Chapter 961: The Dragon Coffin
Chapter 961: The Dragon Coffin
The dragon's aura was profound and intense, exuding supreme majesty that made everyone present tremble inwardly, and a sense of "submission" emerged in their hearts.
The black-robed elder knelt with reverence.
Xuan Gongzi's face paled, and he bowed in worship.
Xiong Bei, the demon cultivator, felt terrified and prostrated himself in worship.
Mo Hua, however, remained motionless.
His divine perception was exceptionally strong, and his divine sense was close to that of a deity, naturally granting him resistance against such "majesty."
In life, one kneels to the heavens, to the earth, and to one's parents.
Even if the imperial clan of the Great Wilderness had immense power and overwhelming authority, it was not worthy of his submission.
Moreover, he was now a pitiful "puppet," a "puppet" without a heart or lungs, how could he possibly kneel willingly?
As the dragon's aura gradually diminished, everyone slowly stood up.
The massive dragon's head opened, revealing a grand entrance that led to a world filled with dazzling golden light and divine splendor.
"The imperial tomb of the Great Wilderness is open..."
Shen Tu Ao, adorned in dragon patterns, spoke softly, then took a step forward, his towering body slowly entering the final temple.
The black-robed elder and his companions followed suit.
Xuan Gongzi glanced at Shen Tu Ao and the others, his gaze clouded with uncertainty, pondering something. After a moment, he ordered Mo Hua and the other two, "Go."
Mo Hua obediently took slow, dazed steps, following them into the Solitary Mountain Temple, which held the Great Wilderness' greatest secrets.
Inside the temple, golden light shone brilliantly, creating an extravagant sight.
Surrounding the long staircase were various statues, each with unique poses and exquisite craftsmanship.
Some stood, others sat, lay down, wore golden armor, donned splendid robes, or draped themselves in large cloaks. Their faces were long and stern, and without exception, they all depicted the Yellow Mountain Lord.
Mo Hua couldn't help but marvel inwardly, "How many people, how much time, and how much bright yellow brass would it take to create so many divine statues?"
This Yellow Mountain Lord...
Some things are indeed preordained by fate.
"However, if the Yellow Mountain Lord is fine, why create so many statues..."
Mo Hua was puzzled, his mind whispering doubts as he continued forward with the group.
Along the way, they encountered no traps or formations.
This grand hall was likely built to worship the imperial tomb of the Great Wilderness and the Solitary Mountain's mountain god. Outside, there might be countless dangers and obstacles.
But within the hall's interior, to respect the imperial clan or divine beings, the atmosphere was solemn and peaceful.
Thus, the group proceeded, passing by the diverse and dazzling statues of the mountain god, until they reached the deepest part of the hall.
The innermost area was even more grand and magnificent, with flowing radiance.
There stood an even larger statue of the mountain lord, dressed in royal armor, exuding authority without anger. At first glance, it resembled the Solitary Mountain's deity, but upon closer inspection, it also embodied the imperial clan of the Great Wilderness.
The fusion of the divine and imperial styles created this massive statue, situated at the heart of the temple.
Beneath this statue was a coffin.
The design of this coffin was almost identical to the enormous bright yellow brass coffin in the underground palace, nurturing countless flesh-like corpse statues.
However, this coffin was much more delicate and smaller, only able to accommodate one person, and its materials were clearly more precious.
Most notably, a majestic and proud dragon was carved on this coffin.
This was a dragon coffin!
Mo Hua's heart trembled slightly, and his thoughts raced:
"Who is buried in this dragon coffin? Is it the imperial clan of the Great Wilderness?"
"Is the dragon vein Shen Tu Ao spoke of also hidden within this dragon coffin?"
"Speaking of which, what exactly is the 'dragon vein' of the Great Wilderness? Is it a lineage, a dragon bone, or some other part of a dragon?"
"Does it contain... the complete Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram?"
Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"My destined formation is getting closer and closer..."
The journey had been filled with challenges.
Mo Hua never expected that within the Solitary Mountain, there would be so many dangers and deadly traps set by others.
The tomb passage with its eerie corpse fiend.
The flesh-like evil statue and the ten thousand corpse sealed coffin.
The mass grave and the sinister ghost road.
And within this temple, the golden path where demons danced.
Guarded by the ancestors of the Great Wilderness, this temple's dragon head entrance could only be opened by the imperial descendants.
Mo Hua pondered and realized that apart from dealing with ghosts and evil spirits, which he could handle without much effort, the rest seemed beyond his abilities.
Especially the dragon head entrance, as he truly had no way to open it—after all, he did not possess the blood of the imperial clan.
