Chapter 1496: The Emperor's Coffin Lid Can't Be Pressed Down Anymore

An overwhelming darkness brought a sense of oppression, with palpitation, despair, and sorrow, as all kinds of negative emotions surged within. Most importantly, all cultivators of a certain strength felt as if they were targeted by an unseen entity, their souls growing cold and their entire bodies turning icy. Many trembled, as if locked onto by a natural predator or suppressed by an innate species, their bodies seemingly betraying them, wanting to surrender, to kneel.

"No!"

Someone roared. They were about to die; the end of the entire universe had arrived, yet they couldn't even die with dignity, still forced to kneel?! How could this be? Even if they were to perish, they shouldn't suffer such humiliation!

All cultivators everywhere were in a state of panic. As death approached, as the world reached its end, who could let go? How many could face it calmly? Among all primates, all sentient beings with their own thoughts, who would be fearless of death, who would be willing to die? At this moment, when life was fleeting, the heavens would turn dark, all beings would be annihilated, and everything would end, who could find peace? Who could remain calm, without joy or sorrow?

No one was willing to accept it. All beings, whether powerful ultimate creatures or ordinary cultivators, felt despair, anger, and a desire to resist. But it was meaningless!

The huge hole in the sky grew larger, becoming even more terrifying. This world seemed to have been pierced by an external force, and a corner of the entire universe was collapsing. Massive amounts of gray matter flowed down, like rivers or star-falls, surging boundlessly from beyond the heavens.

Chu Feng's heart also pounded. Had this day finally arrived? It was too fast! The Soul River battle had just ended, yet the strange source erupted, and the Grand Sacrifice began. This gave no one any mental preparation. In his opinion, there should have been more time. However, this day arrived much faster than he had imagined; it simply came. Everything was about to end, the Gray Era was commencing, ominousness permeated, overturning all realms!

Chu Feng sighed, understanding that the Chief Sacrificer had been enraged. In the battle not long ago, the strange creatures suffered a great defeat; even the withered bone creatures guarding the sacrificial ground were annihilated and the place was pierced through. As the dominant figure of this era, he lost all face. Even though he was not within the heavens, separated by billions of miles of space and time, across countless complete universes, the Chief Sacrificer had received the information and was now unleashing his thunderous wrath.

He had naturally transcended, no longer existing within the heavens. His dwelling place was unimaginable and indescribable, as no one in this era had ever been there. Furthermore, no one even knew what beings of that level looked like — whether they were indescribable, or fixed in human or beastly forms, or if they surpassed known life forms, existing as special, supreme Dao patterns.

"A tangible form!" an old monster whispered, his body chilling as if plunged into an ice cellar. Someone saw that behind the great hole ripped in the sky, not only was there the faint phantom of the sacrificial ground, but in a much more distant area, a creature was approaching. It seemed to have crossed era after era, with a tangible form, traversing the long river of time, coming from an unpredictable place, from beyond the constraints of time itself!

"Go!"

Someone growled low, intending to lead their clan away, to escape the heavens and enter the chaotic sea. Although the chaos contained various dangers, harboring many unpredictable perilous places, and might even directly connect to the strange source. However, some ancient families still set off now, wanting to hide within it. Because by remaining in the heavens, ninety-nine percent of powerful individuals and families would perish; only a very few beings would survive due to special reasons. Relatively speaking, the chaos was very dangerous, but powerful individuals also had a ten percent chance of survival, which was significantly better than waiting to die within their mountain gates. Of course, families with the strength to enter the chaos were incredibly formidable lineages with terrifyingly deep foundations. As for families who remained unperturbed, not seeking refuge, and still active in the heavens, they must certainly be problematic, connected to the strange source! This was unavoidable; whether in the past, present, or future, there would always be collaborators.

At this moment, it wasn't just the Yang Realm, but all the heavens, all great worlds, and various different universes were affected, as a great hole appeared in the sky of each, completely breached! Gray matter poured down, vast and mighty like the waters of the Yellow River descending from the heavens, shocking all realms and terrifying the world! Many people despaired. Not everyone was strong; some cultivators had already broken down, roaring at the sky, while others cried out loud. For a time, the world was in great chaos, and all beings in the heavens felt profound despair!

Gray matter was primary, supplemented by White Fiends, Black Blood, and others, falling from the sky, corroding the entire world and changing everything.

"Get out!"

"It's here again! I, this old man, escaped one epoch, but it seems I can't escape in this life. The legends are true; I can't escape the final reckoning after all."

Top cultivators everywhere were in a state of panic, and all beings felt desolate, helpless, and deeply despairing.

"Mom, I don't want to die!" a young girl trembled, her face pale and drained of color. Just at the age when youth blossoms like a flower, her life was quickly coming to an end.

"Father, I... I'm a little scared," a young boy said, his tender face filled with horror. "If we're corroded by the gray matter, will we become neither human nor ghost? Is the so-called Grand Sacrifice going to take our bodies and turn us into corpse-people?" He was unwilling, he didn't want to die, and he feared the future.

