Chapter 1672: That Person, New Book Coming May 1st

Compared to the original bonus chapter, most parts remain unchanged, with some local modifications and additional content.

As the red sun burst forth, the wisps of mist swirling through the forest became vibrant with color. The air was fresh, mingled with the fragrance of flowers and plants.

Not far away, a vast cultivation ground bathed in the morning glow. The extensive buildings were tinted with a faint golden hue, featuring landscaped corridors, pavilions, and small bridges over flowing streams, all arranged harmoniously.

This was Chu Feng's secluded retreat, suspended beyond the mortal realms. Although far from worldly noise, it wasn't entirely cut off, as many relatives, friends, and old acquaintances resided there.

In fact, they would occasionally venture into the mundane world, either to witness the prosperity and brilliance of the grand era or to experience the hardships and struggles of the spirit-depleted age, never truly distancing themselves.

Boom! Deep within the cultivation ground, a colossal, jet-black, gleaming ox stood tall, revealing its true form. It soared like a towering peak, reaching into the clouds, unleashing astonishing energy as it engaged in its "morning exercise."

In the mundane worlds, power of this magnitude would have long shattered the sky and breached into outer space.

However, here there was no disturbance; not even the ground trembled, and the entire estate remained perfectly still.

Even when a ferocious beast, resembling both a dragon and a silkworm, swooped down, joined by a snow-white Qilin, a strange, Dao-patterned tiger, and an ancestral battle macaque, they engaged in a fierce spar with the black ox, yet not a single crack appeared in the ground.

A gentle breeze swept by, causing immortal lotuses in the crystalline lake to bloom. Hues of dawn radiated skyward, interwoven with Dao patterns, creating ripples across the water and spreading a fresh fragrance.

Chu Feng was busy in the lakeside herb garden, using a jade hoe to break open exotic soil and personally planting a branch of enlightenment tea, waiting for it to take root and sprout.

“Master Chu, this tea tree looks familiar. Did you secretly snap it off from Emperor Ye Tian's herb garden?” A lively girl in red bounced over, her large eyes bright and mischievous, clearly not one to be easily managed.

Hearing this, Chu Feng's face instantly darkened. He corrected her, “Emperor Ye Tian himself gave it to me. And Chu Xi, don't use such informal titles. If your father finds out, he'll spank you raw!”

The lively girl, Chu Xi, showed no fear. She walked over and enthusiastically hugged Chu Feng's arm, saying, “Don't let him know! Besides, you're so young. If I called you 'Old Ancestor' every day, it would feel so dreary and make you seem old.”

Meeting such an eccentric descendant, Chu Feng didn't feel annoyed; rather, he found it quite pleasant, tacitly allowing her to call him 'Master Chu'. He genuinely disliked being addressed as 'Old Ancestor'.

He looked as he always had, merely a refined young man, untouched by the passage of time.

At his level of power, the river of time was merely a beautiful sight. Past, present, and future were all but a single thought to him, incapable of affecting him in any way.

Having reached this state, he preferred a life of simplicity, dwelling in the countryside, cultivating flowers and vines, and drinking a light tea.

Chu Feng looked towards the distant gardens, faintly discerning several graceful figures gathering immortal flowers and Dao fruits. They were preparing to personally brew transforming wine.

Even those around him, the women who had shared hardships and endured the most difficult years with him, though their power was far from his realm, remained eternally youthful, untouched by the ravages of time.

Chu Feng had three children, and over the years, his descendants had become quite numerous.

The clever girl in red before him, Chu Xi, was one of his favorite descendants.

“Master Chu, let me tell you, my cousin Chu Xiao got beaten up. It was awful; his face is swollen like a pig's head,” Chu Xi whispered, relaying the news.

“Chu Xi, you're tattling again!” A young man approached, his face bruised and swollen, his battle robe tattered—looking utterly disheveled.

Symbols occasionally flickered within the wounds on his face, which was why the swelling hadn't subsided. His opponent was formidable, and the Dao patterns they left behind had not yet dissipated.