Fortunately, these few great demon heads from the Demon Sect had helped him immensely.
After all this trouble, the dragon coffin of the Great Wilderness was finally within reach.
Mo Hua suppressed his excitement and stood obediently to the side, like a puppet without ill intentions.
Indeed, no one present paid him any attention.
Their eyes were fixed on the dragon coffin, a symbol of the imperial clan's honor, splendor, and extraordinary aura.
"Is that thing... inside the coffin?" Xuan Gongzi asked.
The black-robed elder nodded, "Indeed."
Xuan Gongzi's eyes shone with fervor, "Then why haven't we opened the coffin yet?"
The black-robed elder shook his head, "Not yet."
Xuan Gongzi furrowed his brows, "Why?"
"This dragon coffin seals an evil embryo."
"Evil embryo?!"
Xuan Gongzi's pupils constricted.
Mo Hua's heart also trembled.
Indeed!
There was an evil embryo hidden within the Solitary Mountain, and it was sealed in the imperial clan's dragon coffin.
But...
How did this black-robed elder know about it? Mo Hua wondered.
At that moment, Xuan Gongzi also asked, "Is this true?"
The black-robed elder slowly nodded.
Xuan Gongzi's brows knitted together, and his eyes flashed, "Second Elder, don't try to fool me with some vague talk of an 'evil embryo.' If you want our future cooperation to go smoothly, please explain this matter clearly."
"What is this Evil Embryo, and where did it come from?"
The Black Robe Elder paused for a moment, sighed, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "This matter must start with a 'Shaman' of high virtue and prestige from my clan..."
"A Shaman?" Xuan Gongzi's expression flickered slightly.
The Black Robe Elder explained, "A Shaman is one who serves the spirits and gods, draws the Four Symbols, controls totems, commands beasts, and predicts fortunes. They are the witch doctors of our Great Wilderness Clan."
"The Dao Court slaughtered my Great Wilderness Imperial Clan, severed our lineage, and destroyed our foundation. After so many years of hardship and exile, not even one in ten of our Shamans remain."
"Despite this, the surviving Shamans are still biding their time, enduring bitterness, and keeping a low profile, all for the revival of our Great Wilderness Imperial Clan."
"But heaven did not bless us. Instead, a bloody 'betrayal' occurred among the Shamans!"
The Black Robe Elder was both furious and fearful.
Xuan Gongzi's expression turned solemn.
The Black Robe Elder's voice trembled, "During a ritual to serve the spirits and gods, one Shaman violated a taboo and awakened an ancient evil god of the Great Wilderness."
"Under the evil god's influence, he betrayed us."
"On the surface, he remained a virtuous and respected Shaman, but in secret, he deviated from his original intentions. He betrayed the Great Wilderness, and his body and soul became devoted to the evil god, causing great calamity. He stole our heritage, seized our bloodline, and in this temple deep within Solitary Mountain, he nurtured an Evil Embryo!"
"This is the first Evil Embryo he nurtured."
"He wanted to use the Evil Embryo to summon the evil god."
"But for some unknown reason, he failed. The evil god did not descend, and the Evil Embryo went out of control."
"The traitor had no choice but to seal this Evil Embryo in this temple at the bottom of Solitary Mountain."
At this moment, the Black Robe Elder looked at the golden Dragon Coffin before him, his eyes filled with fear. "That Evil Embryo is sealed within this coffin."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Gongzi's expression changed, but after a moment, his brows furrowed as he remained somewhat skeptical.
However, Mo Hua, who had listened to this conversation, felt his heart stir.
Xuan Gongzi was unaware, but Mo Hua, who had been deeply involved in the affairs of evil gods, understood better than anyone.
The Second Elder's words revealed too many secrets.
They also cleared up many of Mo Hua's doubts.
Mo Hua's thoughts raced as he pondered the Second Elder's words:
"The traitor the Second Elder mentioned, the one who betrayed our clan and followed the evil god... Could it be 'Mr. Tu'?"
"Mr. Tu is a Shaman of the Great Wilderness Clan?"
"Serving spirits and gods, drawing the Four Symbols, controlling totems, commanding beasts, and predicting fortunes... No wonder he can master the Four Symbols Array Technique, the Divine Array Technique, and even raise Demon Cultivators in the Ten Thousand Demons Valley. He can conceal the secrets of the Rouge Boat, and even predict fortunes and misfortunes..."
"He nurtured an Evil Embryo in Solitary Mountain, and this is the first one."
"In the hundreds of years before this, he had already attempted to use this Evil Embryo to summon the evil god..."
