Chapter 1412: Opening the Coffin
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Chapter 1410: Opening the Coffin
“Heavenly Crystal?”
Mo Hua looked somewhat stunned.
In contrast, when Da Shan and the other two heard the name, their expressions changed drastically in an instant. The way they looked at the stone in Old Mo’s hand even began to distort.
Old Mo also realized he had lost his composure.
He was usually very deep and reserved, but he truly hadn’t expected that from an inconspicuous floor-standing palace lantern, he could actually pry out a piece of Heavenly Crystal.
It was no different from picking up a random stone on the ground, only to break it open and find gold inside.
Old Mo felt a surge of regret.
But for something like this, even if others didn’t recognize its value, it certainly wouldn’t pass unnoticed by Manager Zhao. Once it was in hand, hiding it would be impossible.
At that moment, Mo Hua quietly asked, “What… is Heavenly Crystal?”
Everyone was taken back. Even Old Mo’s face showed obvious astonishment. “You don’t even know what Heavenly Crystal is?”
Mo Hua had always been honest. He nodded. “I don’t know.”
The way the others looked at him became rather strange.
This Young Master Mo—judging by his age, cultivation, and formation attainments—must come from an extraordinary background, yet at times he revealed a kind of “ignorant” simplicity.
Logically speaking, having cultivated to the Golden Core stage, it was impossible not to know what a Heavenly Crystal was…
Old Mo then explained, “The so-called Heavenly Crystal refers to the crystallization of Innate Spiritual Energy.”
Mo Hua’s expression also changed slightly. “Innate Spiritual Energy…”
Old Mo nodded. “In the words of ancient cultivators, Innate Spiritual Energy refers to spiritual energy that existed before heaven and earth were formed.”
“But that explanation is too mystical. Whether anything truly existed before heaven and earth is still uncertain.”
“At the very least, in today’s cultivation world, no one has ever seen a truly ‘innate’ existence.”
“Nowadays, what we call ‘innate’ usually refers to extremely ancient eras of cultivators that can no longer be verified.”
“Innate Spiritual Energy is also a product of that time, a kind of purer, more supreme spiritual energy.”
“This supreme spiritual energy is alive. It can only exist within heaven and earth, sustained by absorbing ordinary natural spiritual energy. Under extremely rare conditions, it condenses into crystals, forming ‘Innate Spiritual Energy Crystals’—which is this Heavenly Crystal.”
“Therefore, in more common terms, Heavenly Crystal is also called… ‘Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone’…”
Old Mo’s heart burned with excitement; even the hand holding the Heavenly Crystal seemed to tremble.
Da Shan and the others fixed their gazes on the Heavenly Crystal, unable to look away.
Mo Hua’s heart trembled slightly.
Supreme-grade spirit stone… crystallized innate spiritual energy…
After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua slowly asked, “Then now that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is depleted, does that mean Innate Spiritual Energy has already gone extinct, and Heavenly Crystal can no longer be formed?”
Old Mo nodded. “That’s right. The cultivation world no longer has the conditions for Heavenly Crystal to form naturally. The remaining Heavenly Crystals are finite. Every piece used is one less remaining.”
“Then this Heavenly Crystal,” Mo Hua frowned, “what exactly is it used for?”
Old Mo’s gaze flickered. “It is used for breakthroughs above the Feathered Ascension realm… the Great Circulation realm.”
“Breakthroughs… in the Feathered Ascension realm…” Mo Hua’s expression changed slightly.
Old Mo said, “Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core cultivate the Small Circulation. Above Feathered Ascension, one cultivates the Great Circulation. The spiritual energy of the Great Circulation is also called True Qi, so those in the Feathered Ascension realm are also known as ‘True Persons.’”
“True Qi is closer to the fundamental power of cultivation than spiritual energy.”
“Therefore, the strength of a Feathered Ascension True Person is extraordinary. Compared to ordinary cultivators, there is already a fundamental difference between mortal and immortal.”
