Chapter 470: An Eye Hidden in the Canopy of Heaven
The Underworld River water was pitch black. As it flowed, countless faces could be seen floating within it, letting loose eternal howls of grief. In life, they had been members of the Ancient Spirit species. But they had been cursed, thus making it impossible for them to rest in peace after death. Instead, they wallowed in endless anguish. They had long since lost any form of intelligence, and only had their instincts left. That was their tormented existence.
Their cries were piercing and mournful. Most who heard that cry would feel extremely uncomfortable, to the point where it would eventually destabilize their mind. But Xu Qing got used to it after about a day.
Right now, he was on the river looking up at the dome of heaven. In the misty, evening-like sky, his violet moon sent out violet moonlight. Surrounding the moon like a veil was a cloud of poison. As he looked at the moon, the corresponding heavenly palace within him operated at full force, causing a violet light to glimmer in his eyes that was like a reflection of the moon.
Eventually, he looked back toward the depths of the Underworld River, which pulsed with terrifying fluctuations. Although the source was far away, he still felt deep apprehension. Only gods could create a feeling like this within Xu Qing.
Is Emperor Ancient Spirit... actually not dead? Xu Qing thought back to when he’d descended to this major world, and the gargantuan snake he’d seen.
There had only been a single major world on that snake, which made it very clear that it was in only the first stage of the Smoldering God level. There was no way someone in that level could have conquered all of Revered Ancient.
Such doubts didn’t cause Xu Qing to slow down. Instead, he accelerated.
Three days passed.
During that time, roughly ten percent of the sky over this world had become violet. As a result, the lands below looked increasingly violet. And as Xu Qing continued on his way, his own mutagen built up around him. Gradually, a violet mist surrounded him, spreading out continuously. From a distance, it looked like an inauspicious entity was arriving surrounded by an insidious cloud.
This was the first time Xu Qing had used the violet power in this way. Because of the violet moon, the deceased souls in this major world began to behave differently. They were increasingly crazed.
The invasion of the violet moon was provoking the curse within them.
During the three days that passed, Xu Qing encountered many strong zombies and vicious souls. The souls in the Underworld River were different from the ones he had encountered on his journey through the wastelands before.
They had personal territories, and as long as they didn’t leave them, they were completely undying. But what that meant was that as long as Xu Qing kept his distance, they wouldn’t chase him. After coming to realize that, he didn’t waste time tangling with them. He just avoided them.
Thus, he got closer and closer to the true depths of the Underworld River.
On the eve of the fourth day, Xu Qing’s expression suddenly flickered.
The river water ahead of him suddenly seethed as a Nascent Soul aura erupted from within. As the water sprayed everywhere, an enormous face rose from the river. It was fully thirty meters in size. Many parts of it were rotting, and those that weren’t were covered with gray scales. As the water poured off of it, the face’s eyes locked onto Xu Qing as if examining him. Apparently, it sensed something it was looking for, as the face distorted, letting loose a howl of grief and indignation that caused the water to explode.
A foul wind swept across Xu Qing, causing his swordsage uniform to ripple loudly. Frowning, he turned to avoid the area, except that a second face emerged from the river, just to the left of the first face. It was also thirty meters in size, and looked very similar to the first face, and was connected to it by a thin stream of black mist. As it rose from the river, it blocked Xu Qing’s path. Things weren’t over yet. A third face appeared, then a fourth.... Eventually eleven faces had risen from the Underworld River, creating an arc that completely blocked Xu Qing.
The howls of the eleven faces shook heaven and earth, and also sent Xu Qing tumbling backward a few dozen meters. Then, the water beneath him exploded as the massive head of a decomposing bird appeared. Next came its wings, stretched out on either side, dripping water.
After flying up into the air, it shot toward Xu Qing.
Xu Qing’s pupils constricted as he took in the zombie bird. Its body alone was 300 meters long, and it vaguely resembled a phoenix. It was in a state of deep decomposition, and was stabbed through with all sorts of nasty weapons. As for the eleven faces, they were its tail feathers. What Xu Qing took the most seriously was that hanging around the huge bird’s neck was a necklace of black flesh, holding up a humanoid zombie. Apparently, this phoenix was a physical manifestation created by the zombie.
