Chapter 737: The Bronze Coffin of the Abyss

The Golden Bodhi Fruit was an incredibly mysterious fruit of the heavens and earth, possessing extraordinary divine effects. Unfortunately, only a limited number of creatures could consume it directly. For other races, only a small amount of refined essence, combined with other precious medicines, could be ingested—nine-tenths of it would go to waste.

“If I could swallow it whole, it would be like gaining another trump card,” Shi Hao murmured.

He had consumed nearly three hundred Blood Soul Grasses to achieve momentary immunity to magical attacks, granting him a terrifying advantage in battle, allowing him to even ambush deities at his current level.

However, this ability would weaken as he advanced in cultivation, eventually disappearing altogether.

One day, once he ignited his divine flame, this ability would not grow with him—it would remain at its original state. As his realm increased, it would gradually become useless.

Legends said that only the Golden Bodhi Fruit could allow this ability to evolve alongside him, just like the ape-demons of the Bloody Plains. If they obtained the fruit, it would transform everything, turning them into entirely different beings, undergoing a fundamental metamorphosis.

“If this ability could be preserved and grow with me, it would undoubtedly shine brilliantly,” Shi Hao mused with anticipation.

Yet, what troubled him was the Golden Bodhi Fruit’s overwhelming potency—human bodies could not withstand it, as their constitutions clashed with its nature. That was why he had turned his attention to the Tribulation Transcendence Divine Lotus.

“I must find a way to consume the Golden Bodhi Fruit. That way, during the Great War of the Three Thousand Provinces’ geniuses, even if they have all sorts of hidden cards, I’ll have another ultimate killing move.”

Ever since he heard of the emergence of the Great Scarlet Heavenly Flame and the Seven-Colored Immortal Gold—things defying the heavens—he dared not be careless. He could not afford to underestimate anyone, or he would surely face calamity.

“Young man, would you like to join our Demon Wind Mercenary Group? We’re investigating the Seven-Colored Immortal Gold together,” someone suddenly called out to him.

Shi Hao turned and saw an old man with a kindly smile, warmly inviting him to join. He scrutinized the man for a moment before flatly refusing.

The people of Fufeng City were simply too eccentric—if not outright villains, they were at least cunning and dangerous, most of them notorious bandits.

Sure enough, as soon as he turned away, the old man muttered under his breath, “Still short on cannon fodder… so hard to find.”

Shi Hao’s face darkened. He really wanted to turn back and beat the man up—did he really look like cannon fodder? Ever since setting foot in this land, he had encountered nothing but scoundrels.

All in all, this was a lawless place, sorely lacking in decent folk.

Then again, upon reflection, these bandits were somewhat “adorable” in their own way, constantly scheming against each other, surviving by their “skills.”

The Celestial Immortal Academy had announced several forbidden zones scattered across Fire Province, suspected to contain the Seven-Colored Immortal Gold. Whoever could provide definitive proof would be granted the opportunity to soak in the Tribulation Transcendence Divine Lotus Pool for a full day and night.

Even an institution as powerful as the Celestial Immortal Academy couldn’t explore every forbidden zone—they were too dangerous, with immense risks. Only by confirming a location and focusing their forces on a single ancient site could they proceed safely.

Fire Province was rich in divine metals and all manner of heavenly treasures, making it a prime source of materials for forging artifacts. This was why sects from the Upper Realm had flocked here, seizing territories.

The vast Fire Province was divided into many regions, each abundant with mineral deposits. It was precisely because of this that legends of immortal gold had persisted since ancient times, never fading.

At the same time, Fire Province was indeed a strange place. Flames would inexplicably rise from the earth, incinerating everything, leading to many supernatural occurrences.

And it was precisely this phenomenon that gave rise to the legends of several forbidden zones.

People firmly believed that Fire Province held earth-shattering secrets—it was just that uncovering them was nearly impossible.

Sure enough, many mercenary groups and rogue cultivators had begun mobilizing, heading to the outskirts of these forbidden zones to search for clues and claim the rich rewards.

Though bandits and rogue cultivators were ruthless, they also knew that some places could only be scouted from a distance—venturing too deep meant certain death.

Some forbidden zones contained remnants of ancient immortal formations that had trapped and killed past sect leaders. Others were like the Lost Sea, where those who entered would lose their souls, vanishing without a trace.

Fufeng City bustled with activity as group after group set out, disappearing into the distance.

Shi Hao also departed, seeking a quiet place to recover from his injuries before considering his next move.

The grasslands stretched endlessly, but not all of it was open plains. After flying thousands of miles, he discovered a mountain range and intended to seclude himself there. But as soon as he approached, white flames erupted from the ground.

This sent a chill down his spine—no wonder it was said that deities had spontaneously combusted here, dying for no reason. Some parts of Fire Province were truly perilous.

Finally, he found a village of several hundred households and sought lodging there. After all, inhabited areas had surely been tested and were unlikely to be dangerous.

Yet the moment he entered, he was subjected to intense scrutiny—the villagers treated him like a criminal.

