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Chapter 467 The Devil Resurrects, So Filial
The gasps shattered the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony, and the crowd watching the cremation immediately stirred.

The first to speak was a tall and strong servant who was standing by the fire, responsible for adding firewood.

At this moment, however, he stared intently at the coffin in the fire, his voice trembling, not daring to shout too loudly.

Several members of the Chen family nearby also leaned over and craned their necks to look at the pile of firewood that was taller than a person.

When they saw what was inside the coffin, their eyes widened instantly, and they all shrank back in unison, looking as if they had seen a ghost.

The commotion quickly attracted other members of the tribe, who gathered around in twos and threes, watching and whispering among themselves.

"What happened? Why is the coffin still intact?"

"I don't know. It's been burning for so long, even if it's camphor wood, there should be some signs of wear by now..."

Chen Xu'an was standing beside the altar talking to Fang Cheng and the others when he heard the commotion, and his face darkened.

He suppressed his unease, strode through the restless crowd, walked to the fire, and asked:

"what's the situation?"

The servant standing by the fire quickly lowered his head and swallowed hard.
"Second Young Master, we added firewood three times and even poured gasoline, but this coffin seems to be immune to fire."

"Moreover, the old man... his body doesn't seem to have changed much..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the black lacquered coffin atop the fire.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he gasped.

Fang Cheng and Lin Chuqiao exchanged a glance and tacitly walked to the perimeter of the crowd, keeping a close eye on the strange phenomenon in the fire.

The coffin was engulfed in raging flames, with the leaping flames reaching more than two stories high.

The firewood crackled and popped, sending sparks flying upwards.

Even from several meters away, you can feel the intense heat on your face.

With such a fierce fire, ordinary wood would have been charred and blackened long ago.

But the coffin was exceptionally sturdy, with only a faint charred color at the edges.

At most, the black lacquer on the outer layer of the coffin is cracked in large patches, revealing the dark red wood underneath.

"This is a coffin made of nanmu wood."

Lin Chuqiao spoke softly, explaining to Fang Cheng:

"Wealthy people often use this type of wood to make coffins. It is much denser than ordinary wood, as hard as iron, and contains natural preservatives. The temperature of an ordinary woodpile is not high enough to burn it through."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly; he knew this too.

However, the current situation is clearly more complex than just "difficult to burn thoroughly".

The fire from the pile of firewood had already covered most of the coffin.

Several streaks of orange-red flame were shooting into the coffin from the opening, propelling it into the interior.

However, Chen Hongye, inside the coffin, seemed detached from the fire, as if he were completely isolated from it.

Since his physical attributes broke through the 60-point mark one after another, Fang Cheng's height has grown to 1.85 meters, making him taller than most of the Chen family members around him.

While others had to stand on tiptoe to barely catch a glimpse of the inside of the coffin, he could clearly see the entire interior.

At this moment, the burial clothes on Chen Hongye's body turned yellowish-brown under the scorching flames, and the edges curled slightly, but they were not ignited.

The jet-black hair only twisted and withered slowly, without turning into ashes.

Even more bizarrely, his skin was completely intact, without any scorch marks from the flames, or even a trace of smoke or fire.

Instead, in the flickering firelight, there was a strange, luminous glow, as if covered with a thin layer of wax.

Fang Cheng then told Lin Chuqiao what he had seen.

"Even the funeral clothes won't burn?"

Lin Chuqiao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, her voice filled with undisguised shock:
"This level of isolation is far beyond what Nanmu could achieve... There's probably something else protecting him."

"What a hell!"

Pan Wendi then approached the two of them, his expression a mixture of surprise and excitement.

"What material is this old man's body made of? Has he cultivated the legendary indestructible body?"

Lark followed closely behind, asking in a low voice:
"Sister Chu, could this be another kind of evil black magic?"

Lin Chuqiao didn't speak, but her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she was deep in thought.

Fang Cheng suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, as if he had grasped a vague idea.

He took half a step forward, focused his gaze again, and carefully examined the fire.

A faint red light flickered in his pupils, and the "Scavenger's Eye" quietly activated.

Under this dark red visual filter, details that were originally obscured by flames and thick smoke instantly became clear.

Fang Cheng was shocked to discover that Chen Hongye's entire body was currently enveloped in a faint halo of light.

That wasn't the effect of flames reflecting off the surface.

It must be some kind of abnormal energy surging inside the corpse, slowly emanating from its pores.

This scene...

Just like the thermal imaging seen through night vision goggles, it clearly shows that there is highly condensed bioenergy inside the corpse.

Moreover, this energy, like a tangible aura, tightly enveloped the corpse, forming an invisible barrier that firmly kept the intense heat of the flames out.

Furthermore, some of the energy is slowly dissipating outwards, attaching to the burial shroud and the surrounding coffin lid, as if wrapping them in a protective film.

It seems that this is why the coffin's burning efficiency is reduced to some extent, making it difficult for it to burn through quickly.

Fang Cheng observed intently, making guesses in his mind.

