Life span plundered, I became a detective and achieved immortality

Chapter 1016: Raising an Army to Punish

Inside the quiet room of Jiuling Manor.

The Thirty-Six-Petaled Primordial Black Lotus bloomed silently, its petals layered upon each other, like the nascent form of heaven and earth at the beginning of chaos. The chaotic energy on the petals flowed like a living thing, sometimes condensing into dazzling nebulae, where life seemed to be born amidst the swirling starlight; sometimes dispersing into ethereal mist, the churning vapors concealing the mysteries of the universe's birth and death. It gently lifted Su Mo, who sat cross-legged, into the air. The fragrance of the lotus intertwined with the chaotic energy, forming a faint halo around him, isolating him from all external disturbances.

Suddenly, Su Mo's tightly closed eyes snapped open, his gaze seemingly filled with the sudden birth and death of billions of stars, a chaotic surge that seemed to conceal the cycles of countless universes.

In less than a breath, his mind, like a bridge spanning dimensions, transcended endless time and space, becoming intimately connected with the illusory spirit body he had left behind on the Four Symbols Continent. Through the eyes of this illusory spirit body, he clearly saw the scene beyond millions of eons—in the thick fog at the edge of the Four Symbols Sea, powerful auras of True Immortals, like slumbering ancient behemoths, were emanating heart-palpitating fluctuations, causing the void to tremble slightly with every breath.

Soon, Su Mo's lips curled up slightly, a hint of elusive mockery flashing across his face.

"Is the Tomb of the Four Symbols True Immortals finally about to be opened?"

The sound reverberated in the quiet room, like jade striking jade, intertwining with the humming of the black lotus to create a unique rhythm, as if resonating with the pulse of the universe, each syllable subtly aligning with the profound truths of the universe.

"Four seventh-rank True Immortals, twelve sixth-rank True Immortals, and twenty-four fifth-rank True Immortals... What a grand display." Su Mo lightly flicked his fingertips, causing the petals of the Primordial Black Lotus to tremble slightly, rippling outwards in circles of chaotic energy. "I wonder what their reaction will be when they painstakingly break through the tomb door and step into the Four Symbols True Immortals' tomb, only to find the looted tomb chamber and immortal palace. It must be quite a spectacle."

......

The Four Symbols Continent, at the edge of the Four Symbols Sea.

Under Su Mo's almost playful "gaze," nearly a hundred True Immortals from the four major forces finally moved. Like four long rivers cutting through the mist, they advanced with unstoppable momentum. The thunderous hurricane formed by the power of the Azure Dragon roared with a sharp whistling sound that tore through the void; the divine flames formed by the power of the Vermilion Bird crackled and popped as they burned the chaotic air; the rain of Gengjin swords manifested by the power of the White Tiger was as dense as a galaxy; and then there was the most terrifying Northern Darkness Cold Qi, which could freeze even the souls of sixth-grade True Immortals wherever it passed. But all of this was useless in the face of the combined forces of the four major forces, not even giving them the right to pause for a moment.

In just a few days, four seventh-rank True Immortals appeared at the Four Symbols True Immortal Dojo with a group of True Immortals under their command.

Within the temple grounds, moss, aged by time, grows thickly on the broken walls, its verdant green tinged with the marks of time. The once-floating altar is now reduced to a base, riddled with cracks. The stone tablet inscribed with the true path of immortality has long since crumbled and lies scattered on the ground, its remaining inscriptions blurred and indistinct. A faint smell of dust permeates the air, as if whispering tales of timeless solitude.

The True Immortals of the four major powers were not surprised by this at all—the news that the True Immortal Daoist temples of the Four Seas had been completely looted was no secret among the top powers of the Crimson Sea. In fact, some of them had even personally participated in the looting back then, but in the end they failed to break through the protective array of the Four Symbols True Immortal Tomb and enter the Immortal Tomb.

Soon, nearly a hundred True Immortals from the four major forces arrived at the deepest part of the Daoist temple, before the massive mountain shrouded in a hazy mist.

next moment......

The four seventh-rank True Immortals raised their hands simultaneously, and in an instant, the four Immortal Tokens of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise flew out from their sleeves, transforming into four dazzling streams of light that pierced through the heavens and earth, rushing towards the giant tomb like birds returning to their nests.

