When Tianming arrived at the Dark Hall, Bai Mo was there, together with three other Hall Kings, Palace Lord Weisheng Yunxi, and the Dark Hall Master, Ye Yi. This time around, Tianming had brought Feiling. It would be her first meeting with Weisheng Yunxi. She politely greeted her before standing next to Tianming.
"I heard that Lady Ling'er is truly an amazing person. It appears that the rumors were no exaggeration," Weisheng Yunxi said.
Tianming figured they were talking about the Fireworks Festival Feast. "Palace Lord, was I invited to join the feast?"
"You and Feng were."
"Then will we have to go?"
"There's no need. Since you killed Dongyang Zhuo, the Theocrats still bear hate for you. If you go there, the descendants, led by Dongyang Fengchen, will definitely try to get back at you. There's no point in fighting in their power struggle, it’d be nothing but unnecessary hubris." It seemed they already had plans figured out for Tianming.
"I heard that participating in the feast is also part of qualifying for entry into the Tomb of the Ancients. Does that mean I won't be able to go if I don't join?"
"You're right. However, the tomb has already been opened too many times. Nowadays, there aren't many good things remaining within. Not to mention, most that enter are Theocrats and their cronies. There won’t be any seniors inside to protect you, and there's nothing we can do about it here. You might well be humiliated or killed by them within. Not to mention, nobody among us really wants to enter it anyway," Weisheng Yunxi said.
"The palace lord is right. We’ll be there during the Fireworks Festival Feast to prevent the other side from trying anything funny. But you’d be out of our supervision inside the tomb. Anything can happen there," Bai Mo said.
It would be even more dangerous than the Realm War, during which the seniors could at least see who killed who. Inside the tomb, there would be no way to prove anybody to be the culprit of any foul play, and that still wasn’t taking into account the dangers innate to the tomb itself.
"Tianming, you should cultivate at your own pace. Given your willpower and talent, it's only a matter of time before you shake the Divine Capital," Weisheng Yunxi advised.
"There’s a possibility I’ll have to go no matter what."
"Why? Let us hear it." The seniors were a little surprised.
Tianming pulled Feiling closer and told them about her possible background and what had happened before.
"What?" Even Weisheng Yunxi gasped with surprise after hearing it. The Dark Hall Master and other four Hall Kings were just as shocked at the revelation.
"Tianming, are you sure?"
"That's right."
"Lady Ling'er, come with me. Let me see what's so special about your body," Weisheng Yunxi said. Both she and the Sky Hall King, Weisheng Yumo, were women, so it was much more convenient. Feiling followed them into a nearby room.
"Tianming, this is truly out of this world. The tomb’s been there for near a hundred thousand years and has opened countless times. All sorts of weird things have been said to happen there, but this is the first time any mention of people living within has surfaced. If someone were there, they would've emerged to rule the Theocracy long ago. Why would they even let the likes of the Evil Suppression Pillar fall into our hands?" Bai Mo asked.
"Let's wait and see what the palace lord has to say," South Hall King Qin Jiufu said.
Tianming furrowed his brows after hearing their discussion. It appeared that even people on the level of Hall Kings and beyond hadn't heard of something like Feiling before.
Do gods really exist among us? Was the one who told Tianming that she had opened the tomb and ordered him to bring Feiling back one of those gods? Had she really existed for hundreds of thousands of years?
As he was still pondering, Weisheng Yunxi came out with Feiling.
"How is it, Palace Lord?" Ye Yi asked.
"Lady Ling'er, in her usual state, is no different from a mere mortal. She doesn't even have beast ki. However, she changes into another form when she uses Spiritual Attachment, which is akin to a divine miracle. I'm not able to figure it out at all, and the only things that can elude my understanding in this world are probably things created by the divine," Weisheng Yunxi explained. That was the conclusion she reached after the evaluation. They were now quite stumped by the result.
"Tianming, you've chosen to gamble on going into the tomb, right?" she asked.
"I'd like to hear all your opinions first."
"If you don't wish for Lady Ling'er to die, you don't have another choice. However, that’ll put you in danger, too."
If Tianming didn't go, he would definitely be fine. But if he went, his safety would not only be threatened by the tomb itself, but also the Ancient Theocrats.
"I only want Ling'er to be able to live well," he said resolutely.
