It was clear to him that someone who could perceive illusions and determine this place as the pivotal point, someone as experienced as himself with a divine weapon like Ye Yuqi, or someone who could counter her and set traps using illusions, would also be able to detect this. Yet, why was there not even a trace of anyone?
Was it because he was the closest when he entered this place, or had they encountered each other and engaged in battle, thus delaying progress?
Meng Qi opened his Wisdom Eye, silently invoking the Yu Xu Divine Calculation, and heightened the Eight-Nine Profound Skill’s danger perception to its peak. He carefully examined the mountaintop once more, finding nothing other than the black pine trees and the ancient bronze coffin.
He suppressed his worries and temptations, steadily walking toward the ancient bronze coffin. After confirming the disappearance of the sealing magic, he extended his left hand and touched the coffin lid.
Ye Yuqi, her robes fluttering, sword in her right hand, also stretched her left hand toward the coffin lid.
Before the ancient bronze coffin stood the enormous figure of the King of Yama, holding the Brush of Life and Death in both hands. Suddenly, his abdomen swelled and writhed like a woman in late pregnancy. Then, it twisted and grew an additional arm—pale and bloodless—reaching toward the bronze coffin lid.
Concerned about possible changes, Liu Zejun stood at a distance, while Chen Zhao circled the ancient bronze coffin once, his acupoints opening like miniature suns radiating a vibrant and righteous aura. Slowly, he reached out and touched the coffin lid.
The fingertips touched the edge of the lid, covered in verdigris, but it felt like touching a mirage—passing right through without any sense of substance.
Meng Qi, Ye Yuqi, the King of Yama, and Chen Zhao all felt puzzled simultaneously. Whether by spiritual perception or physical observation, the ancient bronze coffin had always appeared heavy and solid. How could it be an illusion?
Stepping back, Meng Qi carefully examined the ancient bronze coffin. It was covered in rust and green patina, exuding the weight of history, clearly a coffin buried in the dust of time, with an overwhelming sense of presence and no hint of being illusory.
Meng Qi thought for a moment and slashed with the Heaven’s Wound. However, the blade passed effortlessly through the ancient bronze coffin and flew into the dark mist beyond the cliff.
Ye Yuqi and the King of Yama each tried several secret techniques but were unable to dispel the illusion or touch the real ancient bronze coffin.
“This is quite interesting…” Chen Zhao said, his expression thoughtful. “This ancient bronze coffin is indeed mysterious, just like the one inside the Ice and Snow Fairy Palace. It’s right before our eyes, yet we cannot touch it.”
“Senior Brother, this place has undergone strange transformations and is likely full of danger. We should leave first,” Liu Zejun said. As a top martial artist, she was quite frightened by the oppressive and terrifying atmosphere of this hidden realm.
Though lively and playful by nature, she never recklessly showed off in situations like this.
Chen Zhao nodded. “Indeed, this place is not suitable for staying.”
“The ancient bronze coffin is so mysterious; it likely won’t be taken by anyone else. Perhaps the key to obtaining it lies within the Ice and Snow Fairy Palace.”
Drawing this conclusion from the similarities between the two places, Chen Zhao closed his eyes, his left hand quickly forming seals, and his feet moving seemingly unconsciously.
This was the method for exiting the outer layers of the Ice and Snow Fairy Palace, gradually discovered by generations of the northern sects and families after extensive exploration.
Instantly, the heavens and earth rotated, the mountains trembled, and the thick layers of black clouds high above seemed ready to split open.
Liu Zejun, seeing the exit method work, quietly exhaled in relief.
Suddenly, a “zaza” sound reached her and Chen Zhao’s ears.
They opened their eyes and turned their heads simultaneously, staring at the ancient bronze coffin. The coffin lid had moved on its own, revealing a crack!
How could this happen? Both were shocked and astonished but could not suppress their curiosity. Their gazes locked onto the dark and profound interior of the coffin.
A mist resembling ice crystals drifted within.
Zaza! Ye Yuqi was about to search for the way out when she suddenly heard a heavy grinding sound. In her perception, the bronze coffin lid seemed to be pushed from within, slowly sliding open!
In an instant, Ye Yuqi felt every pore on her body constrict. What kind of monster would crawl out of this ancient bronze coffin, untouched for countless years?
A corpse of a Dharma Body or higher?
A dying great expert?
She had seen similar things within the Six Paths and Reincarnation and was not particularly panicked. Her right hand first tightened on her sword hilt, then relaxed, fully alert, locking her focus on the ancient bronze coffin.
The verdigris-covered lid slid open, revealing a jet-black, deep mist within, like the night sky.
The King of Yama had just prepared to take out a talisman related to the hidden realm when he suddenly froze. He saw the bronze coffin lid emit a spine-chilling creaking sound and abruptly slide to the side.
The blood-yellow mist surged forth, swirling with the duality of yin and yang, life and death.
The world spun and the mountains shook violently. Meng Qi held his long saber in his right hand, its blade pointing downward, poised and ready to face any sudden changes.
