Their silhouettes were very similar, and their bearing was strikingly alike.
Both possessed that same overwhelming, majestic presence.
It was almost impossible not to draw comparisons.
Zhu Qingyu felt a nagging premonition deep down, yet upon closer reflection, it seemed utterly impossible.
First of all, that man wielded a bow entwined with thunder, striding like a heavenly god from the Thunder Ministry with an invincible aura.
The Lu Yuan before her, however, wielded a sword. Moreover, his current performance clearly stemmed from the staggering power displayed by that blade. They felt entirely different, hardly seeming like the same person at all.
"Perhaps I'm just overthinking it," Zhu Qingyu mused, knitting her delicate brows.
Regardless, the Lu Yuan before them was undeniably formidable.
Especially the aura radiating from that sword—it was utterly soul-stirring.
In fact, every Awakened beneath Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum shared the exact same thought.
The shock delivered by that single sword strike had been carved too deeply into their minds.
With just one blow, over ten thousand terracotta warriors had been wiped out.
That was more than ten times what the Five Great Sovereigns had achieved together. Did that mean, wielding this sword, he had already surpassed the likes of the Winged Celestial?
In an instant, every gaze turned toward Lu Yuan, brimming with reverence and envy.
The reverence was for the strong; the envy was for that sword.
Some even harbored traces of greed in their eyes.
Yet it went no further than that.
The reason was simple: with him holding such a sword, what would happen to anyone who dared reveal their true intentions, or even attempted to make a move?
Over ten thousand terracotta warriors had been annihilated in a single stroke. Counted one by one, practically no one present could withstand it.
"The sword light of the Daluo sword core is indeed remarkable. Even without my driving it, it possesses such power."
"It just seems that the special substance contained within half of these terracotta warriors isn't quite enough."
As Lu Yuan walked forward, he turned the thought over in his mind.
As the master of the sword core, he could clearly feel that after slaying those terracotta warriors, that special substance was quietly being absorbed. Yet it fell short of triggering the sword core's metamorphosis.
It was tantalizingly close.
Unless...
He struck again to eliminate more of them.
At this thought, Lu Yuan suddenly halted, turned back toward the remaining terracotta warriors, and slightly raised the sword core.
He knew full well that demonstrating the power of the sword core would shake many people to their core.
It would inevitably draw attention and stoke the latent greed in certain hearts.
But so what?
He had no fear, nor any reason to worry.
"He looks like he's going to attack again!"
"Quick, fall back! Retreat! We can't stay here!"
"If we get swept up by that sword's might, we're done for!"
Seeing Lu Yuan turn around, several onlookers gasped in horror and scrambled backward.
The previous scene was burned deep into their minds; it was simply too terrifying.
Now that he intended to strike again against the remaining half of the terracotta army, the Awakened still lingering near the battlefield realized the danger immediately. Knowing they could never endure such power, they hastily pulled back.
In the next instant, the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and Asura exchanged glances and chose to withdraw temporarily as well.
They had no choice—that sword was far too powerful and dangerous to confront directly.
Even with their bloodlines and strength, they would suffer disastrously.
Besides, they realized that if he cleared away the terracotta warriors, it would save them an immense amount of trouble.
The Southern Sovereign hesitated, gazing thoughtfully at the Daluo sword core in Lu Yuan's hand, but ultimately retreated alongside the others.
The Winged Celestial, however, remained rooted to the spot.
He had his pride.
He possessed the capital to be arrogant, and he refused to back down before Lu Yuan.
The reason was simple: he had already been suppressed twice. His pride had taken a severe beating.
"Yi," Zhou Yunqiong called out sternly from behind, signaling for him to return rather than stay. At the same time, she fixed a grave gaze upon Lu Yuan.
All along, she had assumed he would remain an ordinary person, and that they belonged to entirely different worlds.
Her impression of Lu Yuan should have faded away in short order.
Yet this man continued to appear again and again.
And each time, he completely shattered her perception, leaving an ever deeper impression.
Zhou Yunqiong did not move; she merely pondered in silence.
Could it be that she had truly been mistaken from the very beginning?
