine Sense fluctuations between Lin Feng and his teammates,

as well as the faint blood-red baleful Qi on them.

Just a crude blood sacrifice Formation.

Very well.

I'll play along for this final act.

Under Lin Feng's gaze, which was so tense he almost stopped breathing, Chu Xiao finally moved.

He still had that lazy appearance, hands behind his head.

It was as if he didn't perceive any danger at all.

He glanced at the dark and deep gate of the Heavenly Palace, which looked like the mouth of a giant beast, and nodded calmly.

Then, he took the first step.

“Brother Chu Xiao, wait for me!”

Princess Ji Ziyue skipped along after him, curiously sizing up the large, scary-looking palace.

A flash of vigilance crossed Yuan Muyu's beautiful eyes.

But she still followed behind Chu Xiao without hesitation.

As for the little loli artifact spirit, she had long since been picked up by the back of her collar by Chu Xiao and carried in his hand.

She was still rubbing her eyes and yawning.

She seemed to have not the slightest interest in this pitch-black palace.

Seeing that Chu Xiao actually walked in so completely off-guard,

Lin Feng was first stunned, and then a surge of wild joy erupted in his heart!

Fool!

Truly an arrogant fool beyond saving!

You really think you are invincible under heaven!

That you can disregard everything?

You have no idea what kind of certain-death trap you are about to step into!

The moment Chu Xiao's group stepped into the great hall of the Heavenly Palace and vanished into the darkness,

the fanaticism and humility on Lin Feng's face disappeared without a trace!

It then transformed into a hideously twisted sense of satisfaction!

All the humiliation, anger, and resentment in his heart

turned into wild laughter at this moment!

“Chu Xiao! Your time of death has arrived!!!”

He suddenly roared toward the heavens, his voice echoing throughout the underground cavern!

“Everything you have—your divine boat, your women, your life! They will all become stepping stones for me, Lin Feng, to ascend to the imperial throne!!!”

Rumble—!!!!

As his voice fell, the gates of the ancient Heavenly Palace slammed shut!

The group entered the great hall.

An aura of deathly silence and decay rushed toward them.

It was too empty here.

So empty that the echoes of their footsteps could travel very far!

At the end of the hall, atop towering steps, sat a solitary throne.

The throne was entirely pitch black, covered in ancient totems of gods and demons weeping blood.

A skeleton wearing tattered imperial robes sat quietly upon the throne.

He had been dead for ages, his flesh withered away, leaving only a bone frame.

Yet even so, a faint imperial pressure still diffused from the skeleton,

shrouding the entire hall.

That imperial pressure was domineering and peerless, like a sleeping primordial monarch; even a mere remnant of his aura was enough to make the winds and clouds change and the stars tremble.

“Brother Chu Xiao... I... I'm a bit scared.”

Princess Ji Ziyue's small face was a bit pale, and she instinctively grabbed the corner of Chu Xiao's clothes.

She felt her Divine Soul trembling slightly under this imperial pressure,

as if it could be crushed at any moment.

Yuan Muyu's pretty face was also solemn, her internal spiritual power circulating automatically to resist the invisible pressure.

Her intuition was screaming in warning.

This place was ten thousand times more dangerous than all the places they had experienced before combined!

However, Chu Xiao's reaction was completely different from theirs.

He remained the same.

That imperial pressure, enough to make even Void-Returning experts tremble with fear,

didn't even manage to ruffle a single strand of his hair as it fell upon him.

Lin Feng and his three teammates followed closely behind.

Looking at the Immortal Emperor's remains on the throne, Man Niu and the others felt both fear and an uncontrollable greed!

An Immortal Emperor!

This was a legendary existence!

As long as the plan succeeded, they would reach the heavens in a single bound!

Lin Feng's gaze was fixed firmly on Chu Xiao's back.

He forcibly suppressed the wild joy and hatred about to burst from his heart.

His heart was pounding frantically.

Almost there!

Just a bit more!

