Within the vast, purple-gold sanctum, Xu Fu sat with a solemn demeanor. Yet, the eyes that had been tightly shut now revealed a mere sliver of an opening.

Within that aperture, surprise mingled with glints of murderous intent. So fast!

To achieve Hegemony in the Cloud Realm in just a decade. Truly, he is no fool.

But does he genuinely believe I dare not strike him down? His gaze flickered uncertainly, but Xu Fu ultimately suppressed the urge to kill.

Behind him, True Man Chongxuan frowned in confusion. "The northern array artifact has been taken; why did Master not intervene then?" Beside that other 'Avici Imperial Throne,' a man in black armor was also observing Xu Fu, his gaze as sharp as a blade, bearing a silent question.

Unlike the other Corpse Generals, this man appeared exceptionally young, his skin not the ashen gray of the dead, but rather translucent like white jade, almost indistinguishable from the living. "That Zong Shou is, after all, the Lord of Great Qian, a living Sage Monarch.

The Dragon Qi of the Great Shang Emperor has waned, and the Two Poles Dragon Convergence Array has fractured. We must extract the Dragon Qi inherent in this young man to make up for the deficiency.

Xu Fu cannot guarantee capture; if we startle him away, the outcome will be far less desirable." Xu Fu offered this explanation casually, though he knew this reason alone was far from sufficient. "Since this person can cleave Dao Xuan with a blade, he is capable of severely wounding me as well.

Rushing in now without understanding his true foundation is unwise! The resurrection of the Qin Emperor must be overseen by me; even the slightest error could lead to unforeseen consequences.

I dare not take the risk!" This single justification was enough to serve as a plausible excuse. The black-armored general contemplated for a moment before letting out a cold snort.

"Let this be the last time! Not one of the remaining eight array artifacts shall be missing!

Otherwise—" He did not finish the threat, instead continuing to lean on his six-foot greatsword, guarding the Qin Emperor's remains like a statue. Chongxuan smiled then; his earlier inquiry was not born of genuine ignorance but merely a performance to support Xu Fu.

He had already guessed some reasons for Xu Fu’s inaction. Firstly, the prestige of the Civilization Dao was currently immense, making them an entity not to be lightly provoked.

Secondly, for the lineage of Qi Refiners to regain its former glory, the longer the world’s turmoil lasted, the better. Slaying Zong Shou, only to let the Great Shang or the Shi Family achieve sole dominance?

Once the Qin Emperor awoke, they would need his strength to escape this place safely. And it was inevitable that one or two of the nine resurrection array artifacts should be destroyed.

With various other complex factors intermingling, it could only be said that Zong Shou had chosen his moment to act with exquisite timing. At any other time, he would not have been so fortunate.

Xu Fu maintained his composed expression, utterly unfazed by the black-armored youth's threat, and spoke with composure. "General Li is perhaps too suspicious.

Today’s events concern my very life and death; how could I afford not to be cautious? The true danger lies half an hour hence.

At that time, I will be unable to be distracted, and I will have to rely on the General!" "I understand that!" The black-armored youth did not move an inch, his aura resembling eternally frozen ice. Chongxuan cast a pitying glance.

If Xu Fu had not personally confirmed it, who would ever believe that General Li Xin, a commander who swept across a nation almost undefeated ten millennia ago, would now be reduced to a sacrificial pawn, a vengeful corpse trapped within this tomb palace? In truth, his final battle had not been entirely his fault.

It was only because of a rebellion in the rear and the severing of supply lines that the great defeat occurred—it had little to do with his own strategy and tactics. At this moment, Xu Fu subtly glanced behind him.

Yin Yu had somehow 'awakened.' He was staring intently at the Qin Emperor’s corpse upon the Avici Imperial Throne, his gaze deep with yearning, yet also laced with frenzied excitement. Xu Fu’s lips curved almost imperceptibly.

Interesting. This Great Shang Emperor is indeed no simple figure.

Bringing him here with Chongxuan was certainly a calculated risk, and he must have ulterior motives. However, with so many powerful figures gathered here today, whether this one can achieve his desires remains uncertain— Shaking his head slightly, Xu Fu refocused his concentration, directing his vital energy flow, guiding the life force.

Then, with a sudden, tremendous thud like a booming drum, the surrounding spiritual energy pulsed in response. It was the heartbeat within the Qin Emperor’s body, and the entire Two Poles Dragon Convergence Array resonated with the movement of his torso, creating an astonishing spectacle.

Only half a ke now separated them from the previous moment. When the frequency matched that of a living human, the First Emperor of Qin, who unified the Cloud Realm ten thousand years ago, would awaken.

※ ※ ※ ※ At the same instant, Zong Shou’s heart stopped again, seizing violently. Fortunately, having endured it twice, Zong Shou had managed to adapt somewhat.

This time, it took only a few dozen breaths before he regained control, everything returning to normal. "The time intervals are growing shorter; the Qi of that Qin Emperor is becoming stronger and stronger—" Perhaps because he had not yet truly revived, that vast imperial might and magnificent soul force surged outwards like a tidal wave, pulsing ceaselessly.