Mo Hua thought of the Mass Grave, where over a hundred thousand densely packed corpses of Miner Cultivators lay, and his heart sank.
On the other side, Xuan Gongzi pondered for a moment, a wry smile on his face. "Senior, do evil gods truly exist in this world?"
"You should pray that you never encounter one in your lifetime..." The Black Robe Elder glanced at him. "If you don't encounter an evil god, then they don't exist. But if you do, it doesn't matter whether they exist or not. Once you encounter one, you will no longer be yourself."
"Since you've learned the Dao Heart Cultivation of Evil, you should understand," the Black Robe Elder said.
Xuan Gongzi's heart trembled slightly, and after a moment, he spoke again, "If what you say is true, and this Dragon Coffin seals an Evil Embryo, then aren't we going to awaken it?"
"It must not be awakened," the Black Robe Elder said.
Xuan Gongzi frowned. "Why?"
"You don't know the terror of an Evil Embryo," the Black Robe Elder said. "Once it's awakened, all of us will die."
Xuan Gongzi was slightly skeptical.
The Black Robe Elder noticed his thoughts and spoke in a low voice, "Don't think that just because you've learned the Dao Heart Cultivation of Evil, you've mastered the path of Divine Sense. You've never experienced the intricacies of Divine Sense, nor do you truly understand its great terror."
Xuan Gongzi's face turned slightly cold. "This Evil Embryo is at most Tier Three."
"Just Tier Three..." The Black Robe Elder coldly smiled. "Do you know what a Tier Three Divine Embryo signifies?"
"This is the embryo of a Tier Three evil god that failed to descend upon the mortal realm!"
"Once it awakens, not only will you not be able to leave Solitary Mountain, but even if your body escapes, your soul will be left behind."
"Moreover, if my guess is correct..." The Black Robe Elder's eyes held deep fear. "...this Evil Embryo is likely at the peak of Tier Three, almost reaching Tier Four."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Gongzi didn't react, but Mo Hua's scalp went numb.
A Tier Three peak, almost Tier Four Evil Embryo?
This is impossible!
There's no way to defeat it.
Mo Hua's heart raced.
He had already struggled to defeat a Tier Two Evil Embryo, let alone a Tier Three peak one.
They were not on the same level, and any comparison would be unfair.
Moreover, this seemed to be an Evil Embryo that had failed to descend and had gone "out of control," making it even more dangerous.
"This is the real 'big guy,' far more terrifying than that massive Flesh Corpse..."
A chill rose in Mo Hua's heart, and he felt a chill down his spine.
He had even considered taking on this Evil Embryo from Solitary Mountain, hoping to 'consume' it to break through the twentieth level of Divine Perception.
Now it seemed that he had offended...
He wasn't worthy of consuming a Tier Three peak Evil Embryo.
If they really faced it, it was uncertain who would consume whom.
"I was rash and reckless..."
Mo Hua quickly reconsidered his strategy:
Forget about the Evil Embryo. If it's too powerful, it's best not to provoke it...
Just focus on obtaining the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram.
Of course, obtaining the Dragon Vein of the Great Wilderness would be ideal.
These people are plotting to take control of the Dragon Vein, intending to rebel. By taking possession of it, I would also be doing a great favor for the Dao Court.
Even if I can't utilize this Dragon Vein, I can still hand it over to the Dao Court later and exchange it for some secret array techniques and ultimate skills passed down within the Dao Court. There shouldn't be any issues with that...
Mo Hua quickly made up his mind.
On the other side, Xuan Gongzi, upon hearing about the "Evil Embryo at the peak of Tier Three," nodded slightly, feeling a bit apprehensive.
Then, he frowned, "If this Evil Embryo is truly that formidable, won't we be unable to open the coffin?"
The black-robed elder remained silent for a moment, not saying much, but instead asking, "Xuan Gongzi, regarding the agreement we discussed earlier, can you keep your word?"
Xuan Gongzi nodded, "Of course. My lineage of the Demon Sect will assist you in the revival of the Great Wilderness Imperial Family, dominating the Southern Wilderness, and opposing the Dao Court. In return, all you need to do is provide us with a corner of the world to spread our demonic teachings."
"Good." The Second Elder nodded.
Then, he walked up to Shen Tu Ao and bowed, his expression complex and his voice aged and filled with emotion, "Third Prince, this old servant can only accompany you up to this point."
"From now on, we may never meet again. You will ascend the Dragon Throne and rule over the Great Wilderness..."
Shen Tu Ao, who had always been as silent as a mountain and coldly arrogant, had a hint of sorrow flash in his eyes.
