Chapter 879
Mysteries Abound, but a Chance of Survival Lies There
Chapter 879 Mysteries Abound, but a Chance of Survival Lies There
Lu Qing fell silent.
He never imagined that the reason those Dao-transforming immortals disappeared was so.
Corroded by the power of darkness, leaving its mark, and then forcibly pulled into the rift at a certain moment.
Such methods are simply unbelievable.
What lies beyond that crack?
Where did those Dao Transformation Immortals who were pulled in go? Are they alive or dead?
Countless questions welled up in his mind.
However, he quickly thought of another problem.
What Qiu Ruofeng was talking about was simply the reason why that group of Dao-transforming immortals disappeared in ancient times.
And in the more distant past, in ancient times, where did those powerful human beings who won the great war against the Wu tribe go?
He had personally witnessed the records of that history in the trial realm of the Witch Clan.
At that time, the human race and the witch race were locked in a fierce battle in this starry sky, and in the end, the human race won.
At that time, the human race must have had many incredibly powerful beings in charge, otherwise they would not have been able to defeat the naturally strong and powerful witch race.
But in this day and age, he seems to have seen no records or legends about those great beings.
It was as if those ancient powerful beings had vanished not long after defeating the Wu tribe.
This is not normal.
The records left by the Holy Alliance of the Tianyuan Great World also provide only vague details about that period of history.
He discovered this problem when he was browsing through the Holy Alliance's collection of books.
The records of ancient times in those ancient books are extremely brief, as if they have been deliberately erased, leaving only some vague legends and fragments.
What's going on here?
Who is it, and for what purpose, that wants to erase that history?
Furthermore, where did the Dao-transforming immortals who disappeared in the last hundreds of thousands of years go after the ancient times?
According to the records of the Holy Alliance, there have been instances of Dao Transformation Immortals appearing over the past hundreds of thousands of years.
Every tens of thousands of years, there will always be exceptionally talented individuals who break through that barrier and enter the realm of transformation.
For example, the Dao Transformation Realm expert who ruled the Great Yuan Immortal Domain for a long time once dominated the starry sky and was a powerful figure.
But these people eventually disappeared.
Were they also because of the Dark Abyss?
Lu Qing doesn't think so.
If the Dark Abyss truly possessed such terrifying power, capable of forcibly pulling Dao Transformation Immortals into it one by one, then it shouldn't be hiding deep within the Chaotic Star Sea; instead, it should have already devoured the entire starry sky, continuously strengthening itself.
But the truth is, although the Dark Abyss is dangerous, it has always remained in that one area and has never expanded.
This shows that its power is limited.
Or rather, someone is restricting it.
And that seal.
The seal left by that unknown, peerless powerhouse.
Lu Qing recalled what Qiu Ruofeng had just said: an unknown, peerless expert had sealed the rift with unparalleled divine power.
If that's the case, then who is this powerful figure?
After he sealed the rift, where did he go?
His ability to seal such a rift that spans the starry sky indicates that his strength far surpasses that of ordinary Dao Transformation Immortals.
Such an existence should have left behind some legends.
However, neither the Holy Alliance's records nor the records of other forces mention such a powerful figure.
It's as if someone has even had their name erased from history.
There are also Guixu Daoren and Potian Daoren.
The disappearance of these two individuals should be unrelated to the Dark Abyss.
According to the old Azure Dragon and the others, Daoist Guixu disappeared after leaving behind the Guixu Secret Realm, along with a group of his personal disciples and a great deal of resources.
The Daoist Potian disappeared before he could break through to the Dao Integration Realm.
Their disappearance is probably for another reason.
Therefore, although Lu Qing learned the possible reasons for the disappearance of those ancient Dao-transforming immortals from Qiu Ruofeng, his doubts were not resolved; on the contrary, he felt that there were even more mysteries.
The disappearance of ancient powerful beings, the vanishing of ancient Dao-transforming immortals, the mysterious strongman who sealed the rift, the whereabouts of Guixu Daoist and Potian Daoist, and the true identity of the patriarch of the Black and White Temple...
These mysteries, each one deeper and more distant than the last, are like layers of mist, shrouding the ancient and prehistoric history in a tight embrace.
Lu Qing remained silent, not uttering these words.
He looked at Qiu Ruofeng, and from the other's tone and expression, he could sense that Qiu Ruofeng was probably not clear about the history of the great war between the human race and the witch race.
Or rather, there are no detailed records of the entire Netherworld Palace.
After all, the founder of the Netherworld Palace was an immortal from ancient times.
Ancient times, on the other hand, come after the distant past.
As for the more distant past, they probably didn't know much more than the outside world.
Moreover, he did not want to expose his relationship with the witch clan.
Lu Qing changed the subject.
"Fellow Daoist Qiu, how much do you know about the origins of the Black and White Sect?"
Upon hearing Lu Qing mention this, Qiu Ruofeng's expression immediately turned serious.
