Chapter 1491: The Main Character Appears

“Damn it, your gaze is too benevolent! Could you please stop looking at me like that? I feel like hitting someone! The Corrupted Corpse couldn't take it anymore; it was truly at its breaking point!”

Across from him, Chu Feng felt a mix of melancholy and sadness, because he always had a strong suspicion that the Corrupted Corpse's soul-light was identical to that of the young Daoist priest—it had to be the same person, without a doubt!

Then, he took action. Before they parted ways, he wanted to clarify some things, leaving no room for regret.

Too much had happened today. The Grand Sacrifice was about to begin, and all the heavens might cease to exist, becoming offerings on the altar. After this, life and death would be uncertain, and perhaps this was the last time he would see the Corrupted Corpse.

Therefore, Chu Feng wanted to understand clearly what the true relationship was between this person and his son.

Chu Feng stepped forward, one hand gripping the edge of the bronze coffin. Golden patterns spread from beneath his feet as he attempted to bind the coffin, preventing it from flying away immediately.

It was truly strange; after the golden patterns spread from his feet, they actually resonated slightly with the coffin!

This startled Chu Feng. The golden ripples emanating from the stone jar—could these expanding waves actually pull the bronze coffin?

The Dog Emperor was dumbfounded, and the Corrupted Corpse was shocked. This bronze coffin represented the past, present, and future; they had never heard of anyone being able to make it resonate with a casual touch.

“What do you have on you?!”

The Dog Emperor snapped out of its daze, utterly shaken, and then felt a chill run down its spine. It recalled some ancient, unverifiable past events.

This bronze coffin had three layers; one inner coffin had been taken, leaving two outer coffins. However, to this day, no one knew who its original owner was!

Who truly forged it?

From what era did the three mysterious ancient bronze coffins originate?

Even Jiudaoyi looked solemn, staring intently at Chu Feng. Unfortunately, a thick fog obscured his view, preventing him from seeing through, but his heart was also greatly shaken.

Because he, too, was privy to the inside story.

The one he spoke of, an existence unparalleled throughout history—the one who left faint golden footprints—had once taken away the innermost layer of the inner coffin.

At the same time, that individual was also one of the earliest owners of these three coffins.

However, even in that ancient period, tracing back to that person's era, it was impossible to uncover the coffin's origins and true source.

It was only known that the innermost layer of the coffin possessed an energy level that could reach the highest among all heavens!

Now, someone with a casual touch had made the coffin hum softly, its entire body shimmering brightly, almost transparent, with various runes blossoming forth.

How utterly strange!

How could this not be startling?

Even the Dog Emperor and the Corrupted Corpse, who were privy to the inside story, felt a shiver down their spines. Who exactly was this individual? How could they achieve such a feat!?

The Dog Emperor stood upright, nudging the Corrupted Corpse with a paw-elbow, and whispered, “Could it truly be your birth father who has arrived? An old monster from several epochs ago!”

“I’ll kill you!” The Corrupted Corpse wanted to strangle it. Could there be such a malicious old friend, always trying to find a father for someone for no reason? This was just *so* Dog Emperor!

The Dog Emperor shook its head and said, “Never mind. Go and explain things clearly to him. I don’t think he’s intentionally taking advantage of you.”

This wasn't taking advantage?!

The Corrupted Corpse felt like it could breathe fire like a dragon, but he still restrained himself. He muttered, assuring himself of his good temper and patience, choosing not to stoop to their level!

In truth, there was only one main reason: he couldn't defeat the man in the thick fog, otherwise he would have already attacked him.

However, the Corrupted Corpse genuinely had doubts. He stopped, preparing to have a proper talk with Chu Feng to understand why this person was randomly trying to claim kinship.

“Alright, let’s make this clear. Who exactly are you, from what era, what kind of mon... no, hero?” The Corrupted Corpse had wanted to say ‘monster,’ but corrected himself at the last moment.

Chu Feng felt a chill in his heart. Although he was still young, not old, he couldn't reveal it. What if he gave himself away?

He knew that everyone here was a creditor.

Jiudaoyi had already been entangled with him earlier and was definitely brewing something. That dog was even less amiable; during the three-way battlefield, it had threatened to curse him and make him find great medicines. As for the Martial Lunatic, it went without saying; he had a complicated history with him, and now he had even successfully extorted a Seven Deaths Body scripture.

