Chapter 0258: Investigating the Imperial Mausoleum

Chapter 0258: Investigating the Imperial Mausoleum

Qin Yun burned the note, said goodbye to Du Gui, and hurriedly left the Star Profound Martial Academy, heading out.

Since the small island where the Star Profound Martial Academy was located was the safest, many inns and other buildings had been constructed on the island, forming a city.

After inquiring, Qin Yun found the North Star Inn, a modest inn with only a handful of guests. He entered the inn and found Room 20. He knocked on the door.

Soon, someone opened the door.

When the door opened, Qin Yun saw a graceful woman dressed in a black dress, exuding an aura of nobility. It was Xiao Xuanqin.

"Aunt Xiao!" Qin Yun grinned, showing a row of white teeth.

"Yes, come in quickly," Xiao Xuanqin said with a warm smile, ushering him in.

After Qin Yun entered and sat down, Xiao Xuanqin served him a cup of tea, then tied her long hair that was draped over her chest, looking both charming and elegant.

"Aunt Xiao, it's been a long time. You should have entered the Martial Dao realm by now!" Qin Yun asked.

"I have to thank you for that. If you hadn't resolved the issue with my martial soul, I wouldn't have known when I could break through."

"Thank you again!" Xiao Xuanqin said, smiling like a beautiful flower, revealing her white teeth.

Qin Yun found himself momentarily captivated by the elegant and mature beauty before him but quickly composed himself and took a sip of tea.

"Aunt Xiao, you mentioned there was something important and that you needed to go to the Tian Xiao Imperial Mausoleum. What exactly is it?" Qin Yun stood up and went to the window, looking out at the street view outside.

"I believe the Tian Xiao Imperial Mausoleum holds a secret about our Xiao family! Isn't it strange how all of us in the Xiao family possess such remarkable talents?" Xiao Xuanqin said, taking out a guqin and gently plucking its strings, producing a beautiful melody.

Qin Yun turned around, looking at the guqin in surprise, as some strings vibrated and produced sounds without being touched by her fingers. Xiao Xuanqin was playing it with her mental energy.

"It is indeed strange," Qin Yun said.

"To be honest, I believe our Xiao family has a significant connection with the Blue Spirit Star Palace. Otherwise, Xiao Yanglong wouldn't have such prestige within the Blue Spirit Star Palace. Someone in the Blue Spirit Star Palace must have seen something in him. As a crown prince, he must hold some secrets we don't know."

Xiao Xuanqin plucked the strings and smiled lightly. "As a descendant of the Xiao family, I never thought I'd enter my ancestors' mausoleum. I wonder if I'll face retribution."

"I used to think you were a very strict person," Qin Yun smiled. "Have you become more mischievous after spending time with Yuemei?"

Xiao Xuanqin chuckled and laughed heartily. "Maybe! That girl is quite lively in the Runes Hall, but fortunately, she hasn't caused any major trouble."

"It's strange that Yuemei didn't come with you," Qin Yun smiled. "Anyone else might skip this, but that girl would never pass up the chance."

"She's currently in secluded cultivation, so I took the chance while she's quiet to discuss this with you. I was worried that if she entered the Tian Xiao Imperial Mausoleum, she would cause trouble," Xiao Xuanqin said. "Originally, I also approached Yuelan, but she said she didn't have time and suggested that you go with me. By the way, Xie Wufeng also couldn't make it, so it seems we'll be going alone."

"Alright, when do we act?" Qin Yun asked. He also wanted to investigate why the Xiao family's bloodline was so powerful.

Xiao Yuelan and Xiao Yuemei already had the inheritance of the Burial Immortal Diagram. Coupled with the mysterious bloodline of the Xiao family, they were even stronger.

Xiao Lang, Xiao Yanglong, and Xiao Xuanqin were all exceptionally talented, which was evidently due to their powerful bloodline.

"Let's leave now. The sooner, the better," Xiao Xuanqin said.

"Alright, as you wish," Qin Yun nodded.

Xiao Xuanqin changed into a black stealth outfit, tied her hair up, and said to Qin Yun, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's get going!"

At night, Qin Yun and Xiao Xuanqin flew across Wanxing Lake, heading toward the Tian Xiao Empire.

As Qin Yun flew over Wanxing Lake and looked down at the water, he couldn’t help but think of Xie Qirou in the Crystal Palace below. What secrets did this mysterious and beautiful woman hide?

Xiao Xuanqin was already a Martial Warrior, so Qin Yun didn’t have much to worry about while following her. Even if they encountered spiritual Demon Beasts, their combined strength should be sufficient to handle them.

"Qin Yun, do you have full confidence in challenging Xiao Yanglong?" Xiao Xuanqin asked.

"No," Qin Yun replied, his mood heavy as he thought about it.

"Have confidence in yourself. I believe you can definitely beat him!" Xiao Xuanqin smiled at Qin Yun, her beautiful eyes full of encouragement.

Qin Yun asked, "Many people think I can’t win against him. Why do you believe I can?"

Xiao Xuanqin smiled and said, "You're a soul cultivator, and just because of that, I believe you can become very strong! You've grown so powerful in just two years—it's nothing short of a miracle."

