Chapter 1490: Who Directed This Grand Drama of Heaven and Earth

The world turned upside down, and the River of Time emerged, silently flowing backward, as if everything in existence was changing because of it.

That sight struck fear into the hearts of even the supreme beings, making them tremble.

It concerned their very lives. The shocking changes in the Main Sacrificial Grounds, where the great battle had just ended, left everyone clueless as to what would happen next.

That blurred sacrificial ground remained elusive, its details obscured by surging chaotic energy that engulfed the Soul River and filled the Abyssal Universe.

Faintly, the weak, despairing roars of skeletal creatures could be heard, followed by bones turning to dust and scattering across the area. This filled the supreme beings with terror and a strong sense of unease.

"This battle should have no suspense now," Jiudao Yi stated.

The Dog King chuckled happily, its wide mouth stretching to its ears. Standing upright with a human-like demeanor, its large paws clasped behind its back, it declared, "One battle to decide everything!"

The bald man rushed forward and knelt before the bronze coffin with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. After countless years, they could finally be reunited.

Back then, the various divisions of the Heavenly Court were scattered, and heroes perished. Most kings died or were severely wounded, with only a handful surviving. Thinking of the glorious past, when talent flowed like rain and experts were as numerous as clouds, and then looking at the desolation now, with no more than three to five old and young survivors, it was truly lamentable.

"Master, you've finally returned to quell all sources of chaos!" the bald man exclaimed. He was deeply saddened, thinking of the hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Heavenly Court followers who were now gone.

Especially concerning those close to him—friends and family—he choked out, "Is Mistress well? Is she still here? And little junior sister? Where is little junior brother?" He was asking about the Heavenly Emperor's wife and children. If they were gone, even for a Heavenly Emperor, it would be too tragic.

The battle back then was truly horrific. The Soul River, the Four-Polar Floating Earth, the Burial Pit, and the Ancient Underworld all emerged simultaneously, joined by powerful beings from beyond the heavens who blocked the Heavenly Court's forces.

Filled with emotion, the bald man felt heartbroken and desolate. "I feel like none of this is real. How could such a mighty Heavenly Court collapse? Sometimes I think it's an illusion, a dream, that everything we've experienced is fake, deliberately orchestrated, and one day we'll wake up from it."

Behind him, the Corrupt Corpse was deeply moved, expressing strong agreement. "Exactly, I've also been wondering if this is a dream. It's too unreal. How could the Heavenly Court, at its peak of power, decline and fall apart overnight? And my physical body actually rotted away? That's simply impossible. I was from the same era as that person; all my essence was in my body. Even if my soul was gone, my physical body couldn't have decayed. This must be fake. I also suspect that one day we'll suddenly wake up."

"Master, are you well? Has your transformation completed? Your disciple is here to welcome you! From now on, I will serve you forever!" The bald man kowtowed, muttering continuously. After years of separation by life and death, seeing his Master's bronze coffin now brought forth all his mixed emotions of joy and sorrow.

The Dog King, uncharacteristically serious, did not approach, allowing the bald man to whisper alone. However, when it looked at the others, especially the group of old-timers, it immediately felt the urge to confide.

"See this bronze coffin? It concerns the past, present, and future. It has an immense origin. My brother, the Heavenly Emperor, rose to power thanks to this coffin!"

No one refuted it now. Jiudao Yi wouldn't undermine it, and the Corrupt Corpse was also a brother to the person in the bronze coffin. As for Tai Yi, the Master of the Black Blood Institute, and others, they wore expressions of shock. They had naturally heard of this coffin, but to see it with their own eyes and be so close was unimaginable!

Not to mention the others, even the Martial Lunatic, Madman Wu, felt a tremendous shock in his heart. He slowly approached, his pupils constricted, staring intently. No one spoke now, regarding the coffin with immense reverence, having heard too many legends about it. Besides, was the Heavenly Emperor's true body lying inside? This was their first time being so close to the legendary, invincible Heavenly Emperor!

The Master of the Black Blood Institute felt his blood surge, emotions stirring. He had never imagined that one day he could approach such a legendary and unparalleled powerful being. At this moment, he felt his knees weaken, almost wanting to kneel, an uncontrollable urge to kowtow and worship!

The Dog King was very satisfied with their reactions, looking quite arrogant. "You shouldn't think of it as just a coffin. Legend has it, this thing's origin is unimaginably ancient, impossible to verify its age, but it can influence the past, present, and future." Its paws clasped behind its back, standing upright with a human-like demeanor, it added, "In the most ancient times, coffins were not used for burying living beings; they had other purposes, as recorded in bone scriptures."

