After the golden coffin re-emerged from the black clouds, it suddenly became as heavy as billions of catties. The nine divine dragons could no longer drag it forward and roared furiously.
“ROAR—”
Each dragon cry shook heaven and earth, filled with boundless rage.
At that moment, Ye Qiu suddenly felt movement inside his Qiankun pouch. Sending his divine sense inside, he discovered that the vermilion blood coffin was trembling slightly.
“Old Ninth is awake?”
Ye Qiu was stunned.
Ever since Old Ninth had helped him kill the Qin Sword Immortal on the ice plains, he had fallen into deep slumber inside the coffin, showing no signs of life.
Ye Qiu had never expected the vermilion blood coffin to stir at this precise moment.
Crack—
Suddenly, the coffin lid lifted a crack. Old Ninth’s voice drifted out.
“Kid, find a way to claim that golden coffin. As long as you gain its acknowledgement, you can rampage across the entire cultivation world unchecked.”
Ye Qiu could tell Old Ninth’s voice was extremely weak. Clearly, he had not yet recovered.
“What exactly is that golden coffin?” Ye Qiu asked.
“You don’t need to know that much. Just know that if you obtain its acknowledgement, the rewards will be immense,” Old Ninth replied.
Ye Qiu gave a bitter laugh. “I’d love to, but I’m sure you can sense the current situation. Nine divine dragons are trying to haul it into the heavens.”
Old Ninth sneered coldly. “The Heavenly Dao? Hmph, a coward that bullies the weak and fears the strong. If it hadn’t interfered back then, this seat would never have…”
He cut himself off.
“Never mind, that’s ancient history.”
“Although these nine thunder-dragons represent the Heavenly Dao, they are far from enough to take away that golden coffin. Only if the Heavenly Dao itself acted personally could it succeed.”
“But if it did that, the Heavenly Dao would be tainted by enormous karma. Given how timid and rat-like the Heavenly Dao is, it wouldn’t dare.”
Old Ninth’s words left Ye Qiu dumbfounded.
Even Saint-level experts dared not casually criticise the Heavenly Dao for fear of heavenly punishment, yet Old Ninth not only called it trash but also a cowardly rat. How bold was he?
Just who was Old Ninth?
From the sound of it, he seemed to have deep grievances with the Heavenly Dao itself.
Old Ninth continued, “This seat has not yet recovered strength and has limited time. I cannot speak longer.”
“Remember my words.”
“Do whatever it takes to obtain that golden coffin.”
With that, the coffin lid closed again, and all returned to silence.
Unbeknownst to Old Ninth, his words had filled Ye Qiu with burning curiosity. Staring at the golden coffin amidst the black clouds, Ye Qiu was utterly bewildered.
“What on earth is that golden coffin? Even Old Ninth is shaken by it.”
“It can’t be an ordinary divine artefact. I already possess several Qiankun Cauldrons, and Old Ninth knows this. A common divine artefact would never excite him this much.”
“Yet this golden coffin dares to defy the Heavenly Dao itself. It must be extraordinary.”
“What method should I use to gain its acknowledgement?”
Ye Qiu frowned deeply, his mind racing for a strategy.
Just then, another change occurred.
BOOM!
The golden coffin shook violently. Dazzling golden light burst forth like peerless divine swords, slashing relentlessly at the nine divine dragons.
Clang, clang, clang…
Sparks flew across the void.
The scattered sparks shot out like comets with long tails, streaking across the sky, terrifying beyond measure.
Fortunately, the restrictions of Undying Mountain activated and blocked the sparks. Otherwise, every cultivator inside the mountain would likely have been annihilated.
“ROAR—”
The nine divine dragons, battered by the golden light, writhed and roared, shaking the heavens.
They fought desperately, coiling tighter around the golden coffin, as if determined to drag it upward.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the golden coffin erupted like a blazing sun. Endless golden light surged into the sky, sweeping across all directions.
Puff, puff, puff…
The nine divine dragons shattered instantly, dissolving between heaven and earth.
Immediately afterwards, the lid of the golden coffin lifted on its own. In that instant, Ye Qiu and the others felt their souls tremble, as though an unparalleled demon king was about to climb out.
Yet no living being emerged. Instead, a single sword intent shot straight into the firmament.
This sword intent glowed azure, resembling a towering cyan mountain peak as it assaulted the nine heavens.
BOOM!
The entire Undying Mountain quaked violently, as if struck by an earthquake. Everyone staggered, unable to stand steady. The longswords in the hands of the Qingyun Sword Sect disciples crumbled to dust, filling them with horror.
Even Ye Qiu sensed the Xuanyuan Sword hidden in his left eye begin to tremble, as though that azure sword intent had ignited its battle spirit.
…
At the same moment,
outside Undying Mountain,
all cultivators who had surpassed the Cave Heaven pinnacle, along with the attendants of the various geniuses and numerous other experts, stared fixedly at the nine heavens, their faces filled with shock.
“What in the world is that golden coffin? How dare it challenge the Heavenly Dao?”
“Too powerful. That sword intent looks like it could pierce the very vault of heaven.”
“It is openly provoking the Heavenly Dao. Is it not afraid of incurring heavenly wrath?”
In the distance, the sect leader of the Beast Emperor Sect, father to Wu You and Wu Lü, gazed at the golden coffin with wild excitement in his eyes.
Originally, after the previous sect leader had carried the sacred artefact into the mountain and perished, the current leader had been deeply worried about the sect’s future. Without a Saint-level expert holding the fort, a rising sect faced mortal danger.
Now, seeing the golden coffin defy the Heavenly Dao itself, he trembled with exhilaration.
“The supreme opportunity! Undying Mountain’s supreme opportunity has finally appeared!”
“As long as we obtain it, our Beast Emperor Sect will soar to the heavens.”
“You’er, Lü’er, the future of the Beast Emperor Sect rests on your shoulders…”
Before he could finish, the sect leader felt movement in his bosom. He hurriedly pulled out a transmission jade slip. A line of words appeared upon it.
“Young Master Lü’s life lamp has been extinguished.”
What? Lü’er is dead?
Overwhelmed with grief, the sect leader gnashed his teeth. “Lü’er’s identity is known to all. Apart from the disciples of top-tier powers, no one would dare kill him. You’er, you must obtain that coffin. Only then can we avenge your younger brother.”
Far away, in a hidden void,
the leader of the Yin-Yang Sect, the Supreme Heaven Sovereign, stood with hands clasped behind his back, staring at the golden coffin with similar exhilaration.
“I never imagined Undying Mountain’s supreme opportunity would truly appear.”
“Excellent. Once we claim that coffin, our Yin-Yang Sect will trample Qingyun Sword Sect beneath our feet and rise to become the foremost great sect of the Eastern Desolation… no, the foremost sect of the entire cultivation world.”
“Fortunately, I was wise enough to send both Wu Dao and Meng Han in together. United, they are invincible within the Cave Heaven realm.”
“It seems Undying Mountain’s supreme opportunity is destined to belong to our Yin-Yang Sect.”
The Supreme Heaven Sovereign was so excited he nearly burst into laughter when suddenly the transmission jade slip in his pocket vibrated.
He took it out and looked. Only five words were written upon it.
“Jiang Wu Dao has fallen!”