“Beaten to such a state, how rare! Who did this?” Chu Feng asked. In this serene small world, he had sealed off his perceptions that could discern the truth and essence of all things. If he knew all future trajectories before anything happened, it would strip away the simple and authentic joy and meaning of his pastoral life.

This was his choice: to let life return to its origins, to approach normalcy. He didn't wish to stand in a realm of knowing and controlling everything; he preferred to be a flesh-and-blood person, living among the lights of the human world.

“The Ye family siblings attacked me...” Chu Xiao stammered, looking uneasy. He was always eager for a fight, but today he'd been beaten to such a state, feeling incredibly humiliated.

Chu Feng was surprised. “Aren't you and the sister of that pair... quite close?”

Chu Xi said, “It's his own fault for being a philanderer. He secretly went to Emperor Huang Tian's house to get close to another girl, behind the Ye family sister's back.”

Chu Feng's eyes widened instantly. How could this be?

“No, I was misunderstood, it's such an injustice!” Chu Xiao said indignantly, looking greatly wronged. “I was just delivering a message for Brother Chu Lin; he wanted to travel to the Upper Realm with that lady. But the Ye family sister misunderstood, called her brother, and they ambushed me on the road.”

“And that's not all,” Chu Xiao added, rubbing his swollen face, his facial muscles twitching. “The Ye family sister said she'd call all her clan brothers to ambush me every day!”

“Then you should call for reinforcements too! Get Brother Chu Lin and Sister Nuo, and you can gather a team,” Chu Xi suggested mischievously, clearly wanting to stir up trouble.

To Chu Xiao's dismay, Master Chu, this old ancestor, was listening with great interest, his refined face full of smiles, clearly amused.

What kind of person was this? Chu Xiao was speechless. Was Master Chu's mindset too young, or simply too wicked?

He couldn't help but recall some legends he'd heard while traveling in the mundane world: Master Chu apparently had many 'elegant titles' back then, such as 'Chu Demon', 'Dao Ancestor of Cremation', and even something more outrageous, like... 'Human Trafficker'?!

Although Chu Feng usually sealed off his all-encompassing perceptions, if anyone dared to ponder him or inwardly criticize him, he would immediately have a keen sensation and know everything.

He smiled, revealing gleaming teeth, then kindly rubbed his descendant's face, resulting in Chu Xiao's swollen cheeks instantly puffing up by another three circles!

Chu Xiao immediately became tear-eyed and dared not let his thoughts wander again.

“Go and explain clearly to that young lady,” Master Chu finally advised, sounding reliable.

“No way, I need to defeat a few of her clan brothers first before explaining to her. Otherwise, I'll not only be wrongly accused but also lose too much face,” Chu Xiao, true to his combative nature, intended to use this as an opportunity to spar with them.

“Then deal with it yourself,” Chu Feng began to dismiss him.

Chu Xiao lingered, unwilling to leave. “Master Chu, why don't you create an even more powerful scripture, or perhaps extend a completely new evolutionary path? I'll follow and learn from beginning to end.”

“Aren't there enough scriptures already? What about all those old texts? Have you mastered them all?” At this point, Chu Feng scolded them, saying, “Where did all those scriptures go? That dog stole them all!”

Mentioning this made Chu Feng's face darken. That dog's interest in scriptures was unbearable; it had an incredibly severe collecting habit.

Eventually, it even built a doghouse out of stacks of scriptures. It wasn't to cultivate; it just happily lay inside every day.

“We're studying those scriptures too; we already know them by heart,” Chu Xiao murmured.

Just as they were talking about the dog, it appeared, clearly having just crawled out of its doghouse. It yawned into the morning glow, and the scriptures behind it automatically emitted Daoist chants in the dawn light, shining brilliantly.

Splash! The Dog Emperor leaped directly into the lake, happily swimming two laps, then opened its mouth, snatched up one large, crystalline, plump dragon carp after another, and ran off.

“That menace! Those were new species of dragon carp I just found in the Chaos River, and it immediately set its sights on them again,” Chu Feng shook his head.

