Inside the bronze coffin, the tension that had gripped everyone's bodies finally eased completely. They immediately felt cold sweat covering their entire bodies. The terror of life and death was immense. After escaping the danger, they were utterly exhausted—some leaning weakly against the coffin walls, while others lay sprawled out on the floor.
This journey to the Great Thunder Sound Temple had been extremely perilous. The seemingly endless swarm of divine crocodiles had left a deeply terrifying impression on everyone. The appearance of the Crocodile Ancestor afterward was even more horrifying. At any moment, a single careless move could have meant death.
Thirty of the students still felt chills down their spines.
Fortunately, they had escaped without injury, though mentally and physically drained.
"Jiang Xuan, thank you! If it weren't for you, I would have been the first to die," a female student said gratefully. She had been at the rear when the small divine crocodiles attacked. If Jiang Xuan hadn't spotted them and struck with his blade in time, she surely would have perished first—and in a gruesome manner.
The thought of dozens of crocodile-like beasts devouring her flesh and drinking her brain fluid made her shudder uncontrollably, her gratitude toward Jiang Xuan deepening with every glance.
"This time, we really owe everything to Jiang Xuan."
"We should all thank Jiang Xuan. Without him, I'm sure all of us would be dead."
"My life belongs to Jiang Xuan now."
Several other male and female students also expressed their heartfelt thanks to Jiang Xuan for saving their lives.
"Everyone, rest quickly and conserve your strength. We don't know how long it will take before we can get out," Jiang Xuan said calmly. Despite the flood of thanks directed at him, his expression remained unchanged as he sat cross-legged, silently cultivating the Beiming Divine Skill to recover.
The greatest prize from this expedition to the Great Thunder Sound Temple was undoubtedly the Eight Trigrams Furnace. Placed safely inside the treasure mirror, it remained undetected by others. Yet Jiang Xuan knew there was still another opportunity within the bronze coffin—the sound of the Three Lifetimes Bronze Coffin's Dao. However, this chance could only be heard through the Bodhi Seed, which had been left by Shakyamuni to repay karmic debts to the sacred body. Jiang Xuan dared not meddle and feared he might miss this opportunity.
Many students, seeing Jiang Xuan closing his eyes in meditation, did not dare disturb him.
Jiang Xuan's natural appearance and aura were already exceptional. After practicing the Beiming Divine Skill—a Taoist martial art—he exuded a transcendent charm. Coupled with his life-saving heroism, many of the female students began to look at Jiang Xuan differently.
Time passed slowly.
"The Way of Heaven diminishes the excess to replenish the deficiency."
As the group rested, waves of Daoist sounds entered Ye Fan's ears. The Bodhi Seed in his arms grew slightly warm, filling his chest with a comforting heat.
Startled, Ye Fan glanced at Jiang Xuan.
"Stay calm and listen," Jiang Xuan said quietly, knowing Ye Fan had undoubtedly heard the grand Dao inside the coffin, though Jiang Xuan himself could not perceive it.
While cultivating the Beiming Divine Skill, Jiang Xuan pondered his future cultivation path.
In any world, regardless of innate talent, success boils down to wealth, companions, method, and place. Even in a world without demons, a person's achievements can be summarized by these four factors.
Cultivating wealth, companions, methods, and place leads to virtue; man and spirit become one, harmonizing yin and yang.
Reflecting on his original trajectory and myriad opportunities, Jiang Xuan knew careful planning was still necessary.
When his true qi had fully recovered, Jiang Xuan's gaze fixed on the starry map engraved inside the coffin—a vast constellation formed by countless stars.
Most stars were unfamiliar to him, though a few were recognizable.
After an unknown length of time, the bronze coffin suddenly trembled violently, rousing everyone from their rest.
"Have we reached the cultivation world?"
"The Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin seems to have stopped."
"It looks like we've arrived at the end. Hopefully, no more monsters will appear."
"I wonder if we have spiritual roots. Surviving such hardship must mean good fortune. Hopefully, it's a heavenly spiritual root—or at least a dual-element spiritual root," a student who loved cultivation novels speculated excitedly.
Many students grew nervous but hopeful.
As the coffin neared the surface, the bronze carvings began to glow, releasing a powerful force. The coffin's speed dropped sharply as it gently descended. Finally, the coffin tipped sideways and its lid slid open. Everyone hurriedly climbed out.
"Wow, the air is filled with such fresh fragrance."
Endless mountain peaks soared into the clouds. Ancient trees, each several people could barely embrace, dotted the summits. The hills were carpeted with countless flowers, their sweet scents wafting through the air.
A true earthly paradise.
