Chapter 1000: The True Martial Arts Force
"It's nothing serious. There were some misunderstandings, but they've been resolved now," Jiang Bai chuckled, offering no comment.
Cheng Tiangang is one of our own, so there's no need for us to hide anything. However, he himself isn't entirely clear about this matter, so how can he explain it to others?
Therefore, after a couple of vague remarks, it was considered over.
After hearing this explanation, Cheng Tiangang and Yang Wudi exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. They decided not to dwell on the matter. Since Jiang Bai was unwilling to say, they wouldn't press him further.
"Everyone has come from different places, and I don't know when they will all arrive. But I think it will take a few days. Some people are quite arrogant."
"But it's better that they're not coming. I have a group of guests coming later, and I can introduce them to you. I think you'll be able to get along better with each other."
Yang Wudi's words surprised Jiang Bai. Could he be closer to him?
Was Yang Wudi subtly suggesting to himself that he should get closer to these people, or were these people simply showing him more kindness?
Jiang Bai clearly leans towards the former understanding. It's not that he thinks others shouldn't be more friendly to him; it's just that there aren't many people like that these days.
In the ancient martial arts world, there were only a few aristocratic families and sects, and he had offended almost everyone. There were very few clean and friendly ones.
As for the cultivators... Jiang Bai chuckled even more. They had no prior interaction, and Jiang Bai only recently learned of their existence. Before long, they had clashed several times, offending several major sects.
Are any of them on good terms with me now?
Jiang Bai refused to believe it no matter what.
Besides, what kind of interaction would Yang Wudi, a martial artist, have with them?
Jiang Bai expressed his doubts about this.
However, he did not object. He knew that Yang Wudi must have his reasons for doing this, so he nodded and said nothing more.
The three of them sat in the hotel lobby and chatted idly, talking about everyday things, gossip, and some interesting things that Jiang Bai had seen and heard since he left, as well as grudges and affections.
Time flew by, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. A tall and imposing officer walked up to Yang Wudi, saluted, and whispered a few words. Yang Wudi chuckled and stood up: "Let's go and meet my guests, all true heroes."
After saying that, he walked out first.
Cheng Tiangang and Jiang Bai exchanged a glance and stood up. As they walked, Cheng Tiangang said to Jiang Bai, "The world of true masters is quite complex, with many intricate connections. The Southern Xinjiang Witch God Sect has nothing to do with them. This time, the Southern Xinjiang Witch God Sect also has two slots for entering Lishan Mausoleum. I will introduce you to them later. They are all my grandfather's confidants. With my influence, they can trust you."
"As for Yang Wudi, I suppose he was the one who introduced you. Entering Lishan Mausoleum is far more complicated than some fat and greasy guys imagine. Otherwise, the ten pillars of the Heavenly Group wouldn't be taking it so seriously."
"You can take a look at the person he introduced to you. If they're similar, it would be a good choice to work together as partners."
Jiang Bai smiled and nodded, indicating that he understood Cheng Tiangang's meaning, but did not say anything more.
Jiang Bai followed Yang Wudi outside, and a moment later, he met Yang Wudi's guests: five extremely robust-looking middle-aged men and a young man in white.
These six people stood there like mountains, each exuding a powerful aura.
His energy surged like billowing smoke, and just by standing there, an aura of iron will and unwavering resolve would immediately overwhelm you.
Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes. These people were all experts, and martial arts practitioners at that.
All five middle-aged men were experts at the Lesser Celestial Realm, and the young man was even more remarkable. If Jiang Bai's observation was correct, this young man... was stronger than himself and was a mid-star level martial artist.
This greatly surprised Jiang Bai. This young man didn't look very old, so how could he be so powerful?
However, judging from appearances alone, someone who has reached this level of cultivation can maintain their youth for a long time, and it is really difficult to determine their exact age from their appearance.
"Everyone, this is Jiang Bai!" Yang Wudi laughed and walked out, pointing to Jiang Bai behind him and saying with a smile.
Jiang Bai's words made everyone around him light up, and they all nodded to him. Yang Wudi then introduced the group to Jiang Bai: "These people are Mr. Wang Xianzhi from Wushenglu, Mr. Song Zhiquan from Tianjianyuan, Ms. Qiu Meijun from Wushenzong, and Mr. Huang Tianfang from Huangwuyuan."
"And, Lord Xuanyuan Po of the Human Emperor Family."
"They were all selected from the top forces among the ancient martial arts practitioners. Every expert who entered Lishan Mausoleum this time was above the Heavenly Realm, a true leader, and the elite of the entire martial arts world."
"The Four Great Families are nothing but lackeys in the eyes of the forces you all belong to."
"Especially Lord Xuanyuan Po, who is a descendant of the Human Emperor, a true direct bloodline. Don't be fooled by his youth; he is actually 150 years old this year. Of course, advancing to the Middle Heaven Rank at 150 years old is unprecedented!"
"Especially the strongest person among all those who entered the Lishan Mausoleum this time!"
As Yang Wudi introduced them, Jiang Bai greeted each of them. Several middle-aged men came from powerful martial arts factions. What surprised Jiang Bai the most was the last young man, who was Xuan Yuanpo, the descendant of the Xuan Yuan clan, the family of the Human Emperor, as mentioned by Yang Wudi.
"Advancing to the Middle Heaven Rank at 150 years old, haha, Yang Rui, you don't need to say anything more about this. What is my strength compared to Jiang Bai? How old is he? He has already advanced to the Heaven Rank."
"At this rate, he could reach my level before he turns forty. Although the Lishan Mausoleum is fraught with danger this time, there are also many opportunities. Perhaps when Jiang Bai comes out, he will have already advanced to the Middle Heaven Rank, and then he will catch up with me."
"You're bragging about me here, it makes me blush."
"I wouldn't dare call myself a genius in front of Jiang Bai, let alone you, Yang Wudi, if you're willing..."
Xuan Yuanpo chuckled, displaying extreme humility, and complimented Jiang Bai. This was something several people had said before, and they made no attempt to hide their goodwill towards Jiang Bai.
It was obvious that Xuan Yuanpo wanted to say something to Yang Wudi, but Yang Wudi cut him off before he could finish speaking, saying, "These people are all truly upright individuals and exemplary representatives of our sects among martial arts practitioners. They are all trustworthy."
"The Lishan Mausoleum is fraught with danger. Those cultivators have always been at odds with us. Once inside, we can join forces to fight them."
Chapter 1001 The Center of the World
Yang Wudi interrupted, but Xuan Yuanpo showed no displeasure. He gave Yang Wudi a deep look, chuckled, and said nothing more.
It seemed there was something Jiang Bai didn't know. He had wanted to say it, but Yang Wudi stopped him before he could, so he didn't continue.
Jiang Bai also noticed something about this, but he was unwilling to point it out.
He chuckled and greeted the people in front of him warmly, naturally offering some compliments. His attitude was very humble, not arrogant at all, which was quite different from his usual demeanor.
Yang Wudi introduced these people to Jiang Bai hoping they would support each other and help one another after entering. Jiang Bai wasn't stupid; the inside was fraught with danger, and if he could make as many allies as possible, he would be relatively safer after entering.
Jiang Bai understood this very well, so he adopted a very humble attitude.
However, it wasn't just him who understood it; everyone else understood it perfectly well. Regardless of their previous thoughts or opinions about Jiang Bai, they were all extremely enthusiastic now.
At Yang Wudi's invitation, they went into the hotel together, set up a table, and brought out several cases of specially supplied liquor, where they ate and drank.
It seems that all martial artists are like this; after a few drinks, they become as close as brothers. Regardless of their cultivation level, they become extremely friendly and familiar with each other, which also enhances their mutual understanding.
When they were having a good time, Huang Tianfang from the Wilderness Plains patted Jiang Bai on the shoulder and said, "Brother Jiang Bai, I'm a straightforward person and I don't like to say those lies."
