The appearance of Emperor Barin, the Blade Emperor, balanced what was initially a one-sided situation. Hai Xin chuckled coldly, "I thought these young Kings had grown some courage to be so bold in front of me... It seems, they have been in cahoots with old ghost Barin all along, haven't they? No matter how I look at it, I'm being outmatched this time, right?"
Barin, with a scar subtly twitching on his face, making his visage even more fearsome, laughed heartily, "I can't compare to the grandeur of Emperor Hai Xin, who wherever he goes, always has two Kings as attendants... Only the Beidou Sect could afford such extravagance! I, Barin, don't have such means, nor do I want the Emperor's tomb's treasures to fall into your hands. So, other than aligning with these youngsters, what choice do I have?"
Hai Xin glanced over at the four Kings behind Barin and said lightly, "Everyone knows the infamy of the Blade Emperor, countless strong have fallen to him, including possibly some of your relatives... In such circumstances, you still dare to cooperate with him?"
The four Kings behind Barin remained silent. Barin snorted, "Indeed, I have killed countless, but what of it? Your Beidou Sect has been arrogant enough over the years, virtually dictating the Tianfeng Empire... These strong individuals and families have suffered greatly under your hands, losing much... If I hadn't shown up, would you really share any spoils with them? There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests... Everyone understands that cooperating with me could bring benefits, but cooperating with you might not even leave them bones!"
Hai Xin responded coolly, "Indeed, cooperating with me might not bring benefits, but opposing me... the consequences are obvious."
Barin laughed, "No need to worry, Emperor Hai Xin. As long as I'm alive, if you dare to touch them, you'll have to answer to my blade!" With those words, Barin had effectively protected the four Kings behind him, severing their ties with the Beidou Sect. The situation was beyond pleasantries now; they were all prepared for this when they decided to vie for the Emperor's tomb. They weren't afraid, knowing even the Beidou Sect couldn't take on so many forces at once.
Hai Xin's slight smile vanished, replaced by a sneer, "So, old ghost Barin, you're really set on opposing me?"
Barin laughed, "Young Hai, haven't I always opposed you? Over these years, have you or your Beidou Sect ever bested me? Today, even if I have to go all out, I won't let you get your hands on the Emperor's tomb's treasures!"
Hai Xin frowned, "Let me be frank, Barin. The treasures this time are specifically requested by our Sect Master... You've opposed our Beidou Sect for years, and the Sect Master has been lenient. You must have some idea of his strength. If you mess up this time and anger our sect, the consequences..."
Barin hummed lightly, "You really think I don't know what's happened to that old monster? He was a peak Emperor, now probably a Venerable. But he hasn't shown up for years to consolidate the empire's forces, suggesting something's gone wrong. And this time... the treasures in the Emperor's tomb could likely change his situation. If I let you have them, what's the difference between that and seeking death?"
Hearing this, Hai Xin's expression changed slightly, noticed by everyone present. The atmosphere grew even more intense. "So that's it..." Gong Wushuang inhaled sharply, "I had heard rumors that the old monster of the Beidou Sect, while successfully breaking through to Venerable, suffered some side effects, leaving him unable to leave the sect. I always thought it was false, but now it seems true... Given Hai Xin's focus on the Emperor's tomb, they must have clues that the treasures could change the old monster's situation... If he gets them, we're in trouble!"
Li Yi frowned slightly, "What's in the Emperor's tomb?"
Gong Wushuang shook her head, "I don't know exactly, but given the current situation, there must be something extraordinary inside. If they start fighting, we need to act quickly; whatever it is, it can't fall into the Beidou Sect's hands!"
Li Yi looked at Gong Wushuang with a half-smile, "Seems like the force behind you, Sister Gong, isn't on good terms with the Beidou Sect..."
Caught off guard, Gong Wushuang hesitated. She wanted to explain, but realized Li Yi was already looking up at the sky.
"What happens when an Emperor fails to ascend to Venerable status?" Li Yi quickly asked inwardly.
