Cataclysm King

Chapter 537 Imperial Tomb Manor
Two months later.

Loon Heights.

A temporary adventure group consisting of several hundred people is exploring in a foggy mountain area.

In the team, Ji Xun and Ming Kongque disguised themselves as ordinary adventurers and followed this pioneering team nominally belonging to the "Earl of Redwood" to explore the terrain.

That's right!

This redwood forest area in the southwest corner of the Rune Highlands is now the private estate of a second-rate earl named "Icamel Ross".

The Old World has changed a lot in the past year or so.

It's not just this second-rate earl. There are already more than a dozen nobles, big and small, who have planted their flags near Rune Highlands.

Opening up new territory is the best time to make a class transition.

Various declining nobles who had lost their territories in the southern continent or had little territory emerged.

The Old World just happened to have large tracts of unowned land waiting to be claimed by a flag.

Now these second-rate nobles from the southern continent are recruiting a large number of adventure groups to explore, help them expand their territory, and explore treasure mines.

The Talen Empire prospered for more than 100,000 years in the Central Continent, and the most important reason was that there were sufficient resources on this continent.

There are high-quality mineral deposits and ancient relics everywhere. During the three thousand years of hiatus, wood and other spiritual objects have had ample growth period.

It can be said that the resources of the Old World today are comparable to the Warcraft Forest of the Southern Continent, with treasures everywhere.

In addition, with the recent war in the southern continent, a large number of powerful nobles seeking refuge have also flocked to the old continent with their families.

In the Old Continent today, there are probably dozens or even hundreds of various principalities and marquisates scattered around.

As the Holy See's control over these nobles continues to decline, this number continues to surge.

Ji Xun chose to follow the adventure group, firstly, he wanted to find out the situation near Rune Highlands; secondly, he knew that there were top-level undead monsters in Rune Highlands, and it was safer to follow an adventure group that was familiar with the route.

"Everyone be careful, this is the famous 'fog ghost area'. So far, no one who went in has come out alive. If you don't want to die, don't run around."

"Captain Luo Luo, this fog is so strange? Could it be some ancient ruins?"

"Who knows? I don't know about the ruins, but there must be a lot of high-level undead monsters. Many high-level mercenary groups have gone in before, but no one came out alive, so gradually no one dared to go. Our mission is to explore the mineral deposits along the route for the Earl, and other things are not our responsibility."

"."

The exploration team walked into a misty valley and deliberately avoided the black mist area deep in the valley.

However, at the end of the team, Ji Xun and Kong Que quietly left the team and walked into the valley.

Because Ji Xun tried it and found that there was already a communication signal here.

Chujiu and Nanjing are now in the foggy imperial tomb.

The two walked into the fog and soon fell into a circular maze.

Ji Xun had been here once before and knew that this was a divine-level restriction that could trap people, so he was not in a hurry at all.

After contacting Nan Jing with the communicator, he led Peacock all the way into the depths of the fog.

As we walked, a fork suddenly appeared in the circular maze, and a psychic crow flew over to guide the direction.

The two of them followed it inside.

Soon, a cheerful and surprised call came from the depths of the fog: "Mr. Ji Xun!"

"."

Ji Xun looked carefully and saw a figure with a bun in his hair jogging towards him in the mist with cheerful steps.

Visibility was not high, and by the time I could see the bun-haired girl's bright smiling face, she had already thrown herself into my arms.

With his arms full of warmth and tenderness, Ji Xun hugged Nan Jing, who was wearing a beautiful court dress, and they gave each other a warm hug when they met.

He smiled and touched her head, and said, "Xiaonan, long time no see."

"Well, it's been a long time."

Nan Jing also poked his head out from behind Ji Xun's shoulder, his big, crystal clear eyes sparkling with the purest joy.

When good friends meet again, they seem to have a lot to say, but when the girl with the bun hair looked up, she found that there was a stranger next to Ji Xun.

Nan Jing blinked, looked at Kong Que's delicate face, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Wow, this sister is so beautiful."

It wasn't just her appearance, she always felt that when she looked at the woman in front of her with her pupils rolled back, she felt a vague sense of intimacy.

Peacock feels the same way.

She had seen Nan Su Shang in the passage to the underworld before, so she vaguely guessed that the girl in front of her was the heir of the Nan family and the master of her own Underworld Peacock lineage.