"We martial artists have been gradually declining since Qin Shi Huang destroyed the martial arts world. Our sects were once the best among martial artists. When Qin Shi Huang destroyed the martial arts world, he was wise enough to preserve some of his strength, but he still couldn't stop the gradual decline."
"Martial arts practitioners are not what they used to be. On the contrary, those cultivators who were beaten so badly by us back then are now more resilient. Two thousand years of forbearance have allowed them to accumulate profound power."
"These guys have never gotten along with us. The Lishan Mausoleum is fraught with danger, and we don't get along with each other, so we have to be very careful once we go in."
"That sounds nice now. We're working together to deal with the invasion of the underworld, but only heaven knows what they're really thinking. They're numerous, and they'll inevitably try to harm us once they're in. Don't hold back then. If anything happens, I, Huangwuyuan, will stand by you!"
As soon as he said this, the experts from the Martial Saint Pavilion next to him chimed in: "Yes, that's how it should be done. Actually, if you follow my advice, we should start fighting as soon as we enter. Those bastards are clearly up to no good. They outnumber us, so we won't have an advantage. We should find an opportunity to kill a few of them first before we're safe."
"I think that after we come out of the Lishan Mausoleum, we might fall apart. It's safer for the Twelve Golden Men and the like to be in the hands of us martial arts practitioners. If they fall into their hands, hmph, I'm afraid they won't suppress or seal us, but will suppress us first!"
"That's right. I've wanted to teach these people a lesson for a long time, but I've been suppressed by the sect and haven't been able to do anything. Recently, I heard that Brother Jiang Bai did a good job, teaching a few arrogant brats a lesson and even stripping the Taiyi Sect disciples naked and hanging them up. He really vented our anger. Come on, have a drink!" Qiu Meijun of the Martial God Sect laughed and stood up, saying this.
Although he has a feminine name, he is a real man with a full beard and an extremely bold demeanor, seemingly admiring Jiang Bai's actions.
"Hehe, let's not talk about that. Let's drink. The seal is weak right now and won't hold for long. For the sake of the bigger picture, we shouldn't do anything reckless. Once we're inside, we can explore the Lishan Mausoleum. Let's not cause any trouble."
"Of course, what you all said are things we have to be wary of. We'll just have to act according to the situation. We can't afford to suffer losses."
Xuan Yuanpo of the Human Emperor Family chuckled and said this, not encouraging Jiang Bai to go in and start fighting, but reminding Jiang Bai that these cultivators had to be careful.
Jiang Bai could see that the relationship between these martial arts practitioners and cultivators was extremely bad. If the martial arts practitioners were not currently weakened and the seal was about to break, posing a greater threat to everyone, the two groups might already be fighting.
Knowing what was going on, Jiang Bai didn't reveal it and chuckled as he raised his glass and drank heartily with everyone.
After thinking for a moment, he asked the people in front of him, "Gentlemen, I've heard that some powerful sects have their own grotto-heavens. Those cultivators use these grotto-heavens to recuperate and build up their strength. There should be tens of millions of cultivators in those sects now. Is this true or false?"
He believed Elder Liu and Sect Leader Zhao's explanation, but he was still a little uneasy. Now that he had the chance, Jiang Bai confirmed the matter with the people in front of him.
"Of course it's true. Not only them, but several of our sects, including the Human Emperor Family, also have their own grotto-heavens. Back then, it was because of this that we sensed something was wrong and sealed our worlds in advance, never to emerge again. Otherwise, when Qin Shi Huang destroyed Wu so fiercely, none of us would have been able to escape."
"The number of cultivators is not an exaggeration; I estimate it to be even greater."
"Our world is far more complex than you think. I know what scientists say these days: that our blue planet is just an ordinary planet in the vast universe, and that there are countless planets like it in the universe."
"But the truth I'm here to tell you is that they are wrong! That's not how it is!"
Xuan Yuanpo of the Human Emperor Family chuckled, glanced at Jiang Bai, and didn't mind telling Jiang Bai some secrets in order to win him over.
"I'd like to hear the details!" Jiang Bai paused for a moment, then couldn't help but say.
"Seriously speaking, how could a planet have so many hidden worlds attached to it? This is clearly illogical, but it is indeed the case. Why is that? Because they have misunderstood one thing and failed to see the true nature of this world."
"In this vast universe, we are the center! That's why we are so unique. But as to why... don't ask me, I don't know. However, this is something my ancestor, Huang, once said, and it's absolutely true!"
Xuan Yuanpo's words, which gave Jiang Bai such a thought-provoking idea, made Jiang Bai unconsciously fall into deep thought.
What does "Xuanyuan Po" mean?
Why would the Emperor say that?
It's a complete mystery.
Jiang Bai didn't believe he didn't know why, but since he didn't say anything, Jiang Bai didn't feel comfortable asking, so he wisely kept quiet.
Chapter 1002 A Clearly Defined Lineup
Recently, Jiang Bai has had a lot to digest, and his ability to cope has obviously increased. After hearing this, he remained silent for a moment and did not say anything else.
However, I had already begun to consider the hidden meaning behind what these people were saying.
Jiang Bai believed that they would not speak without reason. Although they had drunk a lot of alcohol, who were the people present?
There wasn't a single one below the Heavenly Realm. With such cultivation, if they wanted to, they could drink a whole river of wine and still not get drunk.
Let alone such a tiny bit?
But why did they say all that?
Jiang Bai understood one of the meanings: these people wanted to win him over.
The relationship between martial artists and cultivators is already irreconcilable; there is absolutely no trust between them. Even before entering the realm, they are already eager to fight each other and slaughter each other inside. That's why they are trying to win over Jiang Bai.
Although they might not like Jiang Bai, he was, after all, a legitimate martial artist and someone on their side, so they tried their best to win him over. Even the powerful figure from the Human Emperor Family stepped forward at this time.
This shows that they valued Jiang Bai quite a lot.
Since the other party is giving him face, Jiang Bai won't refuse. He also needs a reliable ally to avoid being swallowed whole once he goes in.
Judging from the demeanor of these martial artists, it's clear that none of them are ordinary people. There are even mid-level experts present, and there might even be some powerful figures among them. Under these circumstances, Jiang Bai would be quite uneasy if he didn't find a few allies.
Both sides were sincere, and their interactions were naturally extremely pleasant. Before long, they were already calling each other brothers.
Of course, Jiang Bai is the youngest brother, because he's young.
These people are all over a hundred years old. If Jiang Bai weren't so powerful, people would be at a disadvantage if he called them "grandpa" at his age.
The banquet ended just like that, and everyone drank until the early hours of the morning before gradually dispersing and returning to their respective rooms.
The next morning, there was a knock on Jiang Bai's door; it was Liu Ruonan.
"Jiang Bai, most of the people below have arrived. Minister Cheng asked me to call you down."
After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Bai nodded, then closed the door, quickly washed up, changed into clean casual clothes, and leisurely went downstairs.
When I got downstairs, I saw that the lobby was no longer as deserted as it had been yesterday; it was full of people.
Besides the military and police personnel who were already in charge of the police force outside, there were twenty or thirty other people in the hall, who were divided into several groups and each fought their own battles.
Last night, the Emperor Family's Xuan Yuanpo and others, who had been drinking with him, were gathered together. There were only five or six martial arts practitioners there. When Jiang Bai came down, Xuan Yuanpo spoke first with a smile: "How was it? Did you drink too much last night?"
His words had already drawn him to his side.
Pointing to the people in the hall, he sneered, "Not a single one showed up last night, but they're all here first thing this morning. They're really fast."
Looking at the people in the hall, clearly divided into several groups, Jiang Bai asked noncommittally, "Who are these people? Why are they divided so clearly?"
