Chapter 192: The Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb and Taking Control of the Tomb
"The Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb? Leave it to me to handle," Xiao Tiance said confidently.
Inside the Heavenly Tomb, Ancient Realm
The so called Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb was a collective manifestation of countless fragmented souls residing within the tomb. Its strength within the tomb was nearly equal to that of Xiao Xuan. Ever since its formation, it had enforced a brutal survival of the fittest rule, forcing the souls to compete for essence, leading to constant infighting.
In the original story, many fragmented souls sought Xiao Xuan's help to defeat this spirit. However, Xiao Xuan, prioritizing the preservation of the Xiao Clan's bloodline, refrained from taking action until Xiao Yan entered the tomb and, with Xiao Xuan's assistance, elevated his soul to the Emperor level. Only then did Xiao Xuan consider confronting the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb.
Unlike the original tale, Xiao Xuan had entered the tomb not as a fragmented soul but as a complete soul. This gave him more stability but also came with a significant drawback: his soul required an ongoing supply of pure soul essence to maintain its integrity. Absorbing more essence strengthened the connection between him and the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb.
While the spirit couldn't outright defeat Xiao Xuan, it could self destruct, and even someone as strong as Xiao Xuan wouldn't escape unscathed. This was why Xiao Xuan remained wary of it.
A Confident Proposal
Seeing the confidence on Xiao Tiance's face, Xiao Xuan couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and hope. "You plan to rely on that spiritual formation of yours, don't you?"
"If we want to avoid destroying the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb, the spiritual formation is the only way. Plus, Brother Xuan, your soul carries traces of the spirit's essence. If it were destroyed, I fear you would also disappear. Besides, I plan to take the Heavenly Tomb with me back to the Xiao Clan." Xiao Tiance's tone was calm but firm.
"Take the Heavenly Tomb with you?"
Xiao Xuan wasn't surprised by Xiao Tiance's confidence in handling the spirit after all, this was the man who had nearly killed Hun Tiandi. But the idea of taking the entire Heavenly Tomb with him? That seemed nearly impossible.
"Yes. The unique flow of time within the tomb three years inside for every six months outside combined with a gathering spirit formation, can rapidly boost the strength of our clan members. This is an invaluable resource, and I won't let it go to waste. So this time, I'm not just taking you out, Brother Xuan. I'm taking the Heavenly Tomb as well." Xiao Tiance's eyes sparkled with determination.
For years, Xiao Tiance had considered this possibility. Initially, concerns about the Gu Clan and his lack of absolute strength held him back. But now, with no significant threats to the Xiao Clan, he could finally act.
"Very well. I'll leave it to you." Xiao Xuan nodded after a moment of thought.
"Great! Wait here, Brother Xuan. I'll be back soon."
Xiao Tiance's figure disappeared instantly, leaving Xiao Xuan marveling at his sheer confidence.
Facing the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb
Moments later, Xiao Tiance arrived at a spot brimming with dense soul essence. In the distance, a massive and imposing soul entity floated ominously.
Dissipating the spiritual formation concealing his presence, Xiao Tiance revealed himself.
"Who are you? How dare you enter the Heavenly Tomb?!"
Startled by Xiao Tiance's sudden appearance, the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb roared in panic.
Casually covering his ears, Xiao Tiance smirked. "Relax. I'm Xiao Tiance, the leader of the Xiao Clan. You must be the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb, right?"
"Xiao Clan? You're Xiao Xuan's kin?"
"Indeed. Xiao Xuan is my cousin and the previous leader of my clan," Xiao Tiance replied with a calm smile.
Hearing this confirmation, the spirit became visibly uneasy. It already struggled to deal with Xiao Xuan, and now another powerful presence had arrived. Worse, this newcomer exuded an overwhelming aura of danger, one that made the spirit feel like prey under a predator's gaze.
"Why have you come to the Heavenly Tomb?" the spirit asked cautiously.
"To strike a deal," Xiao Tiance said directly.
"A deal? What kind of deal?" The spirit's voice trembled slightly, wary of the terrifying man before it.
"First, you'll remove the essence you've used to bind Xiao Xuan's soul, freeing him entirely. Second, I'll take the Heavenly Tomb with me, but in return, I'll continue to send people here to cultivate. This will benefit you as well."
"And if I refuse?" The spirit asked, testing the waters.
Xiao Tiance chuckled. "Refuse? Then I'll destroy you. Even if you self destruct, you pose no threat to me. Of course, if you cooperate, I can reward you a human body, so you can experience life as a person."
This casual remark struck fear deep into the spirit's core. Xiao Tiance's calm demeanor only made his threat more chilling.
"A human body? Is that truly possible?"
"Do you doubt my ability to destroy you? Or my promise to give you a body?" Xiao Tiance countered.
"The latter the latter!"
The spirit had no doubt that Xiao Tiance could obliterate it. What intrigued it was the promise of a human form.
"Haha, it's quite simple. You're a soul entity. Using a special cultivation technique called Burning Flame Manual (Fen Jue), I can absorb various Heavenly Flames and merge them into one. By combining this technique with a corpse of at least a Dou Zong, the magic core and blood essence of a Tier 7 or higher magical beast, and three Heavenly Flames, I can grant a soul entity a human body."
Xiao Tiance's words were casual, yet the spirit could sense the truth in them.
"Can such a thing really be done?"
Seeing no falsehood in Xiao Tiance's expression and realizing its lack of options, the spirit hesitated only briefly before nodding. "Fine. I agree. What do you need me to do?"
"Wise choice. First, remove the soul essence you've been using to control Xiao Xuan. Free him entirely, and then we'll discuss the rest."
