Chapter 33: The Death-Dealing Celestial Coffin!

"How did a coffin end up here?"

"I don't know. I was here over thirty years ago, and it was just a cave; I only found some scrap metal back then."

"What should we do? Should we open it?"

As soon as the coffin appeared, Li Yaoqing had summoned the entire family. Everyone stood around the coffin, at a loss. Li Xiang was watching all of this as well. Unlike the others, who were merely confused, he felt a sense of profound gravity. He couldn't help but rub the storage ring on his index finger, which contained the mysterious spear that Li Dalong had retrieved.

This spear, which required a million points of incense to unseal, was the very piece of "scrap metal" Li Dalong had found all those years ago. Only Li Xiang and Granny Ling, who had unsealed the spear, knew its true value. In fact, it was over this very object that Granny Ling and Li Xiang had a falling out.

"This is the former site of Wild Boar Forest. Perhaps the owner of the coffin is the original owner of the mysterious spear!"

Li Xiang had previously found it strange that such a treasure would appear in a place like this. Now, the appearance of the coffin resolved all his doubts.

A moment later, Li Dalong pried the coffin open. Li Xiang, who was watching intently, hoping to see what was inside, was stunned: it was completely empty.

"What is going on?"

As Li Xiang frowned, deep in thought, Li Yaowen, who was among the crowd, pushed his wheelchair forward to the front of the coffin. "Father, there are inscriptions on the lid!"

As the others began to decipher them, a prompt box appeared on Li Xiang’s screen:

[Your descendant has opened the bronze coffin and discovered the tomb owner's final words—]
[Year 8 of the Heavenly Martial Era, Azure Dragon Immortal Domain, Shen Wu's personal record.]
[...That year, the two Emperors clashed, shattering the mountains and rivers. I was unfortunately severely wounded by the aftermath. In the face of the Great Vehicle stage, I was but an ant. Thus, I returned to my homeland. Alas, having sought the Dao my entire life, I look back upon my death to find the seas have turned to mulberry fields; the world is changed, and I am left alone.]
[This coffin contains all that I have acquired in my life, forming a world unto itself. May those fated take what they will.]

"It’s been nearly forty years. The opportunity was always here at the Li family’s base." Li Xiang’s eyes widened, and he could have kicked himself. When he first realized the spear was extraordinary, why hadn't he thought of this? This was a treasure from a Great Vehicle stage master! Even in the real world, this would be an incredible find.

Meanwhile, the Li family members were staring at the inscriptions, looking puzzled.

"I can't read this; it’s an ancient script."
"The structure inside the coffin is no different from a storage ring. I fear this coffin contains its own world!"
"What kind of power could achieve this?"

Seeing his clansmen unable to understand, Li Xiang immediately realized that this was something only the game interface could translate. He promptly ordered the Purple Thunder Sun Python, resting at the ancestral hall, to come forward.

"Hiss!"

With the appearance of the Purple Thunder Sun Python, the Li family members were momentarily startled. However, after all this time, they knew their Ancestor was always watching over them; they assumed the Ancestor had discovered the coffin as well.

Li Xiang quickly input everything he knew from the game interface onto the Python's profile. Li Dalong kowtowed repeatedly. "As expected of our Ancestor, even ancient scripts are at your fingertips!"

Li Yaowen, clearly more scholarly, exclaimed, "Year 8 of the Heavenly Martial Era, Azure Dragon Immortal Domain... Ancestor, I have seen this in the archives! The Heavenly Martial Era was ten thousand years ago, long before the current Azure Emperor age. The former Azure Dragon Immortal Domain was located in what is now the Southern Barbarian lands. It is rumored that it was in that very year that the domain was destroyed in an instant—no one knows what happened!"

"This is a treasure of the Great Vehicle stage! The legacy of a top-tier master in this world. The Li family is truly going to prosper now!" Li Dalong wept with joy.

Soon after, the family scrambled to find a way to enter the coffin. They quickly discovered that to enter the space within, one simply had to lie inside and close the lid.

Li Dalong lay down.

[Your descendant, Li Dalong, is entering the Artifact—The Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death!]

"An Artifact!" Li Xiang’s eyes lit up. Weapons and equipment in this world were categorized into Dharma Tools, Spirit Tools, Dharma Treasures, and Spirit Treasures. Spirit Treasures were already the most powerful items in the world. This one was clearly a special type, containing its own space, no different from a cultivation cave. When the mysterious spear was unsealed, Li Xiang had been ecstatic to find it was a top-grade Dharma Treasure. He hadn't expected the coffin to be the real treasure!

Suppressing his excitement, Li Xiang clicked on Li Dalong’s avatar to follow his perspective into the coffin.

"Hmm?"

