Chapter 002 - Ancient Bronze Coffin!

“Is this the Creator Immortal?” Yun Xiao found himself gasping, his spirit dragged into the confines of the coffin. Surrounding him was an inky, eerie fog, reminiscent of the underworld.

"Good god! It's freaking massive!" He exclaimed, unable to contain his surprise. Before him lay a colossal human-like corpse, its enormity almost beyond comprehension. The corpse's eyes were as deep as the underworld itself, its mouth gaping like the River of Oblivion. Its hair snaked around like ancient dragons, and its body resembled a range of towering mountains.

"What divine being rests here?" But before Yun Xiao could fathom an answer, a magnetic force emanated from the body, dragging his spirit inside. A deep hum resonated, and for a split moment, he felt alive again.

"I've been resurrected using this corpse!" Opening his eyes, Yun Xiao felt as though the world had shrunk beneath this vast immortal body. But then realization struck him.

"It's... it's just skin!" He stammered, utterly baffled. Inside, he found no bones, no blood, no organs—just an empty void. The only thing filling the colossal skin was a thick, demonic fog, swirling with ancient, grotesque insects, venomous snakes, and ghostly apparitions. They roamed freely, biting and shrieking in eerie harmony, sending chills down Yun Xiao's spine.

"Did these pests consume this Immortal's body, leaving only the skin?" Yun Xiao wondered. "Damn! What's the point of a resurrection like this?" As if responding to his thoughts, the skin of the Immortal trembled, and shimmering runes arose, covering the surface like a legion of celestial soldiers charging across a battlefield.

Amidst the blur, Yun Xiao heard timeless cries. "Creator Immortal, the tyrant! The Six Ancestral Gods sacrificed the three thousand immortal realms and ignited the blood of countless beings to imprison him in Kunlun's Inferno!"

While more shouts followed, Yun Xiao's ears rang so intensely that he could hardly make them out. Still, he could sense a deep-rooted anger, one that originated from the depths of the Immortal. "I bear the coffin, gave life to Heaven and Earth, created the Six Paths, and birthed mankind! But on the day of my grand achievement, these vermin dare devour me?"

Lastly, a cold, disdainful laughter echoed, "The day the Divine Pillar vanishes will be the day of the Creator Immortal’s revival! You lowly beings of the Six Realms, doom awaits you." As the voice faded, the Immortal's skin erupted in blinding luminescence, illuminating the entire bronze coffin.

"My body... it's shrinking!" Yun Xiao murmured, sensing the giant skin collapsing and retracting around him. Blinding radiance filled his vision! From the endless form of the Immortal, a sphere of light no more than eight feet in diameter solidified, and a hum echoed through the void.

From within this luminescence, a new body emerged, strikingly similar to Yun Xiao's previous form. His skin was smooth and jade-like, facial features sharp and pronounced, eyes reminiscent of a bright moon, and hair cascading like a waterfall. He was unmistakably more handsome than before.

"Hahaha! I live again! Yun Xiao is back!" The vast expanse of the Immortal's skin had condensed into flesh, bone, blood, and organs. It was small, yet complete. Glancing at his pristine hands and feet, the slender fingers, the white complexion... he suddenly panicked, quickly reaching down to check.

"Oh good, I'm still a man down there! And more so than before," Yun Xiao sighed in relief, beginning to acquaint himself with his renewed form. "My Dantian... The energy, it's gone?" He had perfected his martial arts in his old body. This new body, though, felt like a flawless, uncut gem. "I might have to start training from scratch, but at least I'm alive..."

Suddenly, an overwhelming aura of terror washed over Yun Xiao. "What is that?" His eyes widened in horror. Ten colossal objects stood side by side, as far as his eyes could see. "Coffins within the coffin?" Sure enough, these imposing ancient structures were ten nested coffins. Each one, vast like a landscape, bore distinct colors. The closest to Yun Xiao was a pale one with two profound characters etched on it.

—Bury the Heavens!

These characters seemed to be written in blue blood, each stroke representing a vast river for Yun Xiao.

A deafening roar followed. Then, the next moment, the pale coffin with 'Bury the Heavens' inscribed on it trembled and exploded right before his eyes, obliterating everything. A tidal wave of blue light swallowed Yun Xiao in an instant. Once the coffin disintegrated, a cerulean coloured lotus flower bloomed from its remnants, staining his vision.

"Such a massive flower," Yun Xiao whispered, heart pounding in his chest. With a resonant hum, the lotus ascended, and Yun Xiao felt his spirit being pulled along with it, rushing out of the ancient bronze coffin and soaring over endless lands. Suddenly, clarity greeted his eyes.

In a momentary daze, Yun Xiao felt he stood before the monolithic gravestone that supported the continent he lived in. Surrounded by an ethereal mist, it seemed to hold up the heavens and pin down the earth. Before his eyes, the cerulean lotus crashed into the gravestone, painting it in the same otherworldly blue. The lotus and the gravestone became one, transforming into a colossal azure sword that reached out to the heavens and anchored the underworld.

