Chapter 660: Collapse
Chapter 660: Collapse
Within the Cavern.
Inferno City swiftly soared through the air, occasionally startling some Abyss Beasts, but their numbers were few, and they were all at the Seventh and Eighth Heaven tiers. The numerous Inferno Sun Divine Lords easily crushed them, unable to pose any real threat.
After all, Ninth Heaven Abyss Beasts were not commonly encountered. It often took Inferno City hundreds or even thousands of eras to encounter one within the Lava Caverns, and it was even rarer to encounter two consecutively as they had before.
Suddenly, after an unknown duration, the deep crimson Lava Cavern abruptly gave way to a vast expanse of desolate hills. Inferno City had escaped the underground caverns and reached the middle layer of this cavern, where endless desolate hills and deep red mountain ranges stretched as far as the eye could see, along with numerous deep chasms.
"Inferno City has escaped the danger, and we owe our safety to everyone's combined efforts once again."
The Inferno Sun Divine Lord appeared above the city gate, addressing the numerous Divine Lords stationed there with a solemn expression.
Having left the underground caverns, Inferno City was now out of immediate danger, although Chen Mu didn't plan to linger in this layer. He intended to pilot Inferno City further away, but there was no longer a need for all the Inferno Sun Divine Lords to gather at the city gate.
"Thank you for your hard work, President."
The numerous Seventh Heaven Divine Lords bowed respectfully to the Inferno Sun Divine Lord.
Divine Lords of the Eighth Heaven, such as Jing Tian, also bowed to the Inferno Sun Divine Lord. Chen Mu, too, bowed slightly in the Inferno Sun Divine Lord's direction, even though his intervention had been crucial in their escape. There was no doubt that the Inferno Sun Divine Lord had contributed the most to ensuring the safety of Inferno City and all the Inferno Sun Divine Lords.
After a brief commotion, the Seventh Heaven Divine Lords dispersed, returning to Inferno City, while the Eighth Heaven Divine Lords conversed and then departed.
At this moment,
The Inferno Sun Divine Lord's gaze turned to Chen Mu, and he smiled slightly, saying, "So, this is the renowned Mu Divine Lord. I was in seclusion when you joined the Inferno Sun, so I couldn't welcome you personally. Only now have I learned of your extraordinary mastery of the Void Lineage."
The Inferno Sun Divine Lord's attitude was amiable, as he had established the Inferno Sun long ago, and over the years, only two Eighth Heaven Limit Divine Lords had joined, one of whom later defected to another faction, while the other had mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
Finally, another Eighth Heaven Limit existence had joined the Inferno Sun, and what's more, a rare master of the Void Lineage.
For the Inferno Sun Divine Lord, having an Eighth Heaven Limit Divine Lord join was undoubtedly a positive development, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, ordinary Eighth Heaven Divine Lords were nearly useless against Ninth Heaven Abyss Beasts, and even a peak figure like Vanggu Divine Lord required a combined effort to barely hinder them.
In comparison, even a solitary Chen Mu was likely no less formidable than the combined might of Vanggu Divine Lord and the other six administrators. With Chen Mu's addition, the Inferno Sun's position would undoubtedly strengthen, and they could face two Ninth Heaven Abyss Beasts with greater ease!
In such a situation, the Inferno Sun would attract even more members.
At its peak, the Inferno Sun had boasted over ten thousand Divine Lords, but after the departure of the two Eighth Heaven Limit Vice Presidents, many Divine Lords had left to join other factions.
"It was just a fortunate coincidence."
Chen Mu nodded slightly towards the Inferno Sun Divine Lord and said, "I joined the Inferno Sun to find a place to settle down, and it's only natural to lend a hand when trouble arises. It's all part of my duty."
The Inferno Sun Divine Lord smiled and said, "Indeed, we all strive for survival, and helping each other is beneficial. Well, I still need to pilot Inferno City further away, but once this matter is concluded, would you be willing to visit my residence?"
"I wouldn't dare refuse your invitation, Inferno Brother."
Chen Mu smiled in response.
