Chapter 878
A fruitless return, ancient secrets
Chapter 878 A fruitless return, ancient secrets
After Lu Qing shouted, the figure on the white jade throne did not react at all.
Only the half of the body, emanating demonic energy, continued to spew out countless monsters.
Those monsters were born from the Xuanhua corpses, seemingly endless and inexhaustible.
After they were born, they surged outwards like a tide, merging into the vast army of monsters.
Lu Qing watched quietly, already certain in her heart.
Xuanhua has probably truly perished.
Otherwise, with his abilities, how could he allow that dark power to erode his body?
Although the dark power was strange and powerful, Xuan Hua's strength before his death far exceeded that of the Transformation Realm. If he were still alive, even if he only had a trace of consciousness left, he would never have allowed this dark power to erode him so recklessly.
Lu Qing also recognized the power that was eroding and transforming Xuan.
The fluctuations in that aura and the eerie blackness were of the same origin as the power wielded by the black figure he had seen in the illusion of shattered jade.
It is Demon Heaven.
That black figure known as "Demon Heaven," the peerless powerhouse who joined forces with Blood Demon to besiege Xuanhua.
It seems that in that great battle that happened some time ago, Xuanhua ultimately failed to escape the pursuit.
It's just unknown why his body ended up here.
Was he fatally wounded and forced to flee here, only to succumb to his injuries and perish, or did someone place his body here for another purpose?
Lu Qing had no way of knowing.
He stared silently at Xuanhua's corpse, a solemn expression on his face.
Although he was only a divine thought clone, his perception ability was still intact.
He could clearly sense that although the other party had been dead for countless millennia, there was still a sense of crisis emanating from him that made his heart pound.
It was an instinctive warning.
His intuition told him that if he carelessly offended the mystical corpse, unimaginable disaster would surely occur.
Even his divine consciousness clone could not withstand this calamity.
Qiu Ruofeng and the others, standing behind him, also felt that terrifying aura.
Although they didn't have Lu Qing's keen senses, they could still vaguely perceive how terrifying the corpse on the throne was.
Just sitting there felt like being at the center of the world, suffocating them and making it hard for them to breathe.
"Fellow Daoist Lu..." Qiu Ruofeng began with difficulty, his voice trembling slightly, "What should we do now?"
The men in black robes also looked at Lu Qing, their eyes filled with anticipation and fear.
In their eyes, Lu Qing was their only hope.
If Lu Qing has a solution, they might still be able to gain something.
If even Lu Qing can't do anything, then their trip will have been in vain.
Lu Qing was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "It would be best to leave here."
He looked at Qiu Ruofeng and the others with a solemn expression.
“This corpse is extremely dangerous and must not be touched. Otherwise, even I cannot protect you.”
I am merely a divine consciousness avatar; even if I perish here, it will not matter.
But it's different for you. If the main body were to perish here, the loss would be enormous.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Ruofeng and the others' expressions changed slightly.
They also sensed the horror of the corpse.
However, they still harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that with Lu Qing's extraordinary abilities, perhaps he could find a way.
Hearing Lu Qing say that he was also unable to cope, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
I thought that after all the hard work and sacrifices I'd made to get here, I might finally reap some rewards.
Unexpectedly, in the end, it was all for naught, and I gained nothing.
“But…” a figure in black robes couldn’t help but speak up, “We finally made it here after so much trouble…”
Qiu Ruofeng glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Shut up! Fellow Daoist Lu is right, we can both feel the horror of that corpse."
Even if only a corpse remains, such a being is not someone we can offend.
If one's greed is insatiable, one might even lose their life here.
The man was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Although the others were unwilling, they all understood that Qiu Ruofeng was right.
Xuanhua is, after all, an existence far beyond the Transformation Realm. Even if such a powerful being were to perish, the corpse he leaves behind would be something that those in the Integration Realm could never touch.
If you forcibly offend them, you will likely die without a burial place.
Although they all have backup plans, they can be resurrected even if their main body perishes.
But who can guarantee that the terrifying power contained within the Xuanhua Corpse doesn't have the ability to trace back to its source and obliterate their divine consciousness in the outside world as well?
After all, the other party was very likely an unparalleled being who had surpassed the Dao Transformation Realm during his lifetime.
The power of such an existence is beyond their comprehension.