"Exactly!" The Corrupt Corpse nodded. "Coffins are places of slumber, places of rest, and war fortresses for invincible powerhouses!" Even Jiudao Yi nodded, especially regarding this particular coffin, which was the most renowned. Its complete form represented the past, present, and future, serving as a dwelling for powerful beings to recuperate, not a burial ground. It was a place for recovery, to become even stronger in the future!

"So, the Heavenly Emperor is recuperating and transforming inside?" Li asked.

"Yes, brother. I've missed you for countless ages. Now my old eyes are dim; aren't you coming out yet?" The Dog King tentatively stepped forward. It placed a paw on the coffin lid and tapped gently, its large paw visibly trembling. It was a little worried. After so long, why hadn't the person it once followed emerged?

In fact, the others were also uneasy. Although the man in the coffin had become the Heavenly Emperor, he was still their brother, their master. He never put on airs. After all this time, with his disciple whispering and weeping, how could he remain indifferent? He should have appeared long ago.

*Clang!*

The Dog King was decisive, directly flipping open the bronze coffin lid. At that moment, the bald man had also stood up, trembling, a persistent sense of unease and foreboding gripping him. He rushed over immediately.

"Master!" he cried out, his face utterly changed.

By now, the Dog King had also poked its large head into the coffin, seeing what was inside. Streaks of true blood, glistening crimson, flowed within the coffin. It wasn't much, but it was shocking, and there was no imperial might.

"Brother!" The Dog King panicked, rushing into the giant coffin. It couldn't bear it and had to see what was truly going on.

The Corrupt Corpse, anxious and worried, leaped in, entering the coffin as well. This was a double coffin. The larger outer coffin was twenty meters long, and inside it was a smaller inner coffin. Legend has it that the complete coffin was originally threefold, but one layer was taken away in ancient times, leaving two bronze coffins for later generations.

The bald man, Li, and the others also rushed inside.

*Clang!*

The Dog King used its large paw to open the smaller coffin, but inside, there was still only blood—no one!

"Where is he? Brother, where are you?!" the Dog King roared, truly panicked now.

"Impossible! He definitely couldn't have failed his transformation! He's so powerful! After such a long period of dormancy and evolution, he should be invincible throughout heaven and earth," the Corrupt Corpse exclaimed, intensely uneasy. Not finding anyone there filled them with terror, anxiety, and even a chilling sense of dread.

"Some shattered bones!" As an archaeologist who had long worked underground, the Corrupt Corpse immediately noticed the anomaly, pulling out some bone fragments from the crimson blood. "Where is he? Why would he leave these behind?" The Corrupt Corpse was alarmed.

"Could he have been eaten by some creature?" At this point, only Li dared to speak, voicing his suspicion without reservation—he truly had no filter.

"You brat, what are you saying!" Before anyone else could react, Jiudao Yi struck, hitting Li on the back of his head. Li was filled with resentment. *Damn it, I've lived from prehistoric times until now. Being called an 'old-timer' is one thing, but now I'm demoted to a 'brat'?!* However, he couldn't argue, nor could he say much more. Hadn't he seen the Dog King's murderous mood? And the Corrupt Corpse's gaze was equally menacing, as if it wanted to devour someone alive! Jiudao Yi hitting him was actually covering for him.

"Master, where did you go? Don't scare me, please come out!" The bald man felt helpless and terrified, fearing his deepest worries had come true. After all these years, had his Master's transformation failed? He did have a bad feeling, especially since only a piece of the bronze coffin lid had fallen earlier, striking the enemy, and then only a phantom image of the Heavenly Emperor had appeared, not his true body. How could the bald man not be afraid now? If this was the truth, it would be too cruel, too tragic!

"This is all fake! Who is directing this grand play? My Master could never die! His transformation must have been completed!" the bald man shouted.

"Yes, he succeeded in his transformation! There's evidence here! He shed his old blood and bones; he evolved, becoming the supreme existence of all heavens!" the Corrupt Corpse also stated. No matter what, he refused to believe the Heavenly Emperor was dead!

The Dog King was on the verge of collapse, looking at the blood and bones. It howled, "Brother, where are you? I'm waiting for you to come back and reunite! I also want you to save the Great Emperor! How could you leave us? I don't believe it, I don't accept it!"

Soon, they sensed an emotion there, a deep longing and reluctance, as if he didn't want to leave this world. This made the Dog King collapse. It felt it—it was his brother, the Heavenly Emperor, who left behind fragmented aura, containing his last trace of emotion. How could this be?! No matter how the Corrupt Corpse speculated or rationalized, it couldn't hide the cruel truth: something had happened to the Heavenly Emperor's true body; perhaps he had truly fallen.

