Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 260 Heavenly Venerable Annihilates the World
The moment Qin Henian's warning was issued, the first person who approached the central medicinal garden was already decapitated, a spray of blood mist gushing out.

"Fifth brother!" Gao Yang and the other three cried out in sorrow.

However, they did not dare to go forward again.

Because after their fifth brother spewed out a blood mist, he also stained the original phantom in front of him with blood.

"Who?"

Qin Henian stared warily at the figure revealed by the blood mist.

It was clearly a person, but he couldn't sense any presence from them.

When that person stepped into the edge of the central medicinal field, he only sensed a faint fluctuation in the air.

"Impossible! There could never be any living people in ancient tombs." Gao Yang suppressed his grief and regained his composure.

“Indeed, the spiritual pressure soared into the sky when the bluestone slab broke, which means that this place was definitely being opened for the first time.”

"Not human?" Qin Henian narrowed his eyes, already harboring some doubts.

Because the humanoid figure revealed by the blood mist had not moved since killing that person.

"Is this a puppet?" Wu Weixiong asked tentatively.

“Yes, puppets. There are many records of puppets guarding tombs in ancient times. However, we have never encountered a puppet that has not been eroded by time in more than a hundred years.” Gao Yang hurriedly agreed after being reminded.

Qin Henian narrowed his eyes: "Puppet? Have you ever seen an invisible puppet?"

……

"An invisible puppet!" Li Ji'an's eyes widened instantly in the deep pit outside the tomb.

He obtained the complete inheritance and insights of the fourth-order puppet from Xiaoying in Fallen Dragon Ridge, especially the secret technique of spirit-attached puppets.

Xiaoying's master was a fourth-tier puppeteer from ancient times, a top-tier figure among rogue cultivators. However, his mastery of puppetry lay primarily in his unique method of imbuing puppets with spirits, rather than in the puppet's rank.

According to the jade slip containing his experience, there are fifth-order puppeteers in the holy land families, and their puppet-making skills are extraordinary, with many of them being beyond his reach.

However, most of the difficulties lie in the materials.

For example, space materials, invisible materials, etc.

The jade slips passed down from him mentioned an invisible puppet, whose entire body was made of innate primordial energy that made it completely invisible, and could truly be invisible and silent.

Using the help of the croaking frog's vision, Li Ji'an stared intently at the puppet that was revealed by the blood mist, his heart filled with anticipation.

"A puppet made with such materials must be at least Rank 5!"

"And to be able to boldly use a fifth-order puppet to guard the tomb... that is not something a Nascent Soul Heavenly Lord could do."

Li Ji'an wanted to find a way to persuade Qin He'nian to give up, but considering that the tomb had been eroded by thousands of years, even the former fifth-order puppet was probably quite damaged. More importantly, he observed the puppet's behavior.

It is clearly not controlled by the master's consciousness, but is simply repeating preset instructions.

The energy consumption of this type of puppet is also enormous. Even if it was inlaid with top-grade spiritual marrow in ancient times, it probably doesn't have much energy left now, and its strength is probably very limited.

as predicted.

Just as Li Ji'an was lost in thought, Qin He'nian inside the tomb chamber had already made a move to test the waters.

"Whoosh!" A long spear suddenly attacked the invisible puppet.

The puppet, covered in blood, ignored the incoming spear until it entered the herb garden, at which point it suddenly reacted.

However, it was too late. The moment he made a move, the spear struck his chest and abdomen.

"Bang!" The spear sparked a burst of fire.

The puppet was actually forced to stagger back three steps by the impact.

Then a layer of mist rose around him, instantly shattering the spear.

"There's hope!" Qin Henian's eyes lit up.

After Wu Weixiong guessed that it was a puppet, they felt much more at ease, especially after realizing that its motive seemed to be simply to protect the medicine field.

As long as they don't step into the herb field area, this puppet won't attack them.

However, Qin Henian was unwilling to give up the enormous opportunity this place offered.

“Master Niu, this medicinal garden must have been very precious in ancient times. It is foreseeable that there are high-level spiritual plants here. However, after so many years, spiritual plants also have a lifespan and may not be able to survive. Moreover, there is no black mud to wrap and seal them. Furthermore, spiritual plants are not like magic artifacts and precious materials. Even if the spiritual energy here has not completely dissipated, they cannot survive without the earth's spiritual energy,” Wu Weixiong advised.

Qin Henian waved his hand and said, "I don't expect any of the legendary high-grade spiritual herbs. I just want the soil for the herb garden."

Upon hearing this, Wu Weixiong and the others immediately realized what was going on.

“Indeed, a medicinal garden guarded by such puppets must have high-grade spiritual plants. It is certainly not an ordinary medicinal field. Spiritual plants will decay, but the soil in the medicinal garden will not.”

"Alright, let's work together to deal with this puppet!" Wu Weixiong's eyes were also full of anticipation.

Qin Henian nodded emphatically, and the stone seal in his hand was already outstretched.

"Roar~" Wu Weixiong's Earth-Splitting Bear charged towards the puppet.

