Chapter 495: Opening the Door, Returning to the Abyssal Void? |
"I wonder how many materials and essence portions it will take for this eighth branch to grow..."
After Su Chen's initial excitement passed, he stared at the small tree, his imagination running wild.
This Mystic Tree could now be adjusted at will. Growing a branch would be an immense enhancement to the whole.
"I'll feed it a hundred essence portions first to try." He still had some surplus provisions on hand; the remaining essence added up to one thousand eight hundred portions.
With a slight stir in Su Chen's heart, the Five Elements elements linked together, forming [Pentaelemental Rotation]. Only with this combination could the Sacred Tree of Seven Professions absorb external resources.
The Faith Essence in his hand quickly dimmed, and a hundred portions of Faith Essence were consumed in the blink of an eye.
"It seems to have grown a tiny bit..." Su Chen carefully looked at the status panel, comparing it left and right, and couldn't help but feel discouraged, "But also seems like it hasn't grown at all..."
"This thing truly is a massive consumer of essence. I estimate the Faith Essence I have on hand isn't even enough to fill the gaps between its teeth."
"Forget it. I'll talk about it after accumulating more essence in the future. There's no rush at this moment."
After extracting this one, the remaining one was the Flash-Shadow Body—that confidential intelligence worth a hundred drops of Divine Blood.
To be honest, Su Chen was somewhat hesitant. After all, everyone knew that intelligence was time-sensitive.
Calculating the time, it had already been three or four months since the Flash-Shadow Body returned. Some of the things mentioned within might have already become outdated.
But if he didn't extract it, he really couldn't release these three Sacred Classes.
"If it's wasted, then so be it. Not having enough Divine Blood at the time wasn't the Flash-Shadow Body's fault either."
Su Chen prepared himself and consumed another hundred drops of Divine Blood. A familiar feeling surged forth, but it wasn't as gentle as extracting a memory; it was as if he was being pulled towards a certain place.
The howling sound in his ears was like screeching. After an unknown amount of time, Su Chen's vision suddenly cleared, and he immediately checked the surrounding situation.
As soon as he turned his head, he saw a familiar bald head with a compassionate face and a smile on his lips.
"The World-Honored One again?" His heart shook slightly. It wasn't just the World-Honored One; standing beside him was a mass of twisted, unstable shadows.
"Great Heaven... Daoist Lord Lingxiao, Elder Changsheng, Machine God..." Su Chen muttered. All five Radiant Suns of the Five Pillars were here.
"Entering the Primordial Return-to-Void Realm again?" Another profound voice came. Su Chen turned around and saw a deep, dark curtain.
In front of it stood an old man with a hunched figure, leaning on a withered branch, scanning the Radiant Suns. "Why did you few suddenly remember to enter the Primordial Return-to-Void Realm again?"
"This is an Abyssal Eternal?" Although Su Chen couldn't feel his own body right now, he still felt his eyelids should be twitching rapidly.
Someone who could speak to the Radiant Suns like this must be an equal existence. Looking at this environment, it could only be an Abyssal Eternal.
"A hunched figure, aged face, grayish-white tattered robes, holding a withered branch... This is the Abyssal Eternal, Elder Gou..." Su Chen recognized him at a glance. Information about these Abyssal Eternals couldn't be found through official channels, but the black market had it.
Although the details weren't very specific, the general characteristics were recorded to some extent. This Abyssal Eternal, Elder Gou, fed on lifespan. Any living being who sacrificed their own lifespan could receive his help.
The higher the Professional Tier, the greater the help obtained.
However, according to the fragmented words in the black market, once a sacrifice was made, the probability of encountering danger in the future would skyrocket.
"The Sovereign of the Purple Zenith has already been found. We naturally have to search for the Abyss Pillar as soon as possible," Daoist Lord Lingxiao said indifferently.
"Tracing back to almost a year ago..." Su Chen realized that this was the scene before these Abyssal Eternals entered that Primordial Return-to-Void Realm.