If they found out he was very young, and guessed who he truly was, and that he was acting like a big-shot here, then he wouldn't dare show his face for the rest of his life!

Otherwise, he would surely be hunted down and killed, especially by Emperor Wu, who would devour him alive.

If the stone jar in his hand could always exert its power, it would be fine, but this item never obeyed his commands, was very passive, and worked only intermittently.

“This old man’s path to enlightenment spans so many eons that I’ve forgotten which epoch I was born in,” Chu Feng sighed.

At this moment, he was profound and enigmatic, covered by a thick fog, exuding an aura of ancient weariness. He seemed like an old monster who had lived for hundreds of millions of years, having just awoken from slumber, filled with profound loneliness.

This made several hearts pound. Was he truly a living fossil-level being? How many great epochal calamities had he avoided to live until now?

At this moment, the Corrupted Corpse was somewhat bewildered. His physical body had an incredibly ancient origin, and the soul-light within him had changed several times over. Could this individual before him truly be the old father from the earliest era of his physical body?

He felt it was absurd, but he couldn’t control this chilling conjecture that sent shivers down his own spine.

Another father? Incredibly powerful, and still alive until now? That would truly be outlandish! No, perhaps it would be... meeting his birth father!

Bah, what am I thinking?

He wanted to slap himself. To conjure such absurd thoughts—where would such a bizarre old father come from?

The Corrupted Corpse’s face darkened as he said, “My origins are boundless; I’m on excellent terms with three Heavenly Emperors. In fact, my physical body can be traced back several epochs, and I might even be brothers with ‘that individual.’ If you don't believe me, ask the old human skin; he probably knows and understands the situation. Although the memory of that individual has become blurred and faded in our minds, I truly have a connection with him. Who in this world would dare to bully me?!”

Jiudaoyi showed a reserved smile and nodded. This was indeed true; the Corrupted Corpse's origins were incredibly ancient and frighteningly significant.

The Corrupted Corpse said, “The old human skin survived from the most ancient era and followed that individual. Every time he meets me, he stares at me incessantly, his eyes, his gaze, as if appreciating a beautiful jade—no, as if admiring a peerless heroic figure, which makes my skin crawl every time.”

Jiudaoyi smiled, but sighed inwardly. The reason he stared at the Corrupted Corpse incessantly was because the Corrupted Corpse had been personally buried by that individual back then, indeed a brotherly relationship.

Every time they met, Jiudaoyi felt complex emotions, recalling the various heroes and overlords of that era, when Immortal Kings gathered—so many heroes, yet all gone now.

At this moment, Jiudaoyi still wore a reserved smile, but his eyes glowed green as he looked at the Corrupted Corpse, making the latter's hair stand on end.

The Corrupted Corpse said, “I seriously suspect there’s something wrong with that old human skin. Every time he looks at me, I get goosebumps. Could he be a descendant of this physical body of mine, my grandchild from back then?”

Jiudaoyi had been smiling and listening, but at this moment, he let out a loud shout, “You old rascal, I'll beat you to death!”

Someone calls you their son, and you dare to call this old man your grandson? I’ll smash you! Jiudaoyi picked up his long spear and used it like a club, ready to give him a beating.

“Stop!” Chu Feng waved his hand, stating directly, “I wasn’t talking about the physical body; I was talking about soul-light. Your fluctuations are consistent with my son's; your attributes are exactly the same.”

He certainly didn't want to delve deeper into the physical body. If it continued this way, Jiudaoyi would become his descendant, which was too chaotic. He couldn't bear the karmic resentment of such an old menace.

“Wait a minute, what did you say? Let me think!” The Corrupted Corpse froze on the spot, instantly grasping what had happened, achieving a sudden “enlightenment.”

“Was this the doing of that bastard main soul?” His face turned ashen, and he realized it was indeed the main soul’s doing!

Then he stomped his foot and said, “Main soul, you bastard, you were so domineering, taking most of the soul power, but what was the result? You stumbled! Serves you right!”

He had initially wanted to laugh, to gloat, but after a moment of thought, his face fell. There was nothing funny about it; he and the main soul were one and the same.

“Main soul, you’re too shameful! You stumbled, and you dragged me, your grandpa, into this embarrassment, suffering this bad luck with you. Who the hell can I complain to? Just because of the main soul, I gained... an old father?”

