In general, cultivators at the Divine King realm are reluctant to provoke these Crimson Striped Tigers, unless they are absolutely confident, they will choose to kill such beasts.
However, Zhou Yan encountered one now, and naturally, he couldn't let it go.
Zhou Yan flickered his figure and dodged.
Rumble!
The ground shook violently. The Crimson Striped Tiger missed its target and turned to pursue. Unfortunately, after Zhou Yan performed his movement technique, his speed was too fast. The Crimson Striped Tiger couldn't lock onto him, and soon, Zhou Yan disappeared from its sight.
"Hiss, hiss..."
The Crimson Striped Tiger panted heavily and slowly returned to its lair.
"Roar~"
A group of small cubs rushed forward, circling the Crimson Striped Tiger.
"Aooo, aooo, aooo..." The Crimson Striped Tiger roared, constantly waving its claws.
Zhou Yan left the canyon and soon arrived at the edge of the forest. He looked at the scene in the forest, his brows furrowed. Deep within the dense woods, he smelled a faint scent of blood.
A smile played on Zhou Yan's lips as he walked in that direction. This direction was getting closer to the place where he had seen the corpses of the Slaughter Warriors earlier. He wondered what powerful monster was hidden there.
Soon, Zhou Yan arrived at the scene. He looked at the pile of bones on the ground and couldn't help but frown. Although they had been dead for decades, Zhou Yan could still tell that these Slaughter Warriors had all died from the marks of swords and axes, and even their clothes were tattered.
It was evident that these Slaughter Warriors were powerful, but they had still encountered danger in the end and were killed by other demonic beasts. However, even after decades of death, these Slaughter Warriors still maintained a standing posture, as if they would never bend.
Looking at the skeletons on the ground, Zhou Yan sighed. This was a burial ground, and it was very large. Not only was it the cemetery of the Slaughter Warriors, but their corpses were also not buried and were all laid out here.
"Could it be that the leader of the Slaughter Warriors is buried here?" Zhou Yan muttered to himself.
This speculation made Zhou Yan's heart race a little. If that were the case, it would prove how powerful the leader of these Slaughter Warriors had been in life.
After all, judging by the skeletons of these Slaughter Warriors, they should belong to the elite forces among humans.
Elite forces!
The meaning of this was clear. This unit of Slaughter Warriors, whether in terms of combat training or equipment, was beyond ordinary troops. They wielded strong bows and crossbows, held spears and halberds, and each Slaughter Warrior was skilled and possessed powerful individual combat abilities.
It was no exaggeration to say that one Slaughter Warrior could easily kill ten equally well-trained soldiers.
Such a force was virtually invincible on the battlefield.
"It seems that this is the stationed place of the Slaughter Warriors," Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes.
Judging by their attire, there were indeed ruins of Slaughter Warriors here.
Furthermore, this unit seemed to have been the elite army of a certain country, but they had suffered a devastating blow, and the entire army had perished, leaving only these surviving Slaughter Warriors. Their corpses were also scattered in the wilderness, and this secret realm became their tomb.
Zhou Yan walked slowly, traversing through the forest, and gradually, he heard sounds of fighting.
"Someone?"
Zhou Yan's brows furrowed. At this time, encountering other people here was definitely not a good thing.
Soon, Zhou Yan followed the sound and found himself outside a cave.
"Hmm?"
When Zhou Yan saw the situation inside the cave, he was stunned. Because, in this cave, there was a fist-sized gem that emitted a dazzling golden-yellow light. Vaguely, Zhou Yan felt a fluctuation of desire in his mind. This made Zhou Yan secretly surprised: "Is this because of that gem? Regardless, since I stumbled upon it, I'll take it. It's not difficult anyway."
With that, Zhou Yan prepared to enter the cave.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
Just then, a buzzing sound suddenly echoed in Zhou Yan's mind, followed by an ancient and hoarse voice that boomed in his mind: "I am the artifact of the Holy Emperor, the Holy Emperor's Seal. Now I grant you a new mission. Obtain the Holy Emperor's Seal, and you will be the new Holy Emperor. Now I command you to take this Holy Emperor's Seal and go to the Barren Continent to find the successor. I hope you can help the Barren Continent rise again!"
Zhou Yan was stunned and remained silent for a long time.
After the voice in his mind subsided, it fell silent again. At the same time, a stream of light flowed out from Zhou Yan's mind and instantly transformed into a palm-sized, crystal-clear small seal.
Complex and intricate patterns were carved on the small seal, which contained divine power.
Zhou Yan raised his right hand and held the small seal, observing it carefully. Suddenly, the small seal emitted a dazzling light, and then, a figure appeared from the small seal. It was the figure of a man in a dragon robe, but his face was filled with grief and anger, as if he had been betrayed by someone.
"Who am I?" Zhou Yan asked.
"I am the Holy Emperor," came a low voice from the small seal.
Zhou Yan was startled. This name was not unfamiliar to him. It was the legendary ruler of the Barren Continent.
"I am your servant. I serve you as my master, and you have the right to summon me. May I ask, what are your orders?"
"How strong are you?" Zhou Yan asked.
"My strength rivals that of a Divine King," the Holy Emperor's voice said in a low tone.
Zhou Yan gasped. His cultivation technique was the "Nine Provinces Hegemony Art." This technique was incredibly magical. Once cultivated to completion, it could make a person extremely powerful, but at the same time, it would consume lifespan. It was said to be a heaven-defying technique. If one could cultivate this technique to perfection, they could gain a lifespan of a thousand years. This lifespan would be enough for an extraordinary person to live beyond five hundred years, or even longer.
"Holy Emperor, are you saying that you have already perished, leaving behind a gem, and you have sealed your strength into this gem to protect the Slaughter Warriors here?" Zhou Yan continued to ask.
"That's right. I am cursed, and this gem is the medium to seal me. Only you can accept this gem," the Holy Emperor's voice was full of anticipation.
"Alright, rest assured, I will do my best to help you eliminate these enemies."