At this moment, only Pang Bo still dared to speak. He asked in a tiny voice, "Master Lin, where does my Demon God Blood rank?"
"Around a hundredth in the universe." Lin Xian estimated. "If you work hard and become a Quasi-Emperor, you might make it into the top fifty."
"Of course, if you can break free of the restraints left behind by those before you, there may be a sliver of hope for you to become an emperor."
"Though physiques may be invincible, that is not absolute. Many Great Emperors of old had Mortal Bodies and still rose to prove their Dao."
"A hundredth, huh? A hundredth is pretty good too." Pang Bo had a big heart. Beaming with delight, he chuckled, "Top hundred in the Great Universe—I wouldn't have dared dream of that. I never even made the top hundred on Earth."
"When you're a demon—uh, when you're a person, you have to be content with what you have."
Pang Bo's outrageous bragging drew envious, jealous, and resentful looks from everyone.
Forget the top hundred on Earth—even the top ten thousand or top hundred thousand were beyond them.
Not to mention another world altogether, where he had directly entered the rankings of the universe. It was unbelievable to the extreme.
"A Mortal Body becoming an emperor?"
Ye Fan pondered those four words. Something stirred in his heart, and he asked thoughtfully, "Master Lin, if even Mortal Bodies have produced emperors, then can't a Sacred Body become one?"
"Unfortunately, not a single one has done so throughout the ages." Lin Xian shook his head and said meaningfully, "Everything has its pros and cons. If you enjoy the immense benefits of a Sacred Body, you must bear its restrictions. It is countless times harder for a Sacred Body to become an emperor than for other physiques."
"Even the Ancestor of the Sacred Body failed to prove his Dao and become an emperor."
"I see..." Ye Fan murmured. Number Two Under Heaven was already beyond his expectations, but he still could not help asking, "Is there really no exception?"
"Perhaps there is one exception."
Lin Xian paused, then smiled strangely. "After a Sacred Body reaches Great Accomplishment, if it goes one step further through the Alternative Path to Enlightenment, achieves Ultimate Sublimation, Flawless Scarlet Blood, and true Great Perfection, it can contend with a Great Emperor."
"The nine invincible Sacred Bodies of the Desolate Antiquity were all at the realm of Great Perfection."
"Among those nine invincible Sacred Bodies, one outstanding figure directly suppressed the Western Empress beneath him, staying one step ahead."
Western Empress!
Everyone's hearts stirred, and they instinctively thought of the Queen Mother of the West from the myths of Yaochi. Could there be some connection between the two?
The more Ye Fan listened, the more something felt off. Why were Master Lin's words so awkward? Why was he smiling so strangely? He could not help asking, "Master Lin, what was the relationship between that Sacred Body and the Western Empress?"
"They were husband and wife." Lin Xian smiled brilliantly and specifically pointed out, "The Western Empress was female, and her physique was the Innate Dao Embryo."
"They had a son, who possessed the Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo and later became an emperor as well."
"A family of three, two Great Emperors. Guess which one failed to become an emperor."
The three Yaochi Supremes: a family of three, two Great Emperors. Guess which one failed to become an emperor.
Ye Fan's mouth twitched. He did not want to guess. He could figure it out with his toes—the Great Accomplished Saint Physique had the lowest status in the family.
Pang Bo patted Ye Fan on the shoulder and said carelessly, "It's fine, Yezi. Living off a woman isn't shameful. Maybe you'll hook up with an Empress someday. Then you'll all be family. Number One Under Heaven and Number Two Under Heaven are no different."
"Get lost." Ye Fan rolled his eyes. Laughter erupted inside the Bronze Coffin, dispersing much of the panic brought by the disaster.
Human fear came from the unknown. Now that they had a knowledgeable cultivator among them, everyone seemed to have found their backbone and believed Lin Xian's words without question.
No matter how bizarre something was, it was a small matter compared to Immortal Cultivation.
Immortal Cultivation itself was shrouded in mystery, making it easier for people to accept.
