Devour

Chapter 368 The Underworld

What does the underworld look like?

A person retains some consciousness for a short period of time after death.

Wang Xiongwu lost all his abilities and could not even use his spiritual sense to perceive the environment. The five senses of an ordinary person were also gradually disappearing. He sank into the thick and deep darkness in a daze, but he felt a sense of relief.

However, surrounded by endless shadows, he discovered a gray-yellow skeleton that was ten thousand meters long. It looked like a tiger or wolf with long fangs, and the vague connection with it became clearer.

Wang Xiongwu pondered with a lingering thought: "What kind of monster is this so majestic? Why are its bones a yellowish color instead of the usual white luster?"

His body slowly fell onto a broad bone in the pile of bones. He caught a glimpse of a few drops of bright red blood that gradually sank into the surface of the bones. Those places emitted a faint glow, revealing strands of dazzling golden light.

"Whose blood was sucked away by the bones?" Wang Xiongwu had a suspicious thought in his mind.

A faint voice came: "Where did this resentful ghost come from? Ha... If it weren't for being neither dead nor alive, it would be difficult for it to pass through the forbidden land of the Five Remnants, which is not allowed to enter the Yin and Yang life and death space."

Wang Xiongwu couldn't utter a single sound. He thought intermittently, "Are you talking about me? Sigh... I once possessed a spiritual sword body, gifted with extraordinary talent and the ability to make decisions. Who could have known that I would be framed by a sinister villain and have my bloodline power stolen?"

The faint voice was like a candle in the wind, yet it could pick up on the subtle fluctuations of thought. It said with disdain, "The Spiritual Acupoint Sword Body is nothing. Limited by the appearance of the Sword Bone, it is difficult to reach the path of bliss. It would be better to get rid of it as soon as possible!"

Wang Xiongwu was baffled: "What kind of profound Dao is the Great Way of Bliss referring to?"

A faint voice said, "The universe is vast, and I weep bitterly. Sorrow and loneliness, death is empty. With murder in mind, I slaughter the world. Peace, comfort, and lifespan come to an abrupt end. Death leads to bliss. Only through nirvana and rebirth can one ascend to the great way and gain supreme power."

Wang Xiongwu, trapped in despair, grasped a glimmer of hope and quickly asked, "How can I achieve Nirvana and be reborn? I'm nowhere near the required state!"

A faint voice responded, "Your realm is too low, but I am more than capable. You possess only a body without blood, while my limbs are gone, enough to reshape my veins. You harbor great ambitions, yet you are powerless to change the situation. I possess extraordinary skills, but I am trapped in this place. Now, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself before us; it must not be missed."

Wang Xiongwu was no fool. He savored the words, feeling both delighted at the glimmer of hope and terrified of falling into the tiger's mouth after being kissed by the wolf. He cautiously questioned, "You want to possess another body? Who are you?"

A faint voice solemnly spoke, "I was once the foremost hero of the righteous path, but unfortunately, I was harmed by the mysterious magic of the demons and have been dormant for countless eons, unable to regenerate. I have just been nourished by your blood, which is filled with the vital energy of elixirs, and have finally awakened to take a few breaths. I still cannot leave the underground. Take this opportunity to merge into one and be reborn, retaining each other's past memories while possessing different bodies!"

Wang Xiongwu's suspicion did not subside, and he asked anxiously, "Are you really not lying to me?"

The faint voice spoke in a low, firm tone, "At this moment, you and I are communicating through our blood connection. It's as real as performing the blood oath and soul-searching technique. There's no deception possible. Rest assured!"

Wang Xiongwu was still worried: "Once the fusion takes place, won't it turn into a monster that is neither human nor demon nor beast? How can it be worthy of the handsome hero?"

A faint voice patiently explained, "Good and evil, beauty and ugliness are all superficial. My true form is more majestic and heroic than yours, revered by the heroes of all races. Once the two merge into one, you will gain the Taowu Body, far surpassing the so-called geniuses... Haha, in the vast universe, I'm afraid only the Chaos Body can compete; all others are rubbish!"

Wang Xiongwu was surprised: "Is it really that good? Even geniuses like the Three Yang Sword Body and the Five Elements Spirit Body can't compare to it?"

A faint voice said proudly, "With such humble talent, you dare to call yourself a genius? Haha... you're just ashamed of yourself. You'll understand the whole story when the time comes."

At this point, Wang Xiongwu knew he had no choice: "I have nothing, what else can I do? Well, I'll try hard one more time. The situation can't be worse than it is now. Wait..."

A faint voice asked, "What unfulfilled wish do you have?"

Wang Xiongwu cautiously inquired, "In the past, the vital part of my body that passed on my lineage was severely injured and is no longer fully functional... Can a successful fusion restore my strength?"

