“Is there any way to get in?” Ye Chu asked Ruoshui, finally seeing a trace of solemnity on the always calm woman’s face.
“This place has the great general’s will protecting the tomb mound. Forcing entry would cause the mound to collapse even with sufficient strength,” Ruoshui replied. “Moreover, he reached the pinnacle of creation. If I were at my peak and my cultivation had not encountered problems, I could give it a try. But right now, I am far from that level.”
“So there is no way in?” Ye Chu was stunned. He had never imagined standing before such a treasure mountain yet having no means to enter.
“That is not necessarily true!”
Those words made Ye Chu turn to Ruoshui, waiting for her to explain, but she said nothing more. Instead, she took out the imperial jade seal she had obtained back in Yao City. The seal transformed into a streak of light and shot towards the tomb mound.
The jade seal landed on the tombstone of the mound and hovered there, emitting cyan light. Because of the seal, that terrifying majesty actually lessened by several degrees.
Seeing this scene, Ye Chu was utterly astonished. He had never thought the Yao kingdom’s jade seal could have such divine effect.
“The great general had a son whom he loved dearly. He had a jade stone carved specially for him. But later it was lost and fell into the hands of the Yao City king, who made it the imperial seal of transmission,” Ruoshui said. “This was an item carried close to his son’s body. It can make him refrain from destructive intent.”
Ye Chu suddenly understood. No wonder Ruoshui had gone to the trouble of taking the Yao kingdom’s jade seal.
“However, it is still not enough. We need to wait for one more person to arrive.” Ye Chu had originally thought Ruoshui would make a move, but he saw her simply staring at the tomb mound with no intention of acting.
“Boom… Boom…”
Continuous rumbling sounds echoed out. Under everyone’s combined efforts, the many cultivators broke through layer after layer of restrictions and finally reached this vast space. The first to enter were several old women and a group of beautiful young ladies, followed by numerous cultivators behind them.
When Ye Chu saw the figure surrounded and protected by the old women and the beautiful ladies, his eyelids twitched. Among them was actually one of the people he least wanted to see.
There was no need to describe Ji Die’s appearance. Back then, Ye Chu had known full well she was untouchable yet still dared to drug her and attempt to force himself on her. That alone proved the extent of his lustful audacity.
Ji Die had bright eyes and white teeth, a fragrant slender neck, and a beauty as pure and peerless as a lotus emerging from water. Her skin was like ice and jade, her figure graceful and enchanting, with full breasts and a willow waist, her form curvaceous and utterly captivating. Today she wore a light pink-blue water-like gown, her long hair cascading down. One could only see her side profile clearly: long delicate eyelashes, phoenix eyes that stretched elegantly. Her cheeks were crystalline like jade, flawless and pure, resembling a delicate yet icy flower, cold and peerlessly alluring.
Just by standing there, she gathered the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, exuding an unparalleled aura. Though the women around her were each stunningly beautiful in their own right, in the presence of someone nearly perfect like her, they could only serve as foils.
Among the women Ye Chu had seen, some could match her in appearance, but unlike Bai Xuan’s elegant and mature charm, Ji Die’s cold beauty ran to the bone, making people instinctively keep their distance.
When Ji Die and her group entered and saw someone had arrived before them, they could not help turning to look. Seeing Ruoshui, who was transcendent and otherworldly like a goddess, Ji Die paused slightly. A flicker of amazement rose in her heart. She had not expected to encounter such an extraordinary beauty in a place like this.
Normally wherever Ji Die went, everyone’s attention revolved around her aura. But now, standing before this woman, she could not even muster the thought of suppressing her.
While Ji Die was inwardly surprised and wondering who this woman was, her gaze swept to Ye Chu standing beside her. When she saw him, her expression froze for a moment.
“Cousin Ji Die, long time no see!” Ye Chu knew he could not avoid her, so he braced himself and greeted her. But the moment he thought of how his predecessor had tried and failed to force himself on her, he felt utterly humiliated.
“It is you?” Complex emotions flickered in Ji Die’s beautiful eyes. She still remembered clearly what this fellow had tried to do to her three years ago. She felt nothing but disgust towards him. No one had ever dared treat her that way, yet this man, notorious as trash in Yao City, had done it. If not for her special physique, she would truly have been ruined by him that day.
Ji Die suppressed the revulsion and displeasure in her heart. She thought to herself that she and he would have no further intersection. She had already embarked on a different path, one where she would face only heroes and outstanding figures in the future. This man was merely a street rat from a minor kingdom. Their paths were polar opposites. He could never appear in her sight again. Since that was the case, why bother caring about him?
“It is me!” Ye Chu wanted to say more, but Ji Die turned her head away, refusing to look at him, treating him as though he were a mere passerby.
Ye Chu felt somewhat awkward. He rubbed his nose, thinking this woman truly despised him now. After some reflection, he realised it was quite possible. What man could hold his head high after failing even at using force?
“Boom…”
While Ye Chu was still inwardly cursing his predecessor, more cultivators surged in from all four directions of the tomb. Pang Shao, Qing Wenting, Ye Jingyun, and their group poured into the space.
At this moment, Qing Wenting wore the saintess crown, radiance surging around her, illuminating her icy skin and snow-white bones. Her peerless beauty shone forth with its own stunning charm. Qing Wenting was an extremely beautiful woman, yet she lacked that overwhelming aura. Thus, to outsiders, her impact was far less than that of Ji Die or Ruoshui.
But now, with the saintess crown and robes, she possessed her own unique presence. Though it might fall slightly short of Ji Die or Ruoshui, it carried a distinctive captivating allure that was hers alone.
Ye Jingyun stood beside Qing Wenting, her long legs straight and slender, exuding extreme sensuality.
Everyone looked at these women one after another, unable to suppress the rising admiration in their hearts. Many cultivators went their entire lives without seeing even one peerless beauty like this. Yet now, such women had gathered all around this single tomb.
“Ye Chu! You are actually still alive!” Ye Yuanwang looked at Ye Chu, his face showing surprise.
Ye Chu ignored him. His gaze shifted to the man standing behind Ye Yuanwang. The man wore a dragon crown. Though it featured four-clawed golden dragons, the light flashing from the crown made him appear exceptionally majestic.
“The empire’s prince!” Pang Shao whispered into Ye Chu’s ear. “He is here for the General’s Tomb as well.”
Ye Chu was inwardly shocked. He had not expected even the imperial family to be stirred into action.
Ye Chu swept his gaze around and noticed quite a few cultivators, many of whom emanated vast auras. Looking at the old men beside Ye Jingyun and Pang Shao, Ye Chu’s expression changed in surprise. “Your grandfather actually let you bring such powerful experts?”
Beside Pang Shao stood great cultivators. Ye Chu had met one of the old men beside Pang Shao before. He held an extremely high status in the Pang family. Even Pang Shao’s grandfather treated him with great courtesy.
Yet now, the Pang family had allowed Pang Shao to bring such powerful figures. These were truly the core strength of the Pang family, each one a hegemon in their own right, capable of shaking any petty force.
“What am I?” Pang Shao gave a bitter laugh. He had originally thought bringing one great cultivator would allow him to strut proudly, but who could have imagined that all these ancient families would mobilise as well?
Whether it was Shangguan Minda or Ye Jingyun, the people they brought were no less formidable than his own. Qing Wenting was even more terrifying, having mobilised the saintess crown. That was a supreme killing weapon far stronger than ordinary great cultivators.
Outside the General’s Tomb, this time truly saw an unprecedented gathering of powerhouses. Nothing like it had ever happened before.