Battle Through the Heavens: Purple Heaven Thunder Emperor

Chapter 527 The Big Black Rat

"Sizzle—!"

The night sky was torn apart by a sudden streak of purple light, like a falling star, plummeting towards a lush mountain range.

"What is that?!"

In the dense forest not far away, a burly man with a scar on his face was preparing to set up camp and rest.

He glanced up casually and caught this scene, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

His companions, hearing his voice, all looked in the direction he was pointing, their mouths agape.

"A strange phenomenon has occurred!"

"Such speed! Has some kind of treasure been born?"

"Look, it's falling!"

In the blink of an eye, the purple streak of light disappeared into the distance, leaving only a faint purple trail in the night sky before vanishing without a trace.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"That place is—"

A tall, thin man squinted, gazing in the direction where the light had vanished, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "It looks like the direction of an ancient tomb?"

"Ancient Tomb Mansion? Isn't that where we just came from?" another person chimed in.

Upon hearing this, everyone's breathing became rapid.

The burly man with the scar frowned as he carefully observed the outline of the distant mountains.

That's right, the place where that light finally disappeared was the ancient tomb of a Nirvana Realm expert from which they had gone to great lengths to escape today!

"Boss, should we go back and check?"

The burly man who first spotted the light licked his chapped lips, a glint of greed in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, the others also looked at the scarred man, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Although the ancient tomb was fraught with danger, they also gained a lot of good things during their exploration.

If that purple light just now was truly some kind of heavenly treasure—

The scarred man remained silent for a moment, then shook his head, his voice low and calm: "Although we gained something from this trip to the Nirvana Realm expert's cave, we also lost the lives of two brothers."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his tone grave: "Besides, do you really think that even if some treasure were found in the ancient tomb, it would be our turn?"

"You must understand, this time, all four major families of the Great Yan Dynasty have young, top-tier experts leading teams into the ancient tomb. Do you think those guys will allow gangs like us, who live on the edge, to lay a finger on it?"

Upon hearing his words, everyone felt a chill, and the greed in their eyes quickly faded, replaced by deep apprehension.

"Ah—what a pity!"

The burly man who first spotted the purple light looked dejectedly towards the mountaintop where the light had disappeared, where the outlines of some ancient buildings could still be faintly seen. He knew that his boss was right.

Even if such an opportunity were to arise, it wouldn't be available to these independent cultivators.

"Alright, let's rest. We'll leave here first thing tomorrow morning and go back to the city to deal with this harvest."

The scarred man waved his hand and sat down cross-legged again.

Although everyone was unwilling, they could only nod in agreement.

Meanwhile, deep within the ancient tomb they were discussing, in a massive stone hall...

The interior of the hall is simply furnished. Apart from a few huge stone pillars supporting the roof, the most eye-catching thing is the uncovered stone coffin placed in the center of the hall.

The material of the stone coffin is unknown; it is dark gray and has intricate patterns carved on its surface, which remain clearly visible despite the erosion of time.

At this moment, a slightly immature-looking young man stood in front of the stone coffin, cupped his hands towards the inside, bowed deeply, and murmured, "Senior, I have taken quite a few things from you this time. I am just making do with this as a gesture of respect. I hope you will not take offense."

After the boy finished his greetings, he was about to straighten up when he suddenly caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a line of small characters carved on the coffin wall.

Driven by curiosity, he leaned closer to take a look and saw inscriptions on the coffin wall: "My life was spent ascending to Nirvana through the power of Yin and Yang. Therefore, what I leave behind must be resolved through the harmony of Yin and Yang. If Yin and Yang are not in harmony, one will surely perish in flames!"

The handwriting is simple and ancient, conveying a sense of vicissitude.

After reading it, the boy was slightly taken aback, frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly seemed to have thought of something.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the stunningly beautiful woman sitting cross-legged on an ice-blue lotus flower not far away.

The woman was dressed in white, sitting barefoot, with a light veil covering her face, obscuring her features. However, her slender figure and aloof demeanor alone were enough to captivate anyone's heart.