"Bang!" This time, the puppet only made a move after entering the herb garden, losing the initiative and being knocked back several steps.

Then a mist appeared around him, but it did not shatter Qin Henian's stone seal.

"The power of the early stage of the third tier!" Qin Henian judged the puppet's power this time.

"A third-tier puppet!" Wu Weixiong and the others all gasped in shock.

Fortunately, the puppets were not controlled by divine consciousness, had no offensive or defensive thinking, and only focused on killing those who entered the herb garden; they had no protection.

Qin Henian was able to barely withstand the attack with his top-grade magic weapon.

The second-tier peak Earthshaker launched a fierce attack from the flank.

Wu Weixiong and Gao Yang, along with four others, attacked from a distance using magical techniques.

However, the puppet's material was extraordinary; in addition to its invisibility, it was also extremely tough. The Earth-Splitting Bear's powerful attack struck it without any resistance, only causing it to stagger backward, but without causing any damage.

"Don't be discouraged, and there's no need to fight it head-on. We can wear it down!" Qin Henian, having more experience, thought of the puppet's energy source after realizing he couldn't harm it.

Immediately, Wu Weixiong followed his instructions and summoned the Earth-Splitting Bear.

Only Qin Henian was left to directly confront his attack, while the others forced him to activate his aura from a distance.

After Qin Henian became slightly exhausted, the Earth-Splitting Bear entered the herb garden to take over for him.

This process repeats itself, constantly putting the puppet at a tremendous cost.

Seven days later, everyone saw that the puppet's power had significantly diminished.

Half a month later, the puppet's movements became stiff, and the protective aura disappeared. Even a powerful attack could not break through the shield of the early Foundation Establishment stage member in Gao Yang's team.

However, even after being knocked away countless times, it will still get up and attack anyone who enters the herb garden area.

However, Qin Henian and the others had lost interest in wasting time with them.

Wu Weixiong had the Earth-Splitting Bear tightly bind him, rendering him completely immobile, while the six of them cautiously walked into the herb garden.

"Sigh~"

Upon entering the herb garden, the six were immediately astonished by the soil of the spiritual fields within.

Unsurprisingly, there were many withered branches inside, which must have been high-level spiritual plants, all of which had decayed.

However, the soil of the spirit fields here still exuded a faint spiritual energy. "At least a grade three spirit field!" Qin Henian sensed it carefully and his face lit up with joy.

Their Qin family's Purple Bamboo Forest was merely a fifth-grade spiritual field.

"There's more than enough spiritual soil here, so let's rely on our own abilities." As Qin Henian spoke, a yellowish-brown square box flew out of his hand.

In an instant, the five spiritual lands were absorbed into them.

"Alright!" The other five were not far behind, each taking out their storage bags.

However, including Wu Weixiong, they all only had mid-level storage bags. The Five Directions Space was already their limit, and they already had a lot of things stored inside, so there wasn't much that could be retrieved.

In the end, Qin Henian used the earthen-yellow square box magic artifact to take five portions of earth, and used a high-grade storage bag to take five portions of earth, while the other five people each took one portion of earth.

After all, the other five people are basically homeless, do not have a permanent dojo, and have no intention of growing spiritual plants in their spiritual fields. They only go out to sell them to other people.

There are still at least twenty plots of medicinal herbs left in this area.

"Let's go. This is only the second to last tomb chamber, usually just where the medicine garden is located. There must be even better treasures ahead!" Wu Weixiong reminded Qin Henian, who was still reluctant to leave this spiritual land.

“Master Niu, this place is secluded. If you can escape unscathed this time, you might be able to come back and retrieve the spiritual soil again,” Gao Yang advised.

Qin Henian nodded, deciding to temporarily abandon the remaining spiritual soil.

"What should we do with this puppet?" Then, everyone looked at the puppet that was bound by the Earth-Splitting Bear.

"A third-tier puppet is a priceless treasure!" A person behind Gao Yang exclaimed excitedly.

“That’s right, but…who can you sell it to? The only one in the domain who can control a third-tier puppet is Master Qianhe of the Myriad Laws Palace…who among you dares to trade with him?” Wu Weixiong frowned as he looked at the crowd.

"Moreover, this puppet is definitely not just of the third rank!"

"Without the puppet control technique and without a divine sense that surpasses the third or even fourth rank, this puppet is just for show."

"..."

"Why don't we leave it here for now and make a decision after we've explored the tomb chamber ahead?" Wu Weixiong suggested.

"Alright!" Everyone looked forward to the tomb chamber ahead, not wanting to waste any more time on this priceless yet somewhat hot potato.

In reality, everyone wants to possess it, but no one is sure they can use it, nor do they know what treasures they should give up in exchange.

Then, Qin Henian led the group forward again.

However, after the death of a teammate, everyone became more cautious, and Qin Henian advanced while protecting himself with a top-tier shield.

At the same time, the Earth-Splitting Bear released the invisible puppet, but Wu Weixiong specially applied an extra layer of powder to make it visible.

