Coffin in the Well, God Outside the Temple

Huang Siping, Wei Chu, and the Snake Demon Yuan Qi saw Xu Ying standing dazed, staring blankly at the bottom of the well. They, too, looked into it.

One man, one god, and one demon met the gaze of the huge eye in the well, their own eyes growing vacant as they stared blankly at it.

That huge eye seemed to possess a strange power. Once they looked at it, they found it nearly impossible to tear their gazes away.

Suddenly, a deafening bell rang out, jolting Xu Ying and the others awake.

The two men, one god, and one demon looked down in shock. Their hands and bodies were covered in blood, and they were gripping the thick chains in the well, straining to haul them out!

The Snake Demon Yuan Qi had no hands, so he wrapped his tail around the chains and dragged them out.

The chains had already been dragged dozens of yards from the well. The sections pulled out later were covered in black blood, its stench reeking and nauseating.

Pulled up along with them were more than a dozen human skeletons!

Everyone's flesh crawled.

They had no idea when they had lost consciousness, nor what had controlled their minds. They did not know how long they had been dragging the chains, much less what lay shackled beneath them!

They only felt the chains growing incredibly heavy, heavier and heavier, as if something were fastened to the end below.

In the well, the huge eye vanished. Blood churned and bubbled, gurgling as it rose higher and higher until it reached the mouth of the well!

Xu Ying and the others hurriedly released the chains. The bell rang again, and the chains clattered back down into the well, while the blood within receded of its own accord.

Suddenly, a frail sigh came from the well, so beautiful it sounded as though a young maiden within was lamenting her misfortune, unable to escape.

The more beautiful the voice was, the more their flesh crawled.

Xu Ying stood at the edge of the well and looked down. The blood had retreated, revealing a coffin shackled by the chains, falling straight down along the well wall.

Moments later, the coffin reached the bottom.

At the bottom of the well was a sharp, triangular mouth lined with jagged teeth. It swallowed the coffin whole and gulped it down, the chains hanging beside the colossal creature's mouth like whiskers.

Xu Ying's heart pounded wildly. After swallowing the coffin, the colossal creature moved directly beneath the well and opened its mouth.

Xu Ying hurriedly ducked back, grabbed the Snake Demon Yuan Qi by the tail, and ran!

Huang Siping and Wei Chu were baffled when a world-shaking roar suddenly erupted from the well. It shook them into muffled groans, blood spilling from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths!

In the well, the colossal creature had failed to send the coffin out from the bottom. It was furious, and its roar shook heaven and earth. Even the Great Bronze Bell trembled like a withered willow in a gale, swaying precariously!

The entire Stone Mountain shook violently with thunderous rumbles, as though it might be shattered to pieces!

Although Xu Ying and Yuan Qi had avoided the first wave of the roar, the aftershock from its collision with the bell still hurled them away, smashing them several yards off!

At the same time, the Nai River outside the ruined temple grew violent. Its surface rose higher and higher, as though some gigantic fiend within were churning the river and attacking the bell-shaped barrier of light formed by the Great Bronze Bell!

With attacks from within and without, the Great Bell's light in the pavilion dimmed. Even the bell-shaped barrier covering Stone Mountain grew thinner and fainter.

Xu Ying summoned every ounce of strength, surging his blood and qi to resist the roar. He dragged the Snake Demon Yuan Qi toward the Great Hall of Heroes with all his might!

Blood and qi surged beneath his skin, and tiny beads of blood even seeped from his pores, staining his clothes red!

The Snake Demon Yuan Qi had already been shaken unconscious.

Xu Ying clenched his teeth. Blood flowed from his eyes, while a hot, bloody stench filled his nostrils and warm blood ran out.

The roar from the deep well never ceased. Blood also flowed from Xu Ying's ears, his heart pounding like a drum as though it might explode at any moment. With every step leaving a bloodstained footprint, he made his way toward the Great Hall of Heroes.

Xu Ying staggered into the Great Hall of Heroes and collapsed.

The roar was much quieter inside, finally giving him a chance to catch his breath.

"Crack!"

A streak of cold light flashed from beyond the heavens, like a sharp weapon. Yet the weapon was astonishingly enormous, cleaving a breach into the bell-shaped barrier of light!

The Nai River's waters immediately poured through the opening.

Xu Ying struggled to his feet and looked outside. Around the bell-shaped barrier above the Nai River, towering figures emerged faintly, resembling humans yet not human. Each wielded a colossal weapon, attacking the barrier and carving out more breaches!

They were figures as majestic as heavenly gods, completely unlike the Grass Head God and the Demon God. A single glance at them sent distracting thoughts flooding through the mind and provoked an urge to kneel and worship!

