Chapter 1123: Chapter 167: The Ancestors Can No Longer Rest in Their Coffins
This place is already deserted, quiet all around, with dense fog swirling about, and traces of chaos left by those who hurriedly departed can still be faintly seen.
For those who are timid, venturing into such a place could be a nerve-racking challenge—of course, that is only true for ordinary people.
And apparently, those who are here at this moment are not ordinary people—Gongsun Wuwo and… Gong Fanxing.
“Luckily, there haven’t been too many changes around here.” Gongsun Wuwo glanced around, sighing, “I never imagined that a blink would bring five hundred years to pass. I remember there used to be a big tree here.”
Gong Fanxing rolled her eyes at this fellow, “Now is not the time for you to lament over the passing of spring and autumn… The aura of the esteemed one is so faint, why has it weakened so much over these hundreds of years?”
“We’ve arrived.” Gongsun Wuwo frowned slightly and suddenly stopped, looking up.
In the dense fog appeared an ancient mansion, with the plaque reading ‘Song Residence’… the Song Ancestral Mansion!
The two directly broke through the door and walked all the way to the abandoned backyard of the Song Ancestral Mansion to stand before an ancient well.
Before entering the well, Gongsun Wuwo frowned, “It seems that someone lived here for a period not long ago.”
“The house seems to have been renovated.” Gong Fanxing quickly said, “Perhaps the descendants of the esteemed one returned… But judging by the condition of the fog, they probably came to seek refuge.”
Gongsun Wuwo nodded, and then was the first to jump into the ancient well, followed by Gong Fanxing. They soon reached the bottom of the well.
They activated the mechanism within the ancient well, illuminating their surroundings, and moved very familiarly through the bottom of the well… Acpanied by the enormous structure at the base of the well, a grave look appeared on their faces.
Because they discovered traces of activity within the building beneath the well—if it was reasonable for there to be activity in the Song Ancestral Mansion, assuming it was by the Song descendants, then traces of activity at the well’s bottom became very peculiar.
Of course, it had been five hundred years, and anything could happen. But the traces at the bottom of the well clearly appeared recently, perhaps even at the same time as the activity at the Song Ancestral Mansion.
Did the Song descendants discover the secret within the well… but it didn’t seem to be the case. The deepest part of the building at the bottom of the well showed no signs of intrusion.
“What’s going on, why is the ley line’s spiritual energy here so weak?” Gong Fanxing finally noticed something amiss.
At this point, they had reached the deepest, and the most important, place—a burial chamber where a stone coffin lay.
“I fear it’s been severed for quite some time!” Gongsun Wuwo frowned, “No wonder the esteemed one’s aura is so weak…”
With that, Gongsun Wuwo took a deep breath, solemnly approached the stone coffin, and opened the lid.
Inside the stone coffin lay a middle-aged man in a yellow robe with a cadaverous face, shrouded by a thick aura of death that surged out as the coffin lid was opened.
Both Gong Fanxing and Gongsun Wuwo were once prodigies who stirred the world, their cultivation was renowned throughout history, and the invasion of death energy caused little disturbance to them.
“The esteemed one’s divine soul is too weak, nearly dried up!” Gong Fanxing’s face showed shock, “Wuwo, you and I, one portion each, must first replenish some soul power for the esteemed one, otherwise even the esteemed one’s remaining consciousness may not be preserved.”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Gongsun Wuwo wasted no time and raised the arm of the yellow-robed man within the coffin, palm to palm, beginning to transmit soul power.
Humans have soul and spirit, losing any of them results in symptoms of soul loss, ranging from confusion to a… Unless one possesses the prowess to move heaven and earth, none dare to easily use soul power.
Gong Fanxing also joined in, pressing her palm against the yellow-robed man’s other hand.
A wisp of white smoke soon began to rise slowly from the top of their foreheads… Even though they were sweating profusely, their faces looked as if they were blushing.
The transmission lasted for half a day… until exhausted, they had to release the yellow-robed man’s hand. Their appearance was reminiscent of someone newly recovered from a serious illness.
The yellow-robed man within the stone coffin, in contrast, looked youthful and vibrant, and he now slowly opened his eyes.
Upon seeing the yellow-robed man awaken, Gong Fanxing and Gongsun Wuwo simultaneously walked to the foot of the stone coffin and knelt down, “Wele back, esteemed one!”
