Boom!!

Like a giant bronze-colored three-legged cauldron with twin handles, resembling a peak descending from the heavens, crashed onto the white jade square in front of the Mountain Lifting Hall.

Crash~~

The great cauldron struck the formation, as if a massive bomb had been thrown into a sea of clouds, causing the boundless clouds above the Cloud Pendant Formation to burst open like a small mushroom cloud, with shock waves blasting the entire cloud formation open!

This suddenly attracted the attention of Qin Yuxian, Shan Lingguan, and Chen Ku within the formation, who all stared as the massive cauldron dominated their view above.

"Such a huge cauldron!" Chen Ku's action against Shangguan Yun was instantly interrupted, his face turned aghast, seeing the sky darken as the cauldron, which covered over a hundred feet overhead, threatened to crush everyone in the formation without distinction.

"An Eighth Realm Magical Treasure from the Yuan Country Qi Cultivators!"

Fortunately, the cauldron's immense power created a gap in the clouds above the Cloud Pendant Formation, allowing Shan Lingguan and Qin Yuxian trapped within the formation to immediately discover each other's and Chen Ku's positions.

"Disciple, do not panic! Your master is here!"

Accompanied by the sound of Shan Lingguan's voice in Chen Ku's ear, the tall elder's figure had already expanded to nearly seven meters tall, appearing as a giant.

His massive feet ran wildly, long grey-white hair danced in the wind, and he immediately soared into the sky towards the descending cauldron.

Step, lower stance, punch!

Boom!

Like countless thunderbolts erupting under his feet!

Rumbling earth waves surged like a giant dragon into the sky!

At this moment, even Shangguan Yun, the master of the formation, felt unable to stand within it, watching in horror as the figure punched towards the cauldron.

"Yelev Xuandu!!"

How could he not recognize whose treasure this falling cauldron belonged to? It was the aid he invited from the Yuan Country's Treasure Tripod Sect to break the Underground Palace's Bronze Axe General's gate, but his use for this person was limited to entering the gate...

After entering the Underground Palace gate, there was no longer a need for this person.

So he proposed splitting into teams to find the entrance, and Yelev Xuandu even left a trump card, sending his junior disciple to follow, but Shangguan Yun outmaneuvered him by awakening the sword puppet inside the Underground Palace, forcing back the Yuan Country Qi Cultivator Gao Huan with a single strike.

Unexpectedly, without a map or guide, Yelev Xuandu managed to enter the Underground Palace on his own.

But at this moment, Shangguan Yun had no time to linger here.

Seeing the cauldron fall, with Shan Lingguan handling it, he unwillingly glanced at Chen Ku, realizing that even with the Command Cloud Flag, Cloud Pendant Formation, and a Seventh Realm puppet beside him, he had no confidence in seizing the Tiger Talisman from Chen Ku's grasp.

And Yelev Xuandu, having been tricked, could no longer communicate.

The only option now...

Was to storm into the Mountain Lifting Hall.

Just now, when he entered the Mountain Lifting Hall, he clearly saw a mural behind the hall, depicting Hero King Pei Dongliu leading the Four Great Heavenly Kings to conquer the world, and the most crucial thing was...

Shangguan Yun sensed with his spiritual eye that the mural was just a disguise, hiding something extraordinary behind it.

"If I'm not mistaken, the most important 'Hero King Palace' in this Underground Palace is behind that mural."

At this moment, taking advantage of Shan Lingguan confronting Yelev Xuandu's magical treasure, Shangguan Yun's figure vanished into the clouds, flipping the Command Cloud Flag in hand, and stealthily sneaked into the Mountain Lifting Hall with the Seventh Realm puppet.

Meanwhile, as Shangguan Yun secretly fled.

Boom!

The next moment, amid the explosive dragon roar-like sounds of Shan Lingguan's bones, countless fists, like ancient divine beings pulling mountains, roared through the sky!

Crashing onto Yelev Xuandu's cauldron!

"Shangguan Yun, stop!"

Yelev Xuandu, standing higher, clearly saw Shangguan Yun slipping into the hall during this opportunity, but before he could react.

