Chapter 725 Entering the Sky Curtain

The sound of the unicorn's wings gradually subsided, and after about fifteen minutes of flight, it landed steadily among a cluster of rugged mountains.

On the misty cliffs, many figures had already gathered. Xiao Ling glanced around and, although he caught a few familiar faces, he did not linger. For him, the only things worth paying attention to right now were the journey to the Heavenly Tomb and the people beside him.

Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened as he swept over the side peak. Above the void, three figures in black robes floated like ink stains, their chilling aura like an impenetrable fog slowly seeping from their bodies, even making the surrounding mountain wind seem a bit colder.

“It’s someone from the Soul Clan I’ve met before…” he said in a low voice, his fist clenching quietly in his sleeve, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"Cousin Xiao Yan, be careful of the leader among those three." Seeing this, Xun'er turned her head and whispered a clear warning, "This person is named Hun Ya. He has a great reputation among the younger generation of the Soul Clan and is very difficult to deal with. He is probably the one leading the Soul Clan into the Heavenly Tomb this time. If you encounter him inside, be sure to keep a close eye on him."

"Yes, my cousin Xiao Ling and I have already met them." Xiao Yan nodded slowly, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his sleeve. How could he not know the formidable power of Soul Cliff?
In his judgment, this Soul Clan genius's strength was probably no less than that of the ancient demons. These ancient races, with their lineages spanning tens of thousands of years, all possessed genuine talent among their genius disciples, far surpassing those outsiders who were merely famous in name only.

With Xiao Ling protecting him and Xun'er accompanying him, the tension in his heart eased a little. He wasn't too flustered, but he suppressed his fear deep in his heart. The Heavenly Tomb hadn't even opened yet, and a powerful enemy had already appeared. This journey was unlikely to be peaceful from the very beginning.

“All eight clans have gathered this time, except for the Spirit Clan. Because of this, our Ancient Clan can occupy two more slots, giving us a total of four people qualified to enter the Heavenly Tomb.” Xun’er raised her hand and pointed to the distance. “Look at that group of people in the southeast, that’s the Medicine Clan’s team.”

"Oh? The Medicine Clan?" Xiao Ling's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this, and he looked in the direction she pointed. He saw several figures standing still in mid-air, each with an exquisite medicine gourd pattern painted on their foreheads, a distinctive mark that made their Medicine Clan identity immediately clear.

Just as Xiao Ling's gaze fell on that group of people, the leading man in the blue robe seemed to notice something and slowly turned his head.

The moment their eyes met, he was slightly taken aback, then forced a stiff, fake smile onto his face, though a hint of unease was hard to hide in his eyes.

Xiao Ling narrowed his eyes, taking in the other party's expression. He understood that the other party's deliberately restrained attitude was probably because of the strength he had displayed when fighting the ancient demon, and because he saw Xun'er, the young lady of the ancient clan, standing beside him, that he dared not easily show hostility.

But that stiff smile and evasive eyes could not hide the resentment in the hearts of the Medicine Clan.

Xiao Ling pondered to himself, it seems the rumors are true, the Medicine Clan indeed harbors some contempt and prejudice against them, these "outsider alchemists," from the bottom of their hearts.

"Those people with lightning bolt patterns on their foreheads to the east are from the Thunder Clan. This time, the Thunder Clan is led by Elder Mang Tianchi, but he most likely won't enter the Heavenly Tomb. Historically, those who go to the Heavenly Tomb for training are mostly the younger generation of various clans, since this place is an excellent place for them to grow." Xun'er's voice came with the mountain breeze, her fingertips gently pointing eastward.

Xiao Ling looked in the direction and saw a group of figures dressed in lightning-patterned clothing standing still. As he nodded slightly, his gaze met that of Mang Tianchi.

The old man smiled slightly and nodded gently in greeting. Xiao Ling returned the gesture with his gaze. Neither of them intended to say much. After a brief greeting, they looked away and tacitly maintained their distance.

“Brother Xiao Ling has already met the Yan Clan.” Xun’er changed the subject and pointed to the west. “Those with grayish-white skin and giant stone clan markings on their foreheads are the Stone Clan. They rely on their bloodline inheritance, and their physical bodies are incredibly strong, enough to go head-to-head with the top ferocious beasts in the magical beast world.”

Looking over, Xiao Ling saw that the disciples of the Stone Clan were all burly and imposing, with a heavy aura surrounding them. Just as Xun'er had said, their physical strength was indeed formidable.

“The Spirit Clan didn’t come this time. Apart from our Ancient Clan, who is responsible for guarding the Heavenly Tomb, each of the other clans only received two spots to enter,” Xun’er added softly.

