Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 584: Chapter 588 Ancient God Divine Coffin

The group walked along the stone passage on the barren cliff, venturing deep into the earth’s veins. They occasionally found Sources on the ground, which made the entire Ancient Cave shimmer with a crystal-clear light.

DRIP.

Water droplets fell from the rock wall, shimmering with a five-colored brilliance. They landed with a crisp and melodious sound, like Miao Yin playing a tune, making the Ancient Cave feel even more tranquil.

Ye Fan and his companions walked through the flickering cavern, their hearts restless. The overwhelming aura emanating from deep within the earth’s veins pressed down on them, making it difficult to breathe.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it had to be the corpses of deities. Yet, the presence they exuded far surpassed that of an awakened Extreme Dao Holy Weapon; it was like a vast ocean surging, causing souls to tremble.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The faint, intermittent sound of rattling chains drifted through the air, particularly frightening in this eerie cavern. It was as if ghostly voices from Hell were echoing, or demons were breaking free from their shackles.

WHOOSH… WHOOSH…

After advancing several more miles, the wind howled, blowing from other branching tunnels. An unsettling chill permeated the air. These offshoots were pitch-black, like entrances to the Abyss.

They neither investigated nor paid them any mind. Who knew what lurked within those dark offshoots? For now, they focused solely on advancing along the main earth vein, which was faintly lit.

CRACK!

Along the way, they occasionally spotted Exotic Sources embedded in the rock wall. When pried off, they made a crisp sound and were wreathed in dazzling rays of light.

They even excavated several pieces of Divine Sources, whose brilliant light illuminated the Ancient Cave, making it seem like a dreamscape.

“This Ancient God certainly knew how to pick a spot,” one of them remarked. “If we were to excavate this area, we’d likely find a great deal of Source. It’s a truly precious treasure trove.”

The Qi Mechanism ahead grew increasingly intense, weighing heavily on their hearts. It felt as if they were facing a towering Demon Mountain, bringing waves of heart palpitations and a suffocating sensation.

“If this continues, we might not even be able to get close to the deity’s coffin,” someone worried aloud. “We could still be quite far from it when our bodies begin to crack under the strain.”

Deities. Their existence had puzzled even the Emperors of the Ancient era and the Great Emperors of Ancient Desolation, who were uncertain if such beings truly existed. Now, Ye Fan and his group might be about to witness a miracle.

Ahead, a dense thicket of Ancient Wood blocked their path, much to their astonishment. It was surprising to find such towering Ancient Woods growing in this Underground World.

Illuminated by the glow of the Sources, the woods appeared a lush, vibrant green, brimming with life. Yet, the group sensed a dangerous Qi Mechanism emanating from within.

ROAR!

A bloodcurdling, shrill cry tore through the air, no different from the wail of a Fierce Ghost. In an instant, it made the hairs on their bodies stand on end.

WHOOSH!

A black shadow shot out like a demon, pouncing viciously towards the group. It brought with it a gust of foul wind and an overwhelming, ferocious aura.

“A Devil Ape!” Daoist Duan De gasped, his face turning deathly pale as he stumbled backward.

Everyone’s expression changed, and they all retreated rapidly. It was a Devil Ape, one zhang tall, covered in black, glinting scales and wreathed in a deadly baleful air.

Its eyes were filled with immense malice, like those of mortal enemies meeting after ten lifetimes of hatred. Its iron hook-like claws lashed out, aiming to rip them open.

“This creature was spawned in an ancient tomb! It’s incredibly hard to deal with and extremely dangerous!” Daoist Duan De shouted, warning the others.

CLANG!

Daoist Duan De summoned an Iron Seal, which pressed down like a mountain. However, under the Devil Ape’s claws, Red Wanderer scattered, and the seal was reduced to iron dust.

It was well known that every artifact Daoist Duan De carried was a rare treasure, yet none could withstand a single blow from the Devil Ape. This just went to show how terrifying the creature was.

ROAR!

The Devil Ape let out another piercing shriek, like a Fierce Ghost escaped from Hell, and lunged at them once more. The sight alone would have been enough to frighten an ordinary person to death.

BUZZ!

Dongfang Ye attacked. He wielded the sole sacred bone left behind by an Ancient Saint after their Transformation. A streak of golden light flowed from it as he swung it fiercely.

“ARGH…”

The Devil Ape let out a savage howl. Incredibly agile, it retreated in a flash, swift as a phantom, clearly terrified of the golden sacred bone.