"Well... usually they die cleanly," replied the Serpent Venerable indifferently. "But from their tone, it seems the Sect Master of the Beidou Sect failed in his ascension but didn't die... probably due to their sect's techniques. Even so, recovery would be extremely difficult..."
"Then what could aid in such a recovery?"
"There are no more than three things on the Martial Deity Continent that could do that, each incredibly rare. I can't say what it is without seeing it... Kid, just keep watching for now. They haven't started fighting yet; it's not the time for Barin's 'plan'."
Li Yi smiled inwardly, responding, "If we can't follow his plan, we can follow mine."
In the sky, after taking a deep breath, Hai Xin's expression turned from shock to a mocking smile, "Since it's like this, don't blame me for being rude!"
"Who's being rude to whom remains to be seen," laughed Barin. As his flaming wings flickered, he vanished into thin air. At that instant, Hai Xin's eyes showed a hint of seriousness. Without hesitation, his lustrous wings flared, launching a Dou Qi whip into the void.
"Ha! Your nose is still as sharp as ever, young Hai!" jeered Barin, appearing abruptly a few meters behind Hai Xin, then dodging the whip and appearing above him.
"But having a sharp nose isn't that useful!" With that, Barin transformed his hand into a blade, condensing Dou Qi into a blade shape, and viciously slashed towards Hai Xin's head.
"How dare you disrespect our elder!" The Moonlight Guardians, reacting to Barin's sudden move, surged upwards. At the same moment, Zong Bing, Ao Yue, and Bei Hao appeared in front of them. "We've heard about your prowess, comparable to an Emperor. Today, the three of us will be your opponents!" said Bei Hao as the trio unleashed their massive Dou Qi whips.
Elsewhere, Yan Qing materialized before Ye Wu Dao, "Old ghost... seems like we can continue our fight now!" The seven Kings collided fiercely, filling the sky above the ruins with intertwining Dou Qi whips.
Above them, Hai Xin and Barin exchanged blows, with Hai Xin casually releasing a wind blade that countered Barin's attack. Both were intimately familiar with each other's techniques, and this probing fight did little to stir their emotions.
Ignoring the intense battle below, Barin stepped back after his strike, saying lightly, "Young Hai, not used to fighting without your attendants?"
"On the contrary, without them getting in the way, I can properly deal with you, old ghost," Hai Xin replied.
"Really?" said Barin. "Then... die!" He clapped his hands, and a surge of fiery red Dou Qi filled the sky, forming a massive Dao-like shape. With a fierce shout, he slashed it down at Hai Xin.
"Tian Zhu (Heavenly Execution)!" countered Hai Xin with "Wild Wind Millennium Dance!"
"Boom—" The red and green Dou Qi collided fiercely, splitting the sky in two. Below, Li Yi peeked out from his hiding spot, "Finally, they've started... According to old ghost Barin's plan, we should take Shang Jie and leave, drawing attention away... But Sister Gong, this seems like a good opportunity for a countermove."
"What do you mean?"
"Barin is too busy to notice us now, and he won't expect us to turn on him... If we press Shang Jie for the location of the Emperor's tomb and enter it, what are our chances of success?"
"About fifty-fifty," said Gong Wushuang.
"That's enough... After all this effort, it's time to seize the moment... Let Barin keep fighting!"
Li Yi smiled lightly, his eyes landing on Shang Jie, "I don't believe this sly guy hasn't made other plans... So, what do we do now?"
"I don't have time to interrogate Shang Jie on where the entrance to the Martial Deity's tomb is... Sister Gong, you can handle this small matter, right?" said Li Yi.
Gong Wushuang huffed and without a word, dashed towards Shang Jie, grabbing him by the head. Moments later, she returned to Li Yi's side, having moved so quickly that the fighters above didn't notice.
"What's the result? Where is the Martial Deity's tomb?"
"Not far, accessible from an altar in the ruins," said Gong Wushuang. "However, that guy only entered the outer parts of the Emperor's tomb. The inner part, as he said, is protected by Dou Qi, which we might not..."
Li Yi gestured for her to stop, "Now's not the time to worry about that. Which direction is the altar?"
"East!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"