Chapter 567: Chapter 307: Grim Reaper’s Tombstone_2
The stone tablet was covered with ancient runes and patterns, faintly emitting a soft light, as if trying to narrate some ancient tale.
Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess curiously approached the tablet and saw the inscription: "The secret of Taichu Ancient Mine is hidden deep within the labyrinth. Only those destined may behold it, and those who do shall receive great blessings."
The two exchanged glances, but it seemed there wasn’t anything particularly secretive or grand about it.
"Could there be other secrets hidden inside?"
Gu Sheng turned his head, preparing to glance back again. The Yaochi Saintess understood his intentions; she was inclined to stay with Gu Sheng a little longer too.
Once she returned to Yaochi Holy Land, she would have to reclaim her role as Yaochi Saintess and maintain the appropriate distance from Gu Sheng.
"Then let’s head inside again and explore. Earlier, we were too occupied with dodging the hidden arrows and dealing with the black-robed individuals to investigate the opportunities here properly."
Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess exchanged a look, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity for the unknown. Determined, the two re-entered the mysterious and ancient labyrinth, seeking to uncover the primordial secrets buried within.
"This place seems somewhat different from before," Gu Sheng remarked, closely surveying their surroundings with a furrowed brow.
"Indeed, there’s a strange aura here," the Yaochi Saintess softly echoed, her expression serious, clearly sensing the unusualness as well.
Cautiously, the two pressed forward, soon encountering a remnant of an ancient soul. After a fierce battle, they managed to defeat the specter and reached the deepest part of the labyrinth.
There, they discovered an ancient tombstone, weathered and bearing traces of time. Gu Sheng stepped forward, carefully studying the text etched into the stone, only to find he couldn’t decipher it.
"It seems these inscriptions have been encrypted by some kind of power," the Yaochi Saintess whispered, attempting to decode the tombstone’s secrets herself, but to no avail.
At that moment, Gu Sheng noticed a faint bloodstain at the corner of the tombstone. As he reached out to touch it, his finger accidentally grazed the edge, leaving a small cut. A drop of blood fell onto the stone and disappeared instantly.
Immediately, the tombstone began to emit a faint glow, and a primordial image gradually emerged. The scene presented two infants, one of whom appeared to be the female Stone Spirit they had previously encountered. As the image rewound further, the two infants became a pair of bonded lovers—Zhan Fengyun and the Stone Spirit.
Zhan Fengyun wielded the Seven-Colored Jade Maiden Sword, exuding heroic vitality, while the Stone Spirit wore pristine white robes as radiant as snow, a rainbow encircling her like a celestial maiden descended to earth. Together, the two joined forces to counter a dread-filled warlord veiled in black energy—the Xiao Demon God.
The scene of the primordial battlefield left Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess in awe. They witnessed a land covered with corpses, drenched in blood, amid the ruins left by divine clashes. The sight encapsulated the cruelty and epic tragedy of that era.
"So this is the Taichu Battlefield?" Gu Sheng murmured to himself, "It’s utterly devastating."
"Indeed," the Yaochi Saintess sighed, "the people of that era fought for survival, paying an unimaginable price."
In the image, Zhan Fengyun and the Stone Spirit engaged fiercely with the Xiao Demon God. Their battle was exceptionally brutal, each clash seemingly capable of tearing apart the Void. Zhan Fengyun and the Stone Spirit displayed unparalleled synergy, their combined swords unleashing incredible power, while the Xiao Demon God relied on his war spear and encircling black energy to resist.
Gradually, the Xiao Demon God began to falter against their united assault. Just then, a black tombstone suddenly appeared behind him, shrouded in a dark cloud and emanating an overwhelming aura capable of annihilating all life.
The projection plunged into darkness... When the image finally returned to clarity, the battlefield had disappeared, replaced by desolation and ruin.
"What happened?" Gu Sheng blurted out in shock.
"That black tombstone..." the Yaochi Saintess muttered, as if recalling something. "Could it be the fabled ’Death God’s Tombstone’? It’s said to consume the souls and powers of all living beings."
