Archfiend

Chapter 220: Danxia Temple (39)

Crash… Following the fish molt’s disappearance, everyone caught sight of the coffin hidden within the giant white mountain.

Swish! Xu Yangyi was simply without another thought. His hand swiped over his storage ring, and the Chasing Skylark answered his summons and came out. He stepped onto the artifact and suddenly charged towards the coffin!

In a flash, the skylark’s speed was activated to the max! With a swoosh, all that remained on the ocean surface was a white scar and the ocean spray that surged up by over three meters on both sides!

“Pull the coffin!” His actions roused everyone! Ye Old Four shouted angrily. The millennium-old Danxia Temple… A hidden coffin in its belly… This coffin was bound to be concealing an absolute secret! There was no way that it could be allowed to continue sinking down like this!

It was also impossible… to let someone apart from himself touch it first!

Swoosh… His jeweled parasol silently appeared and swiftly unfurled. He flipped and jumped onto the parasol’s surface. In an instant, the parasol stormed towards the coffin like lightning! It was like an arrow leaving a bow!

Everyone moved.

Fahui trod on white lotuses, yet his speed wasn’t any slower than a magik artifact. For the first time, anxiety appeared on his ordinarily calm face. With a single step, he went beyond 300 to 400 meters, fast like arcing electricity!

Two butterfly-like wings grew out from Sister Nine’s back. In her original position, she stored up power for three seconds. Soon after, she seemed to charge towards the coffin like a rocket. Even the wind made a zooming sound from being pulled!

In a not too distant place, three cold stars twinkled. Green Wall’s Three Swords stepped onto their flying swords, and their clothes whistled as they danced in the wind. They rushed towards the coffin at a speed no less inferior than everyone else's. 

Xu Yangyi was in the lead. The bronze coffin… was getting progressively closer. He could even clearly see the coffin’s specific appearance. On the surface, there were countless designs engraved. All of them used an ancient carving method. It was a mystery as to how long this coffin had laid here. Its bronze had already turned black.

Yet the more cautious he was, the more he felt something was wrong.

Wrong… These decorative runes were too familiar… He had once saw them. He was certain that he had… 

The eidetic memory from the pill spirit was unleashed again. In his mind, he flitted across millions and millions of memories one by one. In the end, he froze over something. 

“These…” He took a deep breath, incredible passion already in his eyes: “These decorative designs are the same style of the Emperor Armament that I have!” 

In other words… they came from the same place! The Great Ming Imperial Palace… The interior of the Nine-Layered Forbidden City!

“Who... is buried inside the coffin? As expected, the emperor really did know about the cultivation world’s existence! Otherwise, how could this coffin be stored here?”

At this moment, spiritual force exploded behind him with a rumble. Almost without a thought, he caused the Chasing Skylark to rise up several meters. A streak of violet qi flame precisely skimmed over his original position. Meanwhile, countless gold threads suddenly flew from behind. Like they possessed their own intelligence, they wrapped around the coffin.

“Son of a bitch…” Xu Yangyi grinded his teeth and cursed. There wasn’t only one person with intentions towards this coffin. Presently, all chasers wanted to take this coffin into their pocket!

“Falling Moon!” Without the slightest hesitation, he moved to form a Dao-seal, and Falling Moon appeared in his hand again. The Ten Cardinals Red Lotus poured into Falling Moon, and he waved out and filled the sky with black flames. As if he was a demon god that walked out from hell, he chopped down towards these golden threads!

Snap snap snap! These golden strands made a sound like strings snapping. Sister Nine’s figure approached, and she swiped out with a claw as she gnashed her teeth furiously: “What are you doing!”

“Everyone is well aware of what I’m doing.” Xu Yangyi’s blade slashed at Sister Nine’s hand, and he sneered: “But what I want to ask is what does Fellow Daoist want to do?”

Boom boom boom! At the same time, three gentle sound entered everyone’s ears. Instantly, three silver chains, carved all over with talismans, nailed into the coffin together. The three chains were seeped with a kind of desolate and simple aura. One end was linked to the coffin and the other side was connected inside sleeves. Following this sound, the faces of Greenwall’s Three Swords were elated, and they shouted: “Up!” 

However, the coffin didn’t budge by a hair!

“Amitabha…” At this time, Fahui also arrived in front of the coffin. His speed was exceptionally fast! To the extent if one looked behind, they would see a series of his afterimages left behind in the sky!