As parents, even though they were powerful cultivators, they felt a sense of pale helplessness at this moment. Saying nothing, each held their child close, waiting in silence.

Beyond the domain, the bronze coffin, currently traversing, could not remain calm. Its lid rattled and jumped loudly, producing astonishing thumping sounds; even in the supposedly silent void, mysterious vibrations could be felt. The Dog Emperor was surprised, then shocked, saying, "The Celestial Emperor's coffin lid can't hold him down again?!"

What happened?!

It suddenly stood up and looked outside. After the bronze coffin was sealed by its lid, its interior was cut off from the outside world. The Dog Emperor hadn't sensed the dramatic changes in the heavens or the arrival of doomsday! Just then, the entire bronze coffin roared violently, emitting strong tremors. The Emperor Corpse suddenly sat up, its eyes hollow, with wisps of gray mist overflowing from its body. Was it undergoing corpse transformation?

"What's going on? The Great Emperor has reanimated, we can't suppress him anymore!" The Dog Emperor stared blankly, then felt a chill of horror. The Corpse and the bald man also felt a chill down their spines. The outside world had changed drastically; something major had definitely happened. The Dog Emperor suddenly realized, saying, "Oh no, could the Grand Sacrifice be starting? Are the heavens going to perish? All universes are heading to their end, this... this is too fast!"

The entire bronze coffin became crystalline, almost transparent, like divine glazed gold radiating light beyond the domain. However, though the coffin lid shook violently, it ultimately didn't fly off.

Chu Feng stared at the sky. He naturally felt a sense of powerlessness. The Grand Sacrifice had begun, and at his current level, how could he possibly resist? This was the fundamental reason he wanted to retreat into seclusion, feeling helpless and powerless. He had no time to grow. A late-blooming cultivator like him, with his 'small arms and legs,' was too young. To speak of confronting the Grand Sacrifice was simply too futile; even if the Chief Sacrificer discovered him, he would likely be ignored, right?!

In the world, cries of sorrow and sounds of weeping echoed everywhere. An emotion of extreme pessimism and complete despair spread, filling the entire world. Doomsday had arrived for the heavens, and all realms were nearing their end, their demise!

Chu Feng exhaled a murky breath, pulled the gray creature out of the jar, and immediately began to beat it mercilessly, pummeling its dog-like head! As for Jun Tuo, it had long since been beaten back to its original form and was being used as a stool under his bottom. Of course, while he was pummeling the gray creature, he also occasionally slapped Jun Tuo's head.

"To think that I, Chu Ultimate, was also considered a prodigy, evolving to this level in such a short time," he said. "Alas, ultimately, I'm powerless to defy fate!" As he spoke, his hands didn't stop, causing the gray creature to glare in anger, then despair, howling loudly. Jun Tuo was no better off. It had just emerged from seclusion, full of vigor, and had even proclaimed "Pangu opens the heavens, Jun Tuo suppresses the world," yet it ended up so miserably?! It was being sat on as a stool, used as a punching bag, getting a thorough beating. The Ancient Saint Jun Tuo felt its heart pound. It truly didn't want to die, hoping the "human trafficker" would continue the beating and not just simply chop off its head and roast it to eat. Jun Tuo clearly knew that this scoundrel, this vicious "human trafficker," had done such things in the past, ultimately killing his 'hostages' and roasting certain Saint Sons to eat.

"Gray-Gray, is the Grand Sacrifice about to begin? Has the Chief Sacrificer appeared?" Chu Feng asked. The gray creature sneered, sinisterly and with a hint of disdain, yet it could barely suppress the pride and excitement in its heart. Its race was the protagonist of this era, and this day had finally arrived.

"If you bow down to me, you can remain a host and live. Otherwise..."

"Do you not know your own name anymore?" Chu Feng squinted at it, saying, "You're not 'Gray' now, doggy! How dare you speak to me like that?!" Then, he unleashed another furious beating.

In the chaos, in an unknown place, the gray-eyed woman almost collapsed. Hadn't she just been beaten not long ago? How could it be starting again now? She truly felt a bit of despair! She gritted her teeth. Even though she would become the protagonist of this era, she still couldn't find that host and was constantly being brutally beaten by him. This extreme humiliation was unbearable. She was going crazy. As noble as she was, her clone had now become a captive, making her feel the pain firsthand, being picked up and brutally beaten from time to time. It was truly too pathetic.

After Chu Feng finished beating the two punching bags, his mood improved considerably. He stared at the sky. Besides helplessness and the feeling of impending disaster, there was another emotion: a certain restlessness deep within his heart. That's right, deep within his heart, there was an impulse, a desire to hunt. Although the apocalypse had arrived, he was fearless of the gray matter; he could resist the ominousness. Now, as he stared at the vast amount of gray mist pouring down from the sky, the blood in his body gradually grew hot, and he felt an impulse to charge out and kill.