This bond of blood contract cannot be erased by time.

But after all, he was a complete stranger and I didn't know how to start the conversation.

Ji Xun quickly introduced the girl with the ball head, "This is Miss Nan Jing whom I told you about before, the heir of the Nan family."

He then introduced the peacock: "This is Miss Bai. A descendant of the Dark Peacock Clan."

When she heard "Underworld Peacock", Nan Jing's eyes were obviously startled. She stared at Peacock with wide eyes and said in surprise: "Sister is Underworld Peacock? Wow, I was wondering why she is so beautiful. And she looks very kind."

It felt like meeting a blood relative whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and the bun-haired lady's face showed a bright joy.

Ji Xun knew Nan Jing's character very well. Her happiness must be genuine from the bottom of her heart, not because Peacock was a contracted monster.

Although Peacock is a demon beast lord with the blood of a divine beast and is not familiar with humans, she is also extremely intelligent and has the ability to see the good and evil of souls.

She felt the intimacy of a family member from her master, Nan Jing.

Nan Jing asked excitedly: "Ah, Mr. Ji Xun, how did you meet?"

Ji Xun said: "This is a long story."

To be honest, it is impossible to explain the things happening in the Dead Zone and the current complex situation in the Southern Continent in just a few words.

Nan Jing then realized that he was too excited. "Ah, yes, yes! Let's go to the manor! Sister Chujiu is here too. We haven't seen each other for a long time. She also misses Mr. Ji Xun very much."

As she spoke, she excitedly held Ji Xun's hand with one hand and Kong Que's hand with the other, and walked towards the depths of the fog.

Ji Xun knew that this was the tomb of the royal family of Augustus.

The last time I came here, there was only an undead tomb keeper who had lived for more than three thousand years.

The only building on the ground was a stone house built by the tomb keeper.

However, this time, things were very different.

As we walked, the fog that had been filling the surroundings suddenly disappeared, and the view became clear.

Before Ji Xun's eyes, there appeared a beautiful manor with bright sunshine, singing birds and fragrant flowers!
The manor is shaded by green trees, with wild flowers of various colors blooming on the lawn, and a clear blue lake.
The sun is shining brightly in the sky, the breeze is blowing, the lake is full of blue waves, and a group of small fish are swimming happily among the water plants.

I didn't see the simple stone house, but I saw a castle with beautiful stained glass.

This magnificent manor scenery makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Even Ji Xun let out a light exclamation.

He had seen many luxurious manors before, but this one was the most special.

Changing the terrain environment is very easy for high-level extraordinary people.

Trees can grow very tall in a short period of time by being stimulated; flowers, birds, insects and fish can all be raised and will be full of vitality; and the huge lake can be solved with just a small magic circle condensed with water elements.

But what is special is that each embellishment is just right, like an oil painting, integrating the beautiful scenery into the visible field of vision.

Every detail reveals just the right amount of beauty.

The design of this manor has a very high artistic component.

It is so high that it makes people feel like they are in a fairy tale world.

Moreover, there are traces of the flow of various laws.

It was obviously the work of an expert.

Nan Jing beside him looked at Ji Xun in surprise and explained, "This manor was designed by Senior Griffith."

"Oh."

Ji Xun suddenly understood what was going on.

Griffith is a top art master in the [Painter] sequence, no wonder this manor is so beautiful.

Ji Xun and the other two were on the hillside, looking out, and they happened to see a cold and arrogant girl with beautiful silver hair leaning against the window of the castle.

Seeing Ji Xun coming, she nodded slightly, which counted as a greeting.

Seeing this, Ji Xun raised his lips slightly and shouted loudly: "The ninth day of the first lunar month!"

She knew that Chujiu's cold personality was due to the [White Queen] sequence.

But it was precisely because of the coldness that Ji Xun shouted so loudly on purpose.

This voice was not only heard by Chujiu.

The servants in the castle heard it too.

They all leaned over to see who was coming and who could actually address Her Majesty the Queen by her name.

Feeling a little uncomfortable being stared at by everyone, Chujiu showed a faint smile between his brows and said "hmm", which could be regarded as a response.

Nan Jing also laughed at what she saw, "Ah, I haven't seen Sister Chujiu laugh for a long time. As expected, she will only laugh when Mr. Ji Xun comes." Ji Xun smiled without saying anything.

