Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

——The emperor, the pioneer, and also the shield. Those who abandon their people and flee are like turtles. Since I am the king, I shall share the trials and tribulations with my people!

This was the last thing that the world’s last emperor, Divine Hidden Crane, said to all the Superpower Users when he decided to stay in the Infected Zone, accompanying his infected subjects through life and death.

After saying that, he walked into the Infected Zone without hesitation, not looking back.

Today, in the Divine Martial Realm, there are several major alliances, with the Divine Hidden Alliance being the most powerful, fervently venerating Divine Hidden Crane.

Members of the Divine Hidden Alliance are almost all descendants of the ancient Xia Country.

After arriving in the Divine Martial Realm, the Divine Hidden Alliance never had an emperor, because in their hearts, Divine Hidden Crane is the eternal and unfallen emperor.

The last words of Divine Hidden Crane have been inscribed in their textbooks to warn and educate future generations, reminding them to remember the contributions of Divine Hidden Crane and the sacrifices of the Infected.

When Huo Wen’an finished saying this, the entire Sacrificial Tower seemed to fall silent.

Soon after, there was a clattering sound from the intricately carved wooden wall ahead of them.

Song Chi’s eyes were full of astonishment. He turned around abruptly to look at Huo Wen’an and blurted out, "What was that you just said?"

Song Chi had never heard that sentence before. He mused, "I haven’t read much, maybe I haven’t studied at all, so I don’t know about history either."

Song Chi asked Xu Xingguang, "Boss, do you know which famous person said that?"

Xu Xingguang didn’t know either, but she guessed, "Divine Hidden Crane."

"Divine Hidden Crane." Song Chi frowned, and said, "If civilization hadn’t experienced a fracture, Divine Hidden Crane’s name should have appeared frequently in history books."

Yet in the history books of the mortal world, this person’s name is not even mentioned.

How sad.

"Uncle." Song Chi was full of doubt, "How do you know the words of Divine Hidden Crane?"

Even Huo Wen’an couldn’t explain it clearly.

He exchanged a glance with Xu Xingguang, and a deeper speculation formed in his heart.

Clack——

Clack——

Inside the intricately carved wall, the mechanism continuously emitted a series of tapping sounds, like beating on porcelain, forming a melody.

Xu Xingguang closed her eyes, her fingertips playing an imaginary piano in the air, and with her strong memory, she memorized the melody on the spot.

Upon opening her eyes, she was deeply shaken, "This should be a segment of a Soul Suppressing Song."

"Soul Suppressing Song?" Song Chi, who didn’t understand music, asked, "Is the so-called Soul Suppressing Song merely a simple tune, or is it a song with soul-suppressing power?"

"It’s hard to say. There are many random soul suppressing songs floating around in this world, but those are just ordinary tunes. To my knowledge, some individuals can indeed compose soul-suppressing songs, but the creators of these tunes generally possess strong spiritual power."

On the Holy Spirit Continent, certain cultivators can use spiritual power to condense musical instruments and compose music. The music created with spiritual power can have various magical effects.

It’s just unknown whether this particular Soul Suppressing Song has soul-suppressing powers.

Rumble!

The intricately carved wooden wall in front of them automatically split open, transforming into countless vividly carved flowers. These flowers were tightly interconnected, forming a wooden staircase.

The staircase led to the top of the Sacrificial Tower.

The three exchanged glances. Huo Wen’an put away his laid-back demeanor and said, "I’ll go first, Xingguang, follow me, Song Chi, you bring up the rear."

"Okay."

The carved wooden staircase was bizarre and complex in shape, and unsteady to step on, but Huo Wen’an trod steadily and calmly.

Xu Xingguang and Song Chi followed his footsteps closely.

At the end of the wooden staircase was a circular altar, on which rested an ebony coffin.

The three focused on the coffin, none daring to relax their vigilance.

Song Chi took a pack of mint candies from his pocket, scattering them on the ground. The mint candies reached the coffin without activating any mechanisms.

"No mechanisms," Xu Xingguang said. "The closed lock is the most complex and difficult mechanism to break in the world. Sealed locations with closed locks generally don’t have mechanisms inside."

"Because there’s no need."

Those who can successfully open the closed lock and enter are, more often than not, trusted descendants of the closed space.

If not descendants, those who can unlock and enter by their own abilities won’t be troubled by other mechanisms either.

Nodding thoughtfully, Song Chi felt he learned something new today.

Approaching the ebony coffin, Huo Wen’an tried to push it open, but even with all his strength, he only managed to move the coffin lid an inch.

All three exerted force together, managing to move the coffin lid.

Song Chi curiously peered into the coffin and exclaimed, "How can this be!"

"Hmm?" Huo Wen’an turned slightly to glance into the pitch-black coffin but did not see the emperor’s skeleton.

Inside, there was only a sword.

"It’s a sword tomb. The real Divine Hidden Crane jumped into the Kunze Mountain Range long ago; this sword was likely his weapon during his lifetime."

Xu Xingguang instructed Song Chi, "Pick it up and see."

Song Chi hesitated slightly before reaching out for the sword.

Just as his fingertip touched the blade, an invisible fiery aura scorched the back of his hand painfully. "Hiss!" Song Chi jerked his hand back, and upon inspecting the back of his hand, the skin was completely burned to a crisp.