"Hehe, of course I can tell them apart. Did you see those strangely dressed people who look like ethnic minorities? Two from the Southern Xinjiang Witch God Sect, and also the Witchcraft Sect, the Poison Sect, and so on. These are the inheritors of ancient witchcraft. They have always been a self-contained system within China. They are descendants of the Sanmiao and Miao people."
"To be frank, they are not of the same lineage as us, but after so many years, they have become mixed together. It would be a lie to say that they have no Chinese blood at all."
"Speaking of which, you can trust a little. These four or five people are led by the Southern Frontier Witch God Sect. Given your relationship with Cheng Tiangang, even if they don't help you, they won't make things difficult for you. Cheng Tiangang has a very special status in the Southern Frontier Witch God Sect."
Upon hearing Jiang Bai's question, Xuan Yuanpo, who was standing there, chuckled and pointed lightly at several people with extremely peculiar clothing not far away, saying noncommittally.
This startled Jiang Bai. He looked at the group of people and found that they were also looking at him. Two of them even smiled and nodded at him. Jiang Bai quickly returned the smile. He knew that these two must be experts from the Southern Border Witch God Sect.
The reason they were so friendly to us was probably because Old Cheng had already told them that he knew about Jiang Bai's relationship with Cheng Tiangang, and that they would cooperate with Jiang Bai on the Qingqiu issue. That's why these two experts from the Southern Border Witch God Sect were behaving so amicably.
Otherwise, given their temperament... hehe, they might not be so accommodating to everyone. Didn't you see that they only speak to their own people and avoid everyone else?
They completely ignore me.
Then Xuan Yuanpo pointed to several burly, strangely shaped people not far away. These people included both men and women, and they were unusually robust and imposing. One of them, a bald man who was leading the group, was at least three meters tall and did not look like a human.
A woman with captivating charm, scantily clad, and voluptuous figure.
There weren't many of them, only four, but each of them exuded a rather dangerous aura.
When Jiang Bai glanced over there, the others remained expressionless, except for the woman who held a fan and chuckled slightly, even giving Jiang Bai a flirtatious wink.
"They are the fewest in number, but the most dangerous. In order to maintain balance, the leading figures in the cultivation world had to give up half of their quotas to appease the other forces, so they gave some quotas to these few."
"Be careful. They are the most dangerous group in this group. They are the elite of the demon race. Among so many people, they are the only ones without age restrictions. Who knows if there are any ancient demons hiding among them? They are the group that we need to be extra careful with."
At this point, Xuan Yuanpo paused, glanced at Jiang Bai, and said with a light laugh, "But you don't need to be afraid. I heard that you have a good relationship with the Wansheng Sect. The Wansheng Sect is the leader of the demon race. Currently, all the demon races have to live under their thumb. Since you have such a close relationship with the Wansheng Sect, they won't dare to do anything to you unless absolutely necessary."
Xuan Yuanpo glanced at Jiang Bai with some envy and said with a sigh, "I thought you had made a lot of enemies, but now it seems that half of the people here, if not completely on your side, are at least inclined to support you. Your life will be much easier than ours once you join them."
Chapter 1003 The Supreme Dao
Ignoring Xuan Yuanpo's topic, Jiang Bai changed the subject, chuckled, pointed to the two groups of people standing in the middle, and said to Xuan Yuanpo in front of him, "So, the rest are cultivator sects? But why are they divided into two groups?"
"Is that even a question? It's just infighting among these guys. You think these cultivators are a monolithic group? There are clear divisions among them, and they're quite scheming against each other."
"Unlike us, who are gradually declining and only have a few sects that we can still boast about, and who are united among themselves, they are different. They are large and numerous."
"When there are too many people, their hearts are not united."
"So they were divided into many camps, and they fought each other endlessly."
"Of course, generally speaking, they are divided into two camps: the Ten Great Immortal Sects and those not included in the Ten Great Immortal Sects."
Jiang Bai had expected the other party to say that there was a distinction between good and evil, but the answer was quite unexpected.
"Shouldn't they be divided into two factions, good and evil?" Jiang Bai asked curiously.
Xuan Yuanpo chuckled at this: "That's ancient history. Many years ago, these cultivators were indeed divided into two groups, righteous and evil. But that was many years ago. After Qin Shi Huang destroyed Wu, these people were no longer so clearly distinguished."
"Some powerful evil and demonic sects were driven to the underworld, where they eke out a living. The remaining ones were those who were trying to protect themselves, which are now the Ten Great Immortal Sects."
"However, although the Ten Great Immortal Sects are powerful among thousands of cultivators, they are still a minority. As far as I know, there are at least several thousand cultivator sects now, and among so many people, there are countless outstanding heroes."
"The Ten Great Immortal Sects can't possibly monopolize the world and leave no way for others to survive, right? So this time, each of the Ten Great Immortal Sects sent one person, but other sects also sent five people here. I heard that their personnel are actually of higher quality than those of the Ten Great Immortal Sects. Whether it's true or not, we don't know until we fight. After all, we belong to two different systems."
Hearing this, Jiang Bai nodded and looked at the crowd not far away.
To my astonishment, in the very center of the group of people chatting and laughing, sat a woman dressed in white, her face aloof, staring straight out the window, lost in thought.
"What are you looking at?" With a chuckle, Xuan Yuanpo nudged Jiang Bai.
Following Jiang Bai's gaze, he said to Jiang Bai in a low voice, neither confirming nor denying, "Don't overthink it... There are plenty of people who want to take advantage of her, but no one has actually dared to do anything to her yet."
"As the current successor of the Supreme Dao, the foremost sect of immortality, she is not someone an ordinary person can touch. And just by looking at her, I know you have no chance. The Supreme Dao is about transcending emotions!"
"This sect is devoid of emotion; to win the heart of a beauty is basically a pipe dream."
With a wry smile, Jiang Bai said dryly, "That's not what I meant."
However, his words drew laughter from the people around him. Huang Tianfang, who came from the Wilderness Plains, patted Jiang Bai on the shoulder and said affectionately, "Young man, this kind of thing is understandable. Everyone has a love for beauty. Speaking of which, she is about the same age as you, so she is a good match."
"If I were a hundred years younger, I would definitely pursue her. To be honest, I have never seen such a stunning beauty in my life."
However, his words were met with immediate scorn from those around him. Wang Xianzhe from Wushenglu even sneered and said, "You? You? Old Huang, I'm not trying to be mean, but even if you were a hundred years younger, you still wouldn't stand a chance, not to mention your appearance."
"Your cultivation level is not up to par. That person is truly extraordinary. I heard that he is already a Heavenly Realm cultivator at a young age. He is a genius that the Supreme Dao sees only once in a thousand years."
"Although the Supreme Dao is full of abnormal people, this one is definitely a monster among monsters. The Supreme Dao regards her as a treasure. I heard that she has been confirmed as the Holy Maiden and may even lead the Supreme Dao in the future as the Holy Maiden."
"You are far inferior to her."
"I think unless you use anything..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xuan Yuanbo of the Human Emperor Family suddenly changed his expression and shouted, "Shut up! Wang Xianzhe, do you want to bring disaster upon your Martial Saint Pavilion? Have you forgotten who this man's father is?"
"If you keep talking, be careful that they might tear down your Martial Saint's Abode tomorrow."
One sentence made Wang Xianzhi's face change several times, and he turned slightly pale. He quickly waved his hand and said, "I didn't mean that. You all have to be my witnesses. I really didn't mean that."
After saying this, he looked around with lingering fear, as if afraid that others might have overheard him.
This startled Jiang Bai, who couldn't help but take a deep look at the woman. She noticed him too, paused for a moment, and then nodded slightly.
Jiang Bai was no stranger to this person.
Ye Qingguo!
Ye Qingcheng's older sister.
