48: Asura creatures, mysterious ancient coffin

At the bottom of the abyss, Di Wushang stepped onto blood-red soil. A pungent scent of blood permeated the air, and the surrounding rock walls were covered with glowing, blood-colored vines.

"As expected, it's the aura of the Asura Race." He took a deep breath, and the Asura Power within his body began to boil.

Suddenly, three blood-colored figures lunged from the shadows! They were humanoid in shape but covered in scales, with a single horn on their foreheads and eyes as crimson as blood.

"Juvenile Asuras!" Di Tianxiao, who had just arrived, recognized them at a glance. "They have strength equivalent to the Purple Mansion Realm."

Di Wushang had already swung the asura god-slaying spear. A blood-red arc flashed, and the foremost Asura was sliced in half at the waist. But strangely, the Asura's corpse turned into a cloud of blood mist and was absorbed by the asura god-slaying spear!

"I see." A blood-light flared in Di Wushang's eyes. "They are guarding something."

The battle ended quickly. All three Juvenile Asuras were slain, and their blood qi was entirely absorbed by the asura god-slaying spear, making the patterns on the spear's surface even clearer.

"Over there." Di Wushang looked toward a cave. "There's an even more powerful aura."

The two proceeded cautiously and discovered a blood pool deep within the cave. Soaking in the pool was the partial remains of an Asura; judging by the aura, it had been at least at the Law Realm when alive!

"The remains of an adult Asura!" Di Wushang's expression was grave. "It seems this Secret Realm is indeed related to an ancient battlefield."

Di Wushang jumped into the blood pool without hesitation and thrust the asura god-slaying spear into the partial corpse. Instantly, a massive amount of Asura Power flooded into his body, and his cultivation surged, breaking through from the Divine Mansion Realm Third Level to the Divine Mansion Realm Tenth Level!

Above the abyss, Di Qianjie and the others suddenly sensed multiple unfamiliar auras approaching.

"Someone is coming," Di Xingyun whispered. "At least twenty people, all in the Purple Mansion Realm, with many at the high levels of the Purple Mansion Realm..."

Soon, a group of Cultivators wearing dark red robes appeared in their sight. The characters for "Heaven Burning Valley" were embroidered on their chests. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a sinister face, whose aura had reached the Purple Mansion Realm Great Perfection.

"Oh? There are actually people here." The sinister man's gaze swept over the members of the Di Clan, lingering on Di Qingge for a moment. "Fellow Daoists, I am Chi Lian, a Disciple of the Heaven Burning Valley. May I ask who you are..."

Di Qianjie said indifferently, "Godfall Di Clan."

"Godfall Di Clan?" A hint of greed flashed in Chi Lianzi's eyes. He had never heard of this power; how strong could they be? "To be able to reach such depths of the Secret Realm, you all must have gained much, right?"

Di Lingxiao sneered, "What, does the Heaven Burning Valley intend to take it by force?"

"How audacious!" a Heaven Burning Valley Disciple shouted harshly. "How dare you be disrespectful to Senior Brother Chi!"

Chi Lian waved his hand and gave a fake smile. "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. It's just that this abyss is full of dangers. Why don't we explore together? As for the treasures found... how about a seventy-thirty split?"

"We get seventy, and you get thirty?" Di Qingge blinked.

Chi Lian's face darkened. "You must be joking, young lady. Naturally, it's seventy percent for our Heaven Burning Valley."

"Hmph." Di Qianjie slowly drew his sword. "Then there's nothing left to talk about."

The battle broke out suddenly and unexpectedly.

Di Qianjie's Thousand Tribulations Sword was the first to leave its scabbard. A pitch-black sword light directly sliced the foremost three Heaven Burning Valley Disciples in half at the waist!

Di Lingxiao's dragon fall spear was like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, instantly piercing the throats of two others.

"You are looking for death!" Chi Lian was enraged. He formed hand seals with both hands, and a fire python appeared out of thin air, lunging toward the group.

Di Qingge lightly strummed her zither strings, and the Nine Nether Profound Darkness Fire transformed into a dual-colored fire phoenix that collided with the fire python. Shockingly, Chi Lian's Heaven-Grade flames were directly swallowed by the Nine Nether Profound Darkness Fire!

"Impossible!" Chi Lian turned pale with horror. "What kind of flame is this?!"

The answer he received was a beam of starlight—Di Xingyun's seven swords formed a Formation and descended from the sky, pinning him to the ground.

In just a short while, the twenty-plus Heaven Burning Valley Cultivators were completely wiped out, without even a chance to beg for mercy.

"Pathetic." Di Lingxiao wiped the blood from the dragon fall spear.

Di Xingyun's expression suddenly changed slightly. "This is bad! In a Sect like the Heaven Burning Valley, Core Disciples have Life Tablets in the Sect. Now that they have all fallen, the Sect will know very soon."