Upon entering the space, Li Xiang frowned. In the game screen, he saw a desolate, deathly silent space, shrouded in mist. He checked the map on the interface:

[First Layer of the Direct Death Space]
[Introduction: The first layer of the legacy left by the Great Vehicle peak master, Shen Wu. Gain the approval of this layer to enter the second!]

Immediately, red dots appeared on the map, swarming toward Li Dalong, who stood there looking bewildered. Before long, Li Xiang saw the true nature of these things: a crowd of mummified corpses! Their eyes were blood-red, radiating a bloodthirsty desire. Sensing that Li Dalong was the only living soul on the first layer, they lunged at him like madmen, eager to devour his flesh and blood!

"Hmph!" As the head of the Li family, how could Li Dalong be intimidated by these corpses? He snorted, and his twin spears appeared in his hands. "Stay in the ground where you belong, you dead things!"

In an instant, Li Dalong was locked in battle with the zombies. The stream of enemies was endless; Li Xiang could clearly see red dots constantly appearing on the map.

"What is this Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death?" Li Xiang furrowed his brow. Seeing Li Dalong enter only to be met with endless zombies instead of treasures was unexpected. Still, this was his first encounter with an artifact of this level. Since the coffin seemed to require a master and hadn't recognized the Li family as its owner yet, perhaps it had its own quirks. "Maybe one needs to clear the layers to gain its true recognition?"

Seeing that Li Dalong was not in any immediate danger and seemed able to exit the space at will, Li Xiang withdrew from his perspective to see if there were any external manifestations.

Sure enough, when the game screen returned to the Spirit Herb Garden, he saw the Li family covering their mouths in astonishment.

"So much spiritual energy!"
"Father entered the coffin—did he gain some benefit?"
"Ancestor, bless our Li family!"

The spiritual energy in the air was visibly converging toward the Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death!

Li Xiang suddenly realized, "The zombies on the first layer aren't real; they are formed by the coffin absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

Since he couldn't see any other functions for now, Li Xiang accelerated the flow of time. Two days passed in the game. Li Dalong was still inside, and when Li Xiang switched to his perspective, he was still fighting the zombies of the first layer.

What was strange was that after two days, Li Dalong’s true energy hadn't diminished in the slightest! Even when he sustained minor injuries, they healed in moments. Li Xiang checked his descendant's personal stats:

[Basic Spear Technique: 82%]
[Swift Wind Step: 62%]
[Roaming Dragon Spear Art: 16%]
[Thunder Invocation: 12%]
[Palm Alchemy Fire: 6%]
[...]

"This..." Li Xiang’s eyes widened. He had checked Li Dalong’s stats before he entered, and now, all of his techniques had improved!

"Does this mean the Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death provides unlimited spiritual energy and constant healing, allowing a cultivator to train their skills through endless combat?!"

Li Xiang was shocked. For a cultivator, combat experience was crucial; it was often through battle that their arts and techniques reached new heights. A Foundation Establishment cultivator who mastered a technique to 100% perfection could even challenge those at higher stages. Training on the edge of life and death could even lead to epiphanies and breakthroughs.

"Is this the power of a top-tier Spirit Treasure?"

Li Xiang was tempted to take it out and use it himself, but he knew better. Leaving it for the family was best; it would sharpen their combat experience. And besides... Li Xiang looked at the family's arts. He clicked on Li Dalong’s "Swift Wind Step."

[Do you wish to learn the technique, Swift Wind Step?]
[Consume 500 points of incense to gain all the insights currently possessed by Li Dalong.]

He didn't need the coffin! This game not only allowed him to bring treasures out, but he could also learn any technique within it automatically without spending incense. He could even spend incense to instantly acquire all the insights of his descendants!

Arts and techniques were graded into Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow, and Common. Li Xiang no longer had any interest in Common or Yellow-grade techniques.

"This is wonderful. Let the Li family members slowly train through the coffin. With this treasure, the family’s growth will surely be swift."

As he pondered, a new notification popped up on the game screen, making his jaw drop:

[Your descendant, Li Dalong, has fought continuously on the first layer of the Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death, reaching the end of the floor.]
[He has reached the end of the first layer!]
[The Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death has recognized Li Dalong as the Master of the First Layer!]
[Bestowing Yellow-grade technique—Heavenly Coffin Corpse-Driving Art.]
[Congratulations, your descendant, Li Dalong, has gained the profession—]
[Heavenly Coffin Corpse-Driver!]

The bronze lid opened. Li Dalong stepped out, his eyes glinting with a black light. To the joy of his family, he knelt toward Li Xiang’s spirit tablet.

"Ancestor, bless us! I have learned the secret of the Heavenly Coffin of Direct Death. The Li family is destined to rise!"