"Fellow Daoist Lu is right, let's leave."
Finally, Qiu Ruofeng sighed.
His eyes were full of resentment, but he also knew that this was the only option.
Seeing this, the others hesitated for a moment, but did not say anything in objection; they all nodded in agreement.
Lu Qing was not surprised by this.
There are no fools among those who can cultivate to the level of Dao Integration.
Even if he didn't say it, Qiu Ruofeng and the others should understand the implications.
Unless one is blinded by greed and loses their senses, they should know how to make the right choice.
So when he saw that they all agreed, Lu Qing didn't delay any longer and turned to walk out.
The others quickly followed.
Before leaving, Lu Qing turned back and took one last deep look at the figure sitting on the white jade throne.
The "mysterious" corpse, its white half still exudes a vast and luminous aura, while its black half continuously emits demonic energy, giving birth to monsters.
He sat there quietly, as if it had been there since time immemorial, or as if he were waiting for something.
Actually, there was something Lu Qing didn't tell Qiu Ruofeng and the others.
That is, he vaguely felt that Xuanhua sitting there was more than just a simple fall.
He seemed to be suppressing something.
That feeling was faint, yet undeniably real.
It was as if beneath the throne, in that endless darkness, something was being held down by the mystical corpse, unable to move.
But this is just his speculation, without any evidence.
Moreover, he wasn't lying.
With his current divine consciousness clone, he was indeed helpless against this corpse.
He even sensed that even if his true form came, he might not be able to touch the transformed corpse.
At most, I can only use my special abilities to investigate and see if I can find anything.
Perhaps he will need to advance his cultivation further and progress a certain distance in the Dao Integration Realm before he can withstand the terror emanating from the Xuanhua Corpse and truly come into contact with the secrets of that level.
But that's all for the future.
Leaving now is the right choice.
The group quickly left the tomb along the route they had come from.
On the way back, the demonic fire monsters continued to appear, but their numbers were much fewer than before.
Perhaps the mystical corpses sensed their departure and stopped deliberately driving away the monsters to attack them.
With Lu Qing's spatial laws clearing the way, the group traveled smoothly and quickly left the mountain range, passed through the areas of demonic fire, and finally returned to the Netherworld Palace's stronghold in the Demon Abyss. The floating stone, suspended in the darkness, still emitted a faint light, quietly awaiting their return.
Everyone landed on the floating rocks, feeling as if they had survived a disaster.
The men in black robes breathed a long sigh of relief, finally able to relax.
This experience was incredibly exciting for them.
Several times he almost thought he was going to die, but Lu Qing saved him again.
Although Qiu Ruofeng still maintained some semblance of dignity, one could see the exhaustion and lingering fear in his eyes.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lu!" He bowed solemnly to Lu Qing. "If it weren't for you, we would probably have died more than ten times over."
The men in black robes also bowed and thanked Lu Qing.
Lu Qing waved his hand and said calmly, "No need for formalities, this is just a transaction."
I have done what I promised you.
I have now taken you on a trip to explore that great tomb.
According to the previous agreement, it's time for Fellow Daoist Qiu to fulfill his promise and tell me the reason why those ancient Dao-transforming immortals disappeared.”
Qiu Ruofeng nodded: "Of course."
He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming distant, as if he had traveled through endless time and returned to that distant era.
"This is a long story, please have a seat, fellow Daoist."
The group entered the main hall and took their seats.
Qiu Ruofeng was silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, before slowly beginning to recount a long-forgotten story.
"Fellow Daoist should know that in ancient times, the cultivation civilization in the starry sky was far more prosperous than it is now."
At that time, Dao Transformation Immortals were not uncommon, and major powers all had Dao Transformation Realm experts in their ranks.
There are even legends of beings who transcend the Dao and occasionally manifest themselves in the starry sky.
Lu Qing nodded; he had seen similar records in the Holy Alliance's books.
He might even know a little more than Qiu Ruofeng.
That was in the trial realm of the Witch Clan, where he learned that in ancient times, the Human Clan and the Witch Clan fought each other, and in the end, the Human Clan won.
At that time, the human race should have had many incredibly powerful beings.
However, in this day and age, he seems to have seen no records or legends about those great beings.
Qiu Ruofeng continued, "But in that era, one day, a major event suddenly occurred."