He saw Chu Xiao continue without stopping, walking step by step toward the center of the hall as if taking a leisurely stroll.

That was where the imperial pressure of the entire hall was most concentrated, and also...

the core of the Formation!

Now!

When the sole of Chu Xiao's foot lightly stepped onto a floor tile in the center of the hall,

Lin Feng's humble face was instantly replaced by a hideous one!

The killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible as he suddenly roared out!

“Do it!”

The instant the voice rang out!

Lin Feng and the four people behind him—Man Niu, Shi Potian, and Leng Yuexin—

bit their fingertips at the same time without hesitation!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Four drops of essence blood containing their life's cultivation dripped onto the ground beneath their feet simultaneously!

Buzz—!!!!

The entire deathly silent hall suddenly shook violently at this moment!

On the ground, countless mysterious red-lit Formation lines instantly lit up!

These lines were incredibly complex.

They spread and intertwined on the ground at an extremely fast speed.

In the blink of an eye, they formed a massive Formation diagram covering the entire hall!

The Ancient Four Symbols Blood Sacrifice Formation!

Boom!

A thick screen of light, like a heavenly pillar, soared from the edge of the Formation.

It instantly pierced through the palace dome, completely sealing off the entire hall!

Everything from the outside world was cut off!

This place had turned into a certain-death cage!

Immediately after, a terrifying suction force erupted from every corner of the Formation!

That suction was formless and immaterial, yet it was everywhere!

It was as if billions of invisible demonic claws reached out from the Void Realm, deathly gripping Chu Xiao, Princess Ji Ziyue, and Yuan Muyu!

And these ghost claws were not pulling at their Physical Bodies!

Instead, they were frantically stripping away their life essence,

their fleshly Origin, and even their Divine Souls!

"Ah!"

Princess Ji Ziyue let out a pained cry; her cultivation was the weakest, and she was the first to be unable to withstand it.

She felt the strength throughout her body being rapidly drained away, and her body floated up slowly, out of her control.

She flew toward the remains of the Immortal Emperor on the throne.

Her fair skin was losing its luster at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"This is bad!"

Yuan Muyu's beautiful face turned pale. She immediately circulated her Cultivation Technique, attempting to resist.

But as soon as her spiritual power left her body, it was instantly swallowed by that overbearing and peerless suction.

It failed to cause even a ripple.

Before this absolute killing Formation, which used the power of an Immortal Emperor as its Foundation...

Her cultivation was simply too insignificant!

In the next moment, her body likewise floated up uncontrollably.

A trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Her exquisite face was filled with horror and helplessness.

Seeing this scene, Lin Feng finally burst into wild laughter!

"Hahahaha! Hahahahahaha!"

His laughter was frenzied, filled with pleasure and malice!

He pointed at Chu Xiao, who still stood in place, seemingly "trapped" by this sudden turn of events.

With a distorted face, he roared:

"Chu Xiao! You didn't expect this, did you? You really didn't see this coming!"

"You thought you had every detail calculated, you thought you were superior, you thought you were on the fifth layer, looking down on all living beings?"

"Idiot! You didn't even see through the first layer! This Heavenly Palace of Buried Immortals is itself a trap! A tomb custom-made for you!"

His laughter echoed in the sealed hall, every word carrying a sense of gratification.

"Immortal Emperor Legacy? Haha! How naive!"

Lin Feng smugly revealed his secret, enjoying the supreme joy of trampling his enemy underfoot.

"This place of Legacy! To open it, one needs the flesh and Divine Soul of sufficiently powerful beings as a catalyst to awaken his residual will from eternal slumber!"

"I thought it would take a lot of effort to gather enough sacrifices."

"But I never expected that you would be so arrogant, so foolish, as to walk into my trap yourself!"

"Chu Xiao, oh Chu Xiao! I really should thank you! Thank you for paving this broad road to the supreme immortal path for me!"

As Lin Feng laughed wildly, the life essence of Princess Ji Ziyue and Yuan Muyu was continuously drained.

