The Burial Valley of Soldiers

The Burial Valley of Soldiers was plunged into impenetrable darkness, so thick that one could not see their hand before their face. Ahead, faint specks of light cast a hazy, ethereal glow over that region. The graceful figure appeared blurry and dreamlike, as if slowly flying down from beyond the Nine Heavens.

That woman’s voice was not only melodious, like a heavenly sound, but her bearing was also exceptionally elegant—ethereal and transcendent, exuding an otherworldly temperament untouched by mortal dust.

But Xiao Chen had no mood to appreciate this ethereal beauty at the moment. What he felt was an invisible pressure. Although no energy surged and no terrifying divine sense swept over him, he still sensed a strong danger.

Bang!

Without warning, the void around Xiao Chen shattered. A cold sword beam shot forth, its murderous aura shaking the sky. A piercingly sharp light burst forth, heading straight for Xiao Chen’s throat.

Clang!

Xiao Chen was sent flying. The Dark-Iron War Armor protected his body, and the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree shielded his head, yet he was still deeply shaken. He tumbled through the air for several li before crashing heavily into the cliff wall, nearly plummeting into the bottomless Burial Valley below.

“To set foot on the ninth dead end means the end of your life.”

The woman’s voice was very pleasant, but at this moment it was undoubtedly terrifying. She was pronouncing death.

Xiao Chen leaped up and stood once more on the mountain path within the valley. He activated his profound art to its utmost, and the six Heavenly Stele phantoms emerged before him, forming a barrier as he advanced step by step.

“Eh?” The woman ahead seemed a little surprised and stopped attacking.

At the same time, the twenty-seven War Swords appeared, glittering with brilliant light, floating around Xiao Chen. This finally drew a sound of surprise from the woman.

“You are somewhat unusual. Considering you have collected so many War Swords, I will give you a chance.” The woman paused slightly, then said, “Leave all the War Swords and leave this place. I will let you go and will not stop you.”

“You speak so lightly, as if I came specifically to deliver War Swords to you. Nothing comes that cheap.” Xiao Chen’s expression was grim. He knew the woman was extremely powerful, but he could not give up the War Swords.

“Entering the Burial Valley of Soldiers requires this awareness. This is the resting place of divine weapons. All divine weapons will be freed here, departing from their original masters.” The woman’s tone remained calm, crisp and beautiful. “I have not moved my true body to kill you; only a wisp of divine thought has come. If you do not heed my advice, you will surely be annihilated in both body and spirit.”

Xiao Chen was startled. If this woman before him was merely a wisp of divine thought, how powerful must her true body be? It was truly unimaginable.

A woman who was at least at the seventh heaven of the Half-Ancestor realm, with cultivation far above him—then her true body must have one foot in the Ancestral God realm, or perhaps had already reached it.

Ancestral Gods. There were only a few across all the worlds, yet this Burial Valley of Soldiers might very well hold one.

“Are you trying to escape? It’s already too late. The moment you opened the World Gate, there was no turning back.”

The woman spoke these words in a calm, indifferent tone.

Just then, sounds came from a distance. The auras of several top experts were rapidly approaching.

These were the peerless experts who had entered the valley later. They had now pursued Xiao Chen down the same path.

“Xiao Chen, it’s you!”

The Skeleton King, the Yaksha Half-Ancestor, the Asura Half-Ancestor, and the Angel Holy God arrived together.

“Who is that?”

They were wary of the woman ahead, their instincts honed to this level naturally sensing danger.

“That is a Half-Ancestor at the Seventh Heaven. Join forces to seal her, or else we are all in danger.” Xiao Chen did not hide the truth from them.

The woman laughed lightly. “I am merely a wisp of divine thought. Even if you all join forces and break through, you cannot truly escape the Burial Valley.”

The several Half-Ancestors exchanged glances quickly and, without any hesitation, attacked together.

The Yaksha Half-Ancestor activated the Myriad Worlds Domain, which descended like a cage from the sky, pressing down toward the woman.

