<b>Chapter 363: Underground Secret</b>
The announcement of Li Qiye rampaging throughout the Tiger's Howl School set off waves across the Hundred Eastern Cities.
“He wants to destroy the Tiger's Howl School?” Many people became dumbfounded after hearing such arrogance. One of them couldn't help but speak sincere words: “The Tiger's Howl School is a first rate sect with a powerful ancestral foundation. The lowest requirement for destroying this school has to be the appearance of a Virtuous Paragon, and this is under the condition that the ancestor of the school is not there!”
“That's right. Although Li Qiye is indeed fierce, saying that he will destroy the school is a bit too crazy!” Many people continued to speculate that this matter was impossible while others believed that Li Qiye had reinforcements.
In the eyes of many others, without reinforcements, Li Qiye alone would not be able to destroy the school.
This was not without reason. Since the school was able to stand strong for so long, they naturally had some heaven-defying means. Plus, rumors indicated that they had four ominous graves that were erected after the deaths of the four divine beasts.
Legends state that the progenitor of the Tiger's Howl School used his divine blood to refine these four ominous graves, turning them into the school's foundation and firmly placing them under the school's control. Some old tales claim that these graves once annihilated a Virtuous Paragon and even trapped an existence worthy of the investiture of a god.
“They're just big words from a calf that doesn't fear a tiger!” After hearing such boisterous words, a person coldly sneered: “He will surely die after entering the Tiger's Howl School with no way out.”
“Just wait until the day of the full moon. Then, everything will become clear.” There were also those who adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
In fact, after Li Qiye's departure, the school ordered a group to follow him, but they failed to catch up and returned empty-handed.
However, unbeknownst to many, Li Qiye did not go very far. He simply took a trip around the Tiger's Howl earth vein to another location.
If the great vein of the TIger's Howl School resembled a gigantic White Tiger, then the school's gate was the tiger's mouth! The entire vein spanned from south to north, resulting in a scene where the south was the mouth and the north was the tail.
Although the great vein was as fierce as a White Tiger, the mouth was the key location of this ancestral ground where the worldly essence filled the earth, creating a treasure ground. This was why they used this place to build their dao foundation along with the temples and halls!
However, at its tail was a barren land that ran for a thousand miles. This large area was empty without any vegetation or inhabitants; not even birds chose to fly above this land of death.
The worldly essence had dried out in this place without any signs of life. Even if this place was part of the Tiger's Howl great vein, no one lived here so the school did not establish a branch at this place.
Li Qiye brought the girls to enter this empty and treeless landscape.
“What did we come here to do?” After entering this barren land, even Chi Xiaodie couldn't help but ask. Right now, since they were facing a powerful enemy, they should be calculating and planning some strategies, but Li Qiye decided to come to this place that even birds had abandoned.
“To find coffins.” Li Qiye cheerfully said: “Since we want people to die, it won't do if we don't have any coffins.”
Needless to say, the girls did not believe his words. In fact, even Chi Xiaodie was skeptical. Nevertheless, they were curious so they could only follow him despite his secrecy.
“Millions of miles along with the endless vicissitudes of life… There are some things that will not change.” Stepping into this place, Li Qiye emotionally said as he stood before a huge, dry lake.
“Open!” Once Li Qiye circled around the dry lake, a divine light eventually surfaced in his sea of memories. A strand of universal light shot up and rushed into the ground in a split second.
“Rumble!” At this moment, the earth roared as the dry lake split apart like the opening of a door.
The group suddenly fell down, causing them to be startled. The moment they regained their wits, they found that the entrance on the lake had closed.
At this point, they took a look around to examine the ground that they were standing on and found countless broken walls and temples!
They now understood that they were standing within an underground city. This huge underground city was already destroyed; most likely, it was ravaged by a terrible war.
“What is this place?” Ruins were the only things within their horizons so the group of Chi Xiaodie was quite astonished.
“Tiger Emperor Citadel — an ancient and once-powerful existence.” Li Qiye took a quick glance around this place and answered.
