Within the dark underground stone grotto, the brilliant golden light that had surged from the ancient coffin had not yet fully faded.
Fine golden glimmers drifted through the air like countless fireflies, leisurely circling within the space above. Gentle yet domineering, they suppressed the surging icy death aura around them. On the ground, the black formation patterns of the Life-Locking Grand Formation that had imprisoned everyone trembled and cracked continuously. Strands of black qi were dissolved by the golden light, while the Fate-Disc shackles that had tightly bound everyone and coiled around their meridians gradually loosened and dimmed.
Lin Chen slowly exhaled the stale breath lodged in his chest, and his rigid back finally relaxed somewhat.
At that moment, the golden light within the coffin had abruptly erupted, directly shattering the core restraints of the Life-Locking Grand Formation and forcibly stopping the imminent extraction of everyone's life essence. Had it been half a breath later, the foundation within his body would have been stripped away by the formation, reducing all his cultivation to nothing. Even the Fate-Defying Ancestral Seal would likely have suffered severe damage.
He lowered his gaze to his palm.
The Fate-Defying Ancestral Seal, which had been dormant until now, glimmered with an exceedingly faint crimson light. Its markings flowed, faintly resonating with the remaining golden light in midair. A subtle warmth rose from deep within the seal and spread through his meridians into every part of his body, soothing the lingering pain caused by the formation's tearing force.
Lin Chen curled his fingers slightly, catching several strands of golden light that had drifted close to him in his palm.
The golden radiance felt warm and gentle in his hand, containing not the slightest murderous or vicious aura. Instead, it carried a vast, ancient heaviness that seemed to