"Master Lin, do you think we can cultivate?"
Zhou Yi performed an ancient salute and stepped beside Pang Bo and Ye Fan. He asked sincerely, "Do we have the fate to become immortals?"
Zhou Yi was a very wise man. Worried that he might be refused, he had brought Pang Bo and Ye Fan with him.
Even if he lacked the talent for cultivation, Master Lin of Mount Longhu would give him an answer for the sake of Demon God Blood and the Sacred Body.
Scorching gazes fell upon Lin Xian. Even Pang Bo and Ye Fan, who had been judged to possess cultivation talent, could not help growing nervous.
"The fate to become immortals?"
Lin Xian swept his gaze across the crowd and said meaningfully, "The fact that you boarded this Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin is the greatest immortal opportunity in the Great Universe."
"It will take you away from Earth, where the suppression of the Great Dao is severe and it resembles the Dharma-Ending Era, and bring you to the vast and boundless Big Dipper Cultivation Realm."
"In the future, you may even become saints and patriarchs!"
"Climb the road to heaven, tread forth in song, and with a flick of the finger, shroud the heavens."
As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion erupted within the Bronze Coffin. Leaving Earth and heading to the Big Dipper—what did that mean? Could this really be interstellar travel?
"Where exactly are we going? I want to go home..."
Some of the female students were terrified. They murmured, "I don't want to cultivate. I just want to be with my family."
Many people's faces went pale as countless possibilities came to mind.
Cultivation was certainly wonderful, but if the price was leaving their homes behind, some of them would rather not have it.
"Master Lin, you're an immortal. You must have a way."
"Please let us go back. We don't want cultivation."
Some people turned their eyes toward Lin Xian, the only cultivator in the Bronze Coffin, and begged bitterly, trying to find a way out.
"I told you long ago: this is a one-way interstellar train ticket. There is no return trip."
Lin Xian sighed. "This is also an immortal opportunity rarely seen throughout the ages. Cultivation on Earth is difficult. Only by traveling to Starry Sky's Other Shore can you hope to become immortal."
Many people fell into despair. Even a cultivator had no solution. Did that mean they really could never return?!
"Master Lin, is there truly no other way?"
Ye Fan's expression darkened. He had family on Earth too—parents and bonds of affection he could not bear to sever.
"It isn't as though there is no way."
Lin Xian continued drawing one grand promise after another to stabilize the crowd. He said leisurely, "If your cultivation reaches the realm of Ancient Antiquity Sages, you can cross the starry sky with your physical body and come and go freely."
"Or find a Five-Colored Altar. It is a starry-sky teleportation formation built by the ancient ancestors, capable of crossing one starfield after another."
Sages?!
Many people looked miserable after hearing this. It sounded like a realm impossible to reach. Ordinary people had no hope; perhaps only Ye Fan and Pang Bo could attain it.
Sacred Body, after all, had the word "sacred" in it. Perhaps it could cultivate into a Sage.
Someone asked, "Master Lin, how many years does it take to become a saint?"
"Those who ride Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin all possess great destiny." Lin Xian smiled faintly and continued misleading them. "Normally, twenty or thirty years will do."
Twenty or thirty years?!
Many people felt a surge of joy, as though they had glimpsed a little hope.
Even more people placed their hopes on the Five-Colored Altar.
"I remember now! There was also a Five-Colored Altar atop Mount Tai, and Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin stopped right on it!"
Someone shouted excitedly, "If we find another Five-Colored Altar, maybe we can return home."
A faint glimmer appeared in many people's eyes, including Ye Fan's. Though the hope was slim, it was still hope.
People needed hope to keep living.
"We will return. Otherwise, there would have been no point in the ancient ancestors setting up the Five-Colored Altars."
Lin Xian offered a few words of comfort, then rose and walked toward the depths of the Bronze Coffin, drawing everyone's attention. They shone their phone lights deeper into the coffin and discovered blurry bronze carvings: a vicious nine-headed divine bird spreading its wings in flight, and enormous ferocious beasts covered in foot-long stiff spines roaring toward the heavens...