On the other side, hearing her call, the Winged Celestial hesitated briefly before finally choosing to withdraw to her side.
Her words carried immense weight; even he had to take them seriously and comply.
"Why?" the Winged Celestial asked once he left the battlefield, his eyes sharp.
"Rumor has it that entering Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum requires passing numerous trials."
"Those terracotta warriors are likely only the first hurdle," Zhou Yunqiong answered calmly.
As a core figure of Wuzhou Group, she was privy to a great deal of information.
In truth, factions like Tianshen Technology and Longevity Group had researched the imperial mausoleum for years and knew it was far from simple.
Having cleared the first gate, more lay ahead. It was better to conserve their strength and make further plans once they were truly inside.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan watched the Awakened continuously retreat from the battlefield.
Soon, he stood entirely alone, tall and proud.
The sword core in his hand hummed, glimmering with wisps of radiance as sword intent slowly surged forth.
With most of the humans having pulled back, the terracotta army turned its spears toward the only target left.
Though they appeared human, they were not living beings after all; they could only identify enemies within a fixed perimeter, driven solely to protect the imperial mausoleum from intrusion.
Under the lead of the terracotta generals, their collective gaze locked onto Lu Yuan.
"Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish."
Seeing this, Lu Yuan felt not the slightest tension, only a surge of anticipation.
In his eyes, these terracotta warriors were nothing more than nourishment to facilitate the metamorphosis of the Daluo sword core.
Without another word, Lu Yuan struck.
This time, however, he did not unleash the sword core's full power as before, choosing instead to restrain it.
He wanted to closely observe the process by which the sword core absorbed that special substance.
That way, when encountering similar situations in the future, he could make an immediate judgment.
Furthermore, the metamorphosis of the sword core was akin to the evolution of all living things.
Ordinary people might not sense it, but Lu Yuan had fused with the Ancient Bodhi Tree, granting him a hundred-million-fold boost to his comprehension. He could feel that this transformation was of great benefit to him.
*Clang, clang, clang—*
Sword light swirled across the sword core, enveloping his body.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!—*
As time passed, the number of terracotta warriors steadily dwindled until only a third remained.
Right at that moment, the sword core vibrated once more, seemingly reaching saturation and ceasing its absorption.
"Too little time. Otherwise, with further comprehension, the fifth shackle would surely break," Lu Yuan thought, shaking his head with a touch of regret.
Of course, having gained this insight, breaking the next shackle would not take long anyway.
Not far away, the crowd watched Lu Yuan with a mix of suspicion, awe, and thinly veiled resentment.
Lu Yuan's display had firmly placed him at the center of attention; no one could ignore him.
A single man, walking through an army of tens of thousands as if strolling in his own backyard.
Every terracotta warrior that made contact shattered into pieces in an instant, utterly defenseless.
Even the stronger terracotta generals, who gave most Awakened a severe headache, were no exception.
Yet even so, the terracotta warriors continued to charge relentlessly.
They formed a vast army whose advance shook the earth amid constant roars.
Such a sight would give any Awakened present a headache and bog them down in a grueling battle.
Yet what about Lu Yuan?
He walked amid those tens of thousands of soldiers, holding the Daluo sword core as sword light swirled around him.
He looked as relaxed as if taking a stroll through his back garden, his expression completely detached, striding forward as if through an uninhabited realm.
"The sword core absorbs that special substance, and upon reaching a certain threshold, it undergoes a transformation—much like the heaven and earth spiritual energy required for the evolution of all living things," Lu Yuan observed carefully, gaining an epiphany.
Heaven and earth spiritual energy was the formal term for the mysterious power born after the global mutation.
Involuntarily, the fifth genetic shackle within his body began to loosen.
His talent was simply too monstrous; he could effortlessly discern the essence of things.
Within his sea of consciousness, the miniature golden figure sat cross-legged beneath the Ancient Bodhi Tree, wrapped in brilliant light, looking extraordinarily transcendent.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!—*
*Is this the power of a divine relic?*
From beginning to end, Lu Yuan had not parted with his sword, leading nearly everyone to assume it had to be a terrifying divine relic.
The members of factions like Tianshen Technology and Beidou Biology looked on in astonishment.