Their voices were not loud, yet the yellow-robed man heard it perfectly clear… although his eyes were initially unfocused.
Awake, he looked down at the item in his hand… a Jade Ruyi, after a long, long time he finally slowly parted his lips and asked with a hoarse voice, “How long has the emperor been asleep?”
Gongsun Wuwo and Gong Fanxing exchanged a look before Gongsun Wuwo quickly replied, “Esteemed one, since I and Fanxing entered Penglai, the outside world has seen five hundred years pass. Now there seems to no longer be an empire, but a new power collective called government.”
“Five hundred years?” The yellow-robed man frowned, that time seemed beyond his expectations, as he tried to recall something, “It seems someone came and said something… similar.”
“Esteemed one, before Wuwo and I entered your sleeping chamber, we noticed evidence of activity in the mansion above, very likely your descendants returned.”
The yellow-robed man nodded, turning to gaze at a spiritual tablet ahead in the burial chamber etched with ‘Song Changgeng’, “Indeed, the emperor’s empire had Divine Land’s Twelve Ancestor Dragons protecting it, a royal family spanning a thousand years, the bloodline unbroken.”
“Esteemed one, when I and Fanxing left back then, the grand formation here was functioning normally. According to the effects of the formation, the spiritual energy of the Mount Tai ley line should constantly nourish your divine soul… Yet, why has your divine soul weakened to this extent? If I and Fanxing hadn’t returned timely, perhaps your divine soul would soon have…”
“Even I don’t know.” The yellow-robed man shook his head, “Suddenly, the ley line’s spiritual energy was severed, so I could only rely on sleeping consciousness to reduce soul power consumption… The opponent seemed intent on leaving me to perish naturally. Why did the two of you take five hundred years to return?”
“Esteemed one, what you aren’t aware of!” Gongsun Wuwo swiftly explained, “Back then, upon gaining the key you bestowed upon us, Fanxing and I entered Penglai. Not anticipating that this action was discovered by a sword cultivator named Taibai, known in the world as the Green Lotus Sword Immortal, whose prowess, despite being merely in the Inquiry Phase, possessed Dao Fruit realm attack power, an unparalleled talent. Taibai entered Penglai with us and caused a great upheaval. We were trapped in Penglai for several years before freeing ourselves. And now, it’s Paradise on Earth… the time flow within Penglai differed significantly from the outside world!”
The yellow-robed man listened silently, seeming to discern the truth in Gongsun Wuwo’s words, after a long while he finally spoke slowly, “Where is Taibai now?”
“Back in Penglai, Taibai vanished after causing a great stir, his whereabouts and life unknown.” Gong Fanxing proceeded to briefly explain the incidental encounters with Jiang Zuo and subsequent events.
“Back then, I was forced to linger here in distress. Thereafter, I entrusted the ancient Penglai key to you two, hoping you’d journey to Penglai to obtain the rebirth method from Penglai Immortal.” The yellow-robed man sighed heavily, “It seems, inverting Yin and Yang, resurrection, indeed is tremendously daunting… Could this truly be destiny?”
After saying this, the man in the yellow robe coughed lightly, looking quite pained… He was sustaining his body with his soul and spirit, yet this body had long lost its vitality, merely a hollow shell… constantly withering.
“Your Majesty!” Gongsun Wuwo and Gong Fanxing quickly stepped forward.
The man in the yellow robe waved his hand, speaking deeply, “It’s too late to find another place to nourish my soul. The only solution now is to have my descendants show filial piety… I need the fresh flesh and blood of the Zhao family’s bloodline.”
“But outside, influenced by the ‘Four Seasons Glazed Book,’ the thick fog now blankets the sky, rendering hundreds of miles around like a dead land. The Shenzhou Dao and Yaoworld seem to be plotting something significant, even the shadow of Xuanyuan Palace lurks within…” Gong Fanxing had to remind, “And the bizarre changes within the Penglai Treasury… amidst the vast sea of people, whether Your Majesty’s descendants are alive or dead truly remains unknown to us…”
“No worry.” The man in the yellow robe shook his head, “Since it’s my bloodline, I can naturally sense them… head east, I can feel them not far from here.”
Gongsun Wuwo and Gong Fanxing nodded, “Then, we must act without delay!”
They absolutely cannot let this man in the yellow robe die… for once he perishes, it equates to their own demise—both their souls and spirits are bound.
