HSSB1084: Searching the Nine Underworlds
The deeper they ventured within, the easier it was to sense that terrifying aura of the Nine Underworlds that bewitched one’s heart.
Yan Zhaoge, the Brocade Emperor and the Encompassing Emperor were naturally unaffected.
With Meng Wan’s cultivation base, she was already unable to go on normally as corroded by the power of the Nine Underworlds, she would gradually come to lose her rationality.
However firm a will she had, not being someone without feelings or desires, she would inevitably be affected by this.
Only with the jade pendant that the Brocade Emperor now handed her to cleanse her mind and help her in focusing was she able to continue forging forward.
Yan Zhaoge and the others had no intention of interacting with the local beasts that also posed no threat to them as they simply swept them all up.
Things were much more efficient as they just followed the traces left behind by Feng Yunsheng.
After walking like this for a few days, Yan Zhaoge and the others suddenly slowed down.
Everyone’s expressions turned solemn as they focused on the space before them.
They were already at the boundary of the land of tranquil stream as any further and they would be nearing the source of the corrosion here, the place where it intersected with the Nine Underworlds.
Feng Yunsheng still seemed to have proceeded forward.
Yan Zhaoge searched around the surrounding area and discovered no other clues.
It seemed that their only option was to continue advancing.
The Encompassing Emperor asked slowly, “Did this Little Friend Feng bring along the Extreme Yin Crown when leaving Broad Creed Mountain for adventuring?”
He too was already aware that Feng Yunsheng was the person from Broad Creed Mountain who wielded the Extreme Yin Crown.
“My wife has always been in charge of the Extreme Yin Crown,” Yan Zhaoge answered.
Meng Wan’s expression was normal as she had completely come to peace with losing the Extreme Yin Crown in that defeat to Feng Yunsheng in what had been like a destined battle that year.
The Encompassing Emperor muttered aloud, “I wonder if Little Friend Feng has already reached the Seeing Divinity stage.”
While there had been some traces left behind by Feng Yunsheng along the way, they had already diminished over time, without any details so to speak of as it was hence difficult to judge Feng Yunsheng’s current cultivation base and mentality from it.
“If senior apprentice-sister Feng has successfully broken through space to see true Divinity, she will be able to exert the full power of the Extreme Yin Crown over a short duration,” Also a Maiden of Extreme Yin, having once had the Crown for many years, Meng Wan was extremely clear on this.
It was unknown how the Exalted Lunar Luminary had forged this Sacred Artifact in the past such that it was different from other Sacred Artifacts.
Yan Zhaoge said mildly, “While my wife had the intention of training, she would definitely realise the perils the Nine Underworlds entail and stay out of such dangerous situations.”
Yan Zhaoge understood what the Encompassing Emperor was worried about.
If Feng Yunsheng was able to sufficiently exert the power of the Extreme Yin Crown, not only would it be beneficial for her protection, it would also assist her in more effectively resisting the beguiling effects of the Nine Underworlds and stabilising her mind.
The Extreme Yin Crown was a Sacred Artifact on the same level as the Extreme Yang Seal as it had great strength within the mortal realm.
If she did not encounter great devils equivalent to the Immortal realm of Daoism, Feng Yunsheng would still be relatively safe even if she entered the Nine Underworlds.
Yet, if she had yet to attain the Seeing Divinity stage and could not sufficiently exert the power of the Extreme Yin Crown, even if Feng Yunsheng could use a portion of its strength, whether she might be able to emerge from it safely if she entered its depths was very hard to say indeed.
It would be a whole different matter altogether if as a Merging Avatar Martial Saint, she had been bewitched by the Nine Underworlds, only then having ventured so deeply within.
They would have to carefully reconsider their search for Feng Yunsheng this time.
Still, since they had already come, Yan Zhaoge would certainly not let things go just like that.
“We should still go in and look around for a while,” The Brocade Emperor now said, “Perhaps Little Friend Feng is in need of our help right now?”