"These are illustrations from the Classic of Mountains and Seas."
Someone said excitedly, "Perhaps the ancient ancestors left behind the Classic of Mountains and Seas because it originated here."
"Maybe ancient ancestors really came here, recorded everything, and then returned to Earth."
Everyone hurriedly examined the carvings and found that the verdigris-covered bronze inscriptions truly depicted the ferocious beasts of the Desolate Antiquity recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Taotie, Qiongqi, Taowu, and others were enormous, hideous, and lifelike enough to inspire fear at a glance.
"Could we be repeating the experiences of the ancient ancestors?"
"Is this a reincarnation?"
"Have we crossed through the ages to reenact what once happened?"
Someone made a bold guess. Apart from the ferocious beasts, ancient ancestors, and some ancient Divine Spirits, there was also a vast expanse of strange patterns on the Bronze Coffin. Dense and speckled, they resembled a Star Map.
Several points of starlight among them were flickering.
"It really is interstellar travel. We're riding a starry-sky train!"
Someone said excitedly, "The ancient ancestors actually crossed the universe. Was this not the power of technology, but of immortals or gods?"
At the mention of gods and immortals, everyone was filled with longing.
"The Big Dipper Cultivation Realm... could it be the Big Dipper Imperial Star?"
Ye Fan spoke softly, deep in thought as he recalled Lin Xian's earlier words.
This journey went from the Primordial Ancient Star to the Big Dipper Ancient Star.
The Big Dipper was the destination, and the Primordial Ancient Star was the starting point.
In other words, the Primordial Ancient Star was another name for Earth.
The ancients once said: Heaven and Earth are dark and yellow; the universe is primordial and vast.
Primordial meant exceedingly ancient. Ye Fan could not help sighing. It seemed that Earth had once possessed an extraordinarily brilliant mythic civilization, and most of the immortals and divine figures accumulated in historical records were probably real.
The Western Empress might be the Queen Mother of the West from myth and legend.
His understanding of his home planet was still far too limited.
As he thought, Ye Fan could not help looking toward Lin Xian. This Master Lin of Mount Longhu was a cultivator from Earth. Along the way, he had spoken eloquently and confidently, as though he had long anticipated this entire series of events.
If everyone's accidental entry into Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin had been unforeseen, then this master had come prepared. Perhaps he knew even more of the truth.
Lin Xian glanced around. Ignoring those Ancient Desolate Bronze Inscriptions, he walked directly to the small coffin at the center of the Bronze Coffin and sat down beside it. He crossed his legs, cultivating the Qi-State Origin-Flow to cleanse his Life Wheel while communicating with the system, attempting to sense the small coffin.
"A coffin within a coffin? It's another Bronze Coffin!" When phone lights illuminated the coffin, many people gasped.
Another Bronze Coffin lay at the very center. It was less than four meters long and less than two meters wide, ancient and dim. Old images were carved upon it, and it was covered in verdigris, marked by the ravages of countless years. It sent a chill into their hearts and inspired fear at a glance.
"It's not a coffin within a coffin. This is the real coffin, the vessel used to hold a corpse. The enormous Bronze Coffin outside is called an outer coffin, a casing placed around the coffin. Together, they are called a coffin-and-outer-coffin."
Pang Bo seemed to possess a special understanding of coffin boards and explained it to the others.
In an instant, countless hearts skipped a beat. Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin was so sacred and mysterious—who had been buried within it?
A god, an immortal, a demon, a Buddha... or some unknown Red-Haired Monster.
Suddenly, the Bronze Coffin shook violently. No one could keep their footing as they swayed back and forth, and quite a few people fell to the ground.
"What's happening?!"
Everyone was alarmed and instinctively turned to Lin Xian.
"Everyone, we have arrived at the Mars transfer station."
Lin Xian spoke calmly. "There is a Great Thunderclap Temple on this planet. You may go explore it, but remember to return early. If you miss the time, this Dragon Coffin will set off again."