Soon after, the Dog Emperor threw the dragon carp to the Big Black Ox, Ouyang Dalong, Mi Tian, and others who had just finished their morning exercise, instructing them to barbecue the carp while it waited.

Soon, Corroded Corpse and Li Da also appeared, carrying several rare and precious birds, excellent ingredients from all the heavens, and joined the group.

“A bunch of troublemakers!” Chu Feng added.

The Dog Emperor had its own nests at Chu Feng's place, Emperor Ye Tian's place, and Emperor Huang Tian's place. And this late-stage scripture hoarder always built its nests using various scriptures.

It actually preferred to stay in Emperor Ye Tian's cultivation ground, after all, most people from its era resided there. Even Wu Shi and the Empress were there, each having their own vast immortal mountains and grand Dao palaces to live in.

However, it was somewhat intimidated by the Empress and never dared to stay long.

As for Emperor Huang Tian's residence, it didn't visit very often, but not rarely either.

Originally, the Dog Emperor never dared to act recklessly there, always behaving respectfully and properly, so it wasn't particularly worried about being disciplined.

But once, one of Emperor Huang Tian's descendants gave it quite a fright.

It was a descendant whom Huang greatly favored, full of cheer and immense curiosity. He asked about everything, inquired if it had a Dao companion or descendants, and finally, mysteriously asked it, 'How's the Imperial Dog Milk produced by our clan?!'

The Dog Emperor's face instantly turned green. It didn't look at that brat, but instead stole a glance at Huang.

Emperor Huang Tian didn't respond to him, but the Dog Emperor seemed to have misunderstood.

That day, the Dog Emperor tucked its tail and fled, not daring to visit again for a long time. Even its doghouse there was abandoned for ages, and the supreme scriptures used to build it nearly grew moldy.

Thus, it spent the longest time at Chu Feng's place, gathering and causing mischief there every day.

Of course, occasionally, it would also drag along Jiu Dao Yi and Gu Qing to travel in the mundane world.

Chu Feng's retreat, Emperor Ye Tian's cultivation ground, and Emperor Huang Tian's immortal haven were all not far from each other, suspended beyond the mortal realm. The three grounds formed an equilateral triangle, equidistant from each other.

One could say that gathering was easy for them. Even their disciples and followers would occasionally come together to spar and travel through various realms.

In Emperor Ye Tian's cultivation ground, besides the three imperial palaces, there were also the Purple Moon Palace, Miaoyi Pure Land, and others.

However, the herb garden occupied the largest area, truly cultivating many rare and extremely precious exotic species, some even unique.

For example, the Enlightenment Tea. This ancient tree was brought by Emperor Ye Tian from the mundane world into the Immortal Realm, and then into the myriad heavens. After many epochs, this tea tree had already evolved to a level of connecting with the heavens and reaching the Dao.

Therefore, this tea was often used to entertain Emperor Huang Tian, Chu Feng, and others. The Empress and Wu Shi were already in this cultivation ground, so it goes without saying.

The Dog Emperor's nest in this cultivation ground was built right next to the herb garden. Whenever it resided there, it would drool while looking at the garden every day, but it could never manage to steal anything.

When it wanted to steal immortal peaches, the Holy Emperor of the Battle Clan would appear, engage it in conversation, lecture it on scriptures, and expound on the Dao, exhausting it until it finally fled.

Furthermore, some herbs in the garden were beyond its ability to provoke; some had long ago gained sentience and evolved into human form countless ages ago.

For example, a green lotus wreathed in chaos energy would materialize whenever it saw the Dog Emperor loitering nearby, forming the Azure Emperor's Fist seal to educate it on how to be a good person and a good dog.

The melodious zither music, tinkling and pleasing, attracted phoenixes to dance. The White-Clothed Divine King Jiang Taixu was seated by the lake, playing the zither, while Old Man Gai Jiuyou composed music. An old madman, in tune with the zither's melody, gently waved his fist seals, changing from his usual wild and domineering posture to one of extreme restraint.

