Chapter 1617: The Mysterious Homeland of the Heavenly Emperor

Ethereal whispers, like a demon muttering in a dream or a primeval chaotic spirit murmuring, drifted from the river of time, echoing in an unknown place.

Unfortunately, neither the New Emperor Gu Qing nor the now powerful Jiu Dao Yi heard them. Even the other Immortal Kings were completely unaware and oblivious.

Only Chu Feng, ever since entering the Lesser Netherworld and approaching his homeland, felt an extraordinary tension, a suffocating sensation as if the end of the world was nigh.

"Seniors..." Chu Feng grabbed anyone he could by the arm, urging many people countless times along the way.

However, the effect remained poor. Even the Dog Emperor, an ancient monster who had lived for countless ages with "empty" dog-eye lashes, shook his head and said, "Kid, stop talking. I feel like your mouth is jinxed; something bad always happens when you speak. You remind me of an old acquaintance!"

Chu Feng was speechless. What more could he say when even this old dog, who had followed a true supreme Heavenly Emperor, held such an attitude?

"Who do I resemble?" he couldn't help but ask.

"The Great Sage Hun Tuo. That man was the most unlucky; his mouth was the epitome of ill omens. I think you're a bit like him. You'd best shut up!" the Dog Emperor said, glancing at him.

Then, it nonchalantly added, "Actually, we can consider the worst-case scenario. If there's an invincible Path's End level being lurking, then it simply means fate isn't on our side, and total annihilation is all that will happen."

Chu Feng was dumbfounded, unsure how to retort to such a statement.

"Never mind, I'll enlighten you. That place is the homeland of Emperor Ye, and it also carries the thoughts of 'that one' as mentioned by the old man-skin. The Lesser Netherworld and Earth might be the coordinates to guide their return, like lighthouses illuminating the river of time from ancient past to future. If something is truly lurking there and goes too far this time, wiping us all out and severing the last hope of the heavens, it might just alarm 'that one' and Emperor Ye, leading to their return!"

The Dog Emperor panted heavily, its chest heaving with excitement, its emotions barely contained. Afterwards, it added, "Of course, the premise is that 'that one' is still alive, having transcended ancient history but still existing, and that Emperor Ye is also not dead!"

Chu Feng was startled. Everything the Dog Emperor said was mere speculation and conjecture, an enormous gamble! What if the peerlessly invincible predecessors had met with an accident in ancient times, truly and forever gone, never to reappear? Just thinking about that scenario sent shivers down his spine!

The Dog Emperor said, "Go ask the old man-skin; he definitely thinks the same way. He has the ruthlessness to break through the fog and see the truth, and also a helpless intention to force a breakthrough. Of course, it's also possible that the tattered scroll he brought back from the Heavens truly possesses unmatched power."

Chaos parted, innate vital energy surged, and starlight shimmered in the distance. The path ahead was smooth and unobstructed.

"What is that?"

Between the Lesser Netherworld and the Greater Yang Realm lay a desolate, broken universe, enveloped by chaos, where many events had once transpired.

The New Emperor immediately sensed something abnormal and personally reached out towards a certain area. He tore open the void, swept away the chaos, and revealed a vanished city. It was a wooden city!

The place was quite terrifying and strange; the entire realm seemed to be severed, cut by some sharp instrument, leaving an incredibly smooth cross-section.

Chu Feng's heart stirred. The events that had transpired in this place years ago had left an indelible impression on him.

Gu Qing couldn't resist, extending his palm to grasp forward, eager to uncover its secrets. Even though it had faded, almost into nothingness, that place still manifested strangeness: lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and faintly, a sword gleam streaked across a hundred million miles away.

"Ah!" the New Emperor Gu Qing cried out. He could hardly believe it; his hand had been shredded into a bloody mist and turned to ashes, forcing him to retreat rapidly. Even so, he felt his soul light tremble and his heart shake. What level of evolver was he? After attaining the Heavenly Emperor fruit position, he was already a Dao Ancestor-level being. Yet now, he was injured so easily!

Those around him were even more alarmed; the faces of all the Immortal Kings changed. Even the New Emperor had an arm severed. This place was truly unimaginable, too terrifying. Bear in mind, they had just entered this universe when such an ominous event occurred.

What would happen next? What awaited them? A cloud of dread settled in everyone's heart. Was a Path's End level being about to appear? All the kings' hearts pounded!

