Sweeping across the heavens, starting with the first emperor of the ancient times.

"There's definitely something strange about this." The Great Sage of the Purple Mansion Sect frowned. "It seems to be a protective array set up by the ancient emperor before his death. Even after so many years, its power is still not to be underestimated."

"Mind your own business!" said the hot-tempered Great Sage of Daoyang Mountain. "With so many of us working together, how can we not break through those great formations whose power has been reduced to a mere fraction?"

They were all at the peak of the Great Sage realm, and they didn't believe that they couldn't break a broken formation together. That's how much they believed. In this world, there is no shortage of people with such faith.

"That's a matter for later," the Great Sage of the Azure Nether Clan said calmly. "But what happens after it's broken open? What will become of the things inside, especially the possible ancient emperor's legacy and imperial weapons?"

The atmosphere suddenly became subtle, and the divine senses of the several Great Sages collided silently in the void, probing each other.

"In my opinion," the old woman from the Qingyun Sect said slowly.

"Aside from the inheritance and the imperial weapon, the other treasures, elixirs, and scriptures in the tomb will be dealt with based on strength and luck. As for the inheritance and the imperial weapon... well, we'll see when the time comes. What do you all think?"

This proposal, while seemingly fair, is actually more advantageous to forces like the Qingming Clan and Daoyang Mountain, which possess top-tier young prodigies.

The Great Sage of the Purple Mansion Sect pondered for a moment and slowly nodded.

They also have outstanding successors, and they may well be able to compete with them.

"What about the White Deer Clan?" The Great Sage of the Purple Mansion Sect suddenly spoke, glancing at the somewhat oppressive atmosphere of the White Deer Clan's group in the distance. "After all, it's the tomb of their ancestors."

"Hmph!" Dao Yangshan Great Sage scoffed, making no attempt to hide his contempt.

"They're just a bunch of pathetic, homeless dogs. It's already merciful of them to just stand by and watch; they want a piece of the pie? They don't even deserve it!"

Although the Great Sage of the Azure Nether Clan did not speak, his tacit agreement was quite obvious.

The Great Sage of the Qingyun Sect said calmly, "The legacy of the White Deer Ancient Emperor will be inherited by those who are capable. If his descendants are incapable of protecting it, it is the will of Heaven."

These words sound grand and dignified, yet they openly expose the law of the jungle.

The divine communication between the Great Sages was not deliberately concealed, and many cultivators below, especially those with higher cultivation levels, could vaguely sense its contents.

For a time, many independent cultivators and cultivators from small forces felt indignant, yet there was nothing they could do.

If you are not as strong as others, you don't even have the right to compete fairly.

On the White Deer Clan's side, several clan elders were so angry that their faces turned ashen and their bodies trembled slightly.

When have they ever suffered such humiliation? The glory of their ancestors still echoes in their ears, yet their clan has fallen to the point where they have no right to even share in the tombs of their ancestors!

Lu Qingxuan, who was being subtly protected in the center by the Bailu Clan members, remained calm.

She gazed silently at the figures high in the sky, then at the ancient tomb bathed in the glow of the sunset. Her beautiful face revealed little emotion, as if the strange looks and disparaging remarks around her did not exist.

Xiao Fan and Zhang Bo, standing in the crowd, overheard snippets of conversation and sensed the undisguised contempt.

Zhang Bo said in a low voice, "That's too much. It's someone's ancestral grave, after all..."

Xiao Fan sighed, patted his shoulder, and said in a low voice, "When you're not as strong as others, that's just how it is. This world is just that realistic."

He looked in the direction of the White Deer Clan, and especially glanced at the legendary Princess Qingxuan, feeling a pang of regret.

It is truly lamentable that a former royal family has fallen to the point of being bullied by others.

Jiang Hao stood beside the two, taking in everything. His face remained largely unmoved by the Great Sages' arrogance and disregard for the weak.

Might makes right, and the law of the jungle prevails. This is an unchanging rule throughout the myriad realms, and there's nothing strange about it.

Since the White Deer Clan has declined, it must bear the consequences of its decline. It is a pity for the White Deer Ancient Emperor and his son, who once protected the Big Dipper, but after their deaths, their descendants were treated this way by the Big Dipper Clan.

