Chapter 165: Unable to Remain Buried

Where had the ancient tombs in the world of immortals come from?

Who built the tombs for the immortals fallen in battle?

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Survivors of the immortal war?

The tombs didn’t accommodate just one or two people, but whole sects, aristocracies, or even an entire dynasty in some cases. Neatly laid out with burial goods, chambers, and all sorts of secondary structures, these tombs forested the world. Such proliferation went beyond the limits of human capability.

If the mighty powerhouses of the ancient era yet survived in the present day, how could their cultivation path have ever been severed? What need would there be for contemporary immortals to fumble around on the dao of immortals?

The slew of tombs in the world had always been one of the modern world’s greatest mysteries. No one knew who’d built them, and many simply chose to push the question to the back of their minds as time went on.

In modern times, advancement of the dao was laborious and ponderous. Scrabbling around in the dark, one could only explore tombs and excavate the remains of that ancient civilization to further the world’s enlightenment.

……

“Perhaps like all of the dead ancients, someone quietly buried the lord here after his passing.” The crowd sighed softly. They thought the legacy would be theirs for the taking, but it’d turned out to be an ancient tomb!

Ancient lords weren’t commonplace, but their tombs could be found in various parts of the world. Many factions had attempted to explore such tombs, only to lose several dao immortals in the process and end up with very little to show for it. As a result of their past experiences, many now contemplated whether to give up and readied to withdraw.

“Wait, if the tomb is truly inaccessible, the nine celestial emperors wouldn’t have used it to gather all of the cultivators in the world.” Inspiration dawned on Lu Yun. He immediately took to the air, forming a series of hand seals as he invoked the provincial seal.

“Lu Yun, what are you doing?!” The crowd turned pale with fright at his actions. Was he trying to forcibly pry open the tomb with the power of the land? If that actually worked, all of the tombs in the world would’ve long been explored by now.

“Stop, stop at once! Ancient tombs of this level are always protected by horrifying formations. If you try forcing it open with the power of the land, you’ll set terrifying phenomena in motion that’ll wreak untold havoc!” Ashen-faced, a peerless immortal of the Nephrite court hastily urged him to desist.

“The ancient tomb is the ancient tomb, and the legacy is the legacy!” Lu Yun suddenly proclaimed loud and clear. “The celestial emperors wouldn’t swindle us. If they say we can obtain the legacy, then we definitely can! I command you, open!!!”

Rumble!!!

A tremendous explosion reverberated across the province, as though the earth itself was turning over. Fissure upon enormous fissure snaked in a radius of fifteen hundred kilometers around Dusk City. Rays of primal light pierced through the cavernous opening beneath the governor’s feet, emitting a keen sword aura that spilled out with enough momentum to carve the land to pieces.

Hummm.

A pillar of bronze radiance hurtled to the sky, bringing with it the imprint of a pagoda that slowly expanded beneath the heavens. The imprint brought a strange power with it, one that merged with the power of the land to shape a bronze pagoda.

……

“A tomb may bury a man, but it cannot hold back an incomparable man-made treasure like the Sugato Sword.” Empress Myrtlestar’s faint sigh traveled from the Scroll of Shepherding Immortals. “Born of nature, connate treasures abide by the heavenly dao. But the strongest weapons forged by man all inherit the will of their creators. They possess an unyielding spirit that defies the natural order.

“Even a hundred thousand years later, the sharp edges of the sword long for the light of day. It will not remain buried forever! No tomb can fetter the sharpest intent of the world.”

The tomb could contain Lord Sugato’s corpse, but couldn’t restrain his greatest treasure, the Sugato Sword; nor could it restrain the will behind it. To be buried was synonymous with death, the end of it all, whereas the sword was the number one manmade weapon of the ancient world, and possibly the strongest treasure ever crafted. It could shatter treasures born from the world itself, thus embodying man’s determination to conquer nature and be the master of his own fate.

……

“The legacy, the ancient lord’s legacy! I-it really did come out!” The assembled immortals gaped in amazement. The governor had unearthed the Sword Pagoda by forcing it with the power of the land! Towering at three thousand meters tall, the pagoda loomed over the assembled crowd like a massive mountain.

“The legacy of the ancient Lord Sugato has returned to the world. Whoever desires can make an attempt for themselves. Climb all nine hundred and ninety-nine floors to earn the ancient lord’s approval and obtain his full inheritance.”

This information surfaced in Lu Yun’s mind the moment the pagoda appeared. Nine hundred and ninety nine floors, each three meters tall and containing one part of Lord Sugato’s legacy. Only one mighty enough to ascend to the top could acquire the legacy in its entirety.

The pagoda wasn’t the Sugato Sword, per se, but an inheritance tower that Lord Sugato had forged from the quintessence of his power and cultivation before his death. With the help of the sword’s all-piercing might, it’d risen to the dome of the sky and displayed itself to the world. Nevertheless, the sword itself was still inside the tomb. The tomb may not have been able to contain the sharpness of the sword’s intent, but it could suppress the sword’s material existence.

Obtain the Sugato Sword, retrive the Philosopher’s Jewel for the empress, then seek the Skydragon Pearl in the North Sea for Qing Han! His plan set, Lu Yun jumped down and dove under the inheritance pagoda into the tomb.

“The legacy is right in front of us, so why’s Lu Yun headed for the tomb?”His behavior baffled those present.

“This pagoda isn’t Lord Sugato’s signature treasure, just the instrument of his legacy. Lu Yun must be after that supreme weapon, instead!”

The understanding gave some people pause. “It’s all due to the weapon’s keen edge that the inheritance pagoda reappeared among us. Which means… not even the ancient tomb can stifle the ancient lord’s most precious treasure!”

“Treasures and legacy, everyone can try his luck at them... Lu Yun gave up the legacy because his goal is the lord’s real treasure!”

“Cultivators of the Immortal Martial School are to proceed to the inheritance pagoda at once! You will vie for the ancient lord’s legacy. The school’s immortals are to follow me to the tomb! We will not possibly give up on a weapon that not even an ancient tomb can bury!”

“That’s right. This supreme treasure must be ours! Since Lu Yun is bold enough to go after it, how can noble immortals like us be outdone?” Many realized the stakes at play and fired off orders for the inheritance tower before diving into the tomb themselves. If even Lu Yun had gone in, what was there for immortals to be afraid of?