"I know how sentimental you are, so it wasn't hard to guess what you’d choose. I'm really sorry. This matter is out of our league. We're just as stumped as you are, so we aren't able to come up with any better suggestions. All we can do is let you enter the tomb with some life-saving treasures," she said apologetically.
"Don't feel bad, Palace Lord. I know how dangerous this will be, but it isn't certain that I'll die." After a pause, he asked, "Do you mean that you'll allow me to go to the Fireworks Festival Feast and try for a chance to enter the tomb?"
"We’ll respect your choice."
"Thank you!"
"Tianming, the feast will take place tonight. Go back and prepare, and we'll come to fetch you when evening comes," Bai Mo said.
"Okay."
......
When Tianming left, the rest smiled helplessly with resignation.
"Tianming is a truly good child. Not only is he talented, he's far more courageous than anyone. The willpower he showed in cultivating the Invincible Sword Body truly has me shocked. I’d planned to protect him and let him have a few peaceful years of growth, but who knew it would come to this point..." Weisheng Yunxi sighed.
"This is sure to be a dangerous trip for him. There's a good chance he’ll die, since he could be going up against a god. However, he's not the type to turn a blind eye to the plight of his loved ones. Perhaps monstrous geniuses like him are forged through choices that would have otherwise led to death, like this one.
"People who would abandon their loved ones to their fate aren't deserving of becoming impeccably strong. Only those who’d fight to their deaths for their convictions can experience explosive growth. There are no empyrean saints that haven't gone through life-threatening hardships, after all," Bai Mo said.
"However, this trial will be far too tall a hurdle for him to overcome. Even I can't tell what's going to happen," Weisheng Yunxi said.
"Perhaps only things we don't understand can truly pose a threat to his life. That said, fate has been kind to him to have led him to meet Li Wudi, and by extension, us. He’s also proven himself to us time and again."
"If he and Lady Ling'er can emerge from the tomb alive, he’ll definitely stand tall among the elites in the Divine Capital," said Ye Yi. "Naturally, he still needs to pass tonight's trial, first. He'll have to take the opportunity to enter the tomb from the Theocrats."
......
"Brother Tianming, are you going to the feast in the palace tonight?" Ye Lingfeng asked from outside the room.
A click sounded as Tianming unlocked the door. "I will."
"They'll definitely be waiting with some plan to avenge Dongyang Zhuo, right?"
"That's right."
"Then I'll go, too."
"Why would you go? I'm going because I want to enter the Tomb of the Ancients."
"I want to go there too."
Tianming fell silent. "You know it’s a dangerous place, right? You might just die there. Why bother?"
"I don't care. I'll go wherever you go."
"Fine." It was no surprise, since Tianming was the only person he trusted. Ye Lingfeng was someone who wouldn't budge no matter what after he made up his mind.
"Brother Tianming, I also want to visit the palace. I'd like to see the people there and their ruler. I want to remember what they look like, and commit this place to memory. If I have a chance in the future, I’ll avenge my kindred. If they dare touch you, I’ll also kill them," he said, his eyes glowing red with hostility. While his memory was spotty, the desire for vengeance was engraved deep into his soul. One day, the pain and suffering suffered by the Infernal Soul Race over the past twenty thousand years would surface within and fill him with the dark desire for revenge.
"Feng, what stage are you at now?" Ye Lingfeng was probably the only person alive that could keep up with his rate of growth, even slightly eclipsing Li Wudi and Qingyu. However, the saint ki in his saint spring wasn't that powerful, despite his high level.
"The palace lord gave me an empyrean manna back then. After using it, I have seventy-five stars in my eye and broke through a level. With the saint crystals you gave me, I managed to break through again after a month of cultivation. I'm now a seventh-level earth saint."
Though Tianming had just reached the fourth level, Ye Lingfeng was already at the seventh. He was a combination of beastmaster and lifebound beast. He could even evolve his own body, which was almost unheard of. Weisheng Yunxi had given him a low grade empyrean manna and he had successfully absorbed it. Given that he didn't have a lifebound beast, it would be hard to even tell that he was someone who had been given an empyrean manna, so no other disciple would notice it and grow envious.
"Feng, I heard that the foes we'll have to fight at the feast will be really powerful. I’ll do my best, but there's a chance we won't qualify to enter the tomb."
"It's fine. I'll just give it my all."
"Alright, then let's head there together."