The two Ancient Monarchs had borrowed the supreme Emperor's weapon, the Nine Spirits Diagram, and transmitted a message urging everyone to seize the chance to leave this place, for a fierce battle was about to erupt here soon, one that would sweep through the heavens.
This was not a place to linger, otherwise it would be easy to get caught up in it, resulting in countless casualties—a loss that would outweigh any gain.
The powerhouses of the heavens dared not stay a moment longer; the first thing they did was soar into the sky, intending to leave.
"Let's all take action!"
Boom—
The two Ancient Monarchs activated the supreme Emperor's weapon, the Nine Spirits Diagram, projecting the phantom of a great cosmos. Stars of the heavens manifested, and the unparalleled Emperor's Might directly blasted toward the Emperor's Resentment clad in the Emperor's Human Skin at the very top, aiming to annihilate it completely.
Hum—
However, at this moment, before all the Heavenly Mighty Figures could lead the powerhouses away, everything underwent a startling change. The ninth layer of the coffin emitted a peculiar radiance that actually completely swallowed all the attacks from the Nine Spirits Diagram. It was as if a massive abyss had opened there, intent on devouring all divine energy.
"What!?"
Everyone's expressions changed. The ninth coffin was too sinister, actually capable of swallowing the divine energy of a supreme Emperor's weapon.
What was going on? This shouldn't be possible. After all, the supreme Emperor's weapon personally activated by two Ancient Monarchs was immeasurably more powerful than any Heavenly Mighty Figure, enough to shatter and tear apart everything.
"Impossible!"
Even the two Ancient Monarchs, Sovereign Xue Lan and Sovereign Yan Jun, couldn't believe what was happening before their eyes, for it was truly too unbelievable. How could this happen?
Yet right before them, the ninth coffin had indeed completely devoured all the might, not a single drop remaining. A different kind of light faintly revealed itself there.
"Something's wrong. There's something else inside the ninth Divine Coffin."
The two Ancient Monarchs quickly realized this and instantly took action, intending to force out whatever was inside the final layer of the Nine-Layered Divine Coffin.
They attacked, but this time using other means—tearing through the sky, summoning stars from beyond the domain, all substantial physical attacks aimed at that spot.
The Emperor's Resentment tried to block them, but the two Ancient Monarchs charged straight over, directly stirring heaven and earth, completely piercing through the highest point of the sky, leaving a massive hole.
The ancestral altar crumbled. The ninth coffin trembled violently and, under the attacks of the two Ancient Monarchs, began to descend.
Suddenly, the two Ancient Monarchs, carrying the supreme Emperor's weapon, retreated a hundred thousand li like lightning, their faces all revealing expressions of shock and disbelief, deeply moved.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. What had the two Ancient Monarchs seen that would cause beings of their stature to reveal such expressions? It was truly curious.
Soon, everyone finally saw clearly and immediately gasped, filled with profound horror.
For everyone saw what was inside the coffin. Within the ninth layer, there was an actual human figure—flesh blurred, without skin—lying within, its entire body radiating an Emperor's Might far more intense than that of the human skin, shaking and cracking the heavens and earth. It was unmistakably the true Emperor's Corpse.
Yet what was shocking was that nine divine swords were plunged into the Emperor's Corpse. Each sword was forged from a type of Chaos Immortal Gold, gathering all nine types completely. They were respectively inserted into the Emperor's Corpse at the center of the forehead between the eyebrows, the wrists of both hands, the ankles of both feet, the throat, the heart, the dantian in the lower abdomen, and the center of the chest and abdomen.
A full nine Chaos Immortal Gold Divine Swords, all straight and firmly pinning the Emperor's Corpse within the ninth coffin, rendering it completely immobile.
Not to mention others, even the two Ancient Monarchs gasped in shock at this sight.
How utterly ruthless. Even after falling, this Emperor was targeted like this. Perhaps this peerless Emperor's fall back then was precisely caused by being pinned and slain by these nine Chaos Immortal Gold Divine Swords.
No wonder such a terrifying resentment had been born, condensing into the unprecedented Emperor's Resentment.
A dignified Emperor, proud throughout ancient and modern times, unafraid of the great limit of time, supreme and unparalleled, the most powerful existence who should have been revered by all races and admired by the heavens, yet met such an end—pinned and slain within the Nine-Layered Divine Coffin in this manner, dying with unclosed eyes. It would be unreasonable for such a powerful Emperor's Resentment not to be born.
Especially the Emperor's Resentment itself. When it saw the Emperor's Corpse being witnessed by the world, it roared violently, filled with boundless fury.
The colossal beast and the existence within the nine ancient temples also glared at the Emperor's Resentment with hatred. The giant beast roared in anger, its massive cries echoing endlessly.
"What a terrifying pinning and slaying. What exactly did this Emperor experience back then to be pinned and slain within the Nine-Layered Divine Coffin?"
The two Ancient Monarchs' expressions changed. This Emperor must have experienced earth-shattering events back then, likely involving other Emperors and Sovereigns; otherwise, it wouldn't be like this—pinned and slain alive on the Nine-Layered Divine Coffin.
Moreover, with divine swords forged from nine-colored Chaos Immortal Gold, each immortal gold sword inscribed with the most terrifying Emperor patterns, that was how a true Emperor's corpse was completely locked in place, with only the human skin able to detach and condense into the most fearsome Emperor's Resentment.
This was probably the most tragic death of an Emperor throughout history. In life, supreme and unparalleled, proud above the heavens, overlooking the Chaos Sea, revered through ancient and modern times, yet ultimately pinned and slain like this, giving birth to the Emperor's Resentment.
The Emperor's Resentment, clad in human skin, appeared exceptionally majestic yet sinister and terrifying. Standing atop the Nine-Layered Divine Coffin, it swept its gaze over the powerhouses, then suddenly raised its head and roared at the sky: "You dare profane this Emperor! All of you shall die, all become sacrifices, transformed into nourishment to allow this Emperor to fully revive!"
The roar shook and cracked this entire ruined Emperor's realm. The Emperor's Resentment stared at the powerhouses of the heavens, especially at the two Ancient Monarchs, its gaze filled with an unusual fervor.
Now everyone finally understood what the final message left on that stele by Nalan Yunxuan back then truly meant. The so-called 'man proposes, heaven disposes'—wasn't it precisely referring to this? Calculated by the Emperor's Resentment, becoming sacrifices, devouring all essence energy to give the Emperor's Corpse the vitality for revival.
Or, more accurately, to allow the nine Chaos Immortal Gold Divine Swords to be completely removed, with the Emperor's Resentment, wrapped in the Emperor's Human Skin, taking possession of it, fully achieving a Corpse Emperor—equivalent to the Emperor reviving in an alternative form.
Boom—
The Emperor's Resentment stepped off the Nine-Layered Divine Coffin. With one step, it instantly moved toward the two Ancient Monarchs. Emperor's baleful energy shook the heavens, becoming the Emperor's Resentment's most terrifying weapon, directly shattering the heavens and thunderously annihilating its way toward the two Ancient Monarchs.