Zhou Yan said earnestly, then reached out and held the gem.
Instantly, the gem erupted with a dazzling radiance, and then this light quickly drilled into Zhou Yan's mind. Immediately, a vast amount of information flooded into his mind.
"Is this the memory of the Saint Emperor?"
Zhou Yan opened his eyes, a look of shock on his face.
This information was precisely some memories of the Saint Emperor.
According to the Saint Emperor's memories, he was the most powerful God King in the world. However, hundreds of years ago, he was attacked by a group of terrifying black-clothed figures. These figures used an extremely evil forbidden art to kill the Saint Emperor and seal his body within this secret treasure.
"The will of the Saint Emperor is eternal. It is just that his physical body has decayed. I could only preserve my body with my will, but although my will is strong, it cannot resist the erosion of time. Over the years, my consciousness has grown weaker and weaker, until today, I finally sensed a wisp of blood. I believe that the owner of this blood can help me reshape my physical body and also allow my strength to recover." After the Saint Emperor's will finished speaking, it disappeared completely.
Zhou Yan slowly closed his eyes and fell into a state of blankness, but the scene that had just occurred still lingered in his mind.
Zhou Yan slowly opened his eyes, a gleam of excitement flashing in his gaze.
He knew that he had obtained something extraordinary. This gem absolutely had to be acquired, because it was a great trouble.
"Haha, I never expected that the Saint Emperor's legacy would be found by me so easily. This way, I will be qualified to participate in the assessment again." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
In Zhou Yan's mind, a small seal floated, continuously emitting a faint green glow that shone upon Zhou Yan's forehead.
Zhou Yan felt an unprecedented sense of comfort throughout his body.
"This small seal is called the 'Shi Tian Yin' (Sky Devouring Seal), which is the culmination of the Saint Emperor's life's work. It contains his lifetime of cultivation insights, countless martial arts secrets, and the Saint Emperor's inherited memories. If you can comprehend it, it will be enough to help you grow to an unimaginable height. However, I suggest you do not rush to cultivate it. First, improve your strength. When your cultivation reaches its peak, then go and cultivate the Shi Tian Yin," the voice of the Saint Emperor came from the small seal.
"I understand." Zhou Yan nodded, then put the small seal into his storage ring.
Zhou Yan stood up and looked around. He saw that this vast open land was covered with withered bones, clearly indicating that this was a battlefield where heroes and great figures of past generations were buried.
"No wonder this area is called the Slaughter Battlefield," Zhou Yan sighed softly and said, "It truly lives up to its name as the Slaughter Battlefield."
The origin of the Slaughter Battlefield was when a subordinate of the Desolate Emperor, leading a large force of powerful individuals, went to the Desolate Mountain Range to attack the beasts within. However, they were counterattacked by the beasts and suffered heavy losses. Even the Desolate Emperor's personal guard army was annihilated, with only a few escaping. These escapees were then sealed within the Desolate Mountain Range, becoming Desolate Warriors.
These individuals had been sealed for too long, and their temperaments were extremely violent. They did not adhere to any principles of righteousness or morality, only knowing how to kill and fight. Therefore, even though they had been sealed for an immeasurable period, their strength remained terrifying, and no one in the Desolate Mountain Range dared to provoke them.
Zhou Yan was the leader of this group of Desolate Warriors. Among them were thirty thousand Desolate Warriors. Of these, eight hundred and sixty-seven had followed the Saint Emperor on countless campaigns and rendered distinguished services. Additionally, there were two hundred ordinary warriors responsible for guarding this secret realm. Every one of these warriors possessed a cultivation level above the Martial Disciple realm, with the weakest being at the second stage of Body Tempering.
These individuals were the elite forces under the Saint Emperor's command, and it was with their help that the Saint Emperor had been able to safely and smoothly conquer the entire Great Desolation.
"Since I have received your legacy, I cannot abandon you," Zhou Yan muttered to himself.
After speaking, Zhou Yan took a deep breath and looked around. In this giant pit, there were corpses everywhere. The number of fallen warriors here was in the tens of millions. Zhou Yan picked up a greatsword from the ground. This greatsword emitted a cold gleam, clearly a good weapon. This greatsword was also a spiritual treasure, but it was already broken. However, even so, this sword was priceless.
"Hmm? What is this..." Suddenly, Zhou Yan's gaze fell upon an ancient tome next to a skeleton.
At this moment, Zhou Yan trembled with excitement. This book actually recorded a powerful martial art. The grade of this martial art was not very high, but it was very suitable for Zhou Yan to cultivate at present.
"Azure Lotus Burning Heaven Fist."
Zhou Yan carefully flipped through the book, then, with excitement on his face, leaped into the air and struck out with a punch towards the void. Instantly, a ball of azure flame ignited fiercely.
This was Zhou Yan's first attempt at performing this martial art. In that instant, a violent power surged out like a raging flood, sweeping in all directions. This was an extremely violent power, as if it were capable of destroying the heavens and earth.
"Boom..." After a series of violent explosions, the trees within a radius of several hundred meters instantly turned to ashes. Moreover, these ashes did not fall to the ground but flew up, forming countless particles.
"Hoo..."
Zhou Yan let out a long breath. The power of this fist technique was truly astonishing. Zhou Yan estimated that if he were to use it, he could contend even against a cultivator at the first level of the Qi Gathering realm.
Of course, this was only for ordinary cultivators. If he encountered a stronger expert above that realm, this punch might not be very effective.
"Regardless, I can finally embark on the path of a strong cultivator," Zhou Yan said excitedly in his heart.
After all this effort, Zhou Yan finally had a tangible result, which was that he could now practice this martial art.
At the same time, a question arose in Zhou Yan's mind.
Logically speaking, the Saint Emperor's strength back then should have been very formidable, yet he perished here.
This left Zhou Yan somewhat puzzled. However, Zhou Yan did not dwell on it further, because his current goal was to become stronger, to become incredibly powerful. Only by possessing absolute strength could he change his fate.