After rushing out of the mine, Lord Valerian asked nervously, “Chris, what on earth is that thing?”
Chris shook his head, his expression grim. “I don’t know, but I’m certain of one thing-its strength is terrifying.”
Tiger, his face dark, asked, “Master, what should we do now? If we can’t deal with that creature, we won’t be able to continue mining the Essence Stones.”
This was their mining site. If they couldn’t handle the monster lurking in the underground tomb, mining would be impossible.
But Chris had no immediate solution. This was his first time in Aethelgard, and his understanding of the region was limited.
He hadn’t expected that mining for Essence Stones would unearth such a colossal beast.
After a moment of silence, Chris said, “Seal off this mine shaft for now and start digging in another direction.”
“Yes!”
Upon hearing this, Tiger nodded and quickly set about carrying out the orders.
For the next few days, Tiger and the others continued mining. However, as their work progressed, the roars echoing from the depths of the underground tomb grew louder and more frequent.
Tiger approached Chris with a worried expression. “Master, the creature in the tomb is becoming more active. Many of our Death Guards are on edge.”
Chris thought for a moment before replying, “This won’t do. We need to deal with that monster once and for all. Pass down my orders-send a small squad armed with explosives into the tomb. Let’s see if they can take it down.”
“Yes!”
Tiger nodded and immediately began preparations.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Before long, a series of deafening explosions echoed from the depths of the tomb.
Moments later, several Death Guards stumbled out, covered in blood.
The news spread quickly, sending shockwaves through the Death Guards.
No one had anticipated that the monster in the tomb would be so fearsome. The entire squad sent in with explosives had failed, barely escaping with their lives.
When Chris heard the report, he swiftly mobilized a larger force of warriors to enter the tomb. Meanwhile, he ordered everyone else to evacuate the mine.
“Roar!”
“Roar!”
“Roar!”
The monster’s deafening roars echoed from deep within the tomb.
One by one, warriors fled from the mine, their faces pale with fear.
“This is bad! That beast is far too powerful. We’re no match for it!”
Realizing the creature’s overwhelming strength, Chris decided against further rash actions.
He ordered the entire Essence Stone mine to be sealed off. No one was permitted entry without his explicit command.
Around this time, Oriana returned.
She approached Chris, her expression grave. “Chris, what’s going on with the Essence Stone mine?”
Chris sighed deeply and recounted everything that had transpired.
Hearing this, Oriana was stunned. “What did you just say? There’s an underground tomb in the depths of the mine, and inside it is a colossal beast?”
After a moment of silence, she explained, “If my guess is correct, that creature is likely a Tomb Guardian. Tomb Guardians are beasts specifically created to protect tombs and prevent grave robbers. They are incredibly powerful and nearly impossible to defeat.”
“In Aethelgard, powerful Aetherbinding practitioners nearing the end of their lifespan often construct grand underground tombs to house their treasures. It’s highly likely that the tomb you discovered was built by an ancient Aetherbinding master before their death. This discovery is monumental and will undoubtedly attract the attention of many factions. Before you know it, all of Verdantia’s powers will be converging here.”
Chris was curious. “So this place is called Verdantia?”
Oriana glanced at him, realizing he was unfamiliar with Aethelgard.
She explained, “Aethelgard is divided into nine provinces, one of which is Verdantia. It’s where most Aetherbinding practitioners from Amerosia gather, as Verdantia is close to Amerosia.”
Chris was stunned. He hadn’t expected Aethelgard to span nine provinces, rivaling Earth in size.
Setting his sights on a small goal, Chris decided: first, he would dominate Verdantia. After that, he would expand further.
According to Oriana’s analysis, the Tomb Guardian was likely a Solstice-level beast.
In the world of Aetherbinding, there was a strict hierarchy of power.
At the lowest level was the Aether rank, typically the realm of novice disciples in Aetherbinding sects.
The Pinnacle rank formed the backbone of most sects.
The Solstice rank, however, represented Hall Master-level powerhouses within a sect.
Above them were the Elysium rank practitioners, the foundation of their sects, who often remained in seclusion, detached from worldly affairs. Only in times of existential crisis would they emerge.
Chris also learned that Aetherbinding practitioners had much longer lifespans than ordinary people:
– Aether rank: ~100 years
– Pinnacle rank: ~300 years
– Solstice rank: ~500 years
– Elysium rank: ~1, 000 years
Practitioners above the Elysium rank were on an entirely different level, one even Oriana couldn’t comprehend.
Chris himself was at the early Pinnacle rank, but he found it frustrating that his Soulseed was considered useless.
Still, as Oriana pointed out, Aethelgard’s spiritual energy was dozens of times richer than Earth’s, allowing even someone like Chris to cultivate.
The discovery of an ancient underground tomb containing a powerful Tomb Guardian quickly spread.
The news shook all of Verdantia, drawing the attention of countless factions.
After all, the tomb likely held treasures left behind by an ancient Aetherbinding master. Who could resist such temptation?
In ancient times, the world’s spiritual energy had been even more abundant, producing countless powerful practitioners and treasures.
This irresistible lure sent all of Verdantia’s Aetherbinding sects scrambling to send their strongest members to investigate. Even rogue practitioners began to flock to the site.
Among them was the Flameforge Sect, a second-tier faction in Verdantia. Enraged that their Essence Stone mine had been taken over and intrigued by the tomb’s treasures, they deployed a large contingent of practitioners to the site.