In his previous life, while in the special operations team, he often used this item to open mysterious tombs for certain special reasons. The most recent one he opened was a Zhou Dynasty ancient tomb. As a result, he was struck by a bolt of lightning and ended up in this damned place.

Evan Bennett was more than familiar with it, and gave a wry smile.

He wondered if the gods in the heavens had gotten muddleheaded. Using an entire Luoyang shovel as his martial vessel. Could it be that guy was a god who started out as a tomb raider?

Does this prince really have to cultivate the way of tomb raiding? Damn it, that’s just too ridiculous.

Zzzt!

Chapter 6: The First Shovel

With a faint sound, Jonathan Clark felt the birthmark on his wrist flash with a streak of purple light. Suddenly, he felt his body tighten and actually fell into a strange, unknown place.

It seemed to be a room, about two hundred square meters. The surroundings were all carved with exquisite and ancient abstract patterns.

A faint, ancient aura that made one shiver lingered in the air. The ‘Martial Vessel Luoyang Shovel’ he had just seen was now sitting right there in the room, on a pitch-black, octagonal table exuding an air of nobility and grandeur.

The table was carved from expensive wood similar to rosewood, octagonal in shape, exquisitely crafted, with clear patterns, appearing ancient and extraordinary.

Not only were there totems of fierce beasts carved on the table, but also many mysterious and strange golden inscriptions inlaid along the edges of the table.

Evan Bennett was suddenly stunned. Damn! Wasn’t this table the very same one that had been in a room of the Zhou Dynasty tomb he opened in his previous life?

For the sake of his work, Evan Bennett had also studied golden inscriptions for a period in his previous life.

Evan Bennett’s gaze fell on those golden inscriptions, and on the side were four large characters—Eight-Treasure Imperial Table.

Quite a boastful name, huh?

Evan Bennett shook his head inwardly and walked closer to the table, discovering that the tabletop actually had concentric octagonal patterns. From the outside in, it looked like an octagonal target, with dozens of pattern rings.

He fiddled with it for a while but couldn’t figure out what the patterns meant.

Evan Bennett had a thought and channeled his true energy into the outermost pattern on the table.

Because Evan Bennett suspected that this table might be a high-level magical artifact. Magical artifacts are tools used by martial artists, already beyond the realm of ordinary swords and blades.

Soon, that ring of patterns actually lit up. The patterns seemed to come alive, transforming into golden inscriptions, finally merging into one. Before long, an ancient-looking, slightly yellowed book appeared on the table.

The book seemed to be made from bone pieces only a thousandth the thickness of paper, so it should be a bone book.

On the cover of the book appeared a line of large, golden characters: Tomb Emperor’s Codex.

Tomb Emperor’s Codex—damn, can you really become an emperor just by tomb raiding? Evan Bennett thought with amusement, but curiosity made him open the book.

A passage filled with overwhelming, awe-inspiring words appeared, making one feel the urge to bow in worship:

In this world, nothing can escape the Three Teachings and Nine Schools, but among them, tomb raiding is not included. In the eyes of these ignorant people, disturbing ancestral graves is the lowest of the low, even worse than the most despised profession among the Three Teachings and Nine Schools—‘actors’.

But I, the Emperor, do not see it that way. Rather than letting the dead take wealth, treasures, cultivation methods, codices, elixirs, talismans, and weapons underground to sleep forever, why not dig them up and let them shine once more?

I believe that tomb raiding is ‘redressing the injustice’ for those buried treasures. It is a noble act. Therefore, I created the ‘Tomb Emperor’s Codex’. After countless ages, I finally attained the throne of Emperor.

Above the Nine Heavens, who dares call me the lowest of the low?

When I, the Emperor, am enraged, the sun and moon lose their light, rivers and lakes fade, the earth trembles, and all living things shudder.

“This guy is really arrogant! A tomb raider actually dares to compare himself to the Heavenly Emperor.” Evan Bennett couldn’t help but shake his head, thinking this person was just bragging, and continued reading:

Alright, kid, since you can open the Tomb Emperor’s Space, you are the inheritor of my legacy. Whoever inherits the Tomb Emperor’s Codex will devote their life to cultivating through tomb raiding.

All of my cultivation methods are within this Eight-Treasure Imperial Table. The level you can reach determines the next stage of cultivation you can unlock.

Volume One: Cultivation Methods for Those Below the Innate Realm.

Tomb raiding is a technical job. So what if you’re the Heavenly Emperor? Martial cultivators all think the Heavenly Emperor possesses eternal life. But in fact, even the Heavenly Emperor cannot escape the great tribulation of the Dao every countless eons.

Once they die, just imagine—if you have cultivated my codex, you might be able to unearth their cultivation methods and treasures. By then, you can take the strengths of all families and possess unlimited treasures. Also, by borrowing the luck of the dead, you can defy fate and change your destiny—how glorious would that be?

The first step: one of the essential tools for tomb raiding is the ‘Spacetime Shovel’ invented by me. This item is extremely useful—even ordinary people can use it. When a martial artist channels spiritual power into it, it becomes even more effective for exploring tombs and digging holes.

Of course, this shovel will continue to evolve as your cultivation level increases.

With your current strength at only the third stage, this shovel can generate double-layered power, allowing you to exert the strength of a martial artist at the fifth or sixth stage.

At the beginner level, the Spacetime Shovel is a first-grade magical artifact. If you want to raid higher-level tombs, you’ll have to upgrade and evolve it. Otherwise, you won’t be able to excavate the tombs of even more powerful martial artists...