Chapter 564: The Truth of Black Heaven; Chunyu

Chapter 564: The Truth of Black Heaven; Chunyu

A crimson-hued monstrous beast, adorned with seven halos of various colors, devoured everything in its path.

Even the mighty Yang Emperors, upon contact with this terrifying creature, were instantly reduced to dust.

Only Sovereigns, the realm masters, could withstand its power for a brief moment.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Devour! Devour! Devour!"

At this moment, Qi Yuan's consciousness was dissolving, preserving only a thread of his True Spirit.

He was no longer human, resembling a blood-red gluttonous snake, devouring everything in its path.

Three Throne Lords sat high above, witnessing countless Yang Emperors being devoured, unmoved by the carnage.

Countless cosmic rules were swallowed and refined, and Qi Yuan's mastery of the First-Rank Cosmic Rules exceeded a hundred at this moment.

For him, even the most challenging rule to grasp, the Time Rule, had been conquered.

Rules of flame, darkness, mantra, gold, and others became part of his seven halos.

The seven lights were now chaotic and unrecognizable.

Qi Yuan had become a terrifying entity, devouring everything in its path.

"Have you finally...understood the freedom to do as you wish in this game?"

The previous Qi Yuan, though powerful, had indiscriminately slain Yang Emperors in Black Heaven, but he still avoided Sovereigns.

Now, he seemed to have truly embraced the freedom to do as he pleased.

This Supreme Principle had been comprehended.

However, it had not transformed into a Cosmic Rule.

It seemed that the freedom to do as one wishes refused to be bound by Cosmic Rules.

Countless Black Abyss beings and Yang Emperors were devoured.

Qi Yuan began to circulate the Great Mind Forgetting Sutra, preserving the last thread of his True Spirit.

All the rules merged at this moment.

Fortune smiled upon his spirit.

A glimmer of divine light flashed in the depths of Qi Yuan's eyes.

"Is this the Heaven-Creating Realm?"

"Is this my path to the Yin Emperor?"

He gazed at the hundreds of thousands of remaining Yang Emperors in Black Heaven.

Qi Yuan was hungry.

To create a new heaven, one needed sufficient material; how could it be enough? Thus, Qi Yuan opened his blood-red maw.

All the Yang Emperors were devoured, becoming his experience.

Rules and matter shattered and were swallowed into his belly.

His consciousness became more turbid and chaotic.

Only a thread of his True Spirit struggled to maintain its existence.

At this moment, Qi Yuan had a premonition.

If the True Spirit failed to sustain itself, he feared he would become a terrifying and unique monster, driven solely by instinct to devour everything in its path.

He seemed to understand something. As all the Yang Emperors and Sovereigns were devoured, he lifted his terrifying head and looked towards the three Throne Lords.

"Can you tell me now...what Black Heaven is?"

The three Throne Lords were all in the Heaven-Creating Realm, an incomprehensible state.

Even if the universe were to be destroyed, Heaven-Creating Realm experts could still create a new realm in the void, giving birth to new life.

"You...already know, don't you?" One of the Throne Lords spoke, their voice strange.

Another Throne Lord wore a mechanical smile, "You could be Black Heaven?"

"Black Heaven's devouring is irreversible...do you intend to stop it?" The final Throne Lord questioned.

"Could it be...you want me to let it devour my game?" Qi Yuan's eyes, once clear and bright like a student's, were now clouded.

"Black Heaven's devouring of everything is a predetermined fact, irreversible...how can you stop it?" The Throne Lord's voice was mechanical.

"How can I know...if I don't try?" Qi Yuan's voice remained calm.

Even now, with his immense power, feeling that he could swallow the Divine Wood Universe with a single mouthful, his right eyebrow still twitched uncontrollably when facing the massive black bubble of Black Heaven.

This indicated a complete lack of odds in his favor.

A peculiar smile appeared in the Throne Lord's eyes.

"Black Heaven exists in the past or the future, but not in the present."

"What you see before you...is not Black Heaven, merely an illusion."

"This realm has already been devoured by Black Heaven at some point in time."

Qi Yuan fell silent.

At this moment, he understood why, when he looked at Black Heaven, his eyes perceived no information.

He hadn't seen Black Heaven; he had seen nothingness.

The current Black Heaven was devouring the Divine Wood Universe.

It was not happening in the present but had already occurred in the past.

This was an abstract and mysterious concept.

It was also somewhat grandiose and empty.

It was similar to an eighteen-year-old boy on Bluesphere kissing the air, resulting in every woman and man on the planet becoming pregnant ten years later.

What would Qi Yuan do ten years later to stop it?

He stared at the black bubble, his eyes calm yet terrifying.

"In the past...or the future?"

"If...I return to the past or go to the future...can I stop it?"

The Throne Lord's eyes shone with a peculiar smile, "Apart from Black Heaven, no other existence...can coexist in the same timeline, unless...you forsake your True Spirit and become a part of Black Heaven."

If Qi Yuan were to lose his True Spirit now, his state would be akin to Black Heaven.