However, when he saw the Dog Emperor passing by the herb garden, the old madman's fist seals changed, becoming incomparably sharp once more.

“Ow!” The Dog Emperor was inexplicably given a beating, howling, “I really didn't go picking herbs this time!” Yet, the old madman wouldn't listen to reason; his fist seals were immense, pressing forward, and the Dog Emperor yelped, screaming, and fled wildly all the way.

With a boom, distant immortal imperial light shot skyward, shaking the realm beyond. Cao Yusheng, who was also Duan De and Corroded Corpse, looked utterly frantic, shouting, “I've become an Emperor! I've finally become an Immortal Emperor!” For so many years, he had been almost obsessed, finally reaching the day he broke through.

Several people nearby scoffed, unimpressed.

With a thud, the Lunar Jade Rabbit, with her silver hair, pulled out a massive radish from Huang's cultivation ground and threw it, which landed with a clang on Cao Yusheng's head.

The Dog Emperor, having fled all the way there, instantly saw it and its eyes gleamed green; it almost drooled. Recognizing it as a genuine Purple Gold Dao Ginseng, it snatched it up without a word and ran off.

A gentle breeze blew, rustling through the Fire Mulberry Forest. Emperor Huang Tian's cultivation ground seemed to be painted with the hues of a sunset. The lotus pond rippled with turquoise waves, and purple energy swirled in the air.

Here, there were the Fire Mulberry Palace, the Qingyi Pure Land, and the Yunxi Palace, all exuding auspicious glow and radiating the splendor of the Great Dao.

Huang's cultivation ground was the most vast. He had once moved an endless stretch of great wilderness to suspend beyond the mortal realm, with a Stone Village nestled at the foot of a mountain, like an immortal haven beyond the world.

Most of the immortal herbs and Dao trees in his cultivation ground were his spoils of war, such as the Myriad Calamity Reincarnation Lotus from the Samsara Road and the mysterious Great Dao Tree from the depths of the perilous land. He had purified them of their ill omens and planted them in his courtyard.

Among the herb fields, there was also an ancient Flat Peach tree, with lush branches and leaves. It was once King Pan, who had shown kindness to the young Huang, and was now invited by Huang to reside in the cultivation ground. Sometimes, it would transform into human form to tend to the herb garden, and other times, it would seek out Huang for a game of chess.

At this moment, Emperor Huang Tian was playing chess with the peerlessly graceful Willow Deity, while Ancestor Meng silently observed the game.

There was great commotion in the great wilderness. It was the Heavenly Horned Ant and the Red Dragon battling, sparring with each other all day long. However, the great wilderness had been reinforced, and with Emperor Huang Tian presiding, even their incredibly fierce fighting failed to collapse a single mountain peak.

The Ten-Crowned King shook his head at the direction of the two boors. He was too lazy to get involved. Imperial energy permeated the air as he discussed the Dao with the Dual-Pupiled one, which was also a form of spar and confrontation.

Many fierce beasts were raised in the great wilderness, producing large quantities of beast milk daily.

Of course, everyone could attest that this was for the children of Stone Village; all children of the Huang lineage drank a considerable amount of beast milk every morning.

In Chu Feng's cultivation ground, besides his secluded cultivation area, there were also two imperial palaces interwoven with Great Dao patterns, which were the meditation grounds of Yao Yao and Lin Nuoyi.

They resided there permanently, often discussing the Dao with each other.

Chu Xiao returned, bruised and swollen, once again. Without a doubt, he had been ambushed again by a group of combative young people from the Ye family. To avenge their sister, they gave him the glorious experience of a 'one-on-one' fight... against a group, and he was thoroughly battered.

Chu Xi whispered, offering him a 'bold move': “If I were you, I'd go directly to the Ye family and propose, marry Sister Ye, make them all your brothers-in-law, and solve all your problems!”

Chu Xiao quietly told her that it was best for Chu family members not to propose to the Ye family in the near future.

