Seeing everyone nodding in agreement, Gu Qingyang smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on the energy storm sweeping in from afar. "Since no one objects, let us begin. As this proposal came from me, we shall take the initiative first—then everyone may take turns afterward. Of course, do not expect me to be overly direct. Should anyone wish to cut corners or harbor ill intentions, I won’t hesitate to make my concerns known." As he spoke, his eyes swept over the gathering, finally settling on Huncai and Hunli, the last two standing. On his composed face, a subtle reserve lingered. "Commander Qingyang, please rest assured—now we are all on the same boat. Whoever seeks to sink it will not go unnoticed by the others." The speaker was a man with a lightning-patterned mark across his forehead, a member of the Lei Clan, one of the Eight Clans. "Ah, thank you very much," Gu Qingyang replied with a smile, then turned to Gu Zhen and his two companions. "We shall begin right away. Xiao Yan, Xun'er—yours will be the last turn." Upon seeing Gu Qingyang finally turn his gaze their way, Xiao Yan gave a slight nod, understanding that Gu Qingyang intended for them to remain at the end, keeping a watchful eye on the two on the Soul Cliff. "Alright, let's get started then!" The man in the silver robe chuckled and then slowly approached the luminous screen with the other three. Within him, the Qi surged like a flood, roaring forth until it formed massive, sweeping ribbons of Qi that struck the solid, tangible screen with tremendous force. "Boom!" With their combined power, the attack was exceptionally powerful. Even though the screen was extremely resilient, it cracked under the impact, eventually splitting open with a series of cracks until a small crater—about one zhang in diameter and roughly three to four meters high—appeared with a crisp "crack." "Thud! Thud! Thud!" "Seeing the attack prove effective, everyone exhaled in relief, then the four of Gu Qingyang surged once more. Their hands, wrapped in brilliant qi, cut through the crystalline wall like the sharpest blades, piercing deep with force, sending out continuous bursts of tangible energy fragments. At this moment, the four were clearly functioning like excavation machines, steadily deepening the trench as their powerful qi surged forth. "Phew..." This excavation process lasted about ten minutes before Gu Qingyang and his companions paused, slightly dampened at the temples, and turned to look back. The trench had now been carved into a passage roughly ten zhang wide, stretching behind them. One by one, the others entered, curiously examining the surrounding energy crystal layers. The luminous screen spanned over a hundred zhang in width, so even with Xiao Yan and his companions continuously working, it took nearly an hour to complete the excavation. The sheer volume of work—far beyond what one or two individuals could manage—would likely require a full week of uninterrupted effort to accomplish. "Commander Qingyang, let us take over..." Seeing the four members of the Gu Qingyang clan halt, the two men from the Lei clan behind them smiled, naturally aware that with the strength of Gu Qingyang and his companions, they could still hold on, but the others clearly intended to conserve their energy and wouldn't truly exhaust themselves here—after all, the relationships among the ancient eight clans were not as harmonious as one might imagine, and mutual caution remained ever-present. "Ah, then it would be a great favor to Lei Luo brothers," Gu Qingyang replied with a smile, and the four of them stepped back. The two Lei clan members then advanced steadily, gathering brilliant flashes of lightning on their fists, and with a final, low cry, delivered a powerful blow. The sound of thunder echoed once again throughout the passage. "The energy storm is drawing closer..." As the group advanced with the passage gradually unfolding, Xiao Yan, at the rear, turned his head to gaze at the entrance. The energy pressure radiating from outside grew stronger, and faintly, the rushing, whistling sound of the energy storm could be heard. "The energy storm should be unable to breach the entrance," Xiao Yan's gaze reassured Xin'er with a smile. "Has the entrance to the third level always been solid and tangible?" Xiao Yan nodded, then gently touched the solid energy crystal layers beside him. These vibrant formations were created by the condensation of extremely potent energy, compressed under unimaginable pressure, ultimately forming the expansive energy curtain. "Yes," Xin'er replied. "It's said that since our eight clans first arrived here, the curtain has always been tangible. Even after countless years of change, these solid energies have never begun to melt." Xun nodded gently. Xiao Yan murmured in admiration, clearly impressed by the wonders of the Heavenly Tomb. As their conversation progressed, the channel grew longer and longer. However, since only two members of the Lei Clan were