It's just a mystery who their father is, that he could frighten the experts of the Martial Saint Pavilion to this extent. You know, they weren't this afraid when they mentioned the Supreme Dao.
At this moment, something even stranger happened. Yang Wudi, Li Qingdi, and Cheng Tiangang appeared together. Cheng Tiangang walked towards Jiang Bai with a smile, while the other two walked straight towards Ye Qingguo.
"Hehe, these two guys seem to know something. This is going to be interesting. Jiang Bai, what do you say to these two bastards from now on, will you call them 'uncle' or continue calling them 'brother'?"
Cheng Tiangang chuckled and walked over to Jiang Bai, saying this. Xuan Yuanpo and the others then wisely left Jiang Bai's side at this moment.
These words stunned Jiang Bai. He paused for a moment, glanced at Cheng Tiangang, and frowned as he asked, "What do you mean by this?"
"Haha, you don't know? To be honest, I didn't expect it at first either, but recently it seems there are some clues. In the past, these cultivators were high above and hidden away, and there were very few rumors about this person and her. However, with the incident at Lishan Mausoleum, some things have come to light."
"If I'm not mistaken, this Ye Qingguo and the two sisters beside you, Ye Qingcheng, should be Liu Rumei's daughters."
Otherwise, these two guys wouldn't have been so shameless as to stick close to him.
Willow-like eyebrows?
Jiang Bai was no stranger to this name. The woman who had caused Zhao Wuji, Li Qingdi, and Yang Wudi to fight each other to the point of bloodshed and turning against each other, ultimately left with Xu Changsheng.
Unexpectedly, she is the mother of the Ye Qingcheng sisters in front of me?
This is... a really big deal.
Thinking about this, Jiang Bai couldn't help but wonder, "Could they be Xu Changsheng's daughters?"
Chapter 1004 Jiang Bai, You Need to Be Better to Her
However, Jiang Bai immediately dismissed this thought, because it was impossible. Xu Changsheng had once said that he and Liu Rumei did not end up together, and it seemed that Liu Rumei ended up with someone else.
Jiang Bai didn't know who this person was, but his surname should be Ye.
He's absolutely a peerless expert. To be able to snatch Liu Rumei away from Xu Changsheng, this person would be strange if he weren't a monster.
"Are you sure?" Jiang Bai asked noncommittally.
"Of course I'm sure. What else did you think? These two guys actually took the initiative to chat with each other. Have you ever seen these two guys treat other women with such indifference before?" Cheng Tiangang chuckled and said noncommittally.
After saying this, he said with a hint of regret, "Alas, now we're missing Zhao Wuji, otherwise this show would be quite entertaining. Without him, it just feels like something's missing. I really want to see how dejected they look."
To be honest, these two looked quite distraught. Although it wasn't obvious, based on Jiang Bai's understanding of them, their emotions were extremely unstable.
These were people who rarely showed their emotions, but now they had excited expressions on their faces as they walked over and spoke to Ye Qingguo.
After exchanging a few words, both of them looked dejected, as if they had suffered some kind of blow.
This made Cheng Tiangang gloat, while Jiang Bai was speechless. In fact, he was strong enough to hear what the other party was saying, but he disdained to eavesdrop. In fact, there was nothing to eavesdrop on anyway.
Jiang Bai only heard the other person say one sentence: "Are you Ru Mei's daughter?"
Ye Qingguo called out "Uncle" twice, which completely disoriented the two men.
To be honest, Ye Qingcheng is more famous than Ye Qingguo. Before this, Cheng Tiangang and the others had already had a general idea, but they were not sure.
These two people have come to our door, so they must have received some definite information, but they are not yet sure, which is why this scene has occurred.
"It's been a long time since I've seen them like this. It's really heartwarming to think about," Cheng Tiangang said gloatingly.
Jiang Bai glanced at him sideways and sneered disdainfully, "At least he lost all hope and was dejected for a while, but he'll probably come to terms with it later. What about you? I don't think you're going to come to terms with it."
One sentence caused Cheng Tiangang's expression to change several times. He glared at Jiang Bai and growled, "Jiang Bai, what do you mean? Let me tell you, if you bring this up again, I'll turn against you."
Jiang Bai merely sneered at this, refusing to say anything more to him, leaving Cheng Tiangang speechless.
Then Li Qingdi and Yang Wudi returned, glaring fiercely at Jiang Bai. Yang Wudi spoke first, saying, "Jiang Bai, let me tell you, although I can't beat you right now, if you dare to do anything bad to my Qingcheng, I definitely have ways to deal with you!"
"Qingguo told us that I also know a little about Qingcheng's relationship with you. I had been guessing that she might be Rumei's daughter, but I didn't dare to be sure. However, I recently received some information and it was confirmed by Qingguo."
"Jiang Bai, let me tell you… there are some things you already know. The reason why I, Li Qingdi, have remained unmarried all my life is now settled. However, since Qingcheng is Rumei's daughter, she is no different from my own daughter."
"If you hurt her, I, Li Qingdi, will do nothing else for the rest of my life but beat you, Jiang Bai!"
Li Qingdi then chimed in, unusually expressing his stance with these extremely forceful words.
Jiang Bai was speechless. He didn't want to pay attention to these two old men who were clearly emotionally hurt. He snorted and didn't even look at them.
However, he knew in his heart that these two people were not joking with him.
As for whether the two of them can still threaten him now, Jiang Bai himself is not sure. However, the two of them dare to speak like this, so they must have some methods. They would not do something without a reason.
"Haha, you're in trouble now, kid. You've got two more elders around. These two guys are going to keep a close eye on you from now on. Tsk tsk, Jiang Bai, you've finally met your match." Cheng Tiangang laughed heartily, having recovered, and was quite excited by the performance of the people in front of him.
The three of them were too lazy to pay attention to this guy and snorted coldly.
After a moment, Jiang Bai replied to the two old men who were staring at him: "My relationship with Qingcheng is still unresolved. But if it is, I, Jiang Bai, am not a heartless person. You two don't need to worry about this. I know what to do."
This could be considered a partial answer to the two men, which improved their expressions slightly. Li Qingdi then said, "I hope you keep your word."
He then turned and left, with Yang Wudi following closely behind.
These two people who were never meant to be together have now miraculously come together.
"Gentlemen, today we are about to enter the Lishan Mausoleum. The military and police have completely sealed off the area within 50 kilometers and cleared out the population to facilitate our operation."
"However, I still want to say, remember our previous agreement. What you do inside the Lishan Mausoleum is none of my business, nor can I interfere. But you'd better not use any tricks outside that could cause unnecessary panic, otherwise, I, Yang Wudi, will not be polite."
Yang Wudi stood in the center of the hotel and shouted this.
Everyone around was very understanding and expressed their agreement.
Then Cheng Tiangang added, "The three of us won't go inside, but we will distribute some equipment to everyone so we can understand what's going on inside. We hope you won't damage these things and will stay in touch with us at all times."
Then, Li Qingdi stepped forward and shouted, "I know you all come from different sects and even different systems, but this matter is of utmost importance. The Twelve Golden Statues are related to the life and death of China. I hope that once inside, you can set aside your sectarian differences, open the Lishan Mausoleum, and work together to retrieve the Twelve Golden Statues. Do not fight amongst yourselves inside. If you ultimately ruin China's grand plan, I don't care where you come from or who you are. I, Li Qingdi, guarantee here that you will not have a good end!"
I don't know where those three got the confidence to say such things, especially Li Qingdi, who was incredibly arrogant.
Jiang Bai really wondered where this guy got his confidence from.
Is it really just because he has a close relationship with those old guys in the Heavenly Group?
Jiang Bai felt it shouldn't be that bad; otherwise, he would never have dared to say such a thing.
Because this place has many of the old guys' disciples, relatives, and friends.
Chapter 1005 I said, go back!
