Divine Coffin: Gods' Entombment

Author: Hazel

Chapter 1: Zane Casson's Return

Words : 1756 Updated : Feb 19th, 2025

The Khidal Empire. Grester City, Capital of the Khidal Empire. "Holy crap, isn't that… Zane Casson?" "D*mn, it really is him!" "Didn't he vanish a year ago? After his soul lantern went out, the Casson family fell into chaos. Everyone thought he was dead!" "Yeah, I heard he might've stumbled into the Abyss of the Forsaken!" "That's a death trap with no way out—no one ever returns alive." "Then how come he's back now? Don't tell me… that's his spirit." "No… he's not a ghost. But did you guys notice there's no fluctuation in his Spiritual Essence? Did he lose all his cultivation?" ... At Khidal Empire Academy, a tall young man walked in slowly, his cold expression sending waves of shock and whispers through the crowd. What stunned everyone most was that they couldn't sense any trace of cultivation in him! The news of his return—and his loss of cultivation—spread like wildfire, throwing the entire academy into an uproar as countless people rushed to see him for themselves. That man was none other than Zane Casson. A year ago, he was a prodigy beyond compare—a Celestial Realm elite fighter at only twenty years old, placing him on par with the ancestors of elite families who had cultivated for centuries! His name, Zane, had been personally bestowed by the Emperor of the Khidal Empire. At the height of his fame, he overshadowed his peers, unmatched by any young talent in the empire. But a year ago, he vanished without a trace. His soul lantern went out, and everyone believed he was dead. Yet here he was today—alive and standing before them! "One year... or a hundred years?" Zane murmured softly, his pace neither hurried nor slow as he walked further in. His gaze flicked around, not with the youthful innocence of a twenty-one-year-old but with a touch of weariness. Just then, a tall, graceful young woman appeared before him. Her face was breathtaking—exquisitely beautiful with a captivating, soul-stirring allure. With each movement, she mesmerized everyone around her. Zane walked straight toward the woman upon spotting her. The crowd around them immediately became restless. "Isn't that Bristol Greaves, the most beautiful woman in the Khidal Empire? Tsk, Mr. Casson really is infatuated with her—his first move after returning is to seek her out." "Yeah, I heard countless women were infatuated with Mr. Casson. Yet, he only had eyes for Bristol. He treated her so kindly and attentively." "I even heard that Mr. Casson showered her with both heavenly and earthly treasures. He practically spoiled her beyond imagination." ... As the murmurs from the crowd grew, Zane made his way toward Bristol. "Zane, y-you didn't die?" Bristol looked conflicted. Her voice betrayed her shock. When she sensed the absence of cultivation aura around Zane, a flicker of disappointment and disdain flashed in her eyes, followed by what seemed like relief. "It's good you're back. Even though you've lost your cultivation, you can still live a comfortable life with the Casson family's support," Bristol said, staring into Zane's pitch-black eyes. She continued, "But don't come looking for me again. We won't get back together now." "Wow, who would have thought the once unparalleled prodigy would turn into a useless man in just one year? What a pity," a beautiful woman beside Bristol mocked, her eyes filled with contempt. "Bristol is now an Earth Martial Realm level 1 cultivator, and you're no longer worthy of her." This woman, named Kate Lashbrook, was Bristol's close friend. "Kate, stop it," Bristol said before glancing back at the silent Zane with a cold, superior expression. "Zane, do you hear me? Don't ever bother me again. From now on, we should have nothing to do with each other. Our engagement should have ended a year ago—when your soul lantern shattered! Now that you're back, find some time to come to my home and break it off officially." Then, she turned and left with Kate. To her, Zane was now a worthless man, undeserving of a second glance. "Wait." At that moment, Zane, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "What? Zane, are you still hoping to change her mind? Give it up. Bristol is now far beyond your reach." Kate sneered, her voice dripping with arrogance. The crowd erupted in an uproar. "Damn, who would've thought Bristol could be this cold? She won't even spare Mr. Casson the courtesy of a few words." "Ha! You're clueless, aren't you? I heard that Bristol caught the eye of one of the young masters from the Four Great Families of the Holy Land. Now that she has a powerful backer, she's naturally aiming higher." "Tsk, tsk, who would've thought? Back then, Mr. Casson was her most devoted admirer—he practically worshiped the ground Bristol walked on. Spiritual pills, spiritual elixirs, spirit stones, weapons—whatever she needed, he provided without hesitation, helping her grow rapidly at Khidal Empire Academy." "Tsk, tsk. I suppose this is what they mean by burning bridges. I never expected Bristol would go so far." The murmurs from the onlookers made Bristol's expression flicker with unease, but it quickly returned to calm indifference. In that cruel world, strength reigned supreme. A man without power was nothing—unworthy even as a tool for her ambition. As Bristol was thinking this, Zane's cold voice rang in her ears, "You mentioned breaking off the engagement. I'll personally visit your home three days from now to end it." "W-What?" Bristol stiffened in shock. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she had misheard. The Zane of the past would have clung to her desperately. She never expected him to agree so calmly. Before she could fully process the surprising turn of events, Zane continued, "Also, I did not come to catch up with you. I came to reclaim the spatial ring I once entrusted to you." Zane's eyes, devoid of warmth, swept over the sword in her hand and every piece of spiritual treasure adorning her. "Of course, since we're dissolving the engagement, every spiritual treasure I gifted you for the marriage must be returned. That includes the Heaven-Level Frozen Saber, the Earth-Level Glacier Cloak, the Cosmic Harmony Bracelet, and the Frozen Spirit Necklace." As Zane listed them one by one, the entire crowd fell into stunned silence. Every mouth gaped open, and pupils constricted with disbelief. Zane's words hung in the air for a while before he resumed, his voice steady and absolute, "Let's not forget the three million spiritual stones I gave your father as an engagement gift, all under the premise of our marriage. Three days from now, I'll come to your house personally. I expect your father to return them in full." Finishing his piece, Zane calmly extended his hand toward Bristol. "For now, please return the spiritual treasures you're wearing." The room plunged into eerie stillness. Everyone froze in shock as they stared at the two of them. Bristol's chest heaved violently. She glared at Zane, her heart burning with sudden, inexplicable rage. A fierce roar echoed within her, and she screamed internally, "You gave them to me willingly! You gave them to me, so they belong to me! Why should I return them to you?" "Zane, what do you mean by this?" Before Bristol could say anything, Kate, standing beside her, snapped angrily, "What kind of man are you? You gave those things to Bristol as gifts, and now you want to take them back?" Zane shot her a frosty look and replied coldly, "Get lost. This has nothing to do with you. Say one more word, and I'll smash your mouth!"

Divine Coffin: Gods' Entombment

Chapter 1: Zane Casson's Return

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