Chapter 392: Opening (Four Updates)

Sijin Peak.

Chu Liuyue followed Mu Qinghe steadily forward.

The surrounding forest was lush and verdant, perfectly concealing their figures.

Aside from the occasional sound of mountain winds rustling the leaves, the surroundings were deathly silent.

Soon, a flight of stairs appeared before them.

Chu Liuyue looked upward.

Layer upon layer of steps stacked atop one another, stretching straight from the foot of the mountain to its summit.

At a glance, the end was nowhere in sight.

It was said that these stairs consisted of exactly nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.

Sijin Peak was steep and treacherous; one could only imagine how much manpower and material would be required to construct such a staircase upon it.

And at the very summit lay the place where the Emperors of the Yaochen Kingdom performed their annual sacrifices to Heaven and their ancestors.

Aside from the Emperor, even the Empress was not qualified to ascend to the topmost step; she could only remain below, waiting quietly.

Chu Liuyue couldn't help but glance at Mu Qinghe ahead of her.

*He isn't planning on going all the way to the top, is he?*

Furthermore, he had mentioned earlier that he wanted to enter the Imperial Mausoleum. Only now did a question occur to Chu Liuyue—where was the entrance to the Imperial Mausoleum?

Sijin Peak was surrounded by heavily guarded sentries, and the only path up the mountain was this single staircase.

And the Imperial Mausoleum—was buried beneath Sijin Peak!

After walking this distance, she had not discovered any suspicious place that could serve as an entrance.

Beyond the trees lay nothing but stone.

Mu Qinghe continued to climb, so Chu Liuyue had no choice but to follow.

Their pace was not slow, and before long, they had reached the halfway point of the mountain.

Upon reaching this height, Mu Qinghe finally turned back to look at Chu Liuyue.

Aside from her slightly flushed cheeks and a fine layer of sweat on her forehead, she showed no signs of fatigue.

For an ordinary Second-Rank Martial Artist, this would be absolutely impossible.

But for Chu Liuyue, it didn't seem to be much of a difficulty.

"Vice General Mu, what is it?"

Seeing him stop, Chu Liuyue asked curiously.

Mu Qinghe spoke with an ambiguous tone

"Your physical strength is even greater than I anticipated."

Chu Liuyue gave a small cough.

In truth, she had noticed this herself.

Not only when compared to martial artists of the same rank, but even against cultivators of a higher level, they might not necessarily match her in this regard.

And this was not something that could be explained away by talent alone.

To obtain a more powerful physical body, one had to cultivate painstakingly, and sometimes required the assistance of heavenly treasures.

Mu Qinghe knew this well; perhaps suspicion was rising in his heart again...

Just as Chu Liuyue was wondering how to handle him, he said nothing more and simply turned to continue his ascent.

Chu Liuyue said nothing further, merely following behind him at an unhurried pace.

She had a vague feeling that Mu Qinghe seemed somewhat anxious...

What was he in a hurry for?

As time ticked by, Chu Liuyue and Mu Qinghe finally completed the majority of the stairs.

Lifting her eyes to the summit right before them, Chu Liuyue's heart tightened.

Upon this summit, there was actually a profound array with an extremely powerful pressure!

She hadn't felt it before, but upon reaching these final few steps, she could clearly feel that with every step upward, that pressure was rapidly intensifying!

A sense of unease faintly surfaced in her heart.

Yet, Mu Qinghe did not hesitate for a moment as he stepped onto the final stair! He reached the summit!

The moment his foot landed, several streaks of silver light surged upward instantly! They swept toward Mu Qinghe!

A cold light flashed in Mu Qinghe's hand as a longsword appeared!

He raised the sword swiftly and then slashed down violently!

*Boom!*

A dull explosion suddenly erupted at the summit!

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The several streaks of silver light that had rushed toward his body instantly shattered! They transformed into countless flowing lights, scattering in all directions!

He actually intended to forcibly break through this profound array!

The commotion at the summit immediately drew the attention of the surrounding guards.

"Someone has trespassed onto Sijin Peak!"

"How is that possible?! The barrier outside Sijin Peak didn't show any movement—"

"But that fluctuation just now definitely came from the summit!"

As they spoke, several figures instantly rushed into the air!

At the same time, someone finally caught sight of the figures of Mu Qinghe and Chu Liuyue.

"There are two people on the summit!?"

This left almost everyone dumbfounded.

Sijin Peak was heavily guarded; who on earth could have broken in so silently and even reached the summit!

A black-robed elder shouted in a deep voice

"All units, heed my command! Immediately blockade Sijin Peak! Do not allow those two to escape!"

His low, powerful voice spread out majestically!

"Yes!"

The black-robed elder rushed forward with a furrowed brow, wanting to see clearly who those two were!

There were not many people in the Yaochen Kingdom with such strength; he wondered who was so audacious!

Unfortunately, due to the obstruction of the trees on the mountain, he could not see their faces for the moment, only vaguely identifying them as a man and a woman.

*Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!*

Just then, another series of booming sounds erupted from the summit!

The black-robed elder was greatly startled: the profound array on the summit had actually been heavily breached by the opponent!

That was the profound array passed down through a thousand years in the Yaochen Kingdom!

To think it could be broken so easily!?

The opponent's strength was likely even greater than imagined!

Without hesitation, he took out a bamboo tube, injected a stream of primal force into it, and then hurled it violently into the air!

*Bang!*

A bright, dazzling firework bloomed in the sky! Simultaneously, it let out a massive sound!

Chu Liuyue watched as Mu Qinghe raised his sword and struck, literally carving out a path!

Violent energy fluctuations spread in all directions, nearly making it impossible for her to breathe.

Mu Qinghe stood in the center of the turbulent currents, his clothes fluttering wildly.

At that moment, hearing the startling sound, Chu Liuyue looked up and saw the massive, blooming firework.

—The opponent had discovered them and was already calling for reinforcements!

Chu Liuyue grit her teeth, and finally took the last step upward, ascending to the summit!

Just as she intended to step forward to catch up with Mu Qinghe, the transparent water droplet within her dantian suddenly began to rotate!

An inexplicable summons suddenly rose from beneath her feet!

Startled, Chu Liuyue immediately looked down.

This force was coming from the bottom of the mountain!?

Before she could figure out what was happening, the ground beneath her feet suddenly moved!

Focusing her gaze, Chu Liuyue realized that, without her knowing, she was actually standing on a massive circular disc!

This disc was embedded into the summit; if one did not look closely, it was impossible to distinguish it from the surrounding ground.

It was only now, as it began to rotate slowly, that it became exceptionally obvious!

In the next instant, Chu Liuyue's body plummeted!

Sensing the movement behind him, Mu Qinghe finally turned back, just in time to see Chu Liuyue's figure vanish into that disc.

A strange light flashed in his eyes, and in the next moment, he leaped forward without hesitation!

By the time the black-robed elder arrived, he found a massive disc slowly rotating upon the summit.

His heart was filled with horror—the Imperial Mausoleum had actually been opened!

(End of Chapter)