Free Web NovelChapter 1026: Chapter 654: Before the Coffin
Seeing the blood and soul disappearing on the altar, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. He probably knew the truth about the Shen family.
In the past, the ancestor of the Shen family didn’t die when entering the great tomb, probably because the Innate Water God spared him and granted him the bloodline of the Water God, raising him like a pig.
In the following hundreds of thousands of years, all members of the Shen family, upon death, would have their souls and blood collected by the altar across time and space, to fill the Innate Water God’s origin, helping to delay the arrival of the Innate Water God’s death.
"So the Innate Water God before us is not dead yet!" Zhang Chen muttered to himself.
"Zhang Chen, something is not right here!" Tushan Qing moved shakily towards the altar, but was pulled back by Zhang Chen with a firm grip on his shoulder: "No need to go!"
"Why?" Tushan Qing turned to look at Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen pointed to the altar: "This altar holds great terror. Any living being stepping into it would be sacrificed, becoming an offering to that Innate Water God. With our strength, stepping onto it would be a nine-death-one-life situation."
Tushan Qing looked fearful at these words: "In that case, we can’t obtain the Innate Water God’s creation?"
"Not necessarily. We can’t step onto the altar, but if we dig into it from the side, then the matter is settled." Zhang Chen looked around the altar.
"This altar is made of strange crystal stone, and there’s also a grand array operating on it. It won’t be easy for us to shake it." Hu Li the Immortal scrutinized the Crystal Stone Altar, noting the pale blue glow of the crystal stone, exuding an indestructible aura.
Hu Li the Immortal transformed one of his hands into a tiger claw, lightly grasping the crystal stone, only to see sparks fly, but not a single mark was left on it.
"Digging out this crystal stone is near impossible." Hu Li the Immortal shook his head, dismissing Zhang Chen’s suggestion.
"Even you can’t move this stone?" Zhang Chen exclaimed.
"This isn’t ordinary stone. This stone has been forged and refined by the Innate Water God’s divine power. My cultivation is far inferior to this Innate Water God, how could I shake such means?" Hu Li the Immortal replied.
Zhang Chen contemplated for a moment: "Let me try!"
He had mastered the Authority of Earth Element, and in theory, all ’earth element’ objects under heaven were under his jurisdiction. Although the crystal stone had been forged with the Water God’s divine power, its nature hadn’t changed and still fell under ’earth element’ jurisdiction.
"You? You have such ability?" Hu Li the Immortal looked at Zhang Chen in surprise, skepticism in his eyes. How could this young man have such skill? How could an insignificant ant like him shake such divine objects?
Tushan Qing also looked at Zhang Chen in shock, his eyes full of doubt. What did Zhang Chen have to move such divine objects?
"Underestimating me." Zhang Chen muttered, then closed his eyes and activated the Authority of Earth Element. As it operated, the Crystal Stone Altar before them twisted, a passage cracking open in its wall, extending towards the Water God Coffin.
"Damn!" Hu Li the Immortal cursed.
"How could this be! How did he do it?" Tushan Qing was filled with astonishment.
Unfortunately, Zhang Chen’s Authority of Earth Element could only extend fifty meters, so after creating a fifty-meter passage, he had no choice but to stop, his eyes falling on the new passage: "Let’s go!"
"Have you noticed, with the passage you twisted out, the grand array seems to be showing flaws, its operation slowing down." Hu Li the Immortal stepped onto the passage and spoke to Zhang Chen.
"This Crystal Stone Altar is the center of the entire grand array, its cornerstone. Once the crystal stone is damaged, the array’s operational order is disrupted. It’s expected for the whole array to suffer damage." Zhang Chen replied.
"As the array reveals flaws, those outside will also have the chance to sneak in. We must hurry." Hu Li the Immortal urged.
"Even if the array is damaged, there is still endless Weak Water. If those above rush in, they are courting death." Zhang Chen responded indifferently.
"But if they have experts proficient in Feng Shui Divine Techniques, directly locating the altar’s position, they could dig straight to the altar." Hu Li the Immortal suggested.
Upon hearing Hu Li the Immortal’s words, Zhang Chen raised an eyebrow: "That’s possible!"
He thought of Chen Xu, that rascal who had mastered the Feng Shui Grand Array. If he opened up a passage into the tomb, it wouldn’t be difficult for him.
"We must speed up! But right now we have a huge problem that we might not be able to handle." Zhang Chen walked in the crystal stone passage, speaking to the two: "This Innate Water God might still be alive! If he revives, it will take some effort on our part."
Zhang Chen didn’t mention fleeing, as he had the Water Stabilizing Pearl. Even in the face of the Innate Water God, it would be restrained by the Water Stabilizing Pearl. This is the power of the Heavenly Dao’s cycle; every object has its counter.
But you wouldn’t think that the Innate Water God can only mobilize Divine Techniques, right? Can’t only mobilize the Water Power, correct?
