Chapter 779: The Tomb of Ten Thousand Beasts, the Earth Leopard Clan
After obtaining the information about the inheritance of the Primordial Ape, Mo Yu quickly calmed his excitement and turned to Han Yue, moving the discussion toward their immediate concern.
"Brother Han," he said, "since we're nearing the Tomb of Ten Thousand Beasts, could you tell us more about the situation surrounding the battle for the Treasure Beast?"
Beside him, Cai Lin and Mang Lie directed their attention as well. Their primary objective in this journey was to find clues regarding the ancient Swallowing Python, while the chance to compete for the Treasure Beast was tempting but secondary.
They needed to understand the dangers before proceeding.
Han Yue nodded. "Of course. According to our clan's records, when our experts last entered the Divine Beast Plains, the discovery of the Treasure Beast didn't belong to the Ximo Clan alone."
"Which other clans were involved?" Mang Lie asked.
"There were two others — the Earth Leopard Clan and the Dark Tiger Clan," Han Yue replied.
Mo Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. Both were ancient, formidable clans. Should their bloodlines evolve to their ultimate forms — the Earth Rift Leopard and the Dark Heavenly Demon Tiger — they would become beings capable of rivaling even the supreme divine beasts.
Yet despite countless millennia, no record existed of either clan reaching that final stage — proof enough of how impossibly difficult true evolution was.
Still, these two clans remained powerful forces across the Great Thousand World, not to be underestimated.
"We once made a discreet agreement with the Earth Leopard Clan," Han Yue continued. "Perhaps we can ally temporarily to drive out the Dark Tiger Clan first. That way, when it's time to divide the spoils, our share will be larger."
Mo Yu frowned slightly. "The Earth Leopard Clan is cunning and brutal. You'll need to tread carefully."
Han Yue's expression turned serious, and he nodded. He wasn't naive. He knew well how fragile these kinds of alliances could be.
If anything unexpected happened, the Earth Leopard Clan could easily turn against them. That was partly why he had invited Mo Yu and his group along — extra strength could tip the scales. If victory were guaranteed, he would never have shared the opportunity.
"Besides these potential rivals," Han Yue added, "there are also Beast Spirits within the Treasure Beast's burial ground — creatures corrupted by death energy, and extremely troublesome."
"Beast Spirits?" Mo Yu echoed thoughtfully. "How many, and what's their strength?"
Beast Spirits were the remnants of dead beasts whose bodies and souls had been invaded by death energy, reduced to mindless husks that clung to their old powers. They were relentless and extremely hard to kill.
"Quite a few," Han Yue said solemnly. "Most are of the fifth or sixth rank of the Supreme realm, though there may be stronger ones among them. If we're not careful, we could suffer heavy casualties."
Mo Yu and the others nodded. The Tomb of Ten Thousand Beasts might be perilous, but retreat wasn't an option.
They spent some time refining their plans for battle before withdrawing to cultivate for the night.
Mo Yu, as usual, immersed himself in comprehending the murderous essence of the Self-Sacrifice Demon Fist. He was only one step away from mastering its first form.
The night passed quietly.
When dawn broke, the trading point burst into life. Streams of light crisscrossed the sky — groups arriving, others departing for their destinations.
"Time to move," Han Yue said with a faint smile.
Mo Yu's group nodded and swiftly took flight, transforming into streaks of light that soared across the sky, Han Yue and the Ximo powerhouses close behind.
For two days they traveled at full speed. As the setting sun cast its glow over the land, they finally reached a desolate peak.
Their gazes turned distant and solemn.
Before them stretched a curtain of thick gray fog, vast as a wall separating heaven from earth. The air was filled with chilling death energy. Whispering wails echoed faintly within, sending shivers down the spine.
High above, faint outlines of countless tombs flickered like shadows. The air seethed with decay.
The Tomb of Ten Thousand Beasts — at last, they had arrived.
The cold miasma spread endlessly, seeping through spiritual energy barriers. Even the smallest trace that entered the body would begin eroding one's energy over time.
"No wonder it's considered one of the deadliest places in the Divine Beast Plains," Mo Yu murmured.
Han Yue nodded. "Even several Super Divine Beasts met their end here."
Super Divine Beasts were the pinnacle of their kind, with power comparable to Heavenly Supremes — yet even they had perished in this graveyard.
"The time's right," said Han Yue after glancing at the darkening sky. He flicked his sleeve, sending several streaks of white light toward Mo Yu and the others.