At the same time, the Asura Half-Ancestor summoned the Blood Spirit—a being whose power rivaled a Half-Ancestor—and merged with it, transforming into a dazzling blood light that charged forward.

The Skeleton King wielded his White Bone Staff, standing within the Bone World he had created. He merged with a giant skeleton formed from countless undead beings and brought his immense staff down upon the woman.

The Angel Holy God radiated divine light all around, chanting a spell. A blazing radiance swept toward the woman.

Xiao Chen held nothing back either. Twenty-seven War Swords annihilated the void, tearing forward. At the same time, the six Heavenly Steles shook the dark valley, smashing forth with savage force.

Five Half-Ancestor-level experts joined forces. Although they could not display the world-destroying, rampaging power they would outside the valley, their combined strength was still terrifying beyond measure—irresistibly destroying all obstacles, shattering time and space.

But beyond their expectations, the ethereal, graceful figure in the hazy light let out a soft laugh, seemingly unflustered. She lightly raised her jade hand and slowly drew an ancient sword from behind her back.

Clang! A crisp sound like a dragon’s cry and a phoenix’s song rang through the entire valley. A dazzling lightning burst forth.

A War Sword!

The woman had drawn a War Sword! Its form was identical to the twenty-seven swords Xiao Chen controlled, but this War Sword seemed alive, as if fully awakened.

It was many times more brilliant and far more powerful than the twenty-seven swords under Xiao Chen’s command. It seemed to breathe freely, possessing an incomparable vitality.

A living War Sword.

Clang! The War Sword sang softly, its brilliant radiance overpowering the terrifying energies unleashed by the five experts. The dazzling sword light forcibly suppressed their fearsome attacks.

Boom!

The clear shadow in the hazy light swung her War Sword in a diagonal slash. The dazzling brilliance became the only thing between heaven and earth, blinding to the gaze, as if a dozen blazing suns hung here.

In that moment, Xiao Chen could see nothing. Then a violent tremor struck. Even protected by the Dark-Iron War Armor, he felt as if his whole body were about to shatter. He had taken a terrible blow and was sent flying.

Boulders tumbled down the valley wall. Xiao Chen, tangled among a cascade of rocks, fell from the mountain path into the bottomless chasm.

The wind howled in his ears, but he dared not fly. The Martial Imprint had warned him: anyone who flew in the Burial Valley would be pierced and shattered by terrifying sword beams.

As he fell, the brilliant light below grew dimmer and soon vanished, a testament to the awful depth of the valley.

Bang!

Just then, Xiao Chen slammed into a cliff face. He drove both arms deep into the rock, temporarily halting his descent. The twenty-seven War Swords had not been taken by the woman; they floated around him, their faint light illuminating the terrain.

With a flip, Xiao Chen vaulted back onto the mountain path, though he was not sure if this was still the ninth dead end.

That woman was far too powerful. A single strike had sent him deep into the valley. If he faced her alone, he would surely die.

Forward or back? There seemed to be no retreat. Once the World Gate was opened, there was no turning back.

Xiao Chen sat on the spot to meditate, allowing his wounded body to recover to its peak state. Then he chose to continue forward.

Without a doubt, he was now close to the valley floor. Though it was silent, he felt a bone-piercing chill—a vague, oppressive pressure.

An Ancestral God weapon! There must be a terrifying Ancestral God weapon within the valley. The feeling did not come from the War Swords, but from another type. It seemed that the Martial Imprint’s prediction had been wrong. There might indeed be an Ancestral God weapon with a soul born down below, rivaling an Ancestral God.

After Xiao Chen advanced several li, his path was blocked. A white skeleton tottered to its feet from the ground. Its hand held a shattered, almost rotted longsword, yet its killing intent surged to the heavens.

Without question, that skeleton was possessed by a weapon spirit.

Xiao Chen could not help but sigh. This place was eerie. Many weapon spirits had developed their own will, fearsome beyond measure.

Shiiing!