Chu Feng's heart fluctuated violently. He finally confirmed whose traces these truly were. At the wooden city, a sword gleam had once swept across heaven and earth, severing past, present, and future.

Chu Feng had carefully observed the wooden city in the past; the aftershocks of that sword gleam seemed to emanate from the depths of ancient history. Even as a mere echo of the past, it was enough to shake the world. After entering the Greater Yang Realm, he became even more suspicious, believing it originated from the same source as the sword gleam on the First Mountain! Now, seeing the wooden city again, he naturally grew even more certain.

"It's... that one? Is this a battle relic left by him?"

As expected, Jiu Dao Yi grew excited, his soul light blazing. He suddenly stood at the forefront. "Is it the residual sword gleam left by 'that one' from several epochs ago?!" the Corpse also spoke, filled with endless questions.

"Seniors, be careful! Back then, I..." Chu Feng stepped forward, quickly explaining the situation.

Gu Qing was speechless, wanting to scold him, "Why didn't you say so earlier!"

Fortunately, the wooden city was hazy; what remained were mere remnants, a momentary flash of the ancient sword gleam, not an actual sword light striking. After several infusions of vital energy, Gu Qing's hand gradually recovered, leaving no lingering issues.

"You said a letter once flew out from the fractured world of the wooden city?!"

The Dog Emperor, the Corpse, the New Emperor, and all the kings were deeply moved. Chu Feng earnestly recounted the events of that year, which garnered everyone's serious attention.

Back then, that letter traversed the void. Although Chu Feng diligently observed it and even used the stone jar to contain it, with so many years having passed, the scene he witnessed grew increasingly blurry, gradually fading away. He suspected that in a few years, everything he had remembered here might vanish from his mind forever, which was why he explained it in immense detail to the New Emperor and the various Immortal Kings.

He also recalled seeing someone vying for the letter within the river of history, one of whom possessed a giant, muddy hand. Ever since going to the Greater Yang Realm, he had always wondered if that muddy hand belonged to the one seated on the path of reincarnation... Patriarch Meng?

Everyone grew extremely solemn. Having just entered this universe, they had learned of a terrifying secret. The Heavenly Emperor's homeland indeed contained all sorts of mysteries and oddities.

"Since ancient times, I have been to the Lesser Netherworld before, but I didn't sense this place then. It seems it has only emerged in recent years!" Jiu Dao Yi stated.

Then, he and the New Emperor Gu Qing joined forces, aiming to break the shackles of the river of time, stop the onslaught of lightning, avoid the lingering sword gleam, and enter the wooden city to decipher that letter! Of course, the actual letter no longer existed; it was separated from them by history. They could only use a Dao Ancestor's peerless cultivation to speculate and investigate the truth of the past.

Everyone retreated. Jiu Dao Yi and Gu Qing, with serious expressions, began their ritual. The area instantly blurred. Chaotic heavenly winds whipped up, crimson lightning intertwined, and endless fragments of time poured down like a torrential rain.

The two attempted to approach the wooden city, stepping into the pre-historical light and shadows, intending to interpret the letter. However, with two muffled sounds, both retreated, their faces pale. They watched helplessly as the letter in the river of history burned, turning to ashes. They couldn't touch it; it wasn't meant for them to see!

"Let's go," Jiu Dao Yi said. "Our level isn't high enough. This letter is for a true Path's End level Immortal Emperor!"

Everyone gasped. That being had once sent a letter back to the old lands from some mysterious place, meant for future Immortal Emperors?! This was terrifying. If one's strength wasn't sufficient, they wouldn't even be able to see the letter, even if it lay directly before their eyes!

Encountering such a situation upon first entering this universe was like being given a stern warning, making all the Immortal Kings' hearts heavy and prompting them to become even more cautious and solemn.

Leaving the area, the Heavenly Court contingent traversed the broken cosmic region, cleaving through chaos, and truly entered the Lesser Netherworld area where Earth was located.

In the legends of the Greater Yang Realm, this place was said to be filled with grave mounds, a desolate and abandoned land. Apart from a few old monsters, most evolvers in the Greater Yang Realm, from recent ancient times to even prehistoric eras, had no idea this was the Heavenly Emperor's homeland.

"No wonder the later generations in the Greater Yang Realm didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, nor its depths, daring to call this place a graveyard and the Netherworld. It's because after the great battle of the past, this place was nearly destroyed, filled with new and old graves," the Corpse lamented.

