Covering the sky

The interior of the pitch-black bronze coffin gradually fell silent. No one spoke, and all were filled with dread as they gazed at the coffin, where the body was laid to rest. The heavy breaths of the crowd echoed, each person's heart racing in tension.

What kind of person was sealed inside the bronze coffin, its surface mottled with green rust?

"This must be connected to the Five-Colored Altar on Mount Tai," someone finally whispered after a long silence.

Soon, quiet murmurs began among the group, everyone speculating about the events that had unfolded.

"It must be related to the Five-Colored Altar, which brought the nine dragon corpses and the bronze coffin here," another person suggested.

What they had witnessed was too bizarre, shaking the very foundations of their understanding. The Five-Colored Altar, built by ancient ancestors, was shrouded in mystery. Ye Fan pondered deeply—what hidden secrets did the obliterated ancient history conceal?

After the initial shock, their minds slowly began to calm, and they started to cautiously theorize about what had transpired.

"Perhaps the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin were summoned by the ancient ancestors," a voice ventured.

At this, someone immediately retorted, "But the ancients have been gone for countless years."

"I mean, the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin arrived late—only now, in response to the ancient call," a female student proposed.

Everyone fell silent, caught off guard by this idea. The notion that the ancient ancestors' summons had been answered after thousands of years was almost too unbelievable to accept.

"The truth remains unknown; all we can do is speculate. There are countless possibilities."

"Yes, maybe the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin have nothing to do with the ancient ancestors and are returning on their own."

"Did you see those bronze carvings? They depict the ancient ancestors, primal deities, and many figures with tears carved into their faces. It feels like they are telling a long-forgotten story."

"Perhaps it's true—the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, breaking through all obstacles, are returning to their homeland. A tale of blood-soaked history..."

Could the ancient ancestors have possessed some unknown means of exploring distant and unknown places? The Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, returning home, living and departing, their withered bones resting, wrapped in the burial shroud.

In the midst of these conversations, the group's fear slowly subsided as they conjectured various possibilities. However, the awe surrounding the central bronze coffin remained—no one dared to touch it, let alone open it.

"I believe the rescuers must have reached Mount Tai by now, they should be close," someone said, hoping for their swift rescue.

"Let's just hope nothing goes wrong and they rescue us soon," another voice added.

Since there was no way out of the ancient coffin, the group grew increasingly anxious. The bronze coffin was at least eight or nine meters high, and the lid was sealed tight. Escape seemed impossible.

Just as they hoped for a quick rescue, a violent tremor suddenly shook the bronze coffin. Everyone staggered, barely able to keep their balance, and several people fell to the ground.

"What's happening? What's going on?" The crowd was confused, some of the female students began to sob, clinging tightly to those around them.

"Has the rescue team arrived? Are they saving us?"

Amidst their worry and fear, the trembling of the bronze coffin grew more intense. No one could stand, and almost all of them fell to the ground, closely touching the cold bronze surface.

"Boom!"

Another violent jolt hit, resembling an airplane flying through a freezing cloud layer, covered in a thick shell of ice, constantly shaking.

"Boom!"

The final shock was deafening, like thunder, seemingly able to shatter everything in its path. It felt as though the entire bronze coffin had collided forcefully.

But at that very moment, the faint glow from the bronze carvings inside the coffin suddenly emerged, neutralizing an unimaginable shockwave in an instant.

The crowd stared in disbelief, for just moments ago they had felt as though the world was about to collapse, yet everything had suddenly returned to calm, creating a surreal feeling.

"Something's not right. There was definitely a terrifying shock just now. How did it stop so suddenly?"

"It wasn't an illusion. The bronze coffin truly experienced a violent collision, flipping multiple times, yet we weren't harmed."

At that moment, they noticed something astonishing—the bronze coffin, which had been violently shaken, had flipped and was now hanging against the side of the coffin, firmly fixed in place, not falling.

"The bronze coffin must have flipped to the ground, and the smaller coffin containing the body is likely secured to the bottom of the larger coffin. That's why, from this angle, it looks as though the small coffin is hanging on the side."

The terrifying impact just now must have been tremendous, but it had been dissipated by the faint light from the bronze carvings, making the situation seem impossible.

"Light, light from outside!" Li Xiaoman exclaimed.

Everyone turned to follow her gaze, and sure enough, dim light began filtering in from the direction she pointed to.

"The bronze coffin has flipped, and the lid has tilted, opening a small gap. We're finally free!"

The gap between the bronze coffin's lid and base was wide enough for two people to walk through side by side, although the light that poured in was faint and dim.

The crowd erupted in cheers, all rushing forward to escape the dark, eerie space, desperate to leave as quickly as possible.

However, as soon as they exited the coffin, they froze, as if turned to stone.

The ground was stained a deep red-brown, cold and desolate, with large rocks scattered across the landscape, resembling massive tombstones. The vast, barren land stretched endlessly before them.

The sky was dark and gloomy, as if a deathly twilight hung in the air, shrouded in faint black mist.

The group stood motionless, realizing that this was definitely not Mount Tai's peak.

The endless expanse of red-brown earth, distant and lifeless, held no signs of life—it was unlike any place they had ever known or heard of, a completely foreign and mysterious realm.

"Where are we? Did we leave Mount Tai?" A trembling voice spoke.

"Could the rescuers have isolated us in some uninhabited region to protect us from the dragon corpses?" The speaker couldn't even convince himself of the explanation.

A sense of foreboding crept over everyone, and a terrible premonition swept over them all. At that moment, many people attempted to call out, but no signal could be reached; all calls failed.

"This isn't Mount Tai. Where are we?" Panic spread across their faces as they realized they had no idea where they were. There was no joy in their escape, only terror.

In just a few minutes, the scene had shifted from being trapped inside the bronze coffin to standing in the midst of an unfamiliar, barren desert. The towering, majestic Mount Tai was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a flat, rocky wasteland.

Ye Fan quietly observed everything around him, his worst fears confirmed. From the moment they saw the Taiji Bagua diagram forming a dark, massive passageway on Mount Tai, he had an unsettling feeling. Though they hadn't seen the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin enter the passage, the present scene confirmed everything—this place was not Mount Tai, and perhaps, they were no longer even on Earth.