Inside the coffin, naturally, lay the body of the Sea King God.
What Qin Chuan had previously captured was just a thought-form, while this was the actual, slumbering body of the Sea King God.
It was such a coincidence.
The thought-form of the Sea King God had perished under Qin Chuan's hand, causing the body to fall into a deep sleep.
Even if the world collapsed, it wouldn't wake up.
At this moment, these two individuals from the Phoenix Clan were as ruthless as they claimed—if they said they would strip the old man bare, they meant it.
However.
This was still the body of a God King. Even in a deep slumber, it instinctively emitted a terrifying pressure and energy field.
Ordinary people couldn't get near!
But these two weren't ordinary people. Coming from an incredibly ancient and powerful force, they had astounding methods.
Buzz!
A faint yellow glow appeared around their bodies, enveloping them like a water bubble. It allowed them to completely ignore the pressure of the God King as they approached the Sea King God's body.
"Storage ring, take it."
"Clothes, take them."
"Hairpin, take it."
"Pants, also take them."
"These shoes aren't bad either, take them."
"Hmm, these undergarments seem to be made of Purple Gold Divine Silkworm silk..."
The two plundered the Sea King God's body like scavengers. If shearing sheep were this brutal, the flock wouldn't survive the winter.
Before long.
The Sea King God was reduced to his most primitive state.
But even then, the two were not satisfied. They rubbed their chins, deep in thought.
"Given this old man's strength, there's no way he only had this much. Most of his wealth must be hidden in his inner world," the fat one mused, squinting.
They examined the hairpin and the storage ring, which contained a wealth of treasures and resources, enough to form a small mountain.
But given their understanding of a God King's standing, this amount clearly wasn't reflective of the full extent of his riches.
The old man was definitely hiding something!
The skinny one thought for a while, frowning. "If it's really in his inner world, that's a problem. Opening someone else's inner world is incredibly difficult. Other than that madman Qin Wushuang, I've never heard of anyone else with the ability to do that."
"Right, it's not really a skill. It's more like a gift. That particular technique of his? Others could never hope to learn it."
"It's like how some people are born shameless; others may try to imitate, but they'll never quite capture the essence."
The fat one sighed, "Looks like there's nothing we can do. Let's call it quits for now."
Soon, they resealed the coffin, tidied up the area, and hurried away.
It wasn't that they didn't want to kill the old man to eliminate the threat, but they didn't dare. A slumbering powerhouse of this level, when facing the threat of death, might experience a final burst of power in what's known as the "last radiance."
The death throes of a God King would be terrifying. Not just anyone below the level of a God King, even another God King might suffer severe injuries from the backlash.
And so.
These two individuals set off to plunder other treasures elsewhere, leaving only a stark-naked and imposing old man lying in the desolate ruins.
...
Time passed, and three years flew by.
Over the past three years, the Nine Skies World had transformed rapidly. More and more ancient powerhouses were awakening, and even Heavenly Gods were no longer a rare sight.
Heavenly Gods walked the earth.
True Gods were as common as dogs.
Across many sacred mountains and great rivers, numerous ancient sects were collectively reviving, carving out their own territories with incredible influence.
Some sects no longer even acknowledged Qin Chuan. In their eyes, Qin Chuan was just a fortunate rogue cultivator, while they were the ones with true heritage, seated far above him.
Based on their calculations, Qin Chuan's strength was, at most, equivalent to a seventh-tier Heavenly God. Meanwhile, they had eighth-tier and even ninth-tier Heavenly Gods sitting in command, so naturally, they didn't take Qin Chuan seriously.
Of course, disdain was one thing.
Without any grudges, they had no reason to pick a fight with Qin Chuan. Peace reigned between them.
Qin Chuan, too, wasn't going out of his way to flaunt his power. In fact, he kept a low profile in most people's eyes. After all, keeping his true strength hidden allowed his son, Qin Zi, to gain the challenges and experiences he needed.
Boom, boom, boom!
On this day, the earth of the Nine Skies World split open, and an ancient mountain rose from the ground, piercing through the heavens.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The mountain was seamless, covered with endless runes. Sun, moon, and stars revolved around it, casting radiant light upon the world.
The immense power it exuded was terrifying.
The sun and moon seemed to rise from within it, and the Milky Way gleamed as if it flowed from its depths!
It felt as though it was the source of everything, the center of all realms, representing the legitimacy of Xuanhuang Heaven, the origin of all ancient and sacred mysteries.
"Is that… Xuanhuang Mountain?!"
"The ancestral land of Xuanhuang, the place of worship!"
"Xuanhuang Mountain has awakened! Xuanhuang Heaven is about to fully revive! A new era is about to begin, hahaha!"
Countless ancient powerhouses were ecstatic.
Ever since the collapse of the heavens, Xuanhuang Heaven had fallen into decline. Even with its recent revival, it was nothing more than ruins, its glory long gone.
However.
As long as Xuanhuang Mountain had reawakened, Xuanhuang Heaven would still be Xuanhuang Heaven, for this was its foundation!
Legend had it that all of Xuanhuang Heaven's splendor stemmed from this mountain, which contained infinite mysteries and connected to unimaginable ancient realms.
No matter how many times Xuanhuang Heaven fell into decline, as long as Xuanhuang Mountain remained, it would rise again. This was the true foundation of its immortality!
"The heavens suffer calamity, epochs pass, the old lord is no more, and a new one must rise. All living beings may contend for it."
An ancient voice echoed from within Xuanhuang Mountain. It was composed of countless tones, encompassing male, female, young, old, even the calls of birds and beasts, yet devoid of any emotion.
Cold, impartial, authoritative.
Like the voice of the heavens itself.
As the voice reverberated, the heavens and earth were filled with an unusual phenomenon, as if countless petals were falling from the sky, drifting like a vast snowfall.
"The old lord is gone, a new one to rise?"
"What does it mean? Does it mean… Xuanhuang Mountain is reopening the contest for the Mandate of Heaven, choosing a new lord for Xuanhuang Heaven?!"
"The lord of the heavens, the ruler of the firmament!"
"All living beings can contend? So, everyone has a chance? This… this… such an opportunity, who else but me?!"
"The ruler of the heavens, it must be me! I am the one destined for this! It must be me!!"
The entire Nine Skies World erupted into madness.
Many powerhouses were so overwhelmed with excitement that they lost control of their minds, descending into madness. Some even exploded on the spot.
The ruler of Xuanhuang Heaven.
That represented supreme authority, unmatched luck, and immense power. Once chosen as the ruler of Xuanhuang Heaven, one would be blessed with its heavenly fortune, destined to become an unparalleled powerhouse. There would be no exceptions!
"Go, to Xuanhuang Mountain!"
"Darling, I'm going to Xuanhuang Mountain. This medicine… you drink it yourself."
"Wife, if you don't feed me, I won't drink it."
"If you don't want to drink it, then don't! I'm going to Xuanhuang Mountain; I don't have time for this!"
"Wife, if you treat me like this, when my brother returns..."
"I'm going to Xuanhuang Mountain. I don't care about your brother or anyone else! No one can stop me!"
"You treacherous woman! Today, I— Wait, what? Xuanhuang Mountain? Help me up. I'm going too!!"
Scenes like this unfolded in every corner of the Nine Skies World. Any creature with intelligence, regardless of strength, was instinctively drawn toward Xuanhuang Mountain.
Even ants strive to survive.
Now, all living beings would contend for the Mandate of Heaven!