Every time he sees Chujiu, he always thinks of the scene when he first came to this world.

Chujiu was the first human being he met and also his first friend who shared his life with him.

The imperial mausoleum is completely different from the dead place before, and the beautiful scenery of the manor makes people happy.

Before Ji Xun and the other two entered the castle, Chujiu had already walked down.

Originally, the three of them didn't need to be polite or receive anyone, but Peacock was a guest.

And she is also an eighth-level divine beast lord.

The Augustus royal family also showed sufficient reception etiquette and had a reception banquet prepared long ago.

When Ji Xun heard this, he realized that there were still hundreds of people in the castle.

These are the descendants of the survivors of the Taren Palace who had previously rebelled against the Dragon Army.

Originally, Chujiu never considered herself a princess, nor did she think about it. But those court survivors recognized her as the descendant of Augustus. She could not refuse, so she got this manor.

Everyone is serving the king of Augustus' generation, just like they did three thousand years ago.

Ji Xun had nothing to say about the loyalty that was engraved in his blood and the [Secret Book of Imperial Conferment].

There was still some time before dinner, so Chujiu and Nanjing took Ji Xun and the other two to visit the castle.

Everything in the castle is built in the classical royal style of Tarun.

It was also Ji Xun's first time to visit such a luxurious mansion.

It has to be said that the royal family of Augustus has extraordinary background.

Even some of the decorations in the castle corridors are genuine relics of the Talen royal family.

However, Ji Xun had no interest in these external things.

There is nothing more joyful than meeting old friends again.

The same went for Chujiu and Nanjing, who strolled around and chatted.

"Recently, the nobles of the southern continent have moved to the central continent in large numbers, and many people have come to Rune Highlands to divide up their territories. Sister Chujiu and I were just about to comprehend the [Emperor's Stele], so we came here to guard the imperial mausoleum."

"Ah Ji Xun, you don't know how annoying those guys are. Someone breaks in every day. Some even dig holes in the ground."

"We cannot show our faces yet. We can only activate the protective ban. Otherwise, if outsiders know that this is the imperial mausoleum, trouble will continue."

"."

Chujiu's extraordinary realm became higher and higher, but her temperament became colder and colder. Although Ji Xun did not feel any strangeness from her, she did speak less and less.

Nan Jing was like a cheerful elf, jumping around and telling Ji Xun about the trivial things that had happened recently.

Although Ji Xun had guessed most of it before coming here, he still found it quite interesting to listen to this bun-haired lady.

Perhaps because the environment of the castle was so good, and they realized that Chujiu and Nanjing were not bad people, the two elves, Korra and Nina, suddenly flew out of Ji Xun's pocket.

Seeing two elves with halos above their heads, Nan Jing recognized this mythical creature and said in surprise: "Huh, elemental elves? No, elemental queens?"

Even the ninth day of the first lunar month was dazzled by the sight.

She practiced the Law of Ice and was very sensitive to the elements, so she immediately sensed the specialness of the two elves.

Two elves flew out, and the concentration of elements around them instantly increased several times.

"Ah."

Ji Xun nodded and introduced, "These are Korra and Nina, my friends whom I met by chance when I went to the southern continent before."

I went to the Moon Well and was baptized before. Although the two elves are not elemental queens yet, they are almost there.

The two elves had followed Ji Xun for a long time, and they knew that he was surrounded by good people, so they were much less hostile to humans. After listening to their introduction, the two elves spoke in unison: "Hello."

Nan Jing, the psychic, had a natural affinity for all spiritual creatures. She looked at the two elves greeting her and grinned, showing her cute little tiger teeth. She responded, "Hello~ Wow, this is the first time I see your group."

Then, she asked Ji Xun, "By the way, Ji Xun, you didn't tell me how you met Sister Peacock. Also, you've been in the South Continent for so long, did you have any fun experiences?"

Chujiu was also very curious and took a glance.

Ji Xun was also happy to share his experiences with his two old friends, and slowly said: "This all started from the Giant Spirit City in the southern continent. I originally went to the Royal Academy to comprehend the realm, and then the 'Emperor's Relics' suddenly appeared, and then triggered a treasure hunt. Korra and Nina were also robbed from the forest by adventurers at that time."

This has been going on for a long time.