A flash of white light—the snow-white skeleton charged at lightning speed, slashing its blade at Xiao Chen’s neck. The blade light spread like a surging, mighty river, carrying a bone-piercing cold.

Clang!

Xiao Chen deflected the blade with his War Sword, then rushed forward in a flash, striking the skeleton in the waist with a single sword stroke. Several War Swords pressed down on the rotting longsword.

Bang! The white skeleton fell backward, its sword dropping to the ground.

This was a near-rotted, half-foot-long broken blade, yet it had displayed such momentum. That single strike had been comparable to a Half-Ancestor’s power, though it could not be sustained. Had it lasted, Xiao Chen would have paid a heavy price. It could be inferred that if this blade were not damaged, it would surely be a priceless treasure among Half-Ancestor-level sacred artifacts.

Crack! Hearing that sound, Xiao Chen felt his scalp go numb. He knew trouble was coming.

Ahead, seven or eight black figures rose from the mountain path, advancing step by step toward him.

Xiao Chen charged forward. He concentrated all twenty-seven War Swords, slashing them at the foremost shadow.

Boom! A violent collision. The figure’s power could match his own.

But the shadow was, after all, a weapon spirit, unstable. It could only unleash one such strike before collapsing. It would need a long time to reform.

After landing that blow, Xiao Chen quickly retreated. The shadows behind him gave chase.

The mountain path was narrow. Xiao Chen seized his chance, concentrated all his power, and launched a fierce attack, dispersing another weapon spirit.

An hour later, exhausted, Xiao Chen had broken five or six weapon spirits. He finally broke through this zone.

He was nearly at the valley floor. Using his celestial eye, he peered downward and saw that it was at most another dozen li away. But below, a mysterious power shrouded the depths. He could only dimly make out the contours; nothing else was visible.

But it was then that true danger struck.

A buzzing sound filled Xiao Chen’s ears, like insects fluttering their wings—strangely abrupt in this deathly silent valley.

Then his hair stood on end. A blinding light appeared in his vision: a cascade of blade light, like a meteor shower, hurtling toward him!

It was a rain of blades!

A shower of brilliant flying knives, all vibrating, tearing through the void, arriving in the blink of an eye.

Each flying knife was no longer than a palm, crystal clear, almost transparent.

The blade light was sharp beyond compare, unstoppable. The six Heavenly Steles Xiao Chen had manifested were all pierced and shattered.

His twenty-seven War Swords charged forward, clashing with the rain of blades. A dense, metallic symphony rang out— fierce collisions, sparks flying, and terrifying energies rampaging everywhere.

Clang, clang!

The rain of blades was too dense. The War Swords could not intercept them all. Several knives reached Xiao Chen, pierced the light screen before him, and struck the Dark-Iron War Armor, producing a horrific metallic din.

The immense force deformed the Dark-Iron War Armor, but thankfully it did not penetrate. The armor shimmered with dark light, quickly restoring its shape even after deformation.

Even so, Xiao Chen suffered severe injury.

He retreated swiftly, but the rain of blades was even faster.

Weng!

The metallic hum intensified. The dense rain of blades launched a second wave—flying knives fully capable of piercing a Half-Ancestor.

Had he not worn the Dark-Iron War Armor, Xiao Chen would have been turned into a sieve, his body full of gaping wounds.

This rain of blades was impossible to resist. It exceeded his expectations. Even a Half-Ancestor at the Sixth Heaven would likely have to flee before such a storm.

Shiiing! Shiiing! Shiiing!

Just then, from the dark valley floor, a startling sword beam burst forth—tens of li in length, rushing upward, dazzling and cold.

Dimly, Xiao Chen glimpsed a mass of cyan light locked in fierce combat with the sword beam.

It was the Martial Imprint! He had reached the valley floor and was engaged in a great battle with a powerful, unknown enemy.

Weng!

The rain of blades vibrated and, in an instant, flew far away, retreating deep into the valley.

Xiao Chen now found himself in a dilemma. The valley floor was certainly dangerous, but retreat was impossible. The World Gate must have closed by now. Moreover, the mysterious woman who had appeared earlier had her eye on his War Swords; she would not let him escape.

