Chapter 986: Chapter 706: Chaotic Times
Another Great World.
Blood-red lightning danced wildly across the sky.
Four chains were pulled taut by the red-cloaked figure, emitting subtle crackling sounds.
Roaring Divine Power burned fiercely, a terrifying aura soaring towards the heavens.
The red-cloaked figure knew that once Lu Chenzhou ascended to a Great Power, it was highly unlikely they would be a match for him.
Over the years, he had expended Divine Power without considering the cost, finally breaking through the seals.
...
"Are you all going all out?" Long Ge could sense the subtle fluctuations from the struggle between the red-cloaked figure and the Demon Lord.
He laughed bitterly, "To force us to this extent, Lu Chenzhou, Dragon King... just what divine beings are you?"
Among the Demon Vanquishing Trio, Long Ge feared only these two.
Kunxu, although not weak, was still not considered a threat in the eyes of an upper-level demigod.
With Kunxu’s growth rate, by the time he planned to emerge, he still wouldn’t be a match.
But the other two monsters were different, especially Lu Chenzhou, who had potential that defied logic.
Long Ge’s Divine Rank burned like wildfire as he spoke, "So be it, I’ll risk it too, even if it means shattering my Divine Rank, I’ll drag someone down with me. The Gods want us old soldiers to end our own lives to prevent becoming stepping stones for Lu Chenzhou. I’ll show the Gods that I, Long Ge, won’t hold back!"
...
"Report! There are disturbances from the Great World where the red-cloaked figure, Long Ge, and the Demon Lord reside. The three demigods are about to break through their seals."
Reports came in from the scouts placed around the Great Worlds by the Mystic Sky Alliance.
The Eternal Immortal heard it, furrowed his brow, and said, "Got it."
He thought to himself, "Chenzhou mentioned before leaving that he had a premonition that the demigods would successively break their seals within a year or two. It’s indeed true."
Soon after, the Dragon King and Kunxu Ancestor arrived.
"Have they emerged?" asked the Dragon King.
"Not yet. According to intelligence from the Mountain and Sea Tower, it originally took multiple Great Powers to seal the red-cloaked figure, Long Ge, and the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord even required Emperor Xuan and the Dragon Emperor to act personally... Supposedly, they should still be sealed for at least five more years, but now the situation is unclear?" the Eternal Immortal sighed.
"Demigods can briefly enhance their Divine Power level by burning their Divine Rank, perhaps that’s the case. The cost of this is their Divine Rank may collapse at any moment, and even if they emerge, they won’t live long... But before that, if we cannot kill them, it will be enough to cause serious damage to the Three Thousand Worlds."
Kunxu Ancestor, being experienced and knowledgeable, spoke with gravity.
"Perhaps the pressure from Chenzhou on them is too great," said the Dragon King.
The Dragon King continued, "How is the migration of civilizations in the Three Thousand Worlds going now?"
The Eternal Immortal replied, "The civilizations under the Mystic Sky Alliance have all migrated and settled on Xia Star in the Xia Realm."
The Dragon King nodded, "That’s good, up next will surely be a fierce battle, and the situation may get out of control. The battle with the top-level demigods, even the slightest aftermath, could annihilate some civilizations. To be safe, it’s best to draw the demigods to the uninhabited areas of space in the Xia Realm."
Within the Xia Realm, both he and Lu Chenzhou’s strength can be enhanced while weakening the demigods.
"Has Lu found any news about the Bright Moon Sword?" Kunxu asked.
"He said he plans to enter the black hole to search," the Eternal Immortal replied.
Kunxu and the Dragon King exchanged slightly changed expressions.
"Black hole? This might be the most dangerous Forbidden Zone in the starry sky. Even Great Powers tread within at their peril, potentially leading to death and Dao dissolution," Kunxu said.
Black holes can shatter thousands of methods, using immensely powerful Star Power to isolate connection with the outside world, forming a temporal vortex that disrupts communication, even the Causality Dao can be contorted and erased. In ancient times, there were cases of powerful beings exploring black holes, only to vanish from the Human World.
