At the end of the dark passage, it suddenly opened up.
A magnificent palace, large enough to accommodate a thousand people, appeared before Ling Tian.
In the center of the palace was a wide corridor paved with white marble, leading directly to a bronze throne at the deepest part, which emitted a faint golden glow.
And on both sides of the corridor, hundreds of heavily armored, sharp-bladed... puppet warriors were neatly arranged!
They stood there silently, like loyal guards, protecting this underground palace that had slept for a thousand years.
"Hmph! A few soulless iron lumps, trying to block this Emperor's path? Ridiculous!"
Ling Tian snorted coldly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, which were filled with rage from losing the Soul Nourishing Grass.
He took a step, intending to walk directly through this puppet formation.
However!
Just as his foot landed on the first tile of the white marble corridor!
An unexpected change occurred!
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The hundreds of puppet warriors, who had been as still as statues, suddenly had two points of crimson light flicker in unison within their empty eye sockets!
Like ancient beasts awakening from slumber, they let out a series of grating metallic sounds and slowly turned their "heads"!
Fixing their gaze, filled with chilling killing intent, on Ling Tian, the uninvited guest!
The next second!
"Kill—!!!"
Accompanied by a roar that seemed to come from the depths of hell!
The hundreds of puppet warriors, like a tide, charged madly and fearlessly from both sides of the corridor towards Ling Tian in the center!
Each puppet erupted with a powerful aura comparable to a "Peak of Inner Strength"!
Flashes of blades and swords, an oppressive chill!
Ling Tian was instantly completely engulfed!
"Damn it!"
Ling Tian hadn't expected that these seemingly ordinary iron lumps would each possess such remarkable strength!
Hundreds of puppets at the Peak of Inner Strength, fearless and perfectly coordinated!
The combat power they formed was clearly not something one person could resist.
And he was currently not only injured in his divine soul, but his True Qi was also completely exhausted, his physical condition at its worst!
Facing this endless, tidal wave of attacks, he instantly fell into an unprecedented bitter battle!
"Bang!"
He narrowly dodged a heavy sword strike coming straight at him, but was fiercely swept in the back by a long spear from another puppet nearby!
The immense force made him stumble, almost falling to the ground on the spot!
"Pfft!"
Before he could stabilize himself, another sharp battle saber grazed his arm, drawing a string of crimson blood beads!
Pain!
Disarray!
Humiliation!
He, the dignified Nine Heavens Immortal Emperor, had never suffered such indignity!
To be forced into such a desperate situation by a group of soulless iron lumps?
"Ah—!!! You damned ants! All of you, die for this Emperor!"
Ling Tian was completely enraged!
He let out an unwilling roar, a trace of frantic determination flashing in his bloodshot eyes, which had turned red with anger!
He no longer held anything back!
He directly ignited the last remaining wisp of his Immortal Emperor remnant soul!
In a nearly self-destructive manner, he forcibly squeezed out his last bit of strength!
A terrifying aura, far surpassing before and filled with destructive power, erupted from his frail body with a roar!
"Star Shattering Finger!"
He joined his fingers like a sword, points of starlight condensing at his fingertips, and resolutely pointed it at the surging army of puppets before him!
...Who knows how long passed.
When the last mournful sound of metal shattering slowly dissipated in this silent palace.
The entire hall was a scene of devastation.
Everywhere lay the shattered remains of puppets, which he had forcefully blasted into pieces with his martial skills.
And Ling Tian, kneeling on one knee, was panting heavily.
His already worn-out green robe was now thoroughly soaked with blood and sweat, becoming tattered beyond recognition.
His face was as pale as a corpse, without a trace of color.
The immense backlash from burning his remnant soul made him feel as if his divine soul was about to completely dissipate.
But he had, after all, won!
He looked at the messy scene before him, and an unbidden, proud smile of a victor appeared on his pale face.
"Hmph! Just a bunch of iron lumps!"
"Mortals could never pass this place!"
"This treasure, in the end, still belongs to me, Ling Tian!"
He glanced in the direction of the main tomb chamber, the flames of greed reigniting in his eyes, and continued to delve deeper into the unknown and tempting depths of the imperial mausoleum...
Until Ling Tian's figure completely disappeared and no sound could be heard.
Only then did a figure finally emerge, walking with leisurely and composed steps.
The person who arrived was Lu Cheng!
He didn't even spare a glance at the scattered puppet remains on the ground, as if he had no interest in the fierce battle that had just taken place.
He simply walked straight to the bronze throne that emitted a faint glow.
Then, he reached out and gently pressed a seemingly ordinary spot on the wall.
"Rumble—"
Accompanied by a dull sound of mechanisms.
A hidden door behind the wall slowly opened.
Revealing the puppet control center inside, filled with intricate patterns and glowing with a faint, eerie light!
Facing these ancient restrictions left behind.
Lu Cheng merely curved the corner of his mouth slightly and silently thought to himself:
"System, use [Script Editor]."
"Ding! Consuming 10,000 Villain Points! Script editing in progress..."
"Puppet control center permissions have been modified!"
"Current highest authority: Lu Cheng"
After completing all this.
Lu Cheng turned around and looked at the mess on the ground, a "benevolent" smile appearing on his face.
Then, with a thought.
The next second!
A scene that would be unbelievable to anyone occurred!
Inside the main hall, the remains of the puppet warriors, which Ling Tian had exhausted his efforts, even burning his remnant soul to barely destroy!
Actually seemed to come to life, reassembling and standing up amidst a series of "clanking" metallic sounds!
Then!
In the empty hall!
These hundreds of powerful puppet warriors, in perfect unison!
Knelt on one knee before the man who was smiling as he watched all this!
Pledging him as their master!
...Lu Cheng looked with satisfaction at the army of puppets before him, who were absolutely loyal to him.
He did not immediately order them to chase after the Immortal Emperor, who was already terrified.
Instead, he commanded them to remain in place, awaiting orders.
He himself slowly walked in the direction Ling Tian had just gone deeper.
"True Dragon Qi?"
"If you could get it, it wouldn't be a True Dragon!"