Meanwhile, members of the Chen family were whispering amongst themselves, filled with surprise and uncertainty.

The idea that a corpse could not be burned was something they had never heard of before; it was simply too bizarre.

An uneasy atmosphere quickly spread, and even the chanting of the monks seemed unable to suppress it.

"This is the power of our Chen family bloodline at work!"

An old voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, breaking the commotion.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Elder Chen Dehai walking forward, leaning on his cane.

He first glanced at the terrified clansmen, then looked up at the coffin in the fire, before continuing:
“Hongye is a once-in-a-century genius in our Chen family. He was exceptionally talented in life, and his cultivation of the family bloodline ability ‘solidification’ had reached a state of perfection. After his death, his body became even more solid than gold and stone.”

Chen Dehai paused, trying to make his voice sound calm:
"Now that he has been dead for three years, it is normal that there are still remnants of this bloodline power protecting his body. There is no need for anyone to panic!"

These words were like a reassuring pill, allowing many tribesmen to quietly breathe a sigh of relief, and the whispers among them subsided.

Yet some people still frowned, their gaze fixed on the inside of the coffin.

The idea that residual energy from a corpse can protect the physical body is barely plausible.

But the fact that even the burial clothes and hair couldn't be burned was still too bizarre and couldn't be explained by "normal phenomena".

Chen Xu'an stood in front of the fire, staring intently at the corpse inside the coffin. He recalled that his grandmother had said something similar, and his heart suddenly wavered.

Was I wrong?

His expression kept changing, sometimes turning pale and sometimes somber.

Then he closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, that hesitation had been replaced by ruthlessness and determination.

Things have already gone this far; the fire has already been burned, and the clansmen are watching. There's no turning back now.

He couldn't just give up like that.

"You guys, go and move all the remaining gasoline from the warehouse over here!"

Chen Xu'an then turned around, pointed at the servants not far away, and gave them a command, his tone firm and unyielding.

He wanted to make the fire burn even brighter and fiercer, to completely incinerate all the strange things before him!

A moment later, several servants carrying oil drums returned one after another, panting.

Chen Xu'an stepped forward and personally took a bucket of oil.

When the cap was unscrewed, the pungent smell of gasoline instantly filled the air, mixed with the acrid smell of burning firewood.

He poured the water down the cracks in the woodpile with swift and efficient movements.

The gasoline slowly seeped into the wood along its grain.

As soon as it touched the flame, a bright orange-red flame shot up more than two meters high with a "boom".

The crackling sound of the firewood was even more intense and frequent than before.

Even the surrounding air was scorching hot; you could feel your skin burning even from several meters away.

Even so, Chen Hongye's body remained unharmed. Seeing that the space above the coffin was not completely engulfed by flames, Chen Xu'an frowned deeply.

He then ordered the servants to bring more firewood and pile it on top of the coffin, as if he wanted to stuff it completely full.

"Hey, don't pile them up too close together."

Seeing this, Lin Chuqiao immediately and calmly reminded him:

"Leave some gaps to let the wind in; with enough oxygen, it can burn more vigorously."

Chen Xu'an was taken aback upon hearing this, and then realized that he had been a bit too hasty.

He immediately followed Lin Chuqiao's instructions and directed the servants to adjust the structure of the woodpile.

First, push the half-burnt outer layer of firewood under the coffin to make room.

Then the servants were instructed to stuff new firewood into the gaps, and several small openings were deliberately made under the pile of firewood.

Finally, the new firewood was placed diagonally on both sides of the coffin, so that the firewood was close to the coffin body without completely blocking the air circulation channels.

After the adjustment, the flames indeed seemed to be straightened out, leaping upwards along the gaps and quickly weaving into a dense net that enveloped the entire coffin.

The coffin made of nanmu wood began to char, the crackling sound became more rapid, and the wooden planks began to show signs of red-hot.

The burial shroud on the corpse, which had long been charred and brittle, finally seemed to have reached its limit.

The fabric bursts into flame the moment it's touched by the flames, the orange-red flames leaping rapidly across the surface.

Before long, the shroud turned into fine ash, a thin layer covering the corpse, like a sprinkle of gray powder.

Chen Xu'an gritted his teeth, picked up a long wooden stick from the side, and carefully poked at the pile of firewood.

He would occasionally shout at the servants, ordering them to keep adding new firewood and pouring gasoline.

Seeing Chen Xu'an's ruthlessness, it seemed he wouldn't stop until he burned his grandfather's body to ashes.

Fang Cheng admired him somewhat; he was truly filial.

Something went wrong at the site where the bodies were being cremated.

The water and land ritual ceremony next door was still continuing in an orderly manner.

Master Yuanjue sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, holding a string of prayer beads in his hand and chanting scriptures softly.

The dozen or so monks behind him also chanted in unison and struck their ritual instruments.

Thump-thump—clang-clang—

The deep chanting and the sound of bells echoed through the manor, mingling with the crackling of burning firewood, creating an inexplicable eeriness.

