After Zhang Yingxiong departed, Chu Feng sought Dao Sea Fairy's help with a matter.
Thus, he, Dao Sea Fairy, and Wang Yuxian returned together to the same grand hall where they had previously treated Wang Yuxian's injuries.
Chu Feng then brought out the black chest he had stolen from the Asura Burial Ground.
The black chest was eerie enough on its own, and the blood-red talisman paper affixed to it was a sealing talisman of extraordinary power. All of it hinted that the contents within were anything but simple.
But the most terrifying thing was that the black chest was now constantly shaking, as though whatever lay inside had already awakened and was attempting to break free.
"Young friend Chu Feng, is this what you obtained from the Asura Burial Ground?" Dao Sea Fairy asked.
"It is," Chu Feng replied honestly.
He had sought Dao Sea Fairy's help precisely because of this chest.
The chest was connected to the Asura Burial Ground, and under normal circumstances, Chu Feng would never share it with anyone.
But this object was far too terrifying, and Chu Feng knew full well that his own abilities had their limits.
That was why he wished to ask Dao Sea Fairy for assistance — to see whether she could discern what exactly lay inside the chest.
"This chest is no ordinary thing. I cannot tell what is inside either."
"My suggestion would be to open it and find out," Dao Sea Fairy said.
"Senior, this object appears extremely dangerous. Opening it carelessly seems unwise."
Chu Feng did not doubt Dao Sea Fairy's competence. It was simply that this object was truly terrifying.
He feared that if they opened it and released some fearsome creature that even Dao Sea Fairy could not control, it could bring about a catastrophe.
"Young friend Chu Feng, your mastery of barrier arts is exceptional. Surely you can see that no matter how powerful these sealing talismans are, they are nearing their limit and will soon be unable to continue suppressing whatever is inside."
"That is the reason you came to me for help, is it not?" Dao Sea Fairy said.
Chu Feng neither confirmed nor denied it.
However, he still felt that opening this chest rashly was far too reckless.
"In truth, there are two approaches."
"First, I could go and confront the Black Fiend Old Demon to demand answers."
"But knowing the Black Fiend Old Demon as I do, even if I could defeat him, he would not necessarily tell me anything about the Asura Burial Ground or this chest."
"Still, this method is probably the safest one."
"There is also a second approach."
"Within my Dao Sea, there is actually an ancient sealing formation."
"That ancient sealing formation has no effect on cultivators — it was designed specifically to seal evil spirits and demonic entities."
"If this object truly is something wicked, then the ancient sealing formation will certainly be able to contain it."
"I have already used that ancient sealing formation to seal numerous evil spirits and demonic entities over the years. I have considerable confidence in its power."
"We could place the object within the ancient sealing formation and open it there. If it turns out to be an evil spirit or demonic entity, the formation will seal it in place."
"Of course, these are merely my suggestions. If young friend Chu Feng has other ideas, you are welcome to handle it as you see fit. This is your possession, and the decision is yours to make," Dao Sea Fairy said.
"Chu Feng, try using the ancient sealing formation."
"Even if the formation truly cannot contain it, at the very least it would buy us some time to escape."
"Besides, there may not necessarily be anything terrifying inside this chest."
"What if it only looks frightening on the outside, but inside there is actually a great beauty like yours truly?"
"Wouldn't that mean you hit the jackpot?" Eggy said to Chu Feng with a grin.
Though she spoke in jest, Chu Feng knew that Eggy had always felt this object was ominous and hoped he would rid himself of the burden as soon as possible.
Now that Dao Sea Fairy was willing to help, this was indeed a good opportunity.
"Senior, then I shall trouble you with this," Chu Feng said.
After that, Dao Sea Fairy, Wang Yuxian, and Chu Feng ventured together deep into the Dao Sea.
As they descended, the depths of the ocean had turned pitch black. Sunlight could not penetrate this far, and the creatures within the sea were extraordinarily massive and bizarre in shape.
Going even deeper, not only did their field of vision shrink, but even their spiritual senses gradually failed. Had it not been for Dao Sea Fairy leading the way, Chu Feng would have had no idea which direction to go.
Finally, Dao Sea Fairy brought Chu Feng and the others to a place that appeared utterly unremarkable. She then produced a special barrier key, and a barrier gate materialized before them.
Passing through the gate, they found themselves still in an underwater world — but this one was brightly illuminated.
Chu Feng and the others were standing within an ancient submerged city hidden deep beneath the ocean floor.
Every brick, every tile, every blade of grass and every tree within the ancient city radiated an aura of antiquity — all were complete relics preserved from a bygone era.
As they made their way forward, Chu Feng discovered that this underwater city was in fact a vast ancient ruin, containing numerous mysteries within its confines.
The city was also riddled with traps and trials — the slightest misstep could cost one their life.