The more the Corrupted Corpse spoke, the more agitated he became, eventually going berserk.

“No matter what, you shouldn’t have found a father! You’re screwing me over! If you want to acknowledge him, do it yourself. I, for one, disagree; it has nothing to do with me.” His emotions surged wildly; he couldn't stand this provocation.

“Perhaps it wasn’t your main soul,” Chu Feng added faintly from the side. “My eldest son is quite youthful; his soul isn't ancient or steady. However, he is indeed quite good at tricking people. Hmm, I often spank his bottom.”

In an instant, the Corrupted Corpse fell silent!

Spanked on the bottom?

At this moment, the Black Dog’s eyes glowed green, Li’s eyes glowed green, Jiudaoyi’s eyes glowed green, and even the bald man’s eyes glowed green!

Then, the Corrupted Corpse was about to explode on the spot!

Everyone here was an acquaintance, and what had he just heard? In an instant, his old face turned as red as blood.

The Corrupted Corpse stomped his foot, truly on the verge of going mad. How could he possibly bear this?

At this moment, even the Martial Lunatic, the master of the Black Blood Institute, and the rest of those old rascals were staring at him with glowing green eyes.

What was this situation? The Corrupted Corpse simply didn't want to live anymore; he... couldn't afford to lose face!

“Stop talking! Where is that main soul? I’ll beat him to death!” The Corrupted Corpse was incredibly agitated.

“Most likely, your main soul has split again, peeling off a wisp of soul-light,” Jiudaoyi said slowly. “Who knows what mischief it’s up to—no, perhaps it’s about to cause something big!”

“Where is he? I really want to just bash him to death with a pickaxe!” The Corrupted Corpse exhaled white smoke from his nostrils and emitted ghostly fire from his eyes.

“Through an accident, he reincarnated again, probably in the Yang Realm,” Chu Feng sighed.

The Corrupted Corpse was choked with rage, saying, “What? He died once? That’s too tragic! What kind of things does the main soul do? So unreliable, even more unreliable than that dog!”

The Dog Emperor was gloating, listening with great interest, but then was included in the disparaging remark, causing its dog face to immediately droop. It said, “At least I’m more reliable than having an extra old father!”

“I’ll stab you to death! You dare to wound my heart!” The Corrupted Corpse was indignant.

Chu Feng sighed, saying, “Back then, I failed to protect him, alas. He must be in his teens now. My poor child, where are you, and are you well? Don’t wander lost in the wilderness; it breaks my heart.”

Those present twitched their mouths.

The Corrupted Corpse felt increasingly ill at ease the more he thought about it. Was his split soul really that unlucky? He hoped it wasn't truly living exposed to the elements, starving, and begging in the countryside.

That would be too pathetic and tragic. The Corrupted Corpse suddenly couldn't sit still, his emotions surged again, and he lashed out at Chu Feng.

“Look at you, so powerful, with such high cultivation, so old, still having twilight romances, an old monster from several epochs, still having children! Don’t you feel guilty? Doesn’t your old face blush? And you can’t even protect him? What good are you?!”

Chu Feng’s face immediately darkened. None of your business! Besides, why are you concerned about my age?

He really wanted to say, *This esteemed one is in the prime of his life, only in his teens, alright?* He was being a bit shameless himself.

However, he ultimately didn't voice such words; it was simply not the right time.

Right now, he was pretending to be old, acting like a living fossil.

“Alright, you’re not the son I’m looking for. Get lost!” Chu Feng no longer wanted to bother with him.

The Corrupted Corpse was again choked with rage and also didn't want to deal with him anymore. Mainly, it was too embarrassing, and he didn't know how to interact. He wished he could escape immediately and never see him again.

The Emperor Corpse and the damaged bell were carried by the Dog Emperor into the bronze coffin, ready to depart.

However, someone grew anxious. With a whoosh, they stepped into the bronze coffin, grabbed the Dog Emperor, and prevented it from leaving.

“Oh, it’s you, lunatic. What do you want?” the Black Dog asked.

The Martial Lunatic kept his mouth shut. It was just that he couldn't defeat the opponent, and the Black Dog was carrying the Emperor Bell. Otherwise, he would have wanted to teach it how to be a good person, a good dog, and also ask it who the real lunatic was.

