Seventy, Forceful Seizure

“It’s not that I’m looking for trouble; you didn’t leash your dog, and it bit me.”

“Of all the people you could’ve hired, why did you bring in a bunch of thugs? Look where it’s gotten you now, right?”

In the end, this was all because Gangzi had seen him harassing Su Wan and decided to teach him a lesson. Su Wan was not foolish enough to judge Gangzi and his friends based on a few words from this man.

“Just say it—what will it take for you to leave Gangzi alone?”

A laugh came from the other end of the line.

---

“Ah…”

“Help! Somebody help me, please, I don’t want to die! Ah!”

Gu Cheng and his companions had only just stepped into the ancient coffin when terrified screams echoed from behind them, fading quickly into the distance. They stood, clutching the Buddhist relics they’d brought from the Great Thunderclap Temple, waiting. Only Liu Yunzhi appeared before them, bloodied and filled with terror, clutching a begging bowl and running for his life.

Facing Gu Cheng, who wore a mocking half-smile, Liu Yunzhi’s hair stood on end, his legs buckling as he fell to his knees, pleading in a voice full of abject humility, “Gu Cheng, I beg you, save me! I don’t want to die!”

But Gu Cheng had no time for this pitiful clown; the Crocodile Ancestor’s avatar had arrived.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As shadowy figures charged toward them, the Buddhist relics began to radiate a comforting light. Yet with time, Gu Cheng noticed that the glow was slowly fading.

“Brother Cheng! Brother Cheng, it’s my fault, I was petty, narrow-minded—I’m sorry, I was wrong! Please, let me in!” Liu Yunzhi’s voice trembled with tears.

“Get lost!” came Gu Cheng’s cold reply.

A soul-shaking roar suddenly erupted from the direction of the Great Thunderclap Temple, stilling the very sandstorm outside. All of heaven and earth fell silent, save for the thunderous roar of the beast. The ground trembled, the Five-Colored Altar shook, and the storm outside was thoroughly suppressed.

---

“I’m scared…” Lin Jia’s acting skills were once again on display, but this time, Gu Cheng ignored her.

He gazed through the protective barrier; more and more terrifying creatures were gathering, all from the direction of the Great Thunderclap Temple, their black scales covering the ground in a surging mass numbering in the thousands.

Suddenly, the earth shook violently, and a dreadful aura swept over them from a kilometer away, soaring to the heavens and plunging to the depths, shaking the world to its core.

Even through the sandstorm, they could see two lantern-sized, fearsome eyes appear among the ruins of the temple, piercing the darkness. Rocks the size of houses hurtled from the sky, crashing down near the Five-Colored Altar with earth-shattering force.

“It’s time!” Gu Cheng knew that to activate the altar, it had to be consecrated with blood. Those who plotted and schemed made the perfect sacrifice.

As the Crocodile Ancestor’s massive form approached, Gu Cheng ordered his companions into the ancient coffin—leaving Liu Yunzhi behind.

“Save me…” Liu Yunzhi’s desperate cries echoed as the coffin closed.

For a long while, there was silence.

“Gu Cheng, I feel as if I don’t recognize you anymore,” Ye Fan said, coming over to look him in the eye, as if searching for answers.

“Ye Fan, perhaps you don’t understand how terrifying that thing truly is. I believe that one day you’ll understand why I’ve done all this.” Gu Cheng sighed. “Our paths were never the same. I have a feeling I was always just a passerby in your life, and this ancient coffin is merely a tool taking us down a certain road. My presence is not important to the coffin.”

“Alright,” Ye Fan replied after a long silence.

The coffin fell silent once more.

Recalling their university reunion—thirty-one classmates, now just four left after Gu Cheng’s machinations—Ye Fan couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Gu Cheng had become a stranger to him.

Communicating with the Myriad Phenomena Seal, Ye Fan noticed the disaster-absorbing Myriad Tribulation Body beginning to change, its illusory form slowly becoming solid as meridians and blood vessels appeared. The body’s unique function was to absorb karmic tribulations.

Gu Cheng was the cause, the dead classmates the effect. They bore the consequences in his stead, which is why they did not survive on Mars. Such was the tribulation of cause and effect.

Sitting in a corner, Lin Jia dared not approach Gu Cheng; he now exuded danger. Instead, Ye Fan’s presence brought her peace.

“Look, that starry sky engraving is flickering…”

Even Pang Bo noticed the anomaly. It was the largest of the ancient bronze engravings—a vast starry sky, every star now shining. The background of the coffin’s dull, dark wall remained unchanged, as if the brilliance of the stars had appeared in the pitch-black night.

“There’s a thin line flashing on that star map. Could that be the ancient road through the stars that we traveled?” Lin Jia asked.

“Yes,” Gu Cheng replied.

---

The ancient star road ended at the position of the Big Dipper, and Gu Cheng’s explanation left the others dumbfounded.

Abruptly, Gu Cheng felt a sense of loss, as if he had finally attained something he’d sought for so long. Once, he had chased vampires across distant western lands, seeking the true meaning and continuation of life. Now, at the brink of success, the emptiness inside him only grew.

Even though he had led twenty-seven people to their deaths on Mars, Gu Cheng felt no regret. From birth to death, each person finds their own meaning. These classmates had shown great selflessness, willing to fulfill his purpose.

At that moment, Ye Fan, who had been deep in contemplation, finally awakened.

The Dao is simple, words are precious; all things end, as glory fades and simplicity returns.

Ye Fan murmured, dazed, “Heaven’s way diminishes the excess to fill the lacking…”

“Are you alright, Ye Fan?” Pang Bo asked with concern.

“I’m fine.”

Throughout this, the bronze coffin shook violently, leaving the four of them dizzy as they realized the Nine Dragons were finally about to reach their destination.

Now, the ancient bronze engravings shone with divine light, forming a hazy barrier that dissipated an unimaginable force. The coffin at last began to steady.

With a final thunderous crash, the lid of the coffin shifted and slid heavily aside, the great bronze sarcophagus tumbling to the ground.

Fresh air rushed in, carrying the scent of earth and the fragrance of wildflowers. The world outside was bright and full of vitality.

They all stood and rushed out of the coffin, greeted by a scene of stunning beauty. They stood atop a modest peak, gazing at the landscape ahead.

In the distance stretched a chain of beautiful, verdant mountains. Nearby, ancient trees and fantastically shaped rocks abounded, with thick old vines like coiling dragons, lush grass underfoot, and fragrant wildflowers everywhere—life teeming all around.

Compared to the gloom and desolation of Mars, this was undoubtedly a land of peace and purity.

“We’ve finally left behind darkness and barrenness for this beautiful divine land!” Pang Bo exclaimed excitedly.

“This is only the beginning,” Gu Cheng said, leading the way. He gazed at this seemingly natural but ominous and perilous forbidden land, murmuring,

“Tribulation is about to begin!”