He heard a thunderous crash, like ten thousand bolts of lightning, erupt beneath his cauldron.

Following that, like a barrage of countless thunderbolts, slammed onto his cauldron, sending it flying like a giant sandbag skyward!

"What?"

Yelev Xuandu's heart tightened. As a highly ranked Qi Cultivator of the Yuan Country's Treasure Tripod Sect, with three hundred years of Dao practice, he had poured his life's blood into crafting the 'One Qi Mountain River Tripod,' refining it to an Eighth Realm level, capable of shrinking to the size of a fingernail or expanding to cover an acre, and crushing down like mountains and rivers. Among the many Eighth Realm Qi Cultivators of the Yuan Country, few dared to withstand the suppression of his One Qi Mountain River Tripod.

Yet, shockingly, someone within this cloud managed to knock it out.

And when his cauldron returned, he saw clearly the three figures revealed after Shangguan Yun withdrew the Cloud Pendant Formation, especially the elder who repelled his cauldron.

He had endless aura swirling around his fists, a towering figure resembling a demon god.

"Yuan Country Qi Cultivator!" At this moment, Qin Yuxian, free from the formation and the Seventh Realm sword puppet's restraint, successfully reached Shan Lingguan's back and said gravely, "This is the Yuan Country Qi Cultivator who destroyed the Underground Palace gate's bronze puppet. He is not of our kind; Master Uncle, I'll assist you. Let's capture him first and then talk."

Chen Ku noticed Shangguan Yun had disappeared from here, leaving only the defeated Sui You and the possibly dead Xu Minjun.

"Master, Master Uncle, it seems Shangguan Yun has already entered the hall!" He immediately informed the two of this intel.

Seeing even a single Shan Lingguan could repel his One Qi Mountain River Tripod with a punch, while sensing Qin Yuxian's momentum, Yelev Xuandu's heart tightened:

"These two Ji Country Martial Practitioners, each more robust than the last, one is likely Qiu Dragon Martial Meeting Chairman Qin Yuxian. I can't entangle with them, better to pursue Shangguan Yun. Following him is bound to lead to the 'Void Sky Treasure Box.'"

Then he put away the Treasure Tripod in his hand, and his body transformed into a streak of light in mid-air, diving straight into the Mountain Lifting Hall.

"You hit me once, and you want to leave just like that!" Shan Lingguan was not one to let it go easily, and his figure, like a giant dragon, directly chased and charged into the great hall.

"Master Uncle!" Qin Yuxian feared for his master uncle taking damage, so he immediately lifted the Small Golden Hammer and followed to join the fray.

"Master, senior brother... sigh!"

Chen Ku then realized that his master's temper was somewhat explosive, seemingly unable to tolerate even a little injustice.

He was just about to collect Sui You's Storage Bag and that Fur Bear's corpse.

But then he heard a weak female voice coming from a short distance away on the ground:

"Thank you, young hero."

Chen Ku turned to look and discovered that the speaker was Xu Minjun, who had all her tendons and veins severed by his Mountain Roar Tsunami Seal attack.

He raised his eyebrow slightly:

"You, thank me?"

He saw that this woman seemed to have regained her senses.

Xu Minjun was leaning slantingly against a stone pillar's fence, her white clothing stained with blood. Her face was pale, but combined with her beautiful face, it presented a kind of shattered beauty.

She laughed bitterly and miserably: "Because of me alone, the entire clan was exterminated, and in the end, I had to be used by him like a plaything, imprisoned within my spirit to help him achieve his ambitions. If it weren't for you, I would still be living a fate worse than death, with my spirit toyed with within his grasp. Though you nearly killed me, you also woke my spirit up."

Chen Ku said nothing, as he felt this woman was just another typical example of a love-struck person deceived by a scoundrel, leading to ruin and implicating her family—neither piteous nor laughable.

Xu Minjun, however, wiped the bloodstains from her mouth and nose, turned her head to the Mountain Lifting Hall, and said: "I have only a breath left and no longer any chance of survival. I wanted to ask you to personally execute that scoundrel, but I've found there's nothing on me to give as a reward."

