Waves of power spread out as three figures valiantly fought with one another with complete disregard for all those around them. Drax, the Celestial Disciple on a mission, was holding his own against two Saint Ranked individuals with power at the Transcendent level, the cause being the usage of the Law of Fate that was at an extremely high level.
The third eye piercing from the center of his head arrogantly looked down on any being it targetted as it released waves of power that crushed all the attacks directed towards it. This type of power was one that could be considered to only come from the most exceptional geniuses as they were able to skip levels and fight with equal footing with those above them, but the Celestial took this to a whole new level as he dominated the fight against the two Saint Ranked individuals.
While this fight was going on, Noah was slowly edging higher and higher on the temple towards the rotating purple and gold dagger as its gorgeous light could already be reflected in his eyes. He kept his emotions in check as a single release of aura would alert the powerful experts currently fighting, and he didn't know whether he would be fast enough to act the moment they found him.
His miniaturized figure continued to move up slowly as the Treasure became only a few meters away from him, his excitement reaching higher levels as he got the counterpart of the weapon hidden deep inside his body to use the instant he got his hands on the resplendent dagger.
The three key figures fighting in the distance had no idea that another being was so close to getting the treasure they were fighting for as they continued to throw out powerful attacks. Noah inched ever closer towards the black coffin that had the treasure slowly flowing on top of it, and he was just within an arm's reach when a change occurred in the atmosphere.
OONG!
"Now, that would be no fun at all."
Powerful waves of power spread out from the center of the Temple as a black aura began to leak out of the coffin. Those fighting around the temple and other beings watching from a distance in the cavern all looked up in shock towards the centermost point of the temple where a coffin lay.
They found to their disbelief that the lid of the coffin...had slowly lifted itself off.
Shock. Horror.
The possible reality of what could be playing out next was understood by some much faster than others, with Noah and the Celestial being the first beings to instantly activate their spatial skills to immediately leave the location.
The Celestial actually chose to abandon his mission and accept failure, while Noah chose to abandon the treasure he knew of the tremendously powerful uses for the instant this change occurred. The instant they realized the being that should have been dead in this tomb, the being that should be peacefully lying on the coffin atop the temple where his most powerful weapon remained, might actually not be dead after all.
They activated their spatial skills only a second later, but that second was already too long. To their dismay, their spatial skills did not work.
"With my achievements in the Law of Space, do any of you think you will be making it out of this tomb?"
The guttural voice that had rang out a second ago was heard once again as everyone's fears were realized. Noah's heart beat faster as a dangerous premonition arose while the Celestial was soon standing behind the Punisher given to protect him.
Grand Elder Amos had a crazed look in his eyes as he observed the slowly moving lid of the coffin with the abundant dark light leaking out of it, as well as the gutteral voice that was ringing on every corner of the cavern they were in.
Black Serpent held a tinge of fear in his eyes as even Otherworlders knew of the famous being they were now coming to face with. None of them were scared to enter this dangerous Treasure Abode because they knew even with any dangers it could pose, the one who created it had long been dead for hundreds of years, and only his belongings would be there for the taking.
But to their surprise, the being that was feared in the World of Cultivation and even had his legend known across the surrounding worlds...was actually not dead.
Fear crept up in their hearts as the aura coming out of the coffin became stronger and stronger, until a lone decrepit skeletal head with degraded muscles slowly rose from it. Eyes that were filled with darkness immediately turned down the coffin towards the position of the minituarized Noah as they glinted with a dark light.
"Well hello, little rat."
POP!
The words were accompanied by a dark blast of power that erupted out and smashed into Noah, reducing his hiding skills to nothing as his form of a Nine-Headed Dragon was thrown backwards like a ragdoll, smashing onto the ground and leaving a crater not befitting the miniaturized size.
Excruciating pain rang out from all over his body as he found lacerations and broken bones all around, his immense mana moving as restorative skills were quickly used to mend up the damage while his miniaturized figure became larger in size.
Others didn't even put into account that his appearance was extremely close to obtaining the treasure, and all their attention was placed on the terrible figure that had fully risen from the coffin.
Atrophied muscles hugged decrepit bones as the figure that looked to be more like a skeleton stood powerfully, letting out waves that seemed to be at the Saint Realm, but also quickly ascending above to another realm before they settled down again a second after.
A cruel smile appeared on the skeleton as it looked around the cavern where many cultivators and otherworlders were looking forward in shock as it actually licked its decayed teeth with a cracked thin tongue, looking at the beings around it with a level of disregard never before seen. It's crackling voice rang out sonorously once again.
"Well, hello."