“Tiger Emperor Citadel? Which lineage is this?” Li Shuangyan and the others glanced at each other in confusion since they had never heard of this lineage before.
In fact, it was not strange that they had not heard of this place because millions of years had passed and countless great powers had come and gone amidst the winding river of time.
Li Qiye brought them along through this ruined city and stopped at a broken ravine. Before them was a large lake. Even though it was smaller than the one at the surface, it was filled with rippling waves!
The group was quite amazed as they stood before this huge river since the rippling waves were not the only thing present, immortal energy was also drifting about.
This was not a lake, it was a heavenly accumulation formed by the condensation of worldly energy! A heavenly accumulation the size of a river — how could others not be shocked by this? This was enough to fuel an entire great power to become an everlasting pillar for an unshakable dynasty!
“What is it!?” Seeing this huge heavenly lake, all were dumbfounded. If they could cultivate and absorb the worldly essence in this place for one year, then it would be equivalent to cultivating outside for a hundred years.
“Thunk, thunk, thunk!” However, Li Qiye didn't answer them. A thick, iron chain appeared in his grasp out of nowhere. Li Qiye then began to pull on it, emitting clanking sounds.
“This is the legendary Phoenix Treasure Iron!” Li Shuangyan immediately recognized the origin of this iron chain along with its scintillating divine glow.
She couldn't help but take a deep breath. Using such a precious treasure iron to make chains — what kind of extravagant spending was this?
While the rest of the group was still lost in a daze, Li Qiye pulled a gigantic coffin out from the lake. This monstrous coffin was also made from Phoenix Treasure Iron, but the most terrifying thing was that there were many layers of seals above it. These seals were extremely powerful; they contained the suppression of True Gods, and it made people's hair stand on end.
What could be in this coffin that warranted so many layers of powerful seals? It was as if they wished to refine the thing inside.
“I command you to open!” At this time, Li Qiye's hands formed a seal as he chanted a mantra. A universal law with the appearance of a key rushed out from his sea of memories and into the coffin in just an instant.
A clicking sound appeared as if a lock had just been opened. At this time, the seals that locked this coffin appeared to come to life as they started to move. One layer after another, everything slowly became unlocked.
“Xsh—xshh—xshh!” Amidst the sounds of the coffin opening, under the careful gaze of the girls, the coffin was finally opened, but the item inside left them in a stupor.
Inside the coffin, one could only find a simple boulder. To be exact, it appeared to be a stone pillar, but it was completely flat. With runes coming together, it was as if the runes were trying to weave together to form words of the grand dao! The entire boulder appeared to be pristine and without any flaws.
“After millions of years of refinement, the evil finally disappeared so it went back to its original form!” Li Qiye gently tapped on the boulder and said: “If it wasn't for the Tiger's Howl School's refusal to learn, I wouldn't have decided to break their roots today!”
“What is this?” The perplexed Chi Xiaodie asked after seeing this boulder. Using a powerful seal that was comparable to the suppression of True Gods to trap a simple boulder — no one would believe such a tale.
“The Terra's Root!” Li Qiye said with a smile: “The only reason why the school has this White Tiger Grand Vein is due to this root.”
“The Terra's Root?” Li Shuangyan and the others had a hard time believing it after seeing such a boulder. However, after a careful look, this boulder did give off an extraordinary feeling since it was naturally formed and was without even the slightest flaw. It was not a precious stone, but those with keen eyes knew that it was even better than one.
“This land had once taken part in creation.” Li Qiye movingly said: “During the Ancient Ming Era, this land gave birth to five existences; one of them became the master and the others became the four servants. Since they were created by the heavens, these five existences became invincible rulers and created the Tiger Emperor Citadel. This was a giant monster that had reigned over a period of time in the Eastern Hundred Cities! Unfortunately, they did not cherish their futures and chose to embrace the evil path; they helped the tyrant and joined the Ancient Ming!”
[spoiler title='363 Teaser'][/spoiler]