It seemed they even needed an Abyssal Eternal's agreement to enter that Primordial Return-to-Void Realm? Su Chen was quite puzzled.
"I see..." Elder Gou nodded. "With the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith found, and then finding the Abyss Pillar, your plan to rebuild the Abyssal Void should face no obstacles."
They actually want to rebuild the Abyssal Void... Su Chen had just heard Chu Lingyuan mention this matter, so he wasn't surprised. It was just, what was an Abyss Pillar?
"What, do you all want to stop us?" The World-Honored One slightly raised his head.
"You all?" Su Chen was slightly stunned. Looking closely, he realized there were faintly several phantom images around Elder Gou, but he couldn't see them clearly.
All four Abyssal Eternals came? He drew a sharp breath.
"Stop?" Elder Gou chuckled. "Since Nine Eyes stirred up the Mist-Fall Calamity and washed over the Source Realm, more than fifteen thousand years have passed."
"The things beneath the Primordial Return-to-Void Realm make even us feel an icy terror. Rebuilding the Abyssal Void is something we all want to see."
Su Chen's eyes flickered. The amount of information in this dialogue was substantial.
First was the Mist-Fall Calamity that he had heard about many times. The official news was that the eight Radiant Moons who fled to the Dust Sea jointly stirred it up. But listening to what these people were saying...
The mastermind behind the scenes was actually Nine Eyes. Su Chen wasn't surprised either. After all, that Mist-Fall Calamity was quite formidable, covering nearly more than half of the Abyssal Domain, and indirectly caused the death of Taixuan Ye.
How could eight Radiant Moons possess such power?
And that so-called Primordial Return-to-Void Realm was only discovered fifteen thousand years ago, and there was something beneath it that made even Radiant Suns and Abyssal Eternals feel terror.
"Could it be the source of the Nether Mist leakage?" Su Chen couldn't help but speculate.
"Since that's the case," Daoist Lord Lingxiao nodded, "Then please open the passage, everyone..."
"No rush," Elder Gou shook his head. "To rebuild the Abyssal Void, find the Abyss Pillar, and return the Six Pillars to their positions, Origin Fire is still missing. When do you all plan to harvest the Origin Fire?"
"You also want a piece of the pie?" A voice came from Great Heaven.
"Just taking some labor fees," Elder Gou said helplessly. "I hope that when the time comes, you all can also open a passage and let some of the little brats under me go in."
Origin Fire... what was that again?
Su Chen truly heard many things he didn't understand. It seemed Origin Fire was also an important part of rebuilding the Abyssal Void.
The Radiant Suns clearly fell silent, seemingly very resistant to this proposal. But both sides had their respective bargaining chips, and in the end, they had no choice but to agree.
"Fine." Daoist Lord Lingxiao spoke. "When the time comes, we will open a passage. But there is one thing: the Evil Gods of the Nether Realm must not infringe upon the lives of the disciples of the Five Pillars."
"Naturally." Elder Gou smiled, stepping aside. The deep, night-like darkness behind him cracked open a slit. Through the indistinct shadows, one could see an extremely magnificent and brilliant region. "Everyone, please."
As his voice fell, a feeling of weightlessness swept over his entire body. Su Chen groggily returned to his main body, and the status panel unfolded—
[After the Sovereign of the Purple Zenith was found, the five Radiant Suns went to the Primordial Return-to-Void Realm to search for the Abyss Pillar. They also intended to set foot in the "Source Heart." They went there five times in succession but couldn't find the right way, hoping to find an opportunity this time.
The Abyssal Eternal Elder Gou took the opportunity to make a request. When harvesting the Origin Fire, he also wanted to let Nether Realm Creatures enter it, taking the opportunity to "Incarnate" into the disciples of the Five Pillars.
Both sides had bargaining chips on them, and both agreed.]
"They all speak half and hide half." Su Chen was left speechless. Not only were the five Radiant Suns looking for the Abyss Pillar, but they also seemed to want to enter some Source Heart.
