"Strong and dangerous," the yellow light said. Its top half suddenly materialized at his side, and it tried to punch him with its red snake arm.

As Liu Xing summoned his shield, he could see its face. Its face was human, with a calm demeanor, its ears also human, and there was nothing coiling or tied around its neck. It didn't wear clothes, yet its yellow skin almost looked like clothing, with individual threads visible.

Liu Xing knew, without a doubt, that this single abomination was an anomaly.

A shield materialized between him and the abomination. The snake head hit the shield forcefully, but it successfully bought him time. Leaning to the side, Liu Xing jumped toward another abomination. This was also a snake-limbed abomination he didn't recall seeing before, with red fruits for ears. When Liu Xing slashed it, the creature split into two.

The abomination that turned into yellow light moved with such incredible speed toward him that Liu Xing could barely track it. By instinct, he summoned his turtle in front of it, bringing it to a stop. Meanwhile, he aimed his floating gun at a worm mid-jump, its mouth gaping wide as it tried to swallow a Yang clan member. He shot it with Exploding Bullets made from qi from his Ethereal pearl until it exploded into a red mist. His gun then rotated, shooting each of the abominations surrounding the Yang clan members. The dog died, and he sent a crescent qi slash toward an abomination that looked like it was composed of five people, turning them into a bloody stain on the floor.

At this moment, Yang Hongyin landed in the room. She created a giant fire bird and directed it to several snake-limbed abominations, scorching them until they turned to ash. The Yang Clan members, who had been backed into the corner, began attacking as well, sending a myriad of fire attacks that pelted the surrounding abominations.

Less than thirty seconds after Liu Xing landed, only two abominations remained: the snake-limbed abomination with yellow skin and a human head, and a Sun Refining abomination walking through the hole in the wall, dusting off its red robe. The yellow abominationjumped back, landing beside the Sun Refining abomination, and crossed its limbs across its chest, as if the red snakes were truly arms.

Yang Jinyan and Yang Suyin also arrived, and along with Yang Hongyin, they positioned themselves beside Liu Xing, with the Yang clan members behind them. Liu Xing could hear some of them exclaim happily, saying "We're safe!" or "The prince has come!" and other exclamations, but he remained focused on the enemies.

Dismissing his turtle, nothing now obstructed them from their opponents. These two enemies were obviously abnormal—one a Sun Refining abomination, the other maintaining a calm expression, its eyes shining with intelligence, as if truly in control.

"Explain the situation," Yang Jinyan ordered, his eyes fixed on the enemies.

"Yes!" One of the Yang clan members responded. "We're from the fourth group, and as you instructed, we scouted the way to the Emperors' Tomb. Some people from the second group are here, while there's no news from the third group."

"The third group was scattered," Yang Suyin commented.

The snake-limbed abomination pointed at them while speaking to its companion with a slight smile, as if joking with a friend. Liu Xing caught its words: "Isn't that from your clan?" Which makes Liu Xing's eyes narrow further.

"Continue," Yang Jinyan said.

"We had secured a tunnel to move into the Emperors' Tomb and were waiting for further instructions when suddenly, thousands of abominations came rushing in."

Liu Xing glanced at the speaker. He looked young, wearing a red robe that was torn in several places. His dark hair was dirty, and he appeared pale. The rest of the group looked equally pale and weary—understandably terrified after encountering thousands of snake-limbed and worm abominations.

"Luckily, all the abominations rushed toward the Emperors' Tomb," he pointed at two giant double doors standing wide open.

This information prompted several questions in Liu Xing's mind, the most prominent being: Why?

Why did they head straight to the Emperors' Tomb? It was as if, upon entering the castle, killing him was no longer a priority—a situation that could be interpreted as either good or bad. Good, because it meant Wei Yi was drawing them into the Emperors' Tomb, which is according to plan. Wei Yi controlling the snake-limbed abominations would make them less dangerous. But it also opened up other possibilities, such as Wei Yi and Yang Lihuo having a specific plan that could guarantee their victory.

"But then, a small group of abominations arrived," he continued. "They were led by that." He pointed to the two abominations that seemed almost like chatting friends—though only one was speaking, while the other merely listened.