The bald man slumped to the ground, his spirit completely gone. His Mistress, junior sister, and junior brother might have died in battle back then. And now, even his Master was gone? This family had suffered too terribly; how could this be?!

"Haha…" Laughter echoed from the Abyssal Universe.

The supreme beings, sensing the situation here, were all exhilarated. So the man reflected from the coffin lid had died! No wonder his true body hadn't appeared. Was this the strongest battle intent his final obsession could manifest? After this battle, he should never be able to appear again.

Chu Feng made his move at the opportune moment, stepping forward. Golden patterns spread beneath his feet, and a blurred figure appeared behind him, exerting pressure on the Abyssal Universe. That area was isolated, but when external pressure was applied, the space within remained unstable, with chaotic energy surging.

The Eight-headed Supreme and the powerful beings of the Underworld all groaned. Some supreme heads rolled, some bodies split apart—their previous injuries were too severe. The few of them who were caught in the aftermath of the battle in the Main Sacrificial Grounds were lucky enough to have survived. Now, stimulated by this external force, supreme true blood splattered, instantly chilling their eyes. However, they couldn't get out, and they were also worried: now that the Main Sacrificial Grounds' battle had ended, would someone come to deal with them?

Indeed, the battle had thoroughly concluded. A line of golden footprints in the void gradually faded, moving further away, and then completely vanished. Amidst the chaotic mist, a figure was enveloped, walking towards the bronze coffin. He was majestic and imposing, yet carried a hint of loneliness, with deep reluctance to leave this world.

"May you all live well."

He arrived, his gaze sharp then softening as he looked at the Dog King, the Corrupt Corpse, the bald man, and the others, showing affection and endless sorrow. Then, he slowly faded away, like the footsteps and the golden footprints, vanishing from the world forever.

"He's dead, he's vanished!""The golden footprints are gone too!"

From the abyss came voices of shock and joy. Their restraints were lifted; they could go out! No one could hold them back anymore!

"But what about the Main Sacrificial Grounds? Why is it also blurred?""No! The sacrificial grounds have been pierced through, sunk! Oh god, what should we do?!" They were shocked and horrified. The great sacrifice hadn't even begun, and the sacrificial grounds were already crippled!

The supreme beings felt a chill run down their spines. They would be severely punished, especially since this battle was initiated by them. In an instant, they felt a chill from head to toe. Perhaps they would be directly used as sacrifices!

*Buzz!*

A strange sound emanated, and the outline of the Main Sacrificial Grounds emerged. Most terrifyingly, something behind the Main Sacrificial Grounds seemed to be drawing in everything from the outside world. All the supreme beings cried out, their soul-lights flickering, and then they were uncontrollably sucked away, disappearing from the Abyssal Universe. At the same time, countless Soul River creatures also screamed in terror, all vanishing from their original positions. Furthermore, the Soul River world was collapsing, mysteriously swallowed up!

Though saddened, the Dog King and the others quickly retreated with the bronze coffin, leaving the Soul River area. Had the man in the bronze coffin just died like that? No matter what, the Dog King, the Corrupt Corpse, and others couldn't accept it. To be reunited only to part forever—the blow was too great for them.

In the distance, the Soul River world disappeared! The passage connecting the Soul River to the Yang Realm was severed. Everything was gone without a trace, as if nothing had ever happened. Yet today, it was clearly earth-shattering, with many battles erupting, some of which would be recorded in history forever.

Inside the bronze coffin, the bald man lay there, motionless and silent, only tears incessantly rolling down his face. How could reality be so cruel? His Master was dead! The one who had been invincible since his rise, sweeping aside all opponents, had actually failed his transformation and died in the coffin.

Behind him, Chu Feng sighed. Even the greatest beings would eventually decline. Everyone has a day when their life ends; no one can be eternal.

"Cry!" Li stepped forward, patting the Dog King's shoulder, telling it not to hold back, lest it harm itself. It should release all its pain.

"Trying to trick this King into crying? No way!" The Dog King glared, as if resurrected. With a *clang*, it sealed the bronze coffin, completely cutting it off from the outside world. Then, it shed its dejected demeanor, its eyes gleaming as it stared at Li, scrutinizing him.

Everyone else was shut inside the coffin with it, isolated from the outside.

"What are you going to do? Do you want to be buried alive? But don't drag us along!" Li shuddered.

The Dog King stared at Li and said, "Black boy, seeing you, everything suddenly makes sense to me."

"What does that have to do with me?!" Li's heart pounded.