Chu Xi's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this; there was definitely 'something going on.' She quickly pressed for details.

Chu Xiao looked around, then mysteriously said, “Didn't you know? Master Chu apparently once went to the Ye family to propose.”

“Tell me quickly, who was involved?” Zhou Xi instantly became energetic, her large eyes gleaming, the fire of gossip blazing in her heart.

“Lady Yao Yao!” Chu Xiao said cautiously.

“Ah?!” Zhou Xi was instantly excited, urging, “Quick, what happened?!”

“Reportedly, Emperor Ye Tian's face instantly darkened, feeling that smashing him with the Cauldron of All Things' Mother Qi wasn't enough to appease his anger, so he even borrowed the Desolate Sword to chop Master Chu,” Chu Xiao said, immediately feeling a chill down the back of his neck.

Zhou Xi immediately became agitated, wishing she had been there. “Oh my goodness, that's explosive! What was Master Chu's reaction? Did he draw his Heavenly Saber, or use his Heaven-Warping, Earth-Weaving methods?”

Chu Xiao curled his lip. “What are you thinking? How could Master Chu retaliate? Don't forget his original intention.”

“It's such a pity! I really wanted to see them battle; just thinking about it excites me,” Chu Xi expressed genuine regret, almost wringing her hands and sighing.

Chu Xiao nodded, also agreeing somewhat.

Then, they felt something was off. A chill ran down their spines, and they quickly turned around to find Chu Feng, who had appeared unnoticed, glaring at them with a darkened face.

“Choose for yourselves,” Chu Feng said, looking at them. “Cultivate in seclusion in the Furnace of Time for five hundred years, or dig roads in the Ancient Underworld for eight hundred years.”

“No, please don't! We don't want to be burned to ashes, nor do we want to become lonely ghosts!” The two wailed, practically in tears.

Chu Feng bared his gleaming white teeth. “I hear many of you want me, Emperor Huang Tian, and Emperor Ye Tian to have a big battle, is that right?”

“Yes!” Zhou Xi instantly acted cute, blinking her large eyes repeatedly.

“Alright, bring them all here. I'll satisfy them and show you whether Chu Ultimate, Emperor Huang Tian, or Emperor Ye Tian is stronger,” Chu Feng sighed. “Today, there must be a real battle, otherwise, you'll keep thinking about it.”

Hearing this, Chu Xiao's blood immediately boiled. Even Zhou Xi stopped acting cute and quickly called for people. Through these two, the news spread, swiftly gathering all those who wished to see the duel of the three great powerhouses.

Chu Feng's face twitched. Not only the younger generation, but also a group of old guys like the Dog Emperor, Corroded Corpse, Heavenly Horned Ant, Jiu Dao Yi, Battle Saint Ape, Gu Qing, and Li Da all rushed over at the news, eager to join the excitement, not minding the potential trouble.

Pair after pair of eyes burned with such fervor, all eager to see Chu Feng immediately engage in battle with Emperor Ye Tian and Emperor Huang Tian.

Chu Feng was very serious. He told them that those who thought Huang was stronger should stand on one side, those who thought Ye was stronger on another side, and those who thought he, Chu Ultimate, was stronger, should come stand next to him.

Instantly, three factions appeared.

Chu Feng nodded, then with a flick of his finger, a Lightning Pool appeared above Huang's faction, a Cauldron of All Things' Mother Qi above Ye's faction, and a Vajra Lasso above Chu's faction.

“Alright, as for who is weaker or stronger among me, Emperor Huang Tian, and Emperor Ye Tian, that will depend on your performance,” Chu Feng said, then turned and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

What did that mean? Why did Chu Ultimate leave, abandoning them here? Many instantly felt a bad premonition, and as they looked up at the sky, their scalps tingled.

Within the Lightning Pool, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and in an instant, beams of light descended, striking those in Huang's faction. From the Cauldron of All Things' Mother Qi, wisps of mother qi descended, pressing down on those in Ye's faction. The Vajra Lasso spun, sending down field runes that coiled around Chu Feng's supporters like lines of latitude and longitude.