He bowed deeply to the Second Elder.
This was the first time Mo Hua had seen him bow.
After that, Shen Tu Ao didn't say anything more.
This bow was more than enough.
The Second Elder nodded, his voice calm, "I will seal the Evil Embryo, isolate its perception, and ensure it remains unaware. After that, you can open the coffin and retrieve the Dragon Vein. But remember, you only have one hour's time."
After speaking, the Second Elder began to look up, using the secret techniques of the Great Wilderness to observe the location of the Dragon Coffin, his mind calculating something.
Moments later, he determined the direction and walked straight to the open space three zhang in front of the Dragon Coffin.
The Second Elder sat cross-legged and took out some peculiar bone artifacts with ancient and savage auras, including claws, forearms, shinbones, skulls, and more.
These bones were arranged on the ground by the Second Elder, forming the shape of a dragon.
The Second Elder took out some blood ink and drew a specific array pattern on the ground.
Mo Hua glanced at it, noticing that the pattern resembled both the Four Symbols and a tribal totem, but with a strange style that made it unfamiliar to him.
"Is this also a secret array of the Great Wilderness?"
The Second Elder was meticulous and drew the blood pattern carefully.
These blood patterns, like a blood vessel, connected all the white bones, forming a "Blood Dragon Chain."
After completing this, the Second Elder took out the last bone.
This bone was crystal-like and extraordinary, emitting a powerful aura. It was the same dragon bone he had used earlier to suppress the Flesh Corpse Statue's Twin Spirit.
The Second Elder bit into this bone.
Then, he took out a sacrificial dagger and without hesitation, stabbed it into his heart. At the same time, his body trembled violently, as if enduring immense pain.
Amidst this pain, the Second Elder's blood soaked the dragon bone.
The dragon bone wailed, gradually transforming.
On the ground, the blood pattern dragon also seemed to tremble, and the blood threads slowly coiled around, merging with the white bones to form a "Dragon Bone Chain" made from blood and bone.
This Dragon Bone Chain floated in the air, then locked onto the Dragon Coffin's blind spot, sealing off a terrifying aura within.
However, the Second Elder slowly lowered his head, his aura gradually fading.
Mo Hua's heart shook upon seeing this.
Dead...?!
The Second Elder, a Late Golden Core cultivator, had sacrificed his life, unleashing the Dragon Qi. Using his blood and the dragon bone, he forged the Dragon Chain to seal the Evil Embryo.
Mo Hua glanced at the Dragon Coffin with his peripheral vision.
Indeed, something mystical had occurred with the Dragon Coffin.
This Dragon Coffin seemed different from before, as if something had been stripped away, or perhaps it had been "sealed," causing its physical and spiritual existence to completely separate for a short time.
The changes in the physical realm would not affect the Divine Perception layer, which included the Tier Three Evil Embryo.
This method was incredibly mystical.
Not only was Mo Hua astonished, but the Bear Elder, Xuan Gongzi, and even the Demon Cultivator were all shocked.
They hadn't expected the Second Elder to sacrifice his life to open the Dragon Coffin.
Moreover, he did so decisively, without a hint of hesitation.
Both of them had solemn expressions for a moment.
Shen Tu Ao's eyes filled with sorrow, but after a moment, he buried this grief, along with all the pain of losing his family, deep within his heart.
His face returned to its cold and aloof state.
The Second Elder's sacrifice must not be in vain. The blood of the Great Wilderness Clan must not be shed in vain.
All of this was for the revival of the Imperial Family.
Shen Tu Ao's heart was resolute as he slowly stepped forward, extending his large hand to cover the golden and luxurious Dragon Coffin. Then, he slowly pushed open the coffin lid.
A dragon's roar sounded.
The Dragon Coffin emitted a strong resistance, and strands of ancient Dragon Qi penetrated Shen Tu Ao's arms.
However, these strands of Dragon Qi were dispelled by Shen Tu Ao, who carried the power of the Evil Dragon.
Finally, the Dragon Coffin was slowly opened.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Everyone saw the scene inside the coffin and was momentarily lost in awe.
Within the golden coffin adorned with dragon patterns, lay a child around ten years old.
This seemed to be a young prince, wearing the Dragon Robe of the Great Wilderness, embroidered with ancient Azure Dragon patterns.
He lay in the Dragon Coffin, his body intact, his face pale and serene, his eyes closed, and his expression peaceful.
As Mo Hua looked at this face, his pupils constricted, and his heart shook:
"This person... somehow resembles... Yu Er..."
(End of Chapter)
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