Before they knew it, the three of them had reached an observation deck in the castle, from where they could overlook the vast meadow and lake, and enjoy the warm sunshine.

The breeze is blowing gently, and the faint scent of flowers fills the air.

After hearing about Ji Xun's experiences, Nan Jing's pretty face showed waves of shock, "Wow, so many things happened? Oh my God, I should have gone with you earlier."

Chujiu was more concerned about something else and asked, "Are you saying that the ancestor of Lanlingster fell in the dead zone?"

"Ah."

Ji Xun nodded, thinking that Chujiu already knew the information.

Now it seems that the two women didn't know.

It seemed that Jia Yu was waiting for me to come back and tell them this information.

He said, "The emperor went to explore the depths of the abyss rift that time, and was probably attacked and severely injured by monsters. Then he was ambushed by the metal dragons led by the dragon god Malodis. Then the current ruler of the southern continent, the dragon god Ayrel, ambushed both warring parties and established the Ayrel Empire. Xiaonan's ancestors summoned the Nether Peacock Clan to help in the war, and then their clan was trapped in the dead zone for more than 100,000 years, until the seal of the dead zone was opened later."

There are too many stories buried in the unknown history of the Scarlet Sect, the Sun Sect, the civil strife of the Dragon Clan, and the Illuminati.

Nan Jing listened with great interest.

She was very excited when she heard about the interesting things in the adventure; she also became nervous when she heard about the thrilling parts.

Ji Xun talked about the Scarlet Lord summoning the Clown Blood Robe, and after the three major sects left, he stopped.

Nan Jing couldn't help but ask, "What happened next? The dead dragon Marodis returned from the underworld. How did you get out? As far as I know, the passage to the underworld is one-way."

If we were to ask who in this world has the deepest understanding of the underworld, it would be this lady with the bun.

This is why Ji Xun hesitated.

But he still said: "Later, we met Aunt Nan."

Nan Jing was instinctively slow to react, "Ah? You met Mother?"

"Ah."

Ji Xun said: "Aunt Nan happened to be in the underworld before. She used the Netherworld Train to bring us out of the underworld passage."

"Oh. I haven't seen my mother for a long time."

Nan Jing muttered, not thinking that going to the underworld was a big deal: "Ji Xun, hasn't mother come back yet? I haven't been able to contact her for a while."

"."

Ji Xun hesitated for another moment.

Peacock standing by didn't say anything because she witnessed what happened with her own eyes.

Chujiu seemed to understand the hesitation on Ji Xun's face, and her crystal eyes suddenly dimmed.

As if she had sensed that the atmosphere was not right, the relaxed smile on Nan Jing's face slowly faded. She looked at Ji Xun like a little girl who had made a mistake: "Ah? What's wrong? Did I say anything wrong?"

Ji Xun patted her shoulder like a friend and said, "Aunt Nan hasn't come back yet. She asked me to bring something back for you."

As he spoke, he took out the scroll that sealed all of Nan Su Shang's cultivation, as well as the secret box.

Nan Jing's gaze fell on the scroll with her Nan family's unique divine pattern, and her eyes froze immediately.

She didn't say anything, but the sparkle in her eyes flickered fiercely.

In a daze, she understood what was happening.

The originally clear and pure eyes of the girl with the bun hair now seemed to be covered by a thin layer of mist.

Tears welled up in my eyes but refused to fall.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and every blink seemed to be a struggle with the sadness in her heart.

She bit her lips softly, trying to hide the sadness that was already surging like a tide in her heart.

Nan Jing lowered his head, looked at the scroll in Ji Xun's hand, stretched out his hand, and took it silently.

It was as if I saw the remains of my mother. A strong feeling of tearing suddenly came over me and two lines of hot tears slid down my cheeks.

Crystal clear tears fell in large drops, landing at the feet, leaving wet marks on the ground.

Nan Jing didn't look up, and Ji Xun didn't see her face.

But at that moment, he seemed to see the innocent girl with the bun suddenly turn around and leave.

He became the mature, intellectual and wise Southern High Priest.

Chujiu had experienced the same heart-wrenching experience. She looked at Nan Jing and a sigh appeared between her brows.

Ji Xun didn't hesitate and hugged Nan Jing.

The girl with the bun-haired look seemed to have found someone to rely on. She buried her head in his chest and finally burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)