“To think such creatures actually exist in the world! It’s a Devil Monkey! Damn it, if a real fight broke out, it could tear even a peak expert to shreds!” the blind man exclaimed in astonishment.

“This is the third time I’ve encountered one of these,” Daoist Duan De recalled, a lingering fear in his voice. “The first two times were in the ancient tombs of the Feather King and the Star River King. I nearly died back then.”

The Devil Ape looked utterly ferocious, its black scales glinting. It stared malevolently at the sacred bone, hesitating to approach. Then, it suddenly let out a long, shrill cry, like an owl hooting in the night.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Before long, four more Devil Monkeys rushed out from the Ancient Forest. Each was one zhang tall, looking fierce and brutal as they surrounded the group.

“Legend says these are formed when the corpses of supreme figures from ancient times undergo a ‘corpse change’,” the blind man exclaimed, sucking air through his teeth. “Five of them appearing at once… We’re in grave danger!”

The group retreated together. The Devil Monkeys, also terrified of the Saint’s arm bone, dared not attack immediately, instead letting out continuous low growls.

“If this drags on, they’ll definitely attack. This is a dire situation!” Ye Fan frowned.

Daoist Duan De gritted his teeth. “You’re forcing me to use my trump card.” He took out an old, blackened bronze lamp. Its flame burned steadily, seemingly unextinguishable. When he opened the lamp cover, an inexplicable Qi Mechanism immediately radiated outwards.

The flame was extraordinarily gentle yet incredibly sacred, bathing the Ancient Forest in a brilliant and pure light.

The lamp itself wasn’t dazzling, yet its light spread far and wide, penetrating every inch of space, leaving no shadow to be found. A sacred aura permeated the area.

The five Devil Monkeys retreated in terror, screeching incessantly. They were angry yet frightened, even trembling uncontrollably, their bodies shaking.

“This lamp…” The blind man was astounded, staring at it intently. “The oil in this bronze lamp… could it have been rendered from a Saint’s body?”

At these words, the others were greatly shocked, their faces etched with disbelief.

“That’s right.” Daoist Duan De admitted. “The lamp casing itself is nothing special, but the oil inside was rendered from the body of an Ancient Saint. It burns eternally and can ward off misfortune.” He explained that he had brought it from the Netherworld King’s Tomb, and the initial shock of seeing it had kept him awake for three days.

The moment the Saint Oil Lamp appeared, the five Devil Apes retreated in fear. The light and the scent it emitted instilled a terror that came from the very depths of their souls, compelling them to flee rather than linger.

In fact, the arm bone left behind by the Saint’s Transformation was even more precious. However, its power was too contained, not actively exuding its supreme Holy Power, and thus it wasn’t as immediately effective as this peerless oil lamp.

“Don’t put that lamp away yet,” the blind man said, his voice tinged with worry. “We don’t know what else lies ahead, and I’m still concerned that the Divine Thought might reappear.”

“But outside, thousands of people are chanting the Rebirth Mantra and the Sutra of Salvation. An endless torrent of Divine Light has sealed off the Heaven-Reaching Ladder. Can the Divine Thought still get in?”

“It’s hard to say. There might be other paths it could take.”

After this brief exchange, all five of them felt a knot of tension tighten in their chests. They dreaded encountering that truly peerless demon. Who in the current age could possibly subdue such a being?

RATTLE! RATTLE!

Ahead, the sound of an iron chain swaying was clearly audible. It was a terrifying sound, making them feel as if they had arrived in Hell itself.

A black river flowed silently and calmly, cutting off the path ahead. It was like a black Abyss, threatening to swallow a person’s Heart Spirit and soul.

It was perfectly calm, without a single ripple, not even a splash. Yet, its profound darkness was deeply unsettling. Staring at it for too long felt as if it would shatter one’s Divine Soul!

“This is… Taiyin True Water!”

“Normally, even a small gourdful of this water would be considered a priceless treasure by cultivators. But here… there’s an entire river of it!”

They were all dumbstruck, a chill of dread gripping their hearts. This place was too bizarre and terrifying.

Upon reaching this place, their divine energy was suppressed even more severely. Even Daoist Duan De’s “Star River” vessel could no longer fly, making it impossible to cross the river.

“I’m afraid even an unrivaled Emperor from the Central States wouldn’t be able to fly here!”

Above the black river hung an iron chain, swaying with a RATTLE, RATTLE. It was pitch-black as ink, glinting with a sinister light, and extended to the opposite bank.

“Are we supposed to cross by climbing the chain?”