The last rays of the setting sun were finally swallowed by the horizon, leaving only a leaden gray sunset on the horizon.

Soon, the Chen family manor was completely shrouded in night.

Everything darkened except for the blazing flames before the altar, which shone even brighter in the night.

The orange-red pillar of fire shot straight up, almost dyeing half the sky red.

The firelight cast long shadows of the monks and illuminated the faces of every onlooker.

The banners for summoning souls beside the altar swayed gently in the wind, the runes on the cloth flickering in the firelight, as if beckoning something.

The pile of firewood was still crackling and burning, thick smoke and fine ash billowing upwards, landing on your face with a pungent, acrid smell.

Chen Xu'an stood at the front of the crowd, the scorching heat making beads of sweat appear on his forehead.

He didn't back away, but squinted and stared intently at the coffin.

By this time, the flames had completely engulfed the coffin.

The pile of firewood was burning red-hot, and from a distance it looked like a huge burning tomb.

After burning for an hour, the originally black nanmu coffin had long since turned into charcoal, its surface covered with dense cracks.

The air was filled with the acrid smell of charred wood mixed with the pungent odor of gasoline, causing the onlookers to cough occasionally.

The flames continued to lick at the corpse inside the coffin.

Chen Hongye's originally intact skin gradually turned yellowish-brown, like meat that had been roasted for too long, slowly turning black and wrinkled.

The hair that was close to the scalp was also scorched by the flames. It first curled and withered, and soon it caught a small flame, turning into ash little by little and falling down.

As everyone stared at the changes occurring in the fire, their pupils reflecting the flames, the tension on their faces slowly faded.

Someone breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to themselves:
"It's finally going to be burned..."

Chen Xu'an also breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and looked relieved.

Once this bizarre corpse is thoroughly burned, everything that has befallen the Chen family will come to an end.

Lin Chuqiao and Bailing, however, did not relax.

Their fingers clenched unconsciously at their sides, their faces showing a mixture of disappointment and anticipation.

Fang Cheng remained calm, but the red light in his eyes grew stronger.

The "scavenger's eye" has never been taken back.

He clearly sensed that the corpse was undergoing some kind of abnormal change.

Especially the heart area, which was originally the place with the most intense halo.

The energy density is now higher, giving it an almost flowing dark red hue.

Plop...Plop...

A faint sound came from within, as if life was rapidly reviving.

The heart inside the corpse's chest cavity, which should have been dormant, began to beat faintly.

"Crack!"

A burning piece of dry pine wood suddenly burst open, sending sparks flying into the air like a fine rain.

It traces countless brief, bright arcs in the night, then slowly drifts down, quickly extinguishing itself upon landing on the ground.

Fang Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze locking onto the fire.

The red light emanating from the corpse's skin suddenly became several times stronger than before, almost solidifying into a tangible form.

Even the surrounding air was tinged with a pale red and began to distort slightly.

The red energy was slowly dissipating in all directions. When it came into contact with the flames, the flames instinctively shrank to the side, as if trying to avoid them.

Such unusual commotion was quickly noticed by Lin Chuqiao, Pan Wendi, and Bailing.

At the same time, Chen Xu'an and other members of the Chen family soon discovered the anomaly.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, illuminated by the firelight.

Twisted, dark red runes appeared on the surface of the already charred corpse.

The incantations, like living things, meandered and moved across the corpse's chest and arms, sometimes contracting, sometimes expanding.

Even with a raging fire burning right in front of them, the chilling aura emanating from the incantation could not be concealed.

It's as if it's been meticulously drawn on charred skin, exuding an indescribable sinister aura.

An extremely cold aura, accompanied by the appearance of incantations, quietly spread from the fire, carried by the cold wind to all directions.

The servants closest to the fire couldn't help but shiver and instinctively took two steps back.

The temperature in the air seemed to drop suddenly. The scorching heat just moments before felt like being transported back to the dead of winter, and even our breath was tinged with white vapor.

On the other side of the altar, the monks' chanting voices also began to tremble.

The originally orderly ritual rhythm became a bit disordered, and some people's hands holding the wooden fish began to slip.

Master Yuanjue sat in the center of the altar, his brows furrowed, clearly sensing that something was amiss.

The speed at which he twirled the prayer beads in his hands increased several times, and the range of his lips opening and closing also widened, as if he were urgently reciting scriptures to deliver the souls of the deceased.

The entire Chen family stared wide-eyed at the eerie scene inside the fire.

My heart, which had just finally relaxed, was in suspense again, and a wave of unease surged up in an instant.

at this time.

"call……"

From the depths of the fire, a deep, lingering sigh suddenly came.

The voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a penetrating power, drilling straight into everyone's ears.

It was heavy and cold, as if it had drifted from the depths of hell, carrying an unyielding resentment that made one's heart tighten.

Then, an aged yet authoritative voice slowly echoed through the fire, each word carrying a heavy weight:

"Three years have passed... I am about to achieve my goal, why must you disturb my peaceful rest?"

(End of this chapter)