The figures in black robes also raised their heads, their faces showing fear, some even clenching their fists unconsciously.
Qiu Ruofeng was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Speaking of the Black and White View, our Netherworld Palace has been paying close attention to it all these years."
"Oh?" Lu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.
Qiu Ruofeng said, "Fellow Daoist should know that the opportunity for the rise of the Black and White Sect was after its founder returned from exploring the Dark Abyss."
Their ancestor, it is said, was merely an unknown figure before entering the Demon Abyss, with a cultivation level of only the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, insignificant in the starry sky at that time.
He paused, then continued, "But after he came out of the Demon Abyss, he built up such a huge force as the Black and White Sect in just a few hundred years."
This speed is simply unbelievable.
It's important to understand that for someone at the Nascent Soul Realm to establish a power spanning several immortal realms, it would be absolutely impossible without tens of thousands of years of accumulation.
"So what did you find?" Lu Qing asked.
Qiu Ruofeng sighed: "To be honest, we haven't found much."
The founder of the Black and White Temple was extremely secretive and rarely appeared in front of outsiders.
We've spent thousands of years and used countless undercover agents, and we've only uncovered the surface.
He looked at Lu Qing with a solemn expression: "In the end, we came to a conclusion: the founder of the Black and White Sect was very likely possessed by the power of the Demon Abyss."
"Possession?" Lu Qing frowned slightly.
Qiu Ruofeng nodded: "Yes, we have collected some scattered information about that patriarch through some secret channels."
It is said that after returning from the Abyss of Demons, his personality changed drastically, and he became a completely different person from before.
He will never see any of his former relatives and friends again.
He never set foot in his original school again.
There were even rumors that he had personally killed his master when he came to visit him.
He paused, then continued, "Moreover, he rarely appears in public, and even when he does, he is always shrouded in a black mist and never shows his true face."
Some say that beneath the black mist, there are no longer human faces.
"What's even more suspicious is that he would re-enter the Abyss every now and then."
Each time they enter, it takes anywhere from several decades to several hundred years.
Every time he appears, the Black and White Sect makes a big move, either expanding its influence, plundering resources, or capturing cultivators.
Qiu Ruofeng took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "We suspect that he has always maintained some kind of connection with the Demon Abyss."
He himself had even become part of the Abyss of Demons, a puppet of that dark power.
Lu Qing didn't speak, but listened quietly.
He recalled the mental turmoil he had sensed earlier, and the black and white Taoist temple he had deduced.
That Taoist temple, capable of isolating him from his deductions, clearly possessed extraordinary power.
That was definitely not an ordinary magic weapon; at least an ordinary spiritual artifact would be unable to block his calculations.
If, as Qiu Ruofeng said, the founder of the Black and White Sect was possessed by the power of the Demon Abyss, then everything makes sense.
Since that dark power could corrupt even an existence like Xuan Hua, it could naturally corrupt even a mere Yuan Shen realm cultivator.
Qiu Ruofeng continued, "Since the rise of the Black and White Sect, their founder has rarely shown his face."
In the last tens of thousands of years, he has never appeared before, and no one knows the extent of his power. But based on our observations, we always feel that the Black and White Sect has been brewing some enormous conspiracy.
He looked at Lu Qing, his eyes filled with deep worry.
"Their power has expanded too quickly, abnormally quickly."
Moreover, the resources they plundered and the number of cultivators they captured were extremely large.
Where did all these resources and manpower go, and what were they used for?
We searched for a long time, but couldn't find it.
"But one thing is certain: once that conspiracy is launched, it could shake the entire starry sky. In fact, the catastrophe predicted by our ancestor may be related to it."
Lu Qing nodded.
These things are consistent with his previous guesses.
The fact that the Black and White Sect sent so many Dao Integration Realm elders to intercept and kill him, even resorting to array diagrams, clearly shows that they were determined to succeed.
Now it seems that they probably had other motives than just seeking revenge.
Qiu Ruofeng looked at him and said solemnly, "That's why our Netherworld Palace secretly dislikes the Black and White Temple so much."
Although we outwardly keep to ourselves, we've been secretly keeping an eye on their every move.
However, their strength is too great, and that patriarch is too mysterious, so we dare not act rashly.
He paused, then said, "Fellow Daoist, the Black and White Temple has already gained considerable power, and its master is even more mysterious and unpredictable. We do not know what kind of supernatural abilities he possesses. Please be careful and do not risk fighting him."
His gaze toward Lu Qing was full of sincerity.
"Fellow Daoist, you have now merged with the Dao through the Nine Great Daos, and your potential is limitless."
Every step you take in your cultivation will greatly increase your strength.
Perhaps this starry sky will need you, fellow Daoist, to save it in the future.
Therefore, one must never act impulsively because of personal grudges.
Lu Qing smiled after hearing this.