He wouldn't refuse the offer of friendship from the ancient Eighth Heaven Limit existence and president of the Inferno Sun. Aside from other considerations, the Inferno Sun Divine Lord, having spent a long time in the Endless Abyss, undoubtedly possessed a deeper understanding of the Lava Caverns and the entire Endless Abyss than anyone else.
Moreover, according to Chen Mu's knowledge, the Inferno Sun Divine Lord, who had founded the Inferno Sun, possessed much more information about the other factions active within the Lava Caverns than Vanggu Divine Lord, who had only recently joined the Inferno Sun. Some Divine Lords who had left the Inferno Sun for other factions might still maintain secret contact with the Inferno Sun Divine Lord."
This was precisely the kind of intelligence Chen Mu sought.
He wanted to learn about Ming Fan Divine Lord and Demon Progenitor Divine Lord.
If these two hadn't left the Lava Caverns for other regions of the Endless Abyss, but had joined one of the factions within, he might be able to obtain some information about them from the Inferno Sun Divine Lord.
If he could obtain this information in advance, then when he broke through the Ninth Heaven's limits and entered the Ninth Heaven, he could directly seek out these two and settle their old karmic debts.
"Brother Mu."
Mo Yue Divine Lord, clad in a black and gold robe, approached Chen Mu and greeted him with a smile, "I am Mo Yue. I didn't know of your abilities before, but today I've truly opened my eyes."
Gen Jun Divine Lord also smiled and said, "Brother Mu's mastery of the Void Lineage is indeed extraordinary."
Numerous Inferno Sun administrators, including Peng Yu, also greeted Chen Mu warmly, all with smiles on their faces.
The distance between the Eighth Heaven Peak and the Eighth Heaven Limit was hard to quantify when compared to the Ninth Heaven. After all, those at the Eighth Heaven Peak often reached the threshold of Four Mystic Arts Fusion, and once they comprehended it, they could directly ascend to the Ninth Heaven.
Whether at the Eighth Heaven Peak or the Eighth Heaven Limit, the gap between them and the Ninth Heaven wasn't significant. After all, those at the Eighth Heaven Limit often had a deeper understanding of 'Triple Mystic Fusion' than those at the Eighth Heaven Peak. However, once they reached the Ninth Heaven, Triple Mystic Fusion techniques were no longer as impressive and couldn't create a significant disparity.
Nevertheless, in terms of strength, Chen Mu was indeed superior to many Inferno Sun administrators, and he was a rare master of the Void Lineage. Even a true Ninth Heaven Divine Lord might not be able to defeat an Eighth Heaven Limit Void Overlord. Under these circumstances, it was natural for Mo Yue, Gen Jun, and others to want to establish a connection with Chen Mu.
Chen Mu, in response to the friendly gestures from Mo Yue, Gen Jun, and others, did not refuse and responded to each of them. These were ancient beings who had been in the Inferno Sun Sect for a long time, and it wouldn't hurt to make connections with them. Perhaps he could learn some unknown information about the Endless Abyss and the outside universe from them.
...
Under Inferno Sun's control, Inferno City swiftly traversed dozens of layers of the Lava Caverns, then stopped in a particular layer, returning to its slow-moving state.
Many Inferno Sun Sect leaders, including Inferno Sun himself, as well as Vanggu, left the city and returned to their respective cave mansions. In the previous battle, they had all burned divine energy and used life-risking techniques, requiring time to heal and recover.
Especially Inferno Sun, who had fought with all his might, burning divine energy close to one-tenth of his true body. This depletion, while not severe enough to affect his combat strength, would still require a significant amount of time to fully recover.
Among them, only Chen Mu had not burned his divine energy.
The Shadow Abyss Beast's fragment they faced was extremely powerful, but it hadn't reached the Ninth Heaven. There was no need for him to burn his divine energy or use life-risking techniques to deal with it.
As Inferno Sun and the others returned to their cave mansions for seclusion, Chen Mu did not return to his mansion this time. Instead, he remained in the city, standing tall, gazing down at the entire Lava Cavern, carefully comprehending the void structure of the Lava Cavern, and sensing the differences between the Endless Abyss and the outer cosmos. He wanted to see if he could gain some insights from it.