The Dog Emperor smiled, saying, “I find you quite agreeable. You were very brave in the recent battle, and your self-created profound techniques aren’t bad. Hmm, you’re called Emperor Wu, quite arrogant, just like me since I’m also revered as an Emperor; our titles are similar. I hear you’re quite mad. Since you call yourself an Emperor and want to inherit my imperial lineage, perhaps we truly are destined. Maybe a few wisps of my true blood flow within you; perhaps you possess my noble lineage.”

Get lost! Emperor Wu almost lost control of himself and was about to erupt!

He knew that the dog was clearly beating around the bush, changing the subject.

“Give me back my master’s Dao bones!” he said directly, refusing to listen to its—dog barks.

“How good it would be for him to stay by my side, benefiting from the dog’s influence. If he ever revives, I can guide him to a higher level.” Towards the end, the Dog Emperor grew bored, waved its paw, and said, “Never mind, I’ll return them to you.”

After all, they had recently joined forces to eliminate an enemy, so it felt awkward keeping the Dao bones, which weren't of much use anyway.

However, the dog’s expression changed quickly. Just moments ago, it had looked at the Martial Lunatic with new respect, but in an instant, after returning the Dao bones, it turned to caution Li.

“This lunatic is not a good person. He has a strange smell about him; he’s most likely practicing some terrifying evil art. Be careful not to make him your great enemy. Quickly get your true body out of the coffin in the interlayer between the Great Yin Realm and the Great Yang Realm, otherwise, you might capsize in a ditch and be killed by this madman. This person... I have a bad feeling about him.”

This was the Dog Emperor’s warning.

Li remained calm, saying, “No opponent who has been defeated by me has ever been able to catch up to my steps again. Let the Nurturing Coffin stay there for now; it’s nourishing my indestructible body with yin and yang qi and the grand Dao chains of different civilizations.”

Upon hearing this, the Dog Emperor no longer bothered to inquire.

The Martial Lunatic, meanwhile, looked askance at them. Did they take him for air? This was truly too much bullying. In the future... he would surely settle scores with them!

Then, the Dog Emperor secretly transmitted a message to the Martial Lunatic, saying, “Hurry back, your old lair has been plundered, but I swear, it wasn’t me. This Emperor only took this skeleton; I arrived late.”

Emperor Wu was stunned, then turned and left immediately, burning with impatience, vanishing without a trace with the Dao bones.

Not long after, his enraged roar came from the extreme northern lands: “Li, how dare you plunder my Daoist grounds and steal my collection! I swear...”

Li was stunned, really wanting to say, *What the hell... I really didn’t do it!* Although I really like doing that, this time... you’ve wronged me! Who am I taking the blame for?

Then, he looked at the Black Dog.

The Dog Emperor swore it wasn’t him, and that he had already made it clear to the Martial Lunatic.

“Someone else dares to make me take the blame? Who did it? Don’t they know my title from the prehistoric era?” Li was indignant. He was being accused unjustly, and he knew without thinking that the lunatic had surely pinpointed him; explanations would be useless.

Chu Feng remained calm, hands clasped behind his back, preparing to depart with a carefree air.

At this moment, he was detached from worldly affairs, self-hypnotizing, *What does this have to do with me?*

However, just before leaving, he suddenly felt a chill. Someone was blowing cold air on his back, his neck felt chilly, and something was still clinging to his back, not letting go!

Only then did he snap back to reality, his head aching immensely. So, there was still something on him! The gathering was about to end, and his terrifying problem remained unsolved.

He really wanted to ask these old monsters, *What is this?* But was it appropriate for him, a high-level master in name, to consult others? Would he expose himself?

Never mind; this concerned life and death and sent chills down his spine. He had to ask.

“Do you see something on my back?”

The Dog Emperor, the Corrupted Corpse, Jiudaoyi, and the others were all bewildered, not understanding his meaning.

Chu Feng immediately gave up hope, turned around, and walked away. He didn’t want to stay any longer.

“Farewell, may we meet again if fate allows!”

He ran off, not wanting to linger for a single moment.

With a rumble, the bronze coffin glowed brightly, carrying the Dog Emperor, the Corrupted Corpse, and the bald man, soaring into the sky, disappearing into the starry expanse in a blink.

Jiudaoyi and Li also instantly departed.

Tai Yi, the master of the Black Blood Institute, and the others also did not linger, each returning to their own places.

