Chapter 140: Rising from the Coffin

Chapter 140: Rising from the Coffin

Tianfu District, a certain street.

Ever since the demonic dragon stopped moving, several battle-hardened Demon Slayers had been taking turns attacking it, trying to assist Chen Huai’an. They coordinated with tank artillery, bombarding the creature’s waist and tail in hopes of freeing him.

However, the dragon’s flesh rapidly regenerated, and every shattered piece of its body transformed into demonic wolves and black-furred rat demons.

If they didn’t control their attack frequency, the number of smaller demons would only increase. But if they slowed down their assault, they couldn’t completely tear the dragon apart. Even if the monster just stood there and let them attack, they still wouldn’t be able to kill it.

“Captain Zhao, Old Wang and the others are out of energy. We can’t keep this up.”

Zhao Ying’s expression was grim as she listened to the transmission. She responded coldly, “If there’s no other choice, cut off the dragon’s head and take it along with Chen Huai’an for containment!”

Taking the dragon’s head was still a risk.

Who knew if it could regrow its body?

But one thing was certain—the dragon’s regeneration must be consuming some form of energy.

The real question was: where was Chen Huai’an storing so much energy to fuel this terrifying regeneration? It was on par with the ancient progenitors of the Balkan blood clans.

At least those vampires still feared sunlight after their revival.

But this demonic dragon? It seemed completely unstoppable.

For now, their only option was to keep exhausting its energy and see what happened…

“Understood, Captain Zhao! We’ll do our best!”

After clearing out the smaller demons with heavy weaponry, the Demon Slayers charged toward the dragon again.

Then—

A sudden change erupted!

A streak of sword light shot in from the west, piercing straight through the demonic dragon.

Trailing behind the flying sword was a phantom of a young woman.

She seemed oblivious to everyone around her. With a flick of her wrist, her sword danced like a flurry of petals, leaving streaks of sword light in the air. In the blink of an eye, she shredded the dragon’s body into pieces, leaving behind only its head.

“This… This is…”

“A Sword Immortal! A female Sword Immortal!”

The onlookers gasped in shock.

Zhao Ying’s pupils shrank as she leaned out of the tank hatch for a clearer look.

As one of the core members of the Demon Slayer Bureau, she had some knowledge of Kunlun Immortal Palace—one of the Bureau’s greatest secrets.

At the base of Kunlun Immortal Palace, there was a staircase with ten thousand steps.

The Bureau’s strongest General-ranked expert had only managed to ascend to the 108th step.

And upon that step, an ancient engraving depicted a breathtaking scene—a grand exodus of Sword Immortals emerging from the mountains, soaring through the sky on their swords, an awe-inspiring and majestic sight.

The phantom of this female Sword Immortal looked almost identical to the sword cultivators in that engraving.

Who was she?

And what was her connection to Chen Huai’an?

Zhao Ying’s mind was in chaos.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, her figure graceful, her expression serene. Everything about her felt real, as if this wasn’t just some summoned entity but the lingering will of a true Sword Immortal.

At that moment, she stood before the dragon’s severed head.

She made no further move to attack. Instead, she gently placed her hand on Chen Huai’an’s face.

The Demon Slayers around her held their breath, but joy shone in their eyes—because the dragon’s regeneration had stopped. The shredded flesh no longer morphed into smaller demons.

The demonic dragon…

Had it been suppressed by her?

—

Deep within the soul.

Li Qingran clung to the dragon-carved coffin, sobbing uncontrollably, smearing tears and snot all over the wooden surface.

She blamed herself for arriving too late, for allowing her master to be sealed inside a coffin.

Cough cough.

"I’m not dead yet. Why are you crying?"

A muffled voice suddenly came from within the coffin.

Li Qingran froze.

She sniffled, accidentally blowing out a snot bubble, then hastily wiped her face. Grabbing onto the coffin’s edge, she shouted, “Master, your disciple will open this coffin for you right away!”

Chen Huai’an: “…”

Hey now, the way she said that…

Did she think he was some ancient zombie waking from its tomb?

Li Qingran gritted her teeth, using every ounce of her strength to pry the coffin open, but it wouldn’t budge. She even climbed onto the side, trying to kick it open—still no luck.

Sensing the commotion outside, Chen Huai’an suggested, “Uh… maybe try cutting it open with your sword?”

What Li Qingran heard instead was:

"The demonic dragon has merged with part of my bloodline. You need to sever the flesh bindings beneath the coffin to free me!"

She did as instructed.

The moment her sword cut through the restraints, Chen Huai’an felt his body lighten.

Seeing his disciple’s desperation—

He kicked the coffin lid open and rose.

The coffin lid flew through the air.

So did Chen Huai’an.

From the severed flesh, more demonic dragon heads emerged, lunging toward Li Qingran with relentless ferocity.

This time, Chen Huai’an had an image to uphold.

He was free now.

And in this subconscious realm—he was the true emperor.

“BEGONE—!”

With a single word, the dragons trembled violently and retreated.

Throughout the entire subconscious space, the chunks of flesh and rotting meat recoiled, withdrawing into the surrounding darkness.

They didn’t disappear completely.

Like venomous snakes hiding in the shadows, they lay in wait for the perfect moment to strike again.

Soon, I’ll finally see my dear disciple again. So exciting!

Chen Huai’an slowly descended from the sky.

He began adjusting his appearance.

Hmm. He was still dressed in a dragon robe, and his spiritual energy was in peak condition.

Well, this was his subconscious world, after all. Here, whatever he willed became reality.

Chen Huai’an landed gracefully in front of Li Qingran, his Blackscale Sword at his waist, his chin slightly raised, eyes narrowed like a blade.

To complete the look, he even added a subtle black dragon aura swirling around his robes, mist curling around him like divine clouds.

Heh.

My disciple must think I look unbelievably cool right now.

He could see it in Li Qingran’s eyes—joy, guilt, and growing concern.

…Wait.

Why was she looking at him with

pity

?

“Master…”

“Master,” Li Qingran spoke first. She wiped the corner of her eyes, holding back her tears as she hesitantly said, “Master… your hair is gone.”

Her voice trembled with sorrow.

“It must have been those vile demons! They trapped you in that coffin and even shaved your head to humiliate you… Wu~ QAQ It’s all my fault! If only I were stronger! If only I had finished refining the Hundred Herbs Detox Pill sooner…”

Chen Huai’an’s face turned pale.

Hair…?

He instinctively reached for his head.

Only to grasp—

Nothing.

Oh no!

He forgot to give himself hair!

Damn it!

Was his entire image ruined in her eyes?!

No, no, wait—this was his subconscious! This was just a dream!

Nothing to panic over.

Stay calm. Stay composed.

But in that brief moment of fluster, Li Qingran had already caught his reaction.

Master is so adorable~

She stifled a giggle, her hands clasped in front of her as she tilted her head slightly. With a pout, she murmured, “Master, don’t worry… Even without hair, you’re still the most handsome master in the world—especially in my heart.”

Yeah.

That sounds exactly like something she would say.

Chen Huai’an was pleased.

“You arrived just in time. What reward do you want?”

“Reward…” Li Qingran hesitated, her face blushing as her eyes darted nervously.

Chen Huai’an waved a hand. “Say whatever’s on your mind!”

Li Qingran mustered up her courage, still avoiding his gaze. After a long pause, she finally whispered:

“Master… Can I… have a hug?”