Chapter 5573: The Nether Emperor’s Skeleton
“Nine Springs Lock Heaven and Earth!” Li Changgeng roared, shooting out millions of chains from his manifestation.
All of a sudden, time seemed to flow sluggishly, and Long Chen discovered he couldn’t move. His limbs felt as though they were encased in stone, and even his astral energy failed to counteract the suppression.
Long Chen was stunned. No one had ever managed to suppress him to this degree, not even when his manifestation was weakened. The chains radiated a suffocating power that seemed to immobilize his very soul.
Worse, the Earth Cauldron, Evilmoon, Yao Ling-er, and Little Heaven had all dove into the egg earlier, so there was no way for them to assist him now. In an instant, he was caught in desperate straits.
Closing his eyes, Long Chen steadied his breathing. Suddenly, his left eye snapped open, revealing a pitch-black abyss that seemed to devour all light. Instantly, the world dimmed as if plunged into eternal night.
“Purgatory Deathblow!” Long Chen’s voice thundered.
A three-flower diagram spun within his left eye, distorting the space around him.
The millions of chains were drawn into the whirlpool and shattered. The laws of hell surged, wreaking havoc on the Heavenly Daos and turning the area into a desolate wasteland.
BOOM!
The egg erupted under the violent energy, and the Earth Cauldron, Evilmoon, Yao Ling-er, and Little Heaven were ejected. At the same time, Long Chen saw an enormous crocodile appear out of it. It was covered in seven-colored scales, and its aura was actually on the same level as Li Changgeng’s.“Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile!”
Long Chen felt a chill. Realization dawned on him: Li Changgeng had been awakening this legendary beast all along. The Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile was a monstrous existence tied to the same origins as Li Changgeng.
“Quick, we’re leaving!” Long Chen shouted.
In an instant, Evilmoon, Yao Ling-er, and Little Heaven returned to the primal chaos space. The Earth Cauldron appeared above Long Chen, and divine light enveloped him.
“Keep dreaming!” Li Changgeng’s voice rang out as his nine springs manifestation roared to life, the waterfalls cascading with immense force. But before he could act further, Long Chen suddenly vanished.
BOOM!
A brick viciously smacked Li Changgeng’s head, causing him to spit blood. He had been in the midst of casting a divine ability to prevent Long Chen from leaving. Because of it, his defense was weaker, and Long Chen used this to his advantage.
The sneak attack instantly caused his power to go out of balance, resulting in an internal injury.
“Stop messing around! This crocodile is the real threat!” warned the Earth Cauldron, not expecting Long Chen to still be in the mood to mess around at this moment.
Just as the warning echoed, the Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile opened its maw, unleashing a voracious suction force. The very domain of death created by their clash was being drawn into its gaping jaws. Only now did Long Chen realize just how terrifying this legendary existence was.
BOOM!
The Earth Cauldron’s divine light flared, smashing through the void and escaping the terrifying vortex.
“Bastard!” Li Changgeng roared resentfully, his voice echoing with fury.
The Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile, as if responding to his rage, ceased its divine ability.
“Fuck, you really pissed me off!” Li Changgeng threw his head back and bellowed into the void. To be slapped in the face and struck with a brick not once but twice in a single day was unbearable for him. He felt like he would go crazy. Ř
However, shouting like a madman was meaningless. After all, while the Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile’s killing technique could suck away everything beneath the heavens, it couldn’t stop the Earth Cauldron.
“Just you wait! Next time, I’ll tear you into a million pieces!” Li Changgeng shouted.
As Li Changgeng waved his hand, the giant Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile vanished into thin air. Moments later, his figure also dissolved into the void, his ominous threat lingering like a shadow.
…
Long Chen emerged far from the battlefield, his breathing ragged
“What the hell was that?! How could it be so terrifying?!” Long Chen muttered, shuddering.
While Li Changgeng was truly powerful, the Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile’s overwhelming presence was something else entirely.
The Earth Cauldron replied, “Li Changgeng is the son of the yellow springs, and his body was none other than the previous vessel of the Nether Emperor.”
“Previous vessel? What do you mean?” Long Chen asked.
