The Five Kings Enter the Tomb

The Little Stone Emperor's tomb raced across the ancient land, flickering in and out of visibility. Two giants of the Celestial Realm joined forces, brilliant beams of light sweeping toward the earth as they tried to pin down the elusive mausoleum with their supreme power.

But the seven black demon stars, like a world gate, caused a faint dark light to swirl above the great tomb, neutralizing all the incoming force.

"Where do you think you're going!"

A colossal golden holy sword cleaved down from the heavens, aiming to split the tomb. Golden holy radiance flooded the land below in an instant.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew like a meteor shower, shaking the ancient land. The tombstone before the mausoleum swelled like a massive shield, blocking the golden holy sword and deflecting it away.

"Boom!"

A massive hand reached down, grasping for the tombstone, trying to rip it from the earth. But suddenly, killing intent surged from the ancient tomb. A primordial killing formation manifested, strands of order and law intertwining and charging into the sky. The great hand shuddered violently and recoiled as if bitten by a snake.

After this brief exchange, neither celestial giant could claim success. They withdrew to the heavens.

"It's gone! The great tomb vanished!" cried the cultivators watching from afar.

In that moment, the Little Stone Emperor's tomb suddenly disappeared, sinking back underground. One could faintly sense the ancient land shifting as it traveled far away.

"Stone Man King, open your eye! Open the Dao's sacred gate!" a Stone Man King roared, his terrifying voice echoing across the ancient land, the rolling sound waves shaking the very heavens.

A figure appeared in the sky—a Stone Man King. A crack split open on his forehead, and a blazing golden light shot down. It was the gaze of his vertical eye, but it burned like heavenly fire.

"Bang!"

That golden light shattered the earth, penetrating deep into the tomb's killing formation. There, it condensed into a ball of golden sacred flame, gradually taking shape as a sacred gate.

This man was attempting to force his way through, building a passage into the great tomb. He was audacious to the point of madness, trying to storm the Little Stone Emperor's mausoleum.

"Wuuuuu..."

A gust of yin wind blew out from the tomb. The primordial killing formation, immensely powerful, and the laws and order left by the Little Stone Emperor shattered the sacred gate in an instant, causing the Stone Man King to fail.

The great tomb sank back into the earth, fleeing into the distance.

Though the powerful Stone Man Kings present could not pinpoint its exact location, they could intermittently sense its trajectory underground. All of them gave chase.

Within less than half an hour, the Little Stone Emperor's tomb had already moved in a great arc across a hundred-thousand-li expanse of ancient land, rising and falling on an unpredictable path.

Xiao Chen, the Stone Crow, and the others did not act. They chose to wait and observe, convinced that several more Stone Man Kings lurked nearby, watching covetously.

The Little Stone Emperor's tomb was less a mausoleum than a massive earthen mound. Even when half-hidden underground, the occasional emergence of its enormous burial peak was hundreds of zhang high.

The tomb's peak was more like a marker, rising and falling like a great fish's dorsal fin upon the sea.

This time, several Stone Man Kings had acted one after another, unlike before. They wanted to fix the Little Stone Emperor's tomb in place and then break it open.

"You're all useless!"

A withered, desiccated corpse-like figure stood on a distant, ancient mountain. His form was like a skeleton wrapped in skin—though his body was stone, it easily brought demons to mind.

—the powerful Stone Corpse had finally appeared. Xiao Chen was no stranger to him; he had seen him over a hundred thousand years ago. This ancient relic had weathered endless ages, living far longer than most Celestial Realm giants, and was the most mysterious of them all.

He lightly stamped his foot on the thousand-zhang peak beneath him. The great mountain instantly collapsed, a cloud of dust rising as it turned to ash.

The Stone Corpse moved like lightning, instantly closing in on the rising and falling Little Stone Emperor's tomb. He bellowed, "Ancient powerhouse, fallen demon lord, use your saintly blood to break the killing formation, open the path, and fix the ancient tomb!"

As he spoke, a trail of filthy blood, black as ink, dripped from his withered stone claws toward the Little Stone Emperor's tomb below.

As the black demon blood flowed from his claws, it was nothing more than a few black threads. But when it truly fell, it became five black rivers, pouring down with thunderous force.

This was the saintly blood of an ancient demon lord. Some legends claimed it belonged to the Stone Corpse himself; others said it came from the world signposted by the Heavenly Saints. It could break all laws, and even Stone Man Kings were loath to touch it.

"Rumble..."