Even if the other party doesn’t mobilize the Law of Water, just relying on its Divine Techniques and power, it is a master who can move mountains and overturn seas without any karmic hindrance, and that’s enough for Zhang Chen and his group to have a hard time dealing with.
"Even if the Innate Water God is still alive, what does it matter? The other party has been self-sealed for so long, how much power can they still have? When the time comes, I’ll take the lead, and you two can assist from the rear." Hu Li the Immortal said.
Upon hearing Hu Li the Immortal’s words, Zhang Chen was very satisfied with Hu Li the Immortal’s attitude. The reason he spoke those words was merely to observe Hu Li the Immortal’s stance. As for the resurrection of the Innate Water God?
His Nine Bends Yellow River Array may not be able to encompass the entire altar, but it’s more than enough to cover a coffin.
Beside him, Tushan Qing also said, "Quite right, that Innate Water God has been self-sealed for hundreds of thousands of years, how much Dao Practice can they possibly have? If indeed they are still alive, with our Hu Li the Immortal ancestor here, we may very well be able to take them down."
Zhang Chen glanced at the two, these two guys are incredibly cunning, each holding deep secrets, and even if real danger arises, the three of them together can figure a way out.
Just seeing Zhang Chen twist the Crystal Stone passage, with his constant twisting, the Crystal Stone shone with divine lights, revealing a long and wide path.
The Crystal Stone’s radius was five kilometers, Zhang Chen could twist fifty meters at a time, so it was just applying his skill one hundred times, and the coffin had already appeared in front of the three.
With the appearance of the coffin, the three stopped in front of it, and nobody dared to act rashly.
The coffin was water-blue and forged from opaque cold ice; the inside was wispy, making it unclear to see what resided within.
’The wispy substance inside the coffin are Innate Patterns.’ Zhang Chen frequently dealt with Innate Spiritual Treasures and immediately recognized the extraordinariness of the wispy substance within the coffin.
At this time, Tushan Qing beside him looked at the coffin curiously and asked, "Is it really a coffin frozen by cold ice?"
"This isn’t just cold ice, but Innate Jade!" Hu Li the Immortal corrected Tushan Qing. "And it’s nurtured in water, with the Essence of Water converged to form, containing strong Innate Water Attributes inherent in the Innate Jade."
Upon hearing Hu Li the Immortal’s words, Tushan Qing was momentarily stunned, "Innate Jade containing Water Attributes? If one could acquire this, wouldn’t it sell for a great price? Then I’d have all the resources for my future cultivation, wouldn’t I?"
"Fool! The Innate Jade contains the essence of Heaven and Earth, elusive substances from the Innate era, it’s the greatest resource. Once obtained, everyone would keep it for their own use, who would sell it?" Hu Li the Immortal said. "This treasure contains Innate Essence Qi, offering unimaginable benefits to Divine Soul cultivation and bloodline refinement."
"If you absorbed this Jade coffin, you could grow at least three more tails." Hu Li the Immortal remarked.
Tushan Qing’s eyes gleamed at the words, resembling two tiny bulbs radiating hot light.
"I don’t want the Water God’s Creation, just give me the Jade coffin and I’ll be satisfied." Tushan Qing stared at the Jade coffin, almost drooling with anticipation.
Though they said such, all three stood silently before the Jade coffin, with none eager to make the first move.
"Indeed, how has the Innate Water God’s body been sealed inside the Jade coffin, without any power leakage?" Tushan Qing asked.
"The other party self-sealed, naturally striving to isolate themselves from the Macro World, without revealing even a hint of energy." Zhang Chen explained.
Tushan Qing, although clever, ultimately due to his youth, had less experience that limited his wisdom.
"The coffin is right before us, what’s our next step?" Hu Li the Immortal asked Zhang Chen. Although he had the highest cultivation among them, on such major matters, he sought Zhang Chen’s opinion, believing Zhang Chen wasn’t that simple.
Upon hearing Hu Li the Immortal’s inquiry, Zhang Chen scrutinized the coffin for a while before saying, "Look at those wispy patterns on the coffin, they are Innate Patterns, connected with the entire array, forming a whole. If any unauthorized attempt to disturb the coffin is made, it will trigger the entire array’s attack. Therefore, if we want to open the coffin, we must first sever the connection between the array and the coffin."
Hu Li the Immortal beside him looked at Zhang Chen, "How do we sever it? Do you understand arrays?"
"I don’t understand arrays, but do either of you?" Zhang Chen asked.
Hu Li the Immortal shook his head, and Tushan Qing eyes dimmed with a faint gaze, clear in its foolishness, arrays are legendary things, how could they possibly interact with them?
"None of us understand arrays, how do we sever the coffin’s sensory connection between Heaven and Earth?" Tushan Qing asked cautiously.
As his words fell, Zhang Chen produced three hundred and sixty-five yellow talismans, "Not understanding arrays doesn’t mean we can’t operate the array."