At this moment, the heavy coffin lid began to move with eerie determination, releasing a chilling and malevolent aura. The creaking sound resembled the call of a soul-reaper.
“Damn, could it be another old monster who hasn’t kicked the bucket yet…” Meng Qi’s heart grew heavy. With his saber in the right hand and sword in the left, the Dharma Aspect could be unleashed in an instant.
Thud, thud, thud—the coffin lid slowly shifted, the oppressive and tense atmosphere making time seem to freeze.
A gap appeared, and a streak of dark red leaped into Meng Qi’s eyes.
Blood, splashes of blood—inside the coffin, there was no corpse, only the dark crimson blood smeared across the front and left side!
They had already dried up, losing their spirituality and power, yet the most sinister, depraved, and bloodthirsty aura still shook Meng Qi’s mind, stirring waves of nausea that nearly made him collapse and retch. Fortunately, the “Supremacy Over All” and the “Seal of the Primordial Heart” sustained him.
The coffin lid continued to shift, the gap gradually widening, revealing the dim interior of the casket fully to Meng Qi’s perception.
The bottom was clean, with only a few dozen dried dark red bloodstains remaining near the upper part. They formed a row, seemingly outlining a mysterious trajectory.
All around, splashes of blood formed grotesque and sinister ink paintings. Without even stepping outside, just a single glance would drive one instantly mad!
The most severe damage was to the inner coffin lid, which was completely smeared with blood. Some areas had darkened to a deep reddish-black hue, emitting a faint yet overpowering metallic scent far more potent than any known poison.
Amidst the scent of blood, an aura within the coffin exudes arrogance, disdain, dominance, and profound contempt—sharp and unbridled, it ravages the lingering traces of blood.
The scent was so familiar that Meng Qi blurted out:
“Overlord!”
This is the aura of the Overlord’s Ultimate Blade—I’ve encountered it in the Time Fragment of Ananda’s Pure Land and experienced it while comprehending the Overlord’s Six Slashes!
He actually appeared here, engaged in a battle with the “mysterious corpse” inside the ancient bronze coffin, and either wounded or killed it?
Meng Qi, still shaken, recalled the scene he had just witnessed and assessed the situation of the earlier confrontation.
The bottom of the coffin was the cleanest, with blood splattered to the left, right, front, back, and most severely upwards. In other words, this slash must have been delivered from below upwards, rather than from above downwards or from the sides.
The coffin showed no signs of damage, and no knife marks were found on the inner side of the lid. This strike was incredibly mysterious and profound, seemingly not a normal attack.
Inside the coffin lay not the Overlord, nor was it a case of striking with a blade when the lid was opened—otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so much blood on the inner side of the lid and all around it.
How can this cut be made from the bottom up without damaging the base?
Eliminating one impossibility after another, Meng Qi quickly sketched out a scene in his mind:
The ancient bronze coffin lay silently beneath the black pine tree, undisturbed for countless years. Within it rested a mysterious “corpse.” Suddenly, a blade of light, following an unseen mystical connection, erupted from the void. It slashed upward from below, striking the “corpse” with precision.
“All past events vanish like smoke and dissipate like mist!” Meng Qi had finally comprehended the profound and mysterious essence of this divine blade technique!
This place is related to the Demon Emperor’s Claw. The Overlord once annihilated the “Supreme Heavenly Demon” Wu Daoming. This blade strike represents “all past events vanishing like smoke”… In other words, it’s possible that the Overlord used this strike to slay the “Supreme Heavenly Demon” and, following the connection, struck at Wu Daoming’s “past self”?
What was that “past self” that Wu Daoming wanted to break free from?
So, is this “mysterious corpse” merely injured and missing, or has it completely vanished into thin air?
……
Within the realm of the Pure Maiden’s Immortal World, inside the hall enshrining the Overlord’s Peerless Blade, a faint purple glimmer flickered across the dark, heavy longsword.
……
Through the icy mist, Chen Zhao discovered that there were no remains inside the bronze coffin, only faint traces of a familiar presence.
“Frost Immortal!” he said to Liu Zejun, as if confirming something.
The origins of the master of the Ice and Snow Celestial Palace remain unknown. Revered as the Ice and Snow Celestial Venerable, he is believed to be at least a Heavenly Immortal, with the potential to ascend to legend.
Liu Zejun was about to speak when the thick black mist around them split apart, the mountain peaks began to crumble, and the illusion disintegrated.
At the same time, Ye Yuqi also discovered that beneath the pitch-black, abyssal mist, the bronze coffin was completely empty. Yet the mist still rippled with malevolence and extremism, subtly leading people astray without their realizing it.
Within the blood-yellow mist, the Nether Emperor sensed an overwhelming surge of hatred, yet still found nothing.
“It doesn’t resemble the aura of the Demon Monarch, but rather seems like the Emperor of Heaven’s Wrath, the Evil Emperor, or the Infinite Evil Lord…” murmured the Netherworld Emperor.
Hasuwula and the others struggled arduously to reach the summit, only to witness the void crumbling inch by inch as the mountain peak began to collapse. A mysterious, mottled ancient bronze coffin lay before them, its lid half-opened.