He could understand—this land was teeming with bandits, and in his short time here, he had already encountered many bizarre incidents.

In the end, Shi Hao offered a piece of divine material as tribute before being allowed to stay.

He secluded himself in a room, spending five days to fully recover—thanks in large part to the precious pill Kong Qiuji had made him swallow. Otherwise, it would have taken much longer.

This left him cold-eyed. Despite his indestructible physique, he had been reduced to this state—proof of the ruthless methods of the Celestial Clan. After sealing his cultivation, they had used cursed swords to damage multiple vital points of his body, eroding his vitality.

Shi Hao stood up, silently assessing himself. Feeling restored to peak condition, he decided to head for a hidden location.

He wanted to see if the rumors of the Chaos Flame were true. He held onto hope, though he wasn’t sure if the bandits’ information was accurate.

Along the way, he encountered many beings of various races, all roaming the lands of Fire Province.

He passed by several ancient mines, spewing auspicious light and radiant colors—clear signs of rare divine materials. Unfortunately, they were all occupied by major sects.

Eventually, he arrived before a massive chasm—a desolate, empty place, vast beyond measure, spanning nearly ten thousand miles in circumference.

It was as if the earth had suddenly collapsed, forming a pitch-black, unfathomably deep canyon—perhaps calling it an endless abyss would not be an exaggeration.

Shi Hao frowned. This place was eerie. Could the Chaos Flame really be down there? He hesitated, noting the melted surroundings, glazed like crystal—proof that subterranean fires erupted here periodically.

He took out his alchemy furnace and donned his battered armor, preparing for the worst. If things turned dire, he would flee immediately.

Then, he dove downward into the abyss. The light dimmed rapidly until there was nothing but darkness—utterly silent, as if he had entered a lifeless void.

This place was terrifying, like stepping into a dead universe devoid of any vitality.

Shi Hao extended his divine sense and activated his dual-pupiled eyes to observe his surroundings.

The descent was deep—after dozens of miles, he still hadn’t reached the bottom. Only after over a hundred miles did he begin to see vague shapes—ruins.

This shocked him. How could there be rubble so deep underground? Who had lived here in the past?

Moreover, the area was vast, with remnants of massive stones and rusted metal, suggesting that this had once been a grand architectural complex.

“Wait… these things are recent!” After exploring further, Shi Hao halted.

Though the rubble, stones, and metal bore ancient marks, they were coated in fresh soil—as if they had been pushed up from the depths of the earth.

His expression shifted. Gripping his dual-pupiled eyes, he channeled his full power and extended his divine sense once more to investigate.

The area was enormous. After a full day and night of searching, Shi Hao confirmed that the abyss was indeed strange—many of the ruins had been thrust upward from the earth’s depths.

Suddenly, he tensed. A wisp of mist had appeared at the bottom of the abyss.

“Chaos Qi!”

Shi Hao’s hair stood on end. Could the Chaos Flame truly be here, about to emerge?

Holding his alchemy furnace, he wondered if he could capture it—though he had no confidence.

Then, the abyss began to glow. The ground split open, trembling with an inexplicable force, pushing more rubble and stones upward from below.

“Just as I thought,” Shi Hao muttered.

The fissure widened, emitting light. Shi Hao was both tense and expectant. Soon, the flow of ruins ceased—only the crack continued to expand.

“Is that… an underground palace?!”

Shi Hao was stunned. Through the massive fissure, he glimpsed a glowing, ruined palace buried deep within the earth, shrouded in wisps of Chaos Qi.

He steeled himself, maintaining vigilance. After a long wait with no incidents, he gritted his teeth and flew down the fissure.

What lay before him was an enormous underground palace—or perhaps an entire sunken city.

Had it not been buried, it would have been a colossal, ruined metropolis, ancient and desolate. Even after countless years, some of its broken runes still faintly glowed.

Shi Hao ignored these, focusing instead on the source of the Chaos Qi.

“What is that?” His heart pounded. Amid the ruins stood a massive altar, as large as a mountain, upon which lay objects shrouded in Chaos Qi.

He sharpened his divine sense and peered through his dual-pupiled eyes, growing increasingly alarmed.

On the colossal altar lay nine enormous skeletons, gleaming with an immortal aura, covered in dense runes. They resembled… true dragons!

Were these dragon remains? Shi Hao couldn’t tell.

What chilled him most was what lay behind the skeletons—a massive bronze coffin, covered in verdigris, as if bearing the weight of countless eons.

The coffin was enormous, its lid slightly ajar, with Chaos Qi seeping out from within.

Shi Hao shuddered. This place was too mysterious, too abnormal. The sight of the coffin made his heart race.

“And… another one!”

Peering through the gap, he saw a smaller coffin inside—also bronze, equally ancient, from which the Chaos Qi emanated.

Though “small,” it was still large enough to hold a person.

Who was buried here?

Shi Hao was baffled. Could the Chaos Flame be inside the smaller coffin?

Unease gnawed at him. What was this place? Why was there such an eerie bronze coffin here? What forgotten history and secrets did it hold?