Turns out, whether it was the True Blood bestowed by Xiong Ying or the Tiger Talisman and Command Cloud Flag, Puppet, they had all fallen into Shangguan Yun's hands.

The woman softly said:

"There's only a legend passed down from ancient times in our Xu Family that I can tell you. Perhaps it may be of use to you, as a favor in exchange for Shangguan Yun's head."

Chen Ku said noncommittally, "Let's hear it?"

Xu Minjun gazed towards the Mountain Lifting Hall and said: "That hall should actually be the Hero King Palace, but it's actually a Cave Heaven, transformed from Hero King Pei Dongliu's 'inner cave mansion' after his death. However, the descendants of the Four Great Families have been taught since childhood that 'the Hero King will be resurrected'."

"Resurrected? Hero King Pei Dongliu?" Chen Ku was shocked.

"Legend has it that when the Hero King Pei Dongliu was looting Hongjing City, it happened to coincide with the moment when the Void Sky Treasure Box was spewing out treasures, and he obtained a 'Stone Egg' ejected from it. The Stone Egg had nine holes and eight apertures, being a natural 'Sacred Body.' Once refined, its initial cultivation was at the Eleventh Realm, and the Hero King used it as his second incarnation for future resurrection." Xu Minjun looked at the hall and said: "If the legend is correct, then the Stone Egg might exist in the 'Cave Mansion Realm' behind the hall's mural."

"Natural Stone Egg? Born with cultivation at the Eleventh Realm?" Chen Ku took a deep breath.

Such great fortune?

He then immediately asked Xu Minjun, "This matter? Does Shangguan Yun know?"

"He... also knows, of course."

With a bitter face, Xu Minjun closed her eyes and said:

"So, you absolutely mustn't let him obtain that Stone Egg."

Chen Ku nodded and asked, "Thanks for telling me. Anything else to note?"

Xu Minjun's gaze became slightly vacant, and she said, "No more. If you truly kill him, my entire Xu family will be eternally grateful to you."

"Take care."

Chen Ku took a deep breath, speaking no more with this woman, then turned and collected Sui You's Storage Bag and the Fur Bear's corpse, heading towards the great hall.

He had just left by about ten steps.

Thud!

He heard the sound of a self-inflicted wound.

Without looking back, he knew it was Xu Minjun already ending her life. Sighing inwardly, he said, "May you find a good person in your next life."

He immediately entered the Mountain Lifting Hall.

Inside, he saw only his master and senior brother standing in front of a mural, without Shangguan Yun and Yelev Xuandu's presence.

"Disciple, just now you said the map shows the Hero King Palace is behind the Mountain Lifting Hall; now it seems the entrance is in this hall mural," Shan Lingguan turned to look at Chen Ku, "I've just been waiting for you."

"Junior brother, what did you say to that woman outside the hall just now?" Qin Yuxian asked, as his senses were sharp to notice Xu Minjun ending her life outside the hall.

Chen Ku then told the two elders the story passed down by the Xu Family through generations.

"A Stone Egg left for his own resurrection... a natural Sacred Body at the Eleventh Realm?" Qin Yuxian was greatly astonished. "The Hero King Pei Dongliu had such a backup plan?"

"The Stone Egg has spirit, transforms into a person. Such occurrences have not been unheard of during ancient times." Shan Lingguan, stroking his beard, recalled a story and said, "In ancient times, there was a great sage king who emerged from a stone and was born with a 'Sacred Body' that far surpassed the Martial Path at the Eleventh Realm. Later, he joined the 'Taiyi Xianmen,' one of the thirty-six ancient immortal sects, mastered knowledge, descended the mountain, allied the demons, pacified chaos, and established the 'Dou Dynasty,' known as the Sage King of the Dou Dynasty. This Dou Dynasty was once an era where martial arts were revered, succeeding the Martial Temple."

Chen Ku felt he had gained more historical knowledge.

And about a Stone Egg transforming into a person, well, there were similar mythological stories in his world too.

Isn't that the Great Saint?

So it seems, lives coming out of stones aren't all that rare.

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