Urban Martial Saint
Chapter 1412: Coffin
After listening to what Yin Xianzi just said, the shock in Ye Qing's heart far exceeded the external pressure.
Yin Xianzi claimed her ancestor's strength surpassed the Five Unmatches of the World by far. Just how much is "surpass by far," Ye Qing couldn't estimate. However, one thing is clear: A person whose strength exceeds that level, after death, their Inner Strength coalesced and didn't disperse for three days before finally fading. This pressure only dissipated just now, meaning that after a person dies, their Inner Strength cannot remain coalesced forever.
If the situation inside this cave is exactly like what Yin Xianzi described, then this matter would be utterly shocking. The fact that this person's Inner Strength didn't dissipate suggests they didn't die long ago. In other words, this person is a figure from recent times. But in this era, who has the strength that can be said to surpass the Five Unmatches of the World?
Also, why did this person come to Beimang Mountain and die inside this cave? Could it be that he too, in his final moments, came seeking a chance to extend his life and died in the process? That would be too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it? Ye Qing still remembered that when he checked the surveillance earlier, there wasn't any sign of someone else entering the mountain!
If indeed someone died here, then when did he come in? Furthermore, how long has he been dead? And why is his Inner Strength still coalescing without dispersing?
With this doubt in mind, Ye Qing and Yin Xianzi endured the immense pressure, taking one step at a time towards the depths of the cave. As the number of Devouring Demon Flowers increased around them, both clearly understood they were approaching the end of the cave.
At this moment, the immense pressure forced both to bend over, as if they were carrying a mountain on their backs. Each step nearly exhausted all their strength. Ye Qing even doubted that if they continued, they might be crushed by this pressure before reaching the cave's end!
Fortunately, Ye Qing's worry did not come true. After painstakingly moving forward for about five hours, they finally saw the end of this cave.
The end of this cave was completely different from the ends of the previous two caves. Instead of a Stone Platform, there was a jet-black coffin placed there.
This was within Ye Qing and Yin Xianzi's expectations because they had already guessed there would be a corpse here. However, both were surprised to see a coffin. Could it be that the person who came in also brought a coffin? Unable to find a chance to extend life, decided to bury himself here? Such thorough preparation!
While Ye Qing was surprised, Yin Xianzi suddenly whispered, "No! Ye Qing, look at that coffin. Doesn't something seem off?"
Upon hearing Yin Xianzi's words, Ye Qing immediately looked closely. After a moment, Ye Qing's expression changed. Because they were too far away and mainly focused on the coffin, they hadn't noticed anything amiss before. Now, upon closer inspection, Ye Qing was surprised to find a vine extending from inside the coffin. Moreover, the coffin lid was half-open, looking very strange.
Ye Qing said in a deep voice, "It seems like a vine is extending out of that coffin, doesn't it?"
"That's right!" Yin Xianzi nodded, saying, "That's the vine of a Devouring Demon Flower!"
Ye Qing glanced at Yin Xianzi, his expression growing more intense. The vine of the Devouring Demon Flower stretching into that coffin, what on earth was going on?
Yin Xianzi's expression also turned extremely pale at once, and after a long silence, she gritted her teeth and said, "Did you notice, this vine is much thicker than the ones we've seen before!"
Ye Qing slowly nodded, that was indeed what shocked him the most. This vine being thicker than the others is a crucial clue. Typically, the thicker part of a vine is the closer it is to the root.
And this vine is thicker than any other. Doesn't that mean it is the segment closest to the root? Or could this segment be the root of the Devouring Demon Flower?
Ye Qing and Yin Xianzi exchanged a glance, both hearts beating with the same question: Could the root of the Devouring Demon Flower be growing inside the coffin?
After a long silence, Yin Xianzi whispered, "If... if the root of the Devouring Demon Flower is indeed growing inside the coffin, then the identity of the person in the coffin becomes quite clear!"
Ye Qing stared unblinking at Yin Xianzi, and after a long pause, he uttered three words: "The Great Demon King!"
Yin Xianzi slowly nodded, sharing the same sentiment as Ye Qing.
The Devouring Demon Flower is a plant born from the crushed body of the Great Demon King. Now, the root of the Devouring Demon Flower is inside this coffin, leading one to suspect that the person lying in the coffin is indeed the Great Demon King!
"If it really is him, then he must have been dead for at least thousands of years..." Ye Qing looked at Yin Xianzi and said in a steady voice, "For thousands of years, has his Inner Strength not yet dispersed?"