No matter how good Li Qingdi's relationship is with someone, he is still an outsider. How can he compare to their real relatives and friends?
There must be another reason why he dared to say that.
Jiang Bai simply didn't know what it was.
After he finished speaking, a luxury bus, led by three military jeeps, arrived at the hotel entrance.
A dozen or so heavily armed soldiers came down. A colonel saluted Yang Wudi and shouted, "Commander, everything is ready. The roads have been cleared. Our men have sealed off all roads and the area around Mount Li. Please give your instructions."
"Yes, well done!" Yang Wudi returned the greeting with this remark, and the other party tactfully left, following the bus to the back.
Jiang Bai saw more than a dozen military vehicles following behind, all carrying soldiers who were neatly dressed and expressionless.
This demonstrates the importance the military attaches to this matter.
Then Yang Wudi called out to the people inside, "Everyone, please get on the bus?"
But as soon as he finished speaking, an ordinary car slowly drove into the hotel courtyard and then parked in the center of the courtyard.
This surprised everyone around. The hotel was now a military restricted area, with many armed soldiers at the entrance. Why would they let this car in?
This left everyone bewildered, even Yang Wudi and Cheng Tiangang were taken aback.
Yang Wudi was about to speak, scolding his subordinates for letting people in so casually, but before he could open his mouth, the car door opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit and with short hair got out of the car.
This caused Yang Wudi, Li Qingdi, Cheng Tiangang, and Jiang Bai to change their expressions.
As for the others, apart from a few who showed surprise, the rest looked completely bewildered.
"Damn, why the change in clothes and hairstyle? Has this person started to follow the trend? But isn't this trend a bit outdated?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but think to himself.
Jiang Bai was very familiar with the person in front of him. Although he had only met him once, the impression was so deep that he could never forget him.
Because this person was none other than Xu Changsheng, whom Jiang Bai had met before!
This terrifying figure suffocated the cultivation world, both within and outside China, and even made the Ten Thousand Saints Sect and the Ten Thousand Saints Emperor unable to raise their heads.
Xu Changsheng is said to be a once-in-a-century talent in China.
Of course, in retrospect, the guy who made that assessment of him back then was a complete frog in a well; someone like him is one in a million.
Well, Jiang Bai knew who could rival him in the last thousand years, but there was one person who could achieve this in the thousand years before that.
Jiang Bai and his group's target today is the owner of the Lishan Mausoleum, the First Emperor!
"Go back!" After getting out of the car, Xu Changsheng looked around and then stood there, uttering these two words in an extremely cold and calm tone.
Just two words, one sentence, caused many people to suddenly change color.
"This matter is of great importance. It was decided after much discussion among many people at higher levels. You're telling us to go back with just a word? That doesn't make sense!"
"You should know that the seal has already weakened. If the twelve golden statues are not there to guard it, and the seal breaks, what will happen when the demons of hell rush up in the future? Who will bear the consequences?"
Li Qingdi stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice, though his tone was somewhat tactful. Jiang Bai could tell that Li Qingdi was actually a little timid.
Despite his confident and assertive demeanor when speaking to others, Jiang Bai could clearly sense that he was somewhat apprehensive when talking to Xu Changsheng.
However, Jiang Bai did not laugh at Li Qingdi, because he was also a little guilty, especially after Xu Changsheng said those words.
He knew very well how powerful this person in front of him was. If he blocked the way and prevented people from going to the Lishan Mausoleum, no one would be able to get there.
"I said go back!" Xu Changsheng repeated his words, not giving Li Qingdi any explanation from beginning to end, causing Li Qingdi, who had just been so passionate and pontificating, to turn red in the face in an instant.
Jiang Bai was certain that if it were anyone else, Li Qingdi would have already lost his temper and wanted to fight. But this was Xu Changsheng. What could Li Qingdi do but back down?
Let alone him, Yang Wudi and Cheng Tiangang, those two spirited guys, which one of them isn't scared now?
He stood there blankly, staring at Xu Changsheng without saying a word.
"Who the hell are you? Today, our Lishan Mausoleum concerns the fate of our nation. What are you to dare to block our way? Get out of here! Don't block our path! We need..." One of the outstanding young men from the immortal sects stepped forward, pointing his finger at Xu Changsheng's nose and shouting.
This young prodigy from one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects was extremely dissatisfied with this guy who had appeared out of nowhere and dared to block his treasure hunt, so he started to speak out.
This caused those around who knew the inside story to change their expressions.
Unfortunately, he couldn't finish his sentence. With a wave of his hand, Xu Changsheng turned this outstanding figure from one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects into ashes. He vanished as if he had disappeared into thin air before he could even finish a single word.
If it weren't for the blood and clothing splattered on the ground around him, still so vivid in his memory, one might even doubt whether this person had ever existed.
"Who are you to dare attack someone from one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects? He is a successor of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. You should know that your actions are a provocation against the Ten Great Immortal Sects!" A middle-aged man couldn't help but stand up and shout at Xu Changsheng.
Their sect has always been on good terms with the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Now that they see the Taiyi Immortal Sect's elite being killed, it would be really unreasonable for him not to stand up and speak out.
Of course, he wasn't as arrogant as the previous one. Although he spoke in a questioning tone, anyone with eyes could tell that he lacked confidence, and his voice was trembling slightly, because he could also see that Xu Changsheng was far more powerful than him.
He was afraid of angering this person and getting hit like that in return.
But given the current situation, he had no choice but to speak up. After saying this, his whole body trembled; this Grand Master of the Heavenly Realm was genuinely afraid.
"Taiyi Immortal Sect?" Xu Changsheng frowned upon hearing this, which calmed the other person down slightly. He realized that the other party was intimidated by the name of Taiyi Immortal Sect, which made him feel a little better.
He addressed Xu Changsheng again, saying, "The elites of the ten great immortal sects are all here. This matter is of utmost importance. You killed people from the Taiyi Immortal Sect, and you must pay the price today..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Changsheng interrupted him: "Go back and tell the people of the Taiyi Immortal Sect that I, Xu Changsheng, killed them. If they have any complaints, they can come and find me!"
Chapter 1006 Overbearing
"Also, it was I who told you not to go. If the people behind you have any complaints, they can come to me!"
These words infuriated several prominent figures from various cultivation sects. Who do you think you are? How dare you speak like that? Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?
Some people immediately wanted to open fire on Xu Changsheng.
"How dare you! You actually dare to... uh, you, what did you say your name was?" The expert from the immortal sect who fired the shot was furious, but halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized what he had said, his face turned pale, his whole body trembled, and he looked at Xu Changsheng in front of him with trembling eyes, asking cautiously.
However, Xu Changsheng completely ignored him.
But a companion next to him tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Xu Changsheng."
One sentence was enough to make this expert from a celestial sect collapse to the ground, his face filled with fear and horror.
This grandfather is so famous, so famous that it's frightening. Even the Emperor of Ten Thousand Saints was defeated by him in one fell swoop, and the behemoth Ten Thousand Saints Sect closed its mountain for twenty years.
He was once a ruthless figure who roamed freely between the North Sea and Cangwu Mountains, and anyone who stood in his way met a bad end. Back then, the Ten Great Immortal Sects suffered at his hands, and countless predecessors, outstanding figures, and heroes died at his hands.
The Starry Sky Immortal Sect, once ranked last among the top ten immortal sects before the Kongtong Immortal Sect, was completely uprooted, and their celestial realm, the Starry Sky Realm, is now still in the hands of this grandfather.
Back then, this incident caused a huge uproar, a bloodbath, and swept through the entire cultivation world. At least a hundred Grand Masters of the Heavenly Realm died at Xu Changsheng's hands.
If it weren't for a legendary figure from the Taishang Dao personally stepping in to resolve the matter, who knows what kind of outcome would have occurred.