In fact, the place was indeed broken; the cosmic rules themselves were severely flawed. Besides being suppressed by unknown forces, the Great Dao itself had collapsed. This was a problematic universe. Though not an age of dharma decline, it was close, as breaking through was incredibly difficult due to the suppression of a 'ceiling'.

"To truly rise from this universe... that would indeed be a heaven-blessed Imperial Star!" the New Emperor Gu Qing sighed.

"Please don't praise me like that; I'll get shy!" Chu Feng said, feigning humility. Behind him, Ouyang Toad, Big Black Ox, Dong Da Hu, Little Daoist, and others also puffed out their chests and held their heads high, each with an arrogant look. Although they had all reincarnated in the Greater Yang Realm and their rise in this lifetime couldn't truly be attributed to the Lesser Netherworld, they still felt a sense of glory.

Everyone was speechless. These thick-skinned fellows, especially that Devil Chu, were truly shameless, fishing for compliments.

Ahead, starlight flowed, and one grand star after another rotated, dotting the dark cosmic expanse.

"To think back to that epoch, the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were shattered, even the Immortal Domain was broken apart. How terrifying!" Jiu Dao Yi sighed deeply. Then, he revealed the true origin of this Lesser Netherworld universe.

In the past, during a world-shaking, cosmos-shattering war, 'that one' alone crossed the boundary sea, suppressed Dao Ancestors from all directions, and ultimately, even a Path's End level Immortal Emperor was killed by him! The great realms in all directions shattered. 'That one' later repaired the various realms, taking fragments of many continents, reshaping them into stars, and forming a universe.

"This is the place!" Jiu Dao Yi looked at the starry sky, at the splendid Milky Way, as if reminiscing, searching among the rotating stars for familiar earth from the past, or even the bones of old acquaintances.

"The origin you speak of is too ancient. Let's talk about my era later. Back then, this Emperor also emerged from this very universe," the Dog Emperor said, with a weary and indescribable sense of vicissitude. It seemed to bear endless fatigue, saying, "I haven't... returned for many years."

The Corpse nodded, saying, "Indeed, after so many years, I miss it greatly. Those old places, those secret treasures back then... I must have dug them all out, leaving no opportunities for later explorers."

Everyone was astonished. This one truly had the nerve to say such things! What kind of chaotic, messed-up deeds had he committed?

The Dog Emperor said, "He, back then, robbed graves, roamed the underworld, claiming he would dig through ancient and modern times, to extract the ultimate secret from the source of the river of history."

"Gone, gone, but today I'm back again," the Dog Emperor sighed, filled with a heavy sense of twilight and endless weariness. It too had originated from this universe?! For later generations, even the most glorious individuals of the past would eventually become mere history, slowly forgotten.

"Come, let's go see the Buried Emperor Star." Though the Dog Emperor walked upright in the starry sky, it was noticeably hunched. Especially when mentioning the words "Buried Emperor Star," its voice trembled slightly.

The Corpse also fell silent for a moment, finally letting out a long breath. That was a unique star, once immensely brilliant, gathering the essence of the entire universe, with a profound destiny. Yet, in the end, it too became a desolate land.

"Look, that's the place! It was once where the Heavenly Emperor vied for supremacy in the mortal world!" the Dog Emperor pointed ahead.

"The Big Dipper Starfield?" Chu Feng exclaimed in surprise.

"What a pity, it's broken, barren, almost destroyed, and eventually completely reshaped," the Corpse also said, with a mix of sorrow, desolation, and a heavy sense of twilight.

"Let's go. We're old, and we don't want to see the once most brilliant star turn into a desolate land," the Dog Emperor said, leading the way.

Along the way, the atmosphere became somewhat subdued. Chu Feng eased the tension, saying, "Welcome, seniors, to the Lesser Netherworld. I consider myself a host here and will do my best to entertain all of you."

The Dog Emperor patted his shoulder and said, "Strictly speaking, we're actually from the same hometown, from the same universe. Do you have any enemies here? I'll stand up for you."

Chu Feng, feigning shyness, replied, "Although I've had my share of hardships back then, I did eventually make a name for myself in this starfield, suppressing enemies from all sides before traveling to the Greater Yang Realm." He couldn't help but think of the Heavenly God Race, the Great Dream Pure Land, the Quasi-Immortal Race, the Underworld Race, the Primeval Demon Race, and others—both allies and adversaries—all of whom were now part of the past.

Hearing this, the Dog Emperor nodded and said, "Suppressing all your enemies makes you quite the 'wolf-man'. You could be a relative of this Emperor; perhaps we truly are blood-related."

