Quasi-Emperor Coffin

Following a vine spanning the mountain stream, Zhang Huan moved forward, using Origin Arts to avoid hidden dangers and carefully advancing towards the most heavily guarded core of the formation.

Some of the restrictions here even gave Zhang Huan a sense of crisis. It was indeed a burial place for a significant figure.

Heaven and earth as the coffin, nurtured by a place of life, with essence as the placenta, reversing the cycle of life and death.

This was an attempt to defy heaven and return, to regain a lifetime of longevity. The tomb owner's intentions were clear.

If the tomb owner was from the Underworld, their status must have been considerable.

He reached a stone wall carved with golden divine patterns. Each stroke was profound, stirring the grand forces of heaven and earth, continuously channeling the essence between the spiritual meridians into the ground.

Zhang Huan stopped, his eyes gleaming with spiritual light as he looked at the stone wall.

He sensed the extraordinary nature of this stone wall, like a hub controlling the entire area, and sought to decipher the divine patterns on it.

The textures of heaven and earth, profound and marvelous. This was an eternal theme for cultivators comprehending the Great Dao. As their realm increased, their knowledge of it became more comprehensive.

Some said these were the characters of the Great Dao, containing countless secrets and an inseparable connection between all things and spirits in the world. If one could comprehend them all, they could attain the ultimate profound truth and understand everything in the world.

These divine patterns were carved here, complex and intricate. Zhang Huan could not see through them all at once, but he understood some parts.

This was at least a Dao pattern carved by a Quasi-Emperor, containing profound principles.

Although he couldn't fully understand it, everything in this place was inseparable from the Dao patterns on this stone wall. It had transformed a thousand-mile barren land into a place of vegetation, birds, and beasts, and was the source of everything.

If this stone wall were placed in the outside world, it would cause countless people to fight over it. It was an extremely rare treasure in the world, infused with the Dao of a Quasi-Emperor, how precious it was.

The Dao patterns flickered. Zhang Huan wanted to observe its core part, but before he could fully comprehend it, he had no choice but to close his eyes.

His heart trembled. Zhang Huan sensed that there was still a hidden killing intent within these divine patterns and stopped in time.

Of course, how could such an existence not leave behind any contingency plans? A mere formation could not stop everyone. If someone like Zhang Huan, who understood Origin Arts, came to investigate, these Quasi-Emperor Dao patterns would be a trap specifically set for them.

If he truly managed to comprehend the Dao of this Quasi-Emperor clearly, this mountain range might turn into a killing formation the next moment. With such a scheme, even a Quasi-Emperor would have a hard time.

What deep schemes. Those who could become Quasi-Emperors were all formidable individuals.

Zhang Huan muttered to himself.

He bypassed the stone wall, manipulated the forces of heaven and earth, and found the place where the essence was most abundant.

Sensing with Origin Arts, he indeed found a tomb. In the center lay a coffin, made of Ten-Thousand-Year Divine Wood, inscribed with "Death Burial Ground," "Boundless Underworld," and "Myriad Spirits."

The most eye-catching item was a Nether Treasure. At first glance, it felt terrifying and awe-inspiring, carrying immense karma.

"Heaven-Piercing Nether Treasure!"

This was an immortal artifact of the Underworld, currently located deep within the Underworld, possessing supreme power!

Zhang Huan took a deep breath and carefully extended his Spiritual Sense, trying his best not to touch these patterns.

The Underworld had its own unique system. If one's thoughts lingered too deeply on the Heaven-Piercing Nether Treasure here, who knew if it could sense it? The past rulers of the Underworld must have left behind many heaven-defying secret arts.

Things that were impossible in the outside world might not be so in a bizarre place like the Underworld.

The remaining precious burial objects, Ancient Scriptures, and Medicine Kings were likely items the tomb owner expected to use if their body miraculously returned one day, having made preparations long ago.

Endless essence was being swallowed into the coffin, appearing like a black hole. Within it lay the tomb owner's body, one that could be worth many burial pits.

What else was inside besides the body? Were there any other contingency plans from the tomb owner?

Facing the unknown, Zhang Huan dared not take risks. Seeing the ancient Medicine King quietly slumbering in the medicinal field, a thought struck him. He controlled the Medicine King to uproot itself and fly towards the heavy coffin.

"Buzz!"

A surge of energy erupted, shattering the ancient Medicine King.

"Who is it? So it's another brainless Medicine King."

Waves of Divine Sense emanated from the coffin. A Demonic Box flew out from a crack, which was clearly an intact Quasi-Emperor Artifact!

Zhang Huan inwardly called the other party an old cunning ghost, concealed his figure, and quietly took out the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar.

The Demonic Box had eight corners and three layers, palm-sized, exquisite, and small, emitting silver patterns, with a long and ancient aura.

"Every time I wake up, I think there's an intruder, but it turns out to be just some brainless Medicine Kings. Twenty-two times, twenty-two times."

The Quasi-Emperor Artifact seemed to harbor immense resentment, muttering incessantly, wishing it could destroy this entire medicinal field.

As an artifact, it hadn't yet gained sentience to set up formations. Over endless years, it had been constantly disturbed, repeatedly waking up. This Quasi-Emperor Artifact seemed to have reached its limit.

"Destroy it. That old geezer seems to be completely dead, unable to enjoy the ancient Medicine King. Why not let me nourish myself with it? After so many years, my spirituality has been damaged. It deserves to replenish my origin."

The Demonic Box muttered to itself, its anger gradually turning into openness, and finally, it burst into laughter.

It had made peace!

With that, it flew towards the medicinal field. Dozens of Medicine Kings grew in the soil. If it could sweep them all away, the vast energy it would devour would be a great tonic.

Just as it cackled sinisterly, preparing to attack the Medicine Kings, Zhang Huan suddenly burst forth, throwing the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar forward, hitting the Demonic Box precisely.

The air rippled under the collision of the two. An invisible wave spread out, and the Demonic Box, as if heavily wounded, was smashed without any means to resist. Its silver light dimmed drastically, and it fell to the ground despondently.

"Haste!"

Zhang Huan let out a soft cry, chanting a spell with his hand, guiding the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar to suppress the Demonic Box. Dark, black light, carrying supreme laws, completely suppressed the Demonic Box, coiling around it, and quickly dragging it into the jar.

It was too smooth, flowing like water. The Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar easily suppressed this Quasi-Emperor Artifact.

Zhang Huan felt relieved as no extreme aura was revealed, then turned his gaze to the coffin.

Following the gap, he opened the coffin, and a mass of chaotic mist spilled out, revealing an extremely powerful aura before his eyes.

The Blood Essence was like a primeval ancient beast; just getting close made his skin ache, and the oppressive aura was overwhelming. Facing the person in the coffin, he felt a soul-deep sense of powerlessness and insignificance.

This was a Quasi-Emperor. Even in death, they possessed such a powerful aura that all beings feared. On the level of life, they were in a completely different class from all sentient beings, terrifyingly powerful.

Zhang Huan endured the discomfort, manifesting a protective aura around himself and activating various secret techniques, barely managing to stand his ground.

Inside lay a body withered to its extreme. Although it had no aura, it was still lifelike, with wrinkles on its face just like any ordinary person.

If he hadn't confirmed it was indeed a corpse, he might have mistaken it for a living person.

Zhang Huan scanned the surroundings. The clothing this person wore was from an unknown era, likely even older than the Primeval Era. It had probably lain here for at least a million years.

No wonder even the Artifact Spirit felt impatient. Over such a long period, even a Quasi-Emperor Artifact couldn't withstand decay without replenishment. Its spirit would continuously erode, eventually returning to being a mere mortal after endless time.