A deathly pale hand reached over from the Nai River and extended through a breach into the sky above the ruined temple. Every finger was several yards long as it swept over the Great Hall of Heroes.

Xu Ying hurried to the rear of the hall and saw the pale hand reaching into the pavilion. It seized the Great Bronze Bell and tried to pluck it down.

"Clang—"

The bell's vibration tore the hand apart, sending flesh flying in all directions. One finger smashed toward Xu Ying. With a sharp thud, it pierced through the Great Hall of Heroes and nailed itself to the temple gate!

Firelight flickered across the dilapidated gate. Strange characters emerged, twisted like mosquitoes and containing astonishing energy, igniting the pale finger!

Xu Ying was still staring in shock at the writing on the gate when another long whip flew over from the river. It passed above his head, then with a sharp snap coiled around the Great Bronze Bell's loop and yanked outward.

The pavilion suspending the bell was instantly torn apart!

The Great Bronze Bell was dragged away from the well, and the roar from within grew more urgent.

Xu Ying looked up at the rapidly moving whip above him. Its segments were made from solemn human faces, each one different, all with their eyes tightly shut.

The strange whip carried the bell as it swept through the Great Hall of Heroes, rippling through the air like a dragon in motion.

More strips of white silk flew over the Nai River, darting into the well with sharp snaps!

At this sight, Xu Ying's heart stirred. "Perhaps the Nai River's diversion wasn't accidental."

What he was seeing looked more like someone had deliberately diverted the Nai River to suppress the Great Bronze Bell of the desolate temple and rescue the Coffin in the Well!

"Someone created a mass-death event just to rescue the Coffin in the Well! Who exactly is buried inside it?" Xu Ying wondered.

The Great Bronze Bell seemed enraged. It suddenly rang out repeatedly, shattering the long whip and flying out of the ruined temple.

The roar of the temple exterior and the bell's ringing merged into one.

Xu Ying looked up and saw countless shadows moving atop the bell-shaped barrier. Suddenly, the head of one humanoid figure exploded, shattered to pieces by the Great Bronze Bell!

Another humanoid figure swayed, and all the flesh on its body suddenly melted away. Then even the shadow of its bones on the bell-shaped barrier dissolved into dust!

Xu Ying watched in horror. Those figures felt so powerful and unfathomable, like Mount Sumeru and the abyss of the netherworld!

Yet beneath the Great Bronze Bell's assault, they died with astonishing ease, more cleanly than ants being crushed!

The mighty waters of the Nai River poured in from every direction. The flood had already reached the Great Hall of Heroes. Xu Ying had no time to think. He grabbed the unconscious Snake Demon Yuan Qi, leapt through the hole in the hall's roof, and landed atop it.

Looking down, he saw Stone Mountain God Huang Siping standing on one leg atop his Hundred Refinements Horse-Slaying Saber in the rear courtyard. The saber was embedded in the ground, and the Nai River had already reached his feet.

Blood ran from Huang Siping's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Despair showed on the face of this Demon God.

He and Wei Chu had reacted too slowly and had both been gravely wounded by the roar from the well. By the time they came to their senses, the Nai River had already flowed into the rear courtyard of the desolate temple, preventing them from reaching the Great Hall of Heroes for shelter.

Now, the Nai River was still rising!

The water scoured the soles of his feet. The flesh on Huang Siping's left foot had been stripped away completely, leaving only white bone!

The Nai River crept up and devoured his left leg. Before long, that leg would be nothing but bone!

And it would not take much longer for the river to swallow him whole!

The prison warden Wei Chu was also in dire straits atop a withered old willow tree in the rear courtyard. The willow had rotted away, leaving only its trunk, so he too could only stand on one leg like Huang Siping, enduring the pain and sacrificing one limb to preserve his life.

Yet the willow tree swayed as the Nai River battered it, liable to be torn out by the roots at any moment. When that happened, he would die without a burial place!

More terrifying still, he was shorter than Huang Siping. Even if the willow tree did not fall, he would die before Huang Siping!

Xu Ying's gaze fell on the deep well. Strips of white silk wrapped around the chains and pulled outward. Within the well, a Black Coffin slowly rose and had already reached the mouth.

"These people actually succeeded!" Xu Ying thought.

The Great Bronze Bell had been lured away, and the Black Coffin had reached the mouth of the well!

Just then, a ray of sunlight fell upon the youth's face.

Xu Ying looked up. The rising sun appeared in the east, illuminating his face and gradually lighting up his entire body.

The pouring Nai River grew fainter and fainter. The surging river itself faded away, while the bell's ringing grew more distant. This underworld river suddenly vanished without a trace as the sun rose!

