Chapter 907: Mythological Era's Nine-Layered Coffin

**Chapter 909: The Nine-Layered Coffin of the Mythical Era**

After some fiddling, they still couldn't open it.

"This is uncanny!" Duan De kept pressing the carvings, convinced that a specific pattern should trigger its opening, but all his efforts were in vain. It remained perfectly sealed, without any gaps.

The small stone coffin was incredibly tight. It looked like a solid block of stone, a single piece. The others exchanged glances; apart from its ancient appearance, it emitted no divine aura.

"Let this Emperor handle it!" The big black dog suddenly rushed over, finally seizing an opportunity to bite Duan De and snatch the coffin. It lay on the ground, biting hard and pressing down with its large paws, trying to pry it open. However, its fangs nearly broke, and it couldn't budge the coffin an inch. It howled in pain, clutching its jaw with its paws.

The others burst into laughter. It was clear the greedy dog wanted to snatch the treasure, but it had only tormented itself for nothing.

The stone coffin passed through the hands of Qi Luo, Ye Fan, Monkey, and others. They channeled their divine power into it, hoping to trigger something, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea—there was no effect whatsoever.

"This is undoubtedly an ancient coffin of a deity, terrifyingly old. Moreover, it should have been buried above the nine heavens, never to fall into the yellow earth. I don't know why it ended up in the ancestral temple." Duan De's expression grew serious as he re-examined it, carefully turning the stone box over and pondering it.

The coffin was only four fingers wide and less than a palm's length. The carvings on it were very blurry, but upon close inspection, one could discern suns, moons, stars, flowers, birds, fish, and insects—all ancient, enduring symbols.

The most mysterious aspect was the extremely intricate, tiny runes within the carvings between the suns, moons, and stars. They were almost worn smooth by time; Duan De could only see them with his Heavenly Eye, otherwise, they would be invisible. This was the basis for his judgment.

Time had passed too long, and these strange runes were too profound. The others tried to decipher them but found them unfathomable, virtually incomprehensible to anyone.

Duan De concluded that this palm-sized, enigmatic stone coffin likely had an astonishing origin. According to his knowledge of burial secrets, it was an extremely ancient coffin of a deity, holding many incomprehensible mysteries.

The phrase "not entering the yellow earth, not entering the mundane world, buried above the nine heavens" meant being placed outside the firmament, effectively buried in the desolate cosmos, traveling alone in eternal darkness.

This was because the mortal world was insufficient to contain it. Deities were flawless and pure even in death; only the nine heavens were their true resting place, ultimately finding peace in the uninhabited universe.

"Such divine coffins, buried above the nine heavens, have always been legendary, never seen before. The Feathered God Dynasty of old truly possessed immense power to have obtained something like this. Just how many star regions did they explore?" Duan De was filled with astonishment.

The others were aghast. Such an unassuming small coffin had such a grand origin; it was truly startling. There must be something extraordinary inside!

The Feathered God Dynasty was extremely prosperous in its time. They possessed five-colored altars that could lead beyond their domain, but no one knew where they had traveled. What they saw today was enough to confirm their unprecedented might!

"Even such a powerful Feathered God Dynasty was still annihilated..."

"Not necessarily. As I said before, perhaps they simply relinquished their rule themselves."

Regardless of the scenario, it was a terrifying matter, full of mystery and the unknown. It offered a glimpse into a corner of bygone years, the arduous times of peerless heroes, who wielded supreme authority and combat prowess.

"Is it also a divine coffin?" Ye Fan naturally thought of the ancient bronze coffin pulled by nine dragons, which was comparatively more grand, majestic, and awe-inspiring.

"Stop talking about other things! Let's open this coffin quickly!" The big black dog was restless, like its tail was on fire, more impatient than anyone.

Finally, Monkey went all out, his golden fur bristling. With his natural divine strength, he grabbed the small coffin, pressed it against his legs, and tried to break it open. But he grimaced, unable to budge it.

Ye Fan was surprised. When he took it, he also used all his strength, unleashing a vast golden vital energy, trying to twist the small coffin apart, but it was still useless.

"Perhaps dripping blood on it will open it," Ji Ziyue said, thinking of the blood altar. Everyone paused, then nodded in agreement.

Pang Bo and Dongfang Ye tried in turn, dropping a few drops of blood, but it was completely useless; there was no change.

"Perhaps it needs a Saint's blood," Ji Ziyue said, blinking her large eyes. There was dried Saint's blood on the stone box, and the live sacrifice years ago might have been meant to open it.

Finally, everyone looked at Qi Luo. He was only half a step away from becoming a Saint; the blood within him should be incredibly potent, possibly vital for opening the mysterious stone box.

"Are you sure about this? There's no telling what might come out if this palm-sized stone coffin is opened," Qi Luo said.

"It's fine. The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron of Yaoguang and other things are probably here. If anything goes wrong, just throw them at them; that'll surely suppress it!" The Black Emperor's jaw still hurt, and it wasn't willing to give up without opening it.

Blood droplets dripped from Qi Luo's finger, each one vibrant and radiant, emitting a terrifying glow that filled people with awe. He usually wore a cheerful smile, yet his body contained such formidable power.

However, it was still ineffective. The blood had no reaction when it fell on the small stone coffin, perplexing everyone. If Qi Luo, a Half-Saint, couldn't do it, did they need a true Saint?

"Perhaps Ye Fan or Brother Monkey's blood could work," Ji Ziyue said, blinking her large eyes, because their physiques were special, possessing heaven-defying bloodline power.

