Covering the sky

Ye Fan stood still, his hand resting on the ancient bronze coffin, like a serene moonlight reflecting on a calm lake. He appeared ethereal and detached from the mundane world, as if he were an immortal being who could vanish with the wind at any moment.

However, internally, his world was far from as tranquil as his appearance suggested. The celestial sounds resounded in his mind, profound and vast like an ocean, with every word echoing like a great rift in the heavens, reverberating through the world.

It felt like the ancient chanting of a Zen master or the prayers of primordial deities, continuously flowing, piercing through the ancient firmament, and slowly entering Ye Fan's heart, causing his soul to stir with waves of emotions. He felt both alert and confused, unsure of his surroundings.

In the distance, everyone watched him in silence, their faces full of confusion. They had no idea what was happening, only sensing that he exuded an ethereal, almost unearthly aura, like a celestial being untouched by earthly concerns.

Ye Fan stood motionless, as the celestial sounds, like a bell ringing, reverberated far and wide, difficult to comprehend. At times, it felt like being at the edge of an abyss, while at other times, it felt like stepping into a divine land. Various inexplicable sensations rose in his heart, making him both awakened and lost.

These celestial sounds were not long; rather, they were concise and profound, like the simple elegance of an ancient philosophy, where complexity dissolves and simplicity returns to truth.

The sound, like a mighty bell, rang over and over, each word striking Ye Fan's heart with immense force, yet after the initial shock, it would settle into profound silence, as if the moon had risen on the sea. Hundreds of ancient characters were engraved in Ye Fan's heart, but the celestial sound did not cease, still echoing in his ears.

Throughout this, the Bodhi seed in Ye Fan's hand remained warm, enveloping him in a soothing warmth. It was because of this that Ye Fan could hear these mysterious celestial sounds.

According to legend, the Bodhi tree could awaken one's divine nature, help one achieve enlightenment, and attune oneself to the rhythm of the universe. Clearly, this Bodhi seed, buried beneath the ancient Bodhi tree in front of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, was extraordinary.

While Ye Fan remained motionless, the others began to grow concerned. Some suggested pulling him away, as he was leaning on the ancient bronze coffin, and it was hard to associate such a position with anything positive.

Pang Bo circled around Ye Fan a couple of times. Seeing that he didn't appear to be in pain, but instead emanated an otherworldly aura, he sensed that the bronze coffin had a divine energy emanating from it.

Eventually, Pang Bo decided not to act rashly and instead stood guard beside him, waiting quietly.

"Could a demon have possessed him, attached itself to his body?" Li Changqing fixed his gaze on the bronze coffin and then looked at Ye Fan, speaking up.

Hearing this, the others tightly gripped their divine artifacts, some even instinctively taking a few steps back. The mysterious ancient coffin filled them with unease.

"You're just trying to put the blame on Ye Fan, aren't you? What kind of thoughts do you have in your mind?" Pang Bo, who had never liked Li Changqing since their confrontation at the Five-Colored Altar, retorted coldly, showing no restraint in his words.

"Enough, stop arguing," Zhou Yi said with a slight frown, scanning the surroundings. "We can't be sure if there are any more divine crocodiles in the bronze coffin. We should remain cautious and search carefully."

The others immediately felt a sense of urgency. It was true—since they had already encountered one divine crocodile, there might be a second, third, or even more. Fourteen lives had already been claimed by these terrifying creatures, and just the thought of them was enough to chill the spine.

The group didn't disperse too much; they split into two teams for mutual support, turning on their phones and gripping their divine relics as they began to search the dim surroundings.

However, after thoroughly checking every corner, and with the two teams regrouping, no further discoveries were made. Even so, they remained cautious. The bronze coffin was large, and in such an empty space, it would be easy for more divine crocodiles to remain hidden. Furthermore, they couldn't rule out the possibility of divine crocodiles clinging to the upper walls of the coffin, where it was dark and difficult to see.

"Stay alert; it never hurts to be cautious," Lin Jia reminded everyone, trying to reassure them. "If there are more divine crocodiles, they would likely fear the Buddhist artifacts we have in our hands. If not, they would have attacked us already."

