Elder Gui realized that he had once again underestimated Ye Chen’s boldness.
"He must not be killed."
"Brother Gui, you say you don’t kill; it’s simple. You just beat him until he’s on his last breath, and I’ll finish him off."
Elder Gui: "Even though I’ve surpassed the Great Emperor, I’m not a true deity. My defenses and ability to trap opponents can pare to a deity, but my attacks are at most on par with an ordinary Great Emperor."
Ye Chen understood.
In other words, the Heaven-Burying Nine Coffin Envoy trapped within the shell is at least at the Great Emperor’s battle power. Elder Gui can contain and defend but can’t kill.
"Even if I could kill, without confidence in facing retaliation, I wouldn’t dare to," Elder Gui added, "Ye Chen, I’ll release the person inside for you to meet."
Ye Chen: ???
"What if he tries to kill me?"
Elder Gui: "He won’t kill you. He’s been sent to recruit you. As for you learning Aurora Sword Dao, even if he knows, it doesn’t matter. The existence on the Heaven-Burying Nine Coffins’ side isn’t concerned with Aurora Sword Dao; they feared only Bai Jiguang as a person."
Ye Chen nodded. It’s good to make contact with the Nine Coffins now.
Anyway, he still needed to leverage the Nine Coffins’ power to open the Celestial Dao Cage to rescue someone.
"Brother Gui, before releasing the person inside to meet me, I have one more question."
Elder Gui: "Speak."
Ye Chen: "Brother Gui, you are familiar with Bai Jiguang, so you surely know Yang Tianji, right?"
Elder Gui’s expression turned plicated, "Back then, Bai Jiguang was famous across the Celestial Burial Sea, acclaimed as the one most likely to reach the Great Emperor Realm of that era, possibly even bee a deity.
After he created the Aurora Sword Dao, he could rival the Great Emperor fractionally, yet he still lost twice.
Once was being hunted by the forces dispatched by the Heaven-Burying Nine Coffins and lost, dying in battle.
The other loss was to Yang Tianji.
However, Bai Jiguang and Yang Tianji weren’t adversaries but close friends.
Yang Tianji was low-key; few in the Celestial Burial Sea knew of him. How did you find out?"
Ye Chen: "I came across an old record. It noted that Yang Tianji went to reinforce during the Aurora Sword Emperor’s final battle, so I was curious and asked."
Elder Gui nodded, "Yang Tianji indeed went. Originally, there was a chance to take Bai Jiguang away, but something unexpected happened at the last moment."
"What unexpected thing?" Ye Chen asked immediately.
Elder Gui stared at Ye Chen, "It seems your inquiry into Yang Tianji isn’t just curiosity after all."
Ye Chen: "Brother Gui, to be honest, my teacher is named Yang Tianji, the same name as the one in the records, and looks exactly the same, though his cultivation isn’t as high. Moreover, every once in a while, my teacher’s body undergoes excruciating torment."
Upon hearing this, Elder Gui was shocked, "At the time, when the Heaven-Burying Coffin projection descended, both Yang Tianji and Bai Jiguang were annihilated—I witnessed it myself...
I understand now!
Blood regeneration, when Yang Tianji was struck by the Heaven-Burying Coffin projection, a strand of power must have escaped.
Your teacher lost his past memories, and every so often, experiences agonizing torment. It should be connected to the Heaven-Burying Coffin’s power, which continues to affect and torment him."
Ye Chen felt a tightness in his chest, "Brother Gui, what would happen if the Heaven-Burying Coffin’s power within my teacher isn’t resolved?"
Elder Gui: "In a mild case, it would remain as now—periodic suffering. Even if exhibiting high aptitude, his cultivation progresses slowly, hitting a ceiling at the Saint Realm.
In a severe case, upon reaching the Saint Realm, the remnants of the Heaven-Burying Coffin’s power would fully activate, escalating injuries, placing him in severe danger.
Back then, it was the Sixth Generation Coffin intervening; only someone within the Sixth Generation Coffin can resolve that power."
Ye Chen took a deep breath, "Which coffin did this envoy e from?"
"The Ninth Generation Coffin, the just-returned Heaven-Burying Coffin."
Ye Chen: "Brother Gui, I’m ready. Release him, and I’ll talk to him!"
"Boom!"
Elder Gui withdrew the power within the shell.
A gaunt man’s silhouette punched through the shell.
"Old Turtle, defying the Venerable Lord, you’ll meet a grim end!" the gaunt man shouted furiously, exuding murderous intent.
"You’re here for me, right?" Ye Chen called out, "I’m Ye Chen, the genius who recently acquired the Aurora Sword Dao legacy. I’ve heard your Venerable Lord wants to recruit me? I’m open, but some sincerity would be needed!"
No beating around the bush, he directly demanded benefits.
After all, there’s no avoiding the Heaven-Burying Coffin issue, better to turn passive into active.
The gaunt man stared at Ye Chen, "The Venerable Lord said you could make three requests."
Ye Chen: "Anything whatsoever?"
"That’s right!" the gaunt man said, "Keep this token. If the Venerable Lord seeks you, the token will sense it."
A black, wordless token covered with mysterious patterns flew to Ye Chen.
Then, the gaunt man’s figure vanished.
Ye Chen was a bit stunned.
Elder Gui was even more dumbfounded. The just-returned Ninth Coffin was so easy to talk to?
Ye Chen gathered himself, put away the token, "The being within the Ninth Coffin is quite the schemer."
"How so?" Elder Gui looked at Ye Chen.
Ye Chen said, "Agreeing to three requests, but not stating when to fulfill them—doesn’t help me even if I state them."
Elder Gui had a moment of realization, "Still, there’s a significant difference from the other eight coffins; the other eight are quite domineering."
Ye Chen: "Sending an envoy to meet with me without any real offer, seems more like a formality, perhaps to use me as bait."
Elder Gui found Ye Chen’s thoughts deep and couldn’t help but sigh, "Thinking this far means you’re a seasoned schemer yourself."
"I’m not; I’m upright and sincere, never dealing in cunning schemes," Ye Chen said, "I simply think of so much because life once introduced me to a crafty old man."
"That must be an interesting person," Elder Gui mented.
"Indeed he was interesting, but utterly foolish at times," Ye Chen sighed.
Such a shrewd old man made one silly move, storming the headquarters of the foreign race to kill their Nine Emperors at the cost of his life, thinking he was impressive?
He must have been out of his mind!
I hope he’s still alive.
If not, all the things I want to scold him for have nowhere to go.
...
At this moment.
In the location of the Nine Celestial Burial Coffins, inside the Ninth Coffin, a little old man’s figure sat idly in the darkness.
"The path has been laid, kid."
"The other eight coffin geezers will approach you soon. With your smarts, handling them should be easy, right?"
"Been here for some time now, fortunate that I’m still myself."
Regarding whether Ye Chen can handle the other eight coffins, he wasn’t worried at all.
With his covert support and collaboration, plus Ye Chen’s wit, fooling the other eight coffins should be a breeze.
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