Deep down in the valley, something was indeed drawing him. The feeling grew clearer with each step.

Xiao Chen finally gritted his teeth and began to advance again.

This time, he met no resistance. No weapon spirit attacked him. He reached the dark valley floor without incident.

“You’ve come too.”

From the darkness, the figure of Bai Qi materialized. It was unclear from which path he had descended. His battle armor was tattered and torn, his black hair disheveled. He looked thoroughly battered.

“This place is extremely dangerous. Be careful.” Suddenly, Bai Qi’s expression changed drastically. He shouted, “Watch out!”

A small creature that resembled a squirrel was charging at Xiao Chen. It was this that had caused Bai Qi’s alarm.

Xiao Chen slashed sideways with his War Sword. Clang! A great crash sounded. The squirrel rolled away, revealing its true form: a gleaming, cold blade tip!

It was a piece of remnant weapon.

The palm-sized blade tip seemed sentient. It transformed back into a squirrel and fled swiftly into the darkness.

“This valley is terrifyingly eerie. Even broken remnants seem to have become spirits. You must be careful, especially of weapons that have transformed into animals. They are the most dangerous.” Bai Qi warned.

Xiao Chen felt his scalp tingle. He noticed that there were beasts emerging all around them.

Not far away, two black serpents as thick as a wrist were staring at them. On the other side, a earthen-yellow crocodile about three meters long was eyeing them coldly.

Farther off, several wild wolves with green light in their eyes crouched menacingly.

And even farther, creatures shaped like tyrannosaurs—colossal beasts—radiated a baleful, world-ending aura as they stood motionless in the darkness.

This vast valley held countless spirits of divine weapons without number.

Shiiing!

Two flashes of breaking air—the two black serpents nearby suddenly attacked, like twin bolts of black lightning, one aimed at Xiao Chen, the other at Bai Qi.

Xiao Chen and Bai Qi each displayed their skills. The six Heavenly Steles crushed forward, sending one black serpent flying. Bai Qi struck the other with his dominating War-Soul, knocking it away.

Clang! Clang! Two metallic sounds. The two black serpents transformed into two sections of a black spear, gleaming coldly as they stabbed into the ground nearby, then quickly reverted to serpent form and vanished into the darkness.

“This is too bizarre. These divine weapons have all become spirits.” Xiao Chen could not help but exclaim.

“Careful. We seem to be in danger.” Bai Qi warned.

Not far off, several wild wolves were slowly closing in. What divine weapons had they transformed from?

And farther away, several colossal flood dragon-like beasts radiated a sky-filling, baleful killing intent. They, too, began to move slowly in their direction.

The wolves were probably manageable—likely Half-Ancestor-level sacred weapons transformed. But the flood dragons were another matter. Their killing intent was truly chilling. They were probably remnants of Ancestral God weapons that had developed intelligence.

“Avoid those big ones and come toward me.” Just then, the Martial Imprint’s voice sounded.

At the moment, he was hard-pressed. The human-shaped cyan light he had taken was locked in a fierce battle with powerful opponents. In the darkness, his rapid movements made him look like a blazing mass of light, his killing intent piercing the heavens.

Xiao Chen was startled. He used his celestial eye to observe and saw the Martial Imprint’s opponents—two beings!

One was the tall man who had appeared earlier wielding the Chaos War Spear. The spear now blazed with dazzling light. Wherever it passed, everything was turned to chaos—unstoppable, irresistible. His strength was comparable to a Half-Ancestor at the Ninth Heaven. Outside, such power could sink an entire continent, but within the valley it was suppressed.

The other was the mysterious woman who had attacked Xiao Chen before. She held a War Sword. Wherever it swept, the void was sundered, the sword beam blinding. Her strength, too, was comparable to a Half-Ancestor at the Ninth Heaven.

