The aura emanating from this stone coffin gave Nie Li a somewhat familiar feeling, though he couldn't say why.
Ripples of energy spread in all directions; likely remnants of a powerful soul force that linger on.
Soul force is a timeless power, even after a thousand years, it can cling to an object and never disperse.
This stone coffin was pieced together from slabs of stone, with no sign of ever being opened.
It seemed that even the powerful figures of Ancient Orchid City were unable to open it.
Nie Li felt his Soul Realm churning and surging.
Deep within, the sound of dragon roars grew clearer.
He stepped forward to the stone coffin, placing his right hand on the lid while thoughts raced through his mind as he examined the mysterious runes on the surface.
Suddenly, beams of light shot into the sky.
Streams of white light flowed over the stone coffin.
With a loud bang, a powerful beam struck Nie Li.
“Ah!” Nie Li felt as though every bone in his body was about to shatter.
The excruciating pain was unbearable, even for someone with Nie Li's determination.
The beams felt like countless thin needles piercing deeply into Nie Li's body.
It seemed as if his Soul Realm was about to explode.
From a distance, Ye Ziyun was watching Nie Li closely.
Seeing him in such agony, she became anxious.
What was happening?
Why was Nie Li suffering like this?
Ye Ziyun rushed toward Nie Li, but as she got within five or six meters, a force knocked her back.
She couldn’t get close to the stone coffin! But why could Nie Li?
Ye Ziyun was struck by a few beams of white light, wounding several spots on her body, her blood flowing freely.
Despite the pain, she drew a Silver-grade sword from her Spatial Ring and swung it at the barrier around the stone coffin.
Boom!
She was repelled once more.
This force was beyond her capability to contend with.
Even the stray white light severely injured her.
Meanwhile, Nie Li was enveloped in it; how much worse was it for him? After being thrown back twice by the barrier’s power, Ye Ziyun’s Soul Realm trembled, and her internal organs were heavily damaged as her vision darkened.
Nie Li, nothing must happen to you! was Ye Ziyun’s last thought before she fainted.
At this moment, Nie Li, engulfed in the white light, was steaming.
The intense pain caused beads of sweat to seep from his skin and evaporate into steam upon contact with the light.
“Thirsty!” Nie Li felt as though he was being dried up.
He struggled desperately, knowing that if he relaxed even slightly, he would be blown to bits by the white light.
Boom boom boom!
Nie Li’s Soul Realm kept trembling and cracking but also continuously repairing and healing.
It gradually formed a vortex, like a great whale, swallowing all the white light.
With just a thread of consciousness remaining, Nie Li clung tightly to his Soul Realm.
Even he began to wonder what mysterious thing lay hidden in his Soul Realm.
Who cares? Since it can absorb the white light, let it!
With the last ounce of strength, Nie Li frantically urged his Soul Realm to absorb all the white light.
Boom boom boom!
White light surged into Nie Li’s Soul Realm, but instead of stirring up any ripples, it vanished completely.
Nie Li felt that although the white light vanished, his Soul Realm was stretched outward, swelling with powerful soul force.
The raging soul force fed back into his muscles, making them firmer and quickly expelling impurities through sweat.
It was as though his body had gone through a cleansing.
Roar!
Nie Li let out a wild roar.
Although this strength was still far from his past life, the sensation of power growing was satisfying nonetheless.
Opening his eyes, everything before him became clearer.
Nie Li quickly drew out several bottles of water from his Spatial Ring, gulping them down.
His previously parched skin magically regained moisture, and he looked even more handsome than before.
Looking ahead, the stone coffin continued to disassemble, and its lid slowly opened.
Nie Li expected to see a decayed corpse since it seemed the coffin had never been opened.
However, unexpectedly, the coffin was empty!
How could this be?
Nie Li thought he must have been mistaken, but the coffin was indeed void—without a trace of a body or any sign that one had ever been there.
The base of the coffin was smooth, without a single residue.
If the body had decayed completely, there would still be bones left behind.
Yet, on the base of the coffin lay two objects.
