Chapter 10: Vast and Boundless Land

Chapter Ten: The Boundless Earth

The interior of the dark bronze coffin gradually quieted. No one spoke anymore; everyone was filled with dread. They gazed at the bronze coffin that contained a corpse, their heavy breathing audible as each person felt deep tension.

The bronze coffin was mottled with green rust. What kind of person, they wondered, was entombed inside?

"All of this must be related to the Five-Colored Altar on Mount Tai."

After a long time, the group began to whisper, wanting to understand why all of this was happening.

"It must be so," someone said, "it's related to the ancient Five-Colored Altar; it must have drawn the nine dragon corpses and the bronze coffin here."

Everything they had witnessed was too bizarre, profoundly challenging their understanding. The Five-Colored Altar, built by ancient people, was seemingly endlessly mysterious. Ye Fan pondered many things: How many unknown secrets did the lost ancient history hide?

No immediate danger arose, and the group's minds gradually calmed, allowing them to seriously speculate about their situation.

"Perhaps the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin was summoned by ancient people." As soon as this was suggested, someone immediately retorted, "Ancient people have been gone for who knows how many years."

"What I mean," another clarified, "is that the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin is late; its appearance now is a response to the ancients."

When a female student proposed this idea, everyone was startled. A call from ancient people, a delayed appearance of the Nine Dragons and the ancient coffin, a response spanning thousands of years—this seemed utterly incredible!

"What the truth is, we have no way of knowing," someone concluded. "Everything is just speculation; there are many possibilities."

"Yes," another agreed, "perhaps the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin has nothing to do with the ancient people at all, but is returning on its own."

"Have you seen those bronze carvings?" someone asked. "There are ancient people and ancient deities. Many of the figures have tear marks carved into them, making one feel desolation and sorrow, as if they are recounting a very old story."

"Perhaps it's true," another whispered. "The Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin, breaking through perilous barriers, returning home! A heartbreaking past..."

Did the ancient people truly possess unknown means to explore an unknown and distant place? The Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin returning home—they left alive, but only withered bones returned, bringing their bodies back.

Amidst their conversation, their fear gradually lessened as they imagined various possibilities. However, they still felt awe towards the bronze coffin in the center; no one touched it, nor would anyone dare to open it.

"I think the rescuers must have already climbed Mount Tai," someone mused, "maybe they're not far away now."

"Let's just hope no accidents happen," another added, "and that they get us out of here soon."

The group had no way to escape the ancient coffin, which was eight or nine meters high and sealed by its lid, making escape impossible.

Just as everyone hoped for a swift rescue, the bronze coffin suddenly began to shake violently. Everyone lost their footing, swaying, and many fell directly to the ground.

"What's happening? What's going on?" they wondered, startled and uncertain. Some female students even started to sob, tightly gripping those next to them.

"Have the rescuers arrived?" someone asked, "Are they trying to save us?"

Amidst their worry and fear, the bronze coffin's shaking intensified. No one could stand, and almost everyone fell to the ground, coming into close contact with the cold bronze surface.

Bang!

Another violent tremor shook the coffin, like an airplane continuously shuddering as it crosses cold, high-altitude clouds, covered in a thick layer of ice.

Boom!

The final, thunderous tremor seemed powerful enough to shatter all tangible matter. It was clear the massive bronze coffin had undergone a major collision.

However, at this very moment, faint points of light emanated from the bronze carvings inside the dark coffin, instantly counteracting an unimaginable impact.

Everyone was surprised and uncertain. Just moments before, they had felt as though the world was turning upside down, yet in an instant, everything became calm, creating a strange illusion.

"No, that's not right," someone exclaimed. "There was definitely a terrible impact just now. How could it suddenly become still?"

"It's no illusion," another confirmed. "The bronze coffin really did undergo a violent collision and flipped several times, but we weren't affected."

Just then, to their surprise, they noticed that the bronze coffin containing the corpse was hanging firmly on the larger coffin's side wall, not having fallen.

"The bronze sarcophagus has now toppled onto the ground," someone deduced. "The smaller bronze coffin, which holds the corpse, must have been firmly cast into the bottom of the larger coffin, making it impossible to move even an inch. That's why, after the sarcophagus tipped over, it looked at first glance as if it were hanging on the side wall."

It was incredible to imagine the enormous force of the impact they had just experienced, yet it had been dissipated by the faint light emanating from the bronze carvings.

"Light, light coming in from outside!" Li Xiaoman exclaimed.

Everyone turned their heads in unison, looking in the direction Li Xiaoman was pointing. Indeed, faint specks of dim light were now penetrating the darkness.

"The massive bronze coffin has toppled over, and the lid is tilted, creating a gap!" someone shouted. "We're finally out of danger!"

A cheer erupted from the group as they scrambled and rushed forward, eager to escape this dark and terrifying space, not wanting to remain for even another second.

However, when they burst out of the bronze sarcophagus, they all stood frozen like clay figures.

The earth appeared as if stained with blood, reddish-brown, cold, hard, and desolate. As far as the eye could see, there was only barren emptiness, with massive, scattered rocks resembling gravestones.

The light in this world was dim, creating a dusky, gloomy atmosphere, like a deathly sunset shrouded in faint black mist.

The group was dumbfounded; this absolutely could not be the summit of Mount Tai!

The boundless reddish-brown earth stretched out, distant and dead silent, without a single sign of life. It was utterly unlike any place they knew.

They had never seen or heard of such a place; it was entirely unknown and mysterious!

"Where is this... have we... left Mount Tai?" The speaker's voice was trembling.

"Did the rescuers isolate us in a deserted area because they're afraid the nine dragon corpses are dangerous?" the student who said this could barely convince themselves.

Everyone was overcome by a terrible premonition, as if something profoundly unfortunate had befallen them. At that moment, many simultaneously tried to dial out on their phones, but it was impossible to connect; there was no signal whatsoever.

"This isn't Mount Tai. Where are we?" Many people looked panicked; there was no joy at their escape, only terror.

From being trapped in the bronze coffin to stepping out again, only a quarter of an hour had passed, yet the scene before their eyes had completely transformed. The majestic, towering Mount Tai, which commanded a view over countless peaks, was gone. Ahead lay a vast, undulating desert covered in gravel.

Ye Fan quietly watched all this, his ominous premonition now a reality. From the moment he saw the Taiji Bagua diagram condense on Mount Tai, forming a dark, massive passage, he had felt a terrible sense of foreboding. Although he hadn't seen the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin enter that passage leading to an unknown region at the time, what he now saw was enough to confirm everything: they were no longer on Mount Tai, perhaps not even on Earth.