“Ow…” “Ah!” … Although these were not the actual artifacts, the sweeping lightning, mother qi, and field patterns still caused those in all three factions to scream in agony, enduring immense pressure.

“Whichever faction endures the longest and falls last, that one is naturally the strongest!” Chu Feng's voice drifted from afar.

Everyone felt an urge to spit blood. They wanted to see Chu Ultimate, Emperor Huang Tian, and Emperor Ye Tian battle, but it turned out they themselves had willingly walked into this calamity?!

At once, these people recalled Chu Feng's past 'elegant titles.' What else could they say? They could only grumble inwardly, thinking, some people... never change!

What more could be said? If they were to delve deeper into their inner complaints, unearthing Chu Ultimate's past deeds in their minds, and he sensed it, they would likely suffer an even worse fate.

Of course, as the lightning, mother qi, and field runes poured down, some people vanished, such as Jiu Dao Yi, Heavenly Horned Ant, and Battle Saint Ape. After all, they were respected elders, and Chu Feng wouldn't dare be disrespectful, so he invited them for tea.

As for the Dog Emperor, although it was putting on airs, Chu Feng apparently... didn't hear it.

“Tell me the results after the battle,” Chu Feng said leisurely, walking away.

***

At night, after Chu Feng discussed ancient and modern affairs in Yao Yao's imperial palace, he returned to his residence. Sitting before a stone zither, his fingers brushed the strings, producing melodious Daoist tones. But in an instant, he sensed something unusual, and a cold flash of lightning appeared in his eyes.

However, he did not detect anyone approaching.

Even though he had sealed off his perceptions that could discern past, present, and future, he should still be able to instantly control everything if a change occurred. His gaze could turn the vast universes and the chaos beyond into desolation, or with a glance, revive everything. Before him, there were no secrets in the past, present, or future.

Yet, an anomaly occurred today: that inexplicable sensation instantly vanished after he stopped playing the zither. Was that also a being above the Sacrificial Dao?

But if there truly was a being who had stepped above the Sacrificial Dao, he would surely know, as if they were sitting opposite him. This was a realm where one could see all fellow practitioners at a glance.

Among all the worlds and the Upper Realm, only a few individuals like Luo and the Dark Immortal Emperor, who returned by treading on imperial bones, could visit here, but none of them stood above the Sacrificial Dao.

Chu Feng released his perceptions, no longer sealing them off, and observed everything.

He vanished from the spot, chasing along a strange sensation, traversing the Upper Realm and entering the Sacrificial Sea.

A journey that would take Immortal Emperors countless years and span infinite universes, he reached in an instant, standing upon the vast waves, gazing at the Immortal Emperor's sacrificial ground.

Next, he appeared on the grand black altar deep within the Sacrificial Sea. Huang and Ye also appeared; clearly, they had both sensed something unusual and had come.

This matter was naturally not simple, involving the person sacrificed by the sinister progenitors, which made Chu Feng, Huang, and Ye all grow serious.

In the past, with their ability to grasp all truths and trace all secrets from ancient to future times, when they searched for the person sacrificed in the sinister race's grand ritual, they found a void, no traces whatsoever. This was highly unusual.

Today, with an abnormal sensation, they all appeared here, giving it immense importance.

The black altar looked particularly eerie under the cold night sky. It was stained with blood, which had long since dried, leaving black marks.

Although there had always been legends that once one stepped onto this altar, they would become the sacrifice themselves, and even Immortal Emperors would never be able to return, their blood splattering the altar.

But all this was meaningless to the three of them; in this world and beyond, there was simply no place that could threaten them.

Suddenly, against the flow of ancient history, they saw something different: at the end of an extremely distant epoch, there was a small courtyard on a plateau, accompanied by a lake.

A lotus grew in the lake, emitting a clear fragrance. As time flowed, it transformed, becoming the Myriad Calamity Reincarnation Lotus?!

It was originally an ordinary lotus, but after being enlightened by a certain individual, it underwent a transformation beyond ordinary imagination.