Even so, it was still a bloodbath back then.
This guy looks kind and gentle, but in reality, he's incredibly difficult to deal with. He's notoriously bad-tempered, and if you disagree with him, he'll destroy your entire clan.
Don't even mention your sect or any other major sect in front of him. Unless you're one of the top three ancient behemoths that have survived to this day, if you anger him, he'll wipe you out in a heartbeat.
Thinking about the endless trouble he might have brought to his sect, he collapsed to the ground, trembling all over, his face deathly pale, unable to utter a single word.
In fact, he wanted to apologize to Xu Changsheng, but after learning the other party's identity, he couldn't say a word.
Not for any other reason than fear.
That was genuine fear.
The kind that makes your whole body tremble.
Unfortunately, Xu Changsheng wouldn't bother with such a nobody, which allowed him to escape unscathed.
Xu Changsheng simply stood there and quietly said, "I'll say it again, all of you go back!"
"None of you are allowed to go to the Lishan Mausoleum!"
After saying this, he thought for a moment, then reached out and a beam of light appeared out of thin air from his fingertips, drawing a chasm along his location on the ground.
"Heaven-Severing Finger!" The expressions of those present changed drastically, and some knowledgeable people recognized what kind of ultimate technique this was.
This caused a commotion.
However, Xu Changsheng still ignored him. After drawing such a line, he slowly said, "You all have to listen to what I say, but I thought it wouldn't be right not to establish a rule, so I just drew this line."
Then he raised his head and slowly said, "That's it. Anyone who crosses this line will die."
"I'm not here either. I'm going to talk to those old guys about this in person. No one is allowed to leave here for the Lishan Mausoleum until things are resolved."
"Anyone who crosses this line will die."
"Even if you run to the Lishan Mausoleum, I can still find you. If you return to your sect, that would be even better. Congratulations, you have created a situation for your sect and your relatives and friends that you cannot live with, but you can die with."
His words and actions were extremely domineering; he completely disregarded the reactions of those around him and acted entirely on his own.
This left everyone present speechless. They were all high-ranking elites, genuine big shots, but in front of Xu Changsheng and his domineering behavior, they could only swallow their anger and no one dared to say a word against it.
Including Xuan Yuanpo from the Human Emperor family, and Li Qingdi and the others, everyone could only watch helplessly as Xu Changsheng spoke, unable to stop him from doing anything.
After saying this, Xu Changsheng turned around and got into the car, seemingly preparing to leave. As the car started, Xu Changsheng suddenly stuck his head out and, with a rare smile, said, "Qingguo, you're definitely not in this group. When you see your mother later, please give her my regards."
Her words drew everyone's attention to Ye Qingguo, but Ye Qingguo remained cold and expressionless, ignoring everyone around her, including Xu Changsheng.
This made Xu Changsheng slightly embarrassed, but he wasn't angry. He laughed and scratched his head, then looked at Jiang Bai: "Jiang Bai, keep an eye on these bastards for me. If anyone disobeys, you take care of him."
"If you can't beat him, just let it go and ignore him. I'll handle it later. Of course, I don't think there are many you can't beat. They're all smart people and won't cause you any trouble."
"As for the rest, if any of them disobey, you can kill them. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything for you. If they or whoever is behind them is dissatisfied, let them come to me."
After saying that, he drove away, causing everyone around to look at Jiang Bai with awe. They were all still in shock, never expecting that this guy would have such a relationship with Xu Changsheng.
At this moment, no one present dared to underestimate Jiang Bai in the slightest. With Xu Changsheng as his backer and with his words, Jiang Bai could truly walk sideways in this world.
What they didn't know was that Jiang Bai was already cursing under his breath, and a smile that looked more like a grimace appeared on his face.
He was now the person who wanted nothing more than to tear Xu Changsheng apart and rip him to pieces. Damn it, was this guy here specifically to trick Jiang Bai?
The system only gave Jiang Bai two tasks: one main quest and one side quest. One of them was to enter the Lishan Mausoleum, but now Xu Changsheng has said one thing and he won't let him in.
How the hell am I supposed to complete this mission if they won't let me in?
How could Jiang Bai possibly accept this?
Another issue is the retaliation from the immortal sects, who are demanding that sects in the cultivation world carry out three acts of retaliation against him. The previous one involved Sect Leader Zhao and Elder Liu, but the remaining two have not yet arrived.
After Xu Changsheng said that, who the hell would dare to retaliate against him in the future?
How will he complete this task in the future?
This made Jiang Bai feel utterly exasperated. What was he supposed to do in this situation?
Chapter 1007 The Pressure is Immense
However, no matter how dissatisfied Jiang Bai was, he couldn't lash out at Xu Changsheng. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he simply didn't dare.
Jiang Bai knows his own situation best; he really can't afford to offend Xu Changsheng right now.
Moreover, although Jiang Bai harbored resentment about this matter, he knew that since Xu Changsheng had come here specifically to say such things, telling all those who were eager to try to obediently go home, there must have been a reason.
The reason is unclear, but it must be something important.
So even though he was very dissatisfied, Jiang Bai had to suppress his resentment. He looked back at the crowd with strange expressions, smiled bitterly, and said, "He told me to manage you all, but I'm too lazy to pay attention to you. If anyone thinks they're powerful enough, they can do whatever they want. I don't care."
"Go if you're not afraid to die."
"Go to hell! Do you think we're idiots?" countless people shouted in their hearts, showing no interest whatsoever in Jiang Bai's suggestion.
Just kidding. Xu Changsheng said that those who cross the line will die. Who the hell would go looking for death?
Although they are all experts, elites, and chosen ones, each with a powerful force behind them that would frighten anyone, it all depends on who they are facing.
Facing Xu Changsheng, they didn't think that the forces behind them would really turn against him to protect themselves.
If we really go against Xu Changsheng's wishes, then we'll have died in vain.
So no one paid any attention to Jiang Bai's words. In fact, many people thought that Jiang Bai was deliberately trying to trick them. They gave Jiang Bai a cold look and then turned around and left, returning to their rooms one by one.
This scene startled Jiang Bai for a moment, then he smiled wryly. Xu Changsheng's intimidating power was truly terrifying.
Cheng Tiangang walked to Jiang Bai's side and patted Jiang Bai's shoulder with a smile: "Don't think too much. We will definitely go into Lishan Mausoleum. It is a matter of life and death. It is a consensus that has been reached by everyone. No matter how powerful Xu Changsheng is, he can't change anything."
"Why did he stop us from entering the Lishan Mausoleum? Is there some danger inside that we don't know about?" Cheng Tiangang asked. Jiang Bai didn't follow up on his question but instead raised a question that he had been pondering.
The Twelve Golden Men are incredibly powerful and have the potential to stabilize the country. However, the seal has been broken, and even the combined forces of many powers cannot withstand them. Under these circumstances, it is imperative to summon the Twelve Golden Men.
Xu Changsheng should know this, yet he came here to stop everyone from entering the Lishan Mausoleum. There must be a reason behind this, and he has his own reasons.
As for why, Jiang Bai expressed great curiosity.
"This question is probably only known to Xu Changsheng himself. He's not familiar with us, so he naturally wouldn't tell us anything. However, Xu Changsheng's background is mysterious, and he might actually know some things that we don't."
"So, it's not a bad thing to put this matter aside for now. It's not too late to talk about it after he has discussed it with those old guys and reached a conclusion. But no matter what the outcome is, we must be extra careful when entering the Lishan Mausoleum this time, otherwise, there may be a great disaster."
Just then, Yang Wudi approached and said with concern.
It seems that Jiang Bai is not the only one worried about the Lishan Mausoleum; Yang Wudi is also concerned, and he has also come to some conclusions.