Xu Ying looked farther away. The distant Nai River was also gradually fading and disappearing, leaving only a "riverbed" scoured through the mountains.

There was not a trace of life in the riverbed. Withered, rotten trees lay everywhere, as though they had been burned black.

On the riverbank not far away, white bones washed ashore had piled together.

"Where's the Great Bell? And those giants?"

The youth looked around. Not only had the Nai River vanished, the Great Bronze Bell had disappeared as well. The godlike figures that had just battled the Great Bronze Bell around the desolate temple had all vanished too!

There was not a trace of water in the rear courtyard of the desolate temple. Even the bonfire no longer emitted green light and had returned to normal flames.

Xu Ying composed himself and looked toward the rear courtyard. The pavilion above the deep well had collapsed, and the well had returned to silence, with no sound coming from within.

A Maiden in white sat at the mouth of the well with her back to him, slowly combing her loose hair.

The Maiden turned her head. Her eyes met Xu Ying's, and she smiled sweetly, making him feel that the years and sunlight were so beautiful.

When sunlight reached the rear courtyard of the desolate temple, the Maiden vanished, leaving only a coffin standing beside the well.

Several black iron chains lay beside the coffin.

Suddenly, the coffin shot into the air, broke free of the chains, and tore through the sky!

"The existence suppressed in this well escaped after all."

Xu Ying recalled the Maiden's appearance and thought, But she was quite pretty. Godfather and Grandfather would surely like a daughter-in-law like her. What a pity she's a Female Ghost.

Suddenly, there was a thud, and the prison warden Wei Chu toppled from the withered tree and crashed to the ground, unconscious.

His entire right leg had become stark white bone, without a scrap of flesh!

On the other side, Stone Mountain God Huang Siping jumped down from the Hundred Refinements Horse-Slaying Saber. He staggered, his expression gloomy. The flesh below his left knee had also vanished completely, leaving only bone!

He was vicious by nature, even toward himself. Enduring the pain, he did not make a sound.

Huang Siping raised his head and looked toward Xu Ying atop the Great Hall of Heroes.

Xu Ying faced east and activated the Guiding Technique. Under the sunlight, the particles of light flying through the air became increasingly distinct. As he breathed, they formed a small-scale storm of light that he absorbed into his body!

Peals of thunder echoed from within the youth's body. His blood and qi also transformed into a great sun. Working together, they tempered his body and refined away the bloodstains left by his injuries from the previous night.

Now that the crisis of the Nai River's diversion had been resolved, the danger Xu Ying faced was no longer the river but the hunt by the divine lords and official lords!

Huang Siping drew a long breath and adjusted his own breathing as well, activating the Guiding Technique he cultivated to absorb Solar Essence.

His injuries were much more severe than Xu Ying's. Aside from internal wounds, he had also lost his left leg. Fortunately, he was a demon king, and his blood-and-qi cultivation remained. As long as he suppressed his injuries, he could strike like thunder and finish Xu Ying!

Now, the man and the god silently regulated their breathing, striving to suppress their injuries and recover most of their strength before the other, all to seize the initiative with the first strike!

"Xu Ying, you could have left first."

Huang Siping adjusted his breathing as he spoke coolly. "You're clever and avoided the roar from the well, so your injuries are lighter. I've lost a leg. If you flee, I won't be able to catch you. You had no need to stay."

Xu Ying faced east and activated the Taiyi Guiding Technique. The storm of light particles in the air grew increasingly fierce.

Bathed in the rising sun, the youth stood upright and steady as a mountain overlooking an abyss. With a majestic air, he said, "My friend is unconscious. How could I simply leave?"

Huang Siping's gaze flickered as he tightened his grip on the Horse-Slaying Saber. "Friend? You regard the Snake Demon as a friend? Have you forgotten? You're a Snake Catcher! You and the Snake Demon are natural enemies! The Strange Snake has killed your fellow Snake Catchers, and you've killed Strange Snakes!"

"That doesn't stop us from becoming friends!"

Xu Ying suddenly let out a long howl and stomped down hard. With a thunderous boom, he plunged into the Great Hall of Heroes.

The rear hall exploded with a roar!

Xu Ying's blood and qi coursed through his entire body. Baleful Intent formed behind him and transformed into the Elephant God Fiend Body. He rammed his shoulder into a bronze pillar in the rear hall and toppled it.

Xu Ying wrapped both arms around the bronze pillar, lifted it, and swung the ten-thousand-pound pillar at Stone Mountain God Huang Siping!

In this battle, he had to finish it quickly, eliminate Huang Siping, and leave with the unconscious Snake Demon before the other divine lords and official lords arrived!