"Calling it a paradise is misleading—it's more like a mortal peril," Jiang Xuan thought.
After enduring so many trials, the group had finally arrived in a world brimming with life.
They would spend a long time in this world, starting a new chapter of their lives. Many couldn't help but look forward to the future with eager anticipation.
One male student secretly vowed to master the most powerful cultivation techniques, practice the best spells, and sleep on the softest bed.
Some female students imagined tending flowers and raising little animals in this beautiful fairyland, which would surely be delightful.
Others thought of their families back on Earth—their parents, spouses, and children—with saddened expressions.
Jiang Xuan surveyed the surroundings. They stood amid towering peaks, enclosed by nine massive mountains linked together, forming an unfathomably deep valley.
After everyone exited the coffin, the nine dragon corpses and the bronze coffin itself plummeted to the valley floor below, disappearing without a trace, as if the valley had no end.
"Brother Jiang, why do I feel such a chill?"
Ye Fan and Pang Bo stood beside Jiang Xuan. After a brief moment of excitement, Pang Bo whispered. He now sensed a terrifying stillness lurking beneath the calm.
Silence.
Yes, it was silence.
"There's a half-broken stone tablet over there," an observant student suddenly pointed out.
The group approached and brushed aside the weeds covering it. In a small hollow atop the mountain lay half of a stone stele, its surface weathered and ancient, heavy with the weight of time. Carved into it were three archaic characters.
Most of the students were puzzled, unsure of their meaning.
"'Ancient Forbidden'," Ye Fan read after a moment's hesitation, not entirely confident.
Forbidden? Forbidden ground? A seal? It didn't feel like a place of blessing.
"Everyone, be careful. It's too quiet around here. According to the laws of nature, with plants growing all over the mountains, there should be animals. But here, not even a single insect can be found," the group's expressions turned grave.
They glanced around. Gorgeous flowers bloomed and released a fresh fragrance, yet not a single bee or bird was to be seen. Ancient trees stood lush in the distance, each so large that dozens could barely embrace their trunks, linked one after another. Yet, not a single cicada chirped in the trees, nor was there a single ant on the ground. It was utterly unnatural.
"Don't let your guard down, but there's no need to be overly anxious either. Since we're already here, let's look around for an exit or find some food," Jiang Xuan said.
"Haha, Jiang Xuan is right. We escaped from that terrifying Great Thunder Sound Temple. Surely the road ahead will be smoother," someone laughed.
"Yes, since we've come, we should settle down."
"Ha, Jiang Bro said what I wanted to say. My stomach's been growling for a while now," Pang Bo chimed in, fully agreeing with Jiang Xuan's suggestion to find food first.
"How about this: everyone splits into small teams to search for food and exits. If anyone finds something, call out to the others," Jiang Xuan proposed.
He naturally invited Ye Fan and Pang Bo to join him. He thought if he couldn't find the divine fruit on his own, even if he did, without the help of that female emperor's good brother, he might get slapped to death.
The others agreed without hesitation.
The three set out together. Soon, Pang Bo spotted a spring with his usual sharp eyes.
The spring was small, barely a meter across, surrounded by thick, old vines that formed a natural cover. If not examined carefully, the spring's presence could easily be missed.
Around the spring grew over a dozen unknown small trees, each about half a meter tall, their trunks strong and branches broad-leafed.
At the tip of each tree hung a single, bright red fruit, exuding an incredibly rich fragrance.
The three exchanged glances. Finally, Ye Fan and Pang Bo looked to Jiang Xuan.
"Eat it. It's not poisonous," Jiang Xuan said.
They picked all thirteen fruits, deciding to divide them evenly—four each. Ye Fan suggested saving the last one for Liu Yiyi. Jiang Xuan and Pang Bo agreed without objection.
Grateful for this stroke of fortune, Jiang Xuan was deeply moved.
Parts of the Nine Marvels Immortality Elixir were a treasure no ordinary emperor could possess. Even if one endured untold hardships to enter the Ancient Forbidden Territory, attempting to pick the Nine Marvels Elixir would only result in turning to dust.
Yet, following Ye Fan, this miraculous herb was right before them—an unimaginable opportunity.
After eating one fruit, Jiang Xuan immediately felt a powerful, fragrant energy flow from his mouth into every limb and bone, instantly washing away his fatigue.
The energy contained in the fruit was immense. Jiang Xuan activated the Beiming Skill to begin refining this energy.
Slowly, the vital energy radiating from the fruit was absorbed and refined.
If one were to describe cultivation in terms of years, Jiang Xuan's strength rapidly increased by ten years… twenty years… fifty years… a hundred years…