"Here's what happened, Jiang Bai. I'm telling you, be extra careful once you go in. I know you've met some people these past two days, and some have already accused you of turning against the cultivators."
"However, I hope you won't do that, not because I'm closer to them, but because this whole thing is suspicious. Once you're inside, you have to be extra careful. Don't let personal grudges ruin things for the greater good, or you'll be a sinner for all time! You decide what's more important!"
Li Qingdi also came over, left Jiang Bai with these words, and then strode away, seemingly lost in thought.
Xu Changsheng arrived and drew a circle on the ground. No one dared to step out of the hotel. They all stayed in their rooms to cultivate in seclusion. Jiang Bai couldn't stand the loneliness, so he invited Cheng Tiangang, Li Qingdi, and Yang Wudi to join him. The four of them made a table and started playing mahjong.
There were also quite a few experts watching. What should have been a grand operation to enter the Lishan Mausoleum had turned into a card game.
With his god-like gambling skills at his disposal, Jiang Bai naturally dominated the game. In just one afternoon, he made Li Qingdi and Yang Wudi turn pale, and Cheng Tiangang even broke out in a sweat.
In the end, Cheng Tiangang pushed his cards away, refusing to play with Jiang Bai anymore and reneging on his debt.
Jiang Bai was speechless. You're a minister, after all, and you have a huge business like the Southern Tiger King Group. Is it really worth losing a few hundred thousand?
Although we only bet a small amount, two hundred yuan, and losing like this is quite bad, it doesn't mean you should disregard your status and renege on your debt.
Just as I was about to give Cheng Laohu a good talking-to, that shameless guy, Liu Ruonan suddenly rushed in from outside. She was stunned to see this scene as soon as she opened the door.
Gambling is illegal!
As a police officer, one should stop such behavior, but... with the minister leading the way in gambling, plus a general and a ministerial-level cadre, well, the incorruptible Officer Liu Ruonan feels a lot of pressure.
"What's going on?" Cheng Tiangang coughed awkwardly, glanced at Officer Liu in front of him, and asked somewhat embarrassedly.
"Minister Cheng, the man who came this morning is here again."
One sentence made everyone in the room stand up, exchange glances, and then go downstairs.
When they came down, almost everyone who was supposed to come had arrived. Xu Changsheng's return was a momentous event, and no one dared to be careless, as it concerned whether they could enter the Lishan Mausoleum.
"Is everyone here?" Xu Changsheng, who was sitting in the center of the hall sipping tea, suddenly stood up as Jiang Bai and the others walked out, and said noncommittally.
No one responded; everyone just watched him silently, waiting for him to continue, holding their breath as they did so.
"I've discussed it with those old guys…you should proceed with the original plan to enter the Lishan Mausoleum."
One sentence brought smiles to the faces of everyone around. They had high hopes for this trip to the Lishan Mausoleum, feeling it was a rare opportunity, perhaps a chance to rise above their circumstances and achieve great success.
No one would want to give up such an opportunity. If it had been someone else instead of Xu Changsheng who came in the morning, they would have already ignored the advice and gone alone.
However, it was Xu Changsheng, and they couldn't resist him. They had no choice but to obey and stay here according to Xu Changsheng's wishes. In fact, they were all anxious and worried that this trip would be ruined by this meddlesome guy, Xu Changsheng.
Chapter 1008 A Hasty Arrival and Departure
Now it seems that after arguing with a group of old guys, Xu Changsheng finally compromised and agreed to let them enter the Lishan Mausoleum.
This delighted them all. If Xu Changsheng hadn't been there, some of them probably would have jumped for joy.
Unfortunately, their joy was short-lived. Xu Changsheng abruptly changed the subject, saying, "However..."
The word "however" calmed everyone down, but then their hearts jumped into their throats again. They all looked at Xu Changsheng nervously, afraid that he would make some outrageous request.
"However, I have three requirements once you enter."
Without waiting for anyone's objection, he said to himself, "First of all, once inside, no fighting is allowed. If anyone causes trouble inside and I find out, don't blame me, Xu Changsheng, for being ruthless to them when they come out."
In short, the faces of those who were prepared to settle scores and seek revenge changed drastically. No one had expected Xu Changsheng to make such a request.
This left them momentarily at a loss for what to do.
I certainly wouldn't dare to object.
It's not that one can't do things like outwardly complying while inwardly resisting, but if one actually did it, just thinking about having to face a terrifying guy like Xu Changsheng after leaving there made everyone present feel a chill run down their spines.
Some of these self-important individuals have already concluded that by entering this place, they will surely gain indescribable opportunities, and from then on, they will soar like birds into the forest, into the vast sky, and rise straight up.
Even if it soars higher, there is a limit. It can't be as if a roc rides the wind and flies ninety thousand miles in a single day.
That's a dream!
Therefore, even if they obtain opportunities and improve themselves, they still have to face Xu Changsheng. If they don't listen to him, they will ultimately face death.
Therefore, many people are dissatisfied with this requirement, but dare not say a word.
Ignoring them, Xu Changsheng continued, "The second requirement is that once inside, no one may enter the main tomb chamber, which is the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds!"
"You are here to find the Twelve Golden Men, not to cause destruction. The Heavenly Palace on the Clouds is the main tomb of the Qin Emperor. No one is allowed to approach it. Otherwise, you will be executed as soon as you come out!"
"This is an ironclad rule, something I discussed with the old guys. Anyone who violates it will not only be killed, but you will suffer a fate worse than death, and your sect will be destroyed!"
As he said this, Xu Changsheng exuded a chilling aura, indicating that he was absolutely not joking.
Jiang Bai had never even heard of the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace before and had no idea what it was. But now, listening to what Xu Changsheng was saying, there must be a heavenly palace inside, named Cloud Top Heavenly Palace!
This is the main tomb chamber of Qin Shi Huang; no one knows what's inside.
However, one thing is certain: that place is definitely extraordinary; otherwise, Xu Changsheng wouldn't have said things like "destroy the sect and wipe out the clan."
This demonstrates the importance of this place.
Jiang Bai couldn't help but frown at this. If Xu Changsheng didn't say that, that would be one thing. If these people got to that place and encountered danger, and a few of them died, that would be another matter.
But now that he's said this, there's no guarantee that some ambitious people won't try to enter this Heavenly Palace on the Clouds.
Although there would be great danger and the revenge of Xu Changsheng who would destroy his sect and exterminate his family, Jiang Bai felt that the human heart was the most terrifying thing in the world, and the greedy human heart was even more uncontrollable. His words would not only not have an effect, but would also make people greedy.
This made Jiang Bai think that Xu Changsheng had been away from the mortal world for too long and had forgotten how terrible people's hearts could be. He thought that because he was powerful, he could manipulate everything.
Little did they know that doing so would only provoke a rebellious spirit.
Because he ignored the greed inherent in human nature.
As expected, while Xu Changsheng was speaking, Jiang Bai looked around and spotted several pairs of ambitious eyes.
"Third, once you enter, you may only take the twelve golden statues. You may not touch anything else. Along the way, there will definitely be gold and silver treasures, brocades and silks, elixirs and miraculous medicines, divine weapons and unparalleled martial arts techniques. But you are not allowed to touch them. You may only take the twelve golden statues."
"This is the result of my discussion with the old guys. Whether you listen to it or not is your business. I will not offer any advice or impose any punishment on you."
"Because if you don't listen, you'll definitely regret it!"
Xu Changsheng then calmly stated his third requirement, which was far more demanding than the previous ones.
Did he really think that these people, who had broken their heads and flocked here, were going to enter and sacrifice themselves for the country to retrieve the Twelve Golden Statues and save the people?
Are you kidding me? These people who went in all had their own agendas. They all wanted to get in and seize opportunities to make rapid progress. How many of them were truly selfless?
They weren't allowed to take gold, silver, jewels, or brocade, which was fine, since there weren't many poor people present.