Within the mist, countless Four Symbols runes suddenly lit up, twinkling like stars, instantly coalescing into lifelike Four Symbols sacred beasts—the Azure Dragon swishing its tail shattered the heavens, the Vermilion Bird spreading its wings burned away chaos, the White Tiger roaring cleaved the earth and shattered the sky, and the Black Tortoise shrinking its head, indestructible. Each sacred beast exuded a terrifying power rivaling that of an eighth-rank True Immortal, but the moment they came into contact with the Four Immortal Tokens, they melted away like ice and snow, disintegrating into pure Four Symbols power, which was completely absorbed by the Immortal Tokens, leaving them no room for resistance.

"Om..."

As the last wisp of sacred beast power was absorbed, the Chaos Mystic Stone on the front of the giant tomb slowly parted to the sides, the friction sound like the low roar of an ancient behemoth, muffled and awe-inspiring.

A void portal, shimmering with divine light in four colors—blue, white, red, and black—suddenly appeared. Behind the portal lay a bottomless darkness, from which faint, ethereal celestial music and shimmering precious light emanated, stirring the hearts of all the true immortals. Their breathing became heavy, and their eyes gleamed with greed and anticipation.

"Hahaha... Twelve thousand cosmic eras! The Four Symbols True Immortal Tomb has finally opened!" A seventh-rank True Immortal dressed in a green robe laughed loudly, shaking the surrounding mist. Then, he could no longer hold back and led his subordinate True Immortals to cross the four-colored portal first.

The True Immortals from the other three major forces dared not linger any longer, fearing that if they were even a step too late, all the treasures and inheritances within the Immortal Tomb would be plundered. They all leaped forward and followed, their figures disappearing into the portal one after another, even the air currents stirred up by their clothes carrying urgency.

However, in just a few breaths, a series of deafening roars erupted from the Four Symbols Immortal Tomb. The sound waves impacted the broken walls and ruins of the dojo as if they were real, and the flying stones flew like arrows. Even the mist in the sky was violently shaken and churned, as if it would overturn the entire Four Symbols Dojo.

"Ah...who was it? Who did this?"

"Empty! All empty!"

"Who the hell is that, bastard?"

......

Roars and curses rose and fell, mixed with the crisp sounds of breaking objects and the rumble of collapsing stone walls, clearly indicating that the tomb was in chaos.

The nearly one hundred True Immortals from the four major powers, who had been filled with anticipation, were now utterly stunned by the empty palaces and temples before them—not only were there no True Immortal-level rare treasures, but even the jade bottles containing elixirs had been crushed to powder, leaving not a trace of medicine. Their hopes, accumulated over millennia, instantly transformed into a raging inferno, almost burning away their reason; they wished they could grind the tomb raiders to dust.

However, just as the True Immortals were enraged and lost their composure, no one noticed that an inconspicuous speck of dust at the entrance to the Four Symbols True Immortals' Tomb was silently falling onto the hem of a Third-Rank True Immortal's robe as he retreated in a panic.

Then, with an almost imperceptible tremor, it transformed into a stream of light thinner than a hair, like the most cunning parasite, and entered the body of this true immortal, quietly merging with his soul.

......

Time flies, and tens of millions of years have passed.

Star Sea Continent, Star Sea Immortal City.

"Boom..."

The void trembled violently, as if the entire Star Sea Continent was shaking, and even the slumbering ley lines were awakened by this power. A terrifying pressure from a seventh-grade True Immortal descended from the sky like a collapsing curtain, sweeping massively towards Star Sea Immortal City. Wherever it passed, the void collapsed, cracking like a spiderweb, and even light was distorted into spirals.

The city's protective immortal array, the "Nine Heavens Star River Array," instantly lit up with billions of starlight, attempting to resist the oppressive force. However, it was violently shaken, and the star patterns on the light screen flickered wildly, emitting crisp "crackling" sounds, as if it would completely collapse in the next second. Countless cultivators cried out in alarm within the city, and the houses on the edge of the immortal city were directly crushed into dust by the oppressive force, turning into dust that filled the sky.

Immediately afterward, a furious voice boomed from the eastern horizon, carrying the rage of a mountain-scorching sea: "Star Sea Merchant Guild, you had better give me an explanation! Why was the Four Symbols True Immortal Tomb looted so thoroughly? Otherwise, my Crimson Sky Clan will never let you get away with this!"

