Chapter 539: Breaking The Coffin
Third Person’s POV
Its crystalline structure glowed brighter, and the pressure it exerted increased steadily until the black lightning began to falter under the overwhelming force and lost its stability before being gradually suppressed and finally extinguished completely.
With the resistance gone, the massive crystalline hand tightened its grip further, and with a sharp cracking sound, the coffin lid fractured under the pressure and was crushed apart into fragments that scattered across the island, marking the first successful breach of whatever had been sealed within.
But she did not relax even for a moment after achieving that, as she immediately acted again.
She raised her hand once more, causing three massive triangular ice walls to erupt from the surface of the pond, their sharp edges forming rapidly as they rose and enclosed the entire island from all sides, sealing it completely within a transparent prism-like structure that isolated it from the rest of the cavern.
The reason for such caution from her was clear, as she had read that Ice Corpse Kings were known to harbor an extremely potent cold corpse poison within their bodies.
It was a rare and dangerous poison formed from the fusion of the elements of rot and ice that could spread silently and uncontrollably, dissolving beings weaker than Sky Realm into a pile of black goo in seconds.
Most importantly, it was both colorless and odorless, making it nearly impossible to detect once released, which was why she had chosen to seal the area before proceeding any further.
For several moments after that, the island remained covered in drifting ice dust and faint mist as the remnants of the shattered lid settled slowly.
But despite the tension that filled the air, nothing happened as no movement came from within the coffin.
No surge of violent, evil energy followed, and no roar or reaction emerged from the being inside, which remained completely still as if it were truly nothing more than a lifeless corpse.
Outside the prism, the group of five stood in silence, their attention divided between the massive triangular structure enclosing the island and the eerie stillness that had followed.
And although no immediate danger presented itself, a lingering sense of unease settled within their hearts as the unnatural quietness only made the situation feel more ominous.
Meanwhile, after waiting for nearly a full minute without receiving any response, the blue-haired woman finally abandoned her cautious approach as her patience wore thin.
She moved again as her figure rose higher into the air before positioning herself directly above the coffin outside the triangular prism, her gaze lowering as she finally decided to look inside and confirm the truth with her own eyes.
And the moment she did, her entire expression broke as her eyes widened abruptly.
The composure she had maintained until now shattered instantly as raw shock surfaced on her face.
The impact of what she saw was so intense that her control faltered for a brief moment, causing her body to waver mid-air as her mana flow destabilized, nearly making her lose balance and fall into the freezing pond below.
Seeing the first real shock on her face, the group of five grew even more alert as a wave of unease spread among them.
Their expressions tightened instinctively as anxious thoughts surfaced one after another in their minds, because to them, the only reasonable conclusion was that whatever lay inside that coffin must be something so horrifying and beyond expectation that it had managed to shake even the composure of the blue-haired woman.
The armored aura master, in particular, felt his heart tighten as his experienced instincts immediately interpreted her reaction as a sign of imminent danger.
He believed that the sister of the Ice Emperor must have witnessed something far more threatening than anticipated, something that even she had not fully accounted for despite her earlier assumptions.
Without wasting even a moment, his grip tightened around his weapon as a determined expression formed on his face.
Bending his body slightly, he launched himself forward like a released arrow, cutting through the cold air with force as he flew directly toward her position with the intent to shoulder whatever danger had emerged and stand beside her in that critical moment.
However, just as he closed the distance, the blue-haired woman’s shock finally broke as her eyes regained their clarity.
She turned toward him with a visibly annoyed expression, her brows knitting slightly as she spoke in a firm and displeased tone,
"There is no danger here, so stop your charge right there..."
Her words came sharp and immediate and carried enough authority to halt him without resistance.
The armored aura master, who had already gathered a powerful momentum, was forced to stop himself abruptly in midair, his body twisting slightly as he barely avoided crashing into the inner wall of the massive ice prism.
His boots scraped faintly against the air as he stabilized himself with effort.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group let out quiet sighs of relief almost simultaneously upon hearing her words.
The tension in their bodies loosened slightly as the immediate threat they had imagined was dismissed.
Yet at the same time, their curiosity only deepened as their eyes repeatedly drifted toward the coffin, wondering what exactly had caused such a reaction from her.
Even so, none of them dared to move from their positions or step forward on their own accord, as the earlier display of her power and authority remained fresh in their minds, and the thought of drawing her displeasure kept them rooted firmly in place.
As for the blue-haired woman, she did not waste any further time as she snapped her fingers lightly.
In response, the massive triangular ice prism that had sealed the island began to dissolve rapidly, its solid structure breaking apart into a drifting fog of fine icy particles that spread and faded into the surrounding cold air and the pond within seconds.
With the barrier gone, she descended smoothly onto the island, her figure lowering with effortless control as she came to a halt just above the coffin.