A hum resonated. Suddenly, Yun Xiao found himself back in his body, disoriented and dizzy. Looking down, a brilliant blue light enveloped him. This pristine body seemed to undergo a mysterious transformation.

"What is this..." From his outstretched palm, a cerulean blade of light, about three inches long, materialized. "I have a Sword Soul!" On closer inspection, he saw a tiny cerulean lotus bud encapsulated within this Sword Soul.

"Could the blue lotus from that smaller coffin and the massive gravestone outside be connected to this Sword Soul?" His mind blanked, trying to piece together the unimaginable events. He pondered on the remaining nine coffins inside the primordial bronze sarcophagus. "What mysteries lie within them?"

The mere presence of the second, a majestic purple coffin exuding an ancient chilling aura, incited a primordial dread within him. It bore the name 'Prison Warden'.

Rumbles echoed. And as Yun Xiao's gaze lingered on it, the coffin seemed to react, vibrating with a resonance that evoked the image of a monstrous ancient beast, its attention unwaveringly fixed on him.

"What? Are you going to be my Sword Soul too?" With all the peculiarities he'd witnessed today, Yun Xiao's fear had seemingly faded.

Humming resonated. The purple coffin seemed to understand his words and was visibly displeased.

BOOM!

Suddenly, it lunged at him. Given its enormity, it was akin to ten thousand mountains colliding with a mosquito.

"Ugh, damn..." Yun Xiao, upon impact, felt the world spinning and lost consciousness. His last thought before the darkness consumed him was contemplation. "Did I really reincarnate through the body of the Immortal, or is all of this just an absurd dream conjured at the moment of my soul's dispersion?"

In this dreamlike state, Yun Xiao saw a world formed of graves, an ancient bronze coffin, the Creator Immortal, a cerulean lotus, a titanic gravestone, and ten mysterious smaller coffins... Whispering echoes surrounded him. Time felt irrelevant.

Suddenly, Yun Xiao awakened! In the pitch-black darkness, his gaze was arrested by a sky freckled with countless twinkling stars. "Could this be... the realm of the Cloud Nation? Near the Imperial Capital?"

Indeed, the grandeur of the Imperial Capital of Cloud Nation loomed close by.

"By all that's good and mighty... I've truly been reborn." Peering into a nearby reflective pond, Yun Xiao was met with the image of his renewed self. "My talent in cultivation too... It's increased by more than tenfold!"

Yun Xiao marveled, "And just the strength of my flesh and bone rivals the might I possessed at the peak of my martial prowess." He gave a sturdy tree, more than a foot in diameter, a solid punch, and lo and behold, it toppled. "But the true marvel... I now possess a Sword Soul."

With a focus of intent, a luminous blue Sword Soul materialized from his fingertips. "Jiang Yue's Ice Moon Sword Soul is at the Comet grade. So, what grade would mine be?"

A sudden realization struck Yun Xiao, and his gaze darted to the north. "The Divine Pillar... It vanished?"

In the heart of the Divine Continent, the vast land where Yun Xiao grew up, stood a majestic pillar that was fabled to connect to endless celestial realms above and the netherworld below. A foundation of countless worldly realms, this pillar had remained an enigma since time immemorial. Despite many brave souls seeking its pinnacle, none returned.

This colossal pillar, visible from every corner of the land due to its sheer size, had now disappeared. Yun Xiao had barely roused from his slumber when he heard alarmed cries echoing from the Imperial Capital.

"It seems everyone is abuzz about the missing pillar! That monumental pillar... It must've been the very gravestone I witnessed!" Yun Xiao mused. "So, the blue lotus from the smaller coffin and the Divine Pillar... did the two truly form my Sword Soul?"

The thought shook Yun Xiao to his core. "It couldn’t be. The power of such a Sword Soul would be immense, wouldn’t it?" For the time being, he didn’t perceive the exaggerated might of his Sword Soul. It looked fairly commonplace. After all, the potency of a Sword Soul largely depended on one’s intrinsic energy.

Yun Xiao's Dantian felt utterly empty. And he remembered within the Sword Soul, the blue lotus was but a budding flower in its nascent state. "Since you came from the Bury the Heavens coffin, I'll call you the

Heaven Burial Sword Soul

!"

He stood still, a deep determination glinting in his eyes. With the Sword Soul, he could continue his journey of cultivation. "But who brought me back to the Cloud Nation?"

A sensation drew Yun Xiao's gaze downward, where he found a small, black bronze brick. He picked it up and examined it closely, trying to discern its significance.

"Well, ain't this something! The ancient bronze coffin's gone and shrunk to the size of a trinket?" Yun Xiao mused. "If this here's the outer layer, does that mean the nine coffins inside are even tinier? I bet my return to the Cloud Nation has something to do with this tiny artifact.