*You old bastard*, Chu Feng thought to himself, *who's blood-related to you?!*

The Corpse spoke wistfully, "When the day comes that you return to your homeland and even miss your enemies from your youth, yet lament that they are no longer there, only then will you understand our state of mind. You'll sigh, 'Time is merciless; it has severed the past, erased glory, and buried the valiant old images of us!'" He also patted Chu Feng's shoulder and said, "May you never have such a day, where what you see is not a world transformed, but still the familiar cosmic star-land."

Then, they all walked forward together.

After a long silence, Chu Feng spoke again, "Seniors, there's a very peculiar place that might have trapped some true Immortal-level experts from the outside."

"Since we're here, let's go take a look," Jiu Dao Yi said.

Chu Feng led the Heavenly Court members to a place as black as ink, where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face: the ultimate forbidden zone of the Lesser Netherworld, the Great Abyss! Too many things had happened here in the past. Yao Yao had fallen into it from here, and Yellow Ox, Dong Da Hu, Old Donkey, Big Black Ox, the old grandmaster of Mount Wudang, and others had also died in battle here.

"This place should be connected to the Greater Netherworld!" Chu Feng conjectured.

"Quite a few juniors have been trapped inside, but most have already become skeletons. Only one is still alive."

The New Emperor raised his hand, and brilliant light poured into the pitch-black cosmic abyss. Rule runes shimmered, illuminating the vast world below. He was, after all, a Dao Ancestor-level being. Even with the suppression in this realm, it wasn't a significant problem for him.

Below, vast numbers of towering, mountain-like figures sat cross-legged. Most were withered and dead, all evolvers who had mistakenly entered the abyss. Among these evolvers were Heavenly Venerables, mighty beings, and even decaying peak Great Universe-level beings! Undoubtedly, many had come from the Greater Yang Realm in search of supreme treasures. Such a large number was the result of accumulation over vast stretches of time.

"It is indeed connected to the Greater Netherworld, but the entire abyss is arranged with a domain. With luck, one might be able to cross realms from there. Without it, they'll be trapped here."

"Please, senior, intervene and rescue the people below. That Great Universe-level expert once showed kindness to my descendant," Yu Shang spoke, requesting Jiu Dao Yi to quickly save those below. He had learned about this place from Yao Yao. When Yao Yao fell into the Great Abyss, she received much care from the Great Universe-level being below and was helped to the Greater Netherworld.

"You?!" Below, the decaying Great Universe-level old monster suddenly opened his eyes, utterly shocked. Such a large group of powerful individuals had arrived, giving him an immense sense of oppression that filled him with fear. Although he was powerful, being surrounded by a group of Immortal Kings was simply... unbelievable, too much for him to bear. He severely doubted if he was experiencing hallucinations. Had the world reached its end, and with his life nearing its close, were his thoughts and mind in disarray?

An Immortal King stepped forward; such a task didn't require the New Emperor. He extended a vast azure hand, about to retrieve the Great Universe-level old monster from the Great Abyss. Although he had long sat in the cosmic abyss, the man was not deranged; his mind was still clear. He said, "Wait, senior, hold on a moment. I have something to say."

He slowly recounted his story, confirming that he was indeed someone from the Greater Yang Realm who had mistakenly entered this place while searching for supreme treasures. However, in the end, he subtly declined the kings' kind offer.

"I have long sat here. Although my vital energy is depleted and I cannot move, I have also gained some fortuitous opportunities, connecting with the abyss. For me, life is short; I might pass away in just a few years. Rather than that, it would be better to continue sitting here. I have a feeling this strange place might help me escape the calamity of death and prolong my life for an entire era."

This Great Universe-level old monster actually uttered such words.

The New Emperor Gu Qing nodded, saying, "Indeed, an evolver's sudden intuition should not be disregarded, especially concerning matters related to themselves; most such feelings are accurate. If you have such an understanding, then you might as well wait. This universe is about to undergo major changes; perhaps your chance to reverse your destiny is truly at hand."

Finally, everyone left the Great Abyss and headed towards the starry sky where Earth was located. Everyone knew that the so-called "major changes" might very well begin from Earth!

Chu Feng felt a surge of excitement. He was finally back. He could go and meet his old acquaintances and some friends.

In fact, they had only just stepped into the brilliant star sea, still far from Earth, when a voice directly reached them!

"You've arrived. We've been waiting for you for a long time."