The Prodigies War-Chapter 2776 Terror in the Coffin
While deep in thought, Lin Xun suddenly recalled a certain matter. He made a hand seal and touched the center of his brow. The spot glowed as a mysterious chaotic light flew out and swiftly expanded countless times, transforming into a bronze coffin!
The object lay horizontally across the ground, measuring nearly ninety feet in length. Its lid was engraved with ancient patterns of the starry sky, sun, moon, mountains and rivers, flowers, birds, insects and fishes, exuding a thick aura of the everchanging nature of life.
As he stared at it, Lin Xun seemed to fall into a trance. The Coffin of Eternity!
Back then, the Omega Door had perfectly fit the bronze coffin like a key. At the center of the coffin, the Omega Door had taken the form of a mysterious star atlas symbol resembling a mysterious vortex or a black hole!
In his eyes, however, the star atlas symbol seemed more like a giant abyss! At present, Lin Xun was aware that the Eternity Coffin needed to be awakened by his Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer bloodline, while the Omega Door was the key that could open the coffin.
However, Mister Lu had stopped him back then, so Lin Xun didn’t open the coffin and still didn’t know what was hidden inside. The reason being that his cultivation level wasn’t high enough as he still hadn’t reached the Immortal path.
However, that issue was no longer present since he was now at the mid Heavenly Longevity Stage. In fact, he could have opened the coffin long ago. As he gazed at the Eternity Coffin, Lin Xun couldn't help but recall what Mister Lu had said back then.
“This coffin is called Eternity. Your great-grandfather obtained it in the Fortune Dominion as a young man. It was precisely through this object that he acquired the taboo talent of Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer!”
“This talent changed your great-grandfather’s fate. After he left the Fortune Dominion, he made rapid progress on the path of cultivation and showcased unparalleled brilliance. At his peak, he was so strong that even the Ten Immortal Giants of the Eighth Heaven Domain felt intimidated by him...”[1]
“Your great-grandfather once said that this thing is related to the Eternal Dao. It was also from this thing that your great-grandfather found the secret map to the eternal star road. As for what secrets it hides, only you can explore it yourself.”[2]
......
As he thought about the past, Lin Xun’s heart rose and fell incessantly. After a long time, he took a deep breath, got up, and stood before the Eternity Coffin. He then reached out and pressed his hand on the mysterious star atlas symbol.
Almost immediately, a tremor rippled through him as the blood in his veins began to move rhythmically as if boiling. Towards the end, even his Origin Aeth Artery became as hot as a fire.
Omm!
At the same time, the Eternity Coffin produced a subtle tremor that strangely resonated with his aura. The mysterious star atlas symbol began to rotate, transforming into a giant abyss that seemed about to swallow him whole. The situation was beyond bizarre!
Soon after, a dull grinding noise sounded and the coffin lid loosened, revealing a gap when Lin Xun pushed hard with his hand. Deep in the crevice, an almost imperceptible sigh rang out.
In that moment, his hair stood on end as he was seized by a mortal terror. It felt as if an invisible hand had clutched his heart in a ruthless grip. Almost subconsciously, he yanked the lid close, sealing the tiny crack once more as he grabbed his hand close to his chest.
At once, the indescribable fear disappeared. However, Lin Xun's back was already soaked in cold sweat as an uncertain expression flickered on his face. That momentary sensation could never have been an illusion. It was simply too terrifying, and he even had a strong premonition that an unimaginable disaster would occur if he continued to push open the coffin!
"Mister Lu said that I would be able to open the coffin when I set foot on the Immortal path. However, it seems that the secrets hidden in the coffin are far more terrifying than Mister Lu might have thought!"
Lin Xun took a deep breath. "Could it be that my current cultivation still isn’t enough to open the coffin?"
Just then a fluctuation suddenly emanated from the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron. Lin Xun's spirit sense probed in, and he immediately heard Xia Zhi's cry.
"Lin Xun, don't leave me behind, I don't want to go!" Her voice trembled with anxiety and panic.
Lin Xun's pupils shrunk. Inside the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron, Xia Zhi sat curled up on the ground with an expression of panic and fear, her arms tightly hugging her knees. Pain stabbed his heart. It was the first time he had seen her so panicked, helpless, and scared.
What happened to her? In the past, she wouldn't even frown in the face of death! Lin Xun suppressed his confusion and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be afraid Xia Zhi, I'm here."
Inside the Limitless Abyss Sword Cauldron, the curled up Xia Zhi abruptly raised her head as a dazed look flashed in her clear and beautiful eyes. She gradually calmed down, no longer trembling as if Lin Xun's presence made her feel incomparably safe.
Lin Xun softly asked, "What happened?"
Xia Zhi shook her head as she answered, "I don't know. It just felt as if someone was calling out to me to take me away, and I instinctively felt that I could never reject that voice..."
Lin Xun’s fists quietly tightened. He remembered that a faint sigh had sounded when the Eternity Coffin was opened a crack earlier. That voice had most likely caused Xia Zhi to panic so much that she became afraid of being taken away from him!
"Don't worry, it's okay." Lin Xun softly soothed.