"Let me try." Ye Fan took it. A golden blood bead rolled from his fingertip and dropped onto the stone coffin, making it tremble for a moment. "It really works! A few more drops!" the big black dog exclaimed, looking as if it wished it could bleed Ye Fan dry to fill the coffin with blood.

When six drops of golden blood fell, the palm-sized stone coffin emitted a soft "click," and a crack appeared on its surface. What was originally a solid stone wall now had a visible seam.

"This is truly strange! A moment ago, it looked like a solid block of stone, but now the coffin lid is revealed, and it can actually separate." Everyone marvelled in surprise.

Ye Fan dropped three more drops of blood. "Click-clack" sounds emanated, the coffin lid became visible, and a black seam automatically split open, emitting mysterious ripples.

"Stand back!" Ye Fan motioned.

On the ground, only the small stone coffin remained, as everyone had already retreated to a distance. Ye Fan used the Bing Character Secret to lift the lid, protecting himself with the Divine Maiden Furnace and other items. He had to be careful; involving a deity, who knew what might happen, and no one dared to be careless.

The coffin lid fell to the ground. Aside from a wisp of mysterious ripples, nothing else unusual appeared. It was silent, save for the wind.

"This is just the outer casket; there's another coffin inside," Duan De said. The others gathered closer.

Indeed, inside was a slightly smaller coffin, nested within. After taking it out, it was still perfectly sealed, with no gaps, clearly requiring more blood.

Ye Fan didn't hesitate. This time, he dripped a full eighteen golden blood beads. The small coffin absorbed them, and then it opened with a click. When they lifted the lid, they were dumbfounded, finding yet another small coffin inside, one size smaller.

"No way!" Duan De's expression changed.

"It's fine, again!" Ye Fan started dripping blood again. This time, twenty-seven golden blood beads fell before the lid opened.

"Damn it, there's another small coffin!" The big black dog was nearly frantic, yelping and clutching its jaw, though this time it didn't dare to bite.

"What in the world, how many layers are there?" Pang Bo wondered.

Ye Fan, undeterred, kept dripping blood, opening six layers in one go. It was still a coffin within a coffin, and this last time cost Ye Fan fifty-four drops of golden Saint's blood.

Everyone was freaked out. They wanted to smash it open but didn't dare. This small coffin definitely had a major issue; it was an endless series of nested coffins.

"Could it be nine layers? Nine returning to one," Monkey said with a look of surprise, his expression dazed as if remembering something.

"Don't open it anymore! This small stone coffin cannot be touched right now. If we truly open it, a heaven-defying upheaval will likely occur. I now seriously suspect..." Duan De's face was grim, a little pale. He swallowed and continued, "If nine becomes true, we'll see the return of—"

Dongfang Ye scratched his head and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Duan De said, "I think this stone coffin was indeed retrieved from outside the heavens, and if it truly has nine layers, it's likely not burying a deity but rather the legendary ancestor of the Feathered God Dynasty."

"Nonsense, you're crazy! Is the ancestor of the Feathered God Dynasty a mouse, to be put in such a small coffin? That's too demeaning," the Black Emperor scoffed.

"It looks small, but I think this thing could even hold Mount Sumeru," Duan De said.

"That's not what I meant. I mean, an Emperor wouldn't let their coffin appear so petty," the Black Emperor clarified. Having followed Wushi, it believed all Great Emperors were grand, majestic, and swept aside all opposition.

"Brother Monkey, you look troubled. What's wrong?" At this moment, Ye Fan noticed Monkey's dazed expression and couldn't help but ask.

"In the Primordial Era, I was too young, and my memories are a bit blurry now," Monkey said, rubbing his temples as if trying to recall something. "I seem to recall my uncle mentioning a legend about a nine-layered stone coffin. It's not to be disturbed; upon seeing it, one should show reverence and return it to be buried outside the heavens, in the depths of the cosmos."

Upon hearing this, everyone's face turned pale. They knew they were in big trouble. After careful thought, they realized that the Feathered God Dynasty had enshrined this coffin, and the offering was an immortal material, Immortal Tear Green Gold.

The more they thought about it, the more uneasy they became.

Monkey said, "I've remembered a bit more. My uncle told it to me as a story, seemingly from the Mythical Era. He said there was a first-rank royal family, second only to the imperial family, who obtained a nine-layered stone coffin. As a result, their entire clan was annihilated. It's said that someone later sent it into the depths of the cosmos, which finally stopped the terrifying chaos."

"Could it be that the Feathered God Dynasty's demise is related to this small stone coffin?" Everyone shivered, thinking of the desolate ruins around them and the gigantic handprint on the ancestral vein. That strike alone shattered a million miles! It was hard to connect such a vast attack with such a small stone coffin.

"The altar where the small stone coffin rested is very significant. You should all have noticed that among all the temple microcosms we've walked through, only on that level was there a stone tablet inscribed with 'Thirty-three Layers of Heaven'!" the old blind man said.

Everyone was stunned.

Buried above the nine heavens, placed on the thirty-third layer of heaven... did the Feathered God Dynasty sense something, then?

The New Year is approaching, and I have a lot of things to do. Tomorrow, I'll be going to the airport to see someone off, and then returning to my parents' home. I definitely won't be able to write during the day, but I'll make sure the evening chapter isn't missed. During the New Year period, there will certainly be various social obligations, which are always very stressful for me during these special days of the year. For the next few days, Chendong can only guarantee at least one chapter daily without breaks; two chapters will be very difficult. However, I will try to write more whenever I have time. Thank you for your support!