participating, their pace naturally paled in comparison to that of Gu Qingyang's group. Thus, when they rotated their personnel, they had only managed to establish a channel of less than five zhang in length. Fortunately, there were still many others joining in succession, one after another, gradually deepening the energy channel. "The energy storm has surged in..." This sudden commotion immediately silenced the group, their faces growing serious. Such a vast energy curtain had been reduced to this state by the impact of the storm—had they still been outside, they would have been turned to powder in an instant. "Everyone, move faster," Ancient Qingyang frowned slightly, then spoke. Though they had managed to evade the storm's direct assault, the atmosphere remained overwhelmingly oppressive. Around them, the radiant energy crystal layers shimmered beautifully, yet an undercurrent of discomfort lingered. Hearing his voice, the group nodded in response. The two fire-wielders leading the way ahead quickened their attack rhythms. … "Hmph…" As time passed, Xiao Yan and Xun'er also stepped in, launching two attacks each. Opening the crystal layers wasn't as difficult as Xiao Yan had anticipated—though the layers were extremely hard, they proved manageable for him, given his several unique flames. Under the watchful eyes of Xiao Yan and Xun'er, Hun Cliffs and Hun Li carried out their share of labor, but from the duration of their efforts, it was clear they were somewhat sluggish. Still, at this stage, there was no time to reprimand them. No matter how much Xiao Yan disliked their performance, he would have to wait until after they exited the energy channel before addressing their shortcomings. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan paid closer attention to the two members of the Medicinal Clan who had entered the Heavenly Tomb. One was a man whose garments bore unusual patterns, and the other was a vibrant, attractive woman dressed in fiery hues. In terms of aura, both appeared to be at the Seven-Star Battle Sovereign level—though their surface combat prowess seemed no match for that of Hun Cliffs and others. Occasionally, they glanced at Xiao Yan, and while their expressions were not particularly warm, Xiao Yan chose not to mind. The talented individuals from these ancient clans naturally carried a subtle sense of superiority, especially when interacting with ordinary humans, where this sense was particularly pronounced. "Hmph…" The booming sounds continued to echo throughout the corridor. Xiao Yan closed his eyes slightly, but just as he did so, a subtle, faint sound reached his ears, causing him to open them again and turn his gaze toward the crystalline wall on his left. To his surprise, he found a thin layer of energy liquid seeping out from the wall. "What...?" Xiao Yan paused, scanning the crystalline walls on both sides. He stood still for a moment, then, with a look of curiosity from Xun'er, gently flicked his fingers, sending two ribbons of energy arching out from his fingertips and connecting to the walls on either side. Yet, for his cry, Xiao Yan remained unmoved, slowly lifting his head to gaze at the group. The rosy hue on his face had faded considerably, and with a dry voice, he said, "The crystalline walls are closing in..." As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, an instant silence fell throughout the corridor. Gu Qinqiang's expression grew increasingly grave, and he too mimicked Xiao Yan, projecting two streaks of energy and carefully sensing the response—indeed, a subtle pressure was returning through the energy streaks. "Damn it! What kind of place is this!" Seeing Gu Qinqiang's demeanor, everyone grew uneasy, some even unable to hold back their exclamations of frustration. Gu Zhen's face also grew serious. He hurried to the edge of the crystalline walls, touched them lightly, then said solemnly, "There's something within the walls." "Boom!" "As soon as the ancient truth was spoken, he immediately struck a powerful blow directly against the crystalline wall. Instantly, a crack appeared there, and within it, countless snow-white creatures began to move subtly, their bodies pulsing with life. Liquid substances seeped out and spread across the crystal surface, rapidly solidifying into a thin, tangible layer of energy." "These creatures must be secreting energy to repair the crystalline wall," Xiang Yan murmured, drawing a deep breath and feeling a cold sensation rise from the soles of his feet. He slowly turned around, scanning the surroundings. So, this vast energy curtain standing in the heavens—was it actually created by these small white insects? Given their size, the sheer number required to form such an immense spectacle must be staggering. They had, in fact, ventured into the very heart of a colossal, super-sized insect colony!" As Xiao Yan grew cold at the core with concern, the gazes of Gu Qingyang and the others also settled upon those snow-white insects, their faces gradually turning pale.