"A Mars transfer station?!"
"Great Thunderclap Temple? The Great Thunderclap Temple from the legends?!"
"There's even a stopover on an interstellar journey?"
Everyone reacted differently, but most were excited. They were peeling back a corner of the mysterious world and exploring the secrets of immortals and Buddhas.
"Master Lin, is the Great Thunderclap Temple you mentioned the legendary Great Thunderclap Temple, the residence of the Buddha?"
Someone asked excitedly, "The temple where the Buddha expounded the Dharma, his voice booming like thunder?"
"Ancient records state that the Buddha once built a temple here."
Master Lin's voice was full of temptation. "Though thousands of years have passed, some Buddhist artifacts should remain. They can be used for protection."
Dreamlike expressions appeared on everyone's faces. They were stepping into myths and becoming part of legends.
If the Great Thunderclap Temple existed, then what about Victorious Fighting Buddha? What about the immortals of the Heavenly Court?!
"Master Lin, aren't you coming with us?" Ye Fan suddenly noticed something. Seeing Lin Xian remain motionless beside the Bronze Coffin, he could not help asking.
"Do you think it would be appropriate for someone from the Dao Sect to visit a sacred site of the Buddhist Sect?" Lin Xian showed a strange expression and pointed outside. "You people who have never cultivated may be chosen by the Buddha."
"Remember to be respectful when you enter. You can take some Buddhist artifacts, but don't scrape the place bare and haul away the plaque of the Great Thunderclap Temple."
Everyone suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly. They thought to themselves that the cultivation world truly had divisions between sects.
Some people could no longer restrain their desire to seek immortality and Buddhism. They rushed into the outside world, filing out one after another.
"Host? Why aren't you going to the Great Thunderclap Temple to seek opportunities? There are Buddhist artifacts, an Immortal Elixir, and a Bodhi Seed!"
System 10086 finally could not hold back any longer and spoke up. It was not like those ordinary mortals; it could not be fooled so easily.
Mars was the starter village for countless transmigrators and reborn protagonists!
How many people had risen to prominence thanks to that Bodhi Seed? It was a divine item that aided enlightenment, the first pot of gold on the path of cultivation!
Without the Immortal Elixir Bodhi Seed, how could one contend against Emperor's Sons and imperial daughters? One probably would not even be able to understand an Emperor Scripture.
"Because I'm slacking off."
Lin Xian shrugged and asked, "What would I do with the Bodhi Seed?"
"Of course, work hard, show off, slap faces, display your holiness before others, kill decisively, and be cold-blooded..." System 10086 replied instinctively, but as it continued, the sound of electrical current grew fainter and fainter.
"Exactly. That's Ye Fan's job. He takes the Bodhi Seed to grow stronger, so that he can quell the Dark Turmoil and wage war against the Plateau of the Land of Calamity in the future."
Pointing at himself, Lin Xian complained, "Are you expecting me to fight Restricted Area Supremes?"
"Come on, man. I'm not a Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. How many slaps from a Supreme Being could I take?"
"Of course, if you're a Sign-In System and can sign me in for Great Emperor cultivation, a Chaotic Body, and a few batches of Immortal Metal, I wouldn't mind showing off a little."
System 10086: "...I'm only a low-level system."
Don't make things difficult for me. Sign-in systems are something Advanced Systems handle: high investment, high risk, high returns. It did not have that kind of capital.
"Exactly. Let the right people do the right jobs."
"Someone has to be useless. Why can't that someone be me?"
"Let Heavenly Emperor Ye fight monsters and level up at the front while we pick up equipment behind him. That's the true path."
"I have one leaf that can move mountains and overturn seas, slay demons and vanquish monsters, kill gods and immortals, and shroud the heavens and cover the sun!"
Lin Xian's smile faded. With a solemn expression, he said with utmost seriousness, "Let Ye Fan suffer; I'll bear the infamy!"
A false cheat: System 10086 (×)
The real cheat: future Sacrificial Path Ye Fan (√)