Wayfarer

Chapter 726: Emerging From the Coffin

The reason Xiao Nanfeng had stolen the Rainbow Soul-Suppression Jade was in order to help the golden-crowned zombie king. Both it and the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue were Xiao Nanfeng's enemies. Wouldn't it be great if they were to wound each other?

As a safety precaution, he shot out of the red barrier without looking back. He didn't dare tarry.

No ordinary zombie would be able to stop him, but there were six zombie kings guarding the barrier from the outside. Upon seeing Yang Chuan fly out, and after hearing the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue's shouts, they gave chase without any hesitation.

Yang Chuan and the six zombie kings vanished over the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, a group of people emerged from the far side of the valley, led by none other than Ao Canghai.

"Yang Chuan really was responsible for the messenger. He must have obtained something good from that valley," Ao Canghai murmured expectantly.

"Eastern Aspect, now that Yang Chuan has lured the six zombie kings away, that valley poses much less of a threat," one of his subordinate Martial Aspects stated.

"Let's go have a look at what's in the valley while they're gone," Ao Canghai said.

"Understood!" everyone chorused.

Ao Canghai and his subordinates rushed toward the valley alongside a few other groups of cultivators.

The first to reach the valley dealt the red barrier a heavy blow.

Within, the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue frowned. He was at a critical period with regards to possessing the golden-crowned zombie king, and any disturbances were particularly troublesome to deal with.

"Yang Chuan, I'll kill you," the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue gritted out.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng continued to maneuver Yang Chuan's physical body as he fled, the six zombie kings behind him refusing to give up the chase. Xiao Nanfeng had no choice but to activate the talisman that his master had given him.

A bubble of black light surrounded Yang Chuan as the talisman activated. It floated up toward the heavens.

The zombie kings to his back rushed forward to claw at him.

"Hegemon's Fist!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

Countless fists forced the zombie kings to retreat in a burst of fire and wind—but the effect had been pronounced only because he had caught the zombie kings by surprise. Trying to escape their grasp entirely was prohibitively difficult.

Just as he approached a region of black wind high in the sky, the zombie kings suddenly stilled. They seemed to be fearful of something.As one, they turned around and gave up on chasing Xiao Nanfeng.

Xiao Nanfeng was perplexed, but he didn't have time to think about the situation in more detail. The black light seemed to be agitating the black wind, causing the black wind to generate a suction force that propelled the bubble forward. Xiao Nanfeng didn't resist. He was quickly pulled toward a ball of light.

"Is that the exit?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

He flew out of the exit, still in Yang Chuan's physical body.

"Southern Aspect!"

"Mountain Lord!"

Relieved exclamations could be heard from outside the black coffin from which he emerged.

News of what had happened to Yang Chuan had quickly spread to cultivators on the outside, and Yang Chuan's friends, relatives, and subordinates had all gathered by the black coffin.

The cultivators of Hongyue certainly didn't dare hold back someone like Yang Chuan.

Xiao Nanfeng stared at the gathered cultivators awaiting him. He said, "Don't accompany me. Wait until I contact you."

Yang Chuan flew into the clouds and vanished from sight.

His friends, relatives, and subordinates all exhaled in relief upon seeing that he was well. The other cultivators around, however, all seemed forlorn. "Southern Aspect Yang made it out safely. Where's everyone else? Why isn't my sect master out yet?"

No one dared venture into the black coffin any longer. Instead, countless cultivators representing a whole assortment of different forces were gathered around the coffin as they awaited those they knew who had gone within.

Yang Chuan flew rapidly across the sky for a prolonged period of time before he landed on an uninhabited island on a secluded stretch of the sea. There, he emerged from Yang Chuan's mindscape.

He then shook Black Dog out from his gourd.

Black Dog emerged to find himself no longer cloaked in dim darkness.

"We're out, we're out! Thank goodness. Thank you, Martial Aspect Xiao!"

Xiao Nanfeng smiled and nodded. "I'm happy to oblige."

Black Dog quickly shot Yang Chuan's prone body a worried look.

"Relax. He'll awaken naturally after a while," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Indeed, shortly thereafter, Yang Chuan opened his eyes groggily as his memories returned to him.

Yang Chuan glanced around him and saw that they had indeed escaped from the black coffin hidden realm.

"Martial Aspect Xiao, were those the loss chants of the Taiqing Immortal Sect? That was a surprise," Yang Chuan said wryly.

"I apologize, Southern Aspect Yang. I have a few secrets I'd rather not expose, and I wouldn't want to add to your burdens," Xiao Nanfeng said frankly.

Yang Chuan gave Xiao Nanfeng a complicated look, but nodded. "I don't want to pry, either. I do have to thank you for getting us out of here."