“Sumeru’s Solitary Steps!” Qing Jingzi gasped coldly: “Which… famous temple’s Buddha Child is he? To actually comprehend this divine ability?” [1]

Fahui’s came too quickly and suddenly. No one had reacted. It seemed as if he was still several hundred meters away from Xu Yangyi and Sister Nine’s approaching fight, but in the next second, he was standing in front of the duo. Yet at this time… everyone was only paying attention to Xu Yangyi and Sister Nine. Basically no one had expected that he would arrive so swiftly! Even now, he was drawing near to Foundation Establishment speed!

Fahui had already tossed away his khakkara at an unknown time. His lone arm pulled out a sack, and the sack’s mouth directly faced the coffin. He shouted loudly: “RECEIVE!”

“A Universe Pouch?” Qing Jingzi’s gaze chilled. He opened his mouth and spat out. A silver core suddenly leaped out and shot towards the Universe Pouch like lightning. Amidst its flight, it shockingly carried a sliver-white sword qi.

“Senior brother, help me!” Not one to forget himself, Fahui roared. All of a sudden, a human shadow materialized from the void. Exceeding no more than half a second, a man, his entire body like ancient copper, appeared in front of him.

Swish! The sword qi carried a rain of blood that stretched over the entire sky. The copper man bellowed, and all his muscles swelled. His entire body had been chopped and sent flying. Nonetheless, the sword core was forcibly stuck in his abdomen. Although the look in the copper man’s eyes was already becoming increasingly slack, the sword core didn’t fly out again.

Fahui’s gaze carried a wisp of emotion. His lone arm frantically formed a seal, and the earthen-yellow sack appeared to immediately swell with wind! It shuddered incessantly!

Crash… The chains surrounding the bronze coffin made a cracking noise from being sucked on. Unexpectedly, they floated up from underwater to the water’s surface. Not a starting point appeared, but all that was visible were their ends. Each part exposed on the water’s surface was no less than several hundred meters long! Only the Universe Pouch’s attractive power was seen.

In this spark of flint, Fahui sensed a wave of terrible spiritual sense target him from behind. It beared an infinite murderous aura. His smooth forehead suddenly broke into a cold sweat, however, he watched the chain being sucked in as it made jangling noises in front. Surprisingly, he didn’t dodge!

“Ten Cardinals Red Lotus!” Xu Yangyi didn’t hesitate at all. He simply couldn’t permit anyone to gain this object! Falling Moon targeted Fahui’s neck and directly sliced down! In the air, it brought forth a several-meter-long black flame.

“So I have heard…” Fahui rigidly gritted his teeth. Following the opening of his mouth, a golden lotus grew out from the crown of his head and swayed gently: “... The Golden Immortal comes into being. Straight to the lands of Tathagata. Mercy spares all living creatures in crossing to the other shore. Who can compare in the extremes of rigor and wonder…” [2]

The golden lotus faced the wind and blurred, shocking in full bloom! Yet at this moment, Xu Yangyi’s Falling Moon was slashing down!

Crack crack crack! Ahead, the coffin’s echoing was gradually becoming more fierce! From his mouth, Fahui chanted sutras at a dizzying pace. The golden lotus bloomed magnificently and precisely rested under Xu Yangyi’s blade that was hacking down!

In front of Danxia Temple’s suspected final secret, the Buddha Sect, which hadn’t made a move all along, finally came out with their true strength! The timing was supreme and unparalleled. A second more and Fahui would’ve wasted the time to collect the coffin. A second less. and Falling Moon would’ve reached his neck and he would’ve had the same end as Nangong Xiaoran.

“Pretty.” Xu Yangyi swooshed underfoot, and the Chasing Skylark soared again. In the sky, all that remained was his bright laughter: “But you can’t block this blade!”

Fahui’s expression was motionless. All of a sudden, his spiritual sense wildly shook. Everyone could see that the lotus flower sprouted on top of his head had actually been cleaved and a petal had fallen!

Falling Moon was bound to strike target. Although it had passed through layer upon layer of Fahui’s defenses and had its might was reduced, it was still able to hit target!

In the next second, Fahui’s pupils needled. An arrow of blood violently sprinkled in the air! His only remaining arm was unexpectedly drooping.

Xu Yangyi seemed to take aim at the head with this strike, but in reality, he had targeted Fahui’s arm. So long as the Universe Pouch’s collection was stopped, he had enough of an opportunity to take the coffin and run!

