Chapter 662: The Star River's Terminal Phase
Chapter 662: The Star River's Terminal Phase
Within the cave mansion, Chen Mu sat cross-legged, his mind filled with the vision of the Void Dao that Vanggu Divine Lord had revealed to him.
Chen Mu's understanding of the Void Dao was almost identical to that of Vanggu Divine Lord, who had also chosen Aggregation, Overlapping, Extension, and Infinity as the four Mystic Arts for his fusion path. However, their interpretations of the Void differed.
Vanggu Divine Lord believed that the vast cosmos, with its myriad realms, could also be viewed as a complete world.
The world is one, yet it is also myriad, and no matter how it overlaps, extends, or divides, it is essentially a more expansive world with a central point known as the Primordial Void.
Chen Mu, on the other hand, held the opposite view. He believed that the vast cosmos, with its myriad realms, did not have a so-called 'center.' The endless void expands from a single point, returns to it, and remains within that 'single point' from beginning to end.
In truth, Chen Mu wasn't sure if his concept was more accurate, as he had never seen the Primordial Void. Based on Vanggu Divine Lord's understanding of the Dao, it was possible that he had visited the Primordial Void and witnessed it firsthand.
At the very least, Chen Mu had glimpsed the embryonic form of the Primordial Void through Vanggu Divine Lord's demonstration of the Void Dao. Having reached his current realm, Chen Mu had also gathered much information about the Primordial Void, though he had yet to see it with his own eyes.
The Primordial Void.
A realm unlike any other.
Typical voids contain three thousand great realms, countless intermediate and small realms, but the Primordial Void has only one realm, known as the Primordial Realm.
The Primordial Realm is the Primordial Void itself, and the Primordial Void is the Primordial Realm. It is a world so vast that it surpasses the imagination, even surpassing remote voids like the Vanggu Void."
Vanggu Divine Lord's techniques were based on the Primordial Void.
His ultimate move, 'Heaven is Boundary, Earth is Domain,' was essentially a projection of the Primordial Void.
Chen Mu, however, was different.
The ultimate move he had created, 'Yuu,' was an infinite expanse of countless stars originating from a single point. It was his vision of the 'universe' based on his current understanding of the Void Dao.
It was evident that Chen Mu was unsure which of the two universes, the one from his past life or the current endless void, was more expansive. Nonetheless, these two cosmoses were fundamentally different.
Therefore, Chen Mu wasn't sure if his concept was right or wrong compared to Vanggu's path, but this didn't hinder his understanding of Vanggu's path or his own insights, allowing him to gain more experience in the Void Dao.
Regardless of his concepts or the path he followed, the system panel would ultimately present him with the most complete understanding of the Void Dao, guiding him to the end of this path. Thus, Chen Mu never worried about the process or whether he might stray.
Eternity flowed by,
And the cosmos transformed.
In the blink of an eye, thirty-three eras had passed.
For Divine Lords, time was often measured in eras, and it was common for the overlords of the Eighth Heaven to transcend dozens or even hundreds of eras during a single seclusion.
After Chen Mu demonstrated his Eight Heaven Limit techniques and resolved a crisis in Inferno City, the city no longer imposed its rules on him. He no longer needed to patrol or defend the city to earn 'Watch Time.'
Strength determined status.
At the Eight Heaven Limit, Chen Mu's power in Inferno City was equivalent to that of a deputy city lord, and in the Flame Sun Sect, he held the position of vice-president. His ability to briefly counter the power of the Ninth Heaven Abyssal Beasts made him the stabilizing force of the Flame Sun Sect, ensuring its existence.
Naturally, he no longer needed to engage in routine patrols or city defense, just like Inferno Sun Divine Lord. Only when Inferno City faced significant trouble, and the patrolling and defending Divine Lords couldn't handle it, would he take action.
During these thirty-three eras, Inferno City remained stable, encountering no major troubles or crises.
Chen Mu's Divine Energy Incarnation remained in seclusion within his cave mansion.
The only minor interruption during this period was a message from Inferno Sun Divine Lord, informing him that he hadn't discovered any information about Ming Fan or the Demon Progenitor in the various factions within the Lava Cavern region.
