Qi Daolin’s golden robes fluttered loudly, his expression solemn. Within his eyes, the cosmos, sun, moon, and stars seemed to flicker between creation and destruction, while auspicious vapors coiled above his head.
“You know?” he asked gravely.
Shi Hao’s heart skipped a beat. The nine dragons and the bronze coffin had provoked such a strong reaction from the old man—clearly, he knew some hidden truths and might be able to unravel the mystery.
“I overheard people discussing it at the Celestial Immortal Academy,” Shi Hao replied, not immediately revealing the full truth. Given the man’s notorious reputation and countless shady deeds, he feared being tricked.
“Who mentioned it?” Qi Daolin pressed.
“The Great War of the Three Thousand Provinces is approaching. Some prodigies at the Celestial Immortal Academy were discussing various supreme treasures, and someone brought this up, calling it utterly terrifying,” Shi Hao said, then asked again for guidance.
Qi Daolin stared at him for a long while without speaking.
“Dao Master, what’s wrong? Please enlighten me,” Shi Hao said, his face calm despite the turmoil in his heart.
“Forget it. Even if we knew where it was, no one could open it. It would only bury more lives,” Qi Daolin sighed, his tone now relaxed, no longer as grave.
“What secrets does it hold?” Shi Hao asked.
“It is called the Three-Life Bronze Coffin,” Qi Daolin said.
Shi Hao shuddered. This wasn’t the first time he had heard the name. Shortly after arriving in the Upper Realm, he had caught wind of it and nearly been dragged into the ensuing chaos.
The inheritor of the Immortal Palace, Zhen Gu, the Witch, and other first-generation prodigies had pursued a silver-haired woman, leaving her severely injured. Rumors linked her either to the Supreme Hall or the Three-Life Bronze Coffin.
Back then, Shi Hao had vaguely heard that the Three-Life Bronze Coffin was a supreme treasure of the Upper Realm.
He never imagined that the so-called nine dragons and ancient bronze coffin were the Three-Life Bronze Coffin. The name carried profound significance—did it truly hold extraordinary meaning?
“I don’t know much about it, but I do know it is terrifying and mysterious, originating from the Immortal Ancient Era,” Qi Daolin murmured.
Shi Hao believed him. He had once lifted a corner of the coffin lid and witnessed a horrifying battle—roars shaking the heavens, as if true immortals had descended to participate.
“My sect… each generation has only one disciple. Though I never truly became one…” Qi Daolin’s voice grew melancholic and wistful.
Shi Hao didn’t interrupt, though he had already guessed which lineage it was. He chose not to voice it.
“The nine dragons and that bronze coffin have some connection to my sect,” Qi Daolin continued, explaining that the supreme elder of that lineage had pursued the coffin for many years.
Because of this, that elder neglected many duties, failing to nurture a strong successor—a failure in passing down the legacy.
“Did that elder discover anything?” Shi Hao asked.
“He confirmed that the coffin must not be opened. Even those at the pinnacle of power risked death if they tried,” Qi Daolin said grimly, a trace of regret in his voice.
After searching for ages, the elder finally found the coffin. But when he opened it, something anomalous occurred, damaging his foundation.
Soon after, he was hunted by formidable enemies—supreme experts from the Immortal Palace, awakened from their slumber since the ancient times, joined by others to encircle him.
In the end, he perished.
Had it not been for this, with his unparalleled cultivation, he might have lived until this era. But because of this, he never hurried to raise a successor.
All of this stemmed from the nine dragons and the bronze coffin.
“The entire Immortal Ancient Era was buried,” Qi Daolin murmured, gazing at the sky as if trying to pierce through the heavens. “Only the nine dragons pulling that bronze coffin emerged. Everything else was left behind.”
His words were like a dream, recounting fragments of the past.
His sect’s supreme elder had spent half his life unraveling ancient secrets, seeking the truth of the Immortal Ancient Era, only to die with regrets.
Thus, this became Qi Daolin’s own unresolved sorrow.
Shi Hao remained silent. Though the old man was infamous, through their interactions, he didn’t seem the type to deceive him. Yet, Shi Hao still withheld the full truth.
He feared that Qi Daolin, driven by his unresolved grief, might recklessly challenge the Three-Life Bronze Coffin—with unimaginable consequences.
Shi Hao decided to wait a few days, letting the old man calm down before revealing more, lest he act rashly.
“Dao Master, do you have any methods to subdue rare divine flames?” Shi Hao asked, changing the subject to something crucial for his own path.
“Oh? You’ve discovered a treasure flame and wish to ignite your divine spark?” Qi Daolin’s interest was piqued.
“The Great War of the Three Thousand Provinces is near. I’m just preparing early,” Shi Hao said, rubbing his temples. The two flames he had encountered left him stumped.
Though Yue Chan had mentioned she had some methods to share later, he still felt uneasy relying solely on her.
“Hmph, as the inheritor of my Supreme Dao Field, if you don’t rise to prominence in this war, I’ll personally cleanse the lineage!” Qi Daolin narrowed his eyes.