“We can’t climb it! Look, there are creatures on this chain!”

Looking closely, they all felt a chill run down their spines. Numerous corpses were entwined around the iron chain, their eyes opening and closing, emitting an eerie, oily green light.

“Ancient, animated corpses!”

“These are also masters from later ages who ventured in here, not people from before the Ancient era. They all perished in this place!”

Upon closer examination, they realized this iron chain was quite special. It was called Soul Calming Iron, a rare treasure that naturally attracted corpses and preserved them from decay.

It was impossible to tell how many years had passed. Dozens of corpses were entwined around the iron chain, each one terrifying. Judging from their attire, they had been there for an immeasurably long time.

“These were all supreme figures in their time; otherwise, their corpses wouldn’t have achieved Spirit Communication!”

“How do we get across?” The group was stumped.

Suddenly, a White Bone Boat came drifting quietly over the water and floated to the shore. It was constructed from thousands of snow-white skulls, an intimidating sight to behold.

“This must be the work of the Divine Thought,” one of them surmised. “Otherwise, the deities from before the ancient times would never have created such terrifying things.”

“Let’s board the boat. We have the Saint Oil Lamp; no evil can touch us. Even if there are unknown creatures within the Taiyin True Water, they won’t dare to attack.”

The five of them didn’t hesitate for long. They boarded the White Bone Boat and began to drift towards the opposite bank. During the journey, the bronze lamp in Daoist Duan De’s hand emitted a peaceful glow, bathing the bone boat in bright light.

SPLASH!

Just as they disembarked on the other side, massive waves surged in the river. A dorsal fin was briefly revealed before a blood-red creature, resembling a dragon or a Flood Dragon, submerged back into the depths.

“To be able to survive in Taiyin True Water… this creature must have a terrifying background!”

Ye Fan and Dongfang Ye were both astonished. Their physical bodies were incredibly strong, yet neither would dare claim they could freely enter and exit the black Taiyin True Water like that.

“Let’s hurry forward! I have a feeling those Emperors, Demon Lords, and Divine Monks are also closing in. We must reach the ancient scriptures and Immortal Treasure before them!”

Although they wanted to quicken their pace, they couldn’t move fast. The pressure was becoming increasingly immense. Even when they activated various ancient treasures for protection, it still felt like trudging through a quagmire.

Is this the overwhelming Qi Mechanism from the corpses, or is there an Extreme Dao Holy Weapon suppressing this place?! they wondered. They felt as if their bodies were about to give out; the pressure was so intense it threatened to fracture their bones.

“We’ve arrived! Look ahead, it’s an immortal land!”

They had reached the deepest part of the earth’s vein and finally laid eyes on the Immortal Burial Land they had been seeking. Boundless Immortal Qi rushed towards them, making them feel as if they could ascend to the heavens in a rain of rosy light.

Ahead, radiant clouds of auspicious light overflowed. It was a vast expanse where tens of thousands of Great Dragons coiled and soared. Limitless, resplendent light swirled around, and everything was shrouded in a hazy Immortal Qi.

There stood a massive platform resembling a giant Pyramid, though it lacked a pointed top; its summit was perfectly flat. It was constructed entirely from Five-Colored Jade.

This immense platform was ten thousand zhang high. Jade Steps led up to its summit from all sides. It was enveloped in an endless, hazy Immortal Qi, making it feel as if they had stepped into the immortal world itself.

“It’s a full ten thousand zhang high! But this is deep within an earth vein… There must be some Mysterious Meaning of Space Law at play here!”

The ten thousand zhang high Jade Platform was incomparably majestic. Primal chaos surged around it, Immortal Qi filled the air, and tens of thousands of Great Dragons coiled about, creating an extremely grand and imposing spectacle.

“We’ve finally reached the Immortal Burial Land! Look, there’s an ancient coffin on top! That must be where the deity is interred!”

Their divine energy was almost completely sealed, but their divine scan and spiritual perception still functioned. They could feel the immense oppression emanating from the ancient coffin that lay upon the ten thousand zhang high Jade Platform, a pressure that seemed capable of crushing the very ages.

“If we can open that ancient coffin, we will be the first people since the dawn of time to lay eyes upon a deity!”

(Translator’s Note: The following is an advertisement from the original source.)

The book is titled “Dragon Temple,” Book Number: 1929804. When the sword stands firmly at the edge of Demon Valley, the world slowly calms, but death still lingers…

(To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log onto www.. More chapters are available, supporting the author and genuine reading!)