"Do you know who he is?" Liu Xing asked the prince, gesturing to the Sun Refining abomination.

Prince Yang Jinyan narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. I would recognize him if he were an elder or even a talented member about to enter the Sun Refining realm. Does anyone know him?" he asked his clan members.

"Don't know," Yang Suyin said.

Yang Hongyin remained silent.

The rest of the clan stammered, "I don't know" or "I don't recognize him."

These responses were concerning. The abomination wore a red robe similar to the Yang clansmen, which meant it was either an abomination that had torn a robe from a fallen clan member or a previously relatively unknown Yang clansman. The second possibility was more likely and alarming—suggesting the abomination had risen from its original cultivation to the Sun Refining realm.

"You know, we can hear what you're saying," the snake-limbed abomination said with a smile.

This yellow-skinned abomination was almost human-like, its red snake limbs larger than most abominations—almost resembling muscular arms and legs. The fact that it could talk indicated it was a special abomination, likely as dangerous as the Sun Refining abomination beside it.

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"What are you?" Liu Xing asked.

"Me? My name is Wei Yi," it pointed to the side with its red snake arm, "he is also Wei Yi. We're Wei Yi." For a moment, its normally human eyes glazed over, as if mind-controlled by something, but then it spoke as if nothing had happened. "We're Wei Yi."

"We are Wei Yi." A gruff sound could be heard from the Sun Refining abomination. When it spoke, Liu Xing could see its mouth was full of yellow eyes, similar to the inverted pyramid he had fought not long ago.

"We're Wei Yi!" The yellow abomination exclaimed, its face becoming gleeful, as if it had just uttered the most joyful thing in the world.

Liu Xing's eyebrows rose. They seemed less in control than they first appeared. The fact that they were claiming to be Wei Yi made him wonder about their true nature. Were they really Wei Yi, or were they abominations who believed themselves to be Wei Yi? If the latter, why would the real Wei Yi allow these abominations to claim his identity?

Suddenly, Liu Xing thought the abomination with yellow skin and human head looked familiar. It had pitch-black hair—neither too short nor too long—with a pointy nose and high cheekbones. He squinted, imagining it older with wrinkled skin and white hair. Once he did, recognition struck him. This abomination was almost a spitting image of a young Bai Lin—the old man who had given him the mission to kill Wei Yi and promised him a Heaven Grade Technique. Bai Lin's grandson had been a mortal living near Mystic Moon City, his body never fully recovered; only his arms remained, with the rest of him probably turned into meatballs and consumed by an abomination.

"You, are you Bai Lin's grandson?" Liu Xing asked.

When Liu Xing mentioned Bai Lin's name, the yellow abomination's eyes were confused for a moment, as if it had just heard a baby babbling, but slowly, its eyes widened until they were as big as saucers, as if it had just heard the most earth-shattering revelation.

"Bai Lin?" It began clutching its head with two snake limbs, its eyes growing wider with each moment, until they seemed ready to burst from their sockets. "Bai Lin. Bai Lin. Grandpa." Suddenly, it closed its eyes, coiled its legs, and jumped toward the still-open golden gate connecting to the Emperors' Tomb. It moved so fast, so frantically—like a child trying to hide from a monster.

Seeing this, Liu Xing had even more questions. The abomination's utterance of "Grandpa" confirmed it was Bai Lin's murdered grandson. Did it still retain memories from its human life? Was it now remembering its past identity?

"Come back," a voice suddenly reverberated through the room. Heavy, solemn, and serious—as if the speaker believed everything was beneath them. Liu Xing looked around, then snapped his eyes toward the Sun Refining abomination. Its mouth was open, and the voice filling the room emanated from it, yet Liu Xing strongly suspected the abomination was not the true speaker. This voice belonged to Wei Yi.

The abomination nodded like a servant hearing its master's command. It crouched, then jumped toward the golden gates, chasing the yellow-skinned abomination. In the air, its body transformed into yellow light and vanished in the blink of an eye, as if it had never existed. The technique reminded Liu Xing of Yang Suyin, who—when Liu Xing glanced to the side—had surprised eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" Prince Yang Jinyan demanded.