Chu Feng, Huang, and Ye all frowned. They had indeed traced the Myriad Calamity Reincarnation Lotus before, but had only seen its transformation process, not the person responsible, until today when they made this discovery.

That person turned and entered the small courtyard, coughing, as if... there was something wrong with their body? It was somewhat unbelievable that someone at this level could still be unwell.

In the courtyard, there was a crude stone grinding mill, like a practical tool used by ordinary farmers. Chu Feng recognized it at a glance: it was the crude stone grinding mill from the City of Light and Death.

The person in the courtyard sat cross-legged, playing a zither—a stone zither!

The tinkling music could not hide his weariness. His face was pale, bearing signs of illness; he should have been elegant, but now he lacked vitality.

Most importantly, this person's face bore a striking resemblance to Chu Feng, Huang, and Ye. The three Heavenly Emperors' similar appearances had already raised suspicions, and now there was another.

Beside him was a stove used for boiling tea water, also a practical item—it was the Furnace of Time.

In the courtyard, a flower withered, turned into seeds, and began to grow anew. The pale, elegant man played the zither and admired the flower, originally at ease, but his health was steadily declining, and he constantly frowned.

Chu Feng was deeply moved. What was once merely an ornamental flower had become the seed source for the later Flower Powder Path.

Clearly, that flower was extraordinary even back then, greatly loved by the man, and planted in his courtyard for enjoyment.

Eventually, everything changed. Black blood flowed from the man's nose and mouth, and grey mist swirled around him. His body was progressively failing, and he coughed incessantly.

Finally, he began to decay, various ailments erupting all over his body.

Until one day, he sighed, weakly murmuring to himself, “Will I... return?”

Subsequently, he went out, refined bronze on the plateau, carved out a stone jar, then incinerated himself. His ashes fell into the jar, which was placed within a triple bronze coffin and buried beneath the plateau.

Until one day, the plateau collapsed, the bronze coffin was exposed to the surface, and amidst the geographical changes, the coffin lid opened, scattering the ashes from the stone jar.

Thereafter, countless eons later, outsiders finally appeared at this place, seemingly aware of the danger, having arrived hidden within sealed coffins.

However, they were still corroded, tainted by the ashes on the plateau, undergoing sinister transformations. They all went mad, shattering the Myriad Calamity Reincarnation Lotus, causing its demise for countless epochs, and also cracking the earth, sending the courtyard's artifacts flying in all directions.

***

“There really is such a person,” Chu Feng sighed. Why had they been unable to trace him before? Only today, standing here, did they witness the past events within the river of time.

At this moment, a blurry figure abruptly appeared on the cold black altar, its voice hoarse, like a whispering specter: “You've arrived.”

“Are you the being sacrificed by the sinister race, the one they feared and thus desperately sought?” Emperor Ye Tian asked calmly.

“I bear no ill will,” the dark figure said in a low voice.

However, after a ripple that would make even Immortal Emperors tremble, dense red fur suddenly grew on his body. The whites of his eyes resembled those of a dead fish. Black blood began to flow from his mouth, nose, and eyes. His hair turned withered and yellow, and grey mist permeated from his body, the entire being emitting the most intense and terrifying sinister aura!

He grew fur, black blood flowed, yet he claimed no ill will? This was the true source of the sinister power! Chu Feng stared at him coldly. If he wanted to fight, then so be it!

“Young friends, you misunderstand. This appearance is not my desire. It is how my original body was; I was gravely ill and eventually incinerated myself, leaving nothing for eternity. However, at some unknown point, I began to be sacrificed occasionally, and to this day, I have gradually gathered as a shadow.”

Then, he faded again, leaving only a dark shadow, clad in tattered feathered robes, standing there.

“Who exactly are you?” Emperor Huang Tian asked about his origin and true nature.

“Before me was a void, with few memories. After me came your world, as you have seen and experienced. Someone offered sacrifices, and I coalesced from the obscure void,” he surprisingly said.