The zombie wore a dilapidated red robe, and though his face was decomposing in many places, he had obviously been a young man. He was glaring at Xu Qing, his face twisted with rage.
He let loose a howl as he blurred into motion. Appearing right in front of Xu Qing, he waved his hand, causing his cultivation base to flare to life. Instantly, a cloud of black snowflakes shot toward Xu Qing.
At the same time, the phoenix released a piercing cry. Opening its mouth, it released a noxious aroma as it lunged forward to devour Xu Qing. The eleven faces that made its tail belched out a poison mist filled with horrendous maggots.
Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. Backing up, he launched a fist strike with his right hand, creating a wild wind that blasted apart the snowflakes. Simultaneously, a sea of flames formed above him. The golden crow appeared in those flames, which then launched toward the phoenix. Xu Qing’s shadow appeared behind him in the form of a massive tree with many eyes, all of them focused on the faces belching poison.
In the blink of an eye, the two parties clashed, causing a string of deafening booms to fill the air. Over the course of the next few moments, they slammed into each other dozens of times.
As that happened, Xu Qing’s taboo poison spread. However, the zombie noticed, reached toward the Underworld River, and caused the water there to spiral up and surround him. The countless souls within the water then fought back against Xu Qing’s poison.
It was similar to the method Chu Tianqun employed, except in comparison, there were far more Underworld River souls. What was more, the river water was also the source of the zombie. Again, the zombie waved his hand, and the water formed a black python which swept toward Xu Qing.
Xu Qing staggered backward several dozen meters, his pupils constricting. There was something extremely gruish about this zombie. He seemed capable of drawing power from the Underworld River. From what Xu Qing could sense, he had the strength of the early Nascent Soul stage, similar to Chu Tianqun.
As Xu Qing fell back, the hellspirit bloodwing appeared behind him. With its dramatic boost of speed he tried to circle around the zombie. Considering the zombie’s immense strength and gruish abilities, Xu Qing didn’t want to waste time fighting him. Besides, he had the feeling he would need the power of the violet moon later, and didn’t want to waste it too soon.
However, as Xu Qing tried to speed past, the zombie turned and looked at him. The phoenix flapped its wings, giving it a burst of astonishing speed. It shot directly in front of Xu Qing like a lightning bolt.
Xu Qing frowned as he again circled around and then sped on his way. However, the zombie wasn’t ready to give up, and chased after him, howling as he prepared a deadly attack.
Xu Qing’s eyes flickered coldly. He waved his hand, causing thirty demonization symbols to fly out. He also activated his seventh heavenly palace. The symbols burned, and the Ghost Emperor rumbled into existence. The mere presence of the Ghost Emperor caused everything to tremble in the area. Water exploded and massive pressure weighed down.
“Screw off!” Xu Qing said, his eyes as cold as ice. He really didn’t want to be entangled with this opponent, but it looked like he would have to waste some time to destroy him.
The zombie sensed danger and suddenly stopped in place. Then it dropped down into the Underworld River, where it glared up at Xu Qing. The water seethed around the zombie.
Xu Qing looked at it coldly, then turned and sped off.
The zombie watched Xu Qing go, hesitated for a moment, then sank back down into the water.
That zombie must have been a top chosen when he was alive! Xu Qing put away the Ghost Emperor mountain, then blurred further along toward the depths of the Underworld River.
A day later, which was his fifth in this major world, he finally reached the end of the river. There, he saw an enormous black palace. It was bigger than the county capital! Despite being dilapidated and falling apart, it emanated shocking pressure. Xu Qing got the sense that it was something from the profoundly ancient past. It was like some imperial palace that had existed in forgotten times.
Boundless soul fluctuations emerged from within it, and it pulsed with an incredibly strong aura of death. What was more, in the depths of the palace there were mounds of black flesh that formed something like a mountain. Atop that mountain of flesh hovered a group of a few hundred souls, which were apparently some sort of offering.
Beyond the souls, on the horizon, was a rift some several thousand meters wide. From the look of it... it was an eye hidden in the canopy of heaven. Though the eye was closed, it emanated godly might that caused everything in the area to ripple and distort.
Waves of shock filled Xu Qing as he looked at the mountain of flesh in the imperial palace, as well as the hundreds of souls. He was still a great distance away, but from the tug of the golden thread, he knew for a certainty... that Ling’er’s soul was right there!