Battle Through the Heavens: Top Talent

Chapter 344 Discussing the Heavenly Tomb

Beneath the azure sky lies an endless expanse of emerald green grassland. Occasionally, a gentle breeze blows, causing the grass to sway from side to side, like waves of green.

"laugh!"

A crack silently appeared in the space, and the next moment, two figures stepped out from it.

Looking at this familiar scene, Xiao Yun felt a little emotional. When he first entered the Ancient Realm, he was only at the Dou Zun realm. Although he had some strength, he could hardly influence the overall situation.

Now, not only has he stepped into the Dou Sheng realm, but he also has two great opportunities that he has not yet used!

I suppose I never imagined that I could improve so quickly back then?

"Master Xiao, I have already informed the clan leader of your plans to cultivate in seclusion at the Heavenly Tomb. I presume the clan leader is already waiting for you at the Ancient Sacred Mountain by now," Gu Dao said with a smile after Xiao Yun finished his reflection.

"Is Uncle Gu Yuan already at the Heavenly Tomb?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yun suppressed his thoughts and said, "That's fine then, Clan Chief Gu Dao. Let's not keep Uncle Gu Yuan waiting any longer, let's set off immediately!"

"Well, then we'll do as Master Xiao says." Gu Dao nodded, and then the two men's robes billowed slightly as they transformed into two streaks of light, one in front of the other, heading towards the horizon.

……

The speed at which a Dou Sheng flies is incredibly fast, far surpassing that of a Dou Zun.

Before long, after traversing countless buildings, Gu Dao led Xiao Yun into the Ancient Sacred Mountain, finally stopping at a precipitous range of peaks.

Here, a number of figures had gathered. Xiao Yun casually glanced around and found that most of the figures were white-haired old men, probably elders of the ancient clan.

At the very front stood a middle-aged figure, utterly devoid of any aura, appearing just like an ordinary person, yet none dared to underestimate him.

"Uncle Gu Yuan." Xiao Yun slowly landed in front of the middle-aged man and bowed.

"Hehe, Xiaoyun, you're here."

Upon seeing Xiao Yun's arrival, a smile appeared on Gu Yuan's usually calm face. He looked Xiao Yun over and was taken aback.

"Hey, Xiaoyun, your cultivation has improved again?"

"That's right, Uncle Gu Yuan." Xiao Yun nodded, knowing that he couldn't hide his true cultivation level from Gu Yuan and other top experts on the continent.

However, this was only at the cultivation level. As for the power of the Nine Profound Golden Thunder, Xiao Yun temporarily absorbed it with a strange fire and placed it in his spirit storage.

Even Gu Yuan couldn't detect it without using his soul power to investigate.

"After parting ways with you last time, I returned to the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void and encountered some fortuitous opportunities on Ancient Dragon Island..."

"Tsk tsk, you kid, you truly deserve to be called the number one genius on the continent." After hearing what Xiao Yun said, even with Gu Yuan's composure, he found it difficult to remain calm.

After all, the realm of Dou Sheng is different from others. Those who can break through to the Saint realm are all geniuses standing at the pinnacle of the continent.

Even so, it was difficult to make any further progress in his cultivation in the future.

But Xiao Yun had only been gone for a few days, and his cultivation had already broken through a small level. How could this not shock Gu Yuan?

Even when he was at the Dou Sheng realm, he never had such a fast cultivation speed!

"The boy's improvement in cultivation is not entirely due to his own talent; he also owes a great deal to the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void..."

Xiao Yun shook his head, transferring some of the credit for his breakthrough to the Ancient Void Dragon.

Otherwise, if one's talent is too extraordinary, some members of the ancient clans might harbor ill intentions.

People are often selfish, a fact that Yao Lao proved with his life long ago.

"I see, that makes more sense now." Gu Yuan nodded, not doubting Xiao Yun's explanation at all, but rather finding it reasonable.

The Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void is a clan that has been passed down from ancient times. Its internal strength far surpasses that of other clans. Among the eight ancient clans, only the Ancient and Soul clans can compare with it.

It wasn't that Gu Yuan was arrogant; after all, he was one of the most outstanding figures on the Dou Qi Continent. If it weren't for the lack of Origin Qi, he would have already advanced to Dou Di and ascended to the Upper Realm, just like the Ancient Emperor back then.

Xiao Yun's talent is undeniable, but if his talent can be so overwhelming even at the Dou Sheng level, then it would be too terrifying.

……

After chatting for a while, the ancient clansmen around them dispersed, clearing out a large area where only Gu Yuan and Xiao Yun remained.

Looking at the space above the mountain range that was slowly distorting, Gu Yuan said calmly, "Xiao Yun, you know the rules of the Heavenly Tomb. It opens once every twenty years. The last time you were able to enter it was because I forcibly tore the space apart."

