Chapter 145: The "Key" Appears!

Just as the world outside the bronze palace descended into intense confrontation, Bai Qi remained inside the small pocket world of the altar, searching for the location of the key.

Seemingly due to having indirectly absorbed the origin of the dead qi hidden within the altar—to reiterate, dead qi is vibrant qi; the two intertwine, yet it is simply referred to as dead qi—he could distinctly sense certain peculiar changes within this minor realm.

The origin of dead qi within Bai Qi's body perceived several locations that, even with his cultivation having improved significantly by now, still caused his heart to leap with terror. The existence of such entities perhaps represented true power.

However, just as he intended to recall the origin of dead qi, Bai Qi discovered a strange place. It resembled a source of water, and the ripples emanating from it felt like a summons to him. Rather than a summons, it was more as though something within his body was communicating with the mysterious object in the pool, bearing an inexpressible sense of intimacy. Without hesitation, Bai Qi flew swiftly in the direction of the sensation. Given his current abilities, executing aerial flight was far more formidable than that of practitioners at the same level. Thus, within the span of a few cups of tea, Bai Qi landed at the edge of the pool.

His gaze swept across the surroundings. This place seemed isolated by that layer of mist. If not for the special condition within his body and his perception of this bizarre phenomenon, he would never have discovered such a mysterious place here.

The surrounding foliage was lush, and the flowers and grasses were even denser. Ever since Bai Qi entered this altar world, most of what he had seen were places of utter desolation, with ruined walls visible everywhere. Yet here, it was the exact opposite, presenting a miniature, secluded wonderland. To speak of the dense spiritual energy within this place, one did not need to deliberately regulate their breath; the spiritual energy voluntarily cleansed the impurities of his body and purified his physical form. Moreover, Bai Qi faintly felt his dantian craving it like a starving or thirsty beast, absorbing it frantically. His spiritual core harbored a sense of fullness, and his cultivation level subtly increased by a fraction. Do not underestimate this hair-thin growth; this minute quantity represented a qualitative change. Every level of a practitioner's cultivation required the accumulation of countless amounts of spiritual power, and the fundamental method of this accumulation was primarily the compression of spiritual energy. Through a thousand and one intricate processes, one could finally achieve an enhancement of their own strength. Therefore, the further a practitioner advanced in cultivation, the slower the rate of improvement became. Some practitioners even stagnated at a certain stage for many years, and barring exceptional fortune, their lives would remain just like that. Consequently, under conditions of limited resources, the contention for resources had become the fastest way to acquire them.

Sensing the summons from the bottom of the pool, Bai Qi felt a trace of hesitation in his heart, for his previous "curiosity" had nearly cost him his life. This time, he needed to be cautious, prudent, and exceedingly careful.

Yet, just as he was hesitating and undecided, the cyan Qi within his body impatiently took direct control of Bai Qi's physical form, compelling him to take a fierce plunge straight into the water and submerge deep into the pool.

Having been passively thrust into the water, had it not been for his past proficiency in swimming, he would long have been choked to death after being forcefully crammed with massive gulps of water by this sudden torrent. He knew not why his body was so "impulsive," directly carrying him down to the very bottom of the pool.

At this moment, Bai Qi's heartbeat accelerated wildly, and his connection with the earlier sensation grew even more urgent.

At the bottom of the pool, where Bai Qi had arrived, water weeds intertwined like long serpents, and corals were as numerous as raindrops, yet not a single living creature appeared here. It was a phenomenon of water so clear that no fish could live in it.

Bai Qi proceeded inward following his sensation. The further he went, the darker it became. Unable to bear this oppressive feeling, Bai Qi made a casual gesture, willfully condensing his spiritual energy in his palm and transforming it into a "luminous sphere." In an instant, the entire surrounding space was illuminated.

At this moment, the space, which had been relatively narrow, grew larger and larger as he moved forward, and the walls on both sides of the passage gradually became regular, eventually turning smooth and bright.

Looking ahead, an endless dark abyss unexpectedly appeared. The end from which Bai Qi emerged was merely a prelude, the process of a cavern, but spanning across the abyss before him was a suspension bridge made of extremely long chains. The rusty iron chains upon it looked as though they might snap at any moment due to their great age, and most of the laid wooden planks were incomplete, with scattered skeletal remains resting haphazardly on the suspension bridge. The eerie wind blowing up from the abyss below made one's hair stand on end.

Bai Qi raised his head to look across the opposite side, discovering that a faint radiance emanated from there. However, this glow merely enveloped the vaguely looming palace like an energy shield, confined within a certain range without leaking outward.

Plucking up his courage, Bai Qi took a deep breath, his gaze revealing a trace of firmness, beneath which lay a profound sense of agitation. For he truly wished not to remain here, knowing not what ghostly fate might befall him in the next moment. Had it not been for the desire to escape the bronze palace, who would willingly wade through these muddy waters? Moreover, in moments of life and death, there was not a shred of hope; if not for the appearance of the mysterious cyan Qi within his body, he would long have been tormented to death by that "wizened old fellow."

Bai Qi walked toward the suspension bridge, striving as much as possible to steady his mind and avoid being disturbed by the eerie wind. He thought to himself that since this eerie wind belonged to the Yin attribute, it must surely have gathered from years of accumulated dead qi, meaning that beneath the abyss there must undoubtedly be endless varieties of corpses.

Do not underestimate this simple eerie wind; it was imbued with the seven emotions and six desires of those deceased entities, and the resentment within was particularly profound. If an ordinary practitioner harbored even the slightest stray thought in their mind, they would be affected by these resentments and, through the slightest carelessness, plunge into this endless abyss of eternal damnation.

However, Bai Qi harbored a different idea. He possessed the origin of dead qi within his body; he himself was akin to a "king" of these desires. Upon encountering Bai Qi, they all bowed in submission, trembling with awe and reverence.

The origin of dead qi within his body merely revealed a sliver of its presence, and the countless eerie winds in the surroundings retreated three hundred paces.

Feeling these gusts of eerie wind recede, he directly unfolded his form and flew across. As he felt the surging sensation within his body accelerate in frequency, he could not help but feel somewhat apprehensive.

And the moment he touched that resplendent golden palace, his body seemed to be absorbed by it. In the blink of an eye, he vanished entirely from the spot.

After a short while, Bai Qi suddenly appeared inside the main hall. He steadied his posture and looked around. It was completely empty, devoid of any ornamentation, save for a suspended golden coffin resting above the dais of the main hall.

The surface of the golden coffin radiated brilliant light, yet it remained as "unadorned" as before, lacking any extravagant carvings, simply hanging quietly there.

Suddenly, a stream of gray Qi darted out from within Bai Qi's body, shooting explosively toward the golden coffin and merging into it.

"Clatter, rattle..."

Amidst the sound of coffin lids being pried open and slapping shut, the previously quiet hall suddenly erupted with golden light, gradually giving rise to an extraordinary brilliance. Brighter and more dazzling than the golden coffin itself, this radiance washed over his body like a dive into a mother's embrace—warm, comforting, and evoking an urge to sink into a deep, undisturbed sleep, filling one's heart with an extreme sense of security.

When the radiance finally dispersed, what manifested before Bai Qi's eyes was a black key. This key seemed refined from the depths of an endless dark abyss, pitch-black to the core, the ultimate black.

Wreathed around the black key were wisps of gray gas, and these wisps were precisely the origin of the death qi Bai Qi had previously acquired. At this moment, this entity clung like a child nestling close to its "mother," fully displaying an expression of reluctance to part.