Each light turned into a small white flame that landed on their shoulders, enveloping their bodies in a soft glow.
Instant warmth spread through them, warding off the deadly chill.
"This is Death-Repelling Fire," Han Yue explained. "It will keep the death energy at bay and help us sense corrupted Beast Spirits. But it won't last forever — replenish it with the materials I gave you earlier."
Another white flame ignited on his own shoulder. He threw a pale leaf into it, and the fire blazed brighter.
Mo Yu nodded. "Understood."
"Let's go."
Han Yue's figure shot forward, turning into a streak of light toward the gray wasteland. Mo Yu and his team followed close behind.
As they approached, the temperature plummeted. Even with the flames' protection, the chill pierced to the bone. The fog thickened, blurring their vision and dampening their spiritual senses.
The once-green peaks around them were now bleached gray, lifeless and barren — a world of death.
From far away came the faint echo of a beast's roar — cold, hollow, and devoid of life.
Moving silently, Mo Yu's party advanced, senses sharp and ready for battle.
Then, suddenly, Han Yue halted atop a massive pale tree, his gaze fixed forward.
In midair ahead floated several gray figures, thick waves of death energy rolling off them.
"So these are Beast Spirits…" Mo Yu murmured.
The figures were humanoid, their bodies gray-white and hollow-eyed, exuding no life whatsoever. Some even had animalistic features — claws, tails, or scales — remnants of their past forms.
The power radiating from them made one's skin crawl. Anyone below the fifth-rank Supreme would die instantly upon approach.
"Kill them quickly. Destroy their heads," Han Yue ordered quietly. "Don't give them time to call for more — or we'll be surrounded."
Everyone nodded.
In the next moment, they burst from cover, each targeting one of the hovering spirits.
Mo Yu struck first. The spirit he faced was covered in pale fur, its claws sharp like blades. The instant it sensed him, its empty eyes lit with gray light, and it lunged forward, slashing at his chest with deadly precision.
It was fast — alarmingly so — proof that it had retained fragments of its fighting instincts. For most six or seven-rank Supremes, this would have been a dangerous opponent.
But Mo Yu was far above such standards.
He made no attempt to evade. Instead, his hand shot out and caught the creature's claw mid-swipe. The sound of bone and metal grinding echoed — but not even a scratch marked his skin.
Crack.
With a squeeze, Mo Yu shattered the spirit's claw, and his fist smashed forward. Space trembled, and the blow exploded against the spirit's skull.
Its head burst apart like a melon, scattering into gray dust that drifted softly to the ground. The body froze and then toppled lifelessly.
As it fell, Mo Yu glanced at his fist. Wisps of gray vapor clung stubbornly to his skin — traces of death energy trying to seep in.
"What a nuisance," he muttered, channeling energy through his body to force out the corruption.
Within moments, the others had also finished their fights. The group reassembled quickly, saying nothing as they followed Han Yue deeper into the tomb.
"The place where the Treasure Beast fell is to the northwest," Han Yue said while moving swiftly. "If we're careful, we should reach it within half a day."
"Do you think the Earth Leopard or Dark Tiger clans are already there?" Mo Yu asked.
"Unlikely. The path is treacherous — no one gets through easily," Han Yue replied.
Mo Yu nodded, silent again.
They raced across the endless desolation, encountering a few more Beast Spirits but dispatching them efficiently.
Time flowed quickly.
Eventually, Han Yue slowed and signaled for caution.
They crossed one last ridge — and saw ahead a ghostly white forest, shrouded in mist. The trees were dead, their trunks skeletal, the air thick with spectral shapes flickering between them.
Mo Yu's eyes narrowed. He could sense faint traces of hidden energy within.
Cai Lin and the others noticed too, their vigilance sharpening.
Han Yue retrieved a pale whistle and blew softly. The sound spread invisibly into the forest.
After a moment, the branches rustled — and several towering figures stepped out from the gloom.
They were powerfully built, their bodies covered in scars, their crimson eyes glowing faintly. The aura of killing intent rolling off them was suffocating.
Each wore yellow robes, their presence radiating the dual nature of earth's stability and wind's speed.
The Earth Leopard Clan.
Mo Yu did not lower his guard; his stance grew even tenser instead.
At their head stood a broad-shouldered man with a jagged scar across his face. His blood-red eyes swept past Han Yue and locked onto Mo Yu's group. Anger flashed instantly across his face.
"Han Yue," he growled, his voice low and dangerous, "these are not Ximo Clan members!"
(END CHAPTER)
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