C77 A Universe Was Buried

The coffin suspended midair was a sight to behold, stretching over three thousand miles in length and spanning more than a thousand miles in width.

It was an awe-inspiring spectacle, especially considering that the coffin hovered two thousand meters above the ground.

Had it been a mere hundred meters, or even two to three hundred meters, Chu Yi and Lee Zi could have leaped up to reach it.

But now...

"How are we going to get up there?"

Chu Yi remained silent, simply standing beneath the coffin, gazing up at it in quiet contemplation.

Suddenly, a majestic aura began to emanate, and Lee Zi discovered, to her slight astonishment, that she could fly.

The surprise was fleeting, as she quickly grew accustomed to the phenomenon.

She recognized this as Chu Yi's doing.

Having witnessed his capabilities before, Lee Zi was no longer surprised by such displays.

It was a simple flying spell.

Of course, Chu Yi exercised caution in its use, as the Soaring Spell was a High Order immortal art. Without his ascension to Silver status and the consequent increase in his Primordial Spirit's power, such a feat would have been beyond his reach.

Even now, their ascent was shaky and slow.

Nevertheless, it sufficed for their purpose.

Before long, Chu Yi and Lee Zi rose higher and higher until they finally reached the top of the coffin.

The coffin's thickness alone was over a hundred meters, ample space for a football field, but what truly captivated Chu Yi was the material from which the coffin was made.

"How can this be possible?"

A twitch of disbelief crossed Chu Yi's lips as his eyes were filled with profound astonishment.

"Chu Yi, what's the matter?"

He did not respond, instead staring intently at the material beneath his feet.

It was no ordinary material.

Chu Yi sensed an overwhelming density.

No, it wasn't merely dense; it was the very essence of density!

The coffin was made entirely of the Great Dao!

He could feel the essence of countless Great Daos within it.

Here lay a material that had been directly hewn from the body of the Great Dao itself, then forcibly condensed into this form.

But, could such a thing truly exist?

Chu Yi was engulfed in bewilderment.

To think that the essence of the Great Dao could be condensed into a tangible material was something of legends, even in the Immortal Demon World.

What is a legend?

A legend is something that remains unrealized by anyone!

In other words, even within the Immortal Demon World, it was nonexistent, merely a figment of the imagination of some of the most powerful Immortal Demon Elders.

Yet now, in this very world that Chu Yi had once dismissed, it had somehow come into being...

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Chu Yi's face took on a grave expression as he led Lee Zi toward the slightly ajar corner of the coffin.

They quickly reached the edge of the opening, and Lee Zi looked uneasily at the dark expanse within the coffin.

"Chu Yi, maybe we should just leave it be..."

"Cultivating here is quite beneficial."

Even at the edge, the nearly tangible spiritual energy that surged forth was palpable.

The energy was so concentrated that even Lee Zi, who normally couldn't detect spiritual energy, was astounded by its intensity.

In such an environment, active cultivation was unnecessary; one's cultivation level would naturally soar.

This was spiritual energy, the most fundamental and enigmatic substance across countless worlds.

Whether for cultivating the physical body or the primordial spirit, whether one was injured or gravely ill, none of it mattered in the presence of sufficient spiritual energy.

Such was the wondrous and inexplicable nature of spiritual energy.

If Lee Zi could sense it, it was certain that Chu Yi could as well.

Though the concentration of spiritual energy here didn't quite match that of the Immortal Demon Temple, Chu Yi was well aware that even the most spiritually abundant locations in the Immortal Demon World couldn't hold a candle to this place.

At the moment, he was merely atop the coffin, not yet inside.

It was mind-boggling to consider the sheer intensity of the spiritual energy within!

But now, Chu Yi found himself hesitating.

His primary reliance was on his primordial spirit, which currently allowed him to perceive everything within a four-hundred-meter radius.

However, as Chu Yi extended his primordial spirit into the coffin, he was startled to find that he could neither see nor sense anything.

This was an unprecedented experience for Chu Yi.

Lee Zi, standing beside him, fell silent after speaking, the once assertive Lee Zi seemingly vanished.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, Lee Zi remained formidable, but in Chu Yi's presence, she was content to follow his lead.

"Why don't you stay here and cultivate while I go down for a quick look and then come back up?"

Ultimately, Chu Yi couldn't resist. It wasn't the allure of the spiritual energy or the chance for fortune that drew him, but a genuine curiosity about what lay buried in the deepest part of the coffin.

After all, it could be an entity on par with the Forbidden Immortal Demons!

Lee Zi remained silent, her grip tightening on Chu Yi's arm.

Her stance was clear without words.

Chu Yi gazed at Lee Zi with utmost seriousness.

In her eyes, he saw no trace of regret.

At last, he smiled.

"Alright, let's uncover the earth-shattering secret hidden here!"

The next moment, Chu Yi took Lee Zi's hand and they leaped into the depths of the coffin...