"It matters not," Di Qianjie said calmly. "We will deal with whatever comes our way."

Outside the Secret Realm, at the Heaven Burning Valley encampment.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

A series of shattering sounds echoed in the Soul Lamp Pavilion. The guarding Disciple looked in horror as the Life Tablets representing Chi Lian and the others shattered one after another.

"This is bad! Senior Brother Chi Lian and the others are all dead!"

The news quickly reached the ears of the Heaven Burning Valley Lord. This Law Realm powerhouse smashed the stone table beside him with a single palm strike. "Investigate! Investigate this thoroughly! No matter who it is, anyone who dares to kill my Heaven Burning Valley's people must pay in blood!"

A Black-Robed Old Man bowed and said, "Valley Lord, the last image sent back by Chi Lian shows that the killers were a group of young Cultivators. Among them was a woman who controlled a dual-colored exotic fire..."

"Dual-colored exotic fire?" Greed flashed in the Heaven Burning Valley Lord's eyes. "Pass down the order: all Elders outside the Secret Realm are to assemble. This Seat will personally meet these arrogant juniors!"

Di Wushang sat cross-legged at the edge of the blood pool, his body entwined with crimson blood qi. The asura god-slaying spear was thrust into the ground beside him, its patterns wriggling like living things as they greedily absorbed the remaining Asura Power from the pool.

"Crack—"

It was as if some shackles within his body had been broken. His aura suddenly climbed, and he officially stepped into the Purple Mansion Realm, reaching the Purple Mansion Realm Third Level!

When he opened his eyes, they had completely turned blood-red, and Asura War Patterns vaguely emerged deep within his pupils. He slowly stood up, and the asura god-slaying spear automatically flew into his hand.

"How is it?" Di Tianxiao stood not far away, the golden light of his War God Physique dispelling the surrounding darkness.

Di Wushang clenched his fist, his joints popping. "Asura Power is even more pure than I imagined." He turned to look deeper into the abyss. "But this isn't right... The Asura Race usually only operates within the Asura Realm. Why would they appear here?"

Di Tianxiao pondered, "You mean..."

"The Three Realms War." Blood-light flickered in Di Wushang's eyes. "During the ancient period, the Netherworld Realm, the Asura Realm, and this realm might have fought a terrifying war. This Secret Realm might be a fragment of that battlefield."

The two looked at each other and then simultaneously toward the narrow passage leading deeper into the abyss. There, the surging Asura blood qi was so dense it had almost solidified, condensing into small blood crystals in the air.

"I'll go investigate." Di Wushang raised the god slaying spear. "Senior Tianxiao, the aura of the Asura Race has a suppressive effect on your War God Physique. You should go back and regroup with the others."

After a moment's thought, Di Tianxiao nodded. "If you aren't back in two hours, I will bring the others down."

After Di Tianxiao left, Di Wushang took a deep breath and stepped into the blood-colored passage. With every step, thick blood plasma seeped from the ground, as if the entire path was paved with congealed blood.

The end of the passage suddenly opened up into a massive underground cavern. Countless blood-red stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping crimson liquid. Most shockingly, an Ancient Crystal Coffin was suspended in the center of the cavern!

The ancient coffin was about thirty feet long, its surface covered in Asura Race script. Nine blood-colored chains extended from the coffin and were anchored into the surrounding rock walls. Eerie green Netherworld Flames entwined each chain, clearly intended to suppress whatever was inside the coffin.

"This is..." Di Wushang's pupils constricted. He recognized the patterns on the coffin—the "Nine Hells Demon Sealing Coffin" exclusive to the Asura Royal Clan!

Even more bizarrely, with the ancient coffin as the center, hundreds of blood-colored cocoons were arranged densely on the ground within a hundred-fathom radius. Some had already burst open, and the residual slime indicated that the creatures inside had hatched not long ago.

"So that's where the Asura creatures outside came from." Di Wushang suddenly realized. "The leaking aura from the Asura Royal Clan member in the coffin catalyzed these Degenerate Beings."

He cautiously approached the ancient coffin, the asura god-slaying spear poised and ready. When the distance closed to ten fathoms, the Asura script on the coffin lid suddenly lit up, forming a warning:

"Those who dare open this coffin shall fall into the Uninterrupted Hell forever!"

Di Wushang sneered and thrust the god slaying spear into the ground without hesitation. Surging Asura Power flowed through the spear's body into the ground, transforming into hundreds of blood-colored threads that connected to the nine chains.

"Open!"

With a low shout, the Asura Power was poured in reverse, causing the Netherworld Flames on the chains to flicker violently. The coffin lid made a grating creak as it slowly slid open a crack... Asura blood qi of extreme density gushed out, but the moment it touched Di Wushang, it became as docile as a lamb, swirling slowly around him.

Inside the coffin lay a graceful figure.