That Flying Sky Yin Monkey also sensed that Ye Yunfei's aura felt somewhat familiar.
"Oh no, they're starting to suspect you. I'll activate the Heavenly Dao Tower immediately to cover your aura."
Hun Lao's voice transmission rang out within Ye Yunfei's soul sea. Although he was still inside the Heavenly Dao Tower, his mastery of the laws of time and space allowed him to perceive everything happening outside with absolute clarity.
Rumble…
The Soul Power of those Primordial Heterogeneous Race members and Flying Sky Yin Monkeys surged toward Ye Yunfei in a mighty tide, seeking to more precisely capture the nuances of his soul aura.
However, Hun Lao had already activated the Heavenly Dao Tower, creating a stringent veil that tightly concealed Ye Yunfei's soul aura.
On top of that, Ye Yunfei himself immediately employed the Thousand Transformations Secret Technique to alter all his personal auras.
The Thousand Transformations technique was profoundly mysterious. Its effects grew ever more profound and wondrous as his Soul Power increased.
Soon, expressions of bewilderment appeared on the faces of those Primordial Heterogeneous Race members and Flying Sky Yin Monkeys, because they realized Ye Yunfei didn't seem to be the human they were looking for.
Given Ye Yunfei's low cultivation level, they didn't believe he had the capability to deceive their senses.
"What is your intention?!"
The Mermaid Clan Old Clan Leader took a step forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Ye Yunfei. Behind him appeared an expanse of azure ocean, where the illusory forms of fierce deep-sea beasts continuously leaped from the water, radiating terrifying might.
"Amitabha!"
Heavenly Thunder Chan Master and Tiansha Chan Master also noticed the unusual actions of the Primordial Heterogeneous Race members and Flying Sky Yin Monkeys. They intoned a Buddhist chant and directed their gaze over.
In the end, the Primordial Heterogeneous Race members and Flying Sky Yin Monkeys shot Ye Yunfei a fierce glare before turning and resuming their climb up the high platform.
"Young Master Su, they seem to harbor ill intentions toward you. You must be cautious of them in the future," the Mermaid Clan Clan Leader said to Ye Yunfei.
"I understand," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Aah…
At that moment, someone was forcefully repelled by the platform's oppressive pressure, thrown far away. They landed heavily and spat out several mouthfuls of blood.
"Those whose strength is insufficient should not force their way up. It's extremely dangerous," an old man warned.
The pressure on this high platform was terrifying indeed. It felt as if invisible divine mountains were descending from the heavens, pressing down on everyone's bodies.
And soon, everyone discovered to their shock that the energy within their bodies was also being suppressed, its circulation becoming sluggish.
Ah, aah…
Soon, more people were successively flung away, cries of pain echoing.
However, with the promise of Immortal Fate right before them, no one was willing to give up. Those who were repelled took healing pills, gritted their teeth, and climbed back onto the jade steps, resuming their arduous ascent.
"This pressure seems to emanate from within that stone coffin. Who could possibly be buried inside it? Why does the energy pressure remain so terrifying even after death?" exclaimed an expert who was being pressed down until their back bent, taking painful, laboring steps.
"Have you forgotten the origins of the Nine-Life Immortal Coffin? Even if it doesn't contain an immortal, it holds the remains of an ancient Great Emperor from a bygone era. A being of such stature—even as mere bones—would still retain a portion of the might it possessed in life. Time itself finds it difficult to erase it completely," someone nearby replied.
"This pressure on the platform does not originate from the corpse within the coffin. Rather, it is from restrictive formations left behind by some powerful figure," Ye Yunfei thought to himself, currently patiently sensing the pressure emanating from the high platform.
"The restrictive formations present on this platform are exceptionally advanced. They wouldn't be the handiwork of a Great Emperor, would they? Perhaps the coffin truly does contain a Great Emperor?" Hun Lao's voice transmission reached Ye Yunfei at that moment.
"Given such formidable pressure remains after such a vast expanse of time… it's highly possible it was left by a Great Emperor," Ye Yunfei thought, feeling somewhat awed.