The forces behind them were ancient, possessing all manner of inheritances left by their ancestors, including no shortage of divine relics.
Yet the power displayed by the divine sword before them still left them shaken.
"Look, those terracotta warriors aren't reviving anymore!"
"And look at that—they stopped attacking!"
"What's going on?"
Suddenly, someone pointed toward the battlefield and shouted in surprise.
Countless gazes snapped over, expressions turning to shock.
All the terracotta warriors had halted, returning to their pits and resuming their original statuesque state. Even those that had previously revived after being destroyed remained motionless, leaving everyone utterly astonished.
"Did we pass the first trial?" the Ice Fairy spoke. Contrary to her chilly exterior, her voice was gentle and devoid of coldness.
"It seems so. Slaying two-thirds of them must have triggered some special mechanism," the Northern Emperor agreed, nodding. Despite his rugged exterior, his mind was remarkably sharp.
"Perhaps it was due to that sword," Asura remarked, glancing at the blood-red saber in his hand. It was an exceptional weapon in its own right, yet now it was thoroughly overshadowed. He felt a twinge of regret that he was not a swordsman.
"Then... does that mean we can go in?"
Everyone snapped out of their daze. With the terracotta warriors no longer attacking, the path ahead was clear.
Yet when they looked at Lu Yuan, their eyes were filled with strange complexity. A problem that the Five Great Sovereigns could not resolve together had been handled by him alone.
*Rumble!*
Right then, Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum shuddered once again.
Waves of heavy pressure descended relentlessly, while the dragon-shaped essence coiled and drifted above.
Seeing this, the crowd shrank back in terror, dreading another catastrophe.
Fortunately, the anticipated danger did not materialize.
The massive gateway swung open, and the white jade staircase radiated dazzling, blinding light.
When the light faded, the stairs were gone. In their place stood a series of small doorways.
There were ninety-nine bronze doors in total, each about three meters tall and identical in size and appearance. All of them stood open, yet inside was pitch-black, obscuring what lay beyond.
"Could the true Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum be behind these doors?"
"It must be! There's no other explanation!"
"Should we go in?"
Discussions broke out as people speculated that behind these doors lay the true resting place of the Ancestral Dragon—a place of supreme fortune.
Yet many hesitated, fearing danger beyond the threshold and unwilling to advance rashly.
Perhaps out of ninety-nine doors, only one led to the correct path.
What if they chose wrong and died without a burial place?
Thus, many fell silent, choosing to wait and watch rather than plunge forward.
"All my brothers just died out here! If I don't go in, won't their deaths have been for nothing?"
Before long, a bold Awakened spoke up.
With that, he dashed forward. Seeing there was indeed no danger along the path, he picked one of the ninety-nine doors and stepped inside.
Everyone watched intently, waiting to see if anything unusual would occur.
Five minutes later, that door vanished.
Only ninety-eight doors remained.
"Damn it! The doors disappear automatically after someone enters!"
Discovering this, someone couldn't help crying out. One fewer door meant one fewer opportunity!
Instantly, after a brief hesitation, more Awakened hurried toward the doors, looking them over before entering. Some went through alone, while many others picked the same door, believing it to be the correct path.
Because of this, the number of doors leading into the depths of Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum dwindled rapidly.
Even the major factions could no longer sit still. Regardless of which path was correct, they would have no chance at all if they didn't enter, so they made up their minds to advance.
"Entering Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum involves three trials, and this is merely the first."
"Passing through these doors is where the real test begins—ten times harder than outside."
Seeing this, Lu Yuan did not move. It might appear that he had cleared the obstacles for the others, but in reality, everything had only just begun.
If the resting place of the Ancestral Dragon only had a single hurdle, it would be far too simple, and he wouldn't have spent so long planning for it.
Furthermore, the Daluo sword core had benefited greatly from the process, growing even stronger.
He promptly stored the sword core away, knowing that it would undergo a process of metamorphosis in the coming moments, though it wouldn't take too long.
Just as Lu Yuan prepared to follow the crowd toward the doors, a gentle voice called out to him.
"Mr. Lu, which door do you think is the right one?"
