Chapter 692
The Ancient Mine of No Life
Time is like a knife, cutting down even the most arrogant and proud.
In the blink of an eye, millions of years have passed.
For mortals, a million years is an immeasurably distant period of time, enough for a civilization to go from birth to destruction, for oceans to turn into mulberry fields, and for stars to burn out their last ray of light.
But for practitioners, a million years is merely the length of a retreat, a brief interval for enlightenment, or a microcosm of a journey.
Especially for beings at the level of Celestial Venerables, a million years is nothing to mention.
Their slumber may last for millions of years.
Their enlightenment may last for billions of years.
Millions of years is truly just a blink of an eye.
However, in those mere million years, the starry sky underwent earth-shattering changes.
The biggest change was in the race of evil gods.
For millions of years, evil gods have almost disappeared from the starry sky.
Since that battle, when the Heavenly Punishment God Lord was severely injured and fled, the top combat power of the Evil God Clan in this star system has been virtually nonexistent.
The human race naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
After Gu Qingfeng stabilized the situation, the human race began a purge of the entire starry sky.
All the powerful forces mobilized their celestial beings, turning star fields upside down, and relentlessly pursuing any trace of the evil god they discovered.
Some of those evil gods hid deep within desolate star fields, trying to prolong their lives; others concealed themselves among shattered stars, attempting to deceive the heavens.
But none of it worked.
The pursuit by the human celestial beings was like a persistent, intractable disease, relentless until death.
Any evil god that dares to show its face will be suppressed and killed by the human race's Heavenly Venerable in the first instance.
This is the current situation.
Humanity's power is overwhelming, while evil gods have vanished.
The opportunities in this immortal realm naturally fall into the hands of the human race.
Those places of inheritance and enlightenment that once attracted countless powerful individuals are now all under the control of the human race.
Each faction gets what it needs, the strong get stronger, and the weak also have a chance.
This is how the victors are treated.
Over these millions of years, the most significant changes have occurred in the Ancient Netherworld.
With the unfathomable Gu Qingfeng presiding over it, the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land is now vastly different from what it used to be.
Moreover, there were also more than a dozen ancient Celestial Venerables recruited from the forbidden zones of life joining the ranks. Any one of those Eight Tribulation Celestial Venerables would be a top-tier powerhouse capable of shaking a region if placed in the outside world.
The fact that more than a dozen statues gathered together demonstrates the profound cultural heritage of this ancient and sacred place.
Thus, the Ancient Netherworld began to expand rapidly.
Although the original Ancient Netherworld Holy Land was one of the top forces in the starry sky, it still lagged far behind those truly ancient forces.
Ultimately, no matter how strong the Ancient Nether Holy Land is, its only top expert on the surface is the Ancient Nether Holy Lord, a Six Tribulation Heavenly Venerable.
In the starry sky, there are many ancient forces with profound foundations.
Some possess the legacy of a supreme being. Even though the supreme being of that level has fallen, those beings, even if they only leave behind a little bit of their legacy, are enough to suppress a region and benefit future generations immeasurably.
Some may not have the foundation of a supreme being, but they have a Heavenly Venerable who has undergone seven or eight tribulations presiding over them.
Those Celestial Venerables have lived for hundreds of billions of years, possessing profound cultivation and solid foundations, far surpassing ordinary Six Tribulation Celestial Venerables.
Compared to these ancient forces, the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land is far inferior.
But now it's different.
With Gu Qingfeng in charge, the status of the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land is as stable as Mount Tai.
With the addition of more than a dozen Eight Tribulation Celestial Venerables, the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land's strength became unparalleled.
With the Ancient Netherworld now displaying its full power, many forces dare not challenge it.
Those ancient powers that were once high and mighty and looked down on the Ancient Netherworld now have no choice but to lower themselves and send envoys to show goodwill.
Those forces that had grudges against the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land were living in constant fear, dreading the day the Ancient Netherworld Holy Land would settle old scores.
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord was naturally riding high in this regard.
He has been in charge of the Ancient Netherworld for countless years, but he has never been so glorious.
Those who once looked up to him now treat him with utmost respect.
Those forces that once looked down on him are now smiling at him.
All of this is because of one person—
Gu Qingfeng.
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord knew in his heart that he owed his current status entirely to the other party's grace.
……
This day.
The deepest part of the ancient and sacred land.
"Squeak-"
A slight sound broke the silence of millions of years.
The ancient celestial palace, forged entirely from Netherworld Divine Iron, with its doors tightly shut for millions of years, suddenly opened!
The palace doors slid open slowly to the sides, revealing the deep, dark interior space behind them.
Inside the hall, a faint light emanated, not dazzling, but possessing a profound and unsettling quality, as if connecting to another world.
