Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 1966 - 952: Opening the Coffin

Following a journey filled with complications, the party finally reached the subterranean palace. Before them sat a massive, shimmering golden-bronze coffin that dominated the space.

A radiant bronze coffin!

Every cultivator present stared intently. Mr. Hui’s companions began to breathe heavily with anticipation, and even Mo Hua’s gaze grew sharp with interest.

It went without saying that this colossal third-grade bright bronze coffin alone was worth a small fortune in Spirit Stones.

“Truly, a burial of magnificent proportions!” Mr. Hui exclaimed, his eyes dancing with greed.

As he spoke, a flicker of grayish-blue light passed through his pupils. It seemed as though a sinister thought was beginning to fester deep within him, much like a growing maggot.

No one noticed this change.

Except for Mo Hua.

The young boy’s brow furrowed slightly.

Mr. Hui had been bitten by a corpse monster earlier, yet he had shown no signs of corruption throughout the trek. It was only now, at the sight of the bright bronze coffin, that these evil thoughts were triggered.

Did this mean that the manifestation and growth of such darkness required human "desire" to act as a catalyst?

Once a person succumbed to greed or longing, did the evil thoughts find the opening they needed to invade and multiply?

The bronze coffin had sparked Mr. Hui’s buried desires. Consequently, his Taoist Heart had wavered and cracked, allowing external evils to seep inside.

Mo Hua silently committed this observation to memory.

Now that the objective was found, the group moved without further delay. They followed a nearby stone walkway, descending toward the massive pit where the bronze coffin rested in the distance.

In general, the deeper one ventures into a tomb, the more frequent the traps become; the final chamber is typically the most lethal.

Because of this, everyone proceeded with extreme caution, their movements silent and their breathing suppressed.

To their surprise, the deepest part of the underground palace was eerily tranquil. No hidden mechanisms were triggered, and no corpse monsters emerged from the shadows.

The group reached the edge of the pit without incident.

The massive bright bronze coffin was now directly in front of them.

As they looked upon the grand, shimmering vessel, it wasn't just Mr. Hui who felt a surge of excitement; even Mo Hua felt his blood run hot.

He was burning with curiosity to see what lay hidden within such a luxurious bronze casket and what manner of treasures it contained...

From within the group, the black-robed elder spoke up:

“Mr. Hui, if you please. Open the coffin.”

“There is no rush. Let me inspect it first,” Mr. Hui countered.

Just as sharpening an axe does not waste time for the woodcutter, being thorough at the final stage was essential. He did not want to be careless now.

Mr. Hui walked more than halfway around the pit, scrutinizing the coffin from every possible angle. However, as he looked, his expression shifted from excitement to gravity, eventually becoming profoundly grim.

“The bronze is ancient, bright on the surface but tinged with dark red and yellow. The seams are damp, and the exterior engravings are warping... this suggests an excessive amount of Yin energy is leaking out, even causing blood rust to form...”

“There might be a formidable entity resting inside this coffin...”

“A formidable entity?” Mo Hua asked, startled.

“Vile things, such as corpse monsters or powerful ghosts...” Mr. Hui explained.

Stone scanned their surroundings, his brow tightening. “It makes sense now. There are no traps or killing formations in this deep chamber because the most lethal thing here is the coffin itself.”

“What is the plan?” Stone inquired.

“What else can we do? We didn't come this far to retreat,” Rat cut in. “As the saying goes, wealth is found in the heart of danger. Mr. Hui, open the coffin.”

“Very well,” Mr. Hui nodded.

Having spent years in this profession, he was a veteran grave robber who had survived many harrowing encounters.

At this stage, even if something terrifying was inside, he wouldn't be able to rest until he saw it for himself.

Furthermore, based on the comments of their mysterious guests, this coffin held a specific significance.

“The duty of unsealing the coffin rests with you, Mr. Hui,” the black-robed elder said in a raspy voice.

“Of course,” Mr. Hui agreed with a nod. “This is our trade. However, given the size of this casket, we are understaffed. We will require some assistance from you distinguished guests.”

The black-robed elder gave a silent nod of consent.

Mr. Hui then began his preparations to unseal the lid.

Before touching the coffin, he pulled a two-foot-tall, jet-black statue of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva from his storage bag and set it on the ground.

The face of the Ksitigarbha statue looked strangely somber and dark.

Inscribed on its left and right sides were the words: “Life and death are fated; wealth and honor are bestowed by heaven.”

Mr. Hui lit three sticks of incense, placing them before the idol. Holding a cup of yellow wine, he bowed low and prayed:

“Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, grant us your protection. May the coffin open, may wealth be gained, and may all taboos be avoided.”

After finishing his prayer, he spilled the yellow wine onto the earth.

Mo Hua’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the Ksitigarbha statue, but before he could get a better look, Mr. Hui had concluded the rite and stowed the icon away.

With the rituals complete, the official unsealing began.

Mo Hua found he could offer little help in this specific task.

This bronze coffin was a third-grade artifact. Its internal mechanisms and formations were all third-grade, far exceeding the current skills of a Foundation Building Cultivator or a second-grade Formation Master like himself.

He could potentially learn or improvise a second-grade Earth Formation, even if it were unfamiliar.

However, third-grade formations operated on much deeper principles of the Dao that were simply beyond his current level of comprehension.

Consequently, while the others busied themselves with the labor, Mo Hua found a spot on the stairs of the corridor overlooking the pit. He sat down to watch from a distance as Mr. Hui’s team worked on the coffin.

Mr. Hui produced a third-grade Array Plate and positioned it at the four corners of the bronze vessel.

This Array Plate seemed to be a precious family heirloom. The formations etched upon it were too complex for Mo Hua to decipher, though he guessed they were designed to suppress evil spirits and restrain zombies.

Next came a yellow talisman.

This was no ordinary paper charm, but a Jade Talisman carved from yellow jade, which Mr. Hui fixed firmly onto the bronze surface.

He then poured Chicken Blood Wine around the perimeter.

The blood came from a rare breed of Spirit Beast and was saturated with potent Blood Qi, serving to purify the Yin energy and suppress the darkness radiating from the coffin.

He also utilized chalk lines and Spiritual Rice Water...

The process was incredibly intricate, involving a vast array of specialized tools and complex procedures.