“What?! That’s worse than a cult!” Shi Hao protested. The threat of being “humanely eradicated” for failing to meet absurd standards was terrifying.
“If you rank below tenth, don’t bother coming back. End yourself,” Qi Daolin said flatly.
“Wait, you’re not demanding first place?” Shi Hao blinked. The old man was usually uncompromising—why the leniency now?
“The Three Thousand Provinces are teeming with prodigies. Even first-generation talents emerge in batches. Breaking into the top ten is no small feat, especially this time,” Qi Daolin sighed, clearly privy to hidden truths.
“Even that guy from the Immortal Palace, who supposedly crushes his peers underfoot—I’m destined to suppress him. Surely I can rank in the top few, if not first?” Shi Hao brimmed with confidence—though many would call it bravado.
“I told you—to be part of my Supreme Dao Field, you must defeat the Immortal Palace’s inheritor. He’s strong, but not the greatest threat,” Qi Daolin said.
“Are you saying that even someone as strong as him, one of the top of his generation, might not make the top ten?” Shi Hao was stunned.
“Top of his generation? Who crowned him? Nonsense!” Qi Daolin scoffed.
Shi Hao’s heart raced. Were there even greater figures in this war than the Immortal Palace’s inheritor?
“Remember—there’s always someone greater. No one can claim invincibility. Many self-proclaimed prodigies have been humbled soon after. Who in history has ever truly been peerless?” Qi Daolin’s words carried deep weight.
“Me!” Shi Hao declared shamelessly.
Qi Daolin nearly choked, laughing instead of scolding. “Fine, brat. If you don’t make the top ten, see how I deal with you!”
Shi Hao muttered, “Dao Master, you’re really boosting others’ morale while dampening our own. What’s the point of calling it the Supreme Dao Field if we don’t aim for the top? Didn’t you always preach that? Why the sudden cowardice when it comes to the Three Thousand Provinces’ war?”
“My goal for you is future supremacy. You need time to accumulate strength, not rush into this battle. This time is different—I don’t want you to… throw your life away,” Qi Daolin warned solemnly.
Shi Hao was taken aback. The notoriously demanding Qi Daolin, who always pushed him to the limit, was now speaking with such caution.
Clearly, he meant well—fearing Shi Hao would meet disaster.
“Is it because of the hidden young talents?” Shi Hao asked. He had heard rumors of ancient sects concealing peerless geniuses, unmatched in their era.
“Partly, but not entirely,” Qi Daolin shook his head, revealing deeper secrets.
If it were just contemporary hidden prodigies, it wouldn’t be so dire. The Immortal Palace’s inheritor could still rank among the top, easily making the top ten.
The real terror lay elsewhere.
“The Great War of the Three Thousand Provinces has been held every few thousand or ten thousand years since antiquity, never interrupted. It holds too many opportunities. Those who grasp certain things may attain immortality, standing supreme for eternity!” Qi Daolin sighed.
Shi Hao listened quietly.
“You think the ‘hidden talents’ I mentioned are just a few oddities of this era? No—I’m referring to others!” Qi Daolin’s eyes gleamed like lightning.
Shi Hao frowned. What was the difference?
“The ‘hidden’ I speak of are those sealed in ancient ice, buried in snow caverns. Beneath several forbidden icy realms lie young supremes beyond your imagination—figures who could dominate past, present, and future!”
“What?!” Shi Hao couldn’t help exclaiming.
“All for transcendence, for the great opportunities left behind from the Immortal Ancient Era. Some have waited, dormant, biding their time for the perfect moment to emerge and shatter the status quo,” Qi Daolin murmured, even he feeling helpless.
Shi Hao was exceptional, but compared to these ancient, accumulated peerless young supremes, he might fall short.
Yet, Shi Hao smirked, brimming with confidence. “So that’s all? A bunch of frozen has-beens? I’ll crush them one by one—suppress the men, capture the women to warm my bed!”
“Pfft—!”
Qi Daolin nearly spat blood. This brat’s boasting knew no bounds.
“Do you even understand?” he scolded.
Shi Hao waved a hand. “Aren’t they just greenhouse sprouts, frozen for good measure? I’ll stir-fry them into cold dishes.”
“Rein in your arrogance. There’s a limit to overconfidence,” Qi Daolin chided. “None of those sealed beneath the icy forbidden realms are weaklings. Some have participated in the Great War multiple times.”
“What?!” This time, Shi Hao was truly shocked.
“Many of them have joined this grand war before—and each time, they claimed first place in their respective eras! They once reigned supreme, overlooking the Three Thousand Provinces!” Qi Daolin said gravely. Yet, in their times, they failed to uncover the ultimate opportunity and left empty-handed.
“Monsters… a group of historical champions?” Shi Hao’s expression turned solemn. The pressure was immense—this war would be brutal, demanding bloodshed.
“Rumors say among them is a Tenfold Champion, faintly regarded as the greatest across all ages!” Qi Daolin added.
One individual had appeared across different eras, participating ten times—each time claiming absolute supremacy, unmatched under heaven!
Shi Hao felt a chill crawl down his spine. How was anyone supposed to compete against such freaks?
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