The human powerhouses were naturally aware of this, though not many human experts had come to this place. The vast majority of Heaven's Pride prodigies had remained within the many supreme powerhouses' tombs of the Fallen Heaven Mausoleum. However, those who stayed behind were all genuine super-powerhouses possessing Divine King-level combat strength, utterly fearless. On the contrary, they felt a surge of excitement, eager to see just how powerful this army guarding the Sovereign's Tombs truly was.
Regarding the Imperial Dao Inheritance, the human race was equally determined to obtain it.
"Unwilling to leave?"
The Divine King Commander leading the war army narrowed his eyes coldly. Raising a large hand, the terrifying cannons of the numerous war fortresses and warships behind him aimed from afar, beginning to charge with energy. The atmosphere grew tense; a great battle between the two sides was on the verge of erupting.
At this moment, the prince of the Chaos Burial Ground Ancient Emperor Clan spoke up. He was a peerless Heaven's Pride with a tall, slender, and divine bearing, silver hair cascading down, possessing five eyes, all of which were double-pupiled. His blood energy was vigorous, divine radiance surged, and the Imperial Dao Bloodline within his body roared, as if he were a young Ancient Emperor.
He addressed the Divine King of the army, cupping his fists: "Fellow Daoist, the Ancient Emperor buried in this Sovereign's Tomb is the Ancient Emperor of my Ao Imperial Clan, also my Imperial Father. Previously, I led the Ao Imperial Clan here to inherit the Imperial Dao legacy left by my Imperial Father. I request that my Ao Imperial Clan be allowed to enter."
As he spoke, the Imperial Dao Bloodline within his body fully awakened, like a tsunami and mountain collapse, causing heaven and earth to tremble. It was powerful to the extreme, making one's heart palpitate.
The higher one's cultivation, the more powerfully the Imperial Dao Bloodline within was activated. This was especially true for Ancient Emperor scions like the Ao Imperial Prince; he was practically as powerful as the Ancient Emperor in his youth.
In the distant sky, the Sovereign's Tomb divine mountain belonging to the Chaos Burial Ground Ao Emperor trembled slightly, flowing with surging light.
Seeing this, the Divine King commanding the army revealed a look of astonishment: "You are truly an Ancient Emperor scion?"
"As genuine as they come!" the Ao Imperial Prince declared proudly.
A similar scene played out on the other Sovereign's Tomb continents. Princes and princesses revealed their identities as the descendants of the Ancient Emperors buried within the tombs, earning a different kind of regard from the tomb guardians.
Only the Quasi-Monarch of the Bone Demon Imperial Clan faced some difficulty, but he also stated his identity as a descendant of the Bone Demon Ancient Emperor, his blood energy steaming, resonating with the Sovereign's Tomb.
All forces changed expressions. These armies seemed to be the guardians of the Sovereign's Tombs, preventing others from contending for the Imperial Dao Inheritance. Now that the Ancient Emperors' descendants had appeared, they might assist them in obtaining the true Ancient Emperor inheritance.
However, soon everyone was stunned. Because the armies of the five Sovereign's Tombs, upon seeing the Imperial Clans that were the Ancient Emperors' descendants, revealed a blazing light in their eyes—a light that seemed to look upon prey.
On the Ao Emperor continent, the army Divine King's such fervent gaze made the Ao Imperial Prince feel a hint of unease. Others were also stunned, sensing something was very wrong.
The next moment, the Divine King Commander of the army spoke up, laughing heartily: "Hahaha, we have finally awaited your arrival, descendants of the Ao Emperor."
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" the Ao Imperial Prince frowned.
"What do I mean?" The Divine King Commander revealed a cold curve of his lips: "Although we are tomb guardians, we are also tomb raiders. We have been waiting here all along for the descendants of the Ao Emperor to appear. Because to open the Ancient Emperor's tomb, it requires the essence blood of the Ao Emperor's descendants to be spilled upon the Sovereign's Tomb before it can be opened. After waiting for countless years, we have finally awaited your appearance!"