Chen Mu was only slightly startled by this news but wasn't overly surprised. After all, no one was foolish. Since Ming Fan and the Demon Progenitor believed that Chen Mu was the reincarnation of a Ninth Heaven Divine Lord, they were certain that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely return to the Ninth Heaven in the future.
Even if this might take a long time, perhaps requiring dozens or even hundreds of kalpas, once Chen Mu truly returned to the Ninth Heaven, no faction in the Lava Cavern could protect them.
It was clear that Ming Fan and Demon Ancestor were aware of this, so they didn't even attempt to join any factions within the Lava Caverns. They most likely ventured into other regions of the Endless Abyss, joining forces with other factions. Alternatively, they might have teamed up, avoiding any affiliations, and cautiously surviving within the Endless Abyss.
If Ming Fan and Demon Ancestor chose to remain unaffiliated and only work together cautiously, finding them would indeed be challenging, even for a Ninth Heaven expert like Chen Mu. After a brief moment of contemplation, Chen Mu set this matter aside.
He didn't believe that Ming Fan and Demon Ancestor would remain solitary for long. After all, their strength was only at the ordinary Eighth Heaven level, unlike the formidable Vanggu Divine Lord, who stood at the pinnacle of the Eighth Heaven.
Even in the relatively shallow regions of the Lava Caverns within the Endless Abyss, a solitary Eighth Heaven Overlord could still encounter crises. Only those who had reached the limits of the Eighth Heaven would have the confidence to remain unaffiliated and act alone.
Ming Fan and Demon Ancestor, both at the ordinary Eighth Heaven level, could perhaps wander together for a short time, but it would be risky for them to roam for dozens or even hundreds of kalpas. Encountering a Ninth Heaven Abyssal Beast just once could lead to their immediate demise.
...
Boundless Star River.
As early as thirty eras ago, this place was a brilliant and radiant starry sky, stable and safe, attracting many lower-ranked true gods for exploration. However, the Boundless Star River has now transformed into a terrifying perilous land!
In the entire starry dome, the once-brilliant stars that filled the sky have dwindled to a mere few, with only a handful of large stars still twinkling. Their radiance flickered erratically, and almost everywhere, terrifying void black holes loomed.
These void black holes caused distortions in the void, and despite varying in size, they posed an extreme threat. Even a small void black hole could leave little chance of survival for beings below the Divine Lord realm if they were swallowed by it.
The chaotic void black holes also made the void here incredibly turbulent, like a raging current. For true gods of the fourth and fifth heavens, it was no exaggeration to say that every step was a struggle. Only those at the sixth heaven could manage to move around, but even then, exploration was ill-advised.
Buzz!
In the dim starry dome, two void black holes gradually approached each other amidst the raging void currents, then tore at each other as they spun, finally colliding with a terrifying force that even caused the seventh layer of the void to shatter! However, it was this very shattering of the seventh layer of the void that allowed the higher-level void energy from the seventh layer to surge into the two colliding void black holes, intertwining with the tearing force.
The void black holes, already in a state of violent tearing, were now subjected to the scouring force of the seventh layer's void energy, creating a surging ripple that caused their interiors to become extremely unstable, constantly twisting and changing. This twisting and changing occurred thousands upon thousands of times every moment, and finally, during one of these transformations, it crossed a special boundary.
Boom!
The two intertwining void black holes suddenly collapsed and disintegrated.
In the center of these two void black holes, where everything should have been annihilated, and darkness reigned supreme, something emerged from nothingness, emitting a faint white light.
Although described as faint, this white light stood out vividly against the surrounding pure darkness, illuminating the nearby starry dome and the chaotic void.
"Hmm? A Lifeless Stone!"
Almost as soon as the white light had blossomed for a few breaths, a surprised voice echoed from the starry dome not far away. Soon after, a scarlet-red shadow swiftly traversed the void, extending thread-like scarlet-red lines that formed a crimson claw, reaching out to grasp the faint white light in the depths of the darkness.
But...
Just as the crimson claw, composed of scarlet-red threads, was about to capture the white light, a sinister voice abruptly reverberated through the void: "Hey, it's none other than Jiu Hong Divine Lord. Long time no see. Your skills have improved, and you're probably not far from the peak of the Seventh Heaven. However, this object is not meant for you."