The Martial Imprint was under immense pressure, fighting two opponents alone. He shouted, “You younger generations pretend not to know me, an elder? How preposterous!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The earth shook. The several flood dragon-like colossi were slowly approaching.

Their brutal aura and icy killing intent were undisguised.

Xiao Chen and Bai Qi exchanged a glance. They had already sensed a power that seemed beyond their ability to resist.

Weng!

The sound of wings beating came again. A swarm of flying centipedes tore through the sky, also revealing ferocious faces, their cold killing intent oppressive.

Xiao Chen’s heart jumped. He recognized them—they were the same rain of blades he had encountered earlier.

“You two, charge toward the center of the valley! If you stay here, you won’t survive!” the Martial Imprint shouted at them.

“It’s the same no matter where you flee.” The man with the Chaos War Spear sneered, shattering a vast expanse of void into chaos with a single blow.

The woman with the War Sword also laughed lightly. “If the other weapon spirits are awakened, it will only become more interesting.”

“You two youngsters pretend not to recognize me?” the Martial Imprint roared.

“Unless you return to your source and let us see.” The man and woman were relentless.

Xiao Chen and Bai Qi had already charged toward the valley depths. They moved at extreme speed, covering countless li. They saw countless beasts, nearly colliding with several brutal colossi.

“Damn it. Countless weapon spirits in this valley are chasing us now.” Bai Qi’s expression grew grim, but he dared not slow down.

Behind them stretched countless shadows, from creatures as small as rabbits and mice to enormous ones like flood dragons, and even beasts the size of mountains—a dark, pressure-packed mass. The baleful killing intent they generated made even a Half-Ancestor tremble.

“Roar!”

An earth-shaking bellow sounded from the side. A flood dragon lunged horizontally, its body gleaming with dazzling, cold light.

A reckless charge!

The ground shook. The valley seemed to tremble; killing intent soared to the sky.

It was a sudden attack from the flank. Xiao Chen and Bai Qi had not noticed it in time. A wall as high as the sky seemed to collapse, smashing toward them.

Rumble!

Even before it reached them, the blinding light sent both of them flying.

Then the colossal flood dragon slammed into them, its massive body hurling them through the air.

Xiao Chen and Bai Qi felt intense pain throughout their bodies, as if every bone had broken.

The savage force was truly unbearable.

Xiao Chen fared slightly better, thanks to his Ancestral God War Armor, suffering only a few mouthfuls of blood. Bai Qi’s complexion turned deathly pale; his ribs had collapsed. He had to continuously circulate his divine power to reknit them.

Boom! The mountains shook and the earth quaked. The massive flood dragon charged again.

Xiao Chen and Bai Qi turned and fled, running for their lives. This powerful weapon spirit was impossible to resist. They had glimpsed its true form—a broken, colossal black iron hammer.

To clash head-on with it was death. Two mighty Half-Ancestor-level experts, reduced to fleeing in disarray, showed how dire their situation was.

The beast shadows behind them grew thicker and thicker. Many huge creatures joined the pursuit, making the valley tremble slightly.

“Could we have been tricked by that old scoundrel again? Making us act as a diversion?” A bad feeling rose in Xiao Chen. If the Martial Imprint had truly deceived them, they would surely die.

“If I find out you’re spouting nonsense, old liar, I’ll have your head!”

Clank! Just then, the sound of enormous chains moving came from ahead. At the same time, an even stronger killing intent surged forth—heavier than all the shadows behind combined.

And all the spirits of divine weapons behind them stopped in their tracks, no longer advancing.

“That is—” Bai Qi revealed a look of shock.

Far ahead, some enormous being seemed to be firmly bound by great iron chains. Its form was unclear.

“It’s alive!” Xiao Chen stared in stunned amazement.

At that moment, they witnessed a terrifying scene. The colossal being rolled over, lying face up. With each breath, sword beams shot up, tens of li long.

That was an indestructible, fearsome blade aura—a living being’s breath that was itself this terrible. It was simply unimaginable.

“A living Ancestral God weapon, chained here!”

Realizing this, both of them turned pale with shock.