Not existing in the present space-time, endlessly devouring everything.

What was being displayed to the world was an illusion, yet it was happening in reality.

Unless one reached the same realm as Black Heaven, there was no stopping it.

But if Qi Yuan reached the same realm as Black Heaven, he would either become a part of it or become Black Heaven itself.

How could he possibly stop it?

"The so-called Black Heaven is the fourth layer of Yangshen!"

"To stop Black Heaven, you must break through to the fourth layer of Yangshen!"

But...are you willing to do so?" One of the throne-seated figures smiled eerily.

"The path above the third layer of Yangshen has only two options. If you break through to the fourth layer, you cannot advance to the fifth."

"If you skip the fourth layer and break through to the fifth, becoming a Dao Lord...I'm afraid you still won't be able to stop Black Heaven." The other throne-seated figure's mechanical voice seemed to carry a hint of bitterness.

Qi Yuan fell silent.

The fourth layer of Yangshen.

Indeed.

Black Heaven is the fourth layer of Yangshen.

It exists neither in the present nor the past, only in the future—a terrifying existence.

Like the Root Demon, it becomes the calamity in the minds of countless Yangshen.

But Black Heaven is different. It is chaotic and disorderly, and its sole purpose is to devour—its ultimate goal.

For the first time, Qi Yuan felt immense pressure, along with a sense of invincibility.

Without reaching the fourth layer of Yangshen, he couldn't even see Black Heaven, let alone stop it.

Stepping into the fourth layer, he would become the embodiment of chaos.

His consciousness would dissolve, and his true spirit would vanish...

"So...you should go back. With your strength, you might be able to protect the creatures of the sixteen realms." The voice of one of the throne-seated figures remained calm.

They had no wisdom, no consciousness; they were merely a program, a projection.

However, even this program, this projection, was terrifying. The gap between each layer of Yangshen was like a heavenly chasm.

In the third layer of Yangshen, one would never be able to witness the fourth layer in this lifetime.

But the third layer would still be unconsciously devoured by the fourth.

This game was too dangerous.

Return?

Returning was out of the question!

Aside from this being his game, if he were to return, he would also allow Black Heaven to spread to the Immortal World.

The next target of its devouring would be the Immortal World.

Therefore, unlike other games, this time, Qi Yuan had no way out. He couldn't even return to end the game.

"I want to see...if I can stop it!"

At this moment, Qi Yuan's eyes flashed with a profound determination.

The Great Mind Forgetting Sutra!

Once again, he recited the Great Mind Forgetting Sutra, this time to forget his true self.

"I am not Qi Yuan."

"I am not in the Heaven-Creating Realm!"

"I am not in the fifth layer of Yangshen!"

"I am in the fourth layer of Yangshen!"

The Great Mind Forgetting Sutra continued to activate.

Qi Yuan seemed to have forgotten who he was.

The crimson terror's true spirit dimmed to the extreme, as if it might disappear at any moment.

In this moment, he forgot he was a cultivator; he only remembered he was in the fourth layer of Yangshen.

"Like this...can I stop Black Heaven?"

His final whisper faded, and Qi Yuan's figure disappeared.

...

In the Divine Wood Universe, the Void World Lord gazed at Black Heaven in the Void Sea, a strange expression on his face: "Qi Yuan's true spirit...has vanished."

The bearded deity's expression froze: "It's gone?"

"Qi Yuan...is gone." Shengnv's face was filled with sorrow.

It was unclear if she grieved for Qi Yuan's death or for the fate of the Divine Wood Universe.

"It's over, completely over!"

"I'm useless! Why can't I forge the eighth Divine Light of Human Enlightenment..." The usually elegant Artifact Jewel Ancestor God roared in anger.

Everyone was in despair.

In the 1691st chapter, a flawless version!

Qi Yuan had fallen in battle, and the seven Divine Lights of Human Enlightenment were shattered. Even if they could forge the eighth, what use would it be?

With Qi Yuan's fall, the Divine Wood Universe was doomed.

At that moment, a peculiar expression flashed in the Void World Lord's eyes: "Black Heaven's devouring...has slowed down."

"What?" One of the Ancestor Gods was stunned.

With Qi Yuan's death, there was no one left to stop Black Heaven. How could its devouring have slowed?

"It must be Qi Yuan's sacrifice that has halted Black Heaven!"

"Qi Yuan..." All the Ancestor Gods sighed, their hearts stirred with emotion, some feeling immense sorrow.

At that moment, Yuan spoke up: "May I ask, with Black Heaven's devouring slowed, how much time does the Divine Wood Universe have left?"

The others also turned to the Void World Lord, their eyes filled with anticipation.

The Void World Lord shook his head: "I don't know either."

Everyone fell silent, not expecting such an answer, and some were taken aback.

This meant that Black Heaven could devour at any moment.

That moment could be the next second or a hundred years later.

Yuan took a deep breath: "I beg the Void World Lord to act and take away the creatures of the Three Realms."

"I will."

...

Spring turned to autumn.

Time passed in the mortal world.