After the introduction, Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan gained a better understanding of the situation of the other races and the strength of potential opponents. Their previously vague understanding of their fellow travelers in the Heavenly Tomb finally became clear. The trials they would face on their journey through the Heavenly Curtain would involve dealing with these powerful figures from various races, in addition to dealing with those energy beings.

As the three were talking in hushed tones, the mountains beneath their feet suddenly began to tremble violently, and even the clouds and mist swirling around the peaks surged and churned.

Immediately afterwards, a vast and profound ancient aura slowly seeped out from the depths of the void. The aura seemed to transcend ten thousand years. The moment everyone present touched it, a sense of awe rose from the depths of their souls, and they even subconsciously softened their breathing.

"The Heavenly Tomb is about to open." Xun'er looked at the suddenly darkening sky, her voice carrying a sense of certainty, as well as a hint of anticipation for the unknown.

No sooner had she finished speaking than a deafening roar suddenly exploded in the void!
Amidst the roar, a spatial rift a thousand feet long tore down from the sky like a giant dragon. In the center of the rift, a ball of silver light slowly condensed and grew, eventually transforming into an ancient stone gate a hundred feet high.

The stone gate is covered with blurry ancient patterns, and a chilling aura of antiquity emanates from behind it, imbuing the entire area with a sense of the weight of time.

"This is the Gate of the Heavenly Tomb..." Xiao Ling gazed at the colossal gate towering between heaven and earth, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Tsk tsk, such grandeur truly lives up to its renowned reputation."

A towering ancient gate, hundreds of feet high, stood between heaven and earth. The ancient patterns on the gate seemed to shimmer with light, and a vast, timeless aura that spanned millennia spread out continuously, causing the souls of everyone present to tremble slightly. Even the mountain wind seemed to slow its flow at this moment.

"Everyone, the rules for entering the Heavenly Tomb are probably self-evident." An aged voice suddenly rang out, and Elder Tongxuan's figure slowly appeared in the void. His eyes were like torches as he swept over the various races gathered below. His tone was calm but carried an unquestionable authority, "Each race is limited to two people entering, and no one more is allowed."

Everyone nodded slightly upon hearing this. This rule was an ironclad law for the opening of the Heavenly Tomb, and it had always been so; no one dared to violate it easily.

However, when their gaze swept over the ancient clan's procession, many people couldn't hide a hint of envy in their eyes. Only the ancient clan, as the race that guarded the Heavenly Tomb, could enjoy special treatment.

With the Spirit Race absent this time, they naturally took over the Spirit Race's quota, possessing a total of four entry qualifications. Such preferential treatment would tempt anyone.

After all, the opportunity to gain experience in the Heavenly Tomb is extremely precious.

For the younger generation of these ancient races, if they can seize the opportunity, their cultivation can achieve a qualitative leap in just half a year, and they can even break through long-standing bottlenecks, saving a lot of cultivation time. No force would complain about such an opportunity.

"Brother Xiao Ling, if we enter separately, we will be randomly teleported to different areas. We have to go together." Xun'er turned her head, her hair gently swaying in the mountain breeze. Her eyes were full of seriousness, but her tone carried a gentle reminder.

“Alright.” Xiao Ling nodded in response, a faint smile playing on his lips. The three of them traveling together was their initial agreement, and with him and Xun’er there, they could protect Xiao Yan. As soon as he finished speaking, the ancient gate in the spatial rift in the sky suddenly emitted a deafening rumble.

With a deafening roar, the heavy stone door slowly opened a crack, and a blinding silvery-white light burst forth from the crack, sweeping across the entire mountain range like a tide, dyeing the clouds and mist between heaven and earth into a translucent silvery-white.

"Those races whose spots have been filled can now prepare to enter." Elder Tongxuan's voice rang out again, with a touch of solemnity, "Remember, you only have a three-year time limit in the Heavenly Tomb. Once the three years are up, the Heavenly Tomb will automatically teleport everyone out. Do not overstay your visa."

As the words fell, the crack in the stone door widened further, and the ancient aura emanating from behind the door grew even stronger, as if beckoning everyone to step into this secret realm that had been sleeping for ten thousand years.

“Three years…converted to outside time, that’s half a year.” Xiao Yan lowered his eyes and pondered, his fingers unconsciously tightening. This opportunity was far too precious for him.

The Heavenly Tomb is a rare and exceptional training ground, not to mention its unique time flow of "three years inside, half a year outside." With his recent breakthrough to the second-star Dou Zun level, if he could cultivate diligently within it, he would surely experience a transformative improvement, and he absolutely could not afford to miss out on it.