No matter how valuable those things are, they won't really be noticed.
However, the allure of miraculous elixirs, divine weapons, and unparalleled martial arts techniques was irresistible to those present, making them turn a blind eye even after seeing them.
Isn't that nonsense?
This is exactly what these people value most. They've gone to great lengths to come here for this very reason. They can tolerate not being allowed into things like the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds.
They were not allowed to take anything except the Twelve Golden Statues?
Do you think everyone here is a living saint? They all came here through all that trouble, not for this piece of junk.
After Xu Changsheng said this, many people showed their dissatisfaction. If it were anyone else, these guys would probably have already started to get agitated.
After Xu Changsheng finished speaking, everyone fell into deep thought again. Xu Changsheng actually said that no punishment would be given for this matter.
Why did he say that?
Isn't this like taking off your pants to fart—completely unnecessary?
No one will listen to him unless he punishes them!
However, these were the thoughts of most people. Jiang Bai and a few other interested individuals frowned upon hearing this.
This is really strange.
Feeling a chill creep into his heart, Jiang Bai warned himself not to touch these things unless absolutely necessary. After all, once he entered Lishan Mausoleum, as long as he walked out safely, he would receive a chance to win the ultimate lottery as a system reward.
It's worth more than any divine weapon or unparalleled martial arts technique.
If that's the case, why take the risk?
Of course, only a few people have this idea, but even if they do, they are still somewhat unwilling to accept it.
Unfortunately, Xu Changsheng completely ignored them. After saying this, he turned and left, just as he had come in a hurry and was now leaving in a hurry.
Chapter 1009 Entering the Tomb
After he left, the people around him looked at each other in bewilderment. Then, under the organization of Cheng Tiangang and his group, they got into the car and left the hotel, heading straight for the Lishan Mausoleum in the suburbs of Chang'an.
Unlike the well-known scenic area, the real Lishan Mausoleum is hidden in the Lishan Mountains, surrounded by mountains, and is at least a hundred kilometers away from the world-famous Eighth Wonder.
That place was nothing more than a huge burial pit, a place to place some miscellaneous objects to deceive the eye.
The true location of the Lishan Mausoleum has actually been discovered long ago, but for some reason, no dynasty dared to announce it. Since the Han Dynasty, the exact location of the Lishan Mausoleum has never been a secret.
Throughout history, countless people have attempted to enter it, but most have turned to dust and are forever buried within. To emerge from it, even incompletely, is considered a stroke of good fortune.
Even tomb raiders dare not tread that place. Starting with Cao Cao's Tomb Raiders, it has been a forbidden area for this profession. Except for those who are incredibly audacious and court death, no one dares to plunder there.
The current government is naturally aware of the existence of this place.
Many years ago, a secret military base was established here to guard the Lishan Mausoleum.
It's not that I'm afraid someone will be able to successfully rob the tomb, but rather that I'm afraid someone might accidentally wander in and cause some great disaster.
In addition to them, there are even fewer experts stationed there year-round, just in case.
Now, Jiang Bai and his group have traversed the mountains and entered the area, passing through several military restricted zones, and finally arrived at a not particularly conspicuous peak in the center of Mount Li.
From a feng shui perspective, this place is not considered excellent. It is rather short among the mountains, and there is neither a green dragon in front nor a white tiger behind, so it is definitely not a place with good feng shui.
But this is where a great emperor was buried.
Apart from two dilapidated stone statues at the entrance to the mountain, there were no other objects.
After getting off the bus here, Jiang Bai wondered if he had come to the wrong place.
"The Lishan Mausoleum is just ahead. According to our research of historical records and on-site investigation, there is an underground cave 1,500 steps ahead, which is the entrance to the Lishan Mausoleum."
Cheng Tiangang pointed to the narrow path ahead and spoke to Jiang Bai and the others, but he showed no intention of following them in.
The idea is to let Jiang Bai and the others enter.
After exchanging glances, Xuan Yuanpo from the Human Emperor Family spoke first: "Everyone, shall we go?"
Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he led several martial arts sect experts and went inside first. Jiang Bai and the others followed closely behind, and the rest of the group did not lag behind either, speeding up their progress. After a short while, they were actually running alongside Xuan Yuanpo and the others.
There's a competitive spirit to it; they even argue over who's ahead or behind them when walking.
If Xu Changsheng hadn't given a warning beforehand, this small matter would probably have caused a huge uproar.
The group of twenty-nine people moved forward. The reason there were twenty-nine people was because one of them had been wiped out by Xu Changsheng in no time and had not been replaced. So there were only twenty-nine people, including Jiang Bai.
They were all experts and moved very quickly. In about a minute, they reached the foot of the mountain. Amidst the withered tree branches and dense yellow grass, Jiang Bai and the others keenly spotted a dark cave.
The interior was bottomless, and not a ray of light could be seen. Everyone present frowned.
"Watch this." A cultivator chuckled, then stretched out his hand, and a crystal-clear bead appeared, floating in mid-air, and then entered the cave under the cultivator's control.
A moment later, the interior was illuminated as if it were daytime.
At this moment, Jiang Bai and the others could see clearly that this was an extremely deep road. The beginning was full of strange rocks and extremely narrow, only allowing one person to pass at a time. After following them into the road for about a kilometer, the road suddenly opened up into a secluded paradise.
A huge cave appeared before Jiang Bai and his companions, at least a hundred meters high in some places and even wider, a massive cave with a floor area of over ten thousand square meters.
However, this place was clearly carved by hand, with dragons and phoenixes carved on the walls, as well as scenes of warriors fighting.
Some slay dragons, some kill tigers; their awe-inspiring presence is almost tangible.
Above the dome, countless stars are scattered, revealing the mysteries of the universe.
However, everyone only glanced at these and then stopped, all eyes fixed on a tightly closed door directly in front of them.
At the main gate, there are two stone statues, one a dragon and the other a phoenix, dancing fiercely and lifelike. In fact, the gate is fifty meters high and more than twenty meters wide, extremely huge, with nine dragons flying and phoenixes singing together on it.
They were locked in combat, forming a three-dimensional picture that evoked a sense of antiquity, antiquity, and mystery.
If Jiang Bai's guess is correct, this is the true entrance to the Lishan Mausoleum.
Putting everything else aside, this stone gate, which is tens of meters high and twenty meters wide, must have stumped countless heroes.
"Open the door!" Xuan Yuanpo said in a low voice. The expert from the Martial Saint Pavilion immediately rushed out, leaped, and landed steadily in front of the huge stone door. He took a deep breath, chuckled, and exerted force with both hands.
As his muscles bulged, he began to shake the stone door.
A martial artist at the Heavenly Rank possesses absolute strength capable of uprooting mountains and rivers. Their strength cannot be measured in kilograms, as it is impossible to calculate. In short, their strength is boundless.
Just like Jiang Bai himself, when it comes to his strength, he himself can't say how great it is, but it's at least tens of millions of jin, or even more, but he himself can't say for sure.
Surprisingly, this expert from the Martial Saint Pavilion used all his strength, but apart from initially shaking the stone door a couple of times and knocking off some ancient pebbles, he couldn't budge it an inch.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't accomplish anything.
"Hmph, nothing special. Step aside and let me have it." A burly man from the demon race, the same little giant Jiang Bai had seen before who was over three meters tall, sneered, stepped forward, and said this.
As he spoke, he walked over on his own, ignoring the experts from Martial Saint's Abode, and began to push the door open with both hands.
Unfortunately, it was still fruitless, which made the man's expression change drastically, his cheeks turning bright red.
He probably felt that he had spoken too confidently and looked down on others, and now that he himself was here, he was just as helpless, which made him feel a little ashamed.
"Open it for me!!" After trying several times to no avail, the man roared angrily, and then his whole body began to swell up.