sinovels Chapter 117 The Trial of the Heart ends here. Which coffin do you choose?
Chapter 117 The Trial of the Heart ends here. Which coffin do you choose?
Lu Yan clearly felt that the [Void Disc] disguised as a black wooden pendant at his waist was becoming disconnected from his soul.
It was as if his name was being forcibly deleted from the "owner" column of this artifact.
The Void Disc began to vibrate violently.
But just as it was about to slip out of control, a deep black lotus flower silently bloomed on the surface of the ancient black wood.
Without light or darkness, the lotus flower simply existed, thus negating the power of deprivation.
It is like an independent, supreme realm that does not accept any external instructions for alteration.
The sense of dislocation caused by the forced separation came to an abrupt end.
The law command from the Emperor's Shadow struck the blooming black lotus, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, without causing the slightest ripple, and was completely swallowed and dissolved.
In the center of the main hall, the blurry, dark-colored imperial figure paused.
Then, it bowed slightly in Lu Yan's direction, and its figure transformed into countless points of light, like weary birds returning to the forest, flowing back to the Nine Dragon Throne.
The suffocating feeling that had been weighing on everyone's hearts suddenly dissipated.
"That's... all?" Zhao Leiguang, carrying his shield, looked completely bewildered.
"No." Xiao Qianyu's gaze remained fixed on the throne. "It doesn't seem to be over yet. Focus."
Only then did everyone realize that the real figure on the throne, the beaded curtain beneath the twelve-tasseled crown, was swaying gently.
A distant, ancient laugh, yet carrying a hint of relief, echoed in the hall.
"That's fine."
The voice of the Emperor of Fengdu was no longer a cold law, but had regained its original gentleness and majesty.
"The trial ends here. I simply wanted to confirm whether you have truly earned 'her' approval."
He rose from the black jade throne, and this time, his overwhelming aura of dominance was not directed at anyone, but simply spread naturally throughout the entire hall.
[Congratulations! The top team in China has perfectly cleared the S-rank hidden dungeon 'Fengdu Ghost City' Trial of the Heart.]
[Secret Realm Assessment: Passed.]
The cold, impersonal system notification sounded, and everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Leiguang plopped down on the ground, tossing his shield aside with a loud bang.
"So, all this time you were just watching a show?" he yelled, tilting his head back at the throne. "You almost killed me, oh dear!"
No one blamed him for his rudeness. The series of trials they had just endured had pushed everyone's nerves to their limits.
The Emperor of Fengdu seemed unconcerned; his gaze swept over the crowd and finally settled on Lu Yan.
"Her?" Lu Yan grasped the key word.
Who could be the one who could earn the word "approval" from this mythical emperor?
The Emperor of Fengdu did not give a direct answer.
He simply raised his hand and gently waved the wide sleeve of his dark imperial robe.
The black jade floor of the entire magnificent hall suddenly became transparent.
Beneath their feet was no longer solid ground, but a bottomless, dark void.
Three enormous coffins floated silently in the void.
One piece, carved from a single piece of warm, smooth white jade, is engraved with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars.
One piece, cast from ancient bronze, its surface covered with ancient battle marks from chiseling and carving.
There was another one, its entire body seemingly composed of solidified starlight, with countless tiny points of light flickering within, like a sealed galaxy.
"In my city, there are three coffins." The voice of the Emperor of Fengdu lowered, carrying a trace of weariness that even the ages could not erase.
"There is no corpse in the coffin."
The black lotus mark reappeared in Lu Yan's pupils.
In his vision, the three magnificent coffins were wrapped with jet-black chains made of pure, higher-dimensional laws.
The chains emanated a divine aura that shared the same origin as Echidna, yet was entirely different.
It's a curse.
"An unbreakable curse"
"A curse." The voice of the Emperor of Fengdu confirmed Lu Yan's observation, "A curse targeting 'divinity' itself."
"It's not just them. Including myself, including all the ancient Chinese gods who slumber in this land, we are all imprisoned by this curse."
"Our power, authority, and even our very existence are locked away. We can only transform into these 'spirits of the secret realm,' neither alive nor dead, repeating the established rules day after day, waiting for a slim chance of change."
These words struck like a thunderbolt, exploding in the minds of everyone in the first squad.
Are all the gods of China cursed?
This is the real reason why, in the era of "national awakening," China's high-level combat power is in short supply, and can only rely on awakened individuals risking their lives to fill the gap.
Everyone was stunned speechless by this grand, almost absurd truth.
"I've been waiting for a long time."
The Emperor of Fengdu's gaze returned to Lu Yan, his eyes filled with both expectation and entrustment.
"I'm waiting for someone like you to appear. I'm waiting for you to come before me with this 'key' that is the only one that can sever the divine curse."
His gaze landed precisely on the [Disc of Nothingness] at Lu Yan's waist.
"Your disc can break this curse."
"However..." Emperor Fengdu changed the subject, "Every time the [Void Disc] uses its 'Severing' power, it falls into a deep sleep. With your current abilities, it will probably take three days to awaken it again."
"Therefore, you can only break one seal."
Lu Yan remained silent.
Looking down at the three coffins tightly bound by chains of law, he felt for the first time something called "heavy".
This is not about choosing equipment or distributing loot.
This is a choice: which ancient Chinese god will be the first to return from endless imprisonment.
"Who are these three people?" Lu Yan asked.
The Emperor of Fengdu raised his hand and pointed to the white jade coffin.
"She is Houtu, the embodiment of the earth's veins in the Nine Provinces. If she awakens, the production of secret realm resources throughout China will increase tenfold. All Chinese people will receive the blessing of the earth, and their physique and recovery ability will be greatly enhanced."
He then pointed to the bronze war coffin.
"He is Chi You, the God of War. If he returns, all the weapons of the warriors of China will be blessed with the divine power of 'armor penetration' and 'unyielding spirit.' He himself is an unparalleled war god capable of sweeping away thousands of troops."
Finally, His gaze fell upon the coffin of starlight, and His tone became more complex.
"And she... is 'her'."
The Emperor of Fengdu did not reveal the identity of the last person, but gave Lu Yan a deep look.
"She is the source of everything, and also the end of everything. Saving her might allow you to ascend to the heavens and obtain the ultimate secrets of this world."
"But it could also bring you, and the entire nation of China, to utter ruin in an instant."
"Mortal, what is your choice?"