The Great Gate of the Demon Emperorâs Tomb?
Xu Nian gazed at the towering and majestic stone gate.
The mere sight of this massive gate exuded an ancient and oppressive aura; one could hardly imagine what kind of scene lay beyond it.
Xu Nian withdrew his gaze and shifted it to the plaza.
At this moment, there were quite a few people standing on the plaza.
Mostly in small groups, they were probably from various factions.
The fact that these people had managed to reach here indicated that they all possessed considerable strength and means.
Otherwise, the trials of Death Valley and the Foggy Forest would have kept them well beyond the gate.
Among these people, Xu Nian could discern a few factions.
They included the Four Great Families, the Imperial Family, and the Three Great Sects, plus some factions Xu Nian was unfamiliar with.
What puzzled Xu Nian was the absence of any Saint-level masters among them.
The highest was only at the Half-Saint level, like Xu Tian.
This struck Xu Nian as odd.
Surely, behind these factions, there followed Saint-level powerhouses.
How could they all have disappeared?
Unable to fathom it, Xu Nian stopped pondering over it.
He then focused his attention on the representatives from the Artifact Refining Sect.
Unexpectedly, apart from three Elders.
Yann Hong had also come.
At this moment, Yann Hong had just advanced to the Four-star Marquis Level Battle King.
As for the other three Elders, they were all at Marquis Level.
The highest among them had even reached Nine-star Marquis Level.
Previously, Xu Nian had instructed.
This operation was extremely dangerous; they should not bring disciples along.
It seemed the Great Elder had acted exactly as he had said.
Since Xu Nian and his group were disguised, the Elders of the Artifact Refining Sect did not recognize him.
If the people from the Artifact Refining Sect could not recognize Xu Nian, other factions would be even less likely to.
Of course, the members of Xu Family who had seen Xu Nian after his disguise expressed a look of surprise.
"Lin Long?" Xu Xin approached Xu Nian in astonishment.
The gazes of the three young members of the Xu Family also turned unfriendly the moment they saw Xu Nian.
It seemed they had not expected Xu Nian and Chen Wudi to have followed them here.
"Sister Xu Xin, I didnât expect weâd meet so soon," Xu Nian responded with a smile.
Xu Xin then stared at Xu Nian for a full three seconds.
She had by now almost confirmed that the Fang Family members had been killed by the Xu Nian in front of her.
Of course, she naturally wouldnât disclose this.
After all, she very much wanted to kill those two from the Fang Family herself.
As for Fang Hong from the Fang Family, he only spared Xu Nian a glance before outright ignoring him.
He was in no mood to pay attention to these insignificant rookies.
He hadnât connected the murderer of his family members with the two young men before him.
And while Fang Chong took an extra look at Xu Nian and Chen Wudi, he too didnât think much of it.
Thus, âLin Longâ was directly cleared of any suspicion.
Naturally, Xu Nian was greatly pleased by this.
Sometimes, being young really was an advantage.
"Lin Long, do you realize that what you are doing is very dangerous?" Xu Xin asked Xu Nian, her tone unexpectedly tinged with reprimand.
Xu Nian merely smiled softly, feeling warmth in his heart.
Xu Xin was expressing concern for him, which made him feel very happy.
"Sister Xu Xin, actually, the moment I saw you, I felt you were just like my real sister. Can I call you sister directly?" Xu Nian tentatively asked.
Xu Xinâs expression froze, and her eyes dimmed.
"Eh, did I say something wrong?" Xu Nian quickly asked.
Xu Xin shook her head, her voice tinged with sadness, "No, actually, I do have a younger brother about your age, but Iâve never met him. Your words just reminded me of him, and I donât know if he would recognize me as his sister when he sees me."
Xu Nian suddenly felt his eyes almost moistening.
He hadnât expected that his sister would share the same worries as himself.
At that moment, he couldnât wait to reveal his identity and acknowledge Xu Xin.
But he still held back.
Now, all the major forces were here.
If Xu Nian revealed his identity, even if he disguised it well,
Xu Xin would attract othersâ attention and suspicion due to her excitement, and then his identity would be hard to keep hidden.
Therefore, Xu Nian could only continue to wait.
"Donât worry, sis, youâre so kind, and youâve done so much for him, how could he possibly not acknowledge you?" Xu Nian said with a forced smile.
Hearing this, Xu Xin also showed a smile on her face, a particularly radiant one.
This was the happiest thing she had heard in years.
Toward the youth before her, she also felt a genuine affection.
As if he really was her own younger brother.
"Although I donât know how youâve managed it, itâs best to avoid provoking the Fang Family. After all, if the Fang Family discovers you, you will be in great danger," Xu Xin whispered to Xu Nian.
Xu Nian obediently nodded.
"By the way, sis, why is it that even though all the major powers brought Saints with them, none have shown themselves?" Xu Nian voiced his confusion.
"Thatâs because of the valleyâs conditions. As you know, this valley has powerful restrictions in place, and all Saint-level experts are blocked by the restrictions outside and cannot enter. However, they should all be guarding at the outer boundary of this misty forest, and as soon as the restrictions of the Emperorâs Tomb are broken, they will not hesitate to make a move," Xu Xin explained.
Xu Nian suddenly understood and nodded.
It turned out to be due to the restrictions of the misty forest and Death Valley.
However, this was in line with Xu Nianâs wishes.
With no Saints present, no one could recognize his identity, making him much safer.
The only worry was the poison from Chen Tiansheng, which could only be temporarily set aside for now.
But fortunately, he had over two months before the onset of the poison, so there was plenty of time.
"Xu Xin, did you kill Ye Nantian?"
Just then, a cold snort sounded.
Xu Nianâs brow furrowed instantly as he looked in the direction of the voice.
He saw a young man and woman approaching from a distance.
The man was handsome and extraordinary.
His strength was also quite formidable.
He had reached the Five-star Marquis Level.
The woman was also very beautiful and attractive.
Her strength had reached the Three-star Battle King Level.
But her gaze towards Xu Xin was particularly icy, as if harboring deep hatred.
It was clear without guessing that these two were from the Ye Family.
As Xu Xin saw the two approaching, her expression immediately turned cold.
"Ye Nantian attacked me by surprise, entirely bringing it upon himself," Xu Xin responded coldly.
The Xu and Ye families were always at odds.
Thus, Xu Xin didnât hide anything.
"So you admit that Ye Nantian was killed by you?" Ye Chengyu coldly snorted, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"What if I did?" Xu Xin responded coldly.
She was not at all intimidated by Ye Chengyuâs killing intent.
"Youâre seeking death!"
The womanâs eyes suddenly flared with anger, and she attempted to strike Xu Xin with a palm.
Xu Xinâs eyes also became sharp, ready to counterattack.
However, she found that a figure had stepped forward, blocking her.
"Dare to touch my sister, seek death!"
Xu Nian coldly snorted and directly launched a fierce punch at the incoming woman.
"Boom!"
A loud noise.
The woman was directly sent reeling back by Xu Nianâs punch.
But Xu Nianâs form remained motionless.
"What?"
The woman took several steps back to dissipate the force and looked at Xu Nian with a surprised expression.