“In the depths of the perilous land, the various progenitors of the sinister race—their powers all stem from the ill omens on your body?!”

“It should be,” the dark shadow nodded.

Just now, black blood flowed and pus dripped from the dark shadow's body—all various lesions. Could these really be the sources of sinister power? This was truly astonishing!

“Are you also the owner of the bronze coffin? Were you buried inside it back then?” Chu Feng asked again.

“Yes, a hazy primal memory reminds me that back then, I was gravely ill and had no choice but to incinerate myself. My ashes went into a stone jar, placed within a triple-layered bronze coffin, and buried in the plateau,” the dark shadow nodded. This was his limited understanding of his own origin.

Chu Feng gazed at him. This was indeed the person they had just traced at the end of time, whose origin was somewhat unfathomable!

The three Heavenly Emperors fell silent. Sinister beings, the source of ominous power, the terrifying plateau—all these stemmed from this individual.

If what they saw in ancient history was true, then this person truly couldn't be blamed. He didn't even know who he was, and his ashes were scattered by accident.

“I have long grown weary of the current world and bear you no ill will. So be it. I called you here simply to ask for your help in freeing me.”

Chu Feng sighed. He suddenly felt pity for this person, who knew nothing of his past and, even upon returning, felt no lingering attachment, only wishing for complete liberation.

“Do you have no impression of anything from your past?” Chu Feng asked again.

“A void,” the dark shadow shook his head.

At this point, he sought nothing else, only wishing to return to dust.

“Where I came from, I may not be able to return, but I should have perished long ago; I ought not to exist,” the dark shadow reiterated his request for them to act.

Emperor Huang Tian, Emperor Ye Tian, and Chu Feng all fell silent. In the past, they had already deduced that their similar appearances were somewhat linked to the master of the bronze coffin, as they had all long accompanied the bronze coffin and stone jar, subtly influenced by an unknown power that affected their features.

Meeting today, it was indeed so.

“Senior, do you not remember even a single detail of your past?” Chu Feng, eager to know his past, asked, “For instance, reincarnation. I once discovered that residual power might be connected to you.”

“The path of reincarnation in the Underworld, it seems... was a path I walked,” the dark shadow struggled to recall for a long time before finally uttering these words. Whether it was a path walked before or during his illness, he could not reconstruct.

“Why did you fall to this state?”

To the three Heavenly Emperors, this was simply inconceivable. Above the Sacrificial Dao, who could harm, and what power could corrode?

All three frowned. The dark shadow was merely a remnant. Who the person was before death, and where they came from—they were clearly immensely powerful, yet they had fallen 'gravely ill'.

Regarding his origin and past, there was no way to investigate. Before today, even tracing ancient history revealed no trace of his true self.

“For eons, I've asked myself who I am, but I have no memories and cannot recall the past. After all, I am merely a vague shadow. However, my fragmented conjectures might be useful to you.”

The dark shadow spoke calmly. Perhaps, having transcended the Sacrificial Dao, he had further sacrificed his past, present, and future, and then sacrificed himself again.

“Perhaps, I desired too much, or perhaps I desired nothing at all, hoping to abandon everything. Alas, I have forgotten it all. Based on the last fragment of hazy perception, I seem to have gone from nothing to something, then from something to nothing, and back to something, in an unending cycle. I became ill…”

After saying these words, he fell silent, requesting the three of them to help him depart.

“Senior, please embark on your journey!”

Ultimately, the three chose to act. In brilliant light, the dark shadow was engulfed, burning fiercely, all sinister matter ignited.

The three Heavenly Emperors joined forces; no one throughout history could withstand them!

Even the substances that were the so-called source of ominous power turned to ash, purified and utterly annihilated.

The dark shadow blurred, dispersed, and was never seen again.

The three Heavenly Emperors traced back through time, but whether in the past, present, or future, there was no trace of the dark shadow, nor could his true predecessor be found—nothing but a void.

Next, do I have to write another postscript? I'm worried; I actually have to write two completion notes. Let's meet again on May 1st.