"Is that so?!"
"Then someone must have entered the depths of the Imperial Tomb and triggered something, which caused the other three entrances to automatically close."
"But who could it possibly be? To have such incredible ability?" After hearing Chu Feng's words, the Monkey King fell into thought.
After pondering for a long while, he still couldn't come up with an answer. However, the unease on his simian face only grew more pronounced, so he said to Chu Feng: "Chu Feng, you absolutely must not go."
"Leaving aside whether that mysterious person who broke through layer upon layer of restrictions is still there or not—even if he's already gone, the treasures inside the Imperial Tomb have surely all been swept clean by him."
"If you insist on going and want to come away with anything, you'd have to step into places even he couldn't reach. But the Imperial Tomb is far too dangerous. For you to enter recklessly with your current cultivation—wouldn't that just be seeking death?"
"Relax, Brother Monkey. With him by my side, I doubt even the Imperial Tomb would be able to hold me." Chu Feng cast his gaze toward the mysterious man trailing behind him, yawning and gnawing on a chicken claw all the while.
Looking at this mysterious man, the Monkey King's blood-red eyes flickered slightly. He couldn't help but recall that day above the Jiang Dynasty, when a man had caused heaven and earth to shift and radiated an aura of kingship.
Although the man before him now and the man from that day might as well have been two completely different people who couldn't even be compared, the Monkey King still felt deep wariness toward him.
Because that scene from back then had been far too terrifying. Even now, when he thought about it, he would still feel uneasy and fearful. He also had a premonition that this mysterious man's strength likely surpassed that of a Martial Lord.
And thinking about how Chu Feng seemed to have truly gained control over this mysterious man, and thinking about the matter between Chu Feng and Zi Ling, and about how desperately Chu Feng wanted to grow stronger, he stopped trying to dissuade him further. Instead, he said with a resigned air: "Fine, if you want to go, then go. I can't control you anyway."
"But remember—you must be careful. If anything seems off, turn back immediately. Don't force it. The Imperial Tomb is far too formidable, and it's absolutely not as simple as you imagine. Even with him guarding you, you may not necessarily be able to walk through the Imperial Tomb as you please."
"As for the Azure Dragon Sect, I'll keep an eye on it for you. Before Senior Azure Dragon emerges from seclusion, I guarantee it will remain safe."
"Thank you, Brother Monkey. I'll be careful, and I'll go and come back quickly." Seeing that the Monkey King had agreed, Chu Feng was overjoyed. With the Monkey King looking after his loved ones, he could finally set his mind at ease and venture into the Imperial Tomb to explore.
And so, driven by his urgent desire, Chu Feng set off that very day toward the Vermilion Bird Mountains and entered the Imperial Tomb once more.
Now inside the Imperial Tomb again, returning to this place stirred a unique blend of feelings within Chu Feng's heart.
The first time he had entered, he had also harbored hopes of gaining opportunities and seizing treasures. But when faced with this burial ground left behind by a Martial Emperor, he had been filled with apprehension.
But now things were different. With the mysterious man—a peerless powerhouse—by his side, Chu Feng felt completely assured. Even if he encountered that black-robed elder, he might not necessarily fear him.
Just like before, under Chu Feng's prompting, the mysterious man had regained his former majesty. Flames churned in his eyes, and his long hair billowed behind him.
Chu Feng sat atop the mysterious man's head, enveloped in a golden barrier. Though he was safely nestled within, his own presence was no less imposing.
"Move forward. Kill everything you see." Chu Feng pointed ahead and issued his command.
"Understood!" The man obeyed his order without a shred of hesitation. With a mere thought, he launched himself forward like a bolt of light, hurtling along the boundless corridor of the Imperial Tomb at breathtaking speed.
The man's speed was truly too fast. In the blink of an eye, he had already swept past the areas Chu Feng and the others had previously traversed and passed through the building that had once sealed the Vermilion Bird Rebirth Technique.