"You, little black one, once faked your death, tricking your sworn brother into heartbreaking grief and crying until he almost died, yet you're still lively and causing trouble here. It instantly occurred to me: isn't this all just what my big black one in the bronze coffin did before? He's definitely not dead! Of course, it wasn't to see us cry, but to numb the beings in the sacrificial grounds!"

The Dog King was not confused at all; its eyes instantly sparkled with cunning. Flashes of inspiration kept appearing in its mind, and it thoroughly understood everything. In its opinion, the one in the bronze coffin was once the notorious "Big Black One," even more infamous than Li, the "Black Hand." If he were truly dead, how could it be so calm, without creating a huge commotion? If something had happened to that "Big Black One," if he had realized he wouldn't live long, he would probably have ignited the sacrificial grounds, sacrificing them and turning them to ashes. It wouldn't be this peaceful.

"A small wizard meets a great wizard; it enlightens me. A little black meets a big black; it awakens me," the Dog King murmured to itself. Li was utterly disgusted. First, he was called an "old-timer," then demoted to a "brat," and now his own nickname was stripped away, becoming "little black one."

"Exactly!" The Corrupt Corpse nodded vigorously. "He must be alive, still in this world. This isn't his remnant soul returning to kill, nor is it an obsession left behind from failing to break through to that highest realm. He must still be in this world. As the biggest 'black one,' he couldn't possibly die. He's probably hiding in the dark, plotting something big!"

Suddenly, a blurred figure appeared inside the bronze coffin, making the Dog King's fur stand on end. It was none other than the Heavenly Emperor… the "Big Black One"! Before the Dog King and the Corrupt Corpse could roar out their grievances, the blurred figure spoke first, with a gentle smile, nodding from within the chaotic mist.

"I am unharmed. My true body is in another land and cannot return. What just happened was only to deceive the sacrificial grounds. And now, my illusory body's time has indeed come. I will dissipate."

After speaking, he truly dissipated, turning into a rain of light that scattered within the bronze coffin.

"Master!" The bald man was shocked, then overjoyed, excited, and then convulsed, experiencing extreme sorrow and joy. Going from hell back to heaven made his body tremble violently.

"Wait, what's wrong with my physical body? Who is directing this play? Is all of this an illusion?" the Corrupt Corpse cried out. He had too many questions, too many things he wanted to ask, but the blurred figure didn't give him a chance, directly dissipating.

"Leaving so hastily? What about saving the Great Emperor?" The Dog King growled, looking at the void, then back at the Imperial Corpse. Its head throbbed.

"Forget it. Unless his true body returns, there's no hope. He can't save the Emperor," the Corrupt Corpse shook its head.

Not far away, Tai Yi, Emperor Wu, and the Master of the Black Blood Institute all breathed heavily. They had actually come into close contact with a Heavenly Emperor!

"So that was the legendary 'Big Black One'?" Only Li dared to whisper such a thing.

"Show's over, everyone go home and find their mom," the Dog King said somewhat out of tune. In its good mood, it had no filter.

"Should we silence them? No, just shut them up?" The Corrupt Corpse gestured to the Dog King, then looked at Jiudao Yi, proposing they team up. The Dog King hesitated, saying, "Is it really necessary? If 'Big Black One' didn't want people to know, he should have a backup plan."

Tai Yi, Madman Wu, and the others felt a chill run down their spines. Were they going to be targeted?

"This King never harms its own people," the Dog King declared, patting its chest. It directly opened the coffin lid, seeing the light of day again.

However, at that very instant, a startling change occurred! The bronze coffin glowed, its lid reflecting billions of rays of light, dazzling and colorful. The beams flew towards the several people present.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Everyone was powerless to resist and couldn't react. Emperor Wu, Tai Yi, the Master of the Black Blood Institute, and others were all struck by the shimmering light. They weren't injured, but they stumbled, nearly falling, feeling bewildered and confused.

"The Heavenly Emperor died, how could this be?" The Master of the Black Blood Institute murmured. He had lost a segment of his memory. Emperor Wu and Tai Yi were also in the same state.

In the field, the Dog King, the Corrupt Corpse, and the bald man retained their complete memories. Jiudao Yi and Li were also unaffected. Apart from them, Chu Feng remained aloof throughout; no shimmering light flew towards him.

"One of our own, trustworthy, someone we can rely on with our back, our entire rear?" The Dog King was surprised. Who was this person in the great mist, so highly recognized? Most importantly, this person's strength was terrifying! At this stage, with the Chief Sacrificer absent, this person in the great mist was the highest combat power!

The Heavenly Emperor's choice was very particular. The Dog King and others were one thing, but Jiudao Yi and Li's lineage was also incredibly astonishing, definitely their own people. Generally speaking, the Dog King, Jiudao Yi, and others, if traced back, came from the same lineage. Now, this person in the great mist was also highly recognized.