"Hardly, Southern Aspect Yang. We helped each other. This is a secluded island on the Eastern Sea. There were a group of cultivators who had been waiting for you outside the black coffin. Considering your circumstances, and worried that some among them might have bad intentions, I sent them away. Do you need my help with anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Let's leave it at this. I'll contact you again once I've fully recuperated."

"Very well. Farewell, Southern Aspect Yang."

Yang Chuan nodded.

Xiao Nanfeng flew off the island and vanished across the horizon. Though he and Yang Chuan were familiar with each other by now, it wasn't to the point where they would recuperate together.

"Master, Xiao Nanfeng really is mysterious, isn't he?" Black Dog wondered.

Yang Chuan glanced at his right hand. "I sense the remnant traces of some potent treasure on my right hand. Xiao Nanfeng must have obtained something good."

"Oh? Let me have a sniff," Black Dog offered.

"No, forget it. It's his by right, and we shouldn't pry. Let's leave. I'll have to recuperate, then avenge me and mine." A fierce look crossed Yang Chuan's face.

"Understood!" Black Dog replied.

Black Dog and Yang Chuan left the island and quickly vanished over the horizon themselves.

A day later, in the palatial valley of Shenfeng's capital, Xiao Nanfeng arrived out of nowhere. The Divine Emperor had long since been waiting for him.

"Why didn't you ask me for help? I heard you were in incredible danger!" The Divine Emperor fussed over Xiao Nanfeng as she examined his body to ensure he was alright.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled gently and lifted her up for a hug and a kiss. "I'm alright. I returned safe and sound."

"Oh, you! You were far more serious in the past," the Divine Emperor said. She pushed Xiao Nanfeng aside with a blush.

"You weren't my wife back then, so of course I had to be more gentlemanly. Things are different now," Xiao Nanfeng replied, laughing.

The Divine Emperor hmphed. "You really are thick-skinned, aren't you!"

"Will you have a look at this treasure for me? See if there are any traces of secret techniques the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue might have left behind," Xiao Nanfeng requested.

He handed over the Rainbow Soul-Suppression Jade he had stolen from the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue.

The Divine Emperor inspected the treasure carefully. After a while, she carefully wiped her palm over it intently. A red aura flashed and faded away.

"Nothing particular, just the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue's residual aura. He might have been able to track you down with it, but there's no need to worry now. I've dealt with it," the Divine Emperor said.

Xiao Nanfeng laughed again. "Indeed, with a virtuous wife, everything seems to be going according to my will."

The Divine Emperor blushed. "There's a little crack in the relic, which has weakened it by a considerable extent. It's still usable, though."

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

"This is a piece of Rainbow Soul-Suppression Jade. I've seen its like before. It's a particularly special piece of jade imbued with natural law related to sealing, and boasts the ability to suppress souls. When used properly, it can bypass even the physical body of a Boundless Immortal and directly attack the soul instead. It's particularly effective against zombies. Though it's been damaged, there's still a considerable portion of its energy left."

"The Immortal Emperor of Hongyue used it to deal with the zombie king—no, I suppose it's an ancestral zombie," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He recounted what had happened.

The Divine Emperor had received some word of what was going on within the black coffin hidden realm, but not in such detail. When Xiao Nanfeng finished, she frowned. "I wonder if the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue succeeded. If he did, we'll be in danger."

"Isn't that so? An ancestral zombie and six zombie kings—that's seven more Boundless Immortals, let alone the countless ordinary zombies in the black coffin hidden realm. The Immortal Emperor of Hongyue made tremendous gains with his venture. No wonder he was willing to leave Shenfeng be." Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"He might have benefited from this opportunity, but so did we," the Divine Emperor replied.

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

"I've already attuned that black coffin to some extent. I have control over its entrance now, and we may be able to claim whatever lies within."

She was speaking not of the black coffin in the Southeastern Aquatic Palace, but the one that Xiao Nanfeng had given her.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes widened. The Immortal Emperor of Hongyue had managed to possess an ancestral zombie within the black coffin hidden realm he had access to. Perhaps the black coffin with the Divine Emperor boasted similar opportunities. Could there be zombie kings and even an ancestral zombie within, too? Even Boundless Immortal relics?

"If there's an ancestral zombie in there, can we use this rainbow jade on it?" Xiao Nanfeng asked expectantly.

The Divine Emperor's eyes lit up. She examined the jade once more. "It may be possible."

"Oh?"

"There's a crack marring this piece of jade, but the sealing power within can still handle an early-stage Boundless Immortal—especially since it's particularly effective against zombies. If we work together, I'm sure we'll succeed."

"Great," Xiao Nanfeng replied. "And you're certain we can enter and exit the coffin at will?"

"Absolutely."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "In that case, let's go in and have a look. We'll scout the hidden realm and plan out what we're going to do."

"Very well." The Divine Emperor smiled.

She retrieved the black coffin, whose oppressive aura left the two cultivators in eager anticipation.