The iron meteorite spear circled in mid-air before returning to the Iron-Armored Guard's hand. Numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators ascended to a height of four to five hundred zhang, distancing themselves from the Iron-Armored Guard's spear range to ensure their safety.

Of course, while this distance guaranteed safety and made it difficult for the Iron-Armored Guard to harm them, it also prevented them from attacking it. Manipulating magical artifacts with spiritual sense had a distance limitation; artifacts wielded too far away possessed virtually no power.

For a time, the assembled cultivators and the Iron-Armored Guard entered a stalemate.

"Brother Shi, the armor on this Iron-Armored Guard is extraordinarily tough, and its meteorite spear can be projected across distances. Its strength is by no means ordinary. The last time the passage opened, the Five Great Sects dispatched over fifty Foundation Establishment cultivators working together, and several were killed or injured just to destroy it. This time, we have less than half the manpower, with only eleven high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. The rest are mid-stage and initial-stage cultivators. Brother Shi, do you have a plan to subdue it?"

Ma Dongyan, standing atop his flying sword, asked with a grave expression. He was one of the few high-stage cultivators who remained calm under the Iron-Armored Guard's assault.

Shi Hanyang nodded slightly, naturally understanding the difficulty involved.

"We are indeed short on numbers. However, the Iron-Armored Guard has a distinct weakness: its speed is not fast. As long as we exploit this weakness, even with just a dozen of us, we can still take it down."

Shi Hanyang looked over the assembled cultivators, considering how to allocate manpower. His gaze finally settled on Ye Qin, the only initial-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator present.

Ma Dongyan appeared thoughtful.

Soon, Shi Hanyang adjusted the strategy. Ye Qin was to charge to the very front to draw the Iron-Armored Guard's attention, while the other cultivators would scatter, waiting for an opportunity to strike from the surroundings.

"I charge to the front?"

Ye Qin was astonished; he had never expected to be assigned such a high-risk task.

"Yes. Little Brother Qin possesses a fine Winged Spirit Artifact, making you the only cultivator capable of absolutely evading the Iron-Armored Guard's attacks; others might not manage it. Furthermore, you are the only low-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you wish to enter the Imperial Mausoleum Palace with us high-stage cultivators, you must contribute. You can't simply follow in for free. Otherwise, you must leave this place now. We have no use for those who are dead weight. Consider it yourself."

Shi Hanyang's voice was cold.

The other cultivators watched Ye Qin with detached eyes. Ye Qin was dejected; his lowest cultivation level naturally made him the most looked-down-upon among them—either act as cannon fodder up front or leave immediately. Naturally, he was unwilling to depart without even seeing inside the palace before them.

After a moment of silence, Ye Qin agreed. He dove down a distance of over two hundred zhang to draw the Iron-Armored Guard's attention, buying time for the others. With the Winged Spirit Artifact, he was reasonably confident in his ability to evade.

Shi Hanyang, Ma Dongyan, and the other cultivators immediately dispersed, following Ye Qin's dive.

The cultivators attacked once more, unleashing a dazzling array of magical artifacts and various elemental spells. The Immortal Binding Ropes, the Heavenly Net, the Earth Emperor Bell, the Wind System's Crimson Wind Rope, the Water System's Water Dragon Rope, the Earth System's Earth Prison, and the Ice System's Giant Ice Cone—magical lights of red, blue, and yellow exploded across the Iron-Armored Guard.

These high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were all highly experienced in combat. Since ordinary magical artifacts couldn't harm the Iron-Armored Guard, they switched to using binding artifacts and immobilization spells to trap it.

The Iron-Armored Guard's multiple spear throws were all evaded by Ye Qin.

Ye Qin observed clearly that every time the Iron-Armored Guard prepared to launch its meteorite spear, it adopted a half-squatting posture to gather the weapon before projecting it violently. Such a throw was instantly fatal and seemed unbreakable. It was exceedingly difficult for a low-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to dodge, and even high-stage cultivators would break into a cold sweat. But for Ye Qin, all he needed to do was flap his wings the moment the Iron-Armored Guard began to half-squat. By the time the spear was launched, he would have vanished from his original position, reappearing behind the Iron-Armored Guard. The Guard could only glare helplessly; to launch another attack, it had to wait for the meteorite spear to circle back in mid-air.

Ye Qin had mastered the use of his Winged Spirit Artifact.

A string of dazzling aerial flashes saw Ye Qin lead the Iron-Armored Guard in dizzying circles.

Shi Hanyang claimed its greatest weakness was speed, but in truth, its real flaw was being somewhat "stupid." A puppet, unlike a cultivator, could not employ tactics to leverage its strengths and hide its weaknesses; it only executed the most basic movements. Even as a Rank Seven puppet, this flaw remained glaringly obvious. Unless manipulated by a cultivator, it could not unleash its true combat potential.

As the Guard relentlessly pursued Ye Qin, it suffered continuous barrages of spells from the surrounding cultivators.

It was momentarily bound by the arm-thick Crimson Wind Rope, only to tear free with a burst of strength from its iron palm. It was then trapped in the dense Earth Prison, only to violently smash its way out by hitting the confining walls. A ten-foot-long Giant Ice Cone struck it, causing nothing more than a slight shudder.

Its terrifying, seemingly indestructible combat power was enough to strike fear into the heart. Ye Qin dared not linger in any single spot.

However, it could not ultimately withstand the combined efforts of over a dozen high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators applying binding spells in rotation.