If the man in the yellow robe’s soul and spirit are extinguished, then their own souls and spirits would be extinguished as well… Saving him is akin to saving themselves.
…
…
Amidst the fog, Song Haoran suddenly halted, thoughtfully gazing in a certain direction.
This sudden stop made the several bodyguards behind him from the Song Family tense, gripping their weapons, and focusing all their attention on the surroundings.
Implanted within them was a peculiar power named strength. This strength automatically operates a unique ability known as ‘Heaven Sight and Ground Listen,’ greatly enhancing their perception and allowing them to ‘see’ objects within the fog to a certain extent.
This sensation was like wearing night-vision goggles—though if electronic instruments were not malfunctioning in the fog, this so-called ‘Heaven Sight and Ground Listen’ technique wouldn’t be necessary.
This power was infuse by Princess Chuyang for a few people, Song Haoran couldn’t achieve this yet—and this was the technique Princess Chuyang mentioned, once used by the Great Qin Iron Cavalry to slay Strange Beasts beyond the Great Wall.
This skill doesn’t persist indefinitely, as it automatically vanishes once the body’s strength is exhausted… To use it next time, the strength must be input again.
Such as linking Princess Chuyang as a power bank, is a fitting analogy—Song Haoran thought so at that time. After obtaining the method to navigate in the dense fog, he quickly left behind a portion to protect his father and Song Ying, while he led the others into the fog, searching for other dispersed Song Family warriors.
“What happened?” Seeing Song Haoran seemed unusual, Princess Chuyang frowned—she and Song Haoran were still three meters apart.
Now Song Haoran’s control over distance far exceeds before, this three meters distance never increased nor decreased, which made Princess Chuyang quite dissatisfied, but didn’t show.
“It’s nothing, just suddenly having a strange sensation…” Song Haoran shook his head, saying: “Can’t describe it, but it feels like something bad.”
“When cultivating martial arts or dao, reaching a certain level of cultivation occasionally brings a foreshadowing sensation.” Princess Chuyang said calmly, “Perhaps it’s related to oneself directly, or it’s linked to one’s relatives.”
Song Haoran frowned and said: “Princess means… my father and Song Ying might be in danger?”
Princess Chuyang expressionless: “Perhaps you’re in danger yourself… this fog is already peculiar.”
Song Haoran shrugged, but still ordered, letting two temporarily return to the hotel where his father and Song Ying stayed, while he waited here.
They had only been out for an hour, the round trip wouldn’t take long.
At this moment, looking at Princess Chuyang sitting on the ground, seemingly focusing her mind, Song Haoran suddenly smiled and said: “Princess said only when cultivation reaches a certain level, there is a foreshadowing sensation… so now my cultivation has reached a certain level?”
Princess Chuyang calmly looked at Song Haoran, “Back in the Great Qin Empire, even the lowest martial arts cavalry mander had cultivation deeper… They trained relentlessly for decades, how could you, who only trained for a few days, pare? Simply ridiculous!”
But who is Young Master Song?
His thick-skin prowess is hundreds, if not thousands more than the cultivation of ‘Sky-reaching Chart’ within him. Young Master Song squinted and smiled: “Princess, has anyone told you that your cold demeanor is quite alluring?”
“Scoundrel!” Princess Chuyang snorted coldly.
This man not only shameless but also knows no dignity, how can such a person exist in the world… Still exhibiting emperor’s visage! Simply blind!
“I’m serious.” Song Haoran smiled slightly, “This cold allure, makes my heart flutter… I’m even thinking about introducing you to Luo Qiu. Hmm, seems like it’s worth considering; I feel his adaptable nature would get along with you, wouldn’t it?”
“Luo Qiu?” Princess Chuyang furrowed her brow.
Though just awakened, seemingly indifferent to surroundings, she kept everything in mind… This name subtly emerged several times among Song family members.
Apparently, this is someone the Song Family significantly values.
“A person who quietly listens to my stories.” Song Haoran was full of smiles, “Truly a likable person… alas, I’m male.”
Princess Chuyang… Her Highness glanced oddly at Song Haoran up and down, then furrowed her brow seriously, “Longyang’s proclivity has existed since ancient times, didn’t expect you…”
Song Haoran laughing heartily: “If a man’s gentleness exceeds a woman’s, then of course wouldn’t need you women, right?”
The Princess felt instantly repulsed.
Young Master Song laughed heartily again… teasing success.
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