Just like the two human emperors, Taiyin and Taiyang, of Ziwei Star, they once gave everything for all living beings, but all living beings let them down.

They're good for nothing but fighting amongst themselves.

Jiang Hao's gaze fell on Lu Qingxuan, and he nodded slightly.

This little girl has a good temperament. Despite being humiliated and her tribe being indignant, she was able to remain calm.

He's got the makings of someone, much better than those old guys who're all arrogance and no substance.

High in the sky, in the teams of the Qingming Clan and Daoyang Mountain, stood two imposing young prodigies.

It was the young master of the Qingming Clan and the successor of Daoyang Mountain who were also turning their gaze toward the Bailu Clan, or more precisely, toward Lu Qingxuan.

Both of them had a somewhat gloomy and cold look in their eyes.

Some time ago, they failed to defeat Lu Qingxuan in a two-on-one battle, and were instead tied by her. This incident has spread to some extent, making them feel quite embarrassed.

Although he didn't utter any provocative words at that moment, his unfriendly gaze said it all.

But with the battle formation about to be broken, this is not the time to settle personal grudges.

The Great Sages have clearly reached a preliminary consensus.

The Great Sage of the Azure Nether Clan surveyed the crowd, his voice echoing in all directions: "In that case, let's join forces to break through the outer array restrictions first, and then proceed as previously stated."

"good."

"Can."

Several Great Saint-level experts nodded to each other, then each took a step forward, and their terrifying holy might began to rise without reservation, aiming directly at the glowing light of the ancient tomb!

They acted immediately!

The Great Sage of the Azure Nether Clan made the first move, his body radiating a surge of azure divine light, as if transforming into a great azure sun.

With a wave of his hand, a cyan sword aura that tore through the sky appeared, thousands of feet long, containing a sharp Dao principle that could sever all things, and fiercely cleaved towards the layer of rosy light.

Dao Yangshan Great Sage roared, his body swelled up again, and the ram horns on his head emitted a thick, earthy yellow light.

He clenched his fists and thrust them forward with a fierce punch. Two giant fist phantoms, condensed from pure earth elemental laws, crashed down like two meteors with a savage aura capable of crushing mountains and rivers.

The Great Sage of the Purple Mansion Sect formed a Daoist incantation, and a hazy purple starry sea appeared behind him. Countless starlight converged into a dazzling purple pillar of light, which blasted towards the rosy dawn.

The old woman from the Qingyun Sect tapped her cane lightly, and countless illusory green vines emerged from the void, each one wrapped with a divine chain of Dao principles, strangling over like living creatures.

The combined power of several peak-level Great Sages is terrifying!

In an instant, the sky seemed to be torn apart, the earth trembled violently, and space shattered like glass, revealing the dark void behind it.

A violent energy storm swept in all directions, frightening countless cultivators below into hastily channeling their energy to defend themselves. Some unlucky souls who were too close were even blown away by the aftershocks.

Divine light, laws, and phenomena of various colors intertwined and collided, with the light at the center so intense that it was impossible to look directly at it.

All that could be heard was a deafening, terrifying roar that seemed to threaten to destroy the world!

"Is this... the might of the Great Sage?" Xiao Fan looked up at the apocalyptic scene, his pupils constricted, and he subconsciously held his breath.

He had never experienced such power up close before; it was beyond his current understanding, as if a mere gesture could determine the fate of an entire world.

This was the first time he had seen the Great Sage in action, and the terrifying strength of the Great Sage shocked him.

Zhang Bo stared wide-eyed, muttering, "My God... this... this is terrifying! If only I had this kind of power..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the longing and fervor in his eyes said it all.

Which young cultivator hasn't dreamed of possessing such invincible power to move mountains and overturn seas, and to suppress all sides?

P.S.: What do you guys think of Xiao Fan's side story so far? Is the pacing too slow? If not, or if the pacing is too slow, I'll speed it up and adjust it. Since it's a side story and doesn't affect the main plot, I can adjust it as I like. Feel free to share your opinions and ideas.