"If I can't step into the Martial Warrior realm within a year, I might not be able to defeat Xiao Yanglong," Qin Yun said, worried, because there were no pills that could aid in the breakthrough.

You had to rely on yourself, gradually building your strength and discovering your own path, forging your martial way!

"Don't lose hope—these things are unpredictable! It's not necessarily true that it takes a long time to enter the Martial Warrior realm. Sometimes, if you suddenly comprehend your martial path, your Golden Inner Core will awaken, your inner energy will be sublimated, and it will help you step onto the martial path," Xiao Xuanqin said.

Qin Yun nodded and kept her words in mind.

Before long, they flew out of Wanxing Lake and landed on the ground.

"You need to stay close to me. If anything happens to you, Yuelan will never forgive me," Xiao Xuanqin said with a playful smile, warning Qin Yun.

"It feels like Yuelan is always protecting me, which makes me feel like I'm losing my dignity," Qin Yun said with a bitter smile.

Xiao Xuanqin laughed and said, "That's a good thing! The fact that a strong woman like her cares for you is a testament to your ability. Many people would wish for that."

Qin Yun and Xiao Xuanqin traveled through the night, running over the ground. By dawn, they had crossed into Tian Xiao territory.

Xiao Xuanqin led Qin Yun into a forest, where they rested for an hour before continuing their journey.

The Tian Xiao Imperial Mausoleum was built outside the Tian Xiao Imperial City, in a large mountain range.

After entering Tian Xiao territory, it took them half a day to reach the mountains where the Tian Xiao Imperial Mausoleum was located.

"This place used to be filled with dense Tree Spirits, but now they're all gone," Xiao Xuanqin said, frowning as she stood outside the mountain range. "It's become so desolate. It must have been destroyed by a demon beast horde. I wonder if there are still demon beasts inside."

Qin Yun said, "I'll be careful when I go in. It's better to enter at night. Right now, it's the middle of the day, and the demon beasts are most active."

"Alright, let's wait here until it gets dark," Xiao Xuanqin said, looking at the small mountain in front of them. "We'll dig a cave in that small mountain and hide inside. It will be safer that way."

They walked over and quickly dug a cave, resting inside.

As night fell, the wind outside grew stronger, blowing a lot of sand and dust, covering the large mountain range in a grayish haze.

Qin Yun and Xiao Xuanqin carefully walked through the dust, remaining extremely vigilant, constantly using their mental energy to probe their surroundings, ready to detect any demon beasts nearby.

After entering the desolate mountain range, the dust lessened, but there were many demon beast footprints on the ground, and the lingering presence of demon beasts was strong.

"I didn’t expect to find so many demon beasts here—it looks like a large horde has taken up residence," Qin Yun said, sensing the atmosphere around them as he looked at the towering mountain in front of them. "Is the Tian Xiao Imperial Mausoleum under that mountain?"

"Yes! There are over a hundred mountains here, and it's quite spacious. The demon beast horde probably won’t choose that mountain!" Xiao Xuanqin was also worried. If there were a few spiritual Demon Beasts in the horde, they wouldn’t be able to handle it.

"Let's go take a look first!" Qin Yun used his shadow power to conceal his presence.

Xiao Xuanqin suddenly lost sight of Qin Yun, and her heart raced with worry. She called out softly, "Qin Yun, where are you? How did you disappear all of a sudden?"

Qin Yun suddenly took her delicate hand and said with a smile, "I have an ability that allows me to hide in the darkness. Let me try to transfer this power to you, so you can blend into the darkness as well."

Xiao Xuanqin tightly held Qin Yun's hand. She had been very worried that Qin Yun might have gotten into trouble!

Qin Yun felt a gentle warmth coming from her soft hand and was surprised that Xiao Xuanqin was already prepared with her inner energy.

He whispered, "Aunt Xiao, relax your body!"

After relaxing, Xiao Xuanqin suddenly felt a cool sensation coming from Qin Yun's palm, entering her arm, and quickly spreading throughout her whole body.

Soon, she felt her body merging with the darkness, her aura unable to leak out, enveloped by that strange cool energy.

"Got it! It worked!" Qin Yun said happily. "Now, the demon beasts won't be able to detect us."

"This power is truly amazing!" Xiao Xuanqin exclaimed. They slowly climbed up a mountain as she continued to hold Qin Yun's hand.

As she held Qin Yun's hand, an unfamiliar sensation stirred within her, and she didn’t know why, making her feel a little distracted...

Qin Yun, however, didn’t seem to notice and only felt that Aunt Xiao's grip on his hand was getting tighter.

After crossing a few mountains, they suddenly stopped.

"There are demon beasts ahead!" Xiao Xuanqin said in a low voice, looking at the valley between the two mountains ahead.

"I sense them too. We need to be careful," Qin Yun whispered.

"Hold on tight. I’m worried your shadow ability might fade," Xiao Xuanqin said, now interlocking her fingers with Qin Yun's.

This close contact made her heart race for reasons she couldn’t quite understand.

"Aunt Xiao, let's go!" Qin Yun's voice brought Xiao Xuanqin back to her senses.

Xiao Xuanqin bit her lip, shaking off her thoughts, and pulled Qin Yun into the valley. As long as they crossed this valley, they would reach the tallest mountain.