Covering the sky

In the darkness, there are people crying softly, others trembling with fear. Every time they close their eyes, terrifying images of a pierced forehead, blood splattering, and brain matter spilling out surface in their minds, like a nightmare, or perhaps like a ghost, lingering in their hearts.

It's hard to forget the gruesome sight of a classmate's tragic death—the vivid blood splatters, the desperation in their eyes, the unblinking stare, the young face. It keeps reappearing in their minds. Four years as classmates, thirteen vibrant lives, gone forever on the same day.

Though they're temporarily safe, many cannot calm down, and some are even more terrified. The image of their tragically deceased classmates, and the monstrous crocodile, constantly appear in their minds. Perhaps they will never forget it in this lifetime.

Inside the bronze coffin, it's completely dark. Some of the female classmates are sobbing, others sighing in despair. Though they have escaped, the path ahead is uncertain and unpredictable.

Where will the bronze coffin take them? Where is the other shore, where is heaven? They haven't seen any light, only the boundless suffering of the sea. Are they following the ancient path of the gods? What kind of place is the resting place of the gods…?

After a long time, the coffin quiets down. According to Earth's time, it's now deep into the night. Everyone is exhausted, spirits worn thin, and they all drift into a heavy sleep.

In their dreams, many still feel anxious and fearful, clutching the relics of the gods in their hands, as if seeking some comfort or reliance.

It's a torturous night. Many can't sleep, waking from nightmares. Some girls cry when they wake, not because they are weak, but because what they experienced was too terrifying. No matter how frightening something is when heard as a story, it's entirely different when experienced firsthand.

A group of city-dwellers, accustomed to a life of ease, suddenly faced such a brutal event, it's a mental shock beyond imagination. Seeing the mythical monsters devouring their companions, seeing friends die one by one—how could they not be afraid?

Even someone like Pang Bo, who is usually carefree, couldn't sleep. It wasn't fear, but he was frequently disturbed by the others waking up in terror. Ye Fan, like him, found it hard to sleep. The sounds of people murmuring or crying in their nightmares kept him awake.

Only after five or six hours did most of them wake up. After another two hours, everyone's minds began to calm a little. At this moment, they had no idea where the bronze coffin was heading in the universe, and everyone began to consider practical matters.

The bronze coffin moved very steadily, with no sign of shaking, as if it had already stopped in space. Was there another destination? Or would they drift forever in the desolate void of the universe?

"We will end up in what kind of place?" After the crying and venting, even the softer female classmates had to start thinking about this question.

"Will we reach the resting place of the gods?"

The ancient star path was created by their ancestors. Perhaps, far ahead, there truly were gods. Maybe they would reach a mysterious world.

"Do gods really exist? We've seen the Nine-Dragon Coffin, the legendary Great Thunder Sound Temple, and the mythological Crocodile Ancestor. There should be no reason to doubt. But I still can't accept this reality. From my understanding, perhaps gods are just a species, and they might have once lived on Earth with us."

As modern humans, most didn't believe in gods, but now they had no choice but to face this reality. Hearing Wang Ziwen speak like this made it easier for others to accept.

"Perhaps those gods are not strangers to us. Maybe they are the result of human evolution. It's possible that they are the ancient figures we are familiar with."

"Whether it's evolution or a special species, we have to admit that gods exist. It's obvious that our ancient ancestors had already interacted with them."

At the summit of Mount Tai, there is a five-colored altar built by the ancient ancestors. Thousands of years ago, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors performed the imperial sacrifice there, which indicates something.

"Perhaps those gods are our ancestors…"

The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were god-like ancient figures, and legends say they were gods themselves. This implies that the rituals at Mount Tai were not simple, and many possibilities exist.

Perhaps they were calling to life in the stars, sending some kind of message to the desolate universe.

Maybe they could fly and transcend the earth, as the ancient world was no longer expansive enough for them. So, they ascended Mount Tai, left Earth, and entered the vast expanse of the universe.

Maybe Earth is just a resting station for those semi-divine beings, a temporary stop on their long journey.