The moment the palace doors opened, the ancient Yousheng Temple trembled!
Within the holy land, countless cultivators simultaneously looked up, their faces filled with horror!
They felt that faint yet omnipresent pressure!
That was the pressure of the Dao!
It is the oppressive force of heaven and earth!
It is the oppressive power of an unparalleled being!
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord sensed the movement immediately.
He was handling affairs in the holy temple deep within the holy land when his expression immediately changed. Without saying a word, he put down everything he was doing, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards the direction of the immortal palace!
He was both surprised and delighted.
To everyone's surprise, the senior suddenly emerged from seclusion; it was unclear what had happened.
The good news is that after millions of years, that predecessor has finally emerged from seclusion!
He sped along, not daring to delay for even a moment, and soon arrived in front of the Immortal Palace.
Then, he saw that figure.
At the entrance of the Immortal Palace, a figure in black imperial robes slowly walked out.
The figure walked with hands behind his back, his steps unhurried, each step seemingly resonating with heaven and earth, in harmony with the Great Dao.
His aura was extremely concealed, as if he were one with the entire world. If not seen with the naked eye, it would be difficult to even detect his presence.
He stood there, yet seemed to be everywhere.
He walked on like that, yet it was as if he were walking on a grand road.
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord only glanced at it, but felt his mind shake violently, and he almost knelt down!
It was a feeling that defied description.
It's not about intimidation, not about imposing presence, not anything quantifiable. It's a natural sense of presence, an instinctive reverence for the great Dao.
"senior……"
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and hurriedly stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"Congratulations on your successful completion of seclusion, senior! Your cultivation has greatly improved!"
His voice was filled with heartfelt reverence and congratulations.
Millions of years ago, when this predecessor went into seclusion, he was already an unfathomable being.
Emerging from seclusion a million years later, his aura was even more concealed, but within that concealment lay an even more terrifying foundation!
Gu Qingfeng slightly raised his hand, indicating that he did not need to be so polite.
"After a million years of seclusion, I can't say my cultivation has greatly improved; I've only gained some insights."
He said calmly, with a hint of satisfaction in his tone.
indeed.
A million years of seclusion was not enough for him to break through to the Immortal Celestial Venerable Realm.
He had anticipated this.
The Immortal Celestial Venerable realm is not so easy to break through.
The Endless Immortal Realm is vast and boundless. The human race, as a top race comparable to the evil god race, only has nine immortal celestial beings on the surface.
These nine immortal celestial beings, each one has accumulated experience over countless years, honed their skills through numerous perilous trials, and attained profound understanding of all the great Daos. Countless nine-tribulation celestial beings, throughout their lives, are stuck at the final hurdle, unable to take that step until their death.
Many who aspire to immortality, after countless millennia, can only look on with envy and sigh in vain.
The Immortal Celestial Venerable is a level that not everyone can achieve.
To be able to gain some insight over a million years is already an incredible stroke of luck.
Those insights, if they were given to other Nine Tribulation Celestial Venerables, might require billions of years, or even longer, to accumulate.
Gu Qingfeng only took a million years to gain some understanding, so naturally he had no reason to be dissatisfied.
The path of spiritual practice is about accumulating small steps to reach great distances.
Every insight, every improvement, lays a solid foundation for that final step.
It can't be rushed.
There's no rushing it.
"During my seclusion, has anything significant happened in the starry sky?"
The Ancient Lord of the Netherworld was prepared and immediately returned respectfully.
"Reporting to the senior, six hundred thousand years ago, the evil god clan's Heavenly Punishment God Lord exposed his whereabouts, attracting more than a dozen human Heavenly Venerables to besiege him, causing him to suffer heavy injuries and escape, and his whereabouts are temporarily unknown."
"Three hundred thousand years ago, another half-step immortal of the evil god clan stepped into the starry sky, but was ambushed and killed in the starry sky by the combined forces of the Eastern Emperor and other powerful beings."
"Apart from that, there is nothing else of great importance."
He paused, then added, "Nowadays, evil gods are almost extinct in the starry sky. Our human race is powerful, and all forces take it upon themselves to wipe out the remnants of evil gods."
The opportunities in this starry sky are now entirely under the control of the human race.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng remained calm and nodded slightly.
The Heavenly Punishment God Lord escaped with severe injuries...
A powerful evil god, on the verge of immortality, has fallen...
These things are nothing earth-shattering.
Although the Heavenly Punishment God Lord was severely injured, he was still a near-immortal being with many ways to protect himself.
If he is truly hiding, killing him completely will not be an easy task.
As for the evil god who was slain...
The Eastern Emperor of the Ziwei Immortal Court is powerful enough to rival the Heavenly Punishment God, so suppressing ordinary half-step immortals is naturally no problem for him.
