Chapter 122: The Person in the Coffin
Mingxi Grass resembles an orchid. For every year of its growth, a golden line appears on its leaves, with a maximum of three thousand. It is the main ingredient for the Outer Appearance Pill, and consuming it alone also provides a chance for a Tiangang cultivator to break through to the Outer Appearance Realm. After three thousand years, a Mingxi Grass will bloom. Its flower, which looks like a chrysanthemum, has no scent but can calm one's body and mind. As long as the environment is suitable, the bloom is permanent. A flowered Mingxi Grass possesses more than ten times the medicinal efficacy of an ordinary one. Even consuming it by itself offers over a ninety percent chance for a peak Tiangang cultivator to achieve a breakthrough. The only ones who fail are the pitiful few with truly tragic fates.
On this small island, if there weren't thousands of stalks of Mingxi Grass, there were at least several hundred. This sent the old man into a state of ecstasy; the smile never left his face.
"Young friend, with such an immense fortune before us, how about we split it fifty-fifty?" he asked Chen Dong.
Chen Dong said coolly, "I'd advise you not to touch anything, old man."
His gaze, however, was fixed on the red Jade Coffin in the center. If he wasn't mistaken, the coffin was made of Celestial Essence Warm Jade. This was a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure on the same level as the Thunder Spirit Pearl. A piece the size of a fingernail, placed in the mouth of a corpse, could keep the body from decaying for ten thousand years. For such a massive piece to be made into a coffin... it was a testament to the incredibly noble status of the person within.
The old man was instantly displeased. With a hint of anger in his voice, he said, "I admit your skills are superb, young friend, but do you really intend to take this immense fortune all for yourself? In that case, how about a sixty-forty split? You take sixty percent, I take forty."
Chen Dong slowly shook his head and walked closer to the coffin.
The old man no longer cared about what was inside the coffin; the Mingxi Grass was the treasure he coveted most. Seeing Chen Dong shake his head, he amended his offer again. "Seventy-thirty! You take seventy, I'll take thirty!"
Chen Dong didn't answer. The closer he got to the coffin, the more he felt the surrounding worldly energy and luck intensify. If he were to cultivate here, even someone at his Realm could break through again in less than two years.
When Chen Dong still didn't respond, the old man bellowed in frustration, "Young friend, don't push it! It's true you saved my life, but with so many treasures here, can't you at least let me have the scraps? Eighty-twenty!"
At that moment, Chen Dong was only three meters from the coffin. His expression changed abruptly, and he warned in a low voice, "You'd better not move. I think the master of this place is still alive!"
The old man clicked his tongue. "Now you're just being dishonest, kid! I saw the ancient golden script on the outside. That writing is at least ten thousand years old. You're telling me the person in this coffin is still alive after ten thousand years? If you want to keep all the Mingxi Grass for yourself, just say it!"
He then let out a cold snort and bent down to start gathering the Mingxi Grass. "It's true I only made it here alive thanks to you, kid, but you can't just hog everything! You can't even carry all this Mingxi Grass by yourself. I'll just take one share. A ninety-ten split! You take ninety percent, I'll take ten. That should be fine, right?"
Chen Dong's expression was grave. Without a word, he circulated the True Qi throughout his body. Suddenly, a figure made of pure True Qi emerged from him and expanded, enveloping him within it. An overwhelming, tyrannical aura flowed from the figure, whose features were a spitting image of Chen Dong's. It radiated an air of dominion over the world.
The old man, whose hand was already touching a stalk of Mingxi Grass, was left dumbfounded by this display. His jaw hung open. "Wh-what? You've already reached the Outer Appearance Realm?"
Seeing the Realm he had pursued his entire life manifested by a young man in his twenties was a devastating blow, shaking the old man to his very core.
He hastily changed his tune. "I don't need a share! I just need a few stalks! I beg you, Senior, please spare just a few stalks of Mingxi Grass for me. That would be more than enough!"
Chen Dong remained silent, maintaining his maximum defensive posture as he approached the coffin. The faint sound of a heartbeat reaching his ears put him under immense pressure. He was so afraid the person inside would suddenly erupt that he had unleashed his Outer Appearance—something he had never revealed to anyone—to ensure he could defend in time.
Seeing that Chen Dong's attention wasn't on the Mingxi Grass, the old man ventured tentatively, "Senior, you've already reached the Outer Appearance Realm, so Mingxi Grass is useless to you. Would it be all right to spare a few extra stalks for me?"
Chen Dong maintained his utmost concentration. He was now right beside the coffin and could clearly see the ancient golden script carved into its surface. He wasn't very familiar with this script and could only recognize a few of the characters.
'My Lord... not... buried at Fuyuan... Awaiting my Lord's rebirth!'
The long passage of ancient script was giving Chen Dong a headache. 'If only that old man from Celestial Essence Mountain were here,' he thought. 'He's familiar with this stuff.' He focused on memorizing the shapes of the remaining characters so he could find the old man to translate them later.
Just as Chen Dong was committing the script to memory, the old man of the Yang Family pulled up the first stalk of Mingxi Grass.
In that instant, a formidable power erupted from the heavens and the earth. The old man, whose injuries had just begun to mend, was slammed flat against the ground, coughing up another mouthful of blood!
Chen Dong hastily steadied himself, his face a mask of horror!
"What... happened to me?" a clear voice called out from inside the coffin.
Chen Dong was on high alert, as if facing a formidable foe!
The old man on the ground's eyes were wide with terror. 'It's... It's really alive!'
CRACK! With a soft sound, the coffin lid was pushed aside by a slender, pale arm. THUD! The lid fell to the ground.
Chen Dong finally saw the person in the coffin clearly: eyes as bright and clear as morning dew, a delicate, pale nose, and tender red lips. Her skin and neck were like flawless jade. A cascade of black hair rested behind her head, and she was clad in a flowing red dress.
Chen Dong and the person from the coffin stared at each other for a moment that felt like an eternity. Lost in the woman's hazy yet limpid eyes, Chen Dong unconsciously retracted his Outer Appearance.
Then, the person from the coffin placed her jade-like hands on her head and sat up, muttering to herself, "It should be... the time... it's not time... yet!" Her voice was faint and weak, yet utterly bewitching.
Even though the woman from the coffin looked peerlessly beautiful and fragile, Chen Dong was already considering retreat. With her every move, she exuded a terrifying worldly power that chilled him to the bone.