It was the Ice Fairy. She took the initiative to approach, nodding politely with a warm smile that contrasted completely with the icy aura she carried. She continued, "We at Beidou Biology hope to cooperate with you and enter Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum together. What do you think?"
Lu Yuan's earlier performance had been too dazzling, unmatched by anyone, naturally drawing the interest of several factions.
Clearly, Beidou Biology was quick to react, moving ahead of everyone else.
Moreover, the one speaking was the Ice Fairy herself, one of the Five Great Sovereigns and a representative figure.
"Many people have their eyes on your sword, Mr. Lu, and may try to seize it in secret,"
the Ice Fairy said in a lowered voice, informing him of the matter while assuring him that she could guarantee his safety.
Her desire to recruit him was plain to see.
She was exceptionally beautiful, carried an extraordinary temperament, and possessed an aura of prestige. An ordinary person would have seriously considered her offer, even if they didn't accept immediately.
Even Zhou Yunqiong looked over.
"They don't have the ability," Lu Yuan replied, shaking his head without hesitation. "Besides, I'm used to acting alone. Farewell."
With that, he walked straight toward the doors without lingering, picked one, and stepped inside.
"The people from Tianshen Technology and Longevity Genetics have already entered," a Beidou Biology member stepped up to the Ice Fairy and whispered, visibly tense as the bronze doors continued to disappear.
Hearing this, the Ice Fairy watched as the Southern Sovereign, the Northern Emperor, and even the Winged Celestial made their choices.
"Regardless of whether we obtain the fortunes within the mausoleum, keep a close watch on that Lu Yuan."
She paused, then instructed, "This man is extraordinary. We can extend goodwill and choose to support him at critical moments."
She had naturally witnessed the conflict between Lu Yuan and Wuzhou Group earlier, viewing it as an opportunity to recruit him. As for that sword, Beidou Biology possessed a few divine relics of its own; there was no need to be overly greedy. In the early stages of the mutation, recruiting powerful individuals to expand their faction was paramount.
In fact, factions like Zhendan Academy shared similar thoughts.
Lu Yuan had shone too brightly today, completely overshadowing the Five Great Sovereigns.
In the future, he would undoubtedly carve out a place for himself in the New Era. Such talent could not be overlooked.
Of course, all of that would have to wait until after Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum.
With that in mind, she led her people inside as well.
As the bronze doors continued to vanish, more and more people grew restless and made their moves without further overthinking.
After all, discerning the single correct path out of ninety-nine doors was simply too difficult; it was better to just plunge in.
From Zhendan Academy, Dean Zheng led several teachers forward, instructing Zhu Qingyu and the other students to head back and await news, as no one knew when they would emerge.
Half an hour later, all the small bronze doors had vanished, and the number of Awakened outside the mausoleum had plummeted by ninety-nine percent.
Most had chosen to enter, while a few decided that their lives were more important and gave up.
On the other side, Lu Yuan stepped through a door.
Inside, it was pitch-black—so dark one could not see their own fingers. Even he could see nothing clearly, as if walking through a passageway leading toward some unknown realm.
"The world assumes the Ancestral Dragon's resting place is underground, but who could imagine that it holds a universe within? If not for the global mutation, no one would have ever learned the true secret of the imperial mausoleum."
He murmured to himself, his thoughts drifting back to his past life.
In truth, the real imperial mausoleum resided in another world entirely—a folded space that only manifested after the mutation.
Each door led to an independent space that did not interfere with the others.
More importantly, all ninety-nine doors were the correct path; which one you chose did not matter.
Within each lay minor fortunes that yielded different benefits.
Naturally, obtaining them required a price in blood, even the lives of many.
It served as a punishment for those who trespassed into the imperial mausoleum.
However, reaching the final destination would not be so simple.
One needed a key.
Crucially, there was only a single chance; missing it meant missing it forever.
Thus, Lu Yuan could choose at whim, as it made no difference to him.
The key to the ultimate destination of Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum was already in his hands.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside, took a deep breath, and walked steadily forward.
Finally, the darkness of the passageway began to recede, giving way to an expanse of white light in the distance.
Without hesitation, Lu Yuan stepped through!
Chapter 48