Chapter 1889: Yan Hui's Corpse

He had heard the name Kong Shiyao mentioned by many people—the most formidable prodigy among the Hundred Schools of Thought, with unparalleled talent in both cultivation and aptitude, said to be no weaker than himself.

At one point, he had even mistaken Luo Ruoxin for her, only to later learn that the two were unrelated.

Having only heard of her before, now standing before her, he couldn't help but take a closer look.

As the legends said, she was not only flawlessly beautiful but also possessed a unique aura, ethereal and spiritual, captivating anyone who laid eyes on her.

Luo Ruoxin carried a cold, aloof demeanor, keeping others at a distance; but this woman had a quality that inspired trust and a willingness to follow, as if one would gladly shed blood for her after a single meeting.

'A formidable master, even without speaking, can instinctively draw everyone's attention and keep them focused... This Kong Shiyao clearly has such a unique aura, likely due to her Kong bloodline...'

Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly.

As expected of a descendant of Kong Shi, she was extraordinary at first glance.

As for cultivation, this Kong Shiyao, like himself, was at the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm, not yet breaking through to the Ancient Sage level. Yet the true qi within her gave a sense of heaviness, restrained but potent, and her actual combat strength was likely no weaker than his own.

This was the first time he had encountered a peer of the same level who matched him so closely.

'Since you know you are a descendant of Kong Shi, you should understand the responsibility on your shoulders. We can sacrifice ourselves, but you... cannot!' Yan Qing Ancient Sage shook his head.

'A descendant of Kong Shi does not fear sacrifice!'

Kong Shiyao's gaze was firm: 'I possess the purest bloodline passed down by Kong Shi, making me the most suitable to stabilize this place. Do not argue!'

Seeing her resolve, Yan Qing Ancient Sage sighed: 'Shiyao, you are still young, with a long path ahead. I am already nearing my end. Let this matter rest...'

As he spoke, he suddenly made a move.

A surging force instantly enveloped Kong Shiyao, fixing her in place, unable to move.

'Yan Qing Ancient Sage...'

Unexpectedly, he would do this, Kong Shiyao was filled with anxiety, tears streaming down.

Unmoved, Yan Qing Ancient Sage turned to Yan Xue beside him, his gaze stern: 'Take care of her. You can die, but she must not suffer any harm!'

'Yes!' Yan Xue nodded.

Only then did he relax, Yan Qing Ancient Sage looked around: 'Begin!'

With his words, a resolute and powerful aura surged from him. The combined strength of the many Ancient Sages, aided by the platform, instantly formed a massive pillar of light that shot into the sky.

The once calm sky instantly crackled with thunder and lightning, huge fissures appearing. Countless powerful forces seemed ready to burst through the cracks and pour into this world.

'Is this... the killing aura of the Heterodox Spirit Tribe?'

Sensing this force, Zhang Xuan, hidden to the side, couldn't help but startle, then raised his eyebrows: 'No, it's heavier than killing aura, like mercury. If I absorbed it, my meridians would struggle to bear the load...'

His face darkened.

The power hidden behind the fissures resembled killing aura but was stranger, and even with his cultivation, he dared not absorb it.

Normal spiritual energy flows like water, which a pipe can handle; but if replaced with mercury, though also a liquid, it would burst the pipe the moment it entered.

This special aura, like mercury, lurked behind the fissures, ready to spread at any moment.

It was foreseeable that once it descended, the cultivators of the Hundred Schools of Thought might explode, suffering a fate worse than death.

'What is going on?'

Zhang Xuan was horrified.

Such a strange force existed in the sky, and it seemed the seal could fail at any moment, unleashing a torrent.

'Hold it back!'

As he wondered, Yan Qing Ancient Sage at the center of the platform slowly rose, his hair scattering in the wind. His mighty power surged endlessly toward the sky. Thunder and lightning grew more intense, the pressure heavier, as if the sky itself could not bear it and would collapse.

The surrounding Ancient Sages also turned pale, their hair growing whiter.

'They are burning their life force...'

Zhang Xuan's expression turned grave.

No wonder they had aged so much in just over three months since he last saw them—they were sustaining the seal with their lives.

As the thunder in the sky grew denser, Yan Qing Ancient Sage cut his fingertip, and blood flew toward the depths of the void. Then, in the pitch-black sky, a massive coffin appeared faintly.

With the appearance of this coffin, the fissures weakened, and the mercury-like force that threatened to pour down seemed to show some restraint and fear, losing its previous oppressive feel.

'This coffin...'

Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

A coffin appearing in the sky was already baffling, but what's more, this coffin looked exactly like the one that had held Ran Qiu Ancient Sage's corpse when he first entered this place.

'No, this coffin is the array core of the seal!'

After the initial shock, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

This coffin was not merely for holding a corpse; it was the array core of the sky seal. It was because of its suppression that the mercury-like force did not descend and crush everyone to death.

'It likely contains the corpse of a powerful Ancient Sage no weaker than Ran Qiu Ancient Sage!'

A thought emerged.

The seal's strength was undeniable, able to block such a heavy force from descending, and as the array core, it was naturally even more extraordinary.

Previously, Ran Qiu Ancient Sage's corpse served as the array core, and even the power of a Void Shatterer could not break it. This seal was even stronger—how powerful must the corpse inside be?

Creak!

As he was filled with awe, the coffin in the sky rumbled violently, slowly cracking open a gap.

'Open!'

Seeing the crack, Yan Qing Ancient Sage's veins bulged on his forehead. Blood continuously sprayed from his fingertip, a stream of blood shooting straight into the gap of the coffin.

From excessive blood loss, his face turned pale, his body trembled involuntarily, more white hair appeared, and his skin grew looser, as if he had aged another ten years in an instant.

Boom!

As more blood poured in, the gap on the coffin grew larger, and a tall corpse slowly revealed itself before everyone's eyes.

As guessed, the coffin indeed contained the corpse of an Ancient Sage. He wore a long robe, his expression serene. Though he had slept in the seal for tens of thousands of years, he looked as if he had just died, his skin still elastic, showing no signs of decay.

'Could this be...'

Staring at the corpse of this Ancient Sage, a name instantly sprang into Zhang Xuan's mind, and his body stiffened: 'Ziyuan Ancient Sage... Yan Hui?'