Half an hour later, the Iron-Armored Guard was covered in a layer of blue ice nearly a zhang thick, its feet buried by mud. Wave after wave of mid-stage immobilization spells made its movements increasingly sluggish, almost rigid, until it finally stopped.

Finally, unable to bear the combined pressure, it crashed down onto one knee with a booming sound, completely suppressed by ten layers of various elemental binding spells. After being further entangled by the Immortal Binding Ropes and the Heavenly Net, a massive Earth Emperor Bell was dropped onto it, pinning it completely to the ground.

The Iron-Armored Guard before the hall was successfully "sealed" by the combined efforts of the cultivators. Even if they couldn't kill it, they had at least rendered it immobile. For it to break free from the seal, it would have to wait for the immobilization spells to dissipate and the artifacts to lose their power.

After battling fiercely for half an hour, the Foundation Establishment cultivators descended from the sky, visibly letting out a collective sigh of relief. They rested on the spot, meditating to recover their spiritual power. Achieving the seal without suffering a single casualty brought them an unexpected sense of surprise and delight.

Of course, this success owed something to Ye Qin charging ahead as cannon fodder, successfully diverting the Iron-Armored Guard's focus.

Regardless, after Ye Qin demonstrated a dazzling display of aerial evasion techniques, no one dared to look down on him as a mere low-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator anymore. Within a fifty-zhang radius, the phantom-like Ye Qin was perhaps more terrifying than an Iron-Armored Guard. No one wanted a Foundation Establishment cultivator to suddenly materialize behind them.

"A puppet is just a puppet. Even possessing the strength of a Golden Core cultivator, it cannot compare to a true cultivator. It's just a pity we couldn't destroy you." Miao Hai, a high-stage cultivator dressed in garishly colored green and flowery robes, vented his frustration by viciously kicking the Earth Emperor Bell. His Rank Five Green-Scaled Demon Snake had died under this Iron-Armored Guard's hand, a fact that still filled him with rage.

With the Iron-Armored Guard sealed before the hall, the great chamber of the inner palace was effectively open to the cultivators. After a brief recovery, they ascended the already damaged stone steps toward the main hall.

Although the battle outside had been fierce and loud enough to be heard for dozens of li, the silent hall remained utterly still, like a coiled beast, pressing down on the cultivators' nerves.

The palace interior was flanked by rows of colossal stone pillars that connected all the way to the ceiling.

The heavy, ancient bronze palace doors were pushed open with a grating sound.

A passageway, pitch black and profound, extended forward, with both its height and width measuring twenty zhang. The light emanating from the cultivators' artifacts seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, barely illuminating the first ten zhang or so.

Ye Qin felt a sensation of being unable to draw a full breath. He glanced at the other cultivators beside him; their faces were pale, suffering the same discomfort. Each one was channeling their spiritual power to resist the inexplicable, crushing pressure.

"Let's go. The deepest part of this great hall is our destination! If we are lucky, perhaps we will encounter a tremendous opportunity," Shi Hanyang said, his voice trembling slightly as he forced down the excitement in his heart, leading the way into the hall's passage. Even with his composure, he was somewhat discomposed before this Imperial Mausoleum Palace.

The group proceeded into the hall.

Ye Qin held aloft his golden sword artifact, its light illuminating the bas-relief carvings lining the passage walls. These carvings depicted massive murals: all manner of unheard-of monstrous beasts, spiritual birds, sea creatures, and demons fighting each other across plateaus, glaciers, rivers, and oceans.

Ye Qin was astonished. He had only ever encountered a very small fraction of these exotic beasts in ancient texts; most were entirely new to him. It wasn't just him; the other cultivators were also slack-jawed, wondering where these sea monsters and demons originated.

Halfway down the passage, Shi Hanyang, who was leading, suddenly changed expression and stopped dead, staring blankly at a spot about ten zhang ahead. The cultivators following behind craned their necks to look forward and collectively gasped in shock.

A five-zhang-tall, ancient bronze-colored Copper-Armored Guard stood there, holding a massive bronze spear, half-crouched silently at the front of the passage.

"Copper... Copper-Armored Guard?!"

"How can there be an Armored Guard inside the Imperial Mausoleum Palace?"

In an instant, all the cultivators manifested their magical artifacts, recoiled several steps in horror, revealing sheer terror. They had already suffered greatly dealing with the Iron-Armored Guard before the hall; how could they not know the might of the Mausoleum Armored Guards? Although this Copper-Armored Guard was much smaller, in this narrow passage, they might all be annihilated and still not match its strength.

However, they soon realized their fright was in vain. The Copper-Armored Guard's eyes were closed, it showed no movement, and emitted no red light. This meant it would not move. Moreover, its body was riddled with scars from swords and artifacts; the deepest wounds even pierced its mechanical core, punching a hole through it. In short, it was just a broken scrap metal, posing no threat to them.

"This Copper-Armored Guard was destroyed forty years ago. It seems it was not repaired like that Iron Guard," Shi Hanyang said after examining it, his voice still laced with lingering fear.

"Brother Shi, how many Armored Guards are there like this inside the palace?" Miao Hai asked, startled.

"There are a total of four Armored Guards in this Sacred Emperor Mausoleum Palace: Rank Seven, Rank Eight, Rank Nine, and an ultimate Rank Nine puppet, each more formidable than the last. But don't worry; based on the experience of the Five Great Sects entering this mausoleum dozens of times, only one Armored Guard is repaired each time, while the others remain damaged. This time should be no exception... We are lucky we only encountered the Iron-Armored Guard first."

Shi Hanyang hesitated for a moment before concluding.