“Beyond Feathered Ascension, if one wishes to cultivate further, one must absorb higher-purity spiritual energy to circulate the Great Circulation and refine True Qi.”
“These higher-level breakthroughs inevitably involve the use of Heavenly Crystal…”
Upon hearing this, Mo Hua’s emotions momentarily surged.
Old Mo sighed at this point, lamenting:
“Of course, these are merely this old man’s shallow views. Beyond Feathered Ascension lies transcendence from the mundane, capable of flying through the skies and traversing the earth. It is a realm ordinary cultivators can only dream of. The chances of this old man reaching Feathered Ascension in this lifetime are infinitesimal. My understanding of it comes entirely from hearsay…”
After all, they were merely Golden Core cultivators. They had deep longing for Feathered Ascension, but knew very little about its specific cultivation mysteries.
Up to now, across the entire cultivation world, those who could ascend and reach the Feathered Ascension realm were all prodigies of great clans and major sects.
Those with slightly weaker backgrounds, fewer resources, or a bit of bad luck, basically stood no chance to even touch that realm.
Even Mo Hua, despite originating from the Fifth-Grade Great Void Sect, was still quite clueless about “Feathered Ascension.”
Of course, the main reason was that he hadn’t spent much time in the sect.
A mere nine years of Foundation Establishment cultivation had passed in the blink of an eye. His understanding of the Golden Core stage was still insufficient, let alone Feathered Ascension which distinguished “True Persons” above golden core.
But regardless, Heavenly Crystals were crucial for Feathered Ascension. For Golden Core cultivators like them, such crystals represented rare opportunities that could only be encountered by chance, never sought…
Everyone’s gaze once again fell upon the Heavenly Crystal in Old Mo’s hand. The atmosphere growing tense.
Even the air at the bottom of the tomb seemed to freeze.
Unable to hold back, Da Shan swallowed and said hoarsely, “This one piece of Heavenly Crystal…”
But Mo Hua suddenly interjected, “It’s not just one.”
Da Shan’s expression changed. Old Mo and the others felt their hearts tremble.
Mo Hua pointed around. “There are four of these lanterns, so there might also be…”
Before he could finish, Da Shan lunged toward one of the floor-standing palace lanterns, forcibly snapping off the lantern head and digging out a “stone.”
The scholar rushed to another lamp, used mechanical techniques to dissect it, and also retrieved one.
Qian Jin was a step slower, but he scrambled over, prying out the last one with a knife.
Under the dim light, the three wiped the objects they had extracted. Sure enough, within moments, a lustrous glow emerged, each Heavenly Crystal revealing its innate brilliance.
“As expected!”
“These really are Heavenly Crystals?!”
“There are actually three more. We’ve struck it rich! We’ve struck it rich!”
The three were ecstatic.
Old Mo already held one Heavenly Crystal, so when the others rushed for the lanterns, he didn’t move. His aged eyes, however, grew even more clouded.
Four palace lanterns. Four supreme-grade Heavenly Crystals.
No matter how vivid their imaginations had been, they could never have expected such a harvest from this tomb raid. It was as if heaven itself had fed opportunity straight into their mouths.
The four exchanged glances, their expressions complicated, and silently stored the Heavenly Crystal in their Storage bags.
As for how these Heavenly Crystals would ultimately be divided, it was still uncertain.
But in the entire world, there was no place more reassuring than one’s own Storage bag.
Four Heavenly Crystals, each of the four had secured one.
With the four Heavenly Crystals now safely “stored away” by Old Mo and his three companions, they suddenly realized, after the initial excitement, that while each of them had one, but what about Young Master Mo?
The four turned to look at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua stood to the side, empty-handed, as if nothing had happened.
Old Mo felt a flicker of unease and asked, “Young Master, you…”
Mo Hua said, “It’s fine. Manager Zhao said I shouldn’t get involved in disputes over benefits. After we get out, he’ll settle my compensation. You can keep the items.”