"Chenzhou’s physical body is strong, so preserving his life isn’t difficult, but how to leave is the problem," the Dragon King replied.
"There’s no choice. Without gathering the Four Divine Slaying Swords, it’s a longshot to resist the Demon Lord in the short term," the Eternal Immortal added.
"Let’s await news from Chenzhou then. Kunxu, let’s start preparing," the Dragon King said as he turned to leave.
...
In the Witch Lord Divine Country, the intentions of the gods gathered.
"The red-cloaked figure, Long Ge, and the Demon Lord have all burned their Divine Ranks. Perhaps there’s a chance to achieve the goal ahead of schedule," the Old Mother said.
"It’s useless... these demigods are too arrogant. They should just kill themselves outright. It’s not like we won’t resurrect them," said the Witch Dao.
He was disappointed that the gods had such weak control over the demigods of the Three Thousand Worlds.
If those demigods obediently committed suicide, Lu Chenzhou wouldn’t have grown so rapidly.
But now, it’s too late to say anything.
Originally, these thirteen demigods were thought to be a brilliant move left in the Human World, potentially hastening the gods’ revival.
Unexpectedly, with the emergence of Lu Chenzhou, they turned into a blunder.
...
In the space-time vortex, Lu Chenzhou walked leisurely.
Surrounding him, the Mystic Sky Shield appeared constantly, isolating the intense gravity, but it was soon torn apart and reformed again and again.
Despite layers of protection weakening the pull, the Undying Body still showed signs of impending collapse under the gravitational force.
"The gravity here is likely more dreadful than even Zone Nine of the Dragon Transformation Ancient Road," Lu Chenzhou remarked.
Zone Nine started with a gravitational pull of millions of times, but the black hole seemed limitless.
"In here, the Undying Body is surely insufficient... Probably only the Immortal Body can set foot inside. I was a bit hasty."
With a bang, Lu Chenzhou exploded himself, committing suicide to prepare to leave the black hole.
He left a drop of his blood outside as an anchor to re-form his body.
But shortly after, his figure manifested again within the black hole, his expression slightly shifting.
"No way... The Undying Body requires the soul to be reborn in any drop of blood, but my soul can’t escape the black hole’s bind. It’s no wonder the master of Yuan Mountain advised that when seeking the Black Star Wonders, it’s best to find a small-mass Black Star after becoming a Great Power. Inside the black hole, it’s too terrifying."
Black holes are not only a symbol of stellar death but also a reflection of the universe’s demise.
Here is the end and resting place of everything.
All things are void.
Unable to escape the black hole, Lu Chenzhou could only let his body continually descend with the gravitational pull, not knowing where it would lead.
He still had one last trick up his sleeve, which was his own clone.
Within the clone, there remained a trace of his fragmented soul.
Abandoning his true self, he should be able to be reborn.
But the cost was too great; all his treasures were here.
In the black hole, the concept of time and space lost its meaning.
It seemed ten thousand years had passed, or perhaps just an instant, as Lu Chenzhou looked towards the Martial Arts Tree.
Seeing the familiar script, he felt at ease.
Tree Brother, at any time, is always the most dignified.
"But do I only have thirty chances of revival remaining?"
Before ascending to immortality, he had a total of 10081 revival chances.
After immortality, there was no such limit; unless a True God intervenes, or his soul reaches its lifespan limit, he would not die.
"I’m only a step away from immortality, yet I can’t seem to take that step. Perhaps this is an opportunity. I now possess Late Stage Eighth Rank proficiency in Withering and Flourishing Dao, theoretically enough to evolve the ’Withering and Flourishing Undying Body’ to the rudimentary state of the Great Power Method, isn’t the ’Martial God Spear’ achieved then?"
Lu Chenzhou temporarily forgot he was in a black hole, letting gravity take him into the unknown.
The black hole silently annihilated, and Lu Chenzhou was the only entity not erased by gravity.