Just as his thoughts were beginning to stir, the ancient gate in the sky once again resounded with a muffled "boom".

The crack widened at a visible speed, eventually reaching a width of ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). An ancient aura, so dense it was almost tangible, billowed out from behind the door like surging mist, and even the air seemed to be imbued with the weight of time.

"Chichi-"

A crisp sound of wind breaking suddenly exploded through the mountains and forests. Three figures shot into the sky like arrows released from a bow, their black robes fluttering in the wind.

Their movements were so fast they almost left afterimages. Under the watchful eyes of the various tribes, they rushed towards the ancient gate that radiated silver light without hesitation, their figures instantly merging into the dazzling brilliance behind the gate.

Xiao Ling's gaze sharpened, and he instantly recognized the three figures who had rushed into the door first, with the leader being Gu Qingyang.

As for the two people following behind him, Xiao Ling also remembered them. He had glanced at them briefly at the bloodline awakening plaza during the ancient clan's coming-of-age ceremony, and they must be the other two Black Annihilation Army commanders.

"Brother Xiao Ling, Cousin Xiao Yan, let's set off too." Xun'er looked in the direction where Gu Qingyang and the other two had disappeared, then turned to look at the two beside her. Her tone was filled with anticipation for the unknown. The hem of her plain white dress was gently lifted by the wind.

Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan nodded simultaneously, reaching a tacit understanding without needing to say anything more. The next second, faint halos of energy emanated from the three of them, and their figures suddenly soared up, transforming into two streaks of light and a black-robed afterimage, cutting through the thin mist in the mountains and flying towards the ancient-looking Heavenly Tomb Gate.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the entrance to the Heavenly Tomb teleportation portal.

Silver light swirled behind the door, and the distorted space inside could be vaguely seen. The vast and desolate aura wafted over, causing Xiao Yan's heart to tremble slightly.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Ling gently took Xun'er's soft hand with his left hand, while firmly grasping Xiao Yan's wrist with his right.

"Let's go." He spoke softly, his voice slightly dispersed by the airflow through the door, yet it carried an unwavering certainty.

The moment the words fell, the three exchanged a glance, then took a step together, their figures gradually merging into the dazzling silver light, disappearing into the Heavenly Tomb Gate in the blink of an eye, leaving only the swirling clouds outside the gate, still slowly churning.

As soon as Xiao Ling and his two companions merged into the silver light of the Heavenly Tomb Gate, the other races also moved.

One after another, streaks of light pierced the sky, carrying their own expectations and vigilance, and swept into the giant gate. Even the three black-robed figures of the Soul Clan, enveloped in a chilling aura, silently stepped behind the gate.

As the last figure disappeared into the silvery light, the ancient gate that stood between heaven and earth suddenly rippled violently, and the ancient patterns on its surface rapidly dimmed.

Under the watchful eyes of Elder Tongxuan and the remaining members of various races below, the giant gate slowly became transparent and illusory, as if swallowed by clouds and mist, gradually dissipating into the void.

Until the giant gate completely disappeared, the thousand-foot-long spatial rift began to slowly close, and the ancient aura between heaven and earth gradually faded away. Only the residual energy fluctuations in the mountains silently told the story of the grand opening of the secret realm. This Heavenly Tomb trial, which concerns the future of the younger generation of all races, has finally officially begun.

……

Before my eyes was a strange, misty world, with thick fog swirling like a veil over the black earth beneath my feet, blurring even the distant scenery.

Occasionally, a few eerie sparks flickered in the depths of the mist, drifting aimlessly like will-o'-the-wisps. Just as one was about to take a closer look, they would suddenly extinguish, leaving only a deathly silence that weighed heavily on this unfamiliar land, where even the wind seemed unwilling to linger.

"Shoot-"

In the silence, a distorted ripple suddenly appeared in the space, and three figures holding hands slowly stepped out of the void.

As soon as they loosened their clasped hands and regained their footing, the fighting spirit within the three of them began to circulate almost simultaneously, and a halo of fighting spirit quietly enveloped their bodies.

"It seems we've reached the interior of the Heavenly Tomb." Xiao Ling slowly spread out his powerful soul perception, sweeping across the surrounding thick fog like a fine net. After confirming that he hadn't detected any unusual aura, his tense battle qi eased slightly, and his wary gaze held a hint of curiosity as he carefully examined this unfamiliar world.

"I didn't sense anyone else's presence." He withdrew his senses and analyzed softly, "It seems everyone else has been teleported to other areas of the Heavenly Tomb. This Heavenly Tomb must be extremely vast; whether we encounter them again later depends entirely on luck." (End of Chapter)