In the sky, the Chasing Skylark cut a small loop with the help of its remaining power. Afterwards, it charged straight at the coffin with a whistling sound! A domain of striking black flame was already burning again!

“Amitabha…” Fahui’s expression was incomparably unsightly. He absolutely couldn’t use Sumeru’s Solitary Steps without the grasping of his fingers. Even he could only use it twice in a day! It was a divine ability that all speed in the Qi Condensation realm! Moments ago, Xu Yangyi was the first arrive and Sister Nine’s hair was the first to near from behind. Everyone else was behind them. However, Sister Nine took the initiative to fire back and staked a hand against Xu Yangyi. Ahead, the two of them were mutually vigilant, and behind, the group of heroes had yet to arrive. He then ruthlessly used this divine ability.

Unexpectedly… Falling Moon’s devilishness has surpassed his imagination! In a time he hadn’t expected by any means, his arm had surprisingly been slashed! His injuries weren’t heavy, but his golden opportunity had already been missed!

He was in no way willing to come out with the last use of Sumeru’s Solitary Steps under this kind of situation.

Sighing deeply in silence, he soon left. At the highest point was Xu Yangyi on the Chasing Skylark. At the middle altitude was Greenwall’s Three Swords. Below was Sister Nine, Yi Old Five, and Ye Old Four. An expanse of treasure light suddenly exploded and rushed straight at the coffin!

Although their spiritual force had been restored quite a bit by several hours of meditation, fierce and repeated battles was a kind of torment to the mind. Everyone was terribly weary, but all of them had to advance now. There was no retreat!

“Azure Dragon Seeks Cauldron…” Xu Yangyi’s gaze was like a boulder. He stared fixedly at the very most center of the coffin. This time, not only was it the Ten Cardinals Red Lotus. Already, his left hand was slowly placed at his waist side, starting to store power.

However, at this time, his pupils shrunk without warning. With his fastest speed, he pressed down on the Chasing Skylark and used all of his strength to leave the coffin’s vicinity!

The second to find out was Fahui. From the beginning, he had always been paying attention to Xu Yangyi who had obstructed him. Upon noticing that the other’s movements were now unusual, he subconsciously looked straight towards the water. In an instant, he felt his limbs grow ice-cold. He chanted a long prayer, not daring to call out. With his full strength, he turned around and rushed towards a lotus leaf at the side.

The Chasing Skylark’s speed wasn’t inferior to Fahui’s in any way. In a twinkling, it had madly rushed out by a thousand meters. However, Xu Yangyi didn’t stop at all. On the contrary, he sped up and sped up again! Only until he left this region without lotuses and lotus leaves did he stop.

Upon reaching this moment, he took a deep breath and gravely turned his head around to look.

The water’s surface moved.

In the instant that the coffin emerged, the fishes that had just been startled away all came rushing towards the coffin like they were crazed! No less than a million, countless fishes simultaneously bubbled towards a place. In a flash… all the surrounding lotus leaves were rocking incessantly like a skiff on the ocean surface.

Rustle… In this place, there was no wind. Nonetheless, the surrounding lotus leaves in this present 5,000 meters of ocean seemed to be swept away like remaining clouds! Uneven shaking was felt from underfoot as if the world was trembling.

“This is…” It was only then that Sister Nine, Ye Old Four, Yi Old Five reacted and stared below the water in shock. With a glance, their souls departed from their mortal coils!

Under the bronze coffin… there were layers of fish, so black that the bottom couldn’t be seen at all and so densely packed that it was hair-raising! An oppressive black domain within a radius of over 5,000 meters! Not even the water’s color was clearly visible! All that could be seen was countless fish, heads at tails, and the black carpet that spread out on the water’s surface!

Barely discernible… a few cracks passed through. One could see below the water… millions of fishes revolving, spinning, and protecting to form a fish pillar that was several tens of meters high! As if a black flower was displayed in the water! They stiffly propped up this bronze coffin!

So dense that not even wind could penetrate, they were boundless and unlimited.

Myriad fishes cupped the coffin!

[1] In Buddhism, there is a central mythical mountain known as “Mount Meru”. I decided to go with the sanskrit name “Sumeru”. It is considered the center of the spiritual universe. Also featured in Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu legend/cosmology.

[2] From what I found, this entire line from Fahui is from South Song Poet Cai Shen (1088-1156). Just a poem about Buddhism. Tathagata is the name of Buddha, one of his many names.