Boom!
Accompanying the voice, the nearby void suddenly exploded with a blinding yellow light.
The yellow light, upon appearing, caused the void to tremble, and some unknown technique was employed, instantly distorting the crimson-red thread-like claw. Just as it was about to grasp the white light, it abruptly turned back on itself.
At that very moment, a figure bathed in yellow escape light swiftly darted through the darkness, rushing towards the rare artifact, the Wusheng Stone.
"Huang E!"
A cold voice emanated from the crimson light, "You're still a step ahead of me!"
Countless years ago, Huang E was his rival, slightly stronger than him. After an eternity, he had nearly reached the peak of the Seventh Heaven, but his opponent seemed to have crossed that threshold, still maintaining a slight edge over him.
However, Huang E didn't give up. With a thought, the red silk threads in the void trembled violently, dispersing the claw-like formation and then rearranging into a net. It directly enveloped the yellow light, intertwining and pulling at it.
The yellow light erupted with a fierce aura, forcefully tearing at the red silk threads. It quickly snapped the threads one by one while continuing to approach the Wusheng Stone, which was floating in the void, its form now fully condensed.
But...
Due to Jiu Hong's entanglement, his speed slowed down slightly.
This brief hindrance allowed several distinct Divine Lord auras to quickly approach the area.
"Jiu Hong, you still can't stop me!" Huang E's voice was muffled and cold, followed by a cold laugh. He burst forth with another wave of light, breaking free from the remaining red threads. Then, he continued rushing forward, and in the blink of an eye, he reached the vicinity of the Wusheng Stone.
Although there were movements in all directions, and Divine Lords were becoming aware of the situation, rushing towards this place, Huang E paid them no mind. His eyes were fixed solely on the Wusheng Stone. Having reached the peak of the Seventh Heaven, if he could obtain the Wusheng Stone, even a Divine Lord from the Eighth Heaven would find it difficult to take it from him.
However...
Just as he was about to reach the Wusheng Stone, which was emitting a radiant white light, with only a few dozen feet remaining, a distance even an ordinary person could leap across, it became an insurmountable chasm for him!
A hand abruptly extended from the void, reaching out and grabbing the Wusheng Stone with the white light before Huang E could. With a gentle grip, the Wusheng Stone vanished from sight!
"Who?"
"Who are you?!"
Huang E's actions abruptly halted. From the yellow light, a deep yellow face emerged, expressing shock and uncertainty. He stared at the void before him.
To have crossed the void and taken the Wusheng Stone without him noticing, this ability undoubtedly belonged to the Void Lineage. However, there were few Divine Lords from the Void Lineage, and he was familiar with many of them, but the aura of the one before him was completely foreign.
Before Huang E could react further, the hand that had taken the Wusheng Stone suddenly changed its action, pointing at him and flicking its finger.
Buzz!
This simple flick caused Huang E's face to contort in shock, his pupils revealing a hint of terror. He felt an indescribably terrifying pressure that suppressed him and the surrounding void!
With his formidable Seventh Heaven peak cultivation, he compressed his body into a yellow ball of light.
Then, this yellow ball of light, like a marble, was flicked by the plain hand, sending it flying. It tore through the void, shattering void black holes along its path, and disappeared into the distance, beyond the perception of all.
This sudden turn of events caused the Divine Lord auras that were approaching to abruptly halt, freezing in the void for a moment.
Immediately after,
In the silent void, the surging Divine Lord auras receded one by one, some retreating even faster, quickly vanishing into the dark starry dome.
"!"
The closest, Jiu Hong Divine Lord, revealed himself. He wore a crimson armor with horns on his forehead, and his face also showed shock. Without hesitation, he transformed into red silk threads and disappeared into the distant void with a hiss.
After everyone had left, the void finally fell into silence. In this quiet, the hand that had reached out from the void, along with the figure behind it, emerged. It was Chen Mu, wearing a plain robe, his expression calm. He slowly lowered his hand, his gaze sweeping across the nearby void.
(End of Chapter)
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