Boom!
The Bronze Coffin crashed down heavily, releasing a tremendous roar.
The coffin lid shifted aside, and brilliant sunlight streamed into the Bronze Coffin. Fresh air carrying the scent of earth, flowers, and grass drifted inside.
"Alright, everyone. We've arrived!"
Li Yu rose with a smile and stepped out of the Bronze Colossal Coffin.
"We're here? We've already reached the Big Dipper Starfield?"
"What kind of place is it?"
"Haha, this is an alien planet! I wonder what aliens look like?"
The crowd discussed excitedly and followed Li Yu out of the Bronze Coffin.
The blazing sun shone overhead, and the azure sky was like washed silk. Before them lay a beautiful expanse of green mountains and clear waters.
At that moment, they stood atop a mountain peak, gazing out at the distant scenery.
The far mountains were dark as ink, rising and falling in endless succession beyond the eye's reach.
Nearby stood jagged rocks and verdant ancient trees. Green grass lay like a carpet, dotted with brilliant flowers of every color. It was breathtakingly beautiful, a world brimming with vitality and life.
"This... is the Big Dipper?"
"Wow! What gorgeous scenery!"
"It seems... the environment is pretty similar to Earth's? Is this an Earth-like planet?"
Seeing the scene before them, everyone was thrilled and grew curious about everything in the Big Dipper Starfield.
Clang!
The Bronze Colossal Coffin behind them suddenly shook violently. The nine giant dragons dragged the coffin as it slowly slid down beneath the cliff.
"Ah! Run!"
Seeing Nine Dragons Coffin Pull sliding toward the bottom of the cliff, everyone jumped in fright and hurriedly ran away, terrified of being struck by the falling dragons and Bronze Coffin.
"Do not panic, everyone."
Li Yu casually waved his hand. A stream of rosy light shot forth, sweeping everyone up and flying toward the foot of the mountain.
"Ah..."
"We're flying..."
"Flying through the heavens and burrowing through the earth? So this is flying through the heavens and burrowing through the earth?"
"Immortal, your divine might is incredible! What an eye-opener!"
Seeing this miraculous sight, the crowd cried out in excitement once more.
The rosy light streaked across the sky in a flash.
A short while later, Li Yu crossed a black lake and set everyone down at the edge of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Ground.
"Where is this?"
"Why did the Immortal leave us here?"
After landing, the crowd saw that they were still surrounded by mountains and forests and began discussing it in surprise.
They had originally thought Li Yu would bring them directly to a town or some immortal paradise. Yet the surroundings were still nothing but wilderness, which left them greatly puzzled.
"Ah! Look!"
Li Xiaoman suddenly raised her head toward the distance and cried out in terror.
"Ah! An immortal palace! An immortal palace!"
"Wow, it's so beautiful! So magnificent! Could that be the Heavenly Court?"
"Immortal, are you taking us to the immortal palace? Wonderful! This is wonderful!"
Seeing the vast, endless stretch of majestic palaces in the distance, the crowd was shocked and delighted, cheering with joy.
"Are we going to that immortal palace?"
Even Zhou Yi, who was usually deeply calculating, could not help wearing a look of longing, unable to contain his delight.
"Hehe. The time is not yet right. You cannot go there for now."
Li Yu smiled and shook his head before continuing, "Though you are Fated Ones, you are still merely mortal flesh. Without remaking your bodies, how could you set foot upon the immortal path?"
"Remaking our bodies? May I ask what you mean, Patriarch...?"
Zhou Yi looked up at Li Yu and asked eagerly.
"There is an opportunity here that will remake your bodies. However... it is also a trial."
Li Yu swept his gaze across the crowd, then pointed toward a small hill ahead and said with a smile, "Go. Head over there, and you will naturally find an opportunity to remake your bodies."
"Yes!"
Zhou Yi glanced in the direction Li Yu had indicated and immediately walked toward the small hill without hesitation.
"Damn it! We can't let that kid Zhou Yi get there first!"
Seeing Zhou Yi already moving ahead, everyone became anxious and hurriedly ran after him.
A short while later, everyone climbed the small hill together.
"There's nothing special here! Where is this so-called opportunity to remake our bodies?"
After reaching the hilltop, everyone searched around but found nothing unusual, leaving them all somewhat confused.
"It's so hot..."
Li Xiaoman wiped the sweat from her forehead and spoke somewhat awkwardly to another female classmate beside her.
"Yeah! It really is hot!"
The girl fanned herself with her hand, then turned to look at Li Xiaoman. "Ah! Your face..."
"What's wrong with my face...?"
Li Xiaoman was startled and hurriedly touched her face before turning back to ask the girl. When she saw the girl, her own face filled with terror. "Ah! Your body..."
"Ah! What's happening?"
At that moment, everyone noticed the abnormalities in one another.
Every person's skin had turned blood-red, as though blood might drip from it at any moment. Everyone felt scorching heat throughout their bodies, as if raging flames were burning from head to toe.
"What is happening?"
Everyone began to feel their whole bodies burning hot, as if the blood within them had begun to ignite.
"Ah... it hurts so much!"
A female classmate clutched her hair and crouched on the ground in unbearable pain. Traces of blood began seeping from her body as she screamed, struggled, and rolled about on the ground.
"Ah..."
"It hurts like hell!"
Then, the others began displaying the same symptoms. Their entire bodies turned red, blood seeped from their skin, and they fell to the ground, rolling around in agony.
"What exactly is happening?!"
"Ah..."
"I don't want to die..."
"Help! Immortal, save us!"
Everyone collapsed to the ground, letting out agonized roars. Their flesh seemed to be peeling away, and their entire bodies felt as though they were being sliced by knives.
"Huff... huff... Heavenly Book Spirit, what is going on?"
Zhou Yi panted heavily, enduring the torment of excruciating pain throughout his body as he questioned the Heavenly Book Spirit.
"Your Majesty, this is the process of burning life force and stimulating one's latent vitality. Though it is painful and has some aftereffects, it truly is remaking the body."
"Damn it! This remaking the body... hurts way too much!"
"Ah..."
Zhou Yi let out a fierce roar. Crimson Blood Qi surged through his body like blood-colored flames burning brightly.
This inhuman torture was simply impossible to endure. After wave upon wave of agonized cries, the instinct for self-preservation caused everyone to lose consciousness.
"System, have you finished analyzing this power?"
Zhou Yi looked at the people atop the hill, their bodies engulfed in surging bloody flames, their life force continuously burning into fire as their faces steadily aged. He frowned slightly.
"This is a method of energy application that uses life force as fuel to fully stimulate the body's potential. No other unusual energy has been detected."
"Is that so?"
Li Yu turned thoughtfully toward the cliff valley where Nine Dragons Coffin Pull had fallen, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "This must be the cheat that the Ruthless One gave the Sacred Body!"
Thinking of that extraordinary woman from the original work who said, "I did not seek immortality, only to wait for you in this mortal world," Li Yu felt a wave of emotion in his heart.
"Do you know? The person you have been waiting for has already arrived."