Chapter 771: Longevity: My Steady Farming-Style Cultivation Is Too Steady Chapter 771: Exploring the Black Dragon Again!

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Xu Zhangqing's gaze fell upon the small black coffin, his heart sinking slightly.

This coffin was one size larger than an ordinary coffin, about three feet long and one foot wide, pitch black as ink throughout, neither wood nor stone, its texture icy cold, hard as ten-thousand-year Xuan Iron.

The coffin body was covered with twisted ancient marks, resembling ancient spiritual runes or entwined withered vines.

Under the spiritual light of his Personal Space, the patterns faintly glowed dark red deep within, like congealed old bloodstains.

Beside the coffin clung some undried dark red mud, carrying the yin chill unique to deep waters, with thick death qi swirling around it.

This death qi differed from the rot of ordinary corpses, instead exuding an ancient, heavy oppressive feeling, making Xu Zhangqing dare not take it lightly.

He focused his scrutiny, then his pupils shrank.

The marks on this coffin, the texture of its material, even the flavor of the death qi, were seventy percent similar to that black coffin he had chanced upon in the Yin River before.

Many aspects were exactly alike, seemingly from the same source.

Xu Zhangqing murmured softly: "The black coffin of the Yin River... the small coffin of the Immortal Sect Hei Hu..."

Rules existed within his Personal Space; as long as he wished, any foreign object would be suppressed.

This coffin was naturally no exception, so he raised his hand without hesitation and pressed toward the coffin lid.

His fingertip touched the coffin lid, clearly feeling the resistance from above; using a bit of force, with a light "Click," the coffin lid slowly pushed open.

There was no expected corpse stench, nor a gloomy yin wind; inside the coffin lay a layer of dark red velvet, upon which quietly rested a palm-sized piece of wood.

The wood piece was dark brown, its edges uneven, like a fragment forcibly split from a great tree, its surface also carved with faint marks similar to the coffin body.

Strangely, in this coffin full of death qi, the wood piece actually emitted a wisp of extremely faint vitality.

Like a grass sprout beneath frozen soil in severe winter, though tiny yet tough, as if silently accumulating power, awaiting the day of rebirth.

Xu Zhangqing's heart stirred: "A fragment of the Xiangsi Ersheng Tree?"

This tree drew death qi to nurture vitality, a supreme rare treasure.

His Eldest Disciple Sun Shangxiang was now cultivating one.

His thought moved, and another mysterious black coffin over a zhang long appeared beside him, the one he had brought back from the Yin River back then.

Because the Thunder Dragon Water-Avoiding Boat liked to ride it, he had never opened it.

Unexpectedly, after waiting so long, there would actually be a day of contact.

Two coffins stood side by side, the similarity of the marks becoming increasingly obvious.

Xu Zhangqing raised his hand and pushed open the lid of this large coffin; unlike the small coffin, there was no velvet inside.

At the spot where a corpse should originally have lain, the moment the coffin lid opened and touched the air, the remaining remains transformed into a wisp of black smoke, silently dissipating, leaving only ashes falling down bit by bit.

Xu Zhangqing thoughtfully said: "Similar marks, different inside?"

Suddenly, a name flashed into his mind: Mark-Carving Ancestor.

Whether the marks on this small coffin before him or the marks on the Yin River great coffin, they were exactly alike to Mark-Carving Ancestor's technique.

He stared at the two coffins, his fingertip lightly tapping the coffin body, swiftly sorting through clues in his mind.

The coffins of the Immortal Sect Hei Hu, the black coffin of the Yin River, members of the Yellow Spring Alliance, and the long-deceased Mark-Carving Ancestor... these seemingly unrelated existences were now all strung together.

As if there were a great game of chess, and these were all chess pieces.

Xu Zhangqing took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his heart.

The clues were still too few; he simply could not sort out the context behind this.

What's more, Mark-Carving Ancestor had already been dug out of his burial mound by himself.

After much thought, he softly called out: "Qiansui."

Xu Qiansui instantly appeared, kneeling on one knee on the ground, awaiting orders: "Master!"

Xu Zhangqing ordered: "You set out immediately and go to the Black Water Area of Black Dragon Pool for me to investigate the situation there."

Immediately, the two "people" left his Personal Space and walked out of the cultivation chamber.

Xu Qiansui's figure flashed, heading straight for Black Dragon Pool; under the cover of night, he was like a soundless night-walking ghost.

……

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The night deepened, Hongfeng Valley was quiet, with only the "rustle-rustle" sound of wind blowing through maple leaves.

Xu Zhangqing, through Shared Vision, kept constant watch on Xu Qiansui's situation.

Not long after, the other party arrived at his destination.

Black Dragon Pool's environment was dim, the pool water emitting a cold green light.

Not even insect sounds could be heard, exuding a dead silence completely different from daytime.

Xu Zhangqing originally thought there would be an old fisherman, but found there was none.

It seemed no one had come here for a long time.

Xu Qiansui's figure flickered, transforming into a thin streak of golden light, and with a "plop" submerged into the water.

The pool water was ice-cold and piercing; as he kept diving, the light grew darker and the water pressure greater, but it had no effect on the Spirit Plant Puppet.

The route within Black Dragon Pool was not complex; there was only one path up and down.

Xu Qiansui followed the descent; the water flow grew ever colder, the light so dark one could not see five fingers ahead, only the faint golden light he emitted barely illuminated what was before him.

Xu Zhangqing quietly observed through Shared Vision, his gaze sweeping across the pool water, a trace of strangeness gradually rising in his heart.

By common reasoning, though Black Dragon Pool was secluded, it should not be so deathly silent.

In the early years, the Immortal Sect once laid down an opportunity in Black Dragon Pool, deliberately releasing many Dragon Fish; any Formal Disciple who could catch one here could rely on the fish to become a disciple.

But looking through Xu Qiansui's vision, the pool water was empty inside, not to mention Dragon Fish, not even a single other fish existed.

Only cold water flowed, flowing lifelessly, as if all life in this water area had been drawn away.

Xu Zhangqing raised an eyebrow: "The Dragon Fish are gone?"

Before long, Xu Qiansui arrived at the Dragon Bone Area in the depths of Black Dragon Pool.

However, here, besides being spacious, there was no change at all.

Xu Zhangqing issued an order: "No need to linger, continue forward to the deeper Black Water Area."

Xu Qiansui received the order, without the slightest hesitation, the golden light around its body slightly converged, transformed into an extremely thin streak of light and shadow, diving toward the deeper, more gloomy direction.

Unknown how much time passed, Xu Zhangqing finally saw that familiar black water curtain.

As long as one passes through, it is the Black Water Area.

Long-lost memories suddenly surged into his heart.

In the Black Water Area, Xu Zhangqing had harvested many treasures.

For example, Youlong Nine Transformations, Water Spirit Palace, Water Spirit Fruit, etc., extremely rich.

Moreover, he also unexpectedly discovered the Lock Dragon Abyss that had previously imprisoned that Black Dragon.

However, when Xu Qiansui arrived at the Black Water Area, Xu Zhangqing's expression changed slightly.

He shockingly discovered that here, same as Black Dragon Pool, not a single fish, or rather any life, existed; empty, completely empty.

"Dragon Fish gone is understandable, but even ordinary spirit fish are gone?"

"What on earth happened underground?"

"Previously asked Yang Zhenyue, that fellow wouldn't speak the truth, kept evading!"

Xu Zhangqing couldn't help but shake his head.

The Immortal Sect's underground has had an incident, this point is beyond doubt.

Unknown whether it is a major event or a small matter, whether it will be solved.

If really impossible, he can only bring his whole family up the mountain!