...

Chu Yi had imagined the inside of the coffin to be shrouded in darkness.

Yet, when he and Lee Zi actually arrived, they found they were mistaken!

Though not brightly lit, their surroundings were clear enough to see.

But now, Chu Yi's attention had shifted from such details.

He stood, transfixed.

Lee Zi was equally stunned.

They gazed at the interior of the coffin, their breath nearly escaping them.

If someone claimed this place was a galaxy, Chu Yi and Lee Zi would readily believe it.

For what they saw before them was indeed a galaxy, an endless and traceless cosmic expanse!

The only difference was that the stars within this galaxy were all fragmented, decayed, and seemed to emanate an aura of death.

Countless ashen stars hung suspended in the galaxy, as if they had been this way since time immemorial.

Even though this scene surpassed Chu Yi's wildest dreams, the pervasive theme of death was something he had anticipated.

"What is this place...?"

Lee Zi stared in awe at the surroundings.

She had ventured into secret realms before and had even trained within them.

But this so-called 'secret realm' exceeded even Lee Zi's wildest dreams.

"Are these just illusions?"

Lee Zi turned to Chu Yi, her voice a whisper.

Chu Yi surveyed the area and let out a deep sigh.

"No, this is no illusion. Everything here is real."

Indeed, Chu Yi was certain of the reality around them.

These stars were truly stars, and the countless galaxies stretching into infinity were undeniably real.

"But, but..."

But what?

Lee Zi's cheeks were flushed with color.

"Do you feel that a secret realm should just be a secret realm? That even in a terrifying one, such a sight shouldn't exist?"

"It shouldn't contain within this tiny secret realm—"

Chu Yi gazed into the distance.

"A universe..."

A universe...

Indeed, it seemed just like a universe.

Who would have imagined that a universe lay buried within this coffin?

Lee Zi was utterly bewildered.

Even Chu Yi, who had witnessed so much in the Immortal Demon World, found himself at a loss.

All his questions had been answered upon witnessing this.

Though Chu Yi had never left the Immortal Demon Temple, he was acutely aware that his primordial spirit towered above all else.

Inside the Immortal Demon Temple, only five thousand years had elapsed, but outside, five thousand eras had passed!

Throughout those eras, how many unparalleled and majestic beings had emerged from the Immortal Demon World? How many supreme authorities capable of altering the cosmos?

Even the deities at the zenith of those eras paled in comparison to Chu Yi. So why then, in this world, was there an existence that could rival or even overpower him?

Now, Chu Yi finally understood.

He was facing a universe!

Though it was a dead universe, it was still a universe—the most expansive existence, encompassing all.

Being overwhelmed by the universe seemed... almost expected.

"What exactly is this secret realm?"

Chu Yi shook his head; he didn't know.

He was, in fact, completely in the dark about this place.

All he could see was the endless, decaying universe.

And just like that, his eyes suddenly widened in realization.

He saw it!

"That is..."

Following Chu Yi's gaze, Lee Zi saw nothing.

"What is it?"

Chu Yi was slightly puzzled. "Didn't you see the altar drifting over from the distance?"

An altar?

What altar?

Hearing Chu Yi's words, Lee Zi strained her eyes again, but still, she saw nothing.

While Lee Zi was still trying to discern it, the distant altar had already floated up to Chu Yi.

Seeing Lee Zi's bewildered look, Chu Yi was certain she hadn't seen it.

He inhaled deeply.

There was an eerie aura to everything here.

The most bizarre aspect was the universe buried within the secret realm.

Now, Lee Zi's behavior...

No, Chu Yi realized.

It wasn't Lee Zi acting strangely; the true oddity was himself!

In other words, even if other beings entered this place, they likely wouldn't see a thing.

Maybe...

The primordial spirit!

Yes!

Chu Yi had figured it out—it was the primordial spirit!

He could see everything, perceive everything, all thanks to his primordial spirit.

Though it paled in comparison to the vast universe before him, Chu Yi's primordial spirit still represented the pinnacle of existence throughout countless ages.

With such a primordial spirit, Chu Yi could penetrate any illusion and unravel every mystery before him.

"I really didn't see anything..."

Lee Zi harbored no doubts about Chu Yi, knowing that he wasn't one to jest at such a moment.

Thus, it seemed that only Chu Yi could see the so-called altar.

Chu Yi nodded.

"Stay here for a moment and don't move."

With those words, Chu Yi began to move.

The next instant, he discovered that a mere step had carried him across millions of miles, and he found himself standing before the altar.

This sensation was reminiscent of his time in the Immortal Demon Temple.

There, it seemed as if a supreme law reigned, one that allowed Chu Yi to transcend the limitations of his physical form and wield his most formidable power at will.

Here, he sensed a hint of that same feeling.

But Chu Yi's attention wasn't on that; he was captivated by the stone walls at the altar's peak.