At this moment, her eyes were closed, and she was digesting the Nirvana Mind she had just received.

"Harmony of Yin and Yang — If Yin and Yang are not in harmony, the consequence will surely be self-destruction —"

The boy silently recited these two sentences in his mind, his expression becoming extremely interesting and strange.

His gaze involuntarily swept over the woman before quickly returning, his heart pounding.

"Could this handwriting be a prank?"

After observing for a long time, seeing that the woman remained calm as before, the young man withdrew his gaze with some disappointment.

Just as he was about to continue searching for any other writings on the coffin wall, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the scene inside the coffin out of the corner of his eye, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"What...what is this?!"

Inside the stone coffin, the remains of a Nirvana Realm expert that had been placed there had vanished without a trace!

Instead, a palm-sized purple talisman floated quietly in the coffin, emitting a faint glow.

The talisman was a deep purple color, and its surface was covered with mysterious and complex lightning patterns. These patterns seemed to be alive, flowing slowly and sometimes flashing, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

The boy's breathing suddenly became rapid, and his heart pounded wildly.

This talisman is clearly extraordinary!

Just looking at it, the boy felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, as if he were facing some extremely powerful being.

He suppressed his excitement and carefully examined the talisman.

His gaze lingered on it for only a moment before he felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if the lightning patterns contained some profound law that he could not look directly at with his current level of cultivation.

"Hiss 99"

The boy quickly grabbed the coffin wall with one hand to avoid fainting.

He bit his tongue hard, the intense pain easing the dizziness in his mind, and he was immediately horrified.

What a treasure this is!

It has such a terrifying effect!

He dared not look directly at the thunder talisman in the coffin any longer. He glanced at the stunningly beautiful woman who was still sitting with her eyes closed, and seeing that she was completely unaware, he cried out in his heart, "Little Mink! Little Mink! Quick, help me take a look! I think I've discovered something incredible!"

After a moment of silence, a lazy voice tinged with impatience rang in Lin Dong's mind: "What's all the fuss about? I, your humble servant, have just devoured a demon spirit and am digesting it. I tell you, you're just ignorant. A Nirvana Realm expert's tomb might be decent in the Great Yan Dynasty, but what good stuff could it possibly contain? Something worth your fuss—"

The voice abruptly stopped there.

Then, the voice suddenly rose in pitch, filled with extreme shock: "Holy shit!!!"

"Lin Dong! Wasn't this supposed to contain the remains of that Nirvana Realm expert? How did it turn into this thing in the blink of an eye?!"

The little sable's tone was filled with doubt and surprise, clearly indicating that it was also carefully examining the purple talisman in the coffin.

Before Lin Dong could answer, its tone became excited, even trembling slightly: "Quick! Kid! This talisman is definitely not simple! I've never seen such pure and powerful lightning energy! Quickly take it! I never expected to find such an opportunity in a place like this!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong immediately realized what was going on.

Whatever it is, the most important thing is to get it in your hands first!

He took a deep breath, strode between the stone coffin and the woman, and blocked her view with his body.

He then took out a golden halberd from his Qiankun bag and carefully touched the floating purple talisman with the tip of the halberd.

However, the next second, his expression changed slightly.

The tip of the halberd actually pierced right through the talisman, as if the talisman was just a phantom and did not exist in this space at all!

"this----"

Lin Dong was startled and tried several more times, but the result was the same.

No matter what angle or force he used, the halberd could not touch the talisman at all, as if the two existed in different time and space dimensions.

"Try it with the stone talisman in your palm! See if you can put it into the stone talisman space!"

Xiao Mink's solemn voice echoed in his mind.

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong nodded and put away the golden halberd.

He extended his right hand, and the Yuan energy within his body slowly condensed in his palm.

Soon, a milky white light emanated from his palm.

Lin Dong held his breath and slowly moved his palm toward the purple talisman in the coffin.

One inch, two inches —

Just as his palm was about to touch the talisman, "Bang!"

A terrifying, indescribable force of repulsion suddenly erupted!

