Chapter 1318: Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords
"Indeed." Yang Yan’s expression was somewhat solemn, "Although it is a bit hard to detect, I have felt that my True Qi has been silently decreasing since a moment ago."
Pa—pa—pa—
Suddenly, the sound of bamboo hitting the ground abruptly echoed in this silent and desolate land, coming from afar and growing closer, as if striking deep within the soul, appearing particularly eerie.
As the slow and rhythmic knocking sound became clearer, ten elders in grey robes with withered figures appeared in front of Yang Yan.
There wasn’t the slightest ripple of True Qi upon the elders, resembling ordinary people.
Yang Yan immediately held the Nascent Void in his hand, simultaneously deploying Wish Power and Summoning Celestial Thunder for protection, standing ready.
Everything here should not be underestimated, naturally, it is best to be cautious in all things.
The ten elders in front gave Yang Yan tremendous pressure; facing them, he didn’t even have a shred of confidence.
"Fear not, young friend, we are the elders stationed here by the ten sects to guard the seal, with no ill intent." The elder who was at the forefront spoke suddenly, with a slightly hoarse voice, "It is too dangerous ahead, do not continue forward."
Yang Yan replied, "Thank you, seniors, for your kindness, but I have made up my mind and must investigate."
His tone brooked no argument.
One must know that whether as Moonlight, one of the Four Emperors on Earth, or as the Alliance Leader above tens of thousands on Wandering Dragon Star, Yang Yan had long been imbued with the aura of one in command.
His words naturally carried a kind of dominance to the ten elders’ ears.
Instantly, a sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the ten elders.
The same elder spoke again, albeit with a stern tone, "This is a critical place under seal, no mistakes allowed, anyone wanting to proceed forward may be regarded as an enemy. I hope young friend can bear with it and not make things difficult for us!"
As soon as the words fell, the demeanor of the ten elders changed dramatically, and the already oppressive atmosphere around abruptly froze to the extreme.
It seemed that any unnecessary movement from Yang Yan would prompt the unfathomable elders to attack.
Yang Yan’s eyes involuntarily deepened upon hearing this, instinctively becoming vigilant upon seeing the elders’ reaction.
Of course, as they were elders dispatched by the ten sects, he ought to treat them with respect as a junior.
Nonetheless, establishing his identity first seemed prudent.
So, with a thought, a jade token flashing with golden light appeared in his hand with a flip.
This was the Alliance Leader’s Order of the Wandering Dragon Alliance given to Yang Yan by Lin An, renowned for a long time across the Wandering Dragon Star. Presumably, the ten elders in front should recognize it.
"This... This is the Alliance Leader’s Order!"
A flash of astonishment passed through the ten elders’ eyes, and swiftly they exchanged glances, then very harmoniously knelt on one knee, voicing collectively:
"The elders of the ten sects greet the Alliance Leader."
Yang Yan secretly sighed in relief, hastily raised his hand, channeling True Power to help them up.
"Seniors, you have worked hard. I’m here on urgent business; even if I face a mountain of swords and a sea of flames, I must investigate. Please, seniors, make it convenient."
Yang Yan spoke very politely, but his attitude was unmistakably clear; he was determined to proceed today, no matter what.
After hesitating briefly, the leading elder spoke to Yang Yan with concern, "In that case, we naturally have no reason to stop you. But I implore the Alliance Leader to be cautious; this place is fraught with danger, and every step may be the last."
Another elder stepped forward, saying, "We’ve been stationed here for a millennium, yet dare not venture further. Even within the area behind you, we’re not bold enough to claim a deep understanding. This place is treacherously unpredictable, and who knows when something might suddenly emerge."
Yang Yan had actually noticed him earlier.
For embroidered on his grey robe’s chest was clearly the insignia of the Ancient Abyss Sect.
Evidently, this person was an elder unknowingly dispatched by the Ancient Abyss Sect to guard this place.
Though Yang Yan hadn’t highlighted his connection to the Ancient Abyss Sect, the same insignia was embroidered on his attire.
Presumably, the other person also noticed this, which prompted his reluctant warning.
The situation was urgent, Yang Yan wasn’t sure if he could return, so he naturally didn’t want to waste much time.
Having gained the acknowledgment of the ten elders, Yang Yan wave his hand and resumed his journey.
After a while, in the boundless darkness, Yang Yan suddenly felt a chilly aura.
He quickly gathered his Spiritual Sense over, soon discovering it was merely a gigantic iron chain.
Though called an iron chain, its material was exceptionally unusual.
Of course, anything found here couldn’t possibly be ordinary.
After all, the very aura emanating from here was heavily corrosive; if it were any ordinary iron chain, even if cast from refined iron, it might not withstand a year and a half of erosion.
The chain was very long, connecting to a massive hill on the opposite side.
From a distance, Yang Yan astonishingly noticed that the hill opposite was actually floating in mid-air.
It was only upon getting closer this year that he could see it clearly.
This hill, suspended in the air, wasn’t connected by a single chain, but rather anchored by nine massive chains in various directions.
These nine chains, as thick as strong oxen, firmly tethered the hill to the ground.
As if once released, the hill floating mid-air would rise all the way, up to the sky.
Yang Yan leapt, deploying Divine Techniques, stepping on the chain, and in a mere instant, ascended the hill.
At the moment of ascent, he was utterly dumbfounded by the bizarre sight before him.
A Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords!
There were no tombstones here, only swords.
Moreover, each one worthy of being called "a peerless fine sword."
Thousands of swords were embedded in the ground, as if kneeling at the foot of this hill, with an imposing momentum.
Though some swords were broken or even rusted, appearing insignificant, Yang Yan could clearly sense the terrifying Sword Intent emanating from them.
They seemed to silently narrate the glorious past and the unyielding spirit buried here.
Over the years, Yang Yan had gained quite a profound understanding of various arrays, and was exceptionally keen.
Though surrounded by endless Sword Intents, he nevertheless sensed immediately that the configuration here was anything but simple.
The myriad swords embedded in this floating hill appeared chaotic, yet subtly formed a peculiar formation.
These proud swords seemed to stand in isolation, striving to assert their presence within this Sword Tomb. However, they were actually bound by an imperceptible array, forming an even more formidable Sword Array.
Yang Yan observed for a while and discovered that this easily overlooked array was profoundly mysterious, and he couldn’t decipher it immediately.
He frowned and pondered for a moment, then decided to try and touch the nearest broken sword.
Though he was already thoroughly vigilant, even having deployed the Nascent Void, the instant his finger touched the sword hilt, his expression changed dramatically.