The faint voice remained silent for a moment, then soothed, "I've never delved into this area... For those who have achieved enlightenment, that stuff is of little use. Don't worry too much about gains and losses."

"You talk about the Taowu style so proudly, but you can't even do this?" Wang Xiongwu was almost in despair.

The weak voice, choking with anger, urged repeatedly, "This talent allows you to see into people's hearts and deceive everything. You can be called a darling of destiny! It's much better than just being a shell waiting to rot. Do you want it or not?"

"Okay! I'm going to give it my all this time." Wang Xiongwu gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"Accept everything about me wholeheartedly and don't resist! There will be no chance to do it again." After the weak voice said this, several slender golden tentacles extended from the glowing bones and drilled into Wang Xiongwu's mouth, which was wide open and could not be closed.

Wang Xiongwu vacantly allowed the other to penetrate his body, gradually replenishing the missing blood marrow, blood spirit, and blood vessels. At the same time, the surrounding bones deformed, converging and gradually enveloping him into a giant bone egg.

"Then I need to absorb enough residual souls... Haha! So many people died, God help me!"

The mysterious ancient life form was quietly reborn.

……

Everyone stood still, the scene before them like being in the legendary gloomy underworld. The air was filled with the smell of decay and burning, and the silence was so deep that even the sound of heartbeats seemed particularly loud.

Looking up, a towering skeletal archway stands before us like a formidable fortress, its structure composed of fragments of darkly gleaming bones. A plaque hangs, densely packed with skulls forming the striking characters "Ghost Gate." Faint phosphorescent light flickers in the hollow eye sockets, as if observing any uninvited visitors passing by.

The red, green, blue and white ghost lights flickered, floating fast and slow, lingering and cruising around, bringing the peculiar coldness of death as they passed by.

What Cheng Bai saw was a crushing defeat: "After a fierce battle, this Skeleton Level was breached."

The Ghost Gate, a place that should have blocked all passersby and souls, was now not only covered in charred cracks, but also split in half. The forceful rip was clean and sharp, and a sticky black liquid oozed out, slowly repairing the wound.

Cheng Bai was hesitant, but his voice was remarkably clear: "It's lifeless yet it seems alive. Does the underworld really exist in this world?"

Li Tong said solemnly, "Of course there is. During the time of the Five Emperors of Antiquity, the Northern Emperor Beiyin ruled the underworld. The souls of all beings in the three realms of heaven, earth, and man returned there. All races submitted, and reincarnation was orderly."

Cheng Bai was puzzled and asked, "But the Five Ancient Emperors disappeared a long time ago, so why does the underworld exist forever?"

Everyone looked at the inheritance cube with great interest, which was shining with a strange luster under the will-o'-the-wisp fire, and waited patiently for Li Tong to explain.

Li Tong said with a hint of embarrassment, "My knowledge is limited. The forces of the Underworld are now under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Realm, and I don't know which powerful beings are in charge. I think the All-Seeing Hands are enough to rival the legendary emperors, otherwise how could he calm the souls of the powerful beings in the heavens?"

Ningxiang blinked her large eyes, a sharp gleam flashing across them. She stared at it and asked, "What is the relationship between this Ghost Gate and the underworld? Why was it erected here?"

Jinlian continued, "I know a thing or two. The checkpoint ahead is actually the realm formed by Tu He's cultivation of 'Yellow Springs Rotten Earth'. It is an independent space, not an ordinary building, and its source leads to the true underworld."

Bei Tingjun continued, "No matter what kind of miraculous phenomenon a cultivator cultivates, such as the Yellow Springs Rotten Earth, the Naihe Ghost Bridge, the Netherworld Samsara Gate, and so on, which display the power of the underworld, they all utilize the Six Paths of Reincarnation to materialize the law, thus possessing unfathomable power."

Li Tong smiled and said, "The Huiyuan Realm is one of the five realms of celestial immortals who must transcend tribulation. This is where they must explore the source of their own strength, integrate it, and forge a divine body. Only then can they transcend the ordinary and become saints."

Kua E's face was solemn as he said, "I've heard that, too. Cultivators like Tu He, upon reaching the Huiyuan Realm, must follow their own path of cultivation to the underworld, delving into the soul world in search of the source. Failure could mean, at best, no hope of a breakthrough, or, at worst, death."

Zhai Xufei added: "If one successfully integrates the power of the origin, it will be like a hundred rivers converging into the sea, forming a force that converges with the source, reaching a new height and breaking through the realm of the source, thus leaping beyond the limit of life."

Wen Jin covered her mouth with her hands and laughed like an innocent girl, "Hehe... Such a wonderful realm, I really yearn for it!"