...
Boundless Star River.
Chen Mu, clad in a simple cloth robe, strode through the vast starry river. With each step, he instantly traversed hundreds of millions of miles, and the countless distant stars beneath his feet seemed like stepping stones, each crossed by him.
He continued on, not stopping for a moment.
After an unknown period, he paused before a white star.
This white star emitted dazzling white light, appearing intensely vibrant and vigorous. It seemed to contain infinite, vast power, but Chen Mu could sense that this was just a facade.
The star before him, though seemingly active and flourishing, was actually nearing its end.
Chen Mu stood silently, gazing at the white star. His eyes seemed to penetrate its million-mile surface, witnessing the changes in its core. As time passed, the star's radiance suddenly dimmed.
Then, a deafening explosion tore through the layers of the void, and a blinding white light burst forth, threatening to turn the entire starry river pure white.
The ripples caused by the void's tremors were enough to annihilate lower-ranked True Gods.
However, Chen Mu stood firm, unmoved by the intense white light that enveloped everything around him. Yet, it couldn't budge the three-foot space beside him.
After an unknown duration, the fierce white light finally faded, and the white star completely vanished. In its place, a pitch-black void abyss remained in the central region.
It wasn't accurate to call it a void abyss, as there was indeed matter there. But due to its extreme concentration, the void had formed a massive distortion, creating a terrifying devouring force that continuously sucked in nearby starry dust and swallowed it, making it disappear.
"No rare artifact was born?"
Chen Mu shook his head slightly as he witnessed this. Usually, when a star collapses, it's an opportunity for the birth of special artifacts. But this star's destruction didn't lead to the emergence of any such artifacts.
However, Chen Mu's close observation of the star's destruction wasn't for the sake of resources but to confirm his suspicions. From the beginning to the end, he had essentially confirmed his deductions.
"It seems the Boundless Star River is truly nearing its end."
Chen Mu spoke to himself.
Based on his previous observations, he could sense that the void of the Boundless Star River had indeed undergone subtle changes. These changes were so insignificant that even he, an Eighth Heaven Overlord of the Void Lineage, might not notice them, let alone ordinary Divine Lords.
These subtle changes were driving the entire Boundless Star River towards its demise. All the stars would be affected by the void, collapsing and destroying one after another, until the entire Boundless Star River was completely shattered and annihilated!
What Chen Mu found mysterious and incomprehensible was precisely these subtle changes in the void.
He knew the three Primordial Daos—Eternity, Creation, and Void—all inherently contained the concept of 'Cycle.' They were in a state of perpetual repetition.
The void could collapse, and even the entire Boundless Void, the vast cosmos, would one day be destroyed. What might lead to this destruction was likely these 'subtle' changes, but their essence was something Chen Mu couldn't quite grasp at the moment.
For Chen Mu, standing at the Eighth Heaven's peak and following the Void Lineage, the Boundless Star River held almost no secrets. He had essentially comprehended the birth and operation of the stars, the structure and mysteries of the void. But these subtle changes that led to the void's decay were something he hadn't witnessed before.
This was a deeper essence of the void.
"Division, aggregation, extension, overlapping, infinity... Perhaps the five Esoteric Arts of the Void Lineage are truly integrated at these subtle changes. If one could comprehend them, they might reach the end of the Void Dao."
Chen Mu muttered to himself.
However, he knew that his current cultivation level wasn't sufficient to comprehend the fusion of the five Esoteric Arts of the Void Lineage. Even with his vague suspicions, it was like trying to discern a flower in the mist. Forcing comprehension would be like building a castle in the air.
But for Chen Mu, witnessing the subtle changes in the Boundless Star River brought him some joy. Through these changes, even if he couldn't fully comprehend them, he could gain insights that would help him further his understanding of the Void Dao, allowing him to accumulate experience faster and take that step towards the Ninth Heaven.
Swish!
Chen Mu stared at the void black hole left after the star's destruction for a moment. Once the surroundings stabilized, he turned and left, continuing his search for other stars nearing their end.
(End of Chapter)
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