The rolling, crashing five black blood rivers poured around the Little Stone Emperor's tomb, instantly turning that stretch of earth pitch-black and freezing cold. The stench of rot and blood filled the air.

The Little Stone Emperor's tomb was truly fixed in place. But after a brief moment, the seven demon stars vibrated as one, and a tangible great hand reached out from within the tomb. It moved, and a thin wisp of smoke rose. All the black demon blood dried up and vanished.

Everyone drew in a cold breath. This Little Stone Emperor's tomb was too sinister. It was merely a dead man's grave, yet it could contend with Stone Man Kings. The mere thought of the Little Stone Emperor's might in life was terrifying.

On a distant peak, the Stone Crow and the old skull looked at each other and also drew in a cold breath.

"The Little Stone Emperor was this powerful... How exactly did he die back then?" Both could see the doubt in each other's eyes, and both recalled the events of that bygone age.

"Do you think he's really dead?"

"I think so."

"It's hard to say..."

"Bang!"

The Stone Crow's withered bird claw stretched ten zhang long, suddenly grabbing the old Taoist from behind and pulling him before his eyes. A cold, piercing light flashed in his gaze as he stared at him silently for a long moment.

"Master, what are you looking at?" The old Taoist appeared calm, but his heart was uneasy.

"My good disciple... is it really you?" the Stone Crow asked, scrutinizing the old Taoist as if appraising an object, a strange light flickering in his eyes as he looked him up and down.

"I am naturally myself, Master. Why do you say such strange things? Surely you don't think I am the Ancestor, the Little Stone Emperor himself? How could that be! His tomb lies ahead, and many powerful figures are trying to open it."

"Boom!"

At that moment, a great upheaval occurred several thousand li away. The Little Stone Emperor's tomb had been intercepted.

"Eh? What's going on?!" the old skull exclaimed in surprise, while the Stone Crow released the old Taoist. Xiao Chen and his party flew swiftly toward the tomb's new location.

"Shan Jun! It's Shan Jun!" The Stone Crow's eyes shot out two beams of sharp light.

"Wasn't he crippled in the war before the Primordial Age? How did he survive until now?" the old skull said in astonishment.

"He sank into silence for eons, then suddenly reappeared over ten thousand years ago!" the Stone Crow replied.

Ahead, a Stone Man King stood above the Little Stone Emperor's tomb, holding a strand of black hair thousands of zhang long. The hair was like a living thing, reaching into the tomb without any obstruction.

The seven demon stars did not block it. The primordial killing formation seemed to have lost its power, letting the black hair writhe like a serpent.

"What is this?" Everyone was stunned.

Xiao Chen was no stranger to Shan Jun. Over a hundred thousand years ago, at the Sun Star, he had witnessed him—a returned War Warrior from defiance of heaven, who had once hunted him and the Stone Emperor.

With that strand of black hair thousands of zhang long, Shan Jun fished something out from the great tomb: a stone weapon. It was a broken stone knife. Though a shattered weapon, it was still a peerless treasure.

"He... actually fished out a precious blade!"

No one understood. Shan Jun truly seemed to be fishing. What was that strand of hair, that it could enter and exit the Little Stone Emperor's tomb unhindered?

"I understand..." the Stone Crow said in a low voice. "That strand of hair belongs to the Little Stone Emperor. I don't know how Shan Jun got his hands on it." He had once been hunted by the Little Stone Emperor for thirteen thousand years and would never forget that aura.

"If that's the case, can Shan Jun obtain everything inside without entering the tomb?" Xiao Chen was shocked.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a shocking change occurred. The thousand-zhang strand of hair delved deep into the tomb again, but abruptly burst into flames. In the blink of an eye, most of it turned to ash.

"The tomb really has become a spirit!" That was everyone's unanimous thought.

After destroying the strand of hair, the great tomb swiftly traveled into the distance, rising and falling across the ancient land, flickering in and out of view.

"Fellow Daoists, we must join forces to fix this great tomb..." someone proposed. Two had tried before, but to no avail. Now, someone called upon all the titans present to act together.

After a moment of silence, five figures eventually stepped forward. Five powerful beings had joined hands.

"Five of us. Exactly enough to use the Five Elements to fix the origin. It will imprison the Little Stone Emperor's tomb so it can no longer flee. Then, with our five strengths, we can safely enter the tomb and take everything."

Five Stone Man Kings joining hands—that would surely shake heaven and earth. Nothing could stop them. Even if the Little Stone Emperor were reborn, he would taste bitter defeat.

