Chapter 584: Ancient Divine Coffin

They continued along the stone cave on the withered cliff, delving deep into the earth's veins. Source stones occasionally found on the ground illuminated the entire ancient cave with a crystalline glow.

"Drip, drip..."

Water droplets fell from the rock walls, shimmering with five-colored light. They landed on the ground with crisp, melodious sounds, like beautiful music playing, making the ancient cave even more serene.

Ye Fan and the others walked through the dimly lit cave, their minds unsettled. The immense aura deep within the earth's veins pressed down on them, making it hard to breathe. Unless mistaken, it had to be the corpse of a deity. Its power, however, surpassed even a revived ultimate holy weapon, surging like a vast ocean and making their souls tremble.

"Clank, clank..."

The faint sound of rattling chains drifted from afar, particularly terrifying in this gloomy cave. It was like ghostly wails from hell, as if a devil was breaking free from its shackles.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

After advancing a few more miles, the wind whistled, blowing from other junctions. A chilling aura assaulted them; those branching paths were pitch black, like abysses. They neither explored nor could they afford to. Heaven knew what those dark branching paths might hold. For now, they only proceeded along this main earth vein, which glowed with light.

"Crack!"

Along the way, they occasionally found various rare source stones crystallized on the rock walls. When broken off, they made crisp sounds and were enveloped in brilliant multi-colored light. They even unearthed several divine source stones, which shone brilliantly, illuminating the ancient cave as if it were a dream.

"This ancient deity certainly knew how to choose a place. If this area were excavated, it's likely many source stones would be found; it's a precious treasure trove."

The aura ahead grew stronger, making them feel suppressed, as if facing a towering demonic mountain. They experienced bouts of palpitation and a suffocating sensation.

"At this rate, we might not even be able to approach the deity's coffin. We're probably still far away, and our bodies might crack under the pressure before we get there."

Deities were a concept that even the Primordial Emperors and Ancient Great Emperors found puzzling, unsure if they truly existed. Now, they might be about to witness a miracle.

Ahead, a grove of ancient trees blocked their path. It was surprising that such towering ancient trees grew in this underground world. Illuminated by the source stones, the trees were vibrant green, fresh and succulent, full of vitality. Yet, the group sensed a dangerous aura.

"Aooo..."

A chilling, shrill cry, enough to make one's scalp tingle, came from the grove. It was no different from a fiendish ghost wailing, causing all the hairs on their bodies to stand on end in an instant.

"Whoosh!"

A black shadow lunged forward like a demon, ferociously pouncing on them, bringing gusts of foul wind and a ferocious, brutal aura.

"Devil Ape!" Duan De exclaimed in shock, his face turning pale as he stumbled back.

Everyone's expressions changed, and they all retreated. This was a ghost ape about ten feet tall, covered in black scales that gleamed darkly, emanating a brutal, malevolent aura. Its two eyes were incredibly malevolent, as if meeting a sworn enemy of ten lifetimes. Its iron-hook-like claws extended, intending to disembowel them.

"This is a creature bred in ancient tombs, very difficult to deal with, super dangerous!" Duan De shouted, warning the others.

"Clang!"

Duan De conjured an iron seal, which pressed down like a mountain. However, under the Devil Ape's sharp claws, sparks flew, and it was reduced to iron powder. It should be known that every item on Fatty Duan was a rare treasure, yet it couldn't withstand a single blow from the Devil Ape, demonstrating its terrifying power.

"Aooo..."

The Devil Ape let out a long, shrill cry, like a specter escaped from hell, and lunged again. An ordinary person would have been scared to death.

"Buzz!"

Dongfang Ye made his move. He held the only sacred bone left behind by an ancient saint after their "transformation into the Tao." A golden light flowed as he swung it powerfully.

"Ah..."

The Devil Ape roared terribly, but was incredibly agile. With a whoosh, it retreated swiftly like a phantom, clearly terrified of the golden sacred bone.

"Such things truly exist in this world! This is a devil monkey. Damn it, if it really came to a fight, it could tear apart supreme experts!" The old blind man exclaimed in surprise.

"This is my third time seeing one. The previous two times, in the ancient tombs of King Yu Hua and King Xing He, I almost died," Duan De said, still shaken.

The Devil Ape was incredibly ferocious, its black scales shimmering. It stared fiercely at the sacred bone, not daring to advance for a moment. Then, it suddenly let out a long cry, like the hoot of an an owl.

"Whoosh," "whoosh..."

Soon after, four more devil monkeys, each ten feet tall, charged out from the ancient grove. They were fierce and brutal, surrounding the group.

"Legend says these are transformed corpses of ancient supreme experts. Five of them at once, we're in danger!" The old blind man sucked air through his teeth.

The group retreated together. The devil monkeys also didn't dare to attack, extremely fearful of the saint's arm bone, and kept letting out low growls.

"Given time, they will certainly attack. This is bad!" Ye Fan frowned.

Duan De gritted his teeth and said, "They're forcing me to use my trump card." He took out an ancient, dark bronze lamp. Its flame burned eternally without extinguishing. As he opened the lamp cover, an inexplicable aura immediately emanated from it. The flame was incredibly soft and immensely sacred, illuminating the ancient grove with brilliant light. The lamp was not particularly dazzling, but its light reached far and wide, penetrating every inch of space, leaving no shadows. A sacred aura permeated the area.

The five devil monkeys retreated in terror, screaming continuously, angry and afraid, even trembling uncontrollably.

"This lamp..." The old blind man was shocked, staring intently. "Could the oil in this bronze lamp be from a saint's body?"

At his words, the others were greatly astonished, their expressions incredulous.