Before the words were finished, a crimson streak of light tore through the clouds, and a seventh-grade True Immortal clad in crimson-gold armor hovered above Star Sea Immortal City. His face was ferocious, and his body was wreathed in raging flames, each flame containing the domineering power to incinerate the body of a True Immortal.

Behind him stood a dozen or so True Immortals, each with eyes blazing with fury and an aura as violent as a raging torrent, like a pack of enraged beasts. The killing intent in their eyes was almost tangible, as if they were about to swoop down and tear everything apart at any moment.

In their quest for the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token, the Crimson Cloud Clan had nearly emptied their coffers, only to be rewarded with an empty tomb! The rage in their hearts had long since extinguished their reason, and could not be quelled by a few words.

Not far behind them, the True Immortals holding the power of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise Immortal Tokens had also arrived. The three leading Seventh-Rank True Immortals possessed a deep and unfathomable aura. Although they hadn't lost their composure like the Crimson Cloud Immortal Clan, their faces were all ashen, their eyes blazing with suppressed rage as they surveyed the main building of the Star Sea Trading Company with daggers. If the Star Sea Trading Company didn't provide a satisfactory answer today, they would not let the matter rest.

Back then, the price they paid for vying for the Four Symbols Immortal Tokens was not as severe as that of the Crimson Sky Immortal Clan, but it was still considerable. Several fifth-rank True Immortals were lost, and the number of other fourth-rank and below True Immortals exceeded two hands. Now, all their efforts have been in vain, and the anger accumulated over countless eons has been churning in their chests.

"What? The Four Symbols True Immortal Tomb has already been looted? This...this..."

Inside the Starsea Trading Company, the True Immortals of the company were all deathly pale. The leader, a peak sixth-rank True Immortal, was in no better shape. Large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, dripping onto the luxurious carpet and spreading out a wet patch. In all the cosmic eras they had managed the trading company, they had never encountered such a formidable force—four seventh-rank True Immortals and twelve sixth-rank True Immortals... For a moment, they were completely at a loss, their voices trembling, unsure how to deal with the overwhelming rage of the four major powers.

Just as tensions were rising and a conflict was about to erupt—

An even more powerful and profound pressure from a true immortal swept in from the south. This pressure was not as violent and fiery as that of the Crimson Sky Immortal Clan, but rather carried a profound and simple weight, like the vast universe crushing down. Wherever it passed, the flames in the world froze, even the sound of the wind stopped, as if time itself had slowed down under this pressure.

In the blink of an eye, the oppressive aura of the seventh-grade True Immortal of the Crimson Cloud Immortal Clan was completely disintegrated, like ice and snow meeting the sun. Even the flames leaping around him dimmed by three points, like a bonfire drenched by a storm.

On the southern horizon, a cyan figure strode through the air with unhurried steps. With each step, chaotic currents arose and vanished beneath its feet, as if depicting the scene at the beginning of the Crimson Sea.

The newcomer was an elderly man dressed in a simple blue robe. His face was serene, his deeply lined features bearing the calm gravitas of time, but his eyes were as deep as ancient wells, seemingly capable of reflecting the birth and death of all things. He did not deliberately release any pressure, yet all the True Immortals present felt their souls tremble—it was a suppression originating from the level of life itself, far more terrifying than that of the mid-stage seventh-rank True Immortal from the Crimson Cloud Immortal Clan.

"Phew... Our ancestor has finally arrived."

Instantly, inside the Star Sea Merchant Guild, the True Immortals felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. Their tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and their gazes toward the old man in the green robe were filled with awe and reliance.

At this moment, the old man's gaze swept lightly over the Crimson Cloud Immortal Clan and the three major forces in the sky, finally landing on the seventh-grade True Immortal of the Crimson Cloud Immortal Clan. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable majesty: "Old man Chi Ming, my Star Sea Merchant Guild is only responsible for auctioning the Vermilion Bird Immortal Token on behalf of its owner. As for whether the Four Symbols True Immortal Tomb was robbed in advance, what does that have to do with my Star Sea Merchant Guild? If you dare to cause trouble again and make a scene in my Star Sea Merchant Guild, don't blame me for being ruthless."

......