Originally, even with my intervention, you wouldn't have been able to stay in the Heavenly Tomb for very long if you wanted to enter it this time.

Fortunately, the day when the Heavenly Tomb will naturally open is drawing near, so the total time spent is not much different from what we've been waiting for before.

"Not much difference? So, I can only stay in the Heavenly Tomb for about a year?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yun's face showed a hint of disappointment as he asked.

"Not bad." Gu Yuan nodded, turned around, saw Xiao Yun's expression, and said, "What? Is a year a bit short?"

Xiao Yun didn't speak, but simply nodded silently.

Gu Yuan sighed, and with a flick of his sleeve, a jade bottle appeared, hovering in front of Xiao Yun.

"This is a pill created by our ancient clan's alchemy master after studying the Heavenly Tomb for a thousand years. It is called the Yuanhun Pill."

This pill has no other effects; after being taken, it can mimic the aura of a remnant soul, thus avoiding rejection from the Heavenly Tomb.

One pill's effects last for a month. This bottle contains twenty-four Yuanhun Pills, which will extend your time in the Heavenly Tomb by two years.

Upon hearing Gu Yuan's words, Xiao Yun's eyes lit up. He clenched the jade bottle in his palm, flicked his finger, and the seal flew out, releasing a faint fragrance of medicinal herbs.

"This pill is quite good!"

After examining it carefully, Xiao Yun couldn't figure out what it was, so he put away the jade bottle, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you very much, Uncle Gu, for the pill. But three years is still too short. What do you think..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan's lips twitched slightly, and he said irritably, "You brat, do you think this Yuanhun Pill is some kind of cabbage growing on the roadside?"

Even in my ancient clan, only a very few people, such as candidates for clan leader, could obtain this pill.

"Now that we face a formidable enemy, I have already given you all the Soul Pills the ancient clan possesses!"

Xiao Yun touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, realizing that he had been greedy. If these pills were really that easy to refine, then the younger generation of the ancient clans, like Gu Qingyang and others, would practically be living in the Heavenly Tomb.

However, this ancient clan really has something. Since the Xiao clan was destroyed, the Heavenly Tomb has been under the control of the ancient clan.

Surprisingly, after a thousand years, they actually managed to discover some things!

Don't underestimate this Yuanhun Pill; it can extend the user's time in the Heavenly Tomb by one month, which is equivalent to six months in the outside world!

Based on this calculation, the geniuses of the ancient clans could gain several months more cultivation time than other geniuses simply by consuming a single Yuanhun Pill.

Over time, the ancient clan's foundation and strength became increasingly robust, making it difficult for other ancient families to catch up. If it weren't for the unforeseen event of the Soul Clan, they would probably have been able to maintain their position as the number one family on the continent.

"Since we've run out of extra pills, Uncle Gu, please just tear open the space of the Heavenly Tomb!"

Xiao Yun said to Gu Yuan, "If there's no one, then so be it. Anyway, Xiao Xuan is still inside. With his strength, he can almost be considered half the master of the Heavenly Tomb, and he can even fight against the soul of the Heavenly Tomb."

It will really take some time then, so let Xiao Xuan explain the 'reason' to the soul of the Heavenly Tomb.

With reasoned and emotional appeals, perhaps the soul of the Heavenly Tomb will agree to let Xiao Yun stay a little longer!

"Very well, while the Soul Clan is recuperating and has no other moves, you should seize the time to improve your strength!"

"Don't worry, after you enter the Heavenly Tomb, I will send people to guard the Starfall Pavilion, the Pill Tower, and other places. If the Soul Clan makes any moves, I will immediately set off to prevent a repeat of what happened with the Medicine Clan."

"Yes! Thank you very much, Uncle Gu!" Xiao Yun nodded heavily. If there was anything he couldn't let go of right now, it was the safety of Little Fairy Doctor, Elder Yao, and the others.

The Soul Emperor has no bottom line as a strong person. After all, in the original timeline, the Soul Emperor personally captured Xiao Zhan to force Xiao Yan to hand over the Tuoshe Ancient Jade.

Now that he has caught the eye of the Soul Emperor, although he is not as threatening as Xiao Yan in the original timeline and does not possess the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, it is still best to be cautious.

Immediately, Gu Yuan turned around, and with a wave of his sleeves, surging spatial energy roamed freely, rising and falling between heaven and earth like a tsunami.

The void space above the mountain range is also affected by this spatial energy.

"Splash!"

A pitch-black spatial rift was suddenly torn open, and an ancient and deathly aura emanated from it.

"Xiao Yun, the Heavenly Tomb has opened, let's go in!" Gu Yuan said in a deep voice, maintaining his previous posture as he looked at the spatial rift in front of him.

