*Crack!*
A faint sound echoed through the desolate underground world, sharp and jarring. Shi Hao’s every nerve tensed as he swiftly retreated dozens of steps.
This was a ruined dead city—any noise here was a terrifying omen.
His gaze sharpened, his primordial spirit transforming into a blazing golden sun between his brows, unleashing his most potent spiritual perception to scan the surroundings.
Moreover, his dual-pupiled eyes shimmered with intricate symbols, weaving together a radiant glow to detect any anomalies nearby.
Dead silence.
No further sounds emerged. The vast ruins returned to their lifeless stillness. Shi Hao found nothing, yet a creeping unease settled in his heart—*what was lurking in the shadows?*
This dead city had endured for untold eons. Even the once-divine metals engraved with runes had corroded into rusted scrap, and the massive stones had weathered into dust.
What was most unsettling was that even the remnants of powerful and mysterious inscriptions had failed to protect this place—proof of its unimaginable antiquity.
As for the ancient altar beneath him, standing upon it felt like stepping into prehistory, as if he had crossed into the era of creation itself. It was as though he had traced the river of time back to its very source.
*Thud!*
Suddenly, a clear metallic tremor rang out—this time, unmistakably from the bronze coffin. It was as if something inside was stirring!
Shi Hao’s expression darkened. The coffin was rusted and ancient beyond measure—how could anything still be alive inside?
A chill ran down his spine, his skin prickling with goosebumps as he stared at the massive, timeworn coffin, silently probing with his senses.
His alchemy furnace was already open, faint thunder flickering within—remnants of the heavenly river water from before the Immortal Tomb. Though scarce, it should still be effective against malevolent forces.
The filth of the deep underground, the yin-corpses of ancient graves—such abominations feared nothing more than this pure yang lightning. Shi Hao remained vigilant, ready to unleash a storm of divine electricity at any moment.
Yet, after a long wait, nothing happened.
The bronze coffin exuded a mist of chaotic energy, swirling like immortal fog through the ruins. The eerie stillness was suffocating.
*Was something sealed inside?*
*Was it still alive?*
The thought was horrifying. Buried for countless ages, could a corpse still retain sentience? The idea made his scalp crawl, filling him with unease.
Shi Hao’s eyes sharpened into two beams of tangible flame as he stared ahead, defenses primed, glyphs shimmering around him.
But the mist thickened, disrupting his spiritual senses and blocking his dual-pupiled vision. He couldn’t pierce through the coffin’s veil.
This was rare—even his dual pupils had failed!
*Should he leave?*
The underground was too sinister. While the legendary Chaos Flame might be here, so too could unspeakable horrors. The risk was too great.
Suddenly, a cold gust swept overhead—something was diving toward him, carrying a bone-chilling aura.
He dodged instantly, his divine steps shrinking space as he looked up. His heart clenched—*what kind of creature was this?*
A humanoid figure with bat-like wings and a massive black tail, its eyes hollow, teeth pitch-black, lunged at him like a vengeful specter.
Powerful runes blazed around it, unleashing a force rivaling that of a Heavenly Deity, its oppressive might saturating the air.
Yet Shi Hao realized—this was no living being. It was a carved puppet, already crumbling even as it attacked.
With a final surge of divine power, it plummeted—only to explode mid-air, scattering into shattered black stone.
“What just happened?” Shi Hao muttered, examining the broken fragments. Pieced together, it would have been lifelike—its power derived from a single engraved rune.
*To create a Heavenly Deity-level entity with just one rune—what kind of monstrous skill was this?!*
Scanning the ruins, he spotted similar carvings near the collapsed city gates—though far more ruined, barely recognizable.
Among them were divine birds, demons, and ancient beast kings—each a testament to the city’s former glory. If all these carvings had once unleashed such power, how terrifying must this place have been?
The grotesque statue that had attacked must have been buried deep underground, only to be unearthed by shifting strata before falling upon him.
*Crack!*
The altar beneath him split, a massive chunk—weighing hundreds of thousands of pounds—collapsing with a thunderous crash, dislodged by the falling statue.
Simultaneously, the bronze coffin emitted another *thud*.
*Was the altar collapsing under the coffin’s weight, causing the noise—not some living thing inside?* Shi Hao hesitated, then cautiously circled the coffin.
After careful inspection, he confirmed—the altar beneath the coffin was fracturing. The earlier sounds must have come from its instability.
“Just a false alarm?” he murmured.