"That's right, the lamp shell itself is nothing special, but the oil inside was refined from the body of an ancient saint. It burns eternally and can bring good fortune while warding off evil." Duan De admitted that he brought it from the Tomb of the Underworld King; its initial sight had kept him awake for three days.

With the saint's oil lamp revealed, the five devil apes retreated in fear. The light and scent emitted by the lamp struck terror into their very souls, making them unable to stay long. In fact, the arm bone left by the saint after their "transformation into the Tao" was even more precious. However, it was too understated and did not outwardly release its supreme saintly power, making its effect less pronounced than that of this peerless oil lamp.

"Don't put this lamp away," the old blind man said, his mind troubled. "Who knows what else might appear ahead? I'm still worried that the deity's remnant might reappear."

"Outside, thousands of people are chanting the Rebirth Mantra and the Scripture of Salvation. Endless divine light has sealed the Heavenly Ladder. Can the deity's remnant still enter?"

"That's hard to say. There are probably other paths."

After a few exchanges, all five felt nervous, fearing an encounter with that true peerless demon. Who in this age could subdue him?

"Clank, clank!"

The rattling sound of chains ahead was clearly audible, chilling them to the bone, as if they had arrived in hell. A black river, silent and still, flowed calmly, blocking their path like a black abyss, almost consuming one's mind and soul. It was very calm, without a ripple or even a single splash, yet its blackness was heart-stopping. Staring at it for too long felt like their souls would shatter!

"This is...True Yin Water!"

"Normally, if a cultivator could get even a small gourd of this water, it would be considered a treasure, but here there's an entire river!"

All of them were dumbfounded and simultaneously felt a chill in their hearts. This place was too strange and terrifying. Upon reaching this spot, their divine power was suppressed even more severely. Duan De's "Star River" could not fly, making it impossible to cross.

"Even the peerless Imperial Lords of the Central Plains probably couldn't fly here!"

Above the black river hung an iron chain, rattling "clank, clank." It was as black as ink, shimmering with cold light, extending to the other bank.

"Climb the chain to cross the river?"

"We can't climb it, look! There are creatures on this iron chain!"

They observed carefully, and a chill ran through them all. Numerous corpses were entwined around the iron chain, their eyes opening and closing, revealing a green glow.

"Ancient strange corpses!"

"They are also experts who broke in during later eras, not from the Primordial Age. They died here!"

Upon closer inspection, it could be discerned that this iron chain was special. Named "Soul-Soothing Iron," it was a rare treasure naturally attracting corpses and preserving them from decay. It was unknown how many years had passed, but no less than dozens of corpses were entwined around the iron chain. Each one was terrifying, and judging by their attire, they had been there for countless ages.

"They must all have been supreme figures, otherwise their corpses wouldn't have gained sentience!"

"How do we get across?" The group was stumped.

Suddenly, a white bone boat floated serenely across the water and drifted to the bank. It was constructed from thousands of snow-white skulls, inspiring awe and dread.

"This must all be the work of the deity's remnant. Otherwise, ancient deities would never create such horrifying things."

"Board the boat. We have the saint's oil lamp; all evils will be repelled. Even if there are strange creatures in the True Yin Water, they wouldn't dare to attack."

The five did not hesitate for long. They boarded the bone boat and floated towards the other bank. During this process, the ancient lamp in Duan De's hand emitted a peaceful glow, illuminating the bone boat.

"Whoosh!"

As soon as they disembarked, massive waves surged in the river, revealing a dorsal fin. A blood-red creature, resembling a dragon or a flood dragon, then sank to the bottom.

"To be able to survive in True Yin Water, this creature's origin must be terrifying!"

Ye Fan and Dongfang Ye were both very surprised. Their physical bodies were powerful, but they wouldn't dare claim they could enter and exit the black True Yin Water like that.

"Let's hurry forward! I think those Imperial Lords, Demon Lords, and Divine Monks are also about to arrive. We must get the ancient scriptures and immortal treasures before them!"

Although they wanted to speed up, they couldn't move quickly because the pressure was intensifying. Even with various ancient treasures protecting them, it felt like moving through a swamp.

"Is it the powerful aura of the corpse, or is there an ultimate holy weapon suppressing this place?!" They felt their bodies were about to give out; the pressure was so immense it felt like their bones would snap.

"We've arrived! Look, ahead is a land of immortals!"

They reached the deepest part of the earth's veins and finally saw the immortal burial ground they had sought. Endless immortal qi surged towards them, making them feel as if they could ascend to the heavens. Ahead, flowing light and auspicious qi overflowed. It was a vast realm where tens of thousands of great dragons coiled, endless brilliant light swirled, and immortal qi was hazy.

There was a high platform, like a giant pyramid, though without a pointed top; its summit was flat. It was entirely constructed from five-colored jade. This high platform was ten thousand feet tall. Its jade steps rose one by one, leading to the top from any direction. Endless immortal qi shrouded it, making it feel as if they had arrived in the immortal realm.

"It's ten thousand feet tall, but this is deep within the earth's veins! There must be profound spatial laws at play!"

The ten-thousand-foot-tall jade platform was incredibly magnificent. Chaos surged, immortal qi permeated the air, and tens of thousands of great dragons coiled around it, making for an extremely grand sight.

"We've finally reached the immortal burial ground! Look, there's a coffin on top, most likely the one that holds the deity!"

Their divine power was almost completely sealed, but their divine sense and spiritual perception remained. They felt the oppression: an ancient coffin rested on the ten-thousand-foot-tall jade platform, seemingly capable of crushing all ages.

"If we can open the ancient coffin, we will be the first people in eternity to see a deity!"