But as he continued to fall, he felt the gravity becoming increasingly exaggerated; the Mystic Sky Shield had already lost its functionality.
No matter how strong it was defensively, the moment it appears, it would be instantly torn apart.
Lu Chenzhou stopped wasting energy. Like a meditating old monk, he pressed his palms together and recited the Golden Light Infinite Spell.
A vast ocean of Spiritual Power formed, layer upon layer weakening the gravitational effects.
When acting upon Lu Chenzhou, it wasn’t enough to render him into nihility instantly.
As long as he had time for physical recovery, he could both conduct body refining and research Withering and Flourishing Dao along with Mixed Cave Dao.
Both were very suited to the black hole.
He recalled the battle with the Black Annihilation Dragon Emperor, whose demeanor was akin to a black hole.
"It is rumored that Black Annihilation achieved his Dao in a black hole, mastering Devouring Dao, but a black hole is not just devouring. It encompasses the withering and flourishing cycle of stars; it is not merely destruction but also nurtures rebirth. Through countless ages, it has always been so." In a place undisturbed, Lu Chenzhou quietly researched.
...
An instant in the black hole, several months had passed externally.
Tianxia Calendar 2355.
Along with the turmoils of Ruins Sea, a Great World disintegrated.
A red-clothed creature tore away the chains, its Divine Power fluctuating unsteadily, and it intended to head towards Xia Realm to kill.
"Do not go alone, red-clothed one, lest you fall into Lu Chenzhou and the others’ ambush." Long Transmi’s voice rang in his ears.
These demigods did not know Lu Chenzhou had silently gone to the black hole searching for Bright Moon Sword.
They only saw in recent years the Mystic Sky Alliance continuously moving civilization towards Xia Realm, seemingly intending to defend Xia Realm concentratedly.
They had reason to suspect that Lu Chenzhou and the others had set traps in Xia Realm, just waiting for them to walk into it.
"I want to kill Lu Chenzhou!" the red-clothed creature said harshly.
"I know you’re eager, but don’t rush... whether you admit it or not, even as an upper demigod, if surrounded by Lu Chenzhou and the others, especially in Xia Realm, there is still the danger of falling. Moreover, breaking through the seal has consumed so much Divine Power that we cannot afford a prolonged battle."
Long Transmi advised.
Cooling down, the red-clothed creature knew Long Transmi’s words made sense.
"Let’s wait a bit longer, the Demon Lord is about to emerge, we shouldn’t be the first to act." Long Transmi suggested.
"Then I’ll go find a way to restore some power first." The red-clothed creature sneered.
After speaking, its form exploded violently, transforming into tens of thousands of red-feathered creatures with human heads and bird bodies, flying towards the Three Thousand Worlds.
...
Small World.
In a small mountain village, at night, it was quiet.
The villagers were asleep, with only occasional dog barking accompanied by beastly roars from the mountains.
Suddenly, a blood-red eerie eye emerged in the sky.
"I, Lord of the Red-clothed, bestow upon you eternal life!"
A wave of blood-colored mist swept over the mountain village.
Soon after, shrill cries echoed throughout the night sky.
One by one, red-feathered creatures with human heads burst through houses, scattering in all directions.
They devoured ordinary humans they encountered on the way, even the average cultivators were no match.
In the county city far from the small mountain village, there was a golden temple, the Martial Temple.
Inside the Martial Temple, it enshrined the statues of three ancestors: Lv Ancestor, Zhang Ancestor, Hui Ancestor.
Suddenly, the temple abbot opened his eyes, exuding the presence of a Martial Arts Grandmaster.
"Demon birds and monsters have emerged; all Martial Temple disciples, hurry to suppress them."
The Supreme Martial Realm plan implemented until now has cultivated countless martial arts experts for the Three Thousand Worlds.
Some of them went to Xia Realm for further training, while others stayed to protect the home worlds.
With the red-clothed creature’s revival and invasion of the Three Thousand Worlds, an era of demon and monster chaos began.