"Fellow Daoist Qiu is too kind," he said calmly. "I am merely at the initial stage of the Dao Integration Realm. How could I possibly save the starry sky?"
There are countless powerful beings in this starry sky, many of whom are stronger than me. How could it be my turn to step forward?
Qiu Ruofeng quickly said, "Fellow Daoist, you are too modest..."
Lu Qing waved his hand, interrupting him.
“However, I still want to thank Fellow Daoist Qiu for clearing up my doubts. What you told me was very helpful.” He stood up. “Now that the transaction between the two parties is completed, it is time for me to take my leave.”
Qiu Ruofeng was slightly taken aback, then quickly stood up.
"Fellow Daoist, are you leaving already?" He was somewhat surprised. "Won't you stay a few more days? This old man would like to ask you more questions about cultivation..."
Lu Qing shook his head: "No need, I have things to do at home and it's inconvenient for me to stay any longer."
Seeing this, Qiu Ruofeng could not insist that he stay, so he said, "Since that's the case, I won't keep you any longer."
Many thanks for your help, fellow Daoist. If you ever need anything from my Netherworld Palace in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.
We will never refuse to help in any way we can.
The figures in black robes also stood up and bowed to Lu Qing to say goodbye.
Lu Qing nodded and said nothing more.
He turned around and took a step forward.
The next moment, spatial fluctuations arose, and his figure disappeared from the spot.
Qiu Ruofeng and the others were shocked to see this.
It should be noted that although this is the outer perimeter of the Dark Abyss, the spatial laws are still extremely chaotic.
Ordinary cultivators at the Dao Integration Realm would not dare to use spatial teleportation here, for fear of being accidentally swept into the spatial turbulence and suffering eternal damnation.
But Lu Qing walked away so calmly and casually.
It was as if this chaotic space was just an ordinary place to him.
"As expected of... a cultivation anomaly who has merged with the Dao of Space."
A man in black robes murmured, his eyes filled with shock.
Another man in black robes sighed, "And he's only a mental avatar. If his true body were to come, how powerful would he be?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
They can't imagine it.
Qiu Ruofeng stared in the direction where Lu Qing had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.
After a long silence, a man in black robes couldn't help but ask, "Elder, is this... truly the one from the prophecy?"
Qiu Ruofeng remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"I'm not sure either."
He sighed and continued, "The patriarch's prophecy was vague, only saying that there would be a glimmer of hope amidst the great calamity."
But what exactly that glimmer of hope was, and who was it? Even he himself didn't know.
He only said that the person was different from others, walking a path that no one had ever walked before.
He looked at everyone, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
"But apart from this person, I can't think of any other person who could have handled that catastrophe."
The nine major paths are combined into one, which is unprecedented.
Isn't this a road that no one has ever walked before?
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
They all knew that Qiu Ruofeng was telling the truth.
The prophesied catastrophe, once it arrives, will surely sweep across the entire starry sky.
Even cultivators at the Dao Integration Realm would likely find it difficult to protect themselves in the face of that cataclysm, like ants.
Lu Qing, this exceptional cultivator who merged with the Dao through nine Great Daos, was the most promising candidate they had ever seen.
Although he is only at the initial stage of the Dao Integration Realm, his potential and strength have far exceeded their imagination.
The image of annihilating countless monsters with a wave of his hand is still deeply imprinted in their minds.
Perhaps, he really is that glimmer of hope.
However, Qiu Ruofeng did not say these words to Lu Qing's face.
He harbored a secret: there was a sentence in the prophecy left by his ancestor that he had not told Lu Qing.
The saying is: In the midst of a catastrophe, even the glimmer of hope will face a test of life and death.
Whether one lives or dies depends entirely on one's own destiny.
He didn't know if Lu Qing could pass that test.
He didn't dare to say it.
If I tell him, it might affect Lu Qing's Dao heart and make him fearful.
Not telling him might catch Lu Qing off guard at a crucial moment.
Qiu Ruofeng stood in the main hall, gazing in the direction where Lu Qing had disappeared, motionless for a long time.
At this time, Lu Qing had already left the Dark Abyss.
He used his spatial teleportation technique to travel swiftly through the starry sky.
The surrounding stars rushed past, turning into streaks of light, and were left far behind him.
But the direction he went was not his hometown.
It's somewhere else.
The Secret Realm of Return to Nothingness.
He was going to see the old Azure Dragon.
Qiu Ruofeng's words resolved some of his doubts, but also brought up more mysteries.
These mysteries are all deeper and more complex than the last.
He needs more information to connect the dots and see the truth behind it all.
The old Azure Dragon, having lived in the Guixu Secret Realm for countless millennia, has witnessed the changes of countless years.
It may know some secrets that even the Underworld Palace doesn't know.
Lu Qing took a step forward, once again traversing the endless starry sky.
The coordinates of the Guixu Secret Realm are just ahead.
(End of this chapter)