"Old Hun, you are well-versed in the laws of time and space. Can you break these restrictive formations?" Ye Yunfei suddenly asked.
"Kid, your origins aren't simple either. Your understanding of spacetime laws doesn't seem much inferior to mine. You could also attempt to break these restrictions and disperse this pressure," Hun Lao replied. "To be honest, sometimes I really suspect whether you might be the disciple of some venerable Heavenly Emperor in this world. Otherwise, how could someone as young as you possess such depth of vision and knowledge? I traveled by the Guhuang Great Emperor's side for an extremely long time before attaining my current level of insight. Yet, I often find myself falling short compared to you. What a freak of nature."
He had long since recognized Ye Yunfei's extraordinary nature.
"No need to guess about my origins. If you remain by my side, you'll find out sooner or later," Ye Yunfei smiled. He had to admit, Hun Lao's discernment was terrifying. Although he hadn't guessed Ye Yunfei's true origins accurately, he had already caught a whiff of a possible connection to a Heavenly Emperor!
Of course, Hun Lao hadn't yet considered the possibility that Ye Yunfei himself *was* a Heavenly Emperor!
"Fine. Let's try together to see if we can break this pressure. If it comes to it, I can draw out a portion of the Guhuang Great Emperor's energy presence to counteract the pressure here," Hun Lao said.
"You can summon the Guhuang Great Emperor's energy aura?" Ye Yunfei asked curiously.
"Of course I can. But only for an instant. Moreover, leaking out the aura of the Heavenly Dao Tower will invite a lot of trouble. Especially that Sky-Calculator Yang Song—he's a skilled deduction master. If he catches even a hint of the Heavenly Dao Tower's aura, he'll set his sights on you," Hun Lao explained.
"Then don't use the Heavenly Dao Tower. Let's deduce the restrictions here together," Ye Yunfei frowned. Having a deduction master target you would lead to endless trouble!
"Is this truly the Nine-Life Immortal Coffin? According to Eastern Barrens' legends, the Nine-Life Immortal Coffin is made of bronze, but this is clearly a stone coffin," someone said suspiciously, staring at the stone coffin atop the high platform.
"No. The stone material of this coffin is Heaven Copper Stone. It's an extremely rare and excellent refining material, capable of being used to forge sentient spirit treasures. Therefore, calling it a 'bronze coffin' is not inappropriate. This stone coffin alone is an invaluable treasure beyond estimation," Yang Song suddenly interjected.
A material capable of refining sentient spirit treasures!
Upon hearing this, covetous gleams appeared in everyone's eyes.
It must be known, the highest-ranked treasures in the Eastern Barrens were Polarmoon Treasures!
Sentient spirit treasures were legendary artifacts!
"That old fellow has decent knowledge," Ye Yunfei thought internally. He had already recognized that the stone coffin was crafted from precious Heaven Copper Stone.
"If the coffin itself is this invaluable, the treasures within must be even more precious!"
Many experts became highly excited upon hearing Yang Song's words, each unleashing their divine abilities to resist the pressure and hasten their climb toward the platform's summit.
Among them, some particularly powerful top-tier experts had already far surpassed the others, getting closer and closer to the summit.
The Grand Elder of the Cangyan Sacred Sect, the Zhao Family Ancestor, and other elites took out the top-grade treasures they brought and activated them. The released energy radiated formidable power, clashing against the restrictive pressure emanating from the high platform.
Besides these famous experts, some unfamiliar individuals now also revealed strength that made one's scalp tingle.
These experts usually lived in seclusion and were unknown, but in the past, they had been major figures who shook their era.
The Primordial Heterogeneous Race and Flying Sky Yin Monkeys also began to exert their might. Both races possessed incredibly robust physical bodies, giving the impression they were as hard and resilient as human-shaped treasures.
Lü Yugang, Heavenly Thunder Chan Master, Tiansha Chan Master, and other strong experts weren't slow either, closely following behind the Grand Elder of the Cangyan Sacred Sect and the National Preceptor of the Heavenly Dragon Ancient Kingdom.
Meanwhile, some members of the Mermaid Clan and the Four Directions Trading House had already given up the climb and retreated to the platform's side to wait.
