Chapter 1910: Yan Hui's Body

He had heard the name Kong Shiyao from many people. She was described as the most formidable genius among the Hundred Schools of Thought, possessing unparalleled cultivation and talent. It was said she was in no way inferior to him.

Initially, he had thought Luo Ruoxi was her. He later learned they had no connection.

Before, he had only known her by reputation. Now, standing before him, he couldn't help but examine her closely.

Indeed, she was as the legends described. Not only was her appearance beautiful and flawless, but she also possessed a unique aura, ethereal and divine, captivating anyone who laid eyes on her.

Luo Ruoxi exuded an air of aloofness, deterring others and making her difficult to approach. This woman, however, possessed a charisma that inspired trust and loyalty; one glance was enough to make someone willing to sacrifice their life for her.

"An impressive master teacher, even without speaking, can command everyone's attention just by standing there, preventing their focus from wavering... This Kong Shiyao clearly possesses such a unique aura, likely due to her lineage from Master Kong."

Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly.

As expected of a descendant of Master Kong, she was extraordinary at first glance.

As for her cultivation, Kong Shiyao was at the same Immortal Great Perfection stage as him. She had not yet broken through to the Ancient Sage level, but the true qi within her felt profoundly heavy, held in reserve. Her actual combat power was likely in no way inferior to his own.

Throughout his journey, this was the first time he had encountered a formidable expert whose strength was comparable to his own at the same level.

"Since you know you are a descendant of Master Kong, you should understand the responsibility on your shoulders. We can sacrifice ourselves, but you... cannot!" Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head.

"A descendant of Master Kong does not fear sacrifice!"

Kong Shiyao's eyes were filled with resolve. "I possess the purest bloodline inherited from Master Kong, making me the most suitable to stabilize this place again. Let's not argue!"

Seeing her so resolute, Ancient Sage Yan Qing sighed. "Shiyao, you are still young, and you have a long road ahead. I am already nearing the end of my life; there's no need to discuss this further..."

As he spoke, he suddenly made a move.

A surging force enveloped Kong Shiyao in the blink of an eye, pinning her in place, unable to move.

"Ancient Sage Yan Qing..."

Unexpectedly, he would do this. Kong Shiyao was filled with anxiety, tears streaming down her face.

Unmoved, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned to Yan Xue, who was standing nearby. His gaze was stern: "Watch over her carefully. You may die, but she must not suffer any harm!"

"Yes!" Yan Xue nodded.

Only then did Ancient Sage Yan Qing relax slightly. He looked around and said, "Let's begin!"

As he spoke, a resolute and powerful aura surged from him. The combined strength of the surrounding Ancient Sages and the platform formed a massive pillar of light in the blink of an eye, soaring into the sky.

The previously tranquil sky instantly erupted with lightning and thunder, and massive cracks appeared. Countless powerful forces seemed ready to burst through these fissures and flood into the world.

"This is... the murderous qi of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?"

Feeling this power, Zhang Xuan, hidden to the side, was startled. His eyebrows then shot up: "No, it's even heavier than murderous qi, like mercury. If I were to absorb it, my meridians would struggle to bear the load..."

His expression darkened.

The power hidden behind the cracks was somewhat similar to murderous qi, yet far more bizarre. Even with his cultivation, he dared not absorb it.

Normal spiritual energy was like water; a pipe could withstand it. But if it were mercury, it wouldn't work. Though also a liquid, it wouldn't just flow; it might burst the pipe as soon as it entered.

This unique, mercury-like aura was hidden behind the cracks and could spill out at any moment.

It was foreseeable that once it poured down, all cultivators of the Hundred Schools of Thought might explode, their lives becoming worse than death.

"What exactly is going on?"

Zhang Xuan was filled with horror.

Such bizarre power existed in the sky, and it seemed as though the seal might break at any moment, allowing it to surge forth!

"Hold it!"

While he pondered, Ancient Sage Yan Qing, in the center of the platform, slowly floated upwards. His hair fanned out in the fierce wind, and powerful energy continuously surged towards the sky. Lightning grew more frequent, and the pressure became increasingly heavy, as if the sky itself might collapse.

The many Ancient Sages around him also grew pale, and their hair visibly whitened further.

"They are burning their life force..."

Zhang Xuan's expression was grim.

No wonder these people had aged so drastically in just three months since he last saw them. They were using their life force to maintain the seal before them.

As the lightning in the sky grew denser, Ancient Sage Yan Qing cut his fingertip, and a drop of blood flew into the depths of the void. Immediately afterward, a massive coffin became faintly visible in the dark sky.

Upon seeing the coffin, the surrounding cracks weakened considerably. The mercury-like power, which had seemed ready to pour down at any moment, now appeared hesitant and fearful, losing its previous oppressive feel.

"This coffin..."

Zhang Xuan was filled with doubt.

A coffin appearing in the sky was already perplexing enough. Not to mention that its appearance was identical to the one that had held Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's corpse when he first entered this place.

"No, this coffin is the core of the seal array!"

After the initial shock, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

This coffin before him was not merely holding a corpse; it was the core of the celestial seal. It was precisely because of its suppression that the mercury-like power did not descend from the sky and crush people to death.

"It likely contains the corpse of a powerful Ancient Sage, no weaker than Ancient Sage Ran Qiu!"

A thought emerged.

The power of the seal, capable of blocking such heavy forces, was beyond doubt. As its core, it was naturally even more extraordinary.

Previously, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's corpse had served as an array core, and even the power of a Dimension Shattering expert couldn't break it. This current seal was even stronger, so how powerful must the corpse within be?

*Creak!*

While he was still awestruck, the coffin in the sky let out a violent rumble and slowly split open, revealing a gap.

"Open!"

Seeing the crack appear, veins bulged on Ancient Sage Yan Qing's forehead. Blood continuously flowed from his fingertips, forming a stream that surged directly into the coffin's gap.

Losing too much blood, his face turned pale, and his body involuntarily trembled. More white hair appeared on his head, and his skin became even more wrinkled, as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant.

As more blood poured in, the gap in the coffin indeed widened, and a tall corpse slowly became visible to everyone.

As he had guessed, the coffin indeed contained the corpse of an Ancient Sage. Dressed in a long robe, with a peaceful countenance, though it had been slumbering within the seal for tens of thousands of years, its skin remained elastic and showed no signs of decay, as if it had only just died.

"Could this be..."

Gazing intently at the Ancient Sage's corpse, a name instantly leaped into Zhang Xuan's mind. His body stiffened: "Ancient Sage Ziyuan... Yan Hui?"