The power of the blood sacrifice Formation grew stronger and stronger!

The extracted spiritual energy and flesh transformed into streaks of blood-colored airflow.

They surged frantically toward the Immortal Emperor's remains on the throne!

Crack... crack...

The skeleton, silent for eons, emitted the tooth-gritting sound of bones grinding together.

Within those hollow eye sockets...

Two faint points of soul fire actually began to light up slowly!

At first, the soul fire was only the size of a grain of rice.

But with the influx of energy, it grew rapidly!

From faint sparks, they became burning ghost fires.

Finally, they transformed into two bizarre blood-colored suns!

Boom!!!

A terrifying will that had slept for eons slowly awakened at this moment!

Just the aftershocks of the awakening caused the entire blood sacrifice Formation to tremble violently, as if it might collapse at any moment!

The space within the hall began to distort and shatter!

The three people behind Lin Feng, including Man Niu, were instantly pressed to their knees by this will, coughing up blood, their faces filled with terror.

But their eyes were full of excitement!

It worked!

The master's plan really worked!

The Immortal Emperor's Legacy is really about to be obtained!

Feeling the awakening Emperor's Might, Lin Feng trembled with excitement!

He looked at Chu Xiao and saw that the other party was still standing in place!

The smugness on his face became even more arrogant!

In his view, this was a sign that Chu Xiao was struggling to hold on, powerless to change the situation!

He was already a dead man!

"Hahaha! Do you see? Chu Xiao! This is the Immortal Emperor's Might!"

Lin Feng laughed more and more wildly, even laughing until tears came out.

"You are strong! I admit, you are the strongest Prodigy I have seen in my two lives! Your flesh and Divine Soul are the most perfect sacrifices in this world!"

"Your flesh will become the cornerstone for me to ascend to the Emperor's throne!"

"Your women, your divine boat, everything of yours will be mine!"

"Farewell, Chu Xiao!"

He reached out his hand, as if he had already seized the throat of destiny, preparing to welcome his future of ruling the world!

However!

Just then!

At the very moment Lin Feng's wild laughter reached its peak!

At the instant the Immortal Emperor's will was about to fully descend!

A childish, angry shout rang throughout the entire hall!

"Audacious servant!"

The voice was very cute, even carrying a hint of sleepiness.

But the moment it sounded, the entire world seemed to have been paused!

The terrifying suction that was enough to strip away the Divine Soul of a Void Returning expert...

Stopped abruptly!

The supreme Immortal Emperor's will that was about to fully recover suddenly stiffened!

On the throne, the two blazing blood-colored suns in the skeleton's eye sockets flickered violently as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on them, nearly extinguishing on the spot!

Lin Feng's laughter, which had reached the extreme of arrogance, was also like a duck being grabbed by the neck.

It was stuck in his throat!

The expression on his face instantly froze!

The three behind him, including Man Niu, were even more completely dazed!

Everyone was stunned.

They looked toward the source of the voice.

They saw that the exquisitely carved, harmless-looking little girl had woken up at some point.

She was rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning.

Her little face was filled with displeasure.

As if someone had disturbed her sweet dream.

Then, she looked up, her big eyes staring at the awakening remains of the Immortal Emperor on the throne.

Then, her crisp and tender voice rang out once again.

"To see the Master and yet not kneel,"

"You even dare to touch my Master?"

...

This scene left everyone dumbfounded.

Completely dumbfounded!

The wild joy and excitement on the faces of Man Niu, Shi Potian, and Leng Yuexin behind Lin Feng had not yet faded.

It instantly froze into blank stares.

They looked at each other, their minds completely blank.

What was the situation?

An artifact spirit...

Was reprimanding the recovering remains of an Immortal Emperor?

And saying... to see the Master and yet not kneel?

Has this world gone crazy?!

After a brief dead silence, Lin Feng was the first to react.

He was first stunned, and then a look of contempt appeared on his face.

He broke into an even more mocking, wild laugh!