Gu Sheng drew a sharp breath after hearing her words. "If that’s true, then Zhan Fengyun and the Stone Spirit must’ve..."
The two exchanged a glance, seeing deep concern in each other’s eyes. They realized this primordial secret might conceal more mysteries and crises yet to be unraveled. Resolute, they decided to continue investigating the labyrinth and its enigmatic "Death God’s Tombstone."
Standing at the labyrinth’s depths, Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess faced the ominous black glow emanating from the tombstone. It resembled an unfathomable black hole consuming all surrounding light.
As they prepared to leave this site of peril and intrigue, the labyrinth began to quake violently, hinting at a tremendous force surging underground.
"Something’s wrong—brace yourself!" Gu Sheng gripped his Seven-Colored Jade Maiden Sword, his face turning severe as he scanned the surroundings.
The Yaochi Saintess likewise sensed a mounting sense of dread. The Pure Jade Bottle she carried began to shimmer brightly, ready to confront whatever calamity lay ahead.
Thunderous booming grew louder, and the tremors intensified. Suddenly, the ground beneath the "Death God’s Tombstone" split apart, revealing a massive crevice from which a suffocating aura surged skyward. Its sheer power seemed capable of tearing through the Void, sending shockwaves that reverberated across the entirety of the Central Continent.
As the fissure widened, an enormous figure slowly surfaced—a primordial creature long suppressed by the "Death God’s Tombstone." Its body radiated dread, its eyes brimming with bloodlust. Its emergence heralded catastrophic devastation.
"What kind of being is this? Its power feels limitless!" Gu Sheng gasped in astonishment.
"I don’t know, but we need to leave immediately," the Yaochi Saintess urged, her voice full of urgency as she felt the apocalyptic aura approaching. Remaining here would mean certain death.
In a flash, the two fled toward the labyrinth’s exit. Yet, the oppressive aura relentlessly pursued them, threatening to consume them whole.
Just as they neared the labyrinth’s threshold, a commanding voice resounded across the Central Continent: "Who dares disturb my slumber? You shall pay the price!"
The voice, laced with majesty and fury, rattled the hearts of all living beings. Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess felt an unprecedented weight crushing down on them, like a great mountain pressing against their souls.
Knowing the voice belonged to the awakened primordial entity, the duo dared not linger, escaping the labyrinth with all haste.
Once outside the Taichu Ancient Mine, they looked back at the mysterious and perilous labyrinth, their hearts racing with lingering fear. They considered themselves immensely fortunate to have escaped alive.
Not long after, numerous powerful figures arrived at Taichu Ancient Mine, drawn by the immense aura. Yet when they reached the site, the aura had vanished without a trace.
It was as if nothing had ever transpired.
After leaving the Taichu Ancient Mine’s hidden realm, Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess returned to Yaochi Holy Land to recover.
By now, Gu Sheng’s status within the Yaochi Holy Land had become exceptional—even Ji Pingping, the Elder who guarded the mountain, dared not utter dissent.
Gu Sheng was uniquely permitted to freely enter and exit the Yaochi Saintess’s Observatory, a privilege unheard of.
Upon their return from the Taichu Ancient Mine’s hidden realm, Gu Sheng and the Yaochi Saintess still carried traces of primordial battlefield dust and exhaustion.
Yet as they stepped onto the grounds of Yaochi Holy Land, all their fatigue seemed to dissolve away.
"Gu Sheng, you’ve returned!" Su Yao’s sharp eyes spotted Gu Sheng first and she cheerfully rushed over to greet him.
"Yes, we’re back," Gu Sheng smiled as he responded, his gaze gently sweeping over Su Yao, Qin Xuan, and the other celestial maidens before resting on the Yaochi Saintess. "This journey to the secret realm yielded remarkable findings."
"Oh? What did you uncover? Tell us more!" Elder Ziwei came over upon hearing his words, her mature beauty exuding elegance with every glance.
Gu Sheng exchanged a knowing smile with the Saintess before opening up: "Within the Taichu Ancient Mine, we discovered many secrets of the primordial battlefield and uncovered the legends surrounding various cryptic tombstones..."