Mortal Dawn and Dusk, My Eternal Life - Chapter 24

Just as the old Daoist believed the matter settled and turned to leave the secret chamber, filled with blood and despair, the Soul-locking Coffin behind him, bound by countless rune-laden chains, suddenly erupted with an earth-shattering roar!

“Boom—!!!”

The sound was like a thousand thunders exploding, or a subterranean demonic dragon awakening! The entire secret chamber, even the entire Qingyun Temple, trembled violently from the deafening roar!

The old Daoist spun around, the relief on his face instantly replaced by boundless terror! He saw that the incredibly sturdy Soul-locking Coffin, its lid, had actually been violently forced open by an unimaginable power from within, creating a crack! Wisps of dark golden demonic qi, even purer and more savage than before, surged wildly like venomous snakes from the crack!

Immediately after, an even more soul-chilling scene unfolded before the old Daoist! The black chains, covered in runes, which had been tightly binding the coffin, suddenly seemed to come alive! The moment they touched the dark golden demonic qi, they let out piercing “sizzling” sounds, and then… they actually changed direction, no longer restraining the coffin, but shot out like arrows from a bow, overwhelming the sky and earth, towards the old Daoist!

“No—! This isn’t possible!” The old Daoist let out a desperate shriek. He never imagined that this young man, whom he considered an “experiment,” could erupt with such terrifying power after being sealed in the Soul-locking Coffin! And… he could even control these rune chains specifically used to suppress him! This had completely exceeded his comprehension!

The old Daoist wanted to dodge, wanted to resist, but it was all too late. He had just endured a soul-draining ritual and sealing, his magic power was already almost depleted, and the “young” heart he had just transplanted began to emit a mournful wail, unable to withstand such violent upheaval.

“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!”

Countless black chains, shimmering with dark golden demonic qi, like the sharpest spears, effortlessly pierced through the old Daoist’s seemingly solid protective Daoist magic, and then… violently impaled his limbs and body! Finally, the thickest chain pierced his newly transplanted heart, the one that belonged to A-Mu, with unparalleled precision!

“Ugh…”

The old Daoist’s body stiffened violently. He looked down at the gruesome chain piercing his chest, feeling his life force rapidly draining away like a tide. His eyes were filled with disbelief and endless regret. He had calculated everything, but he had never calculated that he would ultimately die by the very “secret of eternal life” he most coveted! The heart that should have granted him eternal life now became the harbinger of his death!

With his heart gone, his body, which had just regained some youth, withered and aged rapidly like a flower drained of moisture. In an instant, he reverted to his previous decrepit state, and even… became even older.

And the Qingyun Temple disciples who had been guarding outside the secret chamber, hearing the commotion and wanting to rush in to check the situation, didn’t even have a chance to react. The black chains that had pierced the old Daoist’s body, like a swarm of venomous snakes with their own consciousness, roared out of the secret chamber, impaling the panicked disciples one by one!

Screams rose and fell, then quickly vanished. In just a few breaths, the entire Qingyun Temple, apart from the faintly vibrating Soul-locking Coffin, had no living soul left. Blood stained the bluestone slabs, gathering into startling streams, turning this once flourishing (though sinister) Daoist temple into a true living hell.

Modern Su Mingyue’s consciousness, at the moment A-Mu erupted and retaliated, felt an unprecedented impact! She could clearly feel that what A-Mu was controlling at this moment was not only demonic power, but also a part of… the immortal energy within her own blood! However, this energy, after undergoing heart transplant, soul refinement, and the catalysis of endless pain and resentment, was no longer pure, but filled with an aura of destruction and savagery.

She watched as those once high-and-mighty Daoists were easily crushed like ants under A-Mu’s (or rather, A-Mu and the chains’ combined form) attack. Her heart was a swirl of mixed emotions. She didn’t know if her unintentional act back then had saved this young man, or… pushed him into an even deeper abyss.

The old Daoist did not die immediately. He was pinned to the ground by the chain piercing his heart, covered in blood, barely breathing, but his eyes burned with a final mad flame. He looked at the Soul-locking Coffin, which slowly descended from mid-air, its lid closing again, yet still exuding a terrifying aura. A grotesque and venomous smile spread across his face.

“Cough, cough… Little beast… Do you think… you won?”

The old Daoist used his last breath to speak intermittently, “This humble Daoist… even if I die… I will make sure you… are never reborn! You will be trapped… forever!” He endured the excruciating pain of his heart being pierced, and with his withered hands, quickly formed a mutually destructive blood curse seal!

“With my broken body as a sacrifice! With my soul as a guide! Blood curse, lock the soul! Forever suppress it in the Netherworld!”

As his venomous roar echoed, his entire body began to burn, transforming into a blood-red flame! The flame quickly condensed, finally forming a massive and complex blood-colored rune, carrying endless curses and resentment, fiercely imprinting itself upon the lid of the Soul-locking Coffin!

“Boom—!!!”

The moment the blood-colored rune imprinted on the coffin lid, the entire Soul-locking Coffin violently trembled! The rune chains, which had been faintly vibrating, seemed to be infused with new power, instantly pulled taut, tightly constricting the coffin, forcibly suppressing the restless and terrifying aura within!

Inside the coffin, A-Mu’s roars of defiance and pounding sounds once again emerged, but this time, no matter how he struggled, he could no longer budge the Soul-locking Coffin, strengthened by the blood curse, in the slightest. Gradually, the commotion inside the coffin grew fainter and weaker. Finally, it completely subsided. Only the blood-red rune remained, shimmering with an eerie light on the coffin lid, as if silently recounting a thousand-year-old grudge and curse.

“Haha… hahahaha…”

The old Daoist looked at the completely sealed Soul-locking Coffin, letting out the last few hoarse and triumphant laughs of his life.

“Little beast… I’ll make sure you… are trapped forever… in this lightless coffin… forever… never to see… that woman… hahahaha…”

Before his laughter faded, his burning body completely turned to charred remains, and his last trace of life vanished. The old Daoist, who had spent his entire life pursuing eternal life only to meet such an end, finally disappeared from this world, carrying his endless greed and unwillingness.

With the old Daoist’s death and the final sealing of the Soul-locking Coffin, this Tang Dynasty memory, filled with blood, pain, struggle, and guardianship, finally came to an end.

Modern Su Mingyue’s consciousness, after witnessing this final tragic and heroic scene, felt an unprecedented weariness and… emptiness. It was as if she had experienced a long and real nightmare. A-Mu’s eyes, filled with unwillingness and despair, the old Daoist’s mad and venomous curse, and the pitch-black coffin shrouded in the blood-colored rune… All of it was deeply etched into her soul like the most profound brand.

A powerful pulling force suddenly came from all directions. Su Mingyue’s consciousness began to uncontrollably float upward, leaving this memory world filled with sorrow and despair. The scene before her began to blur, to twist… Finally, it completely plunged into darkness.

When Su Mingyue’s consciousness regained clarity, she found herself still bound by the cold black chains, suspended in the large, empty space beneath the Huang Mansion. This time, however, her eyes were completely different. In those bright eyes, there was no longer confusion or bewilderment. Instead, there was a complete understanding, a compassion born of countless experiences, and… an unprecedented determination and power!

She was back! Carrying a heavy memory spanning a thousand years, carrying endless guilt for a soul!