Chapter 1008: Clearing Matters of the Underworld and Embarking on the Journey

Ji Hong's body and spirit were utterly destroyed; a half-step Celestial Venerable had truly perished!

The heavens and earth fell silent, and numerous strange phenomena began to manifest: black lightning crackled, blood rained down, the ground ripped open, and lava surged forth.

However, when the colossal black hand in the void gently swept across, all these anomalies vanished. The heavens and earth returned to their original state, the sky became crystal clear, and tranquility reigned for thousands of miles.

Many god-level cultivators trembled. Such a method—forcibly suppressing the rules of heaven and earth, rewriting the trajectory of order—was unfathomable and deterred anyone from investigating further.

It was all too terrifying.

The enormous black hand then receded, plunging into the Sea of Chaos and withdrawing towards the direction of the Netherworld.

This was utterly astounding. Countless god-level cultivators and beings who had descended from the Yang Realm were trembling uncontrollably, a chill seeping through them from head to toe. It was a colossal, jet-black hand that spanned the Netherworld, the Sea of Chaos, and the shattered universe, outright crushing a half-step Celestial Venerable to death and obliterating Taiwu’s decree. It was horrifying.

Even in the Yang Realm, they had never witnessed anything like this. Perhaps only during peculiar epochs in the history of cultivation had such ultimate existences appeared.

No one could ascertain the true power of the black hand’s master.

That day, when this news reached the Yang Realm, it caused a massive uproar. Many prominent figures had paid little attention when Chiming, ranked eighth among all deities, had died.

In their eyes, even someone with exceptional talent was insignificant until they fully matured. The path of cultivation was fraught with perils; innate gifts did not guarantee ascension, as accidents were all too common.

Chiming was a prime example, and in the past, even more astonishingly gifted beings had met premature ends.

However, the fall of a half-step Celestial Venerable was an entirely different matter. Furthermore, the fact that even a Celestial Venerable’s decree shattered like fragile paper with a mere touch was truly chilling.

In the Yang Realm, many people began to pay close attention!

Furthermore, this time, Chu Feng’s name finally spread far and wide, making a much greater impact than his killing of Chiming.

Ji Hong had entered the Netherworld specifically to hunt him down and had consequently perished. What had become of Chu Feng? No one knew!

Many in the Yang Realm speculated and wondered what secrets the Netherworld truly held, that such a black hand could emerge, crush Ji Hong, and cause even prominent figures to feel a deep tremor of fear.

On that day, the passage connecting to the Yang Realm became highly unstable, on the verge of collapse. Everyone present retreated, including the native Netherworld beings, who were brought into the Yang Realm.

Everything concluded then. As the boundary membrane closed and the passage collapsed, the chaotic energies transformed into a vast ocean, completely severing the two realms!

The people of the Yang Realm, wary of unforeseen changes, departed early, severing all contact between the two realms.

In fact, this passage was originally designed to last only a little over a year, and its term had already expired.

Several ancient lineages, who had stubbornly sought ultimate treasures, concluded their journey in the Netherworld with regret, lingering unwillingness, and a profound sense of fear.

The two realms were now completely separated!

Nevertheless, certain legends from the Netherworld had already begun to circulate within the Yang Realm.

It was in this year that various factions across the Great Yang Realm first came to know Chu Feng’s name!

In the Lesser Netherworld Universe, beneath Kunlun Mountain on Earth, within the Purgatory.

Chu Feng, hidden within the stone box, had a stiff expression. The black hand that had pursued Ji Hong, terrifying the half-step Celestial Venerable into a panicked retreat, had sent shivers down Chu Feng's spine.

He knew Ji Hong was undoubtedly finished!

There was no need to wonder; the Stone Fox had long since informed him that the waters of the Reincarnation Path were far too deep, a place even the greatest powers scarcely dared to tread. With such a hand unleashed, who could possibly contend against it?

Not long after, Chu Feng peered through a crack in the stone box and watched as the black hand retracted. His expression immediately turned blank.

In fact, on this very day, cultivators from all races throughout the Netherworld Universe were trembling. What had they witnessed? Everyone else had seen something even more shocking than Chu Feng.

A jet-black arm stretched across the stellar sea, a colossal hand overshadowing the sky, extending to the very edge of the universe, defying all comprehension.

At this sight, Chu Feng’s scalp tingled, and his facial expression remained rigid as the massive hand withdrew.

However, he was soon astonished again. As the black hand passed by the City of Light and Death, just before returning to the Reincarnation Path, it began to tremble violently, then disintegrated.

This was not an illusion or a figment of his imagination; it was actually happening.

The jet-black hand withered and dried, as if it had endured eons in a single instant, weathering away and disintegrating into fine powder, black ash that drifted down onto the Reincarnation Path.

What was happening? Chu Feng was dumbfounded, his hair standing on end!

Dead? Had that ultimate existence perished? How could that be?!

Yet, the enormous hand truly disintegrated above the Reincarnation Path, transforming into black ash that covered the road.

Chu Feng cautiously opened the stone box and stepped out. He activated his Fiery Golden Eyes to survey his surroundings.

Chu Feng's heart tightened. He hadn't noticed it before, but now he realized there were multiple patches of ash along the path—some hazy, some dim—each distinct from the others.

This black ash was the most recent, having just appeared.

What did this signify? There had been a great battle on the Reincarnation Path, and it was no ordinary conflict. The depths here were far greater than what he had learned from the Stone Fox!

His scalp felt rigid. What was this place truly? Was it as straightforward as simply being the Reincarnation Path?

Chu Feng observed carefully, confirming that he wasn’t mistaken; some of the ashes were humanoid, while others were shaped like strange, ferocious beasts.

"What exactly happened? It attacked once, and then died?!"

