Eternal life begins with saving my clan

Hundreds of meters beneath the ground, a long, narrow tunnel snaked through the earth like a serpent's spine.

The air was thick and heavy, illuminated only by the dim, flickering glow of strange crystals clinging to the damp walls.

In the lead was an old Necoris walking with a fluent gait. Under the dim light, his steps were unfaltering and quick.

Behind him were Orzall and two other Necoris elders, each carrying their weapons with firm gazes.

Zimo and his men followed behind, their expressions tinged with amazement. Who would have expected such an ancient passage to exist beneath the Necoris kingdom?

Even after walking for hundreds of meters, the end of the narrow tunnel remained far out of sight.

According to Orzall, the sacred land could not be reached from the surface. Only through this ancient passage could it be located.

After traveling over a kilometer, the air in the tunnel began to change. It grew purer and carried an ancient aura.

Beyond that, Zimo and his men detected something else—Spirit Energy.

Since their arrival in the Magma Plain, the number of places with Spirit Energy could be counted on one hand. Even in those places, the energy was thin and barely noticeable.

Yet here, the Spirit Energy was pure and abundant. Detecting this, Zimo and his men exchanged subtle glances and became more serious as they walked closer to the Necoris.

Noticing Zimo and his men's strange behavior, the Necoris gripped their weapons tightly, their nerves taut.

'What's wrong with these humans?' Orzall thought looking at Zimo and his men from the corner of his eyes.

It was not only him, the old man leading the group couldn't help but be wary of the strange humans.

Humans have proved not to be trusted and if not for their current situation, they wouldn't have revealed such a huge secret to the humans.

Still, no one spoke, and they continued deeper. The farther they ventured, the more pronounced the pure Spirit Energy became.

"Do you feel anything?" Zimo asked.

"Feel what?" Orzall replied, confusion evident in his tone.

All the Necoris halted in their tracks, looking at the humans in puzzlement.

"Nothing... Continue." Since they did not detect the pure Spiritual Energy, Zimo did have any reason to tell them.

The Necoris weren't foolish. They knew something must have happened, but they couldn't detect it. Various thoughts spiraled through their minds, and they heightened their perception, hoping to sense any anomalies.

Unfortunately, having not stepped into the path of cultivation, they were unable to detect the pure Spirit Energy.

Meanwhile, at the back, Zimo and his men quietly ran their cultivation techniques, absorbing the pure Spirit Energy.

Since leaving the Barren Land, they had not experienced such pure energy. They had been relying on high-grade spirit stones, but even those couldn't compare to this natural abundance.

"We've arrived. Be careful; there are many traps ahead," the old Necoris, Seel, said solemnly.

Instantly, all the Necoris tensed, their gazes darting around. Ahead, the narrow tunnel widened, allowing two or three people to walk side by side. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

Scattered on the ground were skeletons of various races. Among them were many human skeletons, as well as remains from unknown species. Necoris skeletons were also present, but the sight didn't faze the Necoris—they seemed accustomed to it.

"Follow my steps," Seel commanded.

From this point onward, the area was fraught with danger. No one argued as they followed his lead.

As they moved forward, the space expanded further, and in the distance, they saw a massive ancient gate.

Seel suddenly stopped and turned to face the humans. "This is as far as I can go. Beyond this point, I wouldn't even know how I died."

Orzall and the two Tier-4 Necoris elders looked at Zimo, awaiting his decision. They had fulfilled their part of the bargain; the rest was up to the humans.

Zimo and his men, however, knew Seel was telling the truth. Since entering this wider passage, they had detected numerous horrifying killing arrays.

Anyone naive enough to step in would die without leaving a trace. The massive ancient gate ahead, though visible, was an illusion—a trap.

But how could mere traps stop them? Even if they couldn't break through, they had Su Yen to guide them.

Just as they prepared to step forward, Su Yen's voice rang in their ears.

"Retreat."

Without hesitation, they turned to Orzall and said, "We're going back."

"What?"

The Necoris were stunned. They widened their eyes, staring in disbelief at Zimo and his men, who were already leaving.

"Are you just going to leave?" Seel asked, unable to contain his frustration.

"Is there anything wrong with us leaving?" Zimo replied without looking back.

"At least try your luck," Seel muttered angrily.

Seel had hoped the humans would unearth the lost legacy of their race. He couldn't fathom why they would retreat at the first obstacle.

Hearing him, Zimo and his men chuckled softly but departed without saying another word.

"How could this be?" Orzall uttered in confusion.

Everyone knew the power of the humans. Why would they retreat so decisively? Was there more to this than met the eye?

With such thoughts swirling in his mind, Orzall didn't hesitate and followed them. The two Tier-4 Necoris elders, left with no choice, followed as well, leaving Seel fuming.

Seel gazed at the ancient gate, unwilling to give up, but eventually, he grunted and followed the group, departing the sacred land.

The passage grew quiet once more, disturbed only by the gentle breeze and the faint hum of pure Spirit Energy emanating from the ancient gate.

Suddenly, the air trembled violently, and the pure Spirit Energy spiraled into chaos.

Whoosh!

Out of thin air, a silhouette appeared—a figure dressed in an ethereal white Daoist robe. His long, flowing dark hair swayed gently despite the absence of wind.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, ignoring the traps, and his figure vanished into the space beyond.

"WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLEEP?"

A thick, horrifying voice echoed through the passage, forcing the walls and air to tremble.