A grand feast! He actually had this feeling that the gray mist matter was not fatal to him; it could be refined with his small millstone, and those were great nourishing treasures! If anyone knew his thoughts, they would probably be dumbfounded.

"Charge!"

"No, time is against me. The Chief Sacrificer is about to appear; if I act too unusually, he will discover me!"

"Could I borrow another five hundred years from the heavens?!" Chu Feng muttered, then once again fiercely beat the gray creature, while also raising his hand to slap Jun Tuo again. "This desperate era, you damned Jun Tuo!" he exclaimed, feeling willing but powerless.

Beyond the domain, the bronze coffin was crystalline and radiant, almost completely transparent. The Dog Emperor and the Corpse looked solemn, observing various places in the heavens. They gasped in cold air, feeling a chill down their spines, knowing what this meant: the Grand Sacrifice had truly begun. But what could they do now? They couldn't stop it! The Chief Sacrificer was about to act, invincible throughout the world. Unless the Celestial Emperor returned, unless that legendary figure reappeared to suppress all enemies of the realms, otherwise, this era was truly over!

"There's no hope left," they said. "This coffin lid is only trembling violently, not flying out to resist. This means the Celestial Emperor's mark has dissipated." They sighed. Despite their anxiety and worry, they couldn't change anything. On this day, all beings were filled with despair and helplessness. The world plunged into utter chaos!

However, in worldly affairs, it's hard to say something is a foregone conclusion until the very last moment. Indeed, this was the case. Not long after, an unexpected event occurred.

In the world, an ancient lamp appeared, its faint light dim, burning the great hole in the sky. The lamp's light flickered and pulsed, surprisingly holding back the gray mist, confronting it.

"Crack!"

A golden light emerged, like an ancestral dragon soaring across the sky, carrying vast amounts of chaotic energy, surging and roaring forth. Eventually, it transformed into a chaotic mace, pressing against the great hole, making it difficult for the gray matter to pour out completely. The void trembled lightly. A very ancient mirror appeared, then it glowed brilliantly, radiating unparalleled immortal light, resisting various ominous substances and blocking the great hole.

"It's them?!"

At this moment, many people were shocked. Someone recognized what they were! The three objects were: the Samsara Lamp, the Chaos Mace, and the Myriad Tribulation Mirror! Legend had it that when the three artifacts combined, unifying the world, they could allow the ruler of the world to become an invincible ultimate being! In the recent battle on the three-way battlefield, two of the artifacts had already merged into one, but now they appeared separately. Many old monsters were shaken, staring at the sky. The three artifacts were clearly different from their previous manifestations, more real. Were these their true forms?

In fact, at this moment, it wasn't just the Yang Realm, but all heavens and myriad realms where three artifacts manifested, floating in the sky, holding back the great hole that poured out ominous substances. Everywhere, countless cultivators cheered, and many more wept tears of joy. However, some old monsters still looked worried. The origin of these three artifacts was mysterious, and it was unknown whether they would ultimately bring fortune or disaster. Because they first appeared more than nine million years ago, and there were rumors that the forces behind them were unfathomably deep.

"An unexpected turn has indeed occurred; a variable has appeared!"

In the chaos, in an unknown place, the gray-eyed woman and several other strange beings all had their pupils contracted, sensing that the situation was not good. The great hole in the sky was slowly healing. Although it hadn't fully closed, according to that trend, the great hole might eventually disappear completely.

"Whose doing is this?!"

"Unknown!"

"Could it be from 'Above the Heavens'?"

"Situation unclear!"

Deep underground in an unknown place, within a magnificent palace, several strange beings were rapidly communicating and discussing.

"The phantoms of the three artifacts first appeared tens of millions of years ago," one said. "More than nine million years ago, they once supported a 'false Celestial Emperor'!"

"Now, are the true forms of the three artifacts about to descend? A variable has arrived. Could there be a creature similar to the Chief Sacrificer targeting the Grand Sacrifice now?"

Even the strange beings' expressions changed, revealing unpleasant looks. This time, there had been early signs; several races had made deductions, predicting that unlike before, something might go wrong with the Grand Sacrifice. And now, it had indeed come true!

"We are regarded as strange and supreme," one said. "Our ominous matter can destroy all realms, yet now there are beings trying to oppose us?! Moreover, it doesn't seem like the Three Celestial Emperors of old; an unknown force has inexplicably emerged!"

"If it's not the work of 'Above the Heavens'," another speculated, "then it's our ancestors' sworn enemies, who have followed the clues and found this place!"

The strange beings conversed, and several envoys showed concern. At this moment, Chu Feng stared at the three artifacts, his heart filled with surging emotions. He had heard certain legends about them back in the Lesser Underworld.

"Celestial Emperor Era, nine million, eight hundred seventy-six thousand, three hundred eight..." an old ultimate being murmured, staring at the sky. His pupils were contracting as he recalled some rumors, and he felt immense fear within.