"Hahaha! Ridiculous! This is truly a great joke!"

He pointed at the little girl floating in mid-air, laughing so hard he was doubled over, with tears nearly coming out.

"An artifact spirit! A mere artifact spirit! Actually dares to bark wildly here!"

"Who do you think you are? A Grandmist Treasure? And 'see the Master and yet not kneel'? Do you know what kind of existence you are facing? That is an Immortal Emperor! A supreme existence that once suppressed an entire era!"

In his view, this was nothing more than a boring trick played by Chu Xiao at the end of his rope.

Nothing more than a futile trick.

"The Immortal Emperor's Might is not something you can..."

However!

Before Lin Feng's mocking words could be finished.

A change!

Occurred again!

The Immortal Emperor's remains on the throne had completely stiffened!

Yes!

Stiffened!

And that supreme Emperor's Might, which was enough to make even a Void Returning expert's heart and gall split with fear...

At this moment, a trace of... disorder actually appeared?

The two candle flames in the eyes jumped violently!

It seemed... to be discerning something.

And at this very moment!

From that pouting little girl, a faint wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi slowly emanated!

This aura was not majestic, nor did it have vast Divine Might.

But the moment it appeared!

The entire hall, the entire blood sacrifice Formation, and even all the overbearing Emperor's Might emanating from the Immortal Emperor's remains paled in comparison to this wisp of purple Qi!

Buzz—!

The Ancient Four Symbols Blood Sacrifice Formation, which was frantically stripping the life from Princess Ji Ziyue and Yuan Muyu...

Emitted a muffled sound.

On the Formation diagram, that crimson light inexplicably weakened!

That suction, terrifying to the extreme, also receded in the blink of an eye!

Thud!

Thud!

Princess Ji Ziyue and Yuan Muyu, who had been pulled into mid-air by the suction, were instantly released from their bonds.

They fell from the air.

Although their faces were pale and their breath weak.

They were no longer in mortal danger.

They ignored their physical weakness and just looked up, staring blankly at the little girl floating in mid-air with gazes full of extreme shock.

The atmosphere of the entire hall instantly changed from the life-and-death struggle just now to something incomparably bizarre!

Chu Xiao still stood in place.

With his arms crossed, he watched this absurd scene with interest.

As if he were an outsider watching a play.

He even had the leisure to send a Divine Sense transmission to Princess Ji Ziyue and Yuan Muyu: "Don't be afraid, just watch the show."

Watch a show?

Princess Ji Ziyue and Yuan Muyu looked at each other, giant waves of shock surging in their hearts.

This... this is also a show?

On the other side.

After the Immortal Emperor's remains felt that wisp of Grandmist Purple Qi, the two points of soul fire in the hollow eye sockets...

Started flashing frantically!

That was not the joy of awakening!

Crack! Crack crack crack...

In the next moment, that skeletal body, dried for eons and indestructible...

Actually began to tremble violently and uncontrollably!

Between bone and bone, a tooth-gritting friction sound was emitted!

The smile on Lin Feng's face at this moment was like a frozen lake surface, cracking inch by inch.

Then it completely solidified!

"Wha... what's going on?"

The mockery and smugness on his face disappeared without a trace.

Visibly, his face was already full of horror.

Wha... what?!

The Immortal Emperor's remains... are afraid?

It's afraid of that little artifact spirit?

No!

Impossible!

This is absolutely impossible!

This must be a hallucination!

It's a hallucination produced by my excessive mental exhaustion from activating the blood sacrifice Formation!

Lin Feng roared frantically in his heart, trying to use this method to steady his nearly collapsing mind.

However, in the next second!

The scene that caused his Dao Heart to completely shatter occurred!

On the throne.

The soul fire in the sockets of the trembling Immortal Emperor remains suddenly shrank!

Then!

Under the gazes of Lin Feng and his three teammates, which were as if they had seen a ghost!

That skeleton, which had sat for eons and maintained its imperial dignity even after its Dao had vanished, moved!