Then, to his shock, the entire altar crumbled, its last remaining runes flickering out into the darkness.
*Boom!*
The ancient bronze coffin, along with nine massive skeletal remains, sank until level with the ruins, settling beside the dead city.
After a long, uneventful wait, Shi Hao finally approached, curiosity overcoming caution.
“Who was buried in such a coffin? Are there legacies or treasures inside?” he whispered, tense yet eager.
From a distance, he unleashed a treasure technique, attempting to pry open the coffin—but to no avail. His runes dissipated like mud in water, leaving the coffin unmoved.
“Magic immunity? Even more absolute than mine!” Shi Hao’s eyes narrowed. This coffin was extraordinary.
Finally, he clenched his fists and made a decision—he would enter the partially opened coffin and approach the smaller inner casket!
Boldness had always been his nature, paired with an insatiable thirst for discovery.
Besides, his instincts detected no immediate danger—giving him the courage to investigate.
The chaotic mist weighed upon him like mountains. An ordinary cultivator would have been crushed instantly.
“Open!”
Up close, his treasure techniques still failed. The coffin wouldn’t budge.
Gritting his teeth, he resorted to raw physical strength, gripping the inner lid with both hands. With a shout, he summoned his full might—enough to lift a mountain.
Yet he failed.
Not for lack of strength—the lid resisted. Though he lifted it slightly, it suddenly glowed and slammed shut.
Some mysterious force was preventing him.
“Rise!”
Veins bulged as he strained, determined to uncover the coffin’s secrets.
The lid lifted another inch—revealing a glimpse of radiant light and swirling chaos—before slamming shut again.
*Clang!*
The unseen force prevailed.
“Again!” Shi Hao roared—only to be met with a deafening roar in his ears.
Horrific visions flooded his mind, shaking his soul.
*What was this?*
“Charge!”
“Roar—!”
“We must break through!”
He witnessed an apocalyptic battle—countless beings clashing, worlds splitting, chaos surging, corpses falling like rain.
The combatants were terrifyingly powerful, their movements shaking heaven and earth, blood and immortal radiance staining the void.
*What level were these beings?*
*Thud!*
The coffin trembled violently, yet Shi Hao remained entranced, unable to break free from the visions.
It was a soul-shaking experience.
The scenes faded slowly, leaving only one final image—the bronze coffin, pulled by nine dragon-like creatures, fleeing that shattered world.
Then—nothing.
The coffin traversed a vast river, stirring monstrous waves.
*Was that the River of Time?*
*Or a celestial path between worlds?*
The vision vanished, leaving Shi Hao shaken. He released the lid, stepping back, heart pounding.
“What era was that? Where did it happen?” His hands trembled—because, for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a familiar figure.
“Did I… just see the Willow God?!” He shuddered, shaking his head violently.
For a long time, he stood motionless, lost in thought.
Finally, he exhaled deeply, gazing at the coffin. He knew he couldn’t open it—not yet. It held secrets that could shake the Three Thousand Realms.
“One day, I will stand atop the heavens, pierce through all mysteries, and roam the world unchained,” he vowed.
Still unwilling to give up, he tried everything—even smearing his blood on the coffin, invoking the Reincarnation Treasure Technique.
Unexpectedly, this elicited a response—a chorus of mournful roars from countless supreme beings.
“Why? Why is our lifespan dwindling?!”
“Our covenant…!”
Then, strangest of all, Shi Hao heard *himself* whisper:
“I will fight a path for you all.”
Stunned, he clapped a hand over his mouth, staring at the coffin in horror.
“What the—?!” He backed away. “This thing is haunted!”
No matter what he tried next, the coffin remained silent. Defeated, he finally withdrew.
“Can I just… take this thing with me?” he mused, eyeing the massive coffin. Imagine hurling it at enemies—no treasure could withstand that.
But no matter how he tried, the coffin wouldn’t shrink. It remained colossal and immovable.
“Are these… true dragon bones?” Shi Hao turned his attention to the luminous skeletons nearby, their glow serene and sacred.
“Shame there’s no meat left… but maybe the bones can make a good broth?” He pounced, examining each bone with glee.
His eyes sparkled. “Dragon marrow soup—yes!” He nearly drooled at the thought.
At this moment, he was the very picture of a glutton.
Then—silence.
A sudden unease gripped him. He looked up, freezing mid-motion.
Amid the ruins, a flickering flame had appeared.
“…Are you here to help me cook dragon bone soup?” He forced a stiff, uneasy grin.
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