At that moment, Hasuwula’s pupils contracted violently as a pale, bloodless hand emerged from the edge of the ancient bronze coffin!
Boom!
The mountain peak completely collapsed, and the ancient bronze coffin vanished. Hasuwula and the others felt the fabric of space and time shift around them as they were once again engulfed in the demonic mist—dark, churning, and filled with filth and corruption.
By his side stood four grandmasters of the Golden Tent Warriors, not keeping their distance, while facing them were still “Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva” Mingfa and Zeng Ruoxuan from the Bimoon Sword Sect.
A bit further away, the mist condensed and fell, revealing the scene of a fierce battle. The “Fairy of Frost” Ye Yuqi and the Nether Emperor clashed once more, as if returning to the moment before the secret realm was opened.
At this moment, Ye Yuqi realized that the “secret realm” had severed all connections with the outside world, rendering the token given by her brother-in-law unusable. Earlier, she had been relentlessly pursued by the Netherworld Emperor, leaving her no opportunity to use the token.
“Once they capture those two grandmasters, it’ll be your turn!” The deep, hoarse, and authoritative voice of the Netherworld Emperor carried a hint of delight. With divine weapons in play, he had fused the Yellow Spring Corpse into his own body, ensuring a stable advantage over Ye Yuqi in a one-on-one battle. Once Hasuwula swiftly dealt with Mingfa and Zeng Ruoxuan using his divine weapon, the “Sun-Piercing Bow,” and joined the fight, there was a real chance of subduing Ye Yuqi!
Four Golden Horde warriors once again surrounded Mingfa and Zeng Ruoxuan. Hasuwula raised the Sun-shooting Bow, drew the bowstring, and smiled, saying, “What a coincidence to meet you all here!”
Apart from the Changsheng Sect, the most prevalent religion on the grasslands is Esoteric Buddhism.
The thick and ancient recurve bow was drawn forcefully yet swiftly by Hasuwula, as a dark, twisted long arrow gradually took shape, exuding an earth-shattering aura of destruction. In the distance, a phantom of a great sun seemed to appear, descending directly.
He locked onto Mingfa, the veins on the back of his hand bulging from the force, then suddenly released, sending the long arrow whistling through the air.
With a thunderous yet hollow sound, the surrounding mist instantly dissipated as the long arrow pierced through the void, arriving right before Mingfa.
Ming Fa had no time to dodge and was further entangled by other Golden Tent warriors. He summoned a bowl-shaped secret treasure, manifesting the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva form, and unleashed the Magnetic Divine Palm. Layer upon layer of obstruction and pulling forces surged forth, nearly blotting out the sky and sun.
Boom!
The alms bowl vanished, the thousand arms disappeared, and the arrow of destruction pierced through Mingfa, unleashing a rolling wave of fiery energy that cleared the skies for thousands of miles, filling them with countless crimson rays.
With a loud thud, Ming Fa collapsed, severely injured and on the verge of unconsciousness. Had Hasuwula not intended to capture her alive, she would likely have met her doom. The sheer disparity in power rendered all her secret treasures and techniques utterly ineffective!
……
Meng Qi opened his Eye of Wisdom, discerning the fluctuations of qi to find the way out within the secret realm’s illusory domain.
Suddenly, scorching heat surged forth, and the rolling mist dissipated, revealing a clear path ahead. Meng Qi caught sight of Hasuwula, saw the imprisoned essence of Mingfa, and witnessed Zeng Ruoxuan teetering on the brink of collapse under the assault of four grandmasters. He also observed Ye Yuqi attempting to rush to the rescue, wielding a secret treasure obtained from the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Yet, the terrifying monster exuding the aura of the Yellow Springs proved overwhelmingly powerful. Even with divine weapons in play, it effortlessly countered every move, refusing to yield an inch.
Hasuwula suddenly felt a stirring in his heart and turned his head sharply. There, he saw Meng Qi clad in tight-fitting black attire. The lingering sense of humiliation, never forgotten, surged within him uncontrollably. Unable to suppress a twisted smile, he sneered, “What a coincidence!”
Before the words had even faded, he locked onto Meng Qi with the Sun Shooting Bow and drew back the bowstring.
The scorching contraction sent phantom suns cascading down one after another, igniting the surrounding void as they coalesced into a deep crimson, nearly black, writhing arrow. It radiated a terrifying aura of annihilation.
Even though they were far apart, Meng Qi felt his soul tremble and his limbs grow weak, as if an ancient primordial beast capable of swallowing mountains and eclipsing the sun had opened its massive maw toward him. The oppressive weight was suffocating, like layers of shackles pressing down upon him, while a sharp pain pierced his brow.
Faced with Meng Qi, who had inflicted the greatest humiliation upon him, Hasuwula harbored no intention of capturing him alive—only the desire to wash away his shame. With all his might, he unleashed the divine weapon, the “Sun-Piercing Bow”!
As the saying goes in the Central Plains: “Opposites attract!”
Today, you have no way to heaven and no door to earth!
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