Eternal Heavenly Emperor

"Damn it!" You Zhiyuan's eyes were bloodshot, and his hair stood on end.

He was extremely angry, wanting to kill Qin Yulian first, then turn around to deal with Chu Hao. But an indescribable chill rose in his heart, giving him the vague feeling that if he didn't face Chu Hao's attack, he might die.

He was injured, but he never thought about dying.

Sacrifice his life to kill Qin Yulian? No way.

He had to turn around, swearing in his heart to kill Chu Hao this time.

But when he turned around, a piercing white light blinded him, making it impossible to see anything.

"Take this!" Chu Hao swung the Grey Rock Sword, sending the electric ball hurtling towards You Zhiyuan.

Heavenly Thunder Strike!

"Corrode Heaven and Earth!" You Zhiyuan roared, deciding that if Chu Hao wanted a direct confrontation, he was happy to oblige and send him to his death.

Boom, a blood mist enveloped the electric ball and swallowed it instantly.

You Zhiyuan smirked. His blood mist could corrode anything, even Starlight. What was this little electric ball? After the blood mist corroded the electric ball, it would engulf Chu Hao, turning him into rotting flesh.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the blood mist parted, and the dazzling white electric ball emerged again.

What.

You Zhiyuan wore a look of disbelief. His blood mist was terrifyingly corrosive, yet the electric ball, swallowed whole, remained completely unchanged. How could this be?

"Go!" Chu Hao shouted from behind, and the electric ball's speed suddenly surged, hurtling towards You Zhiyuan.

"No!" You Zhiyuan screamed, thrusting out his right fist to stop the attack.

The electric ball struck, its blazing white electricity wreaking havoc, dispelling the surrounding blood mist into ash.

Thunder wasn't part of the Five Elements, uncontrollable by their interaction, yet it seemingly had a suppressive effect on every attribute.

Boom!

The electric ball collided with You Zhiyuan's fist. A dense, turbulent blood mist enveloped both You Zhiyuan and the electric ball, obscuring everything inside.

Sizzling sounds, but within the mist, white electric streams intertwined, producing an unsettling hum.

Bang!

Suddenly, the blood mist burst open, and a figure was thrown out—it was You Zhiyuan. He wasn't leaping on his own; he was blasted out by a giant electric ball.

The electric ball stuck to his chest like an energy blast from a comic, with chaotic electric arcs reducing his clothes to tatters and peeling his skin open, sending blood flying.

But You Zhiyuan's self-healing had become terrifying under the Heavenly Demon Dismantling Technique. His skin would begin to heal as soon as it cracked open, but the electric ball's power was so overwhelming that it tore the new flesh apart again.

It was a vicious cycle, akin to the world's cruelest torture.

Despite You Zhiyuan's strong will, he screamed in absolute agony, overwhelmed by the pain.

Chu Hao stood, panting heavily, drenched in sweat and feeling utterly spent.

The power of the Heavenly Thunder Strike was immense, but it also drained the user greatly. Being an Earth Level High-Grade skill, it might only be manageable in the Middle Three Realms. Right now, it was barely within his control.

"Ah——" You Zhiyuan's screams continued. The thunder's destruction finally surpassed his self-healing, dissolving his skin, turning him into a blood-soaked figure. His self-healing slowed his death by at least tenfold.

It was pure torment.

Pop, pop, pop, pop, his flesh, organs, and bones were being electrolyzed one by one, bouncing away with electric arcs, diminishing his body until no screams were left.

The electric ball's energy finally exhausted, exploding with a final burst, destroying You Zhiyuan's shattered corpse into fragments of flesh and bone.

He truly had no place for burial.

Clatter, from the sky fell countless Star Stones and some jade vials filled with medicines.

The crowd was initially stunned, then quickly realized that this was the result of You Zhiyuan's Mustard Seed Ring shattering, releasing its contents like rain.

However, no one dared to take them.

These were from Chu Hao's kill.

You Zhiyuan was terrifying enough, so how formidable must Chu Hao be to have defeated him? Who would dare touch his spoils?