One was a fragmented page, and the other, a gemstone necklace.
The fragmented page, of unknown material, thin as a cicada’s wing and somewhat transparent, was inscribed with a dense array of indecipherable characters.
Anyone else wouldn't recognize the significance of this page, but Nie Li was thunderstruck, as if struck by lightning, his gaze frozen.
In his previous life, he was painfully familiar with this thing.
This was a fragmented page from the Temporal Demon Spirit Book!
Nie Li would never forget that his past life’s power came from the Temporal Demon Spirit Book.
Also, he spent hundreds of years in the book's realm, acquiring vast knowledge, and because of that final battle with the Saint Emperor, when his blood soaked the book, he was reborn.
The mysterious presence within Nie Li’s Soul Realm was likely related to the Temporal Demon Spirit Book!
However, in his previous life, the Temporal Demon Spirit Book was incomplete.
Eight pages from the back of the book had been torn out, and Nie Li had never seen the complete version.
Due to the book’s complicated script, Nie Li never managed to understand it.
Trying to memorize the glyphs would only lead to forgetting them hours later.
Previously, Nie Li sought the remaining pages throughout the world but to no avail.
He never imagined he'd find a page here in this lifetime.
Sadly, the full Temporal Demon Spirit Book wasn't in his possession yet.
Like before, he would need to go to the Endless Desert, reach the Desert Divine Palace, to obtain the book!
Would this additional page alter the Temporal Demon Spirit Book in some way?
Nie Li carefully tucked the fragmented page inside his clothing against his skin.
Sensing its presence, his Soul Realm swirled and, as in the past, the page’s essence nourished his soul force.
His gaze fell upon the gemstone necklace. “It’s actually a deep gem. How rare!” Even someone like Ye Mo, a legendary powerhouse, probably had never seen a deep gem, a World Legacy Treasure!
Yet, even though the deep gem was precious, next to the Temporal Demon Spirit Book, it was ordinary.
“A deep gem necklace would be a great gift for Ziyun!” Nie Li thought with a smile.
His bond with Ye Ziyun was profound enough that he wouldn’t hesitate to give her the page if it'd help, though it wouldn’t benefit her at all.
The necklace, however, would significantly aid in her cultivation, speeding her progress by at least three times.
Why the fragmented page of the Temporal Demon Spirit Book appeared here puzzled Nie Li greatly.
With the coffin empty, that meant the Sky Emperor wasn't here.
But where had he gone?
This was indeed a riddle wrapped in mystery.
Nie Li picked up both items, turned around, and saw Ye Ziyun lying unconscious on the ground.
“What happened to Ziyun?” Nie Li’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly rushed to her side.
Kneeling beside her, he noticed several burn marks and deep wounds on her chest, arm, and thigh.
Putting his hand on her wrist, he infused his soul force into her.
Knowing she was okay, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing her gravely injured and unconscious stirred a sense of emotion within Nie Li.
Surely, she had tried to save him after hearing his cries, only to get hurt by the barrier as she was unable to approach the coffin.
Those burns were likely from the white light.
Looking at Ye Ziyun’s condition, Nie Li felt a wave of tenderness.
He carefully placed the deep gem necklace around her neck.
The deep gem emitted a gentle deep blue glow, and as it touched her wounds, they started to heal.
“Too much blood lost. I need to close these big wounds quickly!” Nie Li thought silently, looking at Ye Ziyun’s delicate face.
He hesitated but knew he had to act; being misunderstood was better than leaving her wounds untreated.
Kneeling next to her, Nie Li gently loosened her clothing.
Her smooth shoulder and slender arm were exposed.
Helping the delicate girl with her injuries took priority over reservations.
The girl’s youthful figure seemed less voluptuous than his memories, yet it had a delicate charm all its own.
Turning his gaze away, Nie Li focused on treating her wounds.
From his Spatial Ring, he retrieved a bottle of healing ointment and carefully applied it to the wounds.
The wounds stopped bleeding as the ointment took effect.
~~ New book seeking your support!!!
(End of Chapter)