Chapter 153: Chapter 96: The Bottomless Pit Beneath the Yellow River
As the saying goes, a man dies for wealth as a bird dies for food. Mortal scholars, when faced with treasures, won’t think twice, believing they’re lucky enough to avoid danger despite knowing the risks.
When one of the labors saw the Crystal Coffin in the Yellow River, realizing there must be priceless burial goods inside, he charged forward without a second thought.
Didn’t he know about the unusual flooding of the Yellow River?
Didn’t he know the danger?
Of course he knew! But now, with tens of thousands of labors, he feared someone would snatch the treasure first.
One person led the charge, and the others couldn’t sit still either, all rushing towards the Crystal Coffin.
Zhang Chen stood at the riverbank, eyes on the muddy, not yet dried-up riverbed, his gaze showing caution because he knew he was fishing for the Crystal Coffin, and the Crystal Coffin was also fishing for him.
Zhang Chen’s only trump card was the True Dragon Destiny hidden beneath his Light of the True God, making it hard for even a Ninth Rank Yang God to detect its presence.
Of course, the key point was the True Dragon Destiny’s inherent hidden nature.
"Why didn’t the Crystal Coffin disappear with the Yellow River water? Without the flow supporting it, the other’s power should be greatly diminished. Aren’t they afraid of capsizing?" Zhang Chen asked aloud.
Fox Fairy Nannan glanced at Zhang Chen, "Isn’t it because of you? The other side is desperate now. Once the Walking Flood Dragon and Dragon Transformation Formation starts, it can’t be stopped. Now they’ve gone all-in: either luring out the True Dragon Destiny to succeed in the Dragon Transformation or waiting for the Water Fortune to overwhelm them and fail.
Fox Fairy Nannan’s voice was filled with schadenfreude: "Plus, they know they must act quickly. If the court is alerted, no one benefits. They’re challenging you to a duel, and if you win, you can replace them and succeed in the Dragon Transformation. If they win, they consume your Life Chart to succeed!"
Fox Fairy Nannan turned to Zhang Chen, "So what will you choose?"
"Facing a Ninth Rank Yang God is suicide, isn’t it?" Zhang Chen grumbled, "Even if I use all my skills, I can’t defeat them."
"Don’t you have the Soul Hook skill?" the Fox Spirit looked at Zhang Chen, "I think your Soul Hook skill counters them perfectly."
"My Soul Hook skill requires me to see the target’s original form and then mark it," Zhang Chen looked at the Crystal Coffin, "So I need to open the Crystal Coffin now."
Then Zhang Chen shifted his gaze to the Fox Spirit.
"Why are you looking at me? You’re not expecting me to open the coffin lid, are you? My body is so delicate, how could my slender fingers move the Crystal Coffin? The lid must weigh a thousand pounds. You wouldn’t be so heartless to make me do it, would you?" The Fox Spirit began to lament, having changed her attitude towards Zhang Chen ever since she learned he planned to slay the dragon.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen chuckled, knowing the Fox Spirit was exaggerating, and didn’t push her, understanding that someone would eventually find a way to open the coffin’s lid.
The group of villagers had already surrounded the Crystal Coffin, their hands caressing it with a feverish gaze.
"This is the Crystal Coffin, a priceless artifact. Even one hundred thousand taels can’t buy it. The figure buried inside must be a person of high status; the burial goods are unimaginable. We’ve hit the jackpot!" A labor exclaimed, recognizing the Crystal Coffin’s worth.
Zhang Chen also walked down with them. With his True Dragon Destiny hidden, the other party couldn’t know it was on him. It was the perfect time to blend in and observe the enemy in secret.
From a distance, Zhang Chen watched the Crystal Coffin. The crystal wasn’t transparent but seemed to be blanketed by a layer of cotton. Through it, one could faintly see a figure lying silently inside, but the figure’s appearance was completely indiscernible, only a general outline visible.
Closer inspection revealed the Crystal Coffin had no carvings or decorations, measuring five meters long and two meters wide, appearing larger than a typical cargo box.
"As expected, the source of the Dragon Qi is indeed the Crystal Coffin before our eyes. The Dragon Qi in the sky is emerging from it," Zhang Chen’s eyes flashed with Golden Light as he gazed at the Dragon Qi in the sky, its tail linking to the Crystal Coffin.
"How much is such a big crystal worth? Not to mention the burial goods inside, just chipping off a piece of this Crystal Coffin would fetch a high price," a villager clung to the Crystal Coffin, his voice filled with zeal.
"Snap~"
Just then, the sound of a whip cracked, followed by a harsh voice from afar:
"Get back to work, all of you!"
Five hundred enforcers, wielding iron rulers, charged in wildly from afar, roughly dispersing the villagers.
The leading officer, clad in iron armor, pushed villagers aside with a whip, shouting and scolding constantly:
"This is a rare treasure, not something you lowly peasants can covet. Now get lost."
Confronted by the officer’s scolding, while the treasure was within reach, a burly villager refused to yield and argued: