Chapter 1009: Erasing New Life

Boundless darkness enveloped everything, save for a faint, blurry cluster of light shimmering at the distant edge of the earth.

This was Purgatory. Chu Feng found himself back here, gazing at the dead city on the luminous horizon. He sighed softly, having finally decided to embark on this path after much deliberation. To grow stronger and seek revenge, he had no choice but to depart and enter the Yang Realm.

The path leading to the Yang Realm in the broken universe had long been sealed, leaving him no way to clandestinely cross over. At present, this was the only remaining route. Despite his reluctance to be reborn through this place and abandon his current physical form, he had no other option. Currently, this was the sole passage to the Yang Realm; there was no other exit. Even Stone Fox had been at a complete loss. Perhaps letting go of his ingrained attachments was also an excellent choice. Chu Feng's current path was flawed and incomplete; this could be an opportune moment to refine it and set him on the true path to becoming the strongest.

"In the end, it's reluctance," Chu Feng sighed. Given a choice, who would willingly end their current life to start afresh in an unfamiliar world?

With his current abilities, he reached the Dead City of Light in a single stride, effortlessly leaping onto its wall in a mere blink. The city was filled with corpses: some appeared to be royal princesses, others exuded the aura of supreme powerhouses, and some were even leaders of great sects. All were incredibly strong, yet they continuously fell into the massive, rough stone grinding disc that occupied a third of the city, where they were crushed into a bloody pulp.

"Perhaps the Great Abyss is another path," Chu Feng mused. He harbored a suspicion that something peculiar lay there, potentially connected to what was known as the Great Yin Realm. Unfortunately, he couldn't risk it; that path was too uncertain. More importantly, his enemies resided in the Yang Realm, and all those he cared about had also been reborn there.

In a flash, he appeared before the rough stone grinding disc, where he witnessed various corpses, including a Kun being pulverized and immortal birds dissolving into a bloody mist before sorrowfully heading for reincarnation. He felt waves of apprehension. The beings passing through this place of reincarnation were truly formidable; some races were legendary even within myths!

Chu Feng frowned, realizing the future stage would be immense, possibly the very center of all heavens, fraught with numerous challenges and demanding fierce competition. It was precisely this realization that spurred his desire to go there. To contend for supremacy in the Yang Realm, he had to drive himself to rise, to break free and ascend amidst the countless prodigies of that ancient land.

This time, he stepped onto the stone grinding disc with extreme caution, not to protect his body, but to subject himself to its grinding force. His body harbored anomalies, sources of calamity, and dangerous substances. The grey mist had accumulated too much within him, and he needed this place to purge it completely. To test the process, he proceeded cautiously, experimenting and adjusting for a prolonged period until he found a precise balance point, maintaining a specific distance from the stone box.

With a muffled grunt, Chu Feng's physical body disintegrated. Instantly, a vast expanse of grey mist erupted from within him, taking on the forms of various grotesque creatures that shrieked horribly, resembling wailing ghosts and howling gods. The grey mist was thick, like rolling grey clouds. Within it, six-winged celestial dragons wailed, their eyes dripping blood, while ancestral-level cultivators from a certain race trembled and cried uncontrollably.

Chu Feng's flesh and blood writhed, surging toward the nearby stone box. He used it to resist the forces of reincarnation and counter the grinding disc, swiftly reassembling his form. He didn't wish to utterly destroy himself; his goal was merely to purge the hidden dangers within. Witnessing the agitated grey mist nearby sent shivers down his spine. Could there truly be so much grey matter within him? It was far denser than what he had observed when bidding farewell to Big Black Ox, Yellow Ox, Northeastern Tiger, and the others.

The stone grinding disc began to glow, and golden symbols shimmered, shooting forth to suppress the grey matter. Piercing and terrifying screams echoed through heaven and earth. The grey mist boiled, and even more phantom images of various creatures manifested within it. It was as if an emperor had descended, seated there, accepting the reverence of all beings and the kowtows of the world's mightiest. Yet, this figure's eyes dripped blood, and their facial expression was unsettlingly bizarre.

Chu Feng watched coolly, holding the stone box and observing the scene. He had witnessed this before, and though he still felt apprehension, it no longer caused him excessive shock. Once all the grey mist had been dispersed, eradicated, and thoroughly crushed by the golden symbols, Chu Feng released the stone box again, subjecting himself to another round of "self-purification." With a painful groan, he was crushed into a bloody pulp by the rough grinding disc, his very soul light shattering into fragments. In this world, it was considered the ultimate torture. Even Chu Feng, elevated to the status of a High God King, found the pain unbearable. Yet, he voluntarily endured it, all to eliminate the lurking dangers.

"Roar..."

Large swathes of grey mist reappeared, accompanied by successive beast roars. This time, he saw various energy monsters gnawing at a "Chu Feng" whose eyes bled. The figure at the center of the grey mist had changed; no longer an emperor, it now resembled himself, trapped and being torn apart. A wave of suspicion washed over him. What were these bizarre phenomena?

The grinding disc glowed, emitting golden runes of order. Once this anomalous substance was completely erased, a soft light infused his reassembled body. He felt significantly lighter and clearer in his mind, as if a layer of mud had been washed away from him.

"Something's amiss!"