Hmm?

Chu Hao's gaze was drawn to a silver glow—a key identical to the one he received for reaching the 100th floor previously.

There were four such towers.

Clearly, You Zhiyuan was one of the challengers who had passed the 100th floor in one of the other three towers.

Chu Hao looked towards Bian Yu and Bai Qi. They must be the other two who had passed the 100th floor; did they also have keys?

"Indeed, I also have such a key!" Bai Qi straightforwardly took out a key.

"So do I!" Bian Yu reluctantly revealed a silver key.

Four towers, four keys.

This was the fourth and final underground level. If the keys were to be used, it would be here.

Chu Hao picked up the key, not wanting to spend time collecting the scattered Star Stones. It would take too long to gather them scattered as they were.

Bai Qi and Bian Yu approached, their gazes simultaneously fixed on the Copper Coffin not far away.

Could these keys be for the Copper Coffin?

Did a coffin really need a key to be opened? The thought alone was unsettling.

The three of them walked to the Copper Coffin, examining it closely, and indeed found four keyhole-like slots.

Asking those who had arrived earlier, they learned that these people had tried to open the coffin, but the lid was immovable, as heavy as a mountain.

It seemed the keys were necessary.

The three looked at each other and nodded. They had come this far; they couldn't leave without opening the coffin.

"Be careful!" Bai Qi reminded. Though she had sentenced Chu Hao to death in her heart, she still wanted him alive for now, to get all the treasure.

Chu Hao held two keys, while Bai Qi and Bian Yu each held one.

"I'll count to three, and we insert the keys together."

"Got it!"

"One, two, three!"

Click, the three of them simultaneously inserted the four keys.

Around them, others approached out of curiosity. This was the final area of the entire underground region, the Ancient Training Ground. Surely, the final treasure would be in the coffin.

Even if they couldn't obtain it, a glance would suffice.

Clack, clack, clack, the four keys moved on their own, each turning differently—some half a turn left, some a full turn right, some forward then backward twice, in intricate patterns.

Nearly a minute passed. Clang, the coffin lid suddenly lifted a bit, like a door opening slightly. Ding, ding, ding, the four silver keys were ejected and fell to the ground.

Did it open?

The three strained to peer inside, but a fog inside obstructed their view.

"Lift the lid!"

They each chose a spot, hands on the lid, attempting to lift it. Despite their efforts, veins bulging, the lid only shuddered slightly, refusing to budge.

Too heavy.

"I'll help!"

"Me too!"

"Count me in!"

Others joined in, not necessarily to claim a share—though they wouldn't refuse—but out of sheer curiosity about the coffin's contents.

Those who reached this point were at least Single-Meridian Martial Sect level, if not higher. Their combined strength, with faces turning red and veins bulging, finally shifted the lid inch by inch.

Clunk, the lid crashed to the ground, producing a thunderous noise, shaking the entire chamber.

Some stared at the lid, recognizing it as rare metal, possibly higher than Fifth Grade, maybe even Third or Second Rank. How else could it be so heavy?

Imagine a War King or War Venerate wielding such a lid—who could withstand even a touch?

One dared to store the lid in his Mustard Seed Ring but was surprised to find it impossible to envelop it with Star Force.

To store something in a Mustard Seed Ring, one must first enshroud it with consciousness or Star Force.

Yet his consciousness or Star Force disappeared upon contact with the lid, like a pebble sinking into the sea.

Others tried but found their consciousness or Star Force also vanished upon touching the lid.

Chu Hao and the others focused on the Copper Coffin's interior. What was hidden there?

The coffin was too tall to see inside from the ground. They leaped, aiming to perch on the rim, but halfway up, a terrifying gravity pulled them down.

Thud, thud, thud, they all hit the ground, bruised and battered.

Such terrifying gravity!

The three looked at each other in fear. If they had fallen into the coffin, they would have been crushed into meat paste.

What now?

Chu Hao's gaze flicked to the four silver keys on the ground.