Song Chi’s expression constantly shifted.

Xu Xingguang, like performing a magic trick, pulled a small ointment from her pocket and tossed it to Song Chi, "Apply it, it’ll scab by tomorrow."

Only then did Song Chi nod his head.

Xu Xingguang said to Huo Wen’an, "You give it a try."

Huo Wen’an did not hesitate at all and directly reached out to take that sword.

When he completely grasped the hilt of the sword, Song Chi didn’t see Huo Wen’an getting injured.

His expression became peculiar.

This sword acknowledges its owner.

Huo Wen’an is its owner.

Song Chi was no fool, linking what Huo Wen’an said earlier and the sword’s reaction, he guessed Huo Wen’an’s identity.

The sword held in Huo Wen’an’s hand was designed like bamboo joints, made from materials neither iron nor steel.

The sword’s blade was pitch-black, with the words ’Divine Concealment’ written in red vermillion on its hilt.

"Do you feel anything?" Xu Xingguang asked Huo Wen’an.

Huo Wen’an shook his head, "No, I just feel that it’s quite heavy."

"How heavy?"

Huo Wen’an handed the sword to Xu Xingguang and said, "You give it a try."

Even though Xu Xingguang had readied herself mentally, when that sword fell into her palm, it still weighed down her entire arm.

She frowned and, using all her strength, barely managed to lift it.

"It’s Fei Iron, an extremely rare type of meteorite iron. I once knew someone with a longbow made from Fei Iron, fully drawn, the range was a thousand miles."

"Fei Iron is the perfect meteorite iron for making weapons; because of it, there was once a disastrous war with heavy casualties." That was a piece of history from the interstellar world.

"I didn’t expect Divine Hidden Crane to have such a treasure."

Seeing Xu Xingguang struggling that even sweat formed on her forehead, Huo Wen’an quickly took the sword back. "It’s weird, I only feel it’s a bit heavy, but far from being unable to lift it."

"Because it acknowledges its owner."

It acknowledges its owner.

Xu Xingguang almost pointed out Huo Wen’an’s other identity directly.

Huo Wen’an, however, found it unbelievable and said, "How can a person who died two thousand years ago still be alive?" He still couldn’t believe he was Divine Hidden Crane.

Song Chi spoke astonishingly, "How can you be sure Divine Hidden Crane died after leaping into the Kunze Mountain Range?"

Song Chi’s mind ran wild and he said, "Didn’t Zhang Zhiyi say, that foreign meteorite was quite wicked, awakening superpowers in many people? Maybe after Divine Hidden Crane jumped in, he didn’t really die. His body underwent a new mutation, and after two thousand years of sleep, he became you?"

"We’ve come this far; we can’t view the world with normal perspectives anymore." Song Chi wanted to smoke a cigarette but it was inappropriate for the occasion, he sighed, "Since finding out about the existence of the mortal world and the Divine Martial Realm, my worldview has been shattered."

Xu Xingguang also found Song Chi’s analysis reasonable and said, "Wang Yue died, his spiritual power underwent an anomaly and successfully resurrected in You Jiaoyang’s body. So Divine Hidden Crane might not be completely dead. Besides..."

Xu Xingguang said with a half-smile, "The Old Helmsman could make Princess pregnant at his age; your background is destined to be extraordinary."

Huo Wen’an tapped Xu Xingguang’s forehead, "Don’t mess around."

Xu Xingguang clicked her tongue and walked to the coffin. Stretching her head inside, she looked around and said suddenly, "Song Chi, find a way to get some sunlight in here."

Song Chi directly drew the gun from his waist and fired at the corridor by the entrance, the bullet pierced the tower body behind the corridor, and a beam of sunlight shot in through the small hole.

Xu Xingguang took out her compact mirror, intercepting the beam of light.

She adjusted the mirror angle, directing the beam into the coffin.

The pitch-black coffin surface revealed dark golden text.

Seeing this, Huo Wen’an suddenly swung his sword, shattering the dome of the Sacrificial Tower above. The sunlight poured in, and the black coffin instantly sparkled with golden light.

A stretch of text appeared.

"What script is this?" Song Chi couldn’t recognize the characters at all.

Huo Wen’an said, "These are ancient characters; I’ve seen them in the original text of the ’Ancient Medicine Transmission.’ In the real Ancient Medicine Transmission, it’s all written in this script."

The Ancient Medicine Transmission everyone sees now is in simplified form.

"So what does it say on this?"

Huo Wen’an said, "I don’t recognize it." But Ye Mingluo does.

Huo Wen’an was a science student, sharp with numbers but uninterested in arts or history. Later, when Huo Canghai brought him back to the Huo Family, he studied management and business.

He really didn’t recognize it.

Huo Wen’an scratched his nose, feeling a rare moment of embarrassment.

Xu Xingguang whispered, "Two illiterates." She stood at the end of the coffin, staring at the golden text inside, and read aloud in a deep voice——

[Divine Hidden Dynasty, Winter of the 19th year of Anping, a strange stone fell from the sky, landing in Kunze, causing mountains to collapse, lands to crack, and the seas to roar, as if doomsday;

Black smoke billowing, countless corpses piled up, terrifying, lamentable.

The following year, in March, superpower users appeared, the dynasty fell into turmoil...]

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