Moreover, he was working with other powerful individuals.
The fall of an ordinary half-step immortal is not something to be shocked about.
Gu Qingfeng snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the distant starry sky.
"Since there's nothing of great importance in the starry sky, I'll go take care of something else."
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord was taken aback, then cautiously asked, "Where is Senior going? Would you like me to accompany you?"
"No need."
Gu Qingfeng said calmly.
"The places I want to go are the four supreme forbidden zones."
Four supreme forbidden zones!
Upon hearing this, the Ancient Nether Saint Lord's expression changed drastically!
He naturally knew what those four supreme forbidden zones were!
The forbidden zone of purgatory!
Forbidden Zone of the Underworld!
Fallen Immortal Sea!
Ancient, unborn mine!
That was a forbidden zone on par with the Forbidden Zone of the Ancient Gods, a place of death where countless Supreme Beings bled and countless Heavenly Venerables perished!
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord bowed and said.
"Senior, please be careful on your journey."
"If needed, the entire Ancient Netherworld is at your disposal."
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord did not offer any advice, for he knew very well that with this person's strength, even the most terrifying Supreme Forbidden Zone would find it difficult to keep him here.
after all.
Back then, the opponent single-handedly wiped out the Ancient God Forbidden Zone, which was on par with the other four supreme forbidden zones.
Furthermore, that is...
He has no right to interfere in the actions of others.
Even though the Ancient Nether Holy Land has grown stronger over the years and his own status has risen accordingly, the Ancient Nether Holy Lord still has a clear understanding of himself.
What should be regulated?
What is none of my business?
He understood perfectly well what was going on in his heart.
Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, which was taken as an agreement.
Immediately, he waved his sleeve, and his figure vanished into the void like a wisp of smoke.
There were no earth-shattering fluctuations, no phenomena that tore through the void.
It just disappeared without a sound.
It's as if it never existed.
The Ancient Nether Saint Lord stared blankly in the direction where Gu Qingfeng had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.
a long time.
He sighed deeply, then turned and left.
He knew that this senior's journey, whatever the outcome, would once again shake the entire starry sky.
……
In the starry sky.
Gu Qingfeng walked with his hands behind his back, his steps leisurely.
He did not rush on his journey, but instead reviewed the information about the four supreme forbidden zones in his mind.
Of the five supreme forbidden zones, the Ancient God Forbidden Zone has been wiped out.
The remaining four supreme forbidden zones—
The Purgatory Forbidden Zone is rumored to be the place where a half-step immortal cultivator who cultivated the Great Dao of Flames perished. Its remaining Daoist essence transformed into an eternal purgatory, burning all living beings that dare to step into it.
The Netherworld Forbidden Zone is rumored to be home to an ancient being associated with death, and its eeriness far surpasses that of other forbidden zones.
The Fallen Immortal Sea is a vast ocean formed by the convergence of shattered laws of the Great Dao. More than one fallen supreme being slumbers within it, and there are even rumors that it hides the greatest secret of this starry sky.
The Wusheng Ancient Mine is the most infamous forbidden zone.
Unlike other forbidden zones, the Wusheng Ancient Mine was not formed due to the fall of a powerful figure, but is a natural ancient mine.
That ancient mine contains a strange power that can extinguish life and devour everything.
For countless millennia, countless celestial beings have ventured into the Ancient Mine of No Life in search of opportunities, and countless others have perished there, turning into mere skeletons.
According to incomplete statistics, at least five supreme beings perished in the Wusheng Ancient Mine!
Five Supreme Beings!
What a terrifying number!
Although to outsiders, the fact that five Ninth Tribulation Celestial Venerables perished in a perilous place is not something to be shocked about.
The starry sky here is different.
Under the suppression of the immortal rules, the supreme power of this starry sky is incomparable to that of ordinary Nine Tribulation Heavenly Venerables.
Each Supreme Being is an unparalleled genius who appears only once every billions of years in this starry sky.
Each of them was a force that suppressed an entire era.
However, more than five such beings perished in the Wusheng Ancient Mine!
This is the terrifying nature of the Wusheng Ancient Mine.
Thinking of this, a glint flashed in Gu Qingfeng's eyes.
Now that the decision has been made to go to the Supreme Forbidden Zone, there is naturally nothing to worry about.
If you're going to explore, start with the most dangerous places!
He scanned the starry sky with his divine sense and quickly located the position of the Wusheng Ancient Mine.
The next instant, his figure vanished into the void.
one year later.
The void shattered.
Gu Qingfeng's figure slowly appeared here.
He gazed at the desolate starry sky before him, where ancient stars, existing for countless ages, lay scattered in their depths, exuding a terrifying, abyssal aura. (End of Chapter)