183: On the eve of the Emperor's arrival, I ventured into the underworld alone

Inside the spatial tunnel, it was not ordinary void travel, but rather filled with viscous, inky Netherworld Death Qi and twisting, wriggling threads of destiny. Ordinary Dou Saints would be instantly corroded in mind and lose their direction if they ventured in. But around Xiao Chen, the Chaos Sacred Realm naturally circulated, like a stabilizing needle, repelling all evil. His gaze was sharp, and his soul perception was like the most precise Fate Compass, ignoring countless illusions and spatial traps along the way that attempted to confuse his mind, as he sped resolutely towards the source of the Emperor's might.

The closer he got to the Soul Burial Mountain Range's core, the more terrifying the soul-shaking pressure became. It was as if the entire world was wailing, and the laws became chaotic. Xiao Chen could clearly feel that Soul Heaven Emperor's awakening had reached its final stage, his aura skyrocketing every moment, infinitely approaching the legendary Emperor Realm!

“Must be faster!” Xiao Chen's sense of urgency intensified, and he frantically urged his Chaos Sacred Power, his speed soaring once again!

“Screech—!”

Finally, light appeared ahead! Xiao Chen stepped out of the spatial tunnel, and the sight before him made his pupils contract sharply!

This was no longer the ruins of the Netherworld Hall from before, but an independent space forcibly carved out! The space was vast and boundless, the sky was an eternal blood-red, with no sun, moon, or stars, only rolling clouds of resentful Qi. The land was an endless crimson sea of blood! The sea of blood was viscous like mercury, boiling and roaring, with countless powerful souls and phantoms of ancient exotic beasts struggling and wailing within it, emitting a nauseating stench of blood and evil!

In the center of the sea of blood, a ten-thousand-zhang-tall altar of white bones stood! The altar was entirely constructed from countless translucent Dou Saint skeletons, each radiating powerful fluctuations! At the top of the altar, a hundred-zhang-diameter pitch-black heart was slowly and powerfully beating! *Thump! Thump! Thump!* Each beat caused the entire space to tremble violently, and the sea of blood to churn! That world-destroying Emperor's might emanated from this pitch-black heart!

The core of Soul Heaven Emperor's true body!

And around the altar, tens of thousands of Soul Hall core powerhouses knelt densely! Among them were Soul Hall Elders and Soul Hall Venerables of the Dou Saint level! They were like the most devout believers, frantically chanting ancient and eerie incantations, transforming their soul origin and life force into black pillars of light, continuously pouring into the pitch-black heart! This was the final blood sacrifice, accelerating Soul Heaven Emperor's awakening!

What made Xiao Chen even more vigilant was that directly above the altar, suspended in the void, was a figure shrouded in hazy starlight and twisting threads of destiny—the Pavilion Master Tianji! He was not participating in the blood sacrifice, but rather pressing his hands down, controlling a giant phantom of the Fate Compass that covered the entire altar space! The Fate Compass slowly rotated, plucking at the threads of karma in this place, seemingly guiding the flow of the blood sacrifice energy, and also appearing to be guarding against something.

“The Pavilion Master Tianji... is indeed here! What is he doing? Could it be...” A strong sense of alarm rose in Xiao Chen's heart; the Pavilion Master Tianji's actions were eerie.

Xiao Chen's appearance immediately caused a commotion!

“Xiao Chen?! He's not dead?!”

“How did he get in here?!”

“Stop him! He must not be allowed to disturb His Majesty's awakening!”

The Soul Hall powerhouses around the altar were startled and enraged, and dozens of powerful auras instantly locked onto Xiao Chen! Five of these auras had reached the level of Sixth Revolution Dou Saint! Furthermore, two old men in dark gold Soul robes had unfathomable auras, subtly touching the threshold of the Seven Revolution! This was the final trump card of the Soul Hall!

“Kill!” Without any further ado, five Sixth Revolution Dou Saints attacked first! Nether Ghost Claw, Soul Corroding Demonic Sound, Yellow Spring Death Ray... Five terrifying attacks capable of destroying mountains and rivers, came from different directions, overwhelmingly blasting towards Xiao Chen!

“An ant trying to shake a tree!” Xiao Chen's eyes were icy cold. He did not dodge, and his Chaos Sacred Realm unleashed with a roar! The two-hundred-zhang world instantly expanded to a thousand zhang! Within the world, mountains and rivers solidified, rivers surged, and the four great laws of earth, water, fire, and wind roared into operation! The power of the world was like an invisible barrier, forcefully blocking all five attacks!

“Suppress!” Xiao Chen pointed with his fingers, and the Chaos Sacred Realm shone brightly. The power of the world transformed into five gigantic Chaos hands, fiercely grabbing towards the five Sixth Revolution Dou Saints!

“Not good! Retreat quickly!” The five Soul Hall Elders were terrified and tried to flee, but the surrounding space had been sealed by the power of the world!

“Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!”

Five dull thuds! The gigantic Chaos hands ignored their defenses, directly crushing the five individuals in mid-air! Flesh and blood flew, and their souls were annihilated!