"What's the big deal?" Lu Qing asked.
Qiu Ruofeng's gaze turned serious: "That day, a huge crack suddenly appeared in the starry sky."
"A crack?" Lu Qing frowned slightly.
“Yes.” Qiu Ruofeng nodded. “That crack stretches across the starry sky, its origin and destination unknown.”
When it appeared, the entire starry sky trembled; countless stars shattered in the tremor, and countless worlds of life were destroyed.
He paused, then continued, "And from that crack, endless dark power surged forth, and that dark power was exactly the same as what we are encountering in the Abyss now."
Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat: "You mean, this Dark Abyss is related to that rift?"
Qiu Ruofeng nodded: "That's right. According to the records passed down through generations of our Netherworld Palace, this Dark Abyss is part of that rift, or rather, it is that rift that gradually evolved over a long period of time."
Lu Qing seemed to be deep in thought.
Qiu Ruofeng continued, "After that crack appeared, the entire starry sky was plunged into panic."
Immortal cultivators from various major powers mobilized to investigate.
But most people never returned, perishing within that crevice.
"And then?" Lu Qing asked.
Qiu Ruofeng sighed: "Later, an unknown peerless expert used his supreme divine power to seal the rift."
After the seal was applied, the crack gradually shrank, eventually becoming what it is now—the Dark Abyss.
"A seal?" Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat. "Who sealed it?"
Qiu Ruofeng shook his head: "I don't know. That powerful figure didn't leave a name or any trace. All we know is that after he sealed the rift, he disappeared and never appeared again."
He paused, then continued, "But although the seal is powerful, it is not permanent."
As time passed, the seal began to weaken slowly.
The dark power began to seep out from the cracks in the seal.
Lu Qing nodded, signaling the other person to continue.
Qiu Ruofeng said, "And the reason why those ancient Dao Transformation Immortals disappeared is also related to this."
Lu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh?"
Qiu Ruofeng said, "After that crack appeared, a large number of Dao Transformation Immortals in the starry sky began to disappear."
At first, everyone thought they had gone to explore the rift and perished inside.
But it turned out that things weren't that simple.
He looked at Lu Qing with a deep gaze: "Because not all of those missing Dao Transformation Immortals went to the Rift."
Some disappeared suddenly within their own cave dwellings;
Some disappear suddenly while fighting against others;
Some even vanished into thin air right before everyone's eyes.
Lu Qing frowned: "Disappeared into thin air?"
Qiu Ruofeng nodded: "Yes, it's as if some force wiped them out of the world."
He sighed and continued, "At that time, the entire starry sky was plunged into panic."
The immortals who had attained enlightenment were all in a state of fear, afraid that they would be next.
But no matter how much they guarded against it, how vigilant they were, disappearances continued to occur.
"Later, someone discovered a pattern."
"What pattern?" Lu Qing asked.
Qiu Ruofeng said, "Those Dao Transformation Immortals who disappeared were all those who had approached that rift, or rather, all those who had been corrupted by that dark power."
Lu Qing seemed to understand something: "You mean, the dark power of that rift will leave some kind of mark on them, and that mark will be triggered at some point to forcibly take them away?"
A hint of approval flashed in Qiu Ruofeng's eyes: "Fellow Daoist is indeed perceptive. That's right."
He continued, "Our Netherworld Palace's founder, the immortal who deduced the prophecy, once studied this phenomenon in depth."
He discovered that those Dao Transformation Immortals who had been corrupted by the power of darkness would have an extremely hidden mark on their bodies.
The mark is not usually visible and has no effect on cultivators.
But when a specific moment arrives, the mark will be triggered, forcibly pulling the cultivator into the rift.
"A specific moment?" Lu Qing asked.
Qiu Ruofeng shook his head: "Even the patriarch couldn't figure it out."
He only said that it seemed to be related to some kind of pattern, like the tides, with their ups and downs.
Every so often, the crack would 'activate' once more, at which point the mark would be triggered.
He paused, then continued, "And those Dao Transformation Immortals who were pulled into the rift never appeared again."
Some say they perished inside, others say they went to another world.
But the truth remains unknown.
Lu Qing fell silent.
He never imagined that the reason those Dao-transforming immortals disappeared was so.
However, he still had doubts.
(End of this chapter)