Lin Tian prefers his destiny to be in his own hands, so he has always been exploring the origins of Taiyin Xuan Qi. Unfortunately, it seems more elusive than his own lineage.

"Kid, it has always been pretty docile. Why would it suddenly devour energy? You better watch out, for I do not wish to become its food," muttered the Sword Spirit, interrupting Lin Tian's thoughts.

Lin Tian jumped from the pool onto the shore before saying, "The sudden devouring of energy implies the quality of this energy is excellent. The unique energy suffusing the hollow beneath the sea fits the bill for it to devour."

"Kid, what do you mean by that? Are you subtly insulting my low rank?" the Sword Spirit retorted unhappily, embodying the spirit of preferring to be swallowed rather than be called low-grade, because, after all, it is the Sword Spirit of the Sword of the King.

Lin Tian was somewhat amused yet equally puzzled by the question, "Actually, your rank isn't low, but why doesn't it devour you? I suspect it might be because you possess consciousness and are no longer just ordinary energy."

"That's more like it," the Sword Spirit calmed down upon receiving Lin Tian's praise and acknowledgment, "Do you want to continue diving into this deep pool? There seems to be something peculiar about this place."

Lin Tian didn't answer, but instead walked to the edge of the pool and observed the water. He was about to activate his super vision when the pool suddenly bubbled up with bubbles. Lin Tian focused and saw a white object slowly surfacing from the bottom, and he quickly stepped back a few paces.

"Kid, what did you see just now?" the Sword Spirit asked curiously.

"I can't see clearly; it seems like a white rectangular object," Lin Tian replied, bewildered.

As soon as he finished speaking, the pool rippled loudly, while the white rectangular object he spoke of floated to the surface and drifted to the shore.

"A coffin?" Lin Tian exclaimed, surprised. This was a coffin, but one made from an unusual white jade.

Lin Tian's knowledge of jade was quite profound; it was clear that the "white jade" before him was neither Han white jade nor mutton fat jade, seemingly simple yet exuding an ancient aura.

The interior of the cave wasn't completely dark, with faint light seeping through the opening overhead. The light refracted through the water and shone on the jade coffin, making it appear somewhat transparent. Through the light, he could vaguely see a shadow inside.

With excellent eyesight, Lin Tian managed to discern the shape of a person inside—head, body, limbs, but the face was a blur, unclear.

Could it be... the zombie? Lin Tian's heart skipped a beat at the thought. Charlotte had mentioned that the zombie was sleeping beneath the sea eye.

"Kid, stop overthinking it. Just open it and you'll know," urged the Sword Spirit.

"That's the only option. Since I'm here, I can't return empty-handed," Lin Tian murmured to himself.

He stepped forward to the jade coffin, cupping his fists in a bow, regardless of whom was inside the jade coffin. Opening a coffin is generally disrespectful behavior, so Lin Tian deemed it necessary to bow, either to ease his own conscience or to show respect for the deceased.

Grabbing one corner of the jade coffin to keep it from floating away, Lin Tian pulled at the coffin's lid with force.

The seemingly lightweight coffin lid was heavier than Lin Tian anticipated. Accompanied by a dull scraping sound, the lid slowly opened, and as it did, an ancient aura wafted over him. For a moment, Lin Tian felt as if he was witnessing someone slowly emerging from antiquity.

With a thud, Lin Tian placed the coffin lid on the ground, and the "shadow" inside revealed his full appearance.

To Lin Tian's surprise, lying in the jade coffin was a very young man, appearing to be about twenty years old.

The youth was tall and slender, dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold, long hair cascading to his shoulders and splayed in the jade coffin, his facial features gentle, eyes closed, incredibly handsome.

"So young, I wonder how old he actually is?" the Sword Spirit exclaimed.

"Zombies and the Blood Clan are similar; age can't simply be judged by appearance. Charlotte also looks to be in her twenties, but her actual age might be in the hundreds," Lin Tian whispered, mindful that the young man in the jade coffin seemed to sleep so peacefully, as though a louder voice might wake him.

"Is he the Zombie Ancestor you spoke of?" the Sword Spirit asked, curious.

"No idea. The word 'Ancestor' isn't written on his face, and there isn't anything in the coffin to identify him," Lin Tian glanced inside the jade coffin and shook his head slightly.

However, when the female zombie was initially discovered, she was also asleep inside a jade coffin. If forced to connect the dots, the jade coffin could be seen as the sole marker of his identity.

A bit disappointed, Lin Tian had expected to meet the legendary Zombie Ancestor. He knew Qingyao's prowess; curious about the others' capabilities.

After pondering, Lin Tian turned to explore the space, looking for anything to verify the jade coffin owner's identity, but as he turned, he felt his wrist tighten as though something grabbed him, the grip so strong he couldn't step forward.

Looking down, Lin Tian nearly jumped in shock. At some point, a hand extended from the jade coffin and clutched his wrist.

Had a tomb robber encountered a corpse suddenly grabbing them upon opening a coffin, they'd be scared out of their wits. Even with Lin Tian's boldness, his heart pounded vigorously—not from fear, but from the eerily silent action, which even Lin Tian hadn't detected beforehand.

"Woke me up and wanted to leave just like that?" a hoarse voice emitted from inside the jade coffin, a sound that sent shivers down one's spine.

"It spoke! The corpse actually spoke!" shouted the Sword Spirit in exaggerated surprise.

"Oh, there's quite an amusing little creature inside you," the jade coffin's occupant spoke again, his voice less raspy this time as though accustomed to awakening.

After speaking, the "corpse" slowly sat up, eventually straightening up inside the jade coffin, but he still hadn't released Lin Tian's hand.

"Who are you?" Lin Tian steadied himself and asked with a frown.

The owner of the jade coffin slowly turned his head but kept his eyes closed, speaking slowly, "You entered my domain; that question should be for me to ask you. Who are you?"

"I'm Lin Tian, but I didn't intrude. I was pulled in here by a whirlpool," corrected Lin Tian.

"Whirlpool?" The jade coffin's owner chuckled lightly, as his mouth moved slightly, "You think whirlpools open at random? Without your blood, the Barrier would never open. It was precisely through the disturbance of your blood that I was awakened from slumber."

"Descendant of Nu Ba, am I right?" The jade coffin's owner suddenly opened his eyes, staring deeply into Lin Tian's eyes.

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