Wang Ku sat in his car, engrossed in a book.

"This old man sure can talk. The pages are new, and he claims it's from an ancient tomb. What a load of rubbish!"

"But...the content of this book...it's so fantastical, yet it's quite intriguing."

Wang Ku read the book with utmost seriousness.

The book was titled "Chunyu."

Within its pages were many short stories.

"This male lead is such a bootlicker, giving his eyes to the female lead, and he still hasn't defeated the main villain?"

"Yeah, the male lead is so pitiful. How many times has he died now?"

"This time, he lost his ears and his hearing."

"As expected, I'm a prophet. This time, the male lead's mouth is gone!"

"Next time, it'll probably be his ears."

"Oh my, is the author of this book toxic? Why do they keep the male and female leads apart? Is it intentional?"

"It's definitely intentional. The male lead just needs to wait for a year, and he'll meet the female lead."

"Sigh... This main antagonist doesn't seem that strong. I wonder if I can run him over with my train."

Wang Ku secretly thought to himself.

As night fell, Wang Ku fell asleep, clutching the book tightly.

Perhaps he was so engrossed in reading that even in his sleep, he dreamed about the book's content.

"This male lead... is much more handsome than I imagined."

In his dream, Wang Ku saw a tall figure clad in a blood-red robe.

The figure held a long sword, standing atop a black vortex.

He was covered in wounds, his body battered, and even one of his eyes was missing, filled with blood.

The figure in the blood-red robe, sword in hand, seemed to be facing off against a massive bubble in the dark void.

Upon seeing the enormous bubble, Wang Ku's young heart trembled as if he had witnessed the most terrifying thing in the world.

"A train can't kill him for sure!" Wang Ku thought to himself, grumbling, "According to the book's records, they've been in this standoff for a billion years. How long has it been since humans appeared?"

Wang Ku looked at the figure in the blood-red robe and couldn't help but shout, "Hey, go find the female lead! You can't win against the antagonist by yourself!"

At that moment, the tall figure facing the black bubble stiffened slightly, and a creepy light fell upon Wang Ku.

Wang Ku felt as if he were being stared down by a terrifying beast, certain that he might die at any moment.

"Damn, why am I so scared in my own dream?"

"Am I not the master of my dreams?"

Wang Ku woke from his dream, only to find himself drenched in cold sweat.

He glanced at the ancient book on his bed and began to flip through it again.

"Forget it, the male lead died again. This time... his name wasn't even written, and he was buried in the Divine Wood Abyss."

"What's the Divine Wood Abyss? It sounds familiar somehow."

"So hungry, I need to eat some buns." Wang Ku muttered.

He opened his bag and took out two buns, ignoring their coldness, and shoved them into his mouth, eating messily.

The radio in the room broadcasted various news:

"Breaking news: Extraterrestrial beings discovered in our country!"

"The Shen Luo Society declares the end of the world is near."

"The Black Heaven Sect proclaims: Black Heaven is coming, and all things will wither."

"Why are they all so superstitious? Is there no useful news?"

Wang Ku turned off the radio.

He didn't believe in the end of the world or any doomsday prophecies.

Instead of worrying about the world's potential end, he was more concerned about whether the antagonist in the book had been defeated.

"Damn, is this author still alive?"

During this time, Wang Ku had been engrossed in the book, neglecting sleep and food.

"Cliches, all of them!"

"How many times has the male lead died now?"

"It has to be over a hundred thousand!"

"And he still hasn't defeated the antagonist!"

"He hasn't even met the female lead yet!"

"Why can't he just meet the female lead and team up with her to fight the antagonist?"

"This is garbage! I'm not reading anymore!"

In the middle of the night, Wang Ku once again dreamed about the book.

He didn't know how many times he had had this dream.

This time, just like before, he couldn't help but shout, "Go meet the female lead!"

The next morning, Wang Ku woke up to see dark circles under his eyes in the mirror, feeling like crying.

"I can't read this book anymore; it's ruining my mental health."

He opened the door and took a deep breath of the fresh air outside.

"Indeed, reality is better."

Just then, the neighbor next door opened her door, revealing a delicate face and a pair of white, youthful, and energetic legs.

Wang Ku's neighbor was a female college student. Upon seeing Wang Ku, she blushed but then asked with a wink, "Wang Ku, I heard that a tomb was discovered in the Southern District, filled with cultivation techniques. Many people are gathering to witness it. You haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? I made some porridge..."

"Porridge isn't as good as buns," Wang Ku replied dismissively.

Wang Ku's neighbor seemed disappointed.

He found her too naive.

"Wang Ku, I made some porridge..."

"Forget it, books are more interesting. People outside are so annoying, always chattering away."

Wang Ku reopened the book and began reading intently.

However, when he saw the content, his eyes widened in shock.

"During the battle against Black Heaven, Qi Yuan faintly heard a hurried voice in his ear, 'Go meet the female lead.'"

He didn't know that this voice belonged to the young Wang Ku.

"Damn, who's playing a prank on me?" Wang Ku was stunned.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end