The prince's question reflected Liu Xing's own sentiments, but his mind was busy processing what he had just witnessed. He tried to remember the name of Bai Lin's grandson's bloodline. After a moment, he recalled it: the Serpent Sun Bloodline. Liu Xing hadn't asked for details about this bloodline, but its name suggested a connection to serpents and the sun.

"Yang Suyin, what is the name of the technique that allows you to move so quickly?" Liu Xing asked.

Yang Suyin hesitated before answering, "It is called the Lightform Technique. Why?"

"Is it a common technique that everyone in the Yang clan knows?"

Yang Suyin shook his head, his lips tightening. "No, it's a secret technique. As far as I know, it's mine and mine alone."

"Not anymore, it seems."

Seeing the technique in action, Liu Xing suspected that Yang Suyin's technique was actually a diluted version from a bloodline. Perhaps it was related to this Sun Refining abomination and Bai Lin's grandson; both of whom seemed to carry traces of the same bloodline.

However, it could all be a coincidence. This was the Twelve Sun Empire, and every member of the Yang clan probably possessed fire techniques related to the sun. Still, Liu Xing couldn't ignore the significance of these two abominations, especially since Wei Yi had called them back instead of continuing the fight.

For now, their retreat would at least provide a much-needed rest.

Prince Yang Jinyan began questioning the remaining Yang clan members and gathering information. In total, they numbered nineteen—quite a loss, but those remaining were either strong or well-equipped with treasures. Yang Suyin busied himself cataloging the survivors and their possessions, while Yang Hongyin distributed healing and qi restoration pills.

Liu Xing stood to the side, contemplating their situation and planning their next move. Their primary objective remained saving Elder Yang Zhaoyan, with thousands of abominations now inside the Emperors' Tomb. The only viable strategy seemed to be their previous approach: one of them would lure the abominations while the others rescued the elder. The situation had improved somewhat, with Liu Xing and Yang Hongyin serving as their primary offensive force. But before he could propose this plan to Prince Yang Jinyan, a shout echoed from beyond the gates.

"Jinyan!" The voice boomed. "I'll kill you!"

Accompanying the voice were countless footsteps. Liu Xing needed a moment to realize this voice belonged to Yang Lihuo, the one who had betrayed this empire and enabled this catastrophe.

Beyond the giant gates, Liu Xing could see the silhouette of an army. Their eyes shone in the shadows, as if the darkness itself were alive. This illusion lasted only a moment; after several more steps, their faces emerged under the glow of illumination from gems adorning the walls and roof.

This army consisted of at least a thousand abominations. Unlike the previous force of purely snake-limbed creatures and worms, this group displayed remarkable variety. A giant abomination that resembled a jellyfish floated atop the army, composed entirely of blood. Its cap was covered by hundreds of human heads, each frozen in a horrified expression—eyes wide open, tongues lolling.

Scattered throughout were several gigantic black dogs with human heads protruding from their foreheads. There were abominations that looked like ordinary humans with heads as large as hot air balloons, others with giant eyes in place of heads, and some that appeared as massive scorpions constructed from human body parts. Each was horrifying, each felt fundamentally wrong.

Walking at the front were the army's leaders and strongest abominations. One was a headless walking human with a gaping hole where its heart should be. Another bore four heads on its shoulders: two were women with tears of blood streaming from their eyes, while the other two were old men smiling with bloody lips.

Between them walked a man in a pristine red robe. His hair was pitch-black, his skin unnaturally white, as if he had never stood beneath the sun. His lower face remained human, with frowning lips, but his upper face told a different story. His eyes resembled those of a snail—two long green branches ending in eyes, while his neck was covered in green scales.

"Jinyan!" he shouted. "To think that you can live this long. How annoying!"

Prince Yang Jinyan rushed forward, his eyes wide. "You—are you Yang Lihuo?"

The man with the snail-like face narrowed his strange eyes, as if he had just heard something profoundly stupid. "Of course. Are you so dim-witted that you've already forgotten my handsome face?" As he spoke, his long snail eyes twitched, and a yellow liquid squirted from his eyeballs.