A dramatic turn of events unfolded. The so-called tomb guardians were not genuine at all, but rather tomb raiders waiting for the Ancient Emperors' descendants.
Based on understanding, the tomb guardians were originally some supreme powerhouses who were not dead when captured by the five Ancient Emperors before their fall. They were directly enslaved to become tomb guardians, destined to guard the Sovereign's Tombs for generations, until one day the Ancient Emperors' descendants arrived to obtain the Ancient Emperor inheritance, after which they could leave, ending their guardian fate.
However, the descendants of these supreme powerhouses were unwilling. Moreover, back then, as the Ancient Emperors approached their end, the divine soul enslavement they planted, though powerful, had its limits. Those enslaved were all Ancient Sovereigns who, at the cost of their life flames, severed the enslavement imperial seal to prevent it from being passed down through generations.
Furthermore, they instructed their descendants that if they ever encountered Ancient Emperor scions coming to obtain the Ancient Emperor inheritance, they should sever their divine souls, perform a sacrifice, and seize the Ancient Emperor inheritance.
Hence, the scene before them.
The various major forces watched the Ao Imperial Clan with a spectator's mentality, naturally pleased to see this happen. After all, this Imperial Clan was indeed very powerful, possessing eight Divine Kings and even a Quasi-Monarch. Ordinary Emperor Clans or Immortal Clans would likely be no match for them one-on-one.
If they could witness the Ao Imperial Clan being wiped out, that would be best. Of course, the same went for the humans.
"Mere tomb guardians, not obeying my Imperial Father's decree to guard the Sovereign's Tomb and return it to my clan, yet you dare covet my Imperial Father's Sovereign's Tomb? You all deserve ten thousand deaths!"
The Ao Imperial Prince roared, leading the Imperial Clan powerhouses to attack the army.
There were a full eight Divine Kings, including the Ao Imperial Prince—three young Divine Kings and five older-generation Divine Kings. This did not include the Quasi-Monarch.
Behind them, the Ao Imperial Clan had over a hundred members, all at the Great Power level, with over a dozen Half-Step Divine Kings. It was a formidable force charging forward.
The mysterious army seemed not to have expected the Ao Imperial Clan's lineup to be so powerful. The Divine King Commander's expression changed drastically, but soon turned cold again. Commanding the powerful army, he coldly shouted: "So what if you have Divine Kings? In the face of this God-Slaying Army, you will all be reduced to ashes."
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
From behind, whether it was the thousand-li-long massive warships or the numerous war fortresses, the pitch-black barrels of the many runic cannons erupted with dazzling light. A terrifying power was brewing, and then astonishing beams of light shot forth, instantly reaching the heavens, charging toward the Ao Imperial Clan powerhouses.
Rumble—
The entire Sovereign's Tomb continent shook because the runic cannons contained extremely fearsome Great Dao power, condensed within the beams. It was the sublimation of technology, having taken another path.
In the first clash, the Ao Imperial Clan powerhouses were enveloped. Beams of light shot toward the heavens, landing upon the numerous powerhouses.
The Ao Imperial Prince and other Divine King-level supreme powerhouses snorted coldly. Powerful Divine King radiance shone around their bodies, easily warding off the attacks without a scratch.
However, not everyone could withstand it. Other Great Powers of this Imperial Clan, when struck by the beams, fared better if they were at the Fivefold Heaven or above. But Great Powers below the Fivefold Heaven were slowly penetrated by the beams, their flesh and blood turning to ash, leaving charred, bloody holes on their bodies.
Great Powers at the first or second heaven, struck by over a dozen beams, saw their flesh and blood turn to dust in an instant, directly annihilated, their forms and spirits extinguished here.
In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Heaven's Pride at the Great Power level within the Ao Imperial Clan perished here, reduced to ashes.
Furthermore, several other beams were terrifyingly astonishing. Wherever they shot past, everything turned to ash. Even a Half-Step Divine King present had half his divine body blasted away, letting out a cry of terror: "Beams condensed from Divine King Great Dao origin power!"