After leaving the destroyed Soul River entrance, Chu Feng felt the golden patterns beneath his feet begin to fade.

However, the creature behind him seemed to become even clearer. This sent shivers down his spine—it felt too real, didn't it?

Was it about to fully manifest? What exactly was it?!

Was it the Emperor Corpse’s soul?

Or had the second seed given birth to something?

Or perhaps the soul soil, spread throughout his body and within his soul-light, had, by this means, reflected and nurtured some kind of creature?

In an instant, many conjectures flashed through Chu Feng’s mind. He felt they were all possible and plausible, which sent a chill through his entire body.

Not long ago, he had been mighty beyond compare, slaying the physical body of the Nine-Colored Soul Master, resisting a supreme being, confronting the strongest entity at the end of the Soul River, and suppressing everyone.

Now, the after-effects appeared. The true entity that had helped him and given him power was about to reveal itself!

Chu Feng didn't even need to turn around to feel a warmth and the presence of breathing behind him. It grew increasingly real; he could even feel a surge of heat on his skin, making his hair stand on end.

Who, what kind of person, or what kind of thing was it?!

Soon, Chu Feng thought of another possibility.

He had actually come into contact with all three Heavenly Emperors. Today, he had seen the Emperor Corpse, and through the thick fog, the blurry figure of the man in the bronze coffin.

He had also had contact with the other female emperor among the three Heavenly Emperors. In the Grand Ultimate Forbidden Zone, within that inexplicable space, he had seen the female emperor’s remains.

Today, the Emperor Corpse had stirred; even in that state, it had wanted to attack, and had indeed delivered a blow that shattered the body of a supreme being from the Soul River.

And the man in the bronze coffin, it went without saying, had intervened, obliterating enemies, destroying more than one supreme being, and even shattering the sacrificial grounds.

Two of the three Heavenly Emperors, whether living or deceased, had directly intervened and taken action.

And what about the last one, the legendary invincible female emperor? Had she also intervened?

Chu Feng thought of the person behind him. Could it be that female emperor? After all, he had once come into contact with her remains. Had she left something on him at that time?!

It was possible! Chu Feng thought so.

The legendary female emperor, perhaps leaving a figure, or a portion of her soul-light, within the bloody halo on his back? Was it about to emerge now?!

Chu Feng was filled with doubt and uncertainty, unable to confirm.

Especially when, in the next moment, he thought of another possibility.

Where did he come from? Earth!

The Earth civilization in the Lesser Netherworld was no longer the original prehistoric Earth civilization. According to Jiudaoyi's earlier speculation, some unknown entity had intervened, manipulating things with humans as the primary focus.

Not only humans, but the entire Earth was undergoing reincarnation, repeatedly recreating past civilizations, solely to attempt to reproduce beings similar to Heavenly Emperors within those similar environments.

Indeed, even the entire Lesser Netherworld had been interfered with.

“Had the ultimate mastermind appeared?!” Chu Feng’s heart pounded. If this were the case, the trouble would be even greater.

Because when Jiudaoyi made his deductions and speculations, he still didn't know who was orchestrating all of this, who was continuously enacting the cycles of reincarnation and change for Earth's civilization, repeatedly recreating similar environments of past civilizations.

“Who exactly are you, senior? Can we talk?”

“Are you, by any chance, that female emperor?”

“Did you silently watch me on Earth, calmly observing all the joys and sorrows, examining the cyclical recurrence of one similar civilization after another?”

“Who exactly are you?!”

Chu Feng stopped walking. After finding a relatively quiet spot, he plunged into the mountains to communicate with the creature behind him.

He tried to turn his head, but failed multiple times; his neck simply wouldn’t turn.

At this moment, his divine sense, his consciousness, and his spiritual perception were all obscured, preventing him from sensing what the creature behind him looked like.

“I believe we are destined, which is why we can walk together like this. Regardless of the karma or reasons, we can discuss it in detail.”

Chu Feng spoke again. The problem on his body had to be resolved. He certainly didn't want to travel with a female emperor—or some unknown entity—on his back.

“You remain silent, yet you’re always with me. What do you want? Do you intend to complete me, help me rapidly break through, achieve the Immortal Emperor status, and become invincible among all heavens?”

Chu Feng kept speaking, trying to coax the creature behind him to speak.

A faint sigh finally sounded; the creature was no longer silent!

Three Sect Masters