Elder Gou harbored malicious intentions even more, though he didn't know what "Incarnate" meant.
"The intelligence is quite substantial, allowing me to deduce quite a bit of information..." Su Chen sorted out his thoughts. It seemed that to rebuild the Abyssal Void, the Six Pillars must exist simultaneously, which was why the Five Pillars entered the selection process so quickly.
Moreover, there seemed to be something huge beneath that Primordial Return-to-Void Realm, something even the Abyssal Eternals didn't dare face.
"But for me, it's a bit far off. No matter the situation, the five Radiant Suns will bear the brunt first."
The only part of this intelligence related to him was probably rebuilding the Abyssal Void. Since all Six Pillars must be gathered, the waves he would face after "becoming the Chosen" should be smaller.
"Hmm... perhaps I can ask the Remnant Spirit about some things." Su Chen calmed his state of mind and temporarily put this matter aside, calculating the things in his hand.
Having obtained five hundred drops of Divine Blood, he had spent four hundred drops. Including what was left before, he currently had over a hundred and seventy drops remaining.
"To dispatch all seven of these Sacred Classes out, it will probably cost another thirty-five drops... leaving about a hundred and forty drops..."
Su Chen was quite speechless. This stuff truly couldn't endure consumption. If he didn't find anything major, that would be fine, but if he did, it would probably be gone in one go.
"Faith Essence has too many uses, and I have one thousand seven hundred portions left. I'll hold onto them for now and not exchange them for Divine Blood."
Su Chen tidied up a bit, muttering inwardly: "Accelerating the growth of the Mystic Tree, exchanging for Divine Blood, and I might have to buy Morning Star Embers later... It's not enough, far from enough..."
He had always lacked Faith Essence and had always kept an eye out for ways to acquire it. There were a few options; he would prepare when he went back.
But for now, there was still one thing he hadn't done.
In the center of the rubble, Su Chen carefully took out the shrunken Formless Heavenly Gate from its dedicated compressed space.
This was the first time he had taken it out since bringing it from that Great Void Realm, so he was somewhat cautious.
Fortunately, it was exactly the same as when he put it in, with no changes whatsoever. It was still only the size of a palm, with a cold texture.
"I don't know exactly where it's damaged?" Su Chen examined it carefully but didn't find any cracks or the like on it.
But the status panel's prompt definitely wouldn't be wrong. It was probably damaged on the inside.
Placing it on the ground, he took out the wisp of Remnant Ember he had previously stored in the compressed space. Blazing purple flames; the moment it appeared, it directly dispelled the surrounding Nether Mist, appearing quite sacred.
Su Chen couldn't touch the primal source power hidden inside by the Remnant Spirit because the gap between the two was simply too large.
"I can't touch it, but you should be able to, right?" Su Chen looked at the palm-sized Formless Heavenly Gate on the ground. After a slight hesitation, he pressed the flame in his hand towards the Heavenly Gate.
Bang!
Subjected to external collision, the Remnant Ember abruptly exploded, attaching itself onto the Formless Heavenly Gate.
But it seemed that was all. The Formless Heavenly Gate underwent no changes.
"That's not right..." Su Chen stared carefully. A sharp gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes as he saw that the patterns on the surface layer of that dark-gold Heavenly Gate were actually filled with black substance.
Wisps and strands of black substance entangled and coiled, spreading across the door's body, carrying a palpitating oppressive feeling.
"It was really extracted?" Su Chen felt a slight stir in his heart.
Immediately after, the Formless Heavenly Gate trembled. The originally palm-wide scale slowly expanded outwards. On the door's surface, flowing golden light and the black substance formed a bizarre standoff, emitting faint crackling sounds.
However, in the blink of an eye, it returned to its original size. A magnificent and awe-inspiring aura rushed toward him. The surrounding Nether Mist suddenly stagnated, feeling as if it had been stirred by an invisible hand, becoming heavy and viscous.
Creaaak—
A sound like the friction of a door suddenly rang out, and Su Chen's breathing halted.