After the puppet was released, it once again protected the medicine garden.

After watching Qin Henian and his group disappear into the deep tomb, Li Ji'an did not hesitate at all. He immediately ordered Guagua to crawl out from underground and swallow the invisible puppet into its mouth.

The universe within the mouth of the croaking frog is a bloodline talent of the Heaven-Devouring Vermilion Toad. Its inner space is thirty square meters in size, and the space is a world of its own, isolated from external influences.

The boundary of the universe within the mouth is the same as the realm of the frog. As long as you cannot break through the frog's protective barrier, you cannot break through the boundary.

The puppet's defensive posture faltered instantly upon being swallowed into the mouth of the universe.

It was as if it had lost its purpose and become a lifeless object.

Its mission is to defend the medicine garden; once it loses its target, the mission becomes ineffective.

Afterwards, Li Ji'an glanced at the medicinal field that was already within his grasp, and finally gave up for the time being, instructing Guagua to chase after Qin Henian and his group again.

They proceeded with extreme caution, only arriving at the third tomb a day later.

"How can it be!"

Upon entering the third tomb chamber, all four members of Gao Yang's team showed expressions of astonishment.

"How is it?" Wu Weixiong asked, puzzled.

Gao Yang carefully studied the murals, gazed ahead, and said in a trembling voice, "This place is not even the main burial chamber yet!"

"Not yet? Didn't you say that a triple-chambered tomb was already the standard for a holy son's tomb?" Qin Henian's face also turned solemn.

“That’s right. Those who are not at the level of a Holy Son are not allowed to have more than three layers of tombs. Only those at the level of a Holy Lord or an Immortal Emperor of an Immortal Dynasty are qualified to have six layers of tombs!” Gao Yang explained.

"You mean... this is a tomb of an ancient sage-level being?" Wu Weixiong's expression changed instantly.

According to some ancient books unearthed in the late ancient period, the ancient sages were all great figures like Dao Lords of the Void Refining Realm who had already grasped the laws and possessed supernatural powers.

"Gulp~" Qin Henian subconsciously swallowed.

Born in a cultivation world where Nascent Soul True Monarchs reign supreme and Divine Transformation Heavenly Monarchs are not prominent, he had never thought about anything beyond the Nascent Soul stage, much less that he, a mere False Core True Person, would be qualified to access such secrets in this lifetime.

This was completely beyond his expectations.

The ancient Nascent Soul tomb was a great opportunity for him. Due to the erosion of endless years, even if there were countermeasures in the tomb, the loss of spiritual vein supply would not pose a great threat to him.

The Tomb of the God of Deification already carries considerable risk, but with caution, there is still hope of escaping unscathed.

As for the Tomb of Refining Void... that's not just a risk, but a great danger. Even if thousands of years have passed and the countermeasures it left behind are weakened by 90%, it can still kill him and destroy his soul.

"It should be right!" Gao Yang's expression turned solemn, the expectation in his eyes turning into fear.

The murderous methods in the tomb are concentrated in the first three layers.

They have now reached the third to last layer. If this is a six-layered tomb, then this is the only burial chamber where they can be somewhat safe.

If we go further and enter the next tomb chamber, the danger within is so great that even a peak late-stage Core Formation cultivator would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

"Then, according to you, what is the purpose of this tomb chamber?" Wu Weixiong naturally understood the danger of proceeding to the next tomb chamber, and at this moment, he had no choice but to place his hopes on this tomb chamber.

It's good for independent cultivators to risk their lives for cultivation, but if they knowingly go into battle knowing they will die, then it's not a gamble, it's suicide.

At the same time, everyone placed their hopes on this tomb chamber.

The center of the tomb chamber was shrouded in a hazy gray mist, which Qin Henian could not see through with his divine sense.

"To my shame, although we have excavated quite a few ancient tombs, we have never had any real experience with triple tombs. Much of what we know comes from ancient books."

"This place far exceeds my expectations. I need to confirm it again. I would appreciate your protection, Master Niu." Gao Yang composed himself, explaining with a hint of shame, before continuing to examine the murals and reliefs at the entrance.

Qin Henian did not say much, but followed orders and stood guard behind him.

Gao Yang looked at it very carefully. Apart from some strange runes, the mural was covered with countless tiny pictures and carvings.

A full hour later, Gao Yang was still studying the murals carefully, his expression changing frequently.

"What's up here?"

Startled awake by Qin Henian's voice, Gao Yang suddenly came to his senses.

"This...I...this describes the cataclysmic disaster of ancient times!"

"An ancient catastrophe? What do you mean?" Qin Henian and the others were all shocked.

For more than six thousand years since then, there have been many different opinions about what exactly happened in ancient times.

Even though countless ancient tombs and ruins have been unearthed, the details of the cataclysmic disasters within them are hardly mentioned; at most, there are only a few fragments.

Most people guessed it was a demon, because the words "human and demon" are relatively common.

"The Heavenly Venerable will destroy the world!" Gao Yang said, his lips trembling.

(End of this chapter)