"Yes, Uncle Gu, I'll be entrusting the care of the people I've met during this time to you!"

Xiao Yun bowed to Gu Yuan, and then moved, his crimson-gold battle qi surging as he transformed into a stream of light and rushed into the spatial rift.

Until Xiao Yun's figure completely disappeared from this world, Gu Yuan waved his sleeves again, and the crack began to close. In the time it took to breathe, it had already disappeared.

It was as if nothing had happened, but the trees around them, blown about by the wind, proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Looking at the void that had returned to calm, Gu Yuan sighed softly and waved his hand. In the next instant, three figures appeared, none other than the three immortals of the ancient clan.

"Clan Chief!" The three immortals of the ancient clan bowed to Gu Yuan as soon as they appeared.

Gu Yuan nodded lightly in return, and then said, "Three elders, Xiao Yun has entered the Heavenly Tomb and will be cultivating in seclusion there for three years."

During this period, you will be stationed here, and no one else is allowed to enter or leave within a radius of a thousand miles except for me!

Even Xun'er and Qingyang are no exception!

"Don't worry, Chieftain, we'll guard this place. Not even a mosquito can fly in, let alone a person!"

Hearing the three people's answers, Gu Yuan nodded slightly, and as space twisted, his figure slowly dissipated.

Only after Gu Yuan completely disappeared from this world did the three of them exchange a glance, and they all saw the shock in each other's eyes.

They valued Xiao Yun highly, believing that he would inevitably become a great help in the fight against the Soul Clan in the future, but they did not expect that Gu Yuan would value him even more than they did!

"I remember Xiao Yun entered the Heavenly Tomb once before, right? This time he should only stay for about a year at most, otherwise he will be rejected by the Heavenly Tomb, right?" an old man said quietly.

"That's right, but Xiao Yun was able to stay for a full three years this time. It must be because the clan leader took out the Yuanhun Pills, and gave him a full twenty-four at once!"

As the three immortals of the ancient clan, their status within the clan can be said to be second only to the emperor, above all others.

Naturally, they knew of the existence of the Yuanhun Pill and what its effects were!

"The clan leader is really good to Xiao Yun! If you didn't know better, you'd think he was the next clan leader of our ancient clan."

Hearing the complaints of the two beside him, Gu Dao sighed softly and said in a deep voice, "Enough! The clan leader has the right to use all the clan's resources! This is his decision! We just need to obey!"

"But you can't just hand over so many Soul Pills at once..." the first old man said, unconvinced.

Seeing that bringing up Gu Yuan still hadn't convinced the two, Gu Dao immediately revealed what he knew about Xiao Yun.

"You two are really something, you've lived for a thousand years in vain, ignoring the big picture for a little immediate gain."

In my opinion, no matter how precious this Yuanhun Pill is, it's only useful to the younger generation. How can it compare to a Golden Core Grandmaster?

"A Grandmaster of the Golden Core stage?!"

Upon hearing what Gu Dao said, the two elders exclaimed in surprise, their faces showing disbelief.

On the Dou Qi Continent, the number and quality of alchemists are not as good as those of Dou Zhe. Nine-star peak Dou Sheng are common, but a ninth-grade Golden Core Grandmaster has not appeared for thousands of years.

"Old man, don't talk nonsense. Although Master Xiao Yun is a genius, he only managed to refine a ninth-grade precious pill recently! He's still far from being a Golden Core Grandmaster!"

"That's right, that's right." Another old man nodded in agreement. The difference between a Grandmaster of Precious Core and a Grandmaster of Golden Core is like the difference between a beginner-level Dou Sheng and a high-level Dou Sheng.

Even with Xiao Yun's talent, it would probably take decades or even centuries if no accidents occurred along the way!

Gu Dao shook his head dismissively and slowly said, "Hmph, what if I told you that what Master Xiao refined last time wasn't some ninth-grade treasure pill at all, but a half-step profound pill, with effects even comparable to an ordinary ninth-grade profound pill?"

"..."

After hearing Gu Dao's words, the two elders were speechless, but their eyes were filled with shock.

If Xiao Yun's situation is really as Gu Dao said, then his importance has been elevated to several levels!

"No wonder the clan leader gave him so many Yuanhun Pills. He must have already figured something out. It's a shame that we were still questioning the clan leader."

The two old men no longer harbored any resentment. Their fighting spirit surged forth, and they each chose a direction, hovering in the void, surveying everything around them.

They even planned that when they saw Xiao Yun again, they would make sure to get along well with him, or at the very least, avoid becoming enemies.

Seeing the two's actions, knowing that he had finally persuaded them, a smile appeared on Gu Dao's aged face. He then sat down cross-legged, his battle aura spreading for miles around to prevent anyone from entering the area.

(End of this chapter)