Lin Dong felt as if his entire arm had been struck by a giant hammer, and his bones groaned in pain from the unbearable weight.

His body flew backward uncontrollably, staggering back seven or eight steps until his back slammed against the cold stone wall, barely managing to regain his balance.

"Not even stone talismans?"

A flash of light appeared on Lin Dong's shoulder, and a palm-sized figure, resembling a black rat, suddenly appeared.

It glanced intently at the talisman in the coffin, then turned to look at the panting Lin Dong, its voice filled with concern: "Are you alright?"

Lin shook his head, but his expression was rather unpleasant.

The opportunity was right in front of him, but he couldn't take it away no matter what he did, which made him extremely anxious.

After all, he wasn't the only one in the hall.

If that woman were to discover this purple talisman, even with his cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm, he wouldn't be able to snatch it.

"Oh no! That woman is waking up!"

The little sable suddenly glanced at the woman on the lotus flower and was startled.

The white-clad woman's aura began to slowly recede, her eyelashes trembling slightly, clearly indicating that she was about to awaken from her cultivation state.

The little sable was extremely anxious. It glanced at the purple talisman in the coffin, then at Lin Dong, and suddenly made a bold decision.

"Lin Dong, listen to me!"

Little Marten's voice rang in Lin Dong's mind, speaking rapidly: "I'll jump into the coffin now and use the Concealment Technique to hide my aura as much as possible. Quickly go and get the stone coffin lid in the corner and close it! Since that woman has already obtained the Nirvana Heart, she probably won't care about an empty coffin. We'll think of something else after she leaves!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong subconsciously looked towards the corner of the main hall—there indeed lay a heavy stone coffin lid.

Before he could think further, he saw the little sable transform into a streak of black light and leap directly into the stone coffin.

"Hurry up!" Little Mink urged again.

Lin Dong gritted his teeth, no longer hesitated, and rushed to the corner of the wall, grabbing the heavy stone coffin lid with both hands.

The coffin lid was extremely heavy, and even with Lin Dong's cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Yuan Dan Realm, it was quite difficult for him to move it.

He channeled all his inner energy, veins bulging on his forehead, and slowly moved the coffin lid to the side of the stone coffin.

"call----"

Lin Dong took a deep breath, exerted force with both hands, and slowly lifted the coffin lid, aligning it with the edge of the stone coffin.

Just then—

"Shameless scoundrel!"

A cold, angry shout rang out in the hall, and Lin Dong's hair stood on end.

A giant hand, formed entirely from Yuan energy, appeared out of thin air and slammed down on the stone coffin with immense power!

Lin Dong's expression changed drastically!

If this palm strike were to land on the stone coffin, the lid would surely be smashed to pieces!

The little ferret in the coffin and the mysterious talisman will also be exposed!

Thinking that Little Mink was still in the coffin, a ruthless glint flashed in Lin Dong's eyes.

He patted his Qiankun bag, and the golden halberd reappeared in his hand.

"drink!"

Lin Dong roared and instead of retreating, he advanced, holding his halberd with both hands, and fiercely thrust it towards the giant palm!

He had to block that attack!

For the little ferret, and also for that purple talisman that might be an earth-shattering opportunity!

"!!!"

The golden halberd collided violently with the giant hand!

A terrifying shockwave spread outwards, causing the entire stone hall to tremble, and dust and stone chips fell in a flurry.

Lin Dong felt an unparalleled force coming through the halberd, and his tiger's mouth instantly split open, bleeding profusely.

His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing violently into a distant stone wall.

"puff-

—

A mouthful of blood spurted from Lin Dong's mouth. He felt as if his internal organs were about to shift, and his entire body was groaning.

If it weren't for the stone talisman in his right palm spontaneously erupting with a wave of energy at the moment of impact, which offset most of the impact, he would probably have been smashed into mincemeat by that palm strike!

This woman is indeed terrifying!

"what?"

The woman let out a soft exclamation, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Why didn't you hide?"

She glanced at the intact stone coffin and frowned slightly.

A face hidden behind a veil obscured its expression, but a hint of inquiry lingered in those cool, clear eyes.