The Encompassing Emperor nodded, “Let us go then.”
As they ventured onwards, a shocking sound resounded by their ears which grew louder and louder till it eventually became deafening.
The light amidst the dim darkness before them gradually dispersed, black fog suffusing the area as a vicious, sinister bloodred lustre vaguely flickered.
This was no longer a crevice to the Nine Underworlds like in the Eight Extremities World as it was an existence like a boundless, bitter sea that faced the Nine Underworlds directly.
“This place is rather strange. While the devilish qi of the Nine Underworlds has also corroded space, it has not been a smooth process,” Glancing around, the Brocade Emperor said leisurely, “It is as if there is some entity which has interrupted the corrosive effect of the Nine Underworlds on space.”
The Encompassing Emperor looked around for a moment before nodding, “While related to Grand Illusory Spatial Thunder, it does not seem to be just that.”
They continued walking, finally completely entering that dense black fog.
As they strode forth, the world before them instantly changed completely.
The feeling was not like when one travelled from the Eight Extremities World to the Vast Ocean World or Floating Life World, or even to the World beyond Worlds.
Instead, it was as if one had themselves become a different lifeform, switching to a different state of being.
It was like the fleshly body had died and the soul had left the body, going from a person to a spirit.
The entire universe was barren and also restless.
Once they entered, let alone Meng Wan, even Yan Zhaoge felt slightly uncomfortable.
They had previously been in other worlds at the end of the day as they faced the assault of the devilish qi of the Nine Underworlds. Now that they were in the actual Nine Underworlds, that power which bewitched one’s mind-how would it only be a mere tenfold, hundredfold increase?
Yan Zhaoge even felt that the Faceless Devil Scripture that he had only referred to and never actually cultivated in for real before seemed to have gained a life of its own.
Borrowing the power of the Nine Underworlds, the text of the Faceless Devil Scripture in Yan Zhaoge’s memories vaguely sought to form a seed in his body to sprout within his soul.
After it had developed and grown, that would be when it tried to take over him.
Besides the Faceless Devil Scripture, there were also many other devilish arts that seemed like they were going to draw over devilish qi, becoming devils in their own right.
It was just that none of these were as intense as the Faceless Devil Scripture.
“The Nine Underworlds is remarkable indeed. I wonder how Yunsheng is doing now,” Yan Zhaoge calmed himself and circulated his profound arts, suppressing and wiping out all these inner devils.
He paid attention to the state of the Brocade Emperor beside him.
With how the Brocade Emperor was right now, one might say that it would be extremely easy for the Nine Underworlds to make use of this chance and assault him.
While he might not be physically compromised right now, the contrary should be true for his mind.
The Encompassing Emperor thought the same as Yan Zhaoge on this. Thus, he had come along this time in case such a thing happened.
The Brocade Emperor, though, appeared as per usual and wholly unaware as he seemed not to take any notice of how the two were paying attention to him.
He simply continued searching for traces left behind by Feng Yunsheng while making sure that Meng Wan was still doing okay.
With different thoughts in mind, they continued advancing forward in this world in which humans should not dwell.
The auras of living people instantly drew the attention of numerous devils.
Still, the devils that appeared in the vicinity were merely at the level of human Martial Saints at most as they naturally had no way of impeding the footsteps of Yan Zhaoge and the others.
Still, not long after they had entered, Yan Zhaoge and the others suddenly felt that the devilish qi about the area seemed to have gradually gotten lighter.
They exchanged glances, “There is indeed a unique existence interfering with this region of the Nine Underworlds and lessening its encroachment on surrounding dimensions.”
Yan Zhaoge and the others immediately identified that direction and proceeded where the devilish qi was weaker.
As they approached, the devilish qi steadily diminished.
There was a biting cold feel which was growing stronger and stronger.
Yan Zhaoge, the Encompassing Emperor and the Brocade Emperor exchanged looks, blurting out simultaneously, “Sword-intent?”