Chapter 155: The Great Tomb, The Grand Curtain

As factions across the Federation began feverishly preparing for the assault on the Beimang Great Tomb set for two weeks later, deep within the forbidden lands of Mount Beimang, Lu Yan cast his gaze upon the virtual interface before him.

【Version Mutation Progress: 60%】

Just a single meeting with the various factions had pushed the version progress up by a full 10%.

The reason was simple. Until now, the world’s understanding of the spiritual revival was extremely limited, with all information stemming solely from the abnormal phenomena at Mount Beimang and the “Hundred Ghost Parade.”

But once Lu Yan fabricated a true origin for the spiritual revival—and even gifted over a dozen spiritual treasures—the factions now had something tangible to grasp. These events laid the groundwork for the entire concept of spiritual revival.

As their research into spiritual energy deepened, the version progress would only continue to rise.

Even if Lu Yan did nothing else, the progress was projected to reach 100% within half a year.

But Lu Yan was keenly aware of one thing—delays bred change.

Though the Urban Heavenly Will now seemed to pose no threat, it remained the principal will of this world. Who could say whether it still held some hidden countermeasure?

Lu Yan couldn’t afford to be careless.

Moreover, the identity he had constructed—the Lord of the Underworld—needed a proper, reasonable explanation. He had to strengthen its presence so it could continue playing a role in later versions.

And so, he orchestrated the grand stage of the Beimang Great Tomb ahead of time, further perfecting the lore of spiritual revival. By leveraging this moment, he hoped to cement the Underworld’s influence and push the spiritual revival arc to its climax.

With that thought in mind, Lu Yan looked toward the subterranean depths of the forbidden zone.

Nearly four hundred ghost soldiers were tirelessly excavating the mountain to construct a vast tomb.

Working in formation, they used a “Wind-Eroding Formation” to weather down vast swaths of rock, breaking them into sand and dust before clearing the debris and using Earth-Solidifying Techniques to reinforce the tunnels.

Ghost soldiers—whose spectral forms could phase through solid rock—made progress rapidly, especially with spells and formations boosting their efficiency.

At the center of it all sat the Giant Spirit God, eyes glowing as he projected a predesigned tomb blueprint. Every inch, down to murals and patterns carved into the tomb walls, had been meticulously calculated.

This newly carved tomb was naturally distinct from ancient ones. If left untouched, any competent archaeologist would instantly spot discrepancies.

Thus, once construction was complete, the ghost soldiers would flood the tomb with ghostly miasma, subjecting it to long-term erosion. Even the most seasoned experts would struggle to accurately determine its age.

“The Beimang Great Tomb is nearly complete. In half a month… the day of spiritual revival shall descend.”

Lu Yan’s gaze grew deep as he looked toward the heavens.

“I hope… you don’t disappoint me.”

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In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Online, buzz around “spiritual revival” and “mythic reawakening” continued to dominate every platform.

Many even flocked to Luocheng, hoping to catch a glimpse of legends made real—only to be turned back by the government’s strict blockades.

During this period, the busiest entities were undoubtedly the various factions within the Federation.

The trove of spiritual plants harvested from Mount Beimang helped fill the gaps in their research, and within two days, they had established a joint research institute.

Thousands of researchers worked day and night to explore the secrets of spiritual energy.

In addition, they invited religious practitioners from famous mountains and sacred sites across the Federation to join the study of spiritual cultivation.

What started as an experiment quickly yielded unexpected results. Several members of long-standing religious orders—guardians of millennia-old traditions—managed to link insights from Daoist and Buddhist classics with newfound spiritual energy.

They discovered that under spiritual energy’s influence, those deeply versed in these ancient scriptures could meditate on the “Heart Sutra” and actually perceive spiritual energy.

This shocked and delighted the factions—a sign of true ancient inheritance! It validated the return of myth in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan—monitoring everything via the Giant Spirit God—recognized the truth.

These “ancient scriptures” were all closely tied to the meditation techniques of various cultivation methods in the Xianxia version.

Even the 《Red Lotus Karma Fire Sutra》 he practiced had a Heart Sutra chapter that drew heavily from such Daoist and Buddhist canons.

Ironically, the misunderstanding worked in his favor. As these scriptures were accepted as authentic ancient legacies, Lu Yan saw the version progress visibly rise another 2%.

He was more than happy to let that misconception persist.

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Outside of the research, the assault team for the Beimang Tomb had now been fully assembled.

In addition to standard tactical units and faction-trained teams, a special archaeological expert group had been dispatched by the Federation’s Archaeological Association.

Among them were two individuals Lu Yan never expected—Mu Chunqiu and He Dongsheng.

When he saw Mu Chunqiu’s name among the team list, Lu Yan’s first instinct was to intervene immediately.

Mu Chunqiu might seem like a nobody in this urban version, but in the Xianxia version, he was a genuine Nascent Soul stage monster—second only to the AI God in sheer power.

If he detected something suspicious in the tomb, the consequences could be disastrous.

However, after mulling it over, Lu Yan ultimately chose not to interfere.

Mu Chunqiu’s status in the assault plan was extremely high. Any tampering on Lu Yan’s part would leave obvious traces.

Worse yet, it was Mu Chunqiu himself who had volunteered for the tomb mission. Stopping him would be a logistical nightmare.

But on the flip side—if Lu Yan could fool a Nascent Soul cultivator like Mu Chunqiu, the Underworld’s credibility would soar to unprecedented levels.

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As the date finally arrived, the exploration team gathered at the perimeter of the Forbidden Zone.

Fifty personnel stood assembled.

Thirty of them were fully-armed operatives who had, seven days earlier, received injections of spiritual energy serums developed by the joint research institute, enhancing their bodies.

Due to the rarity of spiritual plants, every drop of spiritual essence was precious. Still, the Federation had spared no expense for the sake of the Beimang mission.

Already elite, these soldiers now had triple the strength of an ordinary person after their initial enhancement.

Since their enemy wasn’t human, most didn’t carry complex tactical gear. Beyond gas masks and med kits, their equipment was overwhelmingly focused on firearms, ammunition, military drones, and RPGs.

Had the tomb’s environment allowed it, the Federation might have even rolled in tanks.

Among the remaining twenty, ten were archaeologists, including Mu Chunqiu and He Dongsheng, responsible for scanning and studying the tomb.

The final ten handled logistics and engineering—hauling ammunition, operating machinery, and, if necessary, planting demolition charges for forced tomb destruction.

(End of Chapter)