Her palm strike was aimed at the stone coffin. With this young man's Yuan Dan realm cultivation, even if he were standing next to the coffin, he should have been able to easily dodge it.

But he chose to take the hit head-on!

"Cough—cough cough—"

Lin Dong coughed lightly twice and spat out a few mouthfuls of stagnant blood before feeling a little better.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked up at the aloof woman, and forced a smile that was more like a grimace: "I received a favor from my senior and couldn't bear to see his remains destroyed. Since Miss Qingzhu has taken my senior's Nirvana Heart, she has already received his favor. Why go through all this?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Qingzhu's beautiful eyes flashed.

Is this young man protecting the stone coffin so desperately really to repay a debt of gratitude?

However, the thought of that Nirvana Heart immediately stirred up a sense of shame and anger in his chest, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

She raised her hand and struck the stone coffin again!

This time, the palm strike was even more concentrated, and the chill was even greater!

Clearly, she intended to smash the stone coffin in one fell swoop to vent her anger!

"stop!"

Lin Dong's expression changed drastically. He tried to get up to stop them, but his severely injured body couldn't muster any strength.

He could only watch helplessly as the giant hand slammed down on the stone coffin, and a sudden pang of regret rose in his heart.

If he had to choose between the little ferret and the mysterious talisman, he would choose the former without hesitation!

Although the little sable is just a demon spirit, it has long been a partner with whom he has formed a deep bond!

"Little Mink—I'm sorry—" Lin Dong closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

However, the expected shattering sound did not occur.

Just as the giant hand was only a few fingers' distance from the stone coffin, "Bang!"

A dull heartbeat came out of the stone coffin without warning!

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate deep within everyone's soul, carrying an indescribable rhythm.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

That giant hand, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, suddenly shattered like a bubble, turning into specks of energy that dissipated into the air.

The entire stone hall fell into a deathly silence.

Lin Dong and Ling Qingzhu were both stunned for a moment, their breath caught in their throats, and their pupils contracted slightly.

The two men stared intently at the stone coffin, their eyes filled with astonishment and uncertainty.

"Bang!"

"Bang! Bang!"

Soon, a series of heartbeats came from the stone coffin, each one louder and stronger than the last.

The entire stone hall trembled slightly with each heartbeat, and dust and stone chips fell from the walls. "What...what's going on?"

Lin Dong was shocked and struggled to sit up.

Ling Qingzhu, on the other hand, had a solemn expression and stared warily at the stone coffin as she slowly moved toward the exit of the stone hall.

Clearly, this sudden turn of events was beyond her expectations.

"uh-huh----"

A muffled groan escaped from beneath Ling Qingzhu's veil. She paused, a flash of surprise and anger crossing her beautiful eyes.

At this moment, it felt as if an extremely cold fire was burning in her meridians, trying to freeze her vital energy, her blood and qi, and even her soul!

"Damn it!"

Ling Qingzhu gritted her teeth and forcibly circulated her Yuan Power to suppress the cold energy within her body, but the effect was minimal.

That chilling aura was so strange, it seemed to have a life of its own, wandering along her meridians, freezing her vital energy and blood wherever it passed.

Meanwhile, Lin Dong was filled with anxiety.

Something unknown has clearly happened inside the stone coffin!

Since the little sable jumped into the coffin, it has remained completely still, and even the telepathic connection has been severed!

"Little Mink—please don't let anything happen to you—" Lin Dong silently prayed in his heart, feeling uneasy.

Just as the heartbeat grew more rapid and powerful, "BOOM!!!"

The stone coffin lid suddenly exploded open!

The heavy stone slab shattered into pieces, flying in all directions and embedding itself deeply into the surrounding stone walls.

Smoke and dust filled the air, enveloping the entire area around the stone coffin.

Ling Qingzhu suppressed the chill emanating from her body, her gaze fixed intently on the center of the smoke and dust. Lin Dong also held his breath, his eyes unblinking.

A moment later, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

When they saw the scene inside the stone coffin, Lin Dong and Ling Qingzhu widened their eyes at the same time, as if they had seen something incredible.