Xia Zhi said in a serious tone, "Lin Xun, you mustn't leave me behind."
She seemed like a pitiful, helpless deer, causing him to feel a heartache.
"It definitely won’t happen. No one can take you away from me, I swear it so." His expression was also unprecedentedly serious.
Xia Zhi softly hmmed in acknowledgement. She seemed to become incredibly tired and gradually fell asleep. Her slender body curled once more, the black hat covering her pretty face such that only a section of her snow-white chin was revealed.
It was a long time before Lin Xun finally withdrew his gaze and his heart gradually calmed down. He then looked at the Eternity Coffin again as he recalled the secret Mister Lu had spoken of back then. It was a secret related to his maternal great-grandfather, Luo Tongtian.
Not long after Luo Tongtian obtained the Eternity Coffin in the Fortune Dominion, he had told Lu Boya that obtaining the coffin had given him the opportunity to change his fate. At the same time, however, it also tainted him with karma that belonged to fate!
This had endlessly worried him, not knowing whether the karma was a good or bad thing. However, he could deduce that the karma would appear on his descendants...
According to Lu Boya's analysis, that fated karma had manifested in Lin Xun. It was because the power of the shackles of fate existed in Xia Zhi!
Lin Xun couldn’t help but find this outrageous. The Eternity Coffin had given Luo Tongtian the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer talent, but it had also tainted him with karma related to fate.
After countless years, due to Xia Zhi’s appearance, the karma manifested on him, the maternal great-grandson. Anyone who heard such a thing would likely find it incredulous. At this moment, however, Lin Xun had a vague feeling that this seemingly inconceivable fated karma was most likely real!
The Fortune Dominion, the Eternity Coffin, the Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer, fate, and karma... If all of this was the "cause," then he and Xia Zhi were the "effect"! An encounter manifested by fate, seemingly binding them together through karma.
"The Fortune Dominion..."
Lin Xun felt a strong urge to immediately rush to the Fortune Dominion. That mysterious dao dominion was not only related to the Eternity Coffin, Xia Zhi, and himself, but his parents were also still trapped there even until now.
In the past, he hadn’t gone to the Fortune Dominion because his strength was lacking. However, that was no longer a problem.
Early the next morning, Lin Xun traveled to the Wild Cloud Abode to visit Deputy Pavilion Master Xuan Feiling. At present, Xuan Feiling was one of the bigwigs he trusted the most in the Origin Sect.
"You plan to head to the Fortune Dominion?"
Xuan Feiling couldn't help but be surprised after learning Lin Xun’s intentions. "Excluding the All-Wonder Dominion, the Fortune Dominion has been known to be the most mysterious and perilous of all the dao dominions since ancient times. A long, long time ago, quite a number of old experts from the Eternal True Realm went to explore the Fortune Dominion, but all of them ended up facing one of two outcomes.
"One was failing to find the location of the Fortune Dominion. The other was that after entering the Fortune Dominion, they would encounter great danger and either die or retreat in a sorry state. Very few people managed to obtain any blessings or opportunities from there."
At this point, Xuan Feiling turned to Lin Xun and said, "I”m not saying this to dissuade you, but to remind you that at your current cultivation level, it is...too dangerous to go to such a place."
Lin Xun was silent for a moment before he said, "Elder, my mind is made up."
Xuan Feiling smiled, seemingly unsurprised as he said, "If you're determined to go, go to the Extreme Dao Battlefield first to temper your cultivation. You’ll have better chances if you manage to break through to the advanced Heavenly Longevity Stage."
He paused for a moment and said, "When you emerge from the Extreme Dao Battlefield, I'll introduce someone to you. His guidance will be of great help in your journey to the Fortune Dominion."
"Who?"
Xuan Feiling smiled mysteriously. "You’ll know when you meet him."
Lin Xun couldn't help but feel somewhat perplexed. "Elder, why must we wait until after my cultivation breakthrough?"
Xuan Feiling glared at him and said, "Do you know how precious a quota to enter the Extreme Dao Battlefield is? I, Dugu Yong, and the others tried so hard to get it for you but you can’t even cherish it a little?"
By this juncture, Lin Xun had no choice but to agree.
Xuan Feiling smilingly said, "With your ability, it should take you less than a year to breakthrough in the Extreme Dao Battlefield. When that time comes, I'll be sure to give you a surprise."
"Then this junior will take my leave first." Lin Xun didn't delay. He cupped his hands together and left.
"Those old bastards in the Eternal True Realm all know that Luo Tongtian's Eternity Coffin and Grand Abyss Heaven Devourer talent were both obtained from the Fortune Dominion. You brat, with how you’re now standing at the eye of the storm, your enemies will most certainly mercilessly hunt you down if you head to the Fortune Dominion now."
Xuan Feiling murmured in his heart, "It won’t be too late to go after waiting out this period..."
He shook his head as he rose to his feet. He decided to head to Origin Emptiness Pavilion for a walk to meet the pavilion master who had been quietly focusing on his cultivation while ignoring worldly affairs for countless years!
1. See chapter 2639 for a recap on this. ☜
2. See chapter 2643 for when this was first mentioned. ☜