Instant kill! Five Sixth Revolution Dou Saints, like chickens and dogs!

“What?!” The remaining Soul Hall powerhouses were scared out of their wits! The two old men in dark gold Soul robes who had touched the Seven Revolution threshold also had their pupils contract sharply, and for the first time, a solemn expression appeared on their faces!

“This child... has become a major threat! Attack together! We absolutely cannot let him approach the altar!” The two dark gold old men shouted sternly, simultaneously erupting with monstrous death Qi! One transformed into a ten-thousand-zhang Netherworld Demon God, punching out and collapsing space! The other conjured a white bone staff entwined with countless resentful souls; the staff pointed, and a soul-tearing death ray shot directly towards Xiao Chen's glabella!

At the same time, all other Soul Hall powerhouses also desperately unleashed their attacks, raining down like a storm upon the Chaos Sacred Realm!

“Good timing!” Xiao Chen's fighting spirit boiled! He knew he had to act quickly! The longer it dragged on, the greater the chance of Soul Heaven Emperor's awakening!

“Chaos Returning to Nothingness, Creating Heaven and Earth! Dharma Manifestation True Body!” Xiao Chen roared, and the entire Chaos Sacred Realm suddenly contracted inwards, perfectly merging with his physical body! His body instantly expanded to ten thousand zhang tall! Chaos currents flowed all over him, and beneath his skin, it was as if rivers of stars surged! His left eye was like a burning great sun, and his right eye was like an abyss of annihilation! A supreme majesty of creating heaven and earth and remaking the universe swept across all directions!

This was precisely his ultimate form, comprehended after his sacred body was reforged and his soul entered sainthood, combined with the Chaos Sacred Realm—the Chaos Heaven-Opening Dharma Manifestation!

“Die!”

The ten-thousand-zhang Dharma Manifestation punched towards the Netherworld Demon God! With the punch, laws followed, and space shattered layer by layer like fragile glass!

“Boom—!”

The Netherworld Demon God let out an unwilling roar, its gigantic demonic body crumbling inch by inch under the Chaos fist print, finally exploding into a sky full of death Qi!

The Dharma Manifestation's other hand pointed like a sword, aiming at the death ray! Origin Qi flowed at his fingertips, and a Chaos Sword Aura erupted!

“Chii!”

The death ray melted instantly like ice and snow meeting the sun! The sword aura's momentum did not diminish, directly piercing through the old man holding the white bone staff! The old man's body stiffened, and the light in his eyes quickly dimmed; his soul, along with his body, was thoroughly annihilated by the Chaos Returning to Nothingness intent contained within the sword aura!

Two peak Dou Saints who had touched the threshold of the Seven Revolution, had fallen!

The Dharma Manifestation's third eye (vertical eye on the forehead) suddenly opened! A grayish Chaos Divine Light swept out horizontally! Wherever it passed, the attacks of the Soul Hall Venerables and Soul Emissaries disintegrated, and their bodies vanished silently, as if erased by an eraser!

Crushing! Irresistible!

In just a dozen breaths, around the altar, except for the tens of thousands of blood sacrificers who were still chanting, all Soul Hall powerhouses who dared to attack were slaughtered by Xiao Chen alone!

Blood stained the sea of blood! Remnant souls dissipated in wailing!

Xiao Chen's ten-thousand-zhang Dharma Manifestation stood above the sea of blood, like a Chaos God or Demon descended upon the world, his icy gaze finally locked onto the pitch-black heart at the top of the altar, and... the Pavilion Master Tianji above!

“Soul Heaven Emperor! Pavilion Master Tianji! Your doomsday... has arrived!”

However, just as Xiao Chen was about to launch his ultimate strike at that heart!

“Hehehe... Xiao Chen, you truly... did not disappoint this Master.”

The Pavilion Master Tianji, who had been observing coldly, suddenly let out a low, eerie laugh. He slowly raised his hand, pointing at the pitch-black heart that was beating with increasing intensity.

“The timing... is just right. Thank you... for clearing away these... bothersome wastes... for this Master. Now... the ritual... can... truly begin!”

As his voice fell, the gigantic phantom of the Fate Compass suddenly erupted with unprecedented dazzling starlight! Countless threads of destiny, like living things, frantically entwined around the pitch-black heart! At the same time, the chanting of the tens of thousands of blood sacrificers below suddenly became high-pitched and frantic! The souls and life energy they sacrificed were no longer injected into the heart, but were forcibly extracted by the Fate Compass, converging into an indescribably strange energy!

“You... you weren't helping Soul Heaven Emperor awaken?! What exactly do you want to do?!” Xiao Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and an extremely ominous premonition surged in his heart!

The Pavilion Master Tianji turned his head, and his blurred face, shrouded in starlight, seemed to curve into a chilling arc.

“Help him? No... this Master was waiting... for this moment... to borrow his body, gather the souls of all living beings, and forge this Master's... Destiny Emperor Body... that transcends this realm!”

“Soul Heaven Emperor... is merely... a chess piece... carefully cultivated... by this Master! The biggest... sacrifice!”

A shocking conspiracy... was completely revealed at this moment!