“It is exactly as it sounds,” the Earth Cauldron began. “The Nether Emperor once possessed a physical body, a vessel of immense power. However, after being slain by the Nine Star Master, he was forced to abandon it. The will of the Nine Star Master lingered, ensuring the body could not be reclaimed by him. To survive, the Nether Emperor merged with the laws of the Netherworld, undertaking the arduous process of rebuilding both his soul and a new physical form.”
The Earth Cauldron paused before continuing, “The body he abandoned should have rotted away because of the will of the Nine Star Master. Yet, by some twist of fate, it found its way into the yellow springs. The water of the yellow springs cleansed the remains, preserving the skeleton while stripping away all flesh.”
Long Chen’s eyes widened. “And Li Changgeng…?”
“When Li Changgeng discovered the skeleton, he merged his soul with it, using a secret art of the yellow springs to cultivate. However, such a process was anything but simple. To succeed, he had to sever the Dao itself—cutting ties with his past, present, and future karma. Such an act is a dangerous gamble, tantamount to courting death.”
Long Chen’s shock deepened. “And he actually succeeded?”
“Indeed,” the Earth Cauldron confirmed. “At the time, he was a rank-nine Divine Emperor and unable to ascend further. Desperation drove him to take this risk. Against all odds, he succeeded, though at a cost… He had to start over, essentially undergoing a form of reincarnation within this new body.
“It’s almost impossible, but you also saw that his face has skin on it, which means that he succeeded. It seems it won’t be long before he has a complete body of flesh and blood. Then, he will truly be a terrifying existence.”
Hearing the Earth Cauldron’s explanation, Long Chen couldn’t help but gasp. No wonder he couldn’t harm Li Chenggang with the Heaven Flipping Seal. Even without the protection of the cloak, Long Chen wouldn’t be able to harm him.
The Nether Emperor’s skeleton and a former rank-nine Divine Emperor from the primal chaos era… No wonder Li Chenggang possessed such immense power.
Evilmoon said, “That Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile was Li Chenggang’s contracted beast from the primal chaos era. However, after gaining the new body, he had to first seal his Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile’s cultivation base so that it didn’t exceed his own. Otherwise, with the Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile’s infamous ferocity, it would have devoured him. So, the energy within the egg was siphoned from the crocodile to keep it in check. But thanks to your intervention, we’ve profited from it, hehe.”
Evilmoon rarely talked like this, which showed that it was in an excellent mood this time.
“You used the Purgatory Eyes and injured yourself. But don’t feel bad. We’ve profited immensely. You’ll find that it was all worth it,” consoled the Earth Cauldron.
Long Chen rubbed his left eye, which throbbed painfully. The last attack had the power to kill him, so he had no choice but to use the Purgatory Eyes. At first, Long Chen felt a bit unhappy about his injury, but it seemed that energy in the egg was important enough for them to risk it.
After thinking about it, Long Chen grumbled, “It’s not the injury that bothers me. It’s the fact that I had to flee from someone in the same realm.”
The Earth Cauldron scoffed. “A temporary loss means nothing, and what do you mean by ‘the same realm’? Li Changgeng may technically be in the same realm as you, but you have to consider his advantages. He was once a rank-nine Divine Emperor of the primal chaos era and has the Nether Emperor’s skeleton. Add to that his Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile and five heaven veins, and it’s hardly a fair comparison.”
The Earth Cauldron continued, “The Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile’s cultivation base has been suppressed, but only to match his current major realm. Its power is still at the absolute peak of your level. Let me be blunt: the two of them together have the strength to dominate the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm right now. Until the others manage to condense nine heaven veins, he holds an overwhelming advantage.”
“When you put it that way, it doesn’t sound so bad,” Long Chen said, chuckling softly.
Long Chen’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Evilmoon, Yao Ling-er, Little Heaven, and I will need to go into seclusion for a while,” the Earth Cauldron instructed. “During this time, you can use Little Heaven’s basic spatial abilities, but don’t engage in battle with them. Overusing its power could interfere with its absorption of the Yellow Spring Blood Crocodile’s energy.”
“Got it,” Long Chen replied without hesitation.
Long Chen then took out an eyepatch and carefully placed it over his left eye. The injury from his Purgatory Eyes was still throbbing with pain.
With the eyepatch on, Long Chen looked just like a one-eyed bandit. After taking a moment to catch his breath and regain some strength, he melted into the shadows of the forest.