Xiao Tiance smiled calmly. "Of course, Xiao Xuan won't be leaving the Heavenly Tomb just yet. In a few days, I'll personally return with others to revive him in your presence. At that time, I'll also prepare a human body for you, so you won't need to depend on the tomb for existence."
With that, Xiao Tiance turned to leave.
The Spirit's Doubts
Just as he was about to vanish, the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb called out in a panicked tone, "Wait! Aren't you afraid I'll go back on my word?"
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance chuckled. Without turning back, he raised his left hand slightly. A colossal spiritual formation appeared, radiating an overwhelming pressure that instantly pinned the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb to the ground.
No matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break free.
"What… what is this monstrous thing?"
As it raised its head with difficulty, the spirit caught sight of the intricate patterns on the rapidly spinning formation above. Its voice trembled with fear as it shouted.
Seeing the spirit thoroughly subdued, Xiao Tiance smirked faintly and dismissed the formation. Without looking back, he said with a light laugh, "Go back on your word? You're welcome to try."
His figure then disappeared, leaving the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb gasping for breath, its heart trembling with fear. It muttered to itself, "What kind of terrifying method was that? Not even Xiao Xuan could suppress me like this in an instant. This man… is too terrifying!"
Returning to Xiao Xuan
Xiao Tiance reappeared before Xiao Xuan, who immediately noticed the relaxed expression on his cousin's face. Surprised, Xiao Xuan asked, "That was quick! You've already resolved the matter?"
"It wasn't too difficult, Brother Xuan," Xiao Tiance replied with a smile.
For him, subduing the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb had indeed been simple. The spirit hadn't expected an attack and had no chance to escape within its domain. The spiritual formation Xiao Tiance had deployed wasn't just any formation it was at the level of a master, a level equivalent to a peak Earth Sovereign in the Great Ruler universe.
In this world without a Dou Di, Xiao Tiance's power was practically unrivaled.
Xiao Xuan's Surprise
Just as Xiao Xuan was about to ask for details, he felt something change within his soul. His expression shifted to astonishment as he exclaimed, "The Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb has withdrawn the soul essence it used to control me!"
Xiao Tiance nodded lightly. "Looks like it decided against betrayal."
He then retrieved a jade vial from his storage ring and tossed it to Xiao Xuan. "Brother Xuan, this is a soul repairing elixir. Absorb it it'll help restore your soul's integrity."
"Alright!"
Opening the vial, Xiao Xuan was greeted by a refreshing fragrance. The liquid inside quickly dispersed around his soul, enhancing its stability. In just half an hour, all traces of the foreign essence within Xiao Xuan had vanished.
"Hahaha! I haven't felt this good in centuries!" Xiao Xuan roared with laughter, his voice filled with relief.
Watching his cousin's exuberance, Xiao Tiance couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, the Spirit of the Heavenly Tomb appeared before them. To their surprise, it had taken on Xiao Xuan's appearance.
Approaching respectfully, the spirit clasped its hands and said, "Greetings to both of you. You may now call me 'Mu Ling'."
"Mu Ling?"
Both Xiao Xuan and Xiao Tiance blinked in confusion.
"I gave myself a name," the spirit explained with a smile. "Since I'll soon have a human body, I figured I'd need one. I chose 'Mu' from 'Heavenly Tomb' and 'Ling' from my nature as a spirit. It's simple and pleasant, don't you think?"
Xiao Tiance and Xiao Xuan exchanged awkward glances.
"If you're happy with it," Xiao Tiance said dryly.
Both secretly thought the name was strange and unappealing but decided to let it slide.
Future Plans
Mu Ling asked, "What are your plans now?"
Xiao Xuan also turned to Xiao Tiance, awaiting his answer.
"I'll leave the tomb and take the entire Heavenly Tomb with me," Xiao Tiance declared.
Hearing this, Mu Ling frowned. "Taking the Heavenly Tomb? This place is an independent small world. If you try to move it, you'll definitely alert the Gu Clan, who guard its entrance."
With a sly smile, Mu Ling materialized a small, cube shaped object resembling a puzzle box and handed it to Xiao Tiance.
"This is the core of the Heavenly Tomb. I've spent thousands of years perfecting it. With this, you can compress the entire tomb into a space the size of a fist. I'm sure someone like you can easily carry it out without detection."
Xiao Tiance examined the cube. Despite his efforts to crush or dent it, it remained unscathed. "Impressive. This will do nicely."
He turned back to Xiao Xuan and Mu Ling. "Once the Heavenly Tomb is safely relocated, I'll return to craft bodies for you both. Until then, wait here and don't cause any trouble."
"Understood!" both Xiao Xuan and Mu Ling replied, bowing slightly.
Xiao Tiance's figure flickered and vanished.
Reactions
Mu Ling let out a sharp breath, his expression one of awe. "Xiao Xuan, your cousin is incredible. When I first saw you, I thought you were the strongest person alive. But meeting Xiao Tiance has made me realize there's always someone stronger. He's beyond extraordinary!"
Though the comment could be seen as an insult, Xiao Xuan laughed. "Of course, the Xiao Clan's leader must be unmatched. Trust me, he won't disappoint us."
Taking the Heavenly Tomb
Meanwhile, Xiao Tiance reached the entrance of the Heavenly Tomb. Activating the cube, he watched as the entire tomb warped and collapsed into a single stream of light, which then entered the cube.
At that moment, the Gu Clan elder guarding the tomb's entrance sensed a disturbance. His eyes snapped open, and he exclaimed, "Something's wrong with the Heavenly Tomb!"
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