Perhaps…

What happened in the distant ancient past remains unclear. Everything is just "perhaps." One thing, however, is undeniable—the ancient ancestors had already opened the doors to the stars and ventured into the boundless universe.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

The bronze lamp had gone out, and the coffin was pitch black. The group was still gathered closely together. Ye Fan noticed that the person next to him, leaning against the coffin wall, remained silent.

"What's wrong? Are you still angry that I beat you up?" Pang Bo said unhappily, sneering. "You almost pushed Ye Fan off the five-colored altar and killed him. A good beating is too little. If it weren't for the fact that I didn't throw you into the crocodile pile, you'd be much worse off."

"Hey, wake up, speak up." Someone pushed him.

But to everyone's shock, the person didn't respond and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"What… What happened?!" The person who pushed him was startled and quickly took a step back.

At that moment, everyone sensed something was wrong. Even if they were sleeping, they should have woken up after such a fall. Yet, the person remained motionless, lying there like a dead log.

"Wake up, quick, wake up!" Pang Bo stepped forward, pushed him, then slapped his face. Suddenly, he screamed, "His skin is so cold, his body is stiff!"

Everyone shuddered, a cold chill running down their spines. This was too sudden, too eerie. It was impossible to explain. Everyone gripped the relics of the gods in their hands.

Ye Fan sensed something was terribly wrong. He reached out and checked his breath. After a daze, he muttered, "He's dead. No breath."

"What?!" Everyone screamed.

A living person, who had just been mumbling in his sleep, suddenly died silently. It was too suspicious.

The bronze coffin immediately became tense and oppressive, everyone breathing heavily, cold to the bone. This was too sudden and eerie, leaving everyone with a chilling premonition.

"Turn on your phones and see what happened to him?" Ye Fan said, lifting his phone to shed some light and look at the body.

The face was pale, eyes bulging, staring wide, lips slightly parted with a trace of blood at the corner of the mouth.

"He's really dead…" Everyone slumped, both fearful and defeated. The sudden death created an atmosphere of dread. Something horrifying seemed to be lurking inside the coffin.

Several brave students started checking his body to investigate the cause of death.

"Look at his neck…"

His neck was bruised, covered in blood marks, like someone had strangled him. The purple-red marks were horrifying to look at.

"Ghost… There's a ghost in the coffin!" A female classmate trembled and said, her voice filled with fear.

The mention of a ghost sent chills through everyone. The bruises on his neck looked like the marks left by an evil spirit, as if he had been choked to death.

Especially now, with everyone inside this coffin, it made them think something evil might be inside, like a door to hell. Many took a step back involuntarily.

Ye Fan furrowed his brow and felt the throat. The Adam's apple was shattered, the area soft, with only the skin intact. There were small bloodstains on his hand, which looked unnervingly vivid, making the heart freeze.

"This wasn't caused by a ghost; he was killed by someone!" At this moment, Liu Yunzhi spoke coldly, his face grim, and he cast a sharp look at Ye Fan.

Pang Bo, seeing Liu Yunzhi's glare at Ye Fan, immediately shot him a warning glance, saying, "What do you mean by that?"

"From the wound, it's clear he was strangled. Who could have done it silently?" Liu Yunzhi said, his face cold as he glared at Ye Fan and Pang Bo. "Only someone close to him, with extraordinary strength, could have done it!"

These words left no doubt, clearly accusing Ye Fan. After all, Ye Fan had been right next to the victim, and everyone knew he had immense strength.

"You're talking nonsense!" Pang Bo fumed, grabbing the Great Thunder Sound Copper Plaque, ready to strike.

Liu Yunzhi sneered and raised his hand holding the Vajra Pestle, which emitted a slight metallic sound and a faint glow.

Everyone was startled. The relics of the gods in their hands had all become mundane, unable to shine, yet Liu Yunzhi's Vajra Pestle still had some divine power, much to their surprise.

"Ye Fan, you're too cruel. Even if he was wrong, you shouldn't have killed him in such a way," Liu Yunzhi said, stepping forward, holding the Vajra Pestle threateningly.

"I didn't kill him. Do you believe