Chapter 634 — Familiarity

Just like the outskirts of the ancient city, the atmosphere in its depths had also been calm when the Emperors first entered it.

Most practitioners understood that the most important thing at the moment was to improve their strength and find clues regarding the final inheritance.

They didn’t dare waste time fighting other people for no reason.

They all began to explore the surrounding courtyards and the shops, searching for a way to summon the true inheritance.

Had Liora been here to witness their actions, she would have discovered that a large percentage of the Emperors possessed tokens corresponding to the buildings of the ancient city.

Likewise, many of them urged the Laws they had obtained from the City Lords’ inheritances, using them as keys to enter secret treasure places.

Obviously, everyone had come prepared.

They had already set their target on certain goals long before arriving here.

Yet, as with all things involving extremely powerful beings, changes were always instantaneous.

Out of nowhere, an overwhelming force soared into the sky, attracting the attention of the surrounding Emperors.

Once they hurriedly rushed there and discovered the source, their eyes widened.

A flurry of messages were sent, and the news quickly spread.

--

As Liora drew closer to the center of the ancient city, she discovered something surprising.

The Emperors along the way had been quite rare.

No. That was a very generous way to put it.

It would be far more accurate to say that the Emperors were nowhere to be seen.

Whether in the range of her Immortal Token detection or in Alpha’s senses for the Mechanical beings, there appeared none of them.

It was only a while later that she discovered the reason.

Sensing many auras gathering just ahead, colliding with each other, Liora subconsciously quickened her pace.

Once she had gotten close enough, several strands of consciousness swept toward her.

They tried to envelop her, seemingly noticing her arrival and wanting to investigate the newcomer.

A split second later, several of those auras exuded a killing intent. One of them in particular dripped with bloodlust, looking ready to attack her.

Just as Liora was about to fight back instinctively and shatter them, a cold snort suddenly echoed.

The extended consciousnesses instantly dissipated. Only a single one of them remained, leaving a message to Liora.

In the meantime, a cold voice rang out.

"Are you planning to start a war at this time?"

"Don’t forget that we currently share a common enemy. Don’t break the peace for mere emotional reasons.", a deep male voice spoke, and as Liora got closer, she soon faced its owner.

It was Adrian, the Emperor leading the human race on this trip.

He was far from the only one in this place. Aside from the other humans standing beside him, there were also the Emperors of the Zerg and the demon races.

Although they were significantly fewer in number compared to before, some having chosen to remain on the outskirts and some to venture into deeper places, the Emperors gathered here were still more than a few dozen.

In the outside world, they would have been enough to control an entire civilization—save for the hidden Rank 11 and Rank 12 beings.

Yet they had all gathered here, their eyes fixed on a certain building.

Following their gaze, Liora realized why it was so.

At the same time, the question of where the fourth Apex Civilization had gone was answered.

The building everyone was focused on was a pavilion. It looked quite ordinary from the outside, just like the many pavilions one could find in the city.

However, one would realize this was not true once they examined it more deeply.

The barrier protecting the pavilion was thicker than that of any other building Liora had seen before.

Moreover, the powerful momentum lurking within its depths only made the impression it gave even more resounding.

Outside the barrier stood several Emperors belonging to the three races.

They were continuously attacking it with all their strength, seemingly trying to break through it.

But inside, an equal number of Emperors could be found.

They belonged to the Mechanical Race and, unlike their counterparts, were trying to protect the barrier rather than destroy it.

With just a quick sweep of her consciousness, Liora seemed to have realized what was happening.

However, as she raised her head and looked toward the building itself, her eyes couldn’t help but flicker.

Its structure... seemed somewhat familiar.

Overly familiar, in fact. It was as though Liora had seen it many times in the past.

Her silence and thoughtful look were misunderstood.

While continuing his verbal confrontation with the other races, Adrian took the initiative to communicate.

"Liora, you’ve probably already heard what happened."

"Not long ago, a powerful force arose from inside this pavilion."

"When the first Emperors arrived here, hoping to investigate, they discovered that the Mechanical Race had already entered it and sealed this place. We suspect there is the inheritance of a powerful ancient person hidden within."

"More importantly..."

Adrian hesitated for a brief moment. However, considering it was only a matter of time before the news spread, he soon continued:

"...I suspect this pavilion is directly connected to the final inheritance. We have been exploring this place for so long, yet we failed to find any clues. The aura that appeared... was far too powerful."

"I don’t believe it could belong to a mere ordinary practitioner."

Adrian’s guess was not unfounded.

Judging from the effort the other races put into breaking the barrier, it was obvious that their leaders also had the same idea.

Unfortunately, the barrier completely locked them out of the supposed inheritance.

The formation was already powerful on its own. With dozens of Mechanical Emperors reinforcing it, breaking through had become even more difficult. Almost impossible.

Just as Liora was about to question Adrian about his plans, a voice echoed in her ears.

"My Lord, I sense that one of the Emperors I previously assimilated is inside..."