Tomb of the Strong
By the time Zhang Lingxiao returned from the back mountain, night had already fallen.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, contemplating how to liquefy Spiritual Qi and step into the Lingwu Realm. After a full day of reflection, he felt he had gained some insight.
The bottleneck that had trapped countless Martial Artists no longer seemed insurmountable to him.
Before long, Zhang Lingxiao sensed a familiar presence.
His father had arrived.
"Father, you're here." Zhang Lingxiao opened the door.
Zhang Yunfeng nodded and strode inside, sitting down on a wooden chair. Zhang Lingxiao followed and took a seat beside him.
"Chenger, I won't ask about your opportunity," Zhang Yunfeng said calmly. "Every Martial Artist has secrets that belong to them alone."
The Grand Elder had already reported Su Qing's appearance truthfully, yet Zhang Yunfeng paid it little attention.
Zhang Lingxiao nodded.
If his father asked, he would answer—but it was better if he didn't.
"Linger," Zhang Yunfeng continued, his expression turning solemn, "why do you think your Eldest Uncle wanted to frame me?"
Zhang Lingxiao frowned slightly. "Is he afraid you'll compete with him for the position of Zhang Family Head? But you've never cared for that position. He should know that."
"That's not the reason," Zhang Yunfeng replied, shaking his head.
"Then please explain, Father." Zhang Lingxiao was puzzled.
Zhang Yunfeng gave a faint smile. From his robe, he took out an object resembling a jade slip and placed it on the table between them.
Zhang Lingxiao picked it up, his eyes narrowing. "Father, this is…?"
"This is the reason," Zhang Yunfeng said. "It's the Key to the Ancient Tomb, passed down through generations of the Zhang Family."
"The Key to the Ancient Tomb?"
"That's right. There are three such keys in total—each held by the Family Head of the three major families of Qingyun Town. This one belongs to our Zhang Family."
"Please continue," Zhang Lingxiao said quietly.
Zhang Yunfeng nodded.
"Your grandfather once told me that the ancestors of our three major families were once subordinates of a peerless expert. They followed him here to Qingyun Town."
"Later, that expert suffered Qi Deviation during cultivation and ultimately perished. The three ancestors became the guardians of his tomb. Over time, they settled down here, their bloodlines multiplied, and the three major families were formed."
"Within Qingyun Town lies a mysterious Forbidden Land—the tomb of that peerless expert. It's known as the Ancient Tomb Space."
"According to your grandfather, the Ancient Tomb Space contains countless Heaven-and-Earth treasures, as well as the supreme legacy left behind by that expert."
Zhang Lingxiao listened intently.
"Your Eldest Uncle, Zhang Yuntao," Zhang Yunfeng continued, "wants to join forces with the other two Family Heads, gather the three keys, open the Ancient Tomb Space, and enter it together."
Zhang Lingxiao frowned. "But what does that have to do with him framing you, Father?"
"Because I refused," Zhang Yunfeng replied calmly. "The Ma Family Head also rejected his proposal after hearing my stance. Enraged, Zhang Yuntao decided to remove me."
Zhang Lingxiao hesitated before speaking. "Father… why did you disagree? If the Ancient Tomb Space is opened and everyone becomes stronger, isn't that a good thing? That expert is already dead—wouldn't it be better for his legacy to benefit future generations?"
In this matter, Zhang Lingxiao found himself leaning more toward his Eldest Uncle's perspective.
The Martial Dao world had always been cruel. As long as strength could be gained, people would stop at nothing.
Moreover, many fallen experts deliberately left behind legacies in blessed lands and grotto-heavens, hoping their Dao would be inherited.
Zhang Yunfeng sighed and shook his head.
"Your grandfather also warned me that the Ancient Tomb Space is extremely dangerous. In the past, the three major families once opened it together—and suffered devastating losses. They nearly faced total annihilation."
"According to the survivors, that peerless expert left behind an exceedingly strict trial."
"Only Martial Artists under the age of twenty-five and below the Lingwu Realm are permitted to enter."
"Yet among the three major families, those under twenty-five are mostly stuck in the Early Qi Wu Realm. Middle Qi Wu Realm experts are rare, and Late Qi Wu Realm experts are nearly nonexistent."
"The trial itself is set at the standard of the Early Lingwu Realm."
"For the younger generation of our three families, entering the Ancient Tomb Space would be nothing short of a suicide mission."
Zhang Lingxiao's eyes narrowed.
Danger meant opportunity.
The higher the risk, the greater the reward.
With Gu Yue Ningbing—the mysterious woman—as his hidden trump card, Zhang Lingxiao felt a strong urge to enter the Ancient Tomb Space and uncover its secrets.
"Father," Zhang Lingxiao said firmly, "let's open the Ancient Tomb Space. I'm confident I can pass a mere assessment."
Zhang Yunfeng fell silent, deep in thought.
After a long moment, he finally nodded.
"My luck truly has turned," he said with a faint smile. "An eighteen-year-old at Qi Wu Realm Perfection… perhaps my son really can do it."
"Very well. Let's take a gamble for the rise of the Zhang Family. We can't remain trapped in this small town forever."
Afterward, Zhang Yunfeng instructed Zhang Lingxiao not to break through to the Lingwu Realm just yet. Instead, he should spend the next half month solidifying his foundation in preparation for entering the Ancient Tomb Space.
Zhang Yunfeng had great faith in his son.
Though he didn't know what kind of opportunity Zhang Lingxiao had obtained, his future was undoubtedly boundless.
Entering the Ancient Tomb and returning safely would merely be the first test.
If Zhang Lingxiao couldn't even step into the Ancient Tomb, how could he one day help search for his missing mother?
Zhang Yunfeng believed in him.
A tiger father begets no weak son.
Zhang Lingxiao agreed. For the sake of entering the Ancient Tomb Space, postponing his breakthrough to the Lingwu Realm was the correct decision.
After his father left—
A fragrant breeze suddenly swept into the room.
The red-clothed woman, Su Qing, burst inside and threw herself straight into Zhang Lingxiao's embrace.
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