121: The tomb-guarding clan, competitors in the imperial tomb

Facing the tomb guardian Guardian's kneeling, filled with shock and reverence, and her fearful warning about the "Taboo," Lin Tian simply nodded calmly, signaling her to rise.

There wasn't a ripple in his eyes, as deep as the starry sky.

Taboo?

For him, so-called "Taboos" often only represented greater power, and... more generous "rewards."

"Rise," his voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority, "Since I bear the 'Ancestor's' Bloodline, I will naturally not easily disturb the balance of this place. However, I need to know everything about this tomb."

"Yes, Lord."

Guardian respectfully stood up, her pure, obsidian-like eyes filled with unconcealed curiosity and closeness towards Lin Tian. It was the most primal attraction and trust stemming from a shared Bloodline. She shed her previous cold and wary demeanor, like a loyal hound that had found its master, and began patiently answering all questions about this ancient tomb for Lin Tian, the "Lord" with the "Ancestor's" Bloodline.

Through peaceful communication with this "guide" who had lived for an unknown number of years, a mysterious scroll depicting the internal power structure of the "Pangu Tomb" slowly unfolded before Lin Tian and all readers.

"Lord, do you wish to know if there are other 'tomb guardians' here?"

When Lin Tian asked if there were other intelligent beings here, Guardian's delicate face instantly became incredibly solemn, even carrying a hint of deep hostility and disgust.

"Yes," she nodded, her voice turning cold, "And they are our... enemies. They are... traitors who betrayed their mission and were seduced by power."

She took a deep breath, as if recalling a heavy history filled with blood and fire.

"Our 'Tomb Guardian Tribe' has existed since ancient times. Our sole mission is to guard this tomb, maintain the Seal of the 'Taboo Coffin,' and prevent the world-destroying catastrophe from descending. This is our supreme ancestral teaching, etched deep within our genetic chain."

"But, several millennia ago, a schism appeared within the tribe."

"During the long, endless years of guardianship, a portion of the tribesmen were gradually seduced by the 'power' emanating from the core of the tomb. They believed that guardianship was a sign of weakness, a foolish act that stifled their own evolution. They no longer believed in the mission of 'guardianship,' but instead began to believe in the dark jungle Law of 'survival of the fittest.'"

"They believed that instead of endlessly guarding an illusory 'Seal,' it would be better to actively open the 'Taboo Coffin,' accept the 'baptism' of that power, and thereby obtain god-like power sufficient to conquer the outside world, leading our tribe to restore the glory of the ancient era!"

Guardian's eyes flashed with a deep disgust and sorrow, a heartbroken anguish over the degradation of her own kind.

"Since then, our 'Tomb Guardian Tribe' has completely split into two major tribes."

"Those of us who still believe in the mission of 'guardianship' call ourselves the [Azure Dragon Tribe], because our ancestors were the Azure Dragon warriors who followed the 'Ancestor' in conquering all directions."

"And those traitors who were seduced by power and One Heart wanted to open the Taboo called themselves... the [Black Dragon Tribe]. They believed that black was the purest color of power."

"For thousands of years, countless conflicts and wars have erupted between our two tribes over whether to open that 'Taboo Coffin.' The people of the [Black Dragon Tribe] have become increasingly cruel and increasingly insane. They even hunt ancient exotic beasts that enter this place, using their genes to transform themselves, becoming neither human nor ghost. They... constantly want to destroy the Seal and release the catastrophe..."

Internal conflict!

Lin Tian instantly grasped this core information. It seemed that within this seemingly isolated tomb, it was not a monolithic entity. In fact, it could be said that this place itself was a powder keg full of internal contradictions, just waiting for a fuse.

Just then, Lin Tian's vast Mental Energy, which had already covered a radius of several thousand li like an invisible radar, suddenly sensed several extremely familiar, yet appearing in the most unexpected places... powerful auras!

His brow furrowed slightly for the first time.

His Divine Thought, like a high-precision quantum detector, instantly penetrated layers of spatial barriers, precisely locking onto the source of those auras.

It was not an illusion.

To the east, in a perilous canyon three hundred li away, filled with the Qi of Geng Metal, a domineering aura, like a White Tiger Sacred Beast, full of iron-bloodedness and killing intent, was fiercely battling a "Earth Dragon Beast" as large as a mountain and covered in Dragon scales. That aura, he was all too familiar with—the military's "Marquis Champion" Huo Qubing! He had actually entered too!

To the south, in a swamp five hundred li away, filled with the aura of death and annihilation, a supreme Sword Intent, sharp enough to tear the sky and imbued with the Dao of Rebirth, lay dormant in a hidden cave deep underground, as if digesting something, its aura climbing at an extremely slow but incredibly steady pace. That Sword Intent belonged to none other than... Ye Fan, the one he had personally crippled, yet who had obtained the "heart of the sword emperor"!

To the west, on a mountaintop eight hundred li away, enveloped by Holy Light energy, a complex aura, as brilliant as the sun yet tinged with a hint of coldness and malice, flickered indistinctly. That was... the twin stars of "Holy Mountain," Adam and Kyle! They had actually found a way to enter this place too!

Even further north, on a snow-covered peak, he sensed a vast, profound, and extremely hidden Mental Energy fluctuation, like a deep sea, full of wisdom and mystery. The nature of that fluctuation was identical to that of "Goddess of Wisdom" Bai Zhi from "War God Academy"!

They... they were all here?!

Lin Tian understood instantly.

The Qin Family was not the only entrance to the "Pangu Tomb"!

The forces behind these top Prodigies in the current world, through various unknown secret channels—perhaps some forgotten ancient spatial rift, or perhaps some ancient secret passage map passed down through generations—had actually sent them all to this final and most important stage at the same time!

Good!

What a "contention of heroes"!

What a "Prodigy struggle for supremacy"!

What a... final reckoning place!

Lin Tian concisely informed Long Qingtian, Elizabeth, and others beside him of his discovery through Mental Energy transmission, eliciting their shock and solemnity.

"What?! They actually..." Long Qingtian's face was filled with disbelief.

"Trouble, with so many top Prodigies gathered here, the situation... might completely spiral out of control!" Elizabeth also furrowed her beautiful brows.

As for Lin Tian himself, after the initial surprise, a smile slowly appeared on his face, filled with playfulness and cold killing intent...

He looked towards the depths of the tomb, in the direction Guardian called the "Taboo," as if he could already see the "grand" scene where all old and new grudges, all arch-enemies and opponents, gathered before that mysterious "ancient bronze coffin."

Within him, a joyous monologue echoed, audible only to himself, like a hunter finally seeing all his prey caught in the net.

"Interesting..."

"Truly interesting..."

"I thought I'd have to find them one by one, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourselves to my doorstep."

"All the 'prey' and all the 'leek' are here."

His deep eyes gleamed with a cold light, like a cosmic black hole, capable of devouring everything.

"It seems this trip to 'Pangu Tomb'..."

"...can solve all problems at once."

At this point, all the "players" had gathered on this final map.

An unprecedented ultimate "free-for-all" revolving around the "Taboo Coffin," bringing together the two major local tribes and all the top Prodigies from the outside world, was about to inevitably, fully unfold!