The pressure on this platform was simply too terrifying. Forcing a climb with insufficient strength was akin to seeking death.
The Mermaid Clan's Old Clan Leader himself possessed considerable strength, but he had been continuously shielding Ye Yunfei, which slowed his progress.
"Kid, I have some ideas about the restrictions here. Let's pool our thoughts and see if we can crack them!" Hun Lao suddenly said.
"Alright," Ye Yunfei nodded. Coincidentally, he had also gleaned some insights.
The two began exchanging their thoughts.
Hun Lao, having wandered across the Three Thousand Major Worlds by the Guhuang Great Emperor's side for endless years, combined with being a branch fallen from the Chaos World Tree that carried a portion of its legacy—his breadth of vision was such that few in the world could compare.
As for Ye Yunfei himself, there was no need to elaborate—he was originally a Heavenly Emperor!
This essentially meant that two Great Emperors had arrived at this place!
Thus, both of them quickly gained a decent understanding of the restrictive pressure present.
"Old Clan Leader, follow me. Let's increase our pace!"
Ye Yunfei suddenly instructed.
As his words fell, Ye Yunfei took a step, instantly climbing one step higher. The Mermaid Clan Old Clan Leader was slightly taken aback.
Then Ye Yunfei took several more steps in succession. Each step ascended to the next tier of the jade steps with comparative ease.
"How is this possible? Why can Young Master Su's pace be this fast?" The Old Clan Leader watched with a tinge of shock.
However, he quickly regained his composure. After all, he had long known that this young human before him was no ordinary individual.
Subsequently, Ye Yunfei and the Old Clan Leader quickened their steps, walking side-by-side, taking one step at a time up the jade steps. In short order, they caught up to Lü Yugang and the others.
"Everyone, follow behind me. We'll pick up speed!" Ye Yunfei said to Lü Yugang, Heavenly Thunder Chan Master, and Tiansha Chan Master.
The other Four Directions Trading House and Great Thunderclap Monastery experts were relatively slower and had fallen behind. Those three were the fastest among them.
Upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words, everyone was stunned.
Then they discovered, with astonishment, that just by standing near Ye Yunfei, the oppressive pressure they felt reduced somewhat, making them feel more at ease.
A mysterious energy radiated from Ye Yunfei's body, working to counteract the surrounding pressure.
Ye Yunfei stepped forward to climb higher, and Lü Yugang and the others hurried to follow.
As Ye Yunfei ascended, he continued communicating and deducing with Hun Lao.
"Young Master Su's methods are truly astounding!"
Lü Yugang and the others, walking beside Ye Yunfei, felt noticeably more comfortable than before and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
In a matter of moments, Ye Yunfei and his group caught up to the Grand Elder of the Cangyan Sacred Sect and the others. Soon after, they surpassed them and took the lead.
"Damnation! Speed up! Don't let them get ahead!" the Zhao Family Ancestor shouted angrily upon seeing Ye Yunfei's group taking the lead.
Boom, boom…
One expert after another hurriedly increased their speed, charging upward.
However, as Ye Yunfei and Hun Lao's understanding of the platform's restrictive pressure deepened, both executed their own comprehensions of the laws of time and space, secretly shaping one small restrictive formation after another to counteract the pressure. Consequently, their movement grew increasingly effortless.
Finally, after a short while, Ye Yunfei's party was the first to reach the summit of the high platform.
The area here was vast, essentially constituting a massive plaza.
The stone coffin emanated rolling waves of immortal radiance, while also exuding an endless aura of timeless vicissitudes, as if bearing the weight of countless epochs!
Thick, palpable scents of spacetime permeated the air around the coffin. Occasionally, phantasmal images depicting constant shifts in the myriad phenomena of the world flickered and alternated in the surroundings.
Seas changing into fields, the boundless vastness of the earth, the countless facets of mortal existence, the starry expanse of the cosmos—even past and present eras seemed condensed into this single space surrounding the stone coffin!
"True Emperor aura!"
Ye Yunfei and Hun Lao exclaimed simultaneously.