Old Mo froze, clearly taken aback. The others also found it somewhat unbelievable.
They couldn’t tell whether this Young Master Mo was truly noble in character… or simply foolish. With such treasure in front of him, he didn’t even try to take it.
After pondering for a moment, Old Mo said, “We’ll hold onto these Heavenly Crystals for now. After we get out, we’ll share them with you. We won’t let you suffer a loss.”
Then, with a chuckle, he added, “Come to think of it, this old man has spent a lifetime raiding tombs and never touched even half a piece of Heavenly Crystal. Yet traveling with Young Master Mo, we obtained four at once.”
“Such a bountiful harvest on this trip must be thanks to Young Master Mo’s immense fortune and unparalleled luck reaching the heavens.”
Mo Hua smiled lightly. “You’re too kind.”
The others also chimed in, “It must be Young Master’s great fortune that brought us such luck.”
After all, since they were keeping the Heavenly Crystals, offering some verbal flattery cost nothing.
Being praised as “blessed with heaven-reaching luck and fortune,” Mo Hua seemed quite pleased.
Sometimes, others’ “blessings” were also a kind of positive karmic force. They might seem worthless, but in the unseen, they still carried intangible causal influence.
Seeing everyone smiling and speaking kindly to him, Mo Hua suddenly changed tone, frowning slightly. “However… there’s still one problem.”
Old Mo and the others’ expressions shifted. “What problem?”
Mo Hua said, “Don’t you think it’s strange? In this single tomb, there are four palace lanterns… and each one hid a Heavenly Crystal.”
Old Mo nodded slightly. “Indeed…”
Mo Hua looked toward the coffin in the burial chamber and said thoughtfully:
“If there are already four Heavenly Crystals outside the coffin, then what’s inside it? What are the true burial items? Could they be… something even more valuable than Heavenly Crystals?”
These words instantly stirred everyone’s hearts. Old Mo and the others began breathing more heavily.
Something even more valuable than… Heavenly Crystals?
Da Shan looked at Old Mo and asked hoarsely, “Should we open the coffin?”
Old Mo frowned deeply, lost in thought, his expression shifting uncertainly as he weighed the decision.
Seeing this, Mo Hua sighed softly and, pretending to be cautious, said:
“If you ask me… since we already got the Heavenly Crystals, we should stop here. This trip has already been very profitable, contentment brings happiness. Opening the coffin carries too mush risk. If there are treasures inside, then it is a huge win, but if luck isn’t on our side…”
Though Mo Hua seemed to be discouraging them, his words instead solidified Old Mo’s resolve.
Old Mo declared, “No, we’ll open the coffin! Let’s take the gamble!”
Mo Hua feigned reluctance. “Are you sure you want to gamble?”
Old Mo answered firmly, “Yes! With Heavenly Crystals already in hand, what is there to fear?”
Heavenly Crystals already outside the coffin, this was already a “heavenly” start. If they didn’t dare to gamble now, then when would they?
“Cultivation is about seeking opportunities. When fortune is knocking right in your face, if you still shrink back, then what’s the point of cultivating? Might as well stay poor and cowardly your whole life…”
Old Mo, who had always been steady, now had eyes tinged with red.
Hearing this, the others also felt a surge of boldness filling their hearts.
Mo Hua sighed and stopped “persuading” them any further.
However, Old Mo had been navigating the underground for many years and was no reckless fool. He carefully reviewed everything about this trip in his mind, confirming that none of the people or factors involved posed any terrifying danger.
As long as they prepared thoroughly, this risk was worth taking.
He touched his storage bag, feeling the weight of the Heavenly Crystal within, this was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.
“Let’s open the coffin,” Old Mo said solemnly. “Let’s stake it all.”
Everyone’s spirits lifted, their blood surging, and they began preparing to open the coffin.
Opening a coffin was a highly taboo matter, it had to be done with extreme caution.