The Suspended Void Old Ancestor wielded a golden sacred stone sword. Withered black demon blood flowed from the Stone Corpse's claws. Shan Jun carried a stone knife on his back and a stone sword at his waist. The Sharpening Beast had a savage, demonic form barely visible. And another Stone Man King had a third vertical eye on his forehead.

Five titans acted, combining their powers to perform the Five Elements. They fixed this stretch of ancient land, sealing all escape routes for the Little Stone Emperor's tomb.

The five powerful beings reached for the tombstone. When the seven demon stars surged forth, they struck together, trying to pluck the seven stars.

"Rumble..."

The primordial killing formation transformed in a thousand ways, trying to envelop the five. But before absolute power, even the most mysterious, peerless formation could not function. Five complete Stone Man Kings united—nothing could stop them.

In the end, the tombstone sank into the earth, the seven demon stars retreated into the great tomb, and the primordial killing formation vanished entirely.

The five titans, each eager to be first, transformed into five streaks of light and charged inside in an instant.

All the hidden powerful figures in the ancient land showed shock. Many followed behind them, charging forward, hoping to claim a portion of the spoils.

"Do we go?" The Stone Crow frowned. The five kings had already rushed in. If they delayed any longer, all the precious treasures might be taken.

"We are half-crippled. Even if we go in, how can we contend with them? Better to wait and see." The old skull was quite cautious.

"Eh? Lu Zhan really isn't dead. He rushed in too!" The Stone Crow's sharp eyes spotted Lu Zhan and another Stone Man King charging into the great tomb one after another.

"Ya ya..." Keke blinked pitifully, eager to rush inside.

"We can't go," Xiao Chen comforted Keke. It was too dangerous inside. If they went in, they would most likely lose their lives in vain. Especially him—if he were exposed inside, the five Stone Man Kings would certainly all strike at him. He carried treasures like the Divine Diagram and the Ancient Scroll, perhaps no less valuable than the collection in the Little Stone Emperor's tomb.

A flood of powerful cultivators charged into the Little Stone Emperor's tomb... but not a single person emerged. Even the five Stone Man Kings made no sound after entering.

This made the Stone Crow and the old skull look at each other, sensing a strong unease.

Silence. At this moment, the ancient land was very quiet. All sounds of argument and clamor had ceased. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the outcome.

But the great tomb remained utterly still. All sound disappeared.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the great tomb shook violently. The entire hundred-thousand-li expanse of ancient land collapsed. A colossal black hole appeared at its center, like a great sea eye, swallowing everything on the surface.

"Flee!"

The Stone Crow flapped his wings, trying to soar into the sky, but an immense force firmly bound him, dragging him down toward the underground tomb.

"Ya ya..." Keke cried out in alarm, struggling against Paradise Lost, but even that could not stop her descent.

Xiao Chen was startled. He arrayed his War Swords around him, protecting them and the others.

"Little Stone Emperor, you're dead and still want to drag down a crowd of mourners with you?" The Stone Crow resisted with all his might, but to no avail.

The group was swiftly pulled into the underground tomb. The entrance was a pitch-black maw, devouring everything on the surface.

In that moment, nearly all the cultivators fell in, for the entire ancient land had utterly collapsed.

"It must be those five bastards who triggered the most powerful restriction in the tomb, turning this primordial ancient land into a dead ground," the old skull said.

"Bang!"

At that moment, Xiao Chen and his party landed solidly in the great tomb. All around was darkness. Beneath them was an icy cold ground.

The Little Stone Emperor's tomb was strange. It had absorbed everything from the surface, but its interior was vast and empty, with no end in sight. The cultivators who had fallen in one after another seemed to have scattered to different places; not one was near Xiao Chen.

"This great tomb is practically a world!" the old skull warned everyone to be careful.

The tomb was vast and boundless, with no end in sight ahead and the way back equally invisible.

Among the group, the old Taoist was very calm, silently observing everything around him.

"Bang!" The Stone Crow grabbed him again. "My good disciple, you're even more composed than your master."

"Master, you jest," the old Taoist replied flatly.

The Stone Crow did not let go, ready to end his life at any moment.

"Don't be impulsive!" the old skull stopped the Stone Crow.

"What's that sound?" the Little Defiant Dragon said at that moment.

"The roar of an Ancestral Dragon!" Xiao Chen was astonished. In this vast, empty tomb, he heard the sound of an Ancestral Dragon roaring. Then, he stood frozen like a clay statue, for he sensed the presence of the Ancestral Dragon Ship.