At a certain point in time.
Outside Fanzhou, a full night had already passed.
When dawn arrived and the first glimmer of morning light touched the world.
Inside the Emperor's Tomb, the eight towering tomb gates dimmed completely.
The azure light curtain vanished, replaced by cold stone walls.
This scene immediately caught the attention of all the spirits on the eight high platforms.
"Why is the gate closed?"
"We won't be stuck here, will we..."
"What are you panicking for? We couldn't go back anyway, so who cares if it's closed? Stop making a fuss."
"It looks like the real show is about to begin."
The crowd was as chaotic as ever, especially in such an unfamiliar place where any slight disturbance could cause an uproar.
However, if one was calm enough, they could perceive that this was the omen of the Emperor's Tomb truly opening.
The blood sun grew even redder, its light flowing like a waterfall of blood, dyeing the world in a crimson hue.
The two blood sun stars seemed to shift slightly.
The attention of the myriad beings moved from the stone gates behind them to the sky above.
Between the two suns, before the eight platforms and above the wasteland, a figure abruptly appeared.
It manifested out of nothing, shifting from illusory to solid, resembling a saint's phantom reflecting the mountains and rivers, yet it lacked the overwhelming pressure of a true saint.
Everything seemed normal.
It looked more like a light screen, a projected illusion.
A long black robe.
It covered the figure from head to toe, leaving nothing exposed.
Wearing a veiled hat and bowing its head slightly, it looked like a follower of a god or a servant in grey robes.
The voices in the air grew louder, and the confusion in people's eyes deepened.
What was that thing?
Was it human?
Was it a ghost?
No one could tell.
Clearly, this was another display of mystery and suspense, but the difference was that the real show was finally starting.
The grey-robed phantom's sleeves hung naturally, yet they fluttered in the air despite the lack of wind.
It spoke, its voice like a bell, drifting far and wide.
As deep as a drum,
As resonant as thunder,
"Young mortal beings, welcome to the Twilight Burial Realm, the graveyard of emperors."
Whish...
Whish...
A cold wind hissed and yin qi swirled in gusts as the world fell into an eerie silence. People held their breath, and not a single person dared to speak loudly.
Their eyes were filled with confusion.
Their throats moved as they swallowed hard.
Mortal beings?
This was the second time they had heard this term.
What did it actually mean?
Did it refer to beings as lowly as dust?
And also,
The Twilight Burial Realm?
The graveyard of emperors?
This place was the Twilight Burial Realm, a graveyard for emperors. Did that mean the so-called Emperor's Tomb was not the tomb of a single emperor-stage powerhouse, but a graveyard for a whole group of emperors?
So, were the dense, white bones scattered across the desolate land before them all the remains left by emperors?
They pondered and whispered, their seas of consciousness churning like massive waves as countless doubts and questions flashed through their minds.
The answers remained unknown.
Amidst their speculation, they leaned in to listen, waiting for this grey-robed servant to explain the situation.
Xu Xian did the same.
The grey-robed phantom did not disappoint and went straight to the point.
"I am the most loyal servant of the Twilight Emperor."
"Next."
"Allow me to introduce the rules for the upcoming inheritance competition on behalf of my Sovereign."
"As you can see, you will compete here, and the strongest among you will receive the Sovereign's favor and obtain the supreme inheritance."
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd grew restless, their eyes filled with passion, desire, and greed.
The voice paused, and the wide sleeve of the phantom waved gently. The hands beneath the sleeves, covered in white gloves, scattered a shower of light.
When the light hit the ground, it slowly merged into the desolate wasteland.
The earth shook violently in an instant.
Then the entire world began to vibrate, and even the high platforms on the stone walls swayed along with it.
It was as if some giant creature sleeping underground had awakened and was about to burst through the soil.
The next moment.
The earth split open, and countless roots and trunks swarmed out, rushing toward the sky.
They grew more numerous, denser, taller, and sturdier.
The root systems churned on the ground while the trunks competed for dominance in the sky.
Space rippled,
Mountains and rivers shook violently,
In just a few breaths, the millions of beings from Fanzhou witnessed the birth of a towering giant tree from nothing.
The tree was so tall it reached into the clouds.
It was so massive it looked like a pillar holding up the heavens.
The canopy blotted out the sun, and looking up at it felt like an ant staring at the sky.
It was a locust tree, but its leaves were more vibrant than fresh flowers.
Blood-colored locust leaves?
This was the first time Xu Xian had seen such a thing, and the same was true for the other beings.
The world was vast, and there was nothing too strange to exist.
While a blood-colored locust tree was rare, it wasn't unheard of.
However, the ability to manifest such a massive entity out of thin air just by waving a sleeve and scattering light terrified everyone present.
In Fanzhou.
Even if a saint with a wood spirit root used all their strength, they couldn't possibly grow such a giant tree from nothing so quickly.
Was this the power of an immortal?
Before they could recover, the grey-robed illusion waved its wide sleeve again. A wind rose out of nowhere, sweeping through the towering locust tree and blowing down all its leaves.
Countless locust leaves fell like heavy snow, drifting toward the eight platforms and finally landing among the crowd.
Every single leaf seemed to be guided by intent, selecting a specific person.
Without missing a single one, the leaves hovered before them. All one had to do was reach out, and the leaf would automatically land, turning into a streak of blood-colored light that merged into their palm.
And then...
A faint number [One] appeared on the back of everyone's hand simultaneously.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy at that moment.
Xu Xian also stared at the back of his right hand, furrowing his brows. "Is this... for keeping score?"
He thought he had probably guessed the contents of the upcoming trial.
However.
Everything happened so abruptly and without him sensing a thing, which naturally made him a bit wary.
Then again.
Since this grey-robed phantom was likely the spirit of this small world, it wasn't entirely shocking that it could achieve this.
"What's happening?"
"Holy crap, this thing isn't poisonous, is it?"
"What kind of filth is this?"
"Something's wrong, I suddenly have a very bad feeling..."
Once the leaves found their owners, the grey-robed phantom waved its sleeve again, and the giant locust tree vanished instantly.
Its voice rang out once more.
Speaking unhurriedly:
"In one hour, the boundary wall before you will disappear, and you will truly set foot in the Twilight Burial Realm."
"At that time, governed by the laws of this world, you will be unable to use spiritual qi, demonic qi, or monster qi. In other words, you will be unable to use spells, activate formations and talismans, or fly. You will only retain your pure physical strength."
"Do you see the numbers on the backs of your hands?"
"That is your point value."
"Next, you only need to kill others to obtain their points."
"Ten days from now."
"Whoever has the highest points will be the strongest of this generation in Fanzhou and will receive the supreme inheritance of the Twilight Emperor."
The voice paused as the grey-robed phantom slowly raised its head and spread its arms as if embracing the world.
"Here, there are no rules and no laws."
"Only life and death."
"The collision of flesh."
"Bloody slaughter."
"Young mortal beings, you have the power over life and death. Go mad to your heart's content."
"Live as a hero, or die as dust!"
"Hahahaha!!!"
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