"What happened?" Tai Yi hesitated, looking confused, feeling that something wasn't quite right.

"Nothing, let's go." The Dog King patted his shoulder. At the moment of departure, it was very generous, beginning to hand out Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Grass and other great medicines collected from the Soul River! A single stalk of this medicine was worth one or two true lives! Not just this type of medicine, but also Heavenly Immortal Life-Extending Flowers; everyone received some.

Even powerful figures like Emperor Wu and experienced veterans like Tai Yi were excited. These herbs were truly life-saving; they wouldn't fear dying several times, as these great medicines could bring them back to life! These items were rarely found in the Yang Realm, perhaps one or two stalks, and only in hidden places like famous mountains and great rivers. With everyone present getting several stalks, how could they not be moved?

Emperor Wu, Tai Yi, and the others had strange looks in their eyes. They thought of a legend: with the Dog King's personality, anything that entered its mouth was never coming out; it always took and never gave. Had a miracle happened today?

The Dog King naturally understood the situation. The old dog was extremely cunning; it instantly understood and immediately became angry and embarrassed. "What kind of looks are you old-timers giving me?! This King has always been generous! Those who follow me and fight with me are my own brothers; would I let them suffer a loss? Look at you, like country bumpkins, a bunch of brats!"

*You old bastard!* The several people grumbled inwardly. Since meeting the Dog King, they, these ancestral-level powerhouses and founders of sects, had been constantly getting younger, regressing to childhood.

At this moment, someone spoke softly, "What about my share?"

"Didn't I give it all?" The Dog King turned its head to see the man in the great mist and immediately fell silent. It was indeed speechless. *You're so powerful, extorting scriptures from Martial Lunatic is one thing, but why are you now even trying to share medicines of this level? You're a ruthless expert who can fight supremes!* The Dog King wanted to say, *Where's your dignity? Where's the demeanor of the highest combat power right now?*

The others were also speechless. Did a being capable of fighting supremes also need such herbs?!

How could Chu Feng not understand the meaning of this atmosphere? He really wanted to say, *I want it, I need it so much! I fought tooth and nail; don't I even get a single herb?* In truth, he had plenty of opportunities to dig up large patches of these medicines, but at the time, he pretended to be profound and composed, needing to confront a supreme being. So he could only watch helplessly as the Dog King dug up all sorts of great medicines.

"Give me half!" Chu Feng said.

"How much?" The Dog King was about to say, *Do you really want it?* But then it was shocked. Not only did he want it, he wanted half?!

"Half!" Chu Feng said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, the Dog King, without another word, poured all several large sacks of herbs into its mouth and swallowed them directly, choking and rolling its eyes.

"It hasn't been processed! There are ominous substances; you'll die!" the Corrupt Corpse cried out, then extended a rotting arm directly into the Dog King's mouth, reaching down to pull the herbs out.

The bald man also anxiously shouted, "Senior Uncle, spit it out! The medicinal properties are too strong! Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Grass and Heavenly Immortal Life-Extending Medicine are one thing, but there's also Thirty-Three Heavens Grass and other powerful tonics! Swallowing them all at once, you won't be able to handle it!"

"I'll swallow it even if I can't handle it!" The Dog King declared with an air of great resolve. But soon, it began to vomit. The Corrupt Corpse's arm was fully inside its mouth, almost reaching into its stomach to retrieve the herbs.

"Get away from me! Your arm is rotten, ugh!" The Dog King vomited, and some herbs fell out, covered in its saliva.

*Damn it, are you doing this on purpose?!* Chu Feng wanted to hit them. *Are you playing a trick?* How could he take those now? He really didn't have such a strong stomach.

"You, give me a few stalks. I don't want the others!" Chu Feng said with a dark expression, looking at the bald man. Then, he looked at the Corrupt Corpse and said, "Son, you can't side with outsiders. I am your father!"

"I…" The Corrupt Corpse nearly choked to death, then stomped its feet and said, "I am your grandfather!" He truly wanted to fight the man in the great mist, but he was not his match.

The Dog King said, "Fine, give him the medicine. He might really be your biological father. After we're done, we'll part ways here. We'll meet again if fate allows!"

Suddenly, the bronze coffin glowed, becoming crystal clear and radiant all over, as if about to set sail. The Dog King instantly leaped in, and the Corrupt Corpse followed, rushing inside.

Chu Feng's gaze was profound as he looked at the Corrupt Corpse. The Corrupt Corpse was utterly disgusted by that look, that expression, truly like an old father looking at his son!