Inside the stone coffin stood a child.

She looked only four or five years old, wearing a dark purple robe, with soft, black hair and a face as delicate as a porcelain doll.

What is most striking about him are his large, bright, and clear eyes, like the most dazzling stars in the night sky.

But at this moment, there was a hint of confusion in those eyes, as if they had just awakened from a deep silence.

The child stood in the coffin, looked down at his tiny hands and feet, then looked up and around, his brows furrowing slightly.

"This—this is—"

Lin Dong opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

How could a four or five-year-old child end up in a stone coffin?

Could it be that...?

An absurd thought arose in Lin Dong's mind.

Could it be that the purple talisman has transformed into this child?!

Just then—

"call out!"

A beam of black light shot out from the stone coffin and headed straight for the main entrance of the hall!

At the same time, a terrified scream rang out in the hall: "Lin Dong! Run! He's too terrifying! We're not the ones who—uh—"

The words came to an abrupt halt.

A small hand had already effortlessly grasped the black light in its grasp.

The movement was as casual as plucking a fallen leaf.

Lin Dong looked closely and saw that the black light was none other than Little Marten!

At this moment, it was held in the child's hand, its palm-sized body trembling, not even daring to struggle.

"Big black rat—"

The child glanced at the object in his hand, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes, as if he felt that the object had dirtied his hands.

Just as he was about to let go and throw it away, he heard the "big black rat" shriek as if it had been greatly insulted: "You're the rat! Your whole family are rats! I, Lord Mink, am the god—uh—"

Before he could finish speaking, the child's hand tightened slightly.

The ferret's cries abruptly ceased, and its spirit became transparent at a visible speed, as if it were about to completely dissipate at any moment.

"Senior! Show mercy!"

Lin Dong was shocked to see this and, disregarding his injuries, hurriedly said, "Little Marten meant no harm! He just doesn't like being called a rat! Please don't take it to heart!"

He secretly groaned inwardly.

The purple robe on the child in the coffin was exactly the same color as the purple talisman he had seen before.

Adding to Xiao Diao's earlier comment, "He's terrifying," Lin Dong was almost certain that the child was definitely related to that mysterious talisman!

Someone who can easily capture a ferret and instill such fear in it, even if they look like a child, is definitely not someone they can afford to mess with!

The child—or rather, Xiao Bai.

He glanced at the young, inexperienced boy sitting against the wall at the foot of the stone wall, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

From the palm of the boy's right hand, he sensed a familiar aura—the aura of the Ancestor of Runes!

And there's this "big black rat" in his hand, who calls himself "Master Mink" and also calls this young man "Lin Dong" —

Xiao Bai already had a guess in his mind.

The noisy demon spirit in my hand—it must be the Heavenly Demon Sable.

Xiao Bai shook his head and casually tossed the little sable to Lin Dong.

The little ferret tumbled several times in the air before finally falling into Lin Dong's arms with a "thud." Its spirit body was dim, clearly indicating that it had suffered considerable fright and damage.

"Thank you—thank you, senior."

Lin Dong breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to immediately take the little sable back into the stone talisman space to nurture it, but the one in the hall was truly terrifying, and he hesitated for a moment.

Xiao Bai ignored Lin Dong. He lightly touched the edge of the coffin with his toes, and his small body floated up, landing as lightly as a falling leaf outside the coffin.

His gaze fell on the barefoot woman in front of him.

Dressed in white, her hair flowing like a waterfall, her face covered by a light veil, she stood barefoot.

This must be Ling Qingzhu.

A knowing glint flashed in Xiao Bai's eyes.

But soon, he realized that the scene before him seemed somewhat familiar—

As thoughts flow, memories flood back like a tide.

When he advanced to Dou Huang on the Dou Qi Continent and obtained the Myriad Tribulations Reincarnation Thunder, he saw several shattered images of the future.

One of the paintings bears a striking resemblance to the scene before us today.

He found himself transformed into a child, with a barefoot woman in white, ethereal and otherworldly beauty standing before him.

Culture