The tightly shut doors of the Formless Heavenly Gate seemed to be forcefully pried open by some indescribable power. A pitch-black rift emerged, and a faint, low hum could be heard.
"This... it really opened?" Su Chen was quite amazed. He had already retreated extremely far away. Only after sensing no danger did he cautiously approach.
"Why does it look so eerie?"
Su Chen muttered secretly, not daring to enter it rashly. With a thought, his clone landed beside him, and his consciousness transferred.
He wasn't sure if the other side of the door was within the Nether Realm either. If it wasn't, then the clone wouldn't be able to carry his consciousness.
However, under the current circumstances, he definitely couldn't risk his main body.
The clone stood in front of the door. Su Chen let out a breath and charged right in.
In an instant, Su Chen only felt himself plummeting rapidly. On both sides, flowing light stretched limitlessly, making it almost impossible to see anything clearly.
It seemed like only an instant, yet also like an eternity.
"Is this guy sick? Standing in the middle of the road without moving..."
An impatient voice suddenly came from beside his ear. Su Chen suddenly snapped back to his senses. What came into view were countless skyscrapers stacked vertically. The buildings were covered in dark-silver alloy shells, densely packed with fine patterns.
The sky was densely covered with intersecting traffic networks. Streamlined magnetic-levitation shuttles glided silently along transparent force-field tracks, their tails leaving behind pale purple trails of light.
The alloy walkway beneath his feet had a matte finish, neon lights shone brilliantly, and a low hum of noise flooded his ears.
"This is..." Su Chen looked up somewhat blankly. Why was it completely different from what he had expected?
This place felt more like some city with a not-so-high technological level. Its technological level was probably about the same as the Dust Star Sea.
His eyes flickered; he noticed someone pushing him from behind.
But the body was still his own, and the power was still there. If he hadn't restrained himself, his body's autonomous counter-shock would probably have vibrated the person behind him into pulverized dust on the spot.
Su Chen turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a mouth like a mouse and cheeks like a monkey. He was also a professional, probably around the 3rd-tier.
Realizing he couldn't push him, his impatient expression restrained considerably. He asked awkwardly: "What's wrong with you? You've been standing here dazed for quite a while."
Su Chen looked down at himself, his expression becoming increasingly strange. He was wearing a set of clothes that completely didn't belong to him: beige trousers, a blue shirt, and a pocket on each side.
"Where is this place?" he looked up and asked.
"Here?" A flash of horror crossed the eyes of that mouse-mouthed, monkey-cheeked guy. Could he have run into a madman?
"Where is this place." Su Chen raised his hand and pressed down on this guy who was intending to slip away. A mighty, tremendous force assaulted his body. This person didn't dare cry, didn't dare laugh, and could only respond: "This is Zezhou City."
"Full name. Add all the prefixes you can think of." Su Chen emphasized.
His throat bobbed, and he said with a mournful face: "This is the Moon-Gazing Star Region—Returning Swallow System—Purple Cloud Planet—Zezhou City."
"Moon-Gazing Star Region?" Su Chen's face instantly became very colorful. He asked as if to confirm: "The Abyssal Void?"
"The Abyssal Void..." This guy's words already carried a crying tone. If it wasn't the Abyssal Void, where else could it be? Was there a place in this universe that didn't belong to the Abyssal Void?
He definitely ran into a madman. Could he have used some evil method to take up a profession and been corrupted?
"What era is this?" Su Chen's heart was not at peace. He questioned in a deep voice.
The middle-aged man didn't dare delay and hurriedly said: "The Thirty-Second Epoch, Year Thirty-Six Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty-Two, September 7th..."
Thirty-Second Epoch... Hearing the first two words, Su Chen felt a bit stunned. This was clearly the calendar of the Abyssal Void, with every hundred thousand years being one epoch.
"Did this really send me to the past?" Su Chen found it unimaginable, but then realized and his heart turned slightly cold. "No, my consciousness is still in the clone, and it's nine out of ten still in the Nether Realm."