When Chu Feng began his third adjustment, shattering himself once more, a considerable amount of grey mist still emanated from the bloody pulp. This time, he saw himself confined within a cage, covered in blood and bound by shackles, as if undergoing torture. What was happening? As the golden light from the stone grinding disc shattered and eradicated this segment of anomalous matter, he witnessed his caged self transform into a speck of light, returning to his reassembled true form.

This time, he felt an even greater sense of inner clarity and emptiness, and his speed in comprehending various mystical techniques significantly increased. Chu Feng was astonished. Had this grey matter been entwined with him for so long that it had clouded his mind? It truly needed to be completely purged now, as its impact on a person was simply too immense!

He endured the world's most terrifying pain, repeatedly. There were moments when he considered simply discarding the stone box, allowing himself to be utterly crushed, and abandoning his physical body, just like other reincarnators who brought only talisman paper for rebirth. This repeated self-grinding was too terrifying, too brutal, and truly unbearable. Nevertheless, Chu Feng persisted. Over a dozen times, his physical body and soul light shattered into fragments, only to reassemble beside the stone box. The grey mist gradually diminished until it finally ceased to appear.

Chu Feng dared not be complacent and performed several more attempts. Then, once more, a blurry grey mist figure materialized, sneering at him with a spine-chilling grin. Only after this final eradication did true tranquility settle. Following this, Chu Feng performed numerous trials, his body and soul light shattering and reassembling without any further issues. Only then did he exhale a long breath of relief.

At this juncture, he experienced a profound lightness within himself, a clarity of mind. His speed in comprehending various scriptures and secret arts had increased dramatically! It felt like a rebirth. After eliminating the hidden dangers, he had undergone a transformation, and his true self had returned! Without a doubt, this held profound implications. If he were truly to contend for supremacy in the Yang Realm, a significant obstacle on his path to ascendancy had been cleared!

"This stuff is truly tenacious!"

Chu Feng still felt a lingering trepidation. In his quest for revenge, he had thrown all caution to the wind, continuously absorbing divine particles and utilizing the Minor Six Paths Time Art for a century in that foreign land. This had resulted in a massive influx of anomalous substances into his body, indeed causing a significant problem. Had he not used the stone grinding disc here to resolve these lingering issues, a major catastrophe would have befallen him in the future. He wouldn't have lived for more than a few centuries, succumbing to premature aging and a tragic death.

"I'm not just reincarnating as a soul; my physical body has also come along. How will I be reborn?" Chu Feng mused aloud, deciding to take one step at a time and see where this path ultimately led. If absolutely necessary, he would have no choice but to abandon his physical body within the Reincarnation Cavern. Then there was the stone box. What about taking it with him into reincarnation? That would undoubtedly lead to significant complications. He felt a slight headache, yet he genuinely did not want to abandon the stone box and the three seeds. He vaguely sensed their immense importance and that giving them up lightly was not an option; they were even more critical than his solo journey to the Yang Realm. What was the Yang Realm truly like? He eagerly awaited to find out!

Chu Feng emerged from the rough stone grinding disc and formally stepped onto the Path of Reincarnation. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he had no intention of turning back. He had trodden this path before, but today the sensation was different. This time, he was personally going to be reborn, embarking on this very journey.

Along the path, there were countless soul lights, all belonging to reincarnators. Chu Feng observed them closely. If this path wasn't naturally formed but rather artificially created, then the soul lights of the beings who managed to reach this point were surely extraordinary. Therefore, along the way, he decisively carved words, leaving soul vows upon some individuals. For instance, he inscribed a passage of scripture onto the souls of some, and penned a secret technique onto others. He would need assistance. Once in the Yang Realm, his enemies would be overwhelmingly powerful, and their sect disciples countless. Doing this now was merely to forge a beneficial connection, and also for convenience in future maneuvers. Naturally, he did not leave his own name; carving "Chu Feng" again would lead to significant trouble. He wondered what had become of the group who had left inscriptions earlier. He surmised that no issues would arise from that period, and in the future, upon reaching the Yang Realm, he might secretly recognize a multitude of "relatives."

Chu Feng chose only beings with exceptionally potent soul light, whose races were astonishing, some even mere legends in myths. He continued inscribing along the path until he reached its end. Holding the talisman paper, he crossed the black abyss, arrived on the opposite bank, and leaned against a stone railing, gazing at the mud figure seated cross-legged on the rock wall.

Upon arrival, before Chu Feng could even light the talisman paper on his person, it spontaneously combusted, transforming into an incense stick that glowed and burned continuously. He had been here more than once and had witnessed the process firsthand, yet his heart still skipped a beat. How could it spontaneously combust? Unlike others, Chu Feng did not kneel, but instead observed the mud figure. He had always harbored doubts: did this entity still possess sentience? Perhaps it was truly just a statue. It had remained motionless for eons, sitting in silent stillness. Even if it had once been alive, it should surely be dead by now.

As the talisman paper rapidly burned down to its end, Chu Feng resolutely turned and walked towards the Reincarnation Cavern, poised to embark on a new life. Suddenly, he felt a prickling sensation, something was terribly amiss. He abruptly turned back. What was happening... the mud figure had moved?!

Chu Feng couldn't help but be shocked. This was an absolutely monumental event, unprecedented throughout history. What, he wondered, had triggered it? Dust swirled and fell. The mud figure, silent for over an eon, its origins and whether it belonged to this evolutionary history unknown, had quietly sat there as time flowed and the river of years passed, seemingly gazing down upon all living beings through eternity. But now, it had stirred!