Yin Xianzi also took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "If it's really like this, then to what extent must his inner strength have reached?"
Ye Qing and Yin Xianzi's faces instantly turned pale. Originally, the two of them had thought that the Five Uniques of the World were insurmountable figures. Who could have thought that here in Beimang Mountain, they would consecutively encounter beings far surpassing the Five Uniques. Not to mention the two high monks from the Buddhist and Taoist sects, even that Wu Tianchi was no ordinary person.
And here, they encountered a coffin suspected to be of the Great Demon King. If the corpse inside this coffin truly is the Great Demon King, it would be even more shocking. Inner strength concentrated over thousands of years without dissipating—is that something human strength can achieve?
After a moment of silence, Ye Qing whispered, "If this coffin really contains the corpse of the Great Demon King, then the secret technique he left behind must be hidden here!"
Yin Xianzi shook her head slowly as she looked at the coffin ahead and whispered, "Even if the Great Demon King's secret technique is hidden inside, we couldn't possibly retrieve it. The closer we get to this coffin, the stronger the pressure. If we keep moving forward, we might be crushed to death by this pressure before reaching the coffin's side!"
Ye Qing agreed with Yin Xianzi's words because even now, just seeing the coffin from afar, they were already overwhelmed by the pressure. If they kept moving forward, they surely would be crushed to death by the pressure!
Yin Xianzi said in a deep voice, "The high monk from the Buddhist sect, the high master from the Taoist sect, Wu Tianchi, and that South Sea person have definitely entered this cave. However, none of them could approach this coffin. We two should not even bother thinking about it!"
Ye Qing nodded and said in a deep voice, "No wonder, for thousands of years, the secret technique left by the Great Demon King has never been found by outsiders. It seems not that no one has reached this place, but no one has been able to get close to the Great Demon King's coffin!"
Yin Xianzi looked at the coffin ahead and gently sighed, whispering, "Even after dying for thousands of years, a corpse can still have such lingering power. Who else in the world is capable of this?"
Although previously Ye Qing had been listening to Yin Xianzi's tales about the Great Demon King, those were merely Yin Xianzi's words, quite abstract. But now, after seeing this coffin, he finally had some understanding of the Great Demon King's overwhelming power. To have such lingering power thousands of years after death, one decrepit body suppressing all of Beimang Mountain—what astounding power is this!
After a moment of silence, the two of them finally couldn't endure the overwhelming pressure any longer and had no choice but to take a few steps back to lessen the pressure.
"So what now?" Ye Qing asked.
Yin Xianzi sighed and looked helplessly at the coffin in front of them. Knowing that the Great Demon King's secret technique was hidden just ahead, yet they couldn't obtain it, how could she be resigned?
However, this place is different from others; it's not a place where you can just think of a way to get past. This pressure is coming from all directions, making it impossible for them to approach the coffin. So, although there's a treasure mountain right in front of them, they can't take a single ounce.
"Forget it!" Yin Xianzi sighed and said, "There are two other caves. Let's search them; maybe we can find something."
Ye Qing nodded. At this point, they really had no other option but to try their luck in the other two caves. Of course, Ye Qing was well aware that this was basically just aimless wandering. The Great Demon King's secret technique was surely hidden within that coffin, and for thousands of years, no one has been able to approach the Great Demon King's coffin, let alone obtain his secret technique.
The two walked out, moving faster than when they entered. After all, when moving inward, they were battling the pressure step by step. Each step increased the pressure, making it almost impossible to continue. However, moving outward was different. Each step reduced the pressure, making it easier and easier, much faster than entering.
Even so, it still took the two of them over three hours to finally emerge. After all, the pressure inside this cave was constantly present, different from the other two caves completely.
Exiting the cave, Ye Qing couldn't help but breathe a deep sigh of relief. Without the invisible pressure, he felt completely comfortable, his body felt much lighter, like a different person compared to the struggle inside. The feeling of release without the pressure was truly amazing!
Yin Xianzi also stretched her arms to relax a bit, then took out some dry food. She and Ye Qing ate while studying the remaining two caves.
These two caves were where Wu Tianchi had entered one, and the South Sea person had entered the other. Which cave should Ye Qing and Yin Xianzi enter first?
Having eaten two pieces of compressed biscuits and drunk some water to ease their hunger, Ye Qing said, "Let's go into Wu Tianchi's cave first. The cave into which the South Sea person entered might have some danger inside."
Yin Xianzi nodded in agreement, feeling the same way. While she didn't know who this South Sea person was, she generally had no favorable impressions of these people.