Suddenly, everyone heard a faint, strange sound. Though nearly inaudible, it reverberated in their minds. It sounded like the beat of drums coming from a distant, far-off time, heavy and sorrowful, followed by the ringing of bells, filling the air with a mournful atmosphere.

"Where is that sound coming from?"

Everyone was startled, looking around, but saw nothing.

The deep, sorrowful drumbeats and the mournful bell tolls seemed to emanate from within the coffin, sending a chill down their spines.

"This... could this be the funeral music of an ancient emperor?"

More sounds followed, as if a vast number of people were mourning and praying for someone's funeral. The sound of a funeral bell and drums filled the air, creating the illusion of a grand, ancient funeral unfolding before their eyes.

At that moment, a series of nine loud dragon roars suddenly pierced the sky, shaking the earth and spreading across the land, as though a real image had been imprinted into the history of the stars.

In that instant, everyone felt an uncanny sensation, as if they were witnessing an ancient emperor ruling the world and then attending an unprecedentedly grand funeral.

There was no actual image, but the combination of the dragon roars and the vast sounds of mourning created such a vivid mental picture. Soon, they realized that the ethereal funeral sounds were still lingering in the air, sending a chill down their spines.

"Our divine relics are glowing again..."

At this moment, the divine light emanated, and all the Buddhist artifacts in everyone's hands began to shine. But this wasn't a restoration of their divine power. Instead, the light seemed to be draining away, as if nearly exhausted. Countless rays of divine light flowed toward the walls of the bronze coffin, merging into the ancient bronze carvings.

The walls of the coffin were covered in a layer of greenish patina, but it couldn't obscure the intricate carvings of ancient people and gods. At this moment, these figures began to glow with a faint light, almost as if they were coming back to life. The carved images of wild beasts and divine birds became more vivid, filling the air with a mysterious force.

"Look, the starry sky carving is flickering..."

Everyone noticed the anomaly. It was the largest of the ancient bronze carvings, a vast depiction of the starry sky. At that moment, all the stars were shining, while the dark backdrop of the coffin remained unchanged, like the dark night sky, as if countless stars were scattered across the heavens.

"There's a thin line flashing on the starry sky carving. Could this be the ancient star road we traveled?"

The group gathered around to observe, their expressions filled with shock.

The starry sky depicted in the bronze carving was vast, with many stars so tiny they resembled dust. Yet, among them, a few stood out, much brighter than the rest.

"These seven stars are exceptionally bright—could they be the Big Dipper?"

Upon hearing Wang Ziwen's words, everyone focused, and indeed, in front of the starry road, the Big Dipper gleamed, standing out in the sky.

There were other bright stars like the Big Dipper, and after closer inspection, a few people recognized them with shock. Zhou Yi, who was well-read and scholarly, immediately identified these stars. "These are ancient Chinese constellations."

In ancient China, the sky was divided into several regions, each with its own name, summarized as the Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions of the celestial map.

The ancient bronze carving before them followed this method of classification, specifically marking some of the most famous stars.

"Looking at this starry sky map, and then examining the starry road, it's truly astonishing. The ancients' classification of the stars wasn't just superstition; different constellations represent different regions of the sky, and they seem to have significant and profound meaning..."

"Indeed, it seems related to the ancient star road. Perhaps it is linked to the source of life..."

Everyone was stunned into silence, unable to speak for a while.

"Look, the thin line on the starry map is extending. Could it represent the direction we are heading? The continuation of the star road?"

"The line is getting closer to the Big Dipper!"

Everyone stood in stunned silence. They had started at the Tai Mountain on Earth, but how much time had passed? It seemed they were getting closer to the Big Dipper. This felt surreal, almost like a dream.

With current human technology, it would be impossible to reach the Big Dipper, no matter how long the journey. The distance was simply too vast.

Everyone was in awe, their minds shaken.

"There's a brighter star in front of the Big Dipper... the Purple Wei Star. Could our destination be a planet in that star region? The Purple Wei Star has significant meaning in ancient times," someone suggested.

"This is hard to say. We might be heading even further into a distant star region," another person