However, Zong Shou was already too weary to concern himself further. The Rebirth Array Artifact was secured; he had done all he could.

What followed would be left to fate, awaiting the outcome. If even the combined power of the Confucian and Daoist sects could not secure a single Rebirth Artifact, then chaos would indeed befall the Cloud Realm, and the Great Qin would revive.

And within this subterranean palace, there was another mystery that required his attention. "Xue'er, do you still have any sensation now?" Zong Shou retracted his consciousness as much as possible, yet within a ten-mile radius, even the movement of the finest speck of dust could not escape his notice.

Chu Xue, as expected, shook her head. "I lost it when we seized that Heaven Origin Limitless Ring.

But I still feel deeply uneasy, Xue'er. It's best we don't linger here—" Zong Shou's gaze sharpened, and he momentarily set aside his confusion.

This lurking presence, willing to be shaken off rather than detected by him—what was it plotting? Was it his life?

Or something else? And who exactly was it?

Was it the escaping Crimson Robe, or someone else entirely? Zong Shou knew he had too few clues to deduce anything meaningful right away.

Leading the two women behind him, he navigated several turns in the underground corridor, descending deeper. The entire palace complex was spiral-shaped, and the corridors followed suit, winding downwards.

Unconsciously, the three entered a long passage. "Shou Lang, if we proceed further, the Hall of Rivers and Mountains will be right above us—" Su Xiaoxiao was anxious.

She never knew what Zong Shou was searching for as he wandered through this subterranean complex, only blindly following him. However, she had not lost her sense of direction, and the Hall of Rivers and Mountains was the main hall of Epang Palace—the location of the Qin Emperor's body and where Xu Fu was presiding over the grand array.

The latter could arrive there with a mere thought. Zong Shou finally stopped, concentrating on surveying their surroundings.

"This place truly is strange!" It was no wonder that the craftsman of those years harbored such doubts and took precautions in advance. Recalling the overall structure of the subterranean palace, there seemed to be a blank spot at the center.

And the corridors themselves must form an array. Unfortunately, Shen Yuexuan was not by his side, meaning he could not discern the mysteries here to break the formation and see clearly.

The only solution was to force a breakthrough. But the time was not right yet— "Wait here for a moment!" After instructing the two women behind him, Zong Shou closed his eyes, silently counting the time.

Chu Xue had a lively nature, but she became perfectly tranquil whenever she was near Zong Shou. Su Xiaoxiao also let out a breath of relief, assuming Zong Shou was waiting for the opportune moment to explode forth and seize the Twelve Dragon-Guarding Bronze Figures above.

Half a ke passed in the blink of an eye. Then the entire palace complex began to shake violently.

Zong Shou’s eyes snapped open, knowing this meant operations had begun at the locations of the other eight rebirth artifacts. "Now is the time!" Without hesitation, Zong Shou pressed his hand against the wall.

Limitless End! He unleashed all the accumulated Limitless Beginning-End Buddha Power accumulated during this period!

Instantly, a gigantic black hole materialized before them. But as the profound darkness began to consume the stone layers of the wall ahead, it met tremendous resistance, an immense opposing force subtly impeding its progress.

Zong Shou’s gaze flickered, but instead of alarm, joy appeared in his eyes. He then sharply bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Howling Moon!" The Black Qilin residing in his sea of consciousness immediately emerged, albeit reluctantly, trailing flames. It spat out a black Golden Core, which struck the space before them.

The area enveloped by the deep black hole immediately expanded, devouring an entire section of the wall's stonework. As the black light faded, a massive aperture appeared before the three of them.

"This is—" Su Xiaoxiao stared, aghast, into the opening. It was a stone chamber exactly ninety-nine zhang long in every cardinal direction.

The top was curved, and the bottom flat, the floor resembling a map, featuring soaring mountains and rivers of liquid mercury. And at the very center, there lay a crystal coffin exquisitely carved, within which an elder robed in black dragon vestments, wearing a Twelve-Beam Crown, rested quietly—everything appeared as if he were alive.

Su Xiaoxiao stepped inside, staring blankly, only coming to her senses after a long while. "Could this person possibly be—" Disbelief filled her eyes.

If the old man in the crystal coffin before her was the true one, then who was the figure upstairs? Zong Shou leaned against his chest, the pain in his heart intensifying.

However, the sense of resonance he had felt earlier now centered on the figure before him. Despite the searing pain in his primal soul, Zong Shou managed a smile.

"I thought I would find a treasure vault, but it turns out this is where the true body of the First Emperor of Qin resides. This suspicious ruler trusted no one throughout his life.

It seems he did not change even in death in his later years." Chu Xue covered her lips, muffling her gasp, her eyes also filled with disbelief. Zong Shou then looked upward.

"The effect of the Two Poles Dragon Convergence Array should be mediated by the spiral subterranean palace, applicable here as well." Moreover, there should be more than just nine Rebirth Artifacts. He wondered if Xu Fu knew this?

If he truly believed the rumor, then he was certainly tricked. The Rebirth Artifacts—there were seven of them right here in this stone chamber alone— This meant that regardless of the situation above, when Xu Fu completed the array, the Qin Emperor would be resurrected into this world with the ultimate attainment realm.