Old Mo lit a bronze lamp engraved with a human figure gasping for air. If the lamp went out and the figure “suffocated,” it meant danger was present.
Da Shan took out a kind of white powder and smeared it over his body, it seemed capable of warding off evil and dispelling malevolent forces.
The scholar used a mechanical ink line tool, dipped in bright red blood. The blood carried strong yang energy, likely for suppressing malevolent forces.
Qian Jin clearly lacking any tomb-raiding inheritance, could only rely on his Golden Core cultivation to handle miscellaneous tasks.
Only Mo Hua stood by, watching idly.
Opening coffins wasn’t his job, so there was no need for him to interfere.
Besides, there weren’t any Heavenly Crystals in his storage bag. These people hadn’t shared the good stuff with him, so there was no reason for him to put in effort.
Still, as a formation master, his status meant some things couldn’t be avoided.
After working for a while, Old Mo suddenly pointed at the intricate formation patterns on the ground and asked, “Young Master Mo, these formations…”
Mo Hua shook his head. “These are third-grade formations. I can’t understand them, but they likely shouldn’t matter. They’ve deteriorated over time and are already inactive.”
Only then did Old Mo feel reassured.
He could tell that these formation patterns had lost their efficacy, but he needed confirmation from a “professional” like Mo Hua to set his mind at ease.
After half an hour, all preparations for opening the coffin were finally complete. They had even considered the possibility of Corpse Reanimation and made careful preparations.
Old Mo’s gaze sharpened as he finally said in a low voice, “Open the coffin.”
Mo Hua took a few steps back, standing a bit farther away.
The atmosphere in the burial chamber suddenly grew much more sinister and errie.
The scholar used a mechanical iron pry to remove the coffin nails. Old Mo used a sharp dagger to pry open a gap in the coffin lid.
Da Shan and Qian Jin worked together to lift the coffin lid.
A gloomy, decaying odor began to spread through the chamber, and a tense unease filled everyone’s hearts.
Yet when the coffin was fully opened… nothing happened.
The burial chamber fell into a terrifying silence.
Old Mo leaned forward to look inside, his brows knitting tightly.
Seeing no abnormalities, Mo Hua quietly stepped closer and peeked inside, exclaiming in surprise. “Empty?”
Old Mo slowly extended his trembling hand into the coffin and felt around before letting out a breath of relief. “Empty.”
Mo Hua asked, “Why is it empty?”
Old Mo replied, “A tomb within a tomb.”
Mo Hua’s gaze flickered. “A tomb within a tomb?”
Old Mo nodded and pointed inside. “From my experience, if we break through the bottom of this coffin, what lies beneath… is the real burial chamber.”
Mo Hua asked again, “Then… are we going down?”
Old Mo hesitated.
Mo Hua tried to persuade him, “How about… we forget it?”
Old Mo didn’t reply. Instead, he reached out, scraped a bit of dust from the bottom of the coffin, examined it in front of his eyes, then put it into his mouth to taste it. He spat it out with a “ptui” and cursed grimly:
“Damn it, we’ve run into an expert.”
Mo Hua asked, “What kind of expert?”
Old Mo said, “This is a tomb of the Earth Sect, when it comes to matters underground, the Earth Sect are the true experts.”
Mo Hua’s gaze paused slightly. “How do you know this is an Earth Sect tomb?”
“The Earth Sect has a unique, inherited formation…” Old Mo pointed at the soil beneath the coffin. “These formations can alter the earth’s aura. Once such a formation is set, the soil’s taste changes… I’ve dealt with soil for years, and I can’t forget that taste.”
Qian Jin couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the purpose of the Earth Sect setting up this formation?”
Old Mo shook his head. “Someone once told me… when this kind of formation is set in the earth, there’s a certain chance it can bring the dead back to life…”
Mo Hua was stunned, his pupils contracting sharply. “You mean… the Earth Sect has a formation that can revive the dead?”