For a moment, Chu Feng was lost in thought, his mind adrift.

Initially, he had assumed it was the stone embryo at the end of the Reincarnation Path that had acted, crushing Ji Hong with a single slap.

Now, it seemed, were there still slumbering entities along this path? Or was it some form of rule and order that protected the area, leaving behind puppet remains that disintegrated into ash after a single strike?

Every inch of Chu Feng’s skin felt cold, a chill seeping into him. This place was far too strange, almost incomprehensible.

He knew that if this region was indeed a battlefield, it was far beyond his ability to interfere; the stakes were simply too high!

However, he inclined to believe that this path was currently very quiet, with no awakened or living grand figures intently watching it. Otherwise, could the stone box in his hand have remained safe?

Of course, he didn't rule out another possibility: that someone had deliberately left the stone box where it was, refraining from taking it.

After all, when Chu Feng first found the stone box and three seeds, it was at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, just outside the Purgatory. Strictly speaking, that location was incredibly close to where he now stood!

For a moment, Chu Feng's body grew icy cold, chilled to the bone. Too many thoughts flooded his mind, leaving him restless.

Had he inadvertently stumbled into some grand scheme, or had he merely chanced upon the stone box?

"Who cares!"

Chu Feng stopped tormenting himself with such thoughts, believing it couldn't be that outlandish.

He personally leaned towards the idea that this path was indeed desolate and lifeless, with no living beings, only remnants of ancient wars.

Chu Feng murmured to himself, "Hmm, I'm increasingly convinced that black hand was merely a puppet, a disposable item, not a living entity."

Of course, if that were the case, wouldn’t the individual who originally deployed the black hand be even more terrifying?

If a mere puppet could overshadow the heavens with a single hand, what level of horror would the true master’s actual form unleash if it appeared?!

Chu Feng waited there for two days, allowing for a "cool-down" period outside, as he feared lingering dangers. Only on the third day did he emerge from the City of Light and Death and return to Earth.

If anyone had known he could traverse so easily between the City of Light and Death and the Reincarnation Path, they would have been utterly dumbfounded and inexplicably shocked.

He was reluctant to depart in such a manner. Possessing a physical body, he felt a strong unwillingness to simply commit suicide and reincarnate.

Once reincarnated, would he truly be himself? He might retain memories, but the three years of "womb confusion" would undoubtedly create a new segment of consciousness.

He even wondered if this so-called reincarnation could be considered a form of soul possession.

The more he pondered, the more his head ached, and he sighed audibly.

"It’s not soul possession. The Reincarnation Path is straightforward, and reincarnation is clean," the Stone Fox informed him.

Upon seeing the Stone Fox Celestial Venerable again, Chu Feng stared at it with a peculiar gaze. He had already heard from Little Vermillion Bird how, two days prior, the old fellow had leaped incredibly high and run away with astonishing speed, leaving even Ji Hong far behind.

Chu Feng was speechless. The old fox was far too good at feigning inactivity. It hadn't moved for a century, yet the moment the black hand appeared, it had leaped up and fled. It was utterly... unprincipled.

He stayed on Earth for two months, traversing various regions, feeling both fondness and nostalgia. More importantly, he had some unfinished business and wished to make a trip to the shattered universe.

The Holy Master, Uncle Ming... none of these individuals had he seen!

Although he already knew that many of those who had traveled from the Netherworld to the shattered universe had been captured, numerous others had perished, and some had even been forcibly taken into the Yang Realm, Chu Feng still harbored a faint hope that some individuals might have hidden within the shattered universe and escaped the catastrophe.

"So many people!" Chu Feng sighed.

This included not only Uncle Ming and the Holy Master, but also adversaries and individuals whose loyalties were ambiguous, such as Yao Yao's ancient fiancé, reputedly the third most powerful under the starry sky, and his master.

Believing the Yang Realm passage to be closed, Chu Feng decided to cross the Sea of Chaos and make his way to the shattered universe.

The shattered universe was silent; all individuals from the Yang Realm had withdrawn. His old acquaintances, such as Ying Wudi, Jiang Luoshen, Yuan Yuan, and Shi Hong, were no longer present.

Chu Feng searched for a long time. Even the twelve snow-white, god-level small animals he had left behind were gone, having departed.

In the end, he found no traces left by the Holy Master, Uncle Ming, or any others.

"I'll visit the Immortal Cave, Amitabha Temple, and Heavenly God Palace!"

Chu Feng had little else to concern himself with, so he quietly infiltrated some of the most renowned factions in the shattered universe, studying their most potent breathing techniques and scriptures.

He had already acquired some of these scriptures, as they were present in the Netherworld Universe.

All of this was to collect more ancient texts and to build up his foundational knowledge, for he was certain he would soon depart!

Within a few days, Chu Feng had thoroughly reviewed all the secret manuals of several powerful cultivation races in the shattered universe.

Soon after, he returned to the Netherworld, also visiting places such as the Dao Race, Demon Race, Primordial Devil Race, and Buddhist Race to study their most powerful scriptures and arcane arts.

Unfortunately, in the vast Netherworld Universe, few old acquaintances remained. Many had entered the Yang Realm, creating a significant generational gap among cultivators of his era!

After gathering sufficient secret texts, Chu Feng approached the Great Abyss. He sat there quietly for an entire day and night, before finally departing in silence and returning to Earth.

"Seniors, take care, and farewell!"

Chu Feng bid farewell to the Stone Fox and Little Vermillion Bird, as he was about to leave this universe.

Yet, at the final moment, he felt a profound sense of solitude. The world was vast and boundless, yet he could find hardly any old acquaintances, feeling the overwhelming chill of existence.

"Take care!" The Stone Fox nodded.

On that day, Chu Feng resolutely departed, embarking on a new journey!