"And to think that with this coffin gone, the whole Divine Continent didn't crumble to dust... What a mystery, that is." Not one to dawdle, Yun Xiao stashed the bronze brick in his pocket, thinking, "This brick's got some heft. Makes a fine weapon, I'd wager." He failed to notice the two ghostly eyes on the lid of the coffin, which seemed to flicker ever so briefly.

"Phew!" After a long, contemplative stare into the night, peace finally found a home in Yun Xiao's heart. But peace was soon replaced by memories of bitter betrayal. "Ye Guying, Jiang Yue... mark my words. I've come back to settle the score," His eyes grew frosty as he gazed at the palace. "So, you two skedaddled back to the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, leaving the Jiang Family to rob me of my nation?"

That night, atop the city walls, Yun Xiao watched the imperial palace aglow with lights and merriment. After producing an Immortal and seizing the throne, the Jiang Family were clearly over the moon.

"Celebrating the birth of their own Jiang Nation, while the blood of countless innocents still stains the land," Yun Xiao's eyes blazed with the fire of vengeance deep-rooted in his lineage. "Jiang Shang, you've gone from being an advisor to the emperor to sitting on the throne. Comfortable, are you?"

Gripping his Sword Soul, Yun Xiao stormed the imperial palace. Inside, the entire Jiang Family was reveling in their newfound power. Thirty three people in total, all chatting and feasting.

“News about the pillar disappearing got folks talkin', ain't it?"

"Hahaha! Let them talk! Got nothing to do with us! We're royalty now!"

"Still, it sounds like an omen. Good or bad, I'm not sure..."

....

Evidently, the disappearance of the Divine Pillar was also the main topic of discussion.

Amidst rounds of spirits, a rosy-cheeked Jiang Shang, clad in royal garb, declared, "From today, our reign is unchallenged. With my daughter ascending to the heavens, all neighboring realms will bow down. We can expand our territory!"

"Aye, what the Yun Dynasty couldn't achieve, we'll accomplish! Our names will be sung for generations," Jiang Yue's uncle added.

"Amusing, ain't it? The previous emperor wed just once, had but a single son, and then they up and left this world, leaving only Yun Xiao. That's practically inviting extinction," Jiang Shang slapped his thigh and laughed.

"All hail the Emperor!" The crowd roared in laughter.

BOOM!

The mirth was abruptly interrupted by a figure in white, who leapt over the courtyard wall.

"Who goes there!?" The laughter of the Jiang family came to a chilling halt.

"Guards!" Jiang Yang, brother to Jiang Yue, abruptly rose, unsheathing his sword.

"Assassin!" Chaos erupted within the courtyard.

Yet, the company of Jiang Shang remained composed, their faces unchanged, still laughing.

"Which of the Yun's old guard is this?"

"Who'd be foolish enough to come at a time like this?" "Guess we let a few bugs get away?"

...

As their jests flowed, Yun Xiao was already before them. The courtyard guards, though, were nowhere in sight. Only then did they sense something amiss. The guards outside had fallen. However, they didn't panic. After all, the Jiang Family held a proud lineage of martial artists. Jiang Shang himself ranked second in Yun Nation, surpassed only by Yun Xiao.

"Jiang Yang! Seize the traitor!" Jiang Shang commanded, his face cold.

"Let's not kill him outright. Learn of his identity, then execute his entire family!" Jiang Yue's mother said coldly. It was a move meant to strike fear into the heart of the nation.

"Yes!" Jiang Yang sneered at the intruder. "Isn't life good? Why seek death? I'll grant you three moves..." Before he could finish, a blur of white was upon him. Yun Xiao made his move. With a swift blow, much like lightning, he struck Jiang Yang's ribs.

CRUNCH!

Jiang Yang's ribcage caved in, piercing his organs.

"Ah!" His eyes bulged, blood spewing from his lips, collapsing at Yun Xiao's feet. "You ambushed me! How despicable..." His life ended there, at the pinnacle of his success, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Yun Xiao barely glanced at him before seizing his long sword. "Who's next to join him in death?" His eyes swept across the Jiang Family. A chilling laugh from him made everyone present stand in fear.

"My son!" The newly risen crown prince was gone in a flash. Jiang Shang and his wife's eyes blazed with fury. A celebratory banquet turned bloodbath.

"Kill him!" In a fit of rage, Jiang Shang smashed his wine cup onto the floor.

The Jiang Family always revered martial arts. Everyone, men and women, drew their weapons, surrounding Yun Xiao. Some readied to strike, while others shouted for the imperial guards.

"A family of thirty-three? How quaint." Yun Xiao sneered, plunging into the crowd. His sword danced, a white phantom of death. Blood sprayed the air. His blade spared none. Even Jiang Huai, once the great general of Yun Nation, bore a hole in his throat. With their renowned general felled by a single blade, panic ensued, and it was only then true fear settled in.

"Retreat!" With widened eyes, Jiang Shang challenged Yun Xiao, "